Chapter 43: ReNewLife Institute
The Blue Jewel Valley was once a famous tourist spot before the Cataclysm/Demon Invasion.'
It is 100 kilometers long, 20 kilometers wide, and 1.5 kilometers deep. It housed all manner of flora and fauna. According to history, many people were fond of this place, making it a famous spot for various activities all year round.
The valley wasn't spared from the invasion, however. It took humanity a lot of time and resources to restore its nature and make it habitable again. Even then, it's never been the same.
Nowadays, the Blue Jewel Valley serves entirely as a spot to contain the convicts of the Risk Management Center, it wasn't the only one of course, but it's one of the largest branches out there. The whole valley serves as a trap for any possible outbreaks, it's also far enough from the nearest civilization so it gained its purpose.
Inside the vehicle, Cedric looked outside to see that they were about to leave the valley. The distinct infrastructure of the RMC has long vanished from his sight, it's also way outside his field of senses.
Still feeling a little nostalgic and nervous about this whole thing, Cedric could only sigh. There's nothing else for him to do other than to look forward to their next destination.
Well, he could technically distract himself by surfing online. Neither the Wardens nor Arishem seem to have any interest in speaking with him so he could just do that instead. But Cedric didn't do so since he knew himself.
'I'm feeling quite anxious. There's no way I'd be able to focus on anything. I might as well sate my curiosity by observing the journey.' Cedric mentally remarked.
His 『Multitasking』 skill wasn't helping with this either. It doesn't work like that. If anything, he would say that it's even making it worse.
Cedric could also meditate but again, he's not in a proper mindset to enter that state so it's useless.
That's why instead of trying to see if there's anything else he could do, he just stuck on observing the journey towards the destination. This way he could, at the very least, recall the road the way they took.
Cedric continued looking outside until he discovered that they were out of the valley completely. They're still following the paved road and Cedric uses that opportunity to unfold his field of senses completely.
That's when he saw their next destination...the Black Thread City.
The Black Thread City was one of the cities under the Vulbane Kingdom. It is named after a unique material; Black Thread - that has once been the unique product of the city.
The city has lost the monopoly over Black Thread but the name stuck around ever since. And despite its old name, the city itself looked futuristic.
Even from a distance, he could see the towering buildings and all manner of scientific inventions all over it. He's even starting to sense the sheer hustle and bustle of the city from where they were.
Despite being under the jurisdiction of a Royal Family, the real authority that governs everything falls under the Earth Federation. The Vulbane Imperial Family technically owns the city but they don't manage it alone. Well, more like they couldn't. They needed the government's support for that.
Cedric knew this because of his musings online. It's public knowledge at this point so he was able to access this information despite having a low search authority.
As the convoy neared the city, the more antsy Cedric got for some reason.
They hadn't even entered the city yet but he already felt overwhelmed by the sheer things that were happening within in. Even his numerous thought compartments were having a difficult time keeping up with everything. But he's adjusting though...
It's just a bit troublesome for him since he's not used to this level of activity. Sure, his fellow convicts at the RMC were rowdy but not to this extent. He had already sensed hundreds of people even before they entered the city proper, and that's not even a portion of them.
That being said, he's adjusting. Quickly, too. The wonders of his enhanced and disciplined perception were working their magic to help him with this.
Cedric also discovered that the city was walled as well. However, compared to the security of the RMC, the city's security was more lax. They're probably not expecting any attacks to happen, which resulted in this. Either way, that's none of his business.
The convoy then arrived at the city. They got stopped by security which included personal inspection too.
He noticed the looks that the guards threw at him when they discovered that he was an ex-convict. It was subdued but he didn't miss it. In any case, he didn't mind since he was already expecting something like that to happen.
Arishem remained hidden. He's meditating on top of the car he's in. Cedric knew that the old man knew what was happening, he just couldn't be bothered to show himself so he stayed like that.
After getting the clear from security inspection, they continued on their way to the city, and that's when everything sunk in for Cedric.
'Oh boy, this is really happening...'
He's feeling anxious again. There's just too much happening and he's not used to it. This level of activity was something that was out of his comfort zone.
Cedric was used to and loved his solitude. Years and being used to loneliness taught him to love the silence and serenity it brought. Now however, he's forced to accept the reality that this is where he'll be for the foreseeable future, and if he were to be honest, he still doesn't know what to feel about that.
Unfortunately, the wardens absolutely couldn't care less about his rising anxiety. They just wanted this task to be over, so they continued on their way towards the heart of the city.
On their way there, Cedric carefully inspected the people under his field of senses. He gauged their strength and so on, and he concluded:
'The 'Civilians' live near the center of the city while the Superhumans are scattered on the outskirts.'
'That may be the reason why the security of the city was lax. With the Superhumans close to the gates, they could respond immediately to outside threats, allowing them to protect the civilians.'
'The City Hall was at the very center of the city, and that place should be filled with experts so there's no reason to doubt its security. Such an arrangement should be on purpose, and I can't say I disagree with it.' Cedric mused.
Either way, this is just his opinion. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, only serving as a minor distraction from his real concern; which was their final destination.
The ReNewLife Institute...
"We're here, Boy." Arishem's voice sounded in his ears.
'So they're admitting me here? Man, I must've impressed the Chief, then.' Cedric mused as he got out of the vehicle.
The ReNewLife Institute was one of the most famous medical corporations in the world. It started as an initiative and grew to its current heights within mere years.
Rumors said that the founder of this institute was also one of the founders of the Lifestyle Guild, but again, that's just that - rumors.
In terms of medical care, however, this place was the real deal. At the same time, their services were on the more expensive side which balances it out. Still, the fact that Chief sent him here meant that he had left a favorable impression on the old man.
'Not gonna lie, I'm feeling the pressure here...' He mused inwardly as he followed Arishem inside.
When they arrived at the reception, Cedric was greeted by the bright scene inside. The smell of sanitation and medicine lingers in the air. He could feel some kind of buzz around the area too which made him curious.
"Hello, Gentlemen! How can I help you today?" One of the nurses who was tasked with receiving patients greeted them.
"Hello to you too, Miss. This is Cedric, he's on parole as of three days ago. I believe he had been arranged for a meeting?" Arishem said.
"Alright, let me check my list here, give me a moment." The nurse then opened her database to check the admissions and returned to them shortly. "Cedric Stormrider, yes?"
"Yes, that's right." This time, it was Cedric who answered.
"Great! You're just in time. Congratulations, by the way." The nurse smiled sweetly at him. "2nd Floor, room 205. Look for Dr. Vega, she'll be assisting you for today's check-up."
Cedric thanked the lady and turned to Arishem who just shrugged at him.
"Quit shaking on your boots, Boy. You aren't in Purgatory. I'm sure you can do this on your own."
Rolling his eyes at the old man, Cedric sighed and made his way to the elevator which then took him to the 2nd floor. In there, he could see several patients and visitors going to and from. He didn't mind any of them, he instead proceeded to the room that the nurse pointed out earlier and knocked on the door before opening it.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry, is Dr. Vega here? I was instructed to come here for a check-up."
"Oh Dear, that's me! Come in so we can begin!"
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