Cyber Chronicles 2: Prime Voyage

Chapter 49: Present

An hour in the real world would be enough for Lincoln's trials to finish, which was what Gustav predicted. Ketsukii spent most of that time outside, taking in Earth's desert landscape. Though barren, it was a sight compared to Alvanian's wastelands, where widespread land was scarce due to the overheating of the core.

The cave echoed again shortly after Ketsukii returned, just like when Lincoln had entered the unseen gate for the vessel trials. 

Ketsukii's eyes were fixed on the cave wall, where Lincoln was last seen, when he sensed an unexpected shift in the information emanating from it. Initially just an ordinary wall, but at that moment it seemed to release loads of information. The cave appeared ordinary until a spiritual connection with one who died there was established. Ketsukii realized it was the reason why no one could discover where Obsune's tomb was.

No one except Gustav, the man who seemed to see everything. 

The enigmatic blind man's abilities were a mystery. How much could he see? What was he allowed to reveal? 

Ketsukii recalled the universal law of spiritual connection; no dead being could disclose information they acquired after death. This law applied even to spiritual connections, like the one Lincoln was going through at that moment, which weren't very common.

No living being was subject to this law, yet Gustav seemed to be an exception.

There are two types of abilities: Spiritual and Physical. No wielder can possess an ability that is in both, except for an energy manipulator like Lincoln Blaze. Gustav, like Ketsukii, possessed a spiritual ability, but at an unprecedented level of spirituality that was unheard of. 

Could this be the potential of a human wielder? Then again, was Gustav even human? Ketsukii's ability only told him otherwise. If Gustav wasn't human then what was he? There was only one other being capable of such feets but Ketsukii couldn't even consider Gustav being one of them.

That were, indeed, the Moderators, beings who enforced the law of spiritual connections and were hence the only living beings bound by it too, unable to give information to the living. 

Ketsukii shook his head; there was no way Gustav could be a Moderator. He acquired his power from an experiment, losing his eyesight, memories, and more in exchange for his ability. Gustav was a flawed being, more flawed than humans themselves.

However, Ketsukii did not know how the Moderators were created. Were they former terrestrial lifeforms, like Humans, Alvans, or Titans, or were they created separately? Moderators were spectators, aware and able to change the universe's fate but not allowed to directly help or connect with living beings. 

Yet, a rare occasion had occurred. 

A primitive lifeform with no charge or spiritual ancestry was marked by an actual Moderator. Ketsukii didn't know why ModCytron remained with Lincoln or why it had taken the form of a gemstone. It was a question lingering in his mind since Lincoln disclosed his possession. Did ModCytron choose it, or was it weakened to that state? 

"He's finished," Gustav declared, breaking Ketsukii's line of thoughts.

In an instant, Lincoln appeared before them, a startling sight that defied their expectations. The cave was bathed in an eerie glow emanating from Lincoln's body, an intense crimson energy that seemed to seep into every crevice. His usual brown hair was now accented by strands of vivid blue, a stark contrast that caught everyone off guard. Despite Carzen and Gustav's composure, Ketsukii couldn't help but feel an unsettled surprise. He had only just met Lincoln and he couldn't help but wonder what state he was in.

The only conclusion he arrived at was Wrath—an intense emotional state that liberated all restrictors within a body, releasing an overwhelming surge of charge. Such occurrences were exceptionally rare among wielders, with only a select few ever experiencing them, and even fewer among those with spiritual abilities.