"Let me confirm it once more, are you certain you wish to proceed with this operation?"
The question was posed by a man in a black suit sitting directly opposite Arya. The two men sat on couch facing each other, separated by a large glass table.
The room appeared neat, clean, and very comfortable. However, despite this, the room had no windows at all. There was only one door that allowed people to enter and exit, and that door was guarded by two large men both on the outside and inside of the room.
Two air conditioners were on, there was a mini-bar and mini-fridge behind Arya, and there was even a waiter who brought Arya a cup of hot coffee.
Arya, who was rather a bit skinny, was only wearing a plain shirt and long pants, making him feel a bit awkward in the room.
The man in the black suit placed a small suitcase on the table and opened it, revealing several important documents.
"Mr. Arya, as you know, the power known as Direct Disruption Dimensional Dominion or D4 for short, is not a genetic fantasy power like in the movies or books. It is the power that can only be obtained through special surgery," said the man in the black suit, offering a document to Arya.
Arya, who was a little nervous, could only nod slowly. "Yes... I understand that very well. That's why only certain people can do it."
"As you know, this operation has only been done by a few people involved in politics, wealthy people who are crazy, and military personnel, or at least those who have connections with military personnel. That's all because—"
"The cost is expensive, right? I understand, but I can afford it!" Arya responded quickly.
The man in the black suit was a little surprised before he continued his explanation. "That's right... To be honest, we don't care where our clients get their money from, as long as they agree to our terms and conditions." The man in the suit tapped the document in front of Arya with his index finger.
Arya took the document and read it carefully.
The contents were mostly explanations, policies and general terms and conditions, at least until the last page.
Arya's eyes widened. "A 20% chance of success?!"
"That's right," said the man in the black suit. "This operation has a high casualty rate and you must understand the risks you are taking because if you die, the court or your family has no right to sue us."
Arya swallowed hard and continued reading.
"Huh?! If I die, my body will be taken by the company?!" He immediately looked at the man in front of him. "Why?! I mean, why does my body have to be handed over to you?!"
With a sharp, unwavering gaze, the man in the black suit replied easily. "For the advancement of humanity."
"Huh?!"
"As you know, our civilization has been able to develop this quickly because of the Void Core, the new energy source that produce up-to 10 times more energy than nuclear reactor. And to obtain it, we need people who can hunt and kill Void Beasts. Of course, we cannot produce such people easily. That is why we need data and samples for research in order to improve the success rate of future operations, including examining the corpses of those who failed the operation and die."
Arya could only remain silent and break out in a cold sweat.
"But on the other hand," the man in the black suit handed Arya another document. "We will provide additional funds to your life insurance policy."
Arya took the document and read it carefully. "This... It's a considerable amount."
"Even if you die, your family will still receive appropriate compensation. But of course, only if the operation fails."
Arya fell silent and pondered for a moment.
To be honest, he still had some doubts. Becoming a void hunter required him to take risks, but even so, he and his wife had agreed that this was the best way to earn a lot of money and accelerate his future business plans.
Although he knew it was risky, his wife supported him.
Arya made up his mind and smiled slightly. "She has always been by my side until now, so why am I hesitating over a small risk like this?"
"All right! No problem! Whatever the risk, I will definitely succeed!" Arya said confidently.
--------------------------------------------------
Lying on the operating table in the brightly lit room, Arya glanced around and saw several people ready to perform the operation.
Special surgical attire, gloves, and face masks. Everything was sterile, and all the surgeons looked so serious—perhaps too serious, as their expressions didn't match the typical hopeful gaze of surgeons expecting a 100% successful operation.
No...
Their gaze is a testament to the 80% of failures they went through. Everyone so serious, but at the same time, they don't seem to expect success.
This was not an operation to save lives, it was an operation to challenge the rules of nature, and they knew it well.
The anaesthetic was injected and Arya's eyes slowly closed, sending him into a deep sleep.
As the operation was performed, Arya only only darkness.
There was nothing as far as the eye could see and then everything suddenly changed, a cosmic explosion occurred and the universe was created. Time seemed to speed up and Arya saw galaxies being created, stars and planets forming and so the movement of every asteroid.
Everything accelerated, the star birth cycle of universe seemed so fast to Arya's eyes that he literally saw the star explode and become a black hole right after its creation.
Arya was dragged into a star, but instead of just being pulled in, his body shrinks so quickly that he could see the molecules.
He saw molecules, atoms and particles and keeps shrinking to the length that can only be measured by planck.
As he tries to process the information, a cosmic explosion occurs and Arya is blown away once again.
Now he sees the galaxy...
No...
He saw the past of the galaxy, the present, and the future of the galaxy at the same time.
His head was about to explode as he tried to process the information but a purple coloured light suddenly interrupted him from behind.
He turned back to find a giant purple crystal emitting light.
As he raised his hand and tried to grab the crystal, a collection of eyes suddenly appeared all over the surface of his body.
He was surprised, but the feeling was short-lived as he felt something staring at him.
Something dangerous...
Something fierce...
Something hungry...
Something that desperately wanted Arya's body...
As he looked around, he saw darkness.
Then something suddenly bit him. He whimpered in pain and his body seemed to be slowly being gnawed on by something.
The pain travelled from his toes to the top of his head. He could do nothing but scream and endure the pain.
Darkness...
Everything was dark....
Arya couldn't feel anything, he didn't even know why he was in the position he was in now.
It was pitch black...
But why is everything dark?
Because he's still in surgery?
What surgery?
What was the surgery for?
Just as his thoughts were about to stop, he suddenly remembered his wife.
Long cyan-coloured hair fluttered in the wind. The scent of lavender. Her eyes that were as blue as the clear sky radiated warmth. A thin smile that showed sincerity.
Remembering that, Arya immediately realised that there was still something he had to do. He had to go back to see his wife.
Arya suddenly woke up with a pale face and sweat soaking his body. His heart was beating fast and his breathing became very irregular.
He looked around and found the surgeons silent as they watched him. They seemed to have seen a miracle happen and all of them were frozen in place.
Arya raised his hands and looked at his sweaty palms.
As he looked at the surgeons once again, the people immediately sighed in relief and sat down on the floor, some just leaned against the wall, and some even lay on the floor.
{ Currency Convert. }
A voice echoed in Arya's mind and made his head hurt.
"What was that?" asked Arya who was holding his dizzy head.