District 42-Chapter 276: Hero part 4
Ivar never knew how to explain even to himself the feelings he had when he went out of the Third Lab after the last day of his experiment.
In his heart, he had both grudge and happiness toward Catrina, who had convinced him to go through such a thing to be more powerful.
He didn’t know how he could address those times at the Third Lab when he was suffering enough to think that he would surely die the next day. It was hard to address those days as preparation instead of torture.
For one whole month, he needed to go there every day and spend several hours at the laboratory. He quitted his job in order to keep at the lab for as much time as possible. Sometimes he couldn’t eat throughout the day, nor go to the bathroom, nor sleep.
He would be there for two, three, or four days without closing his eyes and feeling a lot of pain, just getting the chance to sleep when he left the Third Lab.
"I will explain to you how I will make you stronger before we start. First, I want to assure you that everything I said before wasn’t bribery to attract you, but just the truth. To be more precise, when we finish with you, you will be a weapon. A weapon developed to destroy anything and annihilate anyone in a matter of seconds. You WILL be the strongest. Just a few people in this district will be able to be a match for you. Ivar, we promise to make you the ultimate warrior."
Catrina had serious eyes when she said it to Ivar. She looked at his eyes intently. This time no playful aura was emanating from her, her lips weren’t curled in that ironic smile, nor her eyes had a childish sparkle. She seemed more like a scientist now.
"I need to explain it in simple terms for you since you seem to be a layman regarding science. But it’s a simple concept on its own, so things will go well."
The young man just stood there and kept hearing her talking. He was interested in becoming a hero, but he was curious about the procedure he had to pass for.
Something that his mother taught him since he was old enough to understand was: "Nothing comes without a price, and you will get nothing if you aren’t willing to pay any price for this."
At least, that’s what she answered whenever Ivar asked why she went to bed with men to buy food for him.
"Ivar, we have a special alloy made in a laboratory with different resistant metals that could converge with each other and create something that we call Hephaestus. It is the metal of the gods. There is no other thing in nature that is more resistant than it.
"However, we discovered this metal two decades ago. Until now, it wasn’t too useful because its sturdiness made it difficult to transform in tools or whatever. But nowadays we could manipulate it to such degree that now we can even make the thinnest fibers out of it."
Some people had heard about the creation of the metal of the gods. At the time, it was considered a worthless discovery. They could make the most resistant metal of nature with their own hands but didn’t find any way to handle it.
"What we will do is to inject this metal on your muscles and bones. Its fibers will envelop slowly on them, creating a protective layer that will also infiltrate them from outside to inside, making them turn into muscles and bones of metal! That alone will increase your strength and resistance by four or five times more. However, that’s not just it."
Ivar leaned forward while seated in a chair. He was looking forward to the rest of the benefits. The multiplying in the strength was already amazing enough, so he was curious about how much more he could get.
"The core of the power of our steel warrior is that thing." She pointed to an exoskeleton that was hanging in a wall beside them. It wasn’t the normal exoskeleton that Ridires usually wore. It wasn’t just for the arms or legs, but the whole body. It seemed to affect each muscular group of the body.
"If you don’t know, that’s a full-body exoskeleton. The normal exoskeleton can multiply the strength of someone at least 10 times more, which gives it 10 different levels of potency. However, their disadvantage is how much pressure they put on the muscles of the person who uses it. 99% of the individuals who don’t use any drugs can’t pass from the fifth level.
"If someone uses it for too long or sets it to an overwhelming level, they will suffer huge consequences by breaking their bones and tearing their muscles."
She gave a pause, expecting Ivar to pay total attention to her explanation. He was eagerly looking at her and the exoskeleton, probably guessing what was the other advantage of that procedure.
"However, with our experiment, you can use the exoskeleton in its max level, and not just that, but increase it by 5 levels as well. Your already improved strength will get even higher!"
Ivar’s heart was bumping crazily inside his chest as he heard what she said. He looked again to the exoskeleton that would belong to him in the future. His eyes were resoluted.
"What price do I need to pay?"
"In order to make the alloy enter your muscles and not mess with everything, you will need to pass for intense training to break and heal them continuously. The procedures to implant the alloy are painful. Also, since your bones don’t have the same healing property as the muscles, you will need to pass regular procedures to renew your cartilages and receive more calcium. You will pass for hellish days in which you will pray for Odin to kill you and end your suffering."
Catrina knew that she needed to influence Ivar somehow. That kind of experiment wasn’t something that you could oblige or deceive someone to do. She needed to, slowly, make him find that idea undeniable.
That’s why she was being honest about the bad points while showing everything good that Ivar could get. He should reason for himself the pros and cons.
’I choose him, particularly because he is someone who doesn’t have anything to lose. I could see it in his eyes. He is a person that lost hope long ago. If my choice was right, then this guy will not be able to deny it. My proposal is the last light he will see in this hole he is stuck at the bottom.’
And she was right. The only thing that Ivar could think about there was to say yes and start the procedure as quickly as possible.
They didn’t need to talk for too long. After a few more questions, the man accepted.
He had all the reasons to regret afterward. The pain he felt was bigger than anything he could ever imagine.
Anyway, Ivar could feel throughout the days of that month that his body was changing. His intense workout was getting easier each time he did it. The procedures turned less painful. He never felt so strong and healthy before.
A lot of drugs and medicine needed to be used in order to keep Ivar alive. Because of his bone and muscular fragile constitution, it was even harder to maintain the pace. Nonetheless, the day finally came when he stood in front of the entrance of the Third Lab again.
In their negotiation, Ivar didn’t ask many things as a condition to be the guinea pig of Catrina. There was just one thing he wanted and appreciated more than anything: freedom.
It was ironic to someone born in District 42 ask for something like that. It seemed paradoxical. However, Catrina understood what he was asking for. He didn’t want to be a warrior born in a laboratory and that would serve others as they pleased. The few choices that Ivar was capable to do by himself, he would do.
Ivar wasn’t a Frelsi, but he was somewhat attached to the idea of freedom. That was because he couldn’t forget about something: When he saw his mother laying on the bed, already dead, she had the face of someone who could find peace. She was free from the struggles and pains of her life.
That day when he was getting out of the Third Lab, he decided to go to the Ridires’ Headquarters and ask to serve as a warrior there. He was planning to raise his status bit by bit.
The laboratory, as a way of gratitude, directed him straight to become a Ridire. They had good connections inside there, so it was easy for them, mainly for Catrina. It also was beneficial for them, since it helped to raise the influence of the Third Lab as a military potency.
"See this, mom? I finally can become the hero I always dreamed to be. It’s not like me to suddenly become arrogant but... that’s the start of my legend."
