THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

"Exactly," said the AI. "One way to go about it is by trying out extreme sports. A person doing those sorts of sports cannot afford to make even a single mistake. For that very reason, that individual's mind will be in a very highly focused state to establish total control over their faculties. That, coupled with the adrenaline rush, have a chance of catalyzing the strengthening of that individual's mental capacities."

"In the user's case," the AI continued explaining, "There's a good chance of triggering the zone ability since the user has already experienced being in a state similar to the zone before. Moreover, the extreme danger element involved could also help the user develop a greater connectedness with his inner sense, with nature and surrounding environment at a given moment, and his own sense of existence. That'll also quicken the development of the user's mental abilities. So, it's worth a try."

"If I go ahead with this method, will I unlock the zone ability for sure?" Zachary probed, stealing a glance at the bedroom door once more. "Or is there a chance that I'll still fail?"

"The method will surely help the user grow his mental attributes," the AI responded. "For instance, the user's composure and mental strength will grow after constantly doing extreme sports. But there's a chance that the user will still fail to unlock the zone ability."

"Then, I don't want to try out that method," Zachary replied quickly after listening to the AI's explanations. "I would rather wait for my abilities to grow on their own than risk my life on something that might not work. Is there any other method that's less risky?"

"Negative," the AI answered. "The user must understand that with the mind, the riskier the method, the more the rewards one can reap. So, the best way to strengthen the mental aspect is by facing difficulties over and over again. There's no way around that."

"Then what about the mental-conditioning-elixir? How is it that the elixir managed to enhance my mental attributes without exposing me to any risk?"

"The conjecture of the user is wrong," the AI responded right away. "The mental-conditioning-elixir works by inducing a certain level of stress and tension deep in the subconscious — and that is by enhancing the emotions associated with specific stressful memories in the recipient's mind. For effectiveness, that process has to be bolstered by a few artificially synthesized hormones that boost the growth and fortification of the mental aspect. That's how the mental-conditioning-elixir works. So, there's still a risk of experiencing depression, mood swings, and even insanity if the user takes a highly graded dose of the elixir."

"Oh," Zachary exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Was that the reason why I was always in a bad mood after my mental attributes had broken through previously?"

"Yes," the AI replied. "Mood swings and surging emotions are some of the side effects of the mental-conditioning-elixir."

"Doesn't that mean that I'll go insane if I ever take an S-grade mental-conditioning-elixir?" Zachary inquired, recalling the ordeal he went through after previously taking a B-graded mental-conditioning-elixir. At that time, he'd even thought that he was re-experiencing anger episodes similar to the ones he'd always—battled during his past life.

"Negative," the AI replied after a short while. "With the help of the system, the elixirs will never have any considerable negative effects on the user. So the user should not worry."

"Let's hope so," he mumbled, still troubled by what the system's AI had just disclosed. But just as he was about to ask a follow-up question, his ears picked up the sound of his bedroom door opening. He closed the system interface right away and turned around. As he'd expected, he found Camilla standing in the doorway, her captivating figure wrapped in a white bed sheet.

"Are you still on the phone?" She asked, smiling at him.

"No. I've just concluded the call."

"Is everything okay? Have you managed to resolve things with your friend?"

"Yes, everything is fine and resolved," Zachary replied, flashing her a smile. "But we need to prepare and have breakfast as quickly as possible. I've got a flight to catch at around noon."

"Are you heading back to Africa today?" Camilla probed, raising a brow.

"No. I'm traveling to Bergen to see the scout that brought me to Norway to play football. I'll be heading to Africa probably the day after tomorrow."

"Oh," Camilla said, pouting a bit. "I was really starting to enjoy your company. Why are you leaving so fast? And here I thought we could have a little more fun this morning."

"It's not like I'm going away forever," Zachary said, grinning. "I'll be returning to Trondheim in a few weeks."

"Then, can you promise to call me when you return?" She said, strutting across the room and walking up to him. "I'll be eagerly waiting." She added, using her forefinger to trace circles on his chest.

"Sure," Zachary replied, glancing into her liquid green eyes. "I'll call you immediately when I return to Trondheim. But let's have breakfast first so that I won't be late for my flight. Okay?"

"Okay, then," Camilla said, matching his gaze. "But we can do that after having a bit more fun. Isn't that right?" Her exotic accent gave flavor to her words as she drew closer to Zachary — until there wasn't even an inch of space between the two of them. And by then, Zachary could no longer resist the spell cast on him.

****    ****

"Did you finally manage to get a hold of Zachary?" Monica Rønning asked Kristin when she saw her lounging on the couch in their living room with a suitcase beside her.

"I managed to talk to him on the phone about an hour ago," Kristin replied, sighing. "But he says that he slept very late after attending a get-together arranged by his teammates last night. So, we have to delay our trip until midday since he said that he needs a few hours to prepare."

"But that should still be fine, then," Monica said as she settled in a position beside her flatmate on the couch. "At least he didn't cancel on you. That would have been very disappointing."

"If it weren't for my grandpa pestering me to bring Zachary over to him, I would have already canceled the trip," Kristin said, shaking her head. "I feel like I'm forcing him into something he clearly doesn't want to do."

"Why say that?" Monica probed, giving her friend a sideways glance. "Hasn't he already explained that he attended a get-together with his teammates? If it were you, would you be able to wake up early and travel after partying the night away?"

"I would never go to a party when knowing that I have to travel early the following morning," she said before standing up and moving towards the window covering an extensive fraction of an opposite wall. "Did you go for training today morning?" She asked, wishing to change the topic.

"Yes, I did," Monica replied, standing up and trailing after her friend. "But we did only physicals and didn't do any skiing today. What about you? Did you play your match yesterday?"

But no response came from her friend even after waiting for a while. She immediately noticed that Kristin was intently gazing out of the window, probably into the streets below.

"What are you looking at so intently?" Monica asked, taking a few more steps and standing beside Kristin to have a proper look at what'd captured her friend's attention. She then noticed that Zachary was escorting a lady to an Audi convertible parked in the street below. Even from a distance, Monica could tell that the lady was gorgeous to the point of being otherworldly.

"Could that be his agent?" She queried, her voice lowering slightly. "If I recall correctly, his agent is a young lady about that age."

"I don't know," Kristin replied in a hush. "But at least now I know the reason why he couldn't wake up in time for our trip. Anyways, let's get away from the window. I don't want him to notice us staring. That would make things awkward."

"Oh, okay," that was all Monica could manage. She was at a loss of what to say since she couldn't figure out what was running through her friend's mind.

****    ****