30 Chapter 10: The Change 4 (1/2)

We returned to where the automobile is parked, with one of it's driver stood by waiting for us. He bowed down the moment he saw us and opened the door.

Levi shook his head at him. He then faced us. ”Basically hyperloop drive theory makes an automotive ran without the wind resistance. We try to create an environment that will enable us to release the full speed of this machine. Once we do, we can boost the engine in full throttle. I will enable us to hover just enough that we can glide through the roads. And if fast enough, perhaps I can do something more. With this, we can cut our time travel by utmost 75% percent.”

Do something more huh?

Like teleport? I wonder.

”So.... is this safe? You said it's still being studied back in Osteell.” Eriol murmured, with one brow arched up.

”As you already know. Osteell is mostly ran by commoner blood. So we make sure everything we do enables us to do it without the need to use magic. However... if we do use magic, the missing link might enable it as plausible in an instant.”

Levi really is smart. But no time to admire him now, ”So what do want us to do?”

He nods, lips curling in one side.

What an eerie smile.

”Even though this automotive is made of iron. I assured with alchemy that it will act as a dielectric material. So, I will serve as the electric conductor and assure the stability of transmutation of your powers to the engine. Eriol, provide an airflow around the vehicle that will and must allow us to speed up without air resistance. Aeron, you will supply me with electrical charge we need to power up the entire transport. The important note here is that we need to keep doing it until we reach our destination, so if you plan to give up midway, just say so now.”

Eriol and I exchanged glances.

Pretty sure we're both lost at what he meant at some point.

”Sure. Let's just do this.” I murmured, shrugging.

Eriol just rubbed his nape. ”Yeah. Let's just do whatever you say.”

Levi nods.

”And me? What would you want me to do?” Aerra cuts in, stepping closer.

Levi steps in briefly inside his automobile and then stepped out with a piece of rolled paper. ”You'll be the navigator. Just sit in front next to the driver and guide him where we will be heading. The guys and I will stay at the back seats and commence the plan.”

Aerra smiled hearing this. I guess she want to take part. Although I'm quite sure the driver knows where to go without any navigator but I'm just glad Levi considers what Aerra would feel.

We all agreed and finally went inside the automobile.

The backseats are partitioned from the front, where the driver is. Only through a small window allowed Aerra to take a peek at us as we sat inside, while she sat at the passenger seat next to the driver.

”There might be a little bolt of energy that might escape. I'm sorry but we need to close all windows... including this one.” Says Levi as he apologized to Aerra. He then closes the small window behind him as he sat down facing us, while Eriol sat beside me. We all closed the windows to our side.

”Eriol. Begin with the air flow plan.” ordered Levi as Eriol nods and I can hear wind from the outside, building up like a sound of hurricane forming.

”Done!” Eriol says in a smug.

Levi just nodded and then closed his eyes shut.

The driver seemed to have started the engine as well and began to drive in a steady speed.

We just watch Levi as parallel and straight circuit lines of gold began to creep thoroughly his skin like veins, emanating in a soft pulsating glow. It went on until it covered his arms, neck and reaches his face and a runic emblem appeared on his forehead. He opens his eyes and his amber eyes glowed in gold as well. ”Let's begin.” His voice was ethereal when he spoke.

I can see how Eriol is as surprised as me.

Suddenly an energy surges beneath our feet and an odd looking circle emits with runic symbols hovering around us.

And then, just like before, circuit lines manifested apt to creeping veins, covering the entire walls and ceiling where we're in. More runic symbols hovered around us.

”Is that.... ancient inscriptions?” Eriol gasps. ”How... how is this possible?”

Ignoring the question, Levi focused his eyes at me. ”You will serve as a generator. Supply me with your electricity and I will transmute it for this machine. However, I believe you are more powerful if you're a Meister, correct?”

I tilted my head to a side. ”You want me to combine with Eriol now?”

”We need as much energy as we can.” he replied.

Eriol just nodded and transformed into the silver scythe. I took him with both my hands and balls of lightning appeared around me like before.

”Transfer your power to me, Aeron. Just let it all out and I will handle the rest. Do it now.” he says in a calm voice but it somehow sounds really unsettling. Nevertheless, I did what he said.

I closed my eyes and focused my magic. I can feel the wind barrier Eriol had casted around us. I tried my best to maintain it just with my will.

Eriol is right, if I focus enough, it feels like I know how to use the wind element without any problems. And at the same time, my lightning feels uncontrollably powerful than before. I held on that and released it aimlessly out of my body.

Suddenly, after that. Everything went blank.

When I came to, I opened my eyes and realized everything was back to normal. Eriol returns to his human form and spoke, ”What happened? Did we fail?”

Levi who sat in front of us, calmly shook his head. He looks normal again.

”On the contrary... we succeeded. We're here. But we stopped only about few meters away from the city. I don't want to cause too much ruckus by landing inside, so we need to walk to the main gates from here instead.”

”Wait. We have arrived?!” Eriol quickly opens the door and true enough, we were on plains with different scenery from that of Greenrun's.

There were more bushes and unique looking trees and flowers around that I never seen before in real life, only in books.

I was about to step down the automobile as well when I noticed Levi was holding on to something glowing.

”I hope you don't mind. I charged one of my spheres from the energy you gave me.” he says, but his eyes are fixated on a spherical glass that is as big as a fist. It glows in a soft blue light. ”You really are interesting, Aeron. Powerful to a fault. This little sphere can help me with my projects later on.”

”What exactly is that?” I murmured at him.

”What do you think it is?” He switches his focus and eyed me tentatively. As if waiting cautiously for my answer.

”To my understanding, it's a glass ball that can collect electrical energy which you can use later on?” I stated, sounding more like a question.

Levi nods, ”I call it a Cell. A kind of container that stores in electric energy from magic. But this is special since a pureblood such as yourself charged it.”

He then pushes a button somewhere near his seat and an air pressurised compartment opens like a drawer. He places the glass ball inside it carefully where a cushion that fits the ball perfectly is seen and then he closed it. I just watched in silence as finally our eyes met. Levi's eyes were somehow hollow yet sinister-looking amidst his usual blank facial expression but I felt no malice directed at me in them somehow. But it was a bit odd.

I can't really read this guy.

But... the existence of that compartment alone makes me suspect he had been planning for something like this to happen and collect my magic from me. As if he had calculated this all along. Is that why he was so interested in coming along? I wonder.

Wait. No.

I feel bad for growing suspicions on Levi. He is my friend after all. I need to stop this overthinking nonsense.

”Let's just go” I said, to cut the silence between us. He just nods and followed me as I stepped out.

We saw Eriol opening the front doors as Aerra wobbly steps out, looking a bit wan.

”Are you okay?” I asked, walking to her as she just held on to my arm as she tries to balance herself.

”Ughh... I felt like I was just catapulted to the moon in the speed of light.” she groaned.

”You what?” I murmured, trying to catch her bleary eyes.

”We went ultra fast than I expected. We went zooming in such a speed for few minutes and then everything went white! The next thing I knew, we're already here! I... I think my soul even parted from my body at some point.” She whimpers as she pressed to her stomach.She doesn't look good. She gags but manages to stop it.

”Excuse me!” she says all of a sudden, bolting across the road and towards a bush where she sat there and started throwing up.

I sighed.

That just now sounds more like we teleported.

So my hunch is right.

”We didn't just cut the time to 75%, we actually reached up to 98%.” Levi stated, as he reached to opens one compartment inside again that had familiar canisters of potable water.