BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

As the announcement was made, Professor McAllister dismissed the crowd and headed to the gym with the top students.

For them, the news was a grievous one since it meant that they joining the Red Palace Dojo wasn't sure anymore.

Clearly, there were people like Nathaniel, Anderson, and Amber who were chill since they would hardly lose their spot. They were that confident in their abilities.

As the students headed to the gym, Erik approached Amber; he had several questions to ask her regarding the Red Palace Dojo.

"Amber. Can I ask a question?" trying not to be heard by the other students.

"Yes, what do you need?" the woman replied.

"What is the Red Palace Dojo?"

Amber turned to look at Erik, who was beside her, with a disbelieving face. How was it possible that Erik didn't know what the Red Palace Dojo was?

Erik saw her friend with a questioning face and added, "I mean, I get that it is a Dojo, a place where people train, but why is it so important to join them?"

"Well... it is clearly... a dojo... I mean," she sighed. "But it isn't simply a dojo; it's the most important and respected training place of the whole nation. Many people come to New Alexandria every year trying to join the Red Palace since many of its members are high-ranking military officials. That place has everything from the best teacher in the nation to resources to connections. Many people there are important key figures inside the military or are famous public personalities. Even General Becker joined the Dojo when he was sixteen and is now regarded as the most powerful man in the nation."

Erik understood what Amber was implyi; itit was clear. Whoever joined the Red Palace could establish connections with the higher-ups or future key members of society. Still, Erik was unconvinced; if that was all the place had to offer, he didn't think it was worth joining them.

"Is there more?" the young man asked.

"Yes, the Red Palace has a simple yet effective structure, and every person joining the Red Palace has a rank. Whenever you win, in an official competition, against someone who is a higher grade than you, then you will take his rank. The higher this is, the better the resources they provide you."

"Resources?" Erik asked. "What kind of resources are you talking about?"

"Money, living quarters, training equipment, information, future job prospects, fighting techniques, but more importantly, stimulating serums."

"The stimulating serums?" Erik asked with a look of disbelief.

Not much was known about brain crystals and how they interacted with mana, many studies have been made about it, but no definitive explanation has been given. Scientists were more or less able to understand how the crystals affected the human body and the changes they brought to it.

As a result, many tries have been made to replicate such effects to improve soldiers' efficiency on the battlefield.

The results were two serums called B.S.S.A and B.S.S.B; the first, also called brain stimulating serum, actually increased the neurons' activity several times, making you more efficient when making the neural links.

This was an invaluable serum since it drastically improved the speed at which one could make new neural links. At higher ranks, it was a must if one wanted to continue on his or her power-gaining journey.

The second was a little bit different, but it worked wonders nonetheless. The B.S.S.B, also known as the body-stimulating serum by the general population, directly changed your D.N.A.

To be done, samples from each individual had to be taken, and essentially it replicated the effects of making new neural links produced to the body.

This serum was essential for every army because it allowed people to be stronger than they should be by replicating the D.N.A. changes brought by the neural links. It was a cheat item that most people could only dream of getting.

"Are you bullshitting me right now?" Erik asked her friend.

"Not at all. That's why it is important to join them since you will have many opportunities to get these serums."

Erik then decided he had to absolutely win a spot. Getting his hands on the brain-stimulating serum would help him establish the many neural links required by his powers.

The biological supercomputer was already developing a way to improve training efficiency. Still, it required two months to complete the process, and he started it the previous day, meaning it would end in august.

Besides, he wasn't actually sure that the system could find a way to improve the process, so it was better to find an alternative way to do so.

Finally, if he obtained the serums and the system discovered a new way to train the neural links, the effects may stack, and he would develop power far quicker than anybody else on the globe.

As Erik and the others arrived at the gym, they started their usual training routine, and Erik completed his second daily quest. After that, the young man headed home with a new spirit.

***

Logan's, Conal's, and Orson's parents were still searching for their children. They were currently at the police station and remained there for several hours before the agents finally talked to them.

The six parents entered a large room with only an empty desk and two chairs. When they entered, they found a police officer waiting for them on one of those chairs.

"Please, come in," the officer said to the six.

"Is there any news, officer?" Logan's mother asked with anxiousness.

The policeman looked the woman right in the eyes and said, "Yes, there actually are..."

The six parents' eyes beamed at that, but it was then that the police officer started speaking.

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to find your sons. Your sons likely got killed by thugs, and their bodies were disposed of. This is what we have concluded during our investigation. We're sorry to say this...but I'm afraid there is nothing we can do. I will leave you some private time," the officer said. He then explained everything in detail to the poor parents; his words were convincing and made a lot of sense. Some of the parents even started believing his theories were correct.

The police assumptions were reasonable since such cases were widespread in a city like New Alexandria, and most of the times, they were linked to organ trafficking.

The officer concluded his speech by explaining to the six parents how the chances of their sons being alive were nonexistent after all this time had passed and left the room.

The six parents started crying and weeping at their loss. They couldn't believe that their kids were dead. After a few minutes, they composed themselves enough to get out of the police station. Each one went through the same thought: What happened? And even worse, who did this to my child?!

That was going to be a hard night for the six parents. After much discussion, though, Mary, Conal's mother, gave a suggestion.

"There is a friend of mine who, some time ago, hired a private investigator to find out if his husband was cheating on her. Why don't we do the same thing?"

"What could a private investigator find out that the police couldn't?" Someone asked.

"I don't know if you noticed, but the police left one particular possibility out of the picture, even though I don't know why..."

"What are you talking about? What did they do?" Logan's mother asked.

"They didn't say anything regarding the students…" Mary suddenly said.