“Oh, I can see now.”

Miles opened his eyes and looked at the room with completely new eyesight. The lounge room was now as bright as the sun. However, unlike his previous vision, everything had a different color.

“Miles...Your eyes... They're red.” Coin said.

Miles looked around the room with his newfound vision. His new eyesight has coated everything in a purple film. He could even see every dark corner without a problem.

“Not only my eyes, buddy, even my sight has changed to purple.”

"Purple?" Coin asked questionably.

"Yeah." Miles replied as he continued to observe.

Miles was speechless for a moment. He did not know what to say. He wasn’t sure if he was happy or not. He was glad that he didn’t lose his eyes, but he still found it odd with his new sight.

Miles walked to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His body was in many colors. His hair, armpit, and places beneath his clothes were purple-red, most of his skin orange-red, and some places... were yellow.

“I think I have acquired heat vision as well.” Miles exclaimed.

“What?! What do you mean you acquired heat vision?” Coin asked in surprise.

“I don’t know.” Miles looked at the mirror once again and noticed the purple film he saw earlier, was now changed with yellow, orange, and red.

‘So, earlier I had dark vision, when I walked to the mirror, it changed into heat vision. What else can these babies do?’

He focused on his eyes and imagined the purple film. Unsurprisingly, it changed into a purple film once again. He then imagined something else, but when he was able to see through the wall, it didn’t surprise him this time.

‘I can see through objects but I cannot see outside of this room. It's probably because of the defenses of the Stronghold, but in other places, I may be able to do just that.’

The rooms in strongholds had protection against prying eyes. Doors were strong, and walls were coated with special alloys to block vision-based powers. So, it wasn’t surprising for Miles to be unable to see through the walls.

“These things are awesome!” Miles said and tried other things. “I have dark vision, heat vision, I can see through walls!”

“Are you able to revert your eyes back? It would be disastrous if you suddenly had red eyes.” Coin said.

Miles imagined his normal vision, and after a few seconds, his vision returned. Albeit, much stronger. “How is it? Are my eyes still red?” Miles asked and walked to the mirror.

“No, they are back to blue.” Coin said, and his hologram appeared floating in the air.

“What do you think that orb was?” Coin asked.

“It must be a new kind of orb, I wonder if anyone else knows about them.” Miles said and looked at his eyes in the mirror. “I should call father and mother to ask about the strange energy. I can also hint at the new orb and observe their reaction.”

“Let’s do that right away.” Coin said, and Miles left the room.

He walked to the Dimensional Device and appeared in the train station. He walked to one of the special rooms in the train station, special to the soldiers. But he could enter with his gold access card all the same.

“Call father.” He asked Coin to call his father.

“Not mother?” Coin asked.

“I am not ready to call her yet. It will get too emotional.” Miles said and shrugged it off but was actually scared to call his mother.

After some time, the holographic screen showed the sharp face of Malcolm Cross. His blue eyes were smiling. “You finally remembered your old man?” He asked, looking at Miles’s face on his wristwatch. He was glad his son was fine.

“Hello, dad! How are you?” Miles greeted back awkwardly. He didn’t call his parents for so long that he felt guilty.

“As good as ever.” Malcolm said and puffed his chest, “But you are in trouble, young man.” Malcolm said with a smile up to no good.

“Did mother realize I 'borrowed' her serums?” Miles asked with an awkward smile, scratching the back of his head.

“Borrowing, right!” Malcolm rolled his eyes and said. “What’s up? Why did you call me?”

“Can’t I miss my dad and call to see him?” Miles asked, but he knew he couldn’t sell this lie. “I want to ask a question about one of Mother's articles. I don’t know if you know anything about the strange energy she mentioned in the article. And orbs that cannot be charged.” Miles said. But he then noticed a flinch on Malcolm's face before it vanished. It only lasted less than a second, but Miles had noticed it nonetheless.

Malcolm’s face over the floating screen changed abruptly. Miles knew his father was trying to hide something, but then he sighed.

“Where are you?” Asked the father.

“Near the 3rd station.” Miles answered.

“Come to my office, we need to talk.” Malcolm said and ended the call. Miles looked at the screen blankly then boarded on the train. “Why is father acting weirdly? Is there a big secret about energy?”

“There might be something we don’t know of.” Coin answered to Miles's ears.

Not long after Miles was in front of the grand military headquarters. After he scan Coin over the turnstile, the soldier waiting at the side saluted with vigor. “Sir, welcome sir!”

“At ease.” Miles sighed helplessly. His last name showed up when he scanned and there was an insignia indicating his family’s rank. How could soldiers not recognize it? That was why Miles didn’t want to come with his own identity to purchase Strengthening Serums. His family would be notified in a heartbeat.

“Sir, do you order me to notify the General, Major General or Chief Scientist?” Soldier asked, still saluting.

“That will not be necessary. I will find them myself.” Miles laggardly answered. “Keep up the good work.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” Soldier beamed with pride and saluted. People around looked at Miles with questioning gazes. But Miles ignored them.

Because his sister would bully him all the time, Miles would spend a lot of time in the headquarters with his mother. He was still familiar with the place. Not long after he arrived in front of his father’s office and knocked on the door.

“Enter!” His father’s tired voice was heard from inside. Miles opened the door and looked at Malcolm staring at floating screens. Miles couldn’t see the content of the screen as they were blocked to be seen from behind to protect the secrets of Major General.

Malcolm raised his gaze and looked at the door. When he saw Miles he smiled like a child. “Miles, you darn kid. You forgot your old man?”

“Hello dad.” Miles helplessly got hugged by Malcolm and patted his father’s back. “There, there. I am here for you.”

“You brat! Put more emotion into hugs!” Malcolm grumbled. “Too bad your mother is not here today, or you would be beaten from tower to tower.”

“The heck?” Miles shvired. ‘It hasn’t been that long since I left, right?’

“Wait? Mother really figured out my little trick?” Miles asked with sweat.

“Hehe. Little trick indeed.” Malcolm laughed as he patted Miles's shoulder. “Sit.”

“About the orb.” Miles wanted to cut to the chase.

“Before that tell me what you know about orbs.” Malcolm asked. “This talk is a military secret, so not sharing with a non-military person. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!” Miles saluted fakely.

“Stop teasing your old man.” Malcolm sighed and waited for Miles to speak.

“As far as I know, there are 3 types of monster cores.” Miles started to explain. “Plant cores can be mixed with various faunas that can be found on Portal World to create serums and potions. Monster cores we used for crafting wristwatches, cars, trains, refrigerators and a myriad of other things. And orbs can turn into various things.”

“And there is a fourth kind discovered not long ago.” Malcolm answered as he peered into Miles's eyes. “Skill orbs.”

Miles looked at his father with a dumbfounded face. ‘So blood orb was a skill orb.’ He thought in his heart.

“Oh, so you have already discovered a skill orb? You are my son after all.” Malcolm bragged as he laughed heartily. From Miles' expression, he could tell he had discovered one.“What I am gonna tell you now is a secret among upper echelons, but the types of orbs are more than what meets the eye. Recently in C-Circle, the furthest we humans were able to go, found new type orbs that can turn into different things. They started to appear in F-Circle and further, but they are still too rare.”Malcolm said with a stern face.

“Where is the Skill Orb?” Malcolm asked, staring at Miles with his eyes shouting, ‘bring out the thing, you cannot trick this old fox.’

“I already used it.” Miles answered after hesitating for a while. Malcolm jumped on his feet while shouting, “Impossible!”

Miles looked at panicked Malcolm walking over him and inspecting his body. “How are you feeling? Do your muscles hurt? Do you feel like something wants to tear open your body?”

“Dad! What is going on?” Miles asked. Malcolm looked at Miles and realized the latter was okay. Then he heaved a sigh of relief and sat on his chair. “Skill orbs are rare monster cores that cannot be found in G-Circle. I wouldn’t believe it if someone else said it to me. But I believe in you.”

“Why are you so agitated?” Miles asked, “Even if it is too rare, it shouldn’t make you act like this right?”

Malcolm looked at the door and Miles for a while, then sighed in defeat. “We had to have this conversation eventually. Evelyn and I kept you in the dark to protect you, but since you chose to enter Portal World, you should know.”

Miles looked at his usually mischievous father acting serious, and waited for him to continue.

“Skill Orbs can give you abilities of monsters that dropped them. They are super rare, so we don’t know their full capabilities, but after they are mixed with energy, they melt and fuse with your body.”