Chapter 976: Phase Two Begin
Conrad and Thomas moved without hesitation, slipping back into the practiced rhythm of their roles.
Conrad took his position at the central control platform, fingers gliding over the console’s surface, bringing the primary containment fields online. The faint hum of the massive generators below the facility resonated through the floor.
Meanwhile Thomas strode to the observation wall and began linking the live biometric feeds from all twenty candidates into a single master display. His face lit by a soft blue glow from the screens.
Though Conrad’s hands worked with the mechanical equipment with focus, Erend’s gaze lingered on him.
The man’s history wasn’t something easily ignored. He was a former special forces operative. Conrad had once been involved in the biggest problem this country, or even this world, has ever faced. All because the Elf woman he loved.
Now, in this room, Conrad looked like nothing more than a disciplined engineer. His understanding of Magic integration rivaled only by Erend’s understanding and experience.
In fact, on the technical side, he even surpassed Adrien and Billy. But trust wasn’t something Erend gave freely and so he kept watching him, waiting for a sign of something more than just procedure. Just like what he had promised to do to him when everything was started.
So far, Conrad had done nothing except his job. Erend hoped it would stay that way.
—
The next phase of the Magic Assimilation Project began.
Where the first phase had been a controlled exposure, introducing the candidates to raw small amounts of Magic so their bodies could begin the slow process of adaptation, this stage would be far more invasive.
Their systems had rested for two days. Now they will do deeper integration.