Aric soon reached a pod hotel. Apparently, in interstellar civilizations, there were three kinds of hotels: ones like AirBnb, normal grand hotels, and the other was the pod hotels, popularly known as "potels."
These potels were not like the ones in Japan where one could only get enough space to lie down and slide through the whole space. The potels were made for every species, and thus there was enough room to move, as instead of a small space, there was just enough space for every species to move.
Imagine a minimalist room, and that would be a potel. These potels only had cleaning services and no managers, as they didn’t need one, and guests would follow the rules in these places.
Apis, after confirmation, paid for 6 hours. After getting confirmation, Aric ended up inside one, and the room was exactly what he had seen in the holographic video where they showed the minimalist room. He had only been at the hospital before, but the room was completely different.
It had all the things Aric had imagined and more. The ceiling was like a live television, and one could use their communicator to change to sceneries or channels they would like. One would think that in the future, everything would change to 3D, but Apis told him that people still loved 2D rather than indulging in 3D. 3D was used more for convenience rather than for enjoyment for most purposes.
There was a cool air in the room, and though the temperature outside was quite pleasing, Aric could tell the air inside had a difference that made him relax.
There was also a VR chamber beside the king-sized bed, which was also adjustable. Though the room was pretty small, Aric fell in love with it. This room was better than the one on lease in Mumbai which used to poke a hole in his pockets. And this room only cost him 20 Sora credits. So he felt it was quite cheap.
After looking around and asking Apis to check if there was any surveillance, he sat on the bed and heaved a sigh. He hadn’t had time to understand what was happening all this time. Now that he had taken everything in, he needed to execute his plan.
He bought two communicators for two reasons. One was because he needed the help of Apis in one, and the other one should be devoid of AI support so that he could use the communicator in his world.
He opened the other communicator and switched it on without the AI.
"Apis, how big is the human civilization here?" Aric asked, certain that humans were present, as he had seen posters and even glimpsed a human from afar.
"Humans are one of the incredible species of the universe. They occupy roughly 20% of the total population of the universe. They have 2 seats on the 10-member council and are a Tier 3 civilization, the highest tier in the universe. Humans have propagated in such large numbers because they are one of the few species that can crossbreed with others, leading to a significant increase in their population. However, humans are not united as a whole and have planets that range from Tier 3 to lower than Tier 1, under their own control."
"It’s worth noting that this fragmentation isn’t due to a lack of desire for Tier 3 status among humanity, but rather politics and resource constraints. Their high population is also a result of their short breeding time compared to other species. Additionally, with advancements in technology, human lifespans range from 500 to 8000 time units depending on one’s power and wealth. Humans are not to be underestimated, and with their long history of advancement and technology, they have emerged as a formidable species in the universe," Apis explained, giving Aric a comprehensive overview of humanity.
Aric was surprised as he listened to the lecture about humans while setting up the other communicator. He removed the Apis communicator and left it on the stand, then put on the other communicator.
"Apis, switch yourself off. I’ll be back. Don’t call or disturb me," Aric instructed.
"As you wish," Apis responded before shutting down. After checking everything, Aric took a deep breath and tried to use his ability again. In an instant, he found himself back in his room. He immediately checked the wall clock and was relieved to see that only 3 hours had passed.
Feeling a sense of relief, Aric gazed out at the cold, moonless night, processing everything he had experienced. He knew his life would change forever, unlike last time when he lacked ambition. Now, with a clear purpose, he was determined to succeed.
With it still being 3 am outside, he knew he had some time before his parents would wake up.
-----
Echorysia
"Young Sir, why were you so interested in that man? And why did you help him?" Diorin asked as they traveled in the car.
"We need to help those in need, and it only cost me 10 credits anyway," Komin replied.
"But I sense you have other motives," Diorin pressed.
"It’s just a small investment. Maybe he’ll call, maybe he won’t," Komin replied casually.
"Young Sir, this is exactly why your father doubts your ability to compete with the other heir of the company," Diorin pointed out.
"Diorin, I’ve told you before. I’m not interested in running an insurance company. Even if I fail, I’ll have enough to eat and drink, and she can take over the small company. She can’t touch me anyway," Komin stated confidently. Diorin just sighed seeing the non-existent ambition in this young man’s eyes.
Komin was one of the prince of the Vallin and was in fact eligible to sit on the throne of Vallin if he was courageous and ambitious enough. The civilization was monarchy based and though he wasn’t the son of the current King of Vallin, he was of the same blood as of the King. But sadly this man was not meant to be the King and even the head of a company that was being led by the Monarchy.