Inside the Universal Simulation.
"What are the other changes that happened to him?" Aron immediately asked after passing through the gate, wanting to know the complete extent of the changes that had taken place within John's body due to the relentless barrage of healing runes he unleashed upon him for hours on end.
[Nearly every aspect,] Nova responded, conjuring a holographic representation of John's physique before delving into a detailed explanation of the remarkable changes.
[In addition to healing and regenerating his limbs, the extended exposure led to meticulous fine-tuning, revitalization, and fortification of his muscles, organs, and bones, pushing them to their absolute limits. In essence, you've transformed him into a super soldier, doubling his strength compared to what it was previously,] Nova elucidated, emphasizing the profound changes that occurred within John's body.
"That's fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!" Aron exclaimed with great excitement upon hearing Nova's detailed explanation.
After reveling in the momentary celebration, Aron posed a question, "Did any mutations occur, similar to what happened to Henry?" He desired to ascertain whether the circumstances that befell his younger brother were potentially replicable in other individuals.
[Unfortunately, no such mutations occurred in John's case,] Nova answered.
"That's a relief," Aron expressed with a sense of reassurance, pleased to learn that John had not experienced any similar mutations.
Nova inquired, "Aren't you supposed to be saddened by the absence of mutations despite the prolonged exposure?" She was curious about the reason behind his sense of relief rather than sorrow.
"It's actually quite the opposite. If everyone underwent mutations simply from being exposed to concentrated mana for a certain duration, it would severely restrict my ability to employ runes in large-scale scenarios, as there would be a constant fear of unexpected mutations occurring," Aron explained, shedding light on his rationale.
"Has there been any change in his mental state? If I have to send him for therapy, it will pose a problem, considering that all the candidates appear to be experiencing some form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)," Aron inquired.
[Due to the enhancements provided by the runes, John's brain has undergone strengthening, enabling it to recover from the emotional damage he had accumulated throughout his life.
When he awakens, all the trauma will appear to him as nothing more than a melancholic past,] Nova explained.
"That's excellent news," Aron replied, his voice carrying a sense of relief.
"So, what is his story?" Aron asked, wanting to know further details of his story beyond what he had read in the profile that Nova had prepared for him.
[There have been no significant deviations, except for the inclusion of additional information that reinforces the details provided in the previous brief.
He served as the esteemed SEAL captain leading a daring captive rescue mission for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.
The operation was initiated based on compelling intelligence obtained from the army's intelligence wing, which served as the catalyst for their determined pursuit. Upon arriving at the suspected prison's location, they were confronted with a formidable fortress, extensively fortified and guarded.
Faced with the imminent danger to his team, he made the audacious decision to override central command's orders and strategically retreat, intending to ensure the safety of his comrades.
Tragically, during the perilous retreat, one of his team members inadvertently triggered a concealed landmine killing himself and alerting the enemy, the following fight resulting in the devastating loss of the entire team, leaving him as the sole survivor haunted by the burden of survivor's guilt.
In a shocking revelation that surfaced later, it was uncovered that the mission had not received the necessary approvals from the upper echelons of command. Instead, it was a clandestine endeavor orchestrated by the conniving Bagram base commander, motivated by personal ambition and aspirations for promotion.
However, when the operation took an unforeseen turn, with tragic consequences, all blame was unjustly directed towards him and with the commander deleting any and all the evidence leading to him nothing existed that could prove his innocence other than his words.
As a consequence, he faced a court-martial, leading to the forfeiture of all his VA benefits, including healthcare, as well as the termination of all the privileges and benefits associated with his former status as an army member.
However, what truly shattered him was the relentless blame and anger directed at him by the families of his fallen team members, regardless of his attempts to explain the circumstances and share his side of the story.
This ordeal became the catalyst for his haunting nightmares, and in an attempt to escape the memories, he resorted to using the meager savings he had left to purchase sleeping pills and pain-reducing medications.
Unfortunately, this led to a dangerous dependence on narcotics, as he sought to numb himself from the relentless pain.
As you have witnessed, when his supply of narcotics ran out, he made the agonizing decision to bring an end to his suffering in the most drastic and irreversible manner.] Nova explained the new information presenting it alongside the visual footage she had collected from John's memories.
Aron gently wiped away the tears streaming down his cheeks, profoundly affected by John's tragic ordeal and the heartbreaking path he had chosen to cope with his pain. It saddened Aron even more because he could empathize with the depths of despair that led John to such extreme measures.
It served as a stark reminder of how he, too, could have easily succumbed to similar methods had he not received the system and support from his family that helped him navigate through his own challenging circumstances during that period.
After taking a short time to recollect himself, he turned to Nova and said "Send his body to the Lab City and task them with reverse-engineering his physiology to explore the possibility of creating a genetic serum capable of replicating the same results.
This way, we can administer it to the members of my private forces. I can't be expected to always continue pumping magical energy for hours on end just to finish strengthening one person." changing the topic as it was a very painful memory to him despite having overcome the predicament.
[Yes, sir] Nova who was quietly observing Aron throughout the entire ordeal, immediately sent two bodies to the city, One was for the genetic engineering lab, while the other was assigned to the runic genetic engineering lab, having them start their research into reverse engineering and developing a serum capable of creating formidable soldiers.
"How is progress in the Lab City?" Aron inquired after he calmed down further, wanting to receive an update on the developments within the accelerated universal simulation, considering that more than seven days had elapsed in simulation time.
[There have been a few breakthroughs in the White Labs, but no definitive results yet. As for the Golden Labs, they are still undergoing rune training.
With tens of thousands of individuals, each practicing a different rune, once they master it, I assimilate that runic knowledge to all of them, eliminating the need for others to practice the same rune.
It will take a few more weeks for them to complete learning all the beginner-level runes before they can start applying them in their respective fields,] Nova explained, providing an overview of the Lab City's current situation while showcasing live footage of the ongoing activities.
To facilitate clarity regarding the methodologies employed by different labs to achieve specific outcomes, they had opted to designate them with colors.
The White Labs solely rely on technological approaches in their research, while the Golden Labs utilize runes as their primary tools or explore the application of runes within their respective fields.