Shards of War: Eclipsian Secrets

Chapter 12

It had been a few days since the trio had visited Illiyas, Matsu was in Kagayaki Industries, the R&D department to be specific, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation. Today was a significant milestone for the aura artifact project. The team had been working diligently, and now they were in the final stages of testing. Matsu was eager to see how well their hard work had paid off.

As he entered the lab, he found Blaze and Wally already there, overseeing the preparations. Blaze was making last-minute adjustments to the test setups, while Wally reviewed the test protocols. Matsu approached them, a grin on his face.

"How's it looking?" Matsu asked, his eyes scanning the bustling lab.

Blaze looked up from her work, her expression confident. "We're on the last stages now. All we need to do is some test trials, and we should be good to go."

Wally nodded in agreement. "We've put in a lot of effort. We're pretty damn sure it's going to be a success."

Matsu gave them a thumbs up and moved to the observation area. The R&D staff were already preparing for the test. One of the staff members, designated as the tester, stood in the center of the room while another staff member prepared to activate the artifact.

"Let's get started," Matsu said, his tone filled with anticipation.

The first staff member activated the artifact, and the avatar materialized in front of them. The avatar took shape, reflecting the aura of the tester, and stood ready for the trials.

Blaze gave Matsu a reassuring nod as the first test commenced. The R&D staff member, tasked with evaluating the avatar's response, began the physical test. They pretended to threaten the tester, making the situation seem intense.

As soon as the threat was made, the avatar moved swiftly, positioning itself between the tester and the supposed threat. It stood firm, protecting the tester from any harm. Matsu watched with a sense of pride and relief as the avatar successfully completed the first test.

"Success," Matsu said, turning to Blaze and Wally. "The avatar responded exactly as we hoped."

They continued with the second test. This time, another member of the staff approached the tester with a sneak attack. The avatar reacted promptly, rushing to the tester's aid and intercepting the attack. It disarmed the attacker and shielded the tester from harm.

Matsu's eyes lit up as he observed the avatar's effectiveness. "Another success. It's holding up well under both threats and surprise attacks."

Blaze and Wally exchanged satisfied glances. Blaze wiped her brow, her expression one of triumph. "We worked hard for this. It's nice to see all that effort paying off."

Wally nodded, a grin on his face. "Looks like we've got ourselves a winner."

With the first two tests successfully completed, the team moved on to setting up the next round of tests. Matsu remained upbeat, his optimism evident as he prepared for the next phases of evaluation.

As the team continued their work, Matsu reflected on the progress they had made. The aura artifact was shaping up to be a significant advancement, and seeing the results of their hard work was immensely satisfying. The tests would continue, but for now, things were looking very promising.

With the initial tests complete, Matsu and the team prepared to move on to the next phase: mental protection. This test was crucial, as it assessed how well the artifact could handle scenarios involving psychological stress and verbal attacks.

The R&D staff set up the environment for the mental protection test. The room was designed to simulate a high-pressure situation, where the tester would be subjected to verbal assault and demeaning comments. The goal was to see if the avatar could recognize and respond to mental distress by helping the user escape the situation.