Revenge: A Path of Destruction
Chapter 155: Mana Chip (Flashback)

Chapter 155: Mana Chip (Flashback)

After leaving the room, Alex made his way back toward the hall.

He stopped at the entrance.

The atmosphere felt still, as if the air itself was waiting for him. Nyxara remained perched silently on his shoulder, tail swaying gently behind his neck.

Alex took in a deep breath, then stepped inside.

But the first place his gaze fell wasn’t on the imposing central monitor that loomed over the far wall with its sterile glow. No, it was drawn instead to the tub—the very same one where the harrowing operation had transpired. That wretched, cursed vessel of memories.

Most individuals would go to great lengths to avert their eyes from the roots of their suffering. They would bury those memories deep within, securing them in a vault of denial, desperately refusing to confront the echoes of their pain.

But Alex was not like most people. He was compelled to face it head-on, to confront the anguish that lingered in the very air, thick and suffocating, as if the tub itself whispered the secrets of that dark Chapter back to him.

Even though his body involuntarily trembled at the mere thought of what he’d endured inside that tub, he forced himself to look.

To confront it.

But when his gaze landed on that side of the hall... it was gone.

The tub had been removed.

Only two sealed cases remained in its place—one containing the sleek, black nano-suit, and the other holding the demi-god rank spear, locked in a containment chamber glowing faintly with suppressing runes.

Alex stared at them for a moment, letting the image burn into his mind. Then, without lingering, he turned toward the main monitor.

The moment he stepped closer, it activated—almost as if it had sensed his presence.

His mother’s image appeared once more, flickering to life with perfect clarity.

And without preamble, the video began.

"Seeing as you’re here, and this particular video is playing, then the operation must have been successful..."

She smiled gently, but Alex could see through it.

The pain in her eyes was hard to hide. She was trying to keep it together, trying to stay composed for him—but even in a recording, her sorrow bled through.

"Enough with the congratulations and all. Let’s talk. I’m sure by now you’ve already met NOVA, and she’s given you a few updates on the so-called ’system’ I created."

Alex said nothing. He just listened.

"The system... actually isn’t real. Not exactly. It’s not some separate entity. It’s a projected construct—images the nanobots send directly into your brain to simulate the experience of using a system."

That much, he’d already learned from NOVA. But hearing it from his mother, hearing the explanation in her voice, grounded the information in a deeper truth.

"The only reason it works as well as it does is because of NOVA."

She paused, took a breath.

Then her tone shifted slightly—more serious, more weighted.

"Now, let’s talk about NOVA herself. NOVA is a system AI I created by combining advanced science and mana-based technology. And like you’ve probably already been told, what you’re interacting with isn’t her main body."

"That should be obvious. After all, any AI managing this much information in real-time would require a massive processing unit—one capable of managing calculations far beyond what even modern supercomputers could handle."

She gave a small smile.

"That’s where the MANA chip comes in."

Alex’s eyes widened slightly.

"And I’m sure you know what it is."

Of course, he knew it.

Everyone did.

The MANA chip was the world’s most advanced computing processor. It didn’t just run on electricity—it ran on mana. It was the bridge between arcane and machine, a chip crafted through a fusion of world-runes and cutting-edge tech.

It had revolutionized everything.

And its creator—Drovo James—had become a global icon.

A genius. A legend. And, just as importantly, a mystery.

A few years ago, James had vanished without a trace. No official affiliations, no government ties, no protective clan backing. Just a lone innovator who pushed too far and became too valuable. Rumors swirled that the Higher Clans wanted to own him. That the governments of the world tried to chain him down.

And so, he disappeared.

Alex remembered that well.

Then his mother’s voice dropped the bombshell.

"So, I used the MANA chip. But here’s the thing... Even I couldn’t fully understand its inner workings. So I did something drastic."

A pause.

"I kidnapped James."

Alex almost choked.

He could barely believe what he was hearing.

"W-What?" he muttered aloud without realizing it.

"By the way," she continued, voice almost nonchalant, "I only did it because the guy was too stubborn. And it was already a full year after he went off-grid. The idiot thought he could stay hidden from me?"

There was pride in her voice. Not just pride—amusement. A smug sort of satisfaction bloomed in the corners of her eyes.

Alex stared at the screen, caught between disbelief and the smallest tug of a smile.

Yeah... that sounded like her.

"Anyway, after I tracked him down and—well, let’s say persuaded him—I got him to help me make NOVA’s processor chip. But we hit a wall."

"The MANA chip, as powerful as it was, had limits. It could only operate on specific computers. Any larger systems would cause the runes to destabilize, the circuits to collapse."

Alex listened closely now, completely focused.

"So I joined him in the lab. Side by side. And after months of trial and error, frustration, and breakthroughs... we succeeded."

"We created the first MANA chip designed for a true supercomputer."

"That chip became NOVA’s motherboard."

She let the weight of the statement hang for a moment.

Then she nodded.

"That’s the quick version of the story. Just to bring you up to speed. So—if you’re wondering where NOVA’s main body is..."

Another pause.

"She’s in orbit."

Alex’s eyes widened again.

"NOVA’s core processor is stored in a satellite—a massive one. Locked into geostationary orbit. Shielded, self-sustaining, heavily warded. That’s why her processing power is unmatched. That’s how she can help you do what’s coming."

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