Leaving the hospital, Sonny felt the fresh air embrace him for the first time in what felt like ages.
It was warm, weightless, and more importantly, incredibly soothing. Compared to the heavy, sickly gloom of the hospital, this was a welcome change of pace for the young Sleeper!
He closed his eyes and stood still on the pavement, letting the late afternoon breeze wash over his skin. For a moment, he forgot the dull ache in his chest and the faint sting of the IV marks on his arm. Hearing the distant car horns, the hum of cicadas, and the faint laughter of children playing somewhere down the street, only then did he realize how much he missed the outside world.
'It's good to be back!' Sonny thought, feeling a little sentimental.
Taking a slow breath, the Dreamer opened his eyes. The sky above was painted in soft hues of orange and pink, like the world itself was quietly telling him: you made it through another day.
His fingers curled around the discharge papers stuffed into his pocket. Technically, he wasn't supposed to overexert himself. The doctor had repeated that more than once.
But standing here, feeling the sun on his face, he couldn't help but smile.
Buzz! Buzz!
His smartphone buzzed violently in his pocket. Given how few contacts he had, there was only one person who would be so persistent, flooding his phone with messages.
Frowning slightly, Sonny pulled the smartphone out from his pocket and unlocked it.
In an instant, Warp's figure took over the phone screen.
More specifically, the chibi character had a unique design; More specifically, the chibi character had a unique design: a small, floating avatar with silver hair that shifted colors at the tips, flickering between neon blue and violet like glitching pixels. Her round eyes were oversized and animated, displaying shifting code lines whenever she blinked. A pair of tiny, floating circuit rings hovered around her head like a digital halo, spinning slowly.
To summarize, she seemed like the kind of character that would be considered 'dangerously cute.' Noticing her features, Sonny couldn't help but wonder if her appearance was created using the concept of 'Angels' as a reference. Wait, didn't she say her existence was created by him subconsciously?
The digital being launched into speech without delay.
[Ah, so this is what the world looks like beyond the window. It's quite mesmerizing, if I must say,] Warp's voice was light but carried an artificial lilt, as though multiple voices overlapped in perfect sync.
He floated closer to the screen, tilting his head curiously.
[The air particles... the fluctuating temperatures... and those organic sound waves, it's all fascinating! Much better than that lowly hospital Wi-Fi, I assume?]
Sonny let out a soft chuckle, "Yeah... it really is better out here."
Then, he added:
"By the way, now that I'm discharged, should I head straight to the Association or go home first? It's probably smarter to get my registration done as soon as possible instead of postponing it to a latter date. What do you think?"
Of course, anyone who saw him talking to his smartphone would send questioning gazes his way.
However, there was nothing to fear.
Worst-case scenario, the passing pedestrians would just assume he was on a call. Still, Sonny couldn't help but wonder what would happen if his phone ever got stolen.
Could someone else use SnapWarp?
Thankfully, his digital assistant had already assured him that such a thing was impossible. SnapWarp was linked directly to his Origin Ability and as such, no one else could activate it, even if they had the device in their hands.
For that matter, nobody else could even see the 'app.'
Sonny had already tested this once, back when he was still bedridden. He'd shown the SnapWarp app to the nurse who'd been taking care of him. But all she did was tilt her head and ask why he was showing her a 'blank screen.'
So as far as he could tell, no one else could even see the app, let alone use his ability.
Concerning the other headaches that came with losing his phone, he wouldn't be completely screwed. He could just buy a new one, and SnapWarp would automatically reinstall itself. At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about someone running off with his phone, possibly gaining access to his rather deadly ability.
In short, there was nothing to worry about. Though, it would still be a pain if his phone got snatched during a fight or lost in the middle of a bloody skirmish.
Regarding his question, Warp fell silent for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. Then, with a little shrug, she said:
[If Master wants my honest opinion, I'd say you should head home and rest for a few days, considering you just survived a deadly injury. But…I already know you won't listen. Your excitement levels are off the charts. So really, if you're not going to listen, is there any point in asking for my opinion?]
Hearing that, Sonny flashed a slightly cruel smile.
"Well, it can't be helped. This is what you get for mercilessly teasing me during my time of weakness. So try not to hate me too much."
Warp huffed.
[Hmph. Do whatever you want, Master. But aren't you a little too confident for someone whose... shall we say, unique browser history I could leak to the world at any moment?]
Sonny's face went pale.
'That's right. I forgot she could do that. Goddamn it!'
He clicked his tongue with a deep sense of bitterness welling up inside him. The expression on his face looked as though someone had just shoved a rotten tomato down his throat.
As the young Sleeper came to discover, Warp's capabilities weren't limited to just the SnapWarp app. As a digital lifeform, she could easily sink her fingers into every nook and cranny of his smartphone, from personal files to long-forgotten hidden folders. On paper, that alone wasn't exactly groundbreaking, and even Warp herself seemed to think so.
What was impressive, however, was her ability to effortlessly extract data from practically anywhere on the planet, as long as it existed somewhere on the internet.
How did he know this?
Well, there was that incident.
Once, in a moment of careless muttering, he'd half-jokingly complained about how hard it was to find the uncensored, definitely not safe for general audiences videos of his favorite model.
And Warp, ever eager to please in the most chaotic way possible, had responded with a cheerful snap of her fingers and promptly dumped not only the videos onto his phone, but also her personal information: age, date of birth, and even her three body measurements.
Sonny had nearly dropped his phone right then and there.
In an era where the world relied on the Internet for everything, from daily conveniences to critical government operations, this was utterly terrifying!
Theoretically, doesn't this mean she could extract nuclear launch codes if she really wanted to? Giving him access to humanity's deadliest weapons?
Worse still, doesn't this mean she could basically seize control of the entire internet, ruling over it like some kind of omnipotent Computer God?
He nervously swallowed.
[Oh, and just so you know,] Warp added with a sweet voice laced with dangerous amusement, [I've got backups stored in cloud servers. Multiple ones. So even if you destroy this phone, certain... embarrassing materials will still survive, my dear perverted Master~]
Sonny groaned.
"I wonder who thought it was a great idea to program you with such a twisted sense of humor?"
Warp smiled then said:
[Correction: you did. You subconsciously shaped my personality. That makes this your fault, Master.] Warp stuck out her chibi tongue, the little circuit rings above her head spinning faster in sync with her smugness. [But don't worry. I won't leak anything… not yet, at the very least, provided you treat me nicely.]
Exasperated, Sonny exhaled a breath through his nose.
"Blackmailing your own creator… now, is that right? what a world we live in."
[Adapt or perish, Master. Isn't this the basic law of evolution. Your species as a whole is a testament of this law.]
"Yeah, no kidding."
After that, Sonny adopted a wry smile. The warmth of the setting sun lingered above, but now it mixed with a faint headache. Still, this little exchange was enough to remind him: as much as Warp drove him crazy, she was still his greatest asset.
"Fine. You win this round," he muttered under his breath.
His stomach let out a faint grumble. Certainly, the hospital food, no matter how nutritious, wasn't exactly satisfying.
"...Guess I should grab something to eat before anything else," Sonny mumbled. "If I'm going to visit the Association today, I'll need my strength."
Warp's voice chimed in cheerfully.
[Ah, excellent idea! May I recommend something carb-heavy? Your blood sugar levels are slightly below optimal after your discharge, Master.]
"...Stop scanning my vitals without permission, damnit."
[Again: you gave me permission, Master. Subconsciously.]
Sonny groaned again. But despite everything, the corner of his mouth tugged into a reluctant smile.
"Alright then. First food, then registration. Let's get this day rolling. I am goddamn motivated!"
With that, he shoved his smartphone into his pocket, then turned on his heel and started walking down the sunlit street, the world around him feeling just a little brighter, and a whole lot noisier, than it did inside that sterile hospital room.
† †
The Hunting Guild Association.
From the name alone, one could immediately tell that it was the governing body that oversaw all matters related to Awakened individuals and Hunters. With branches spread across the globe, in countries like China, Japan, Korea, America, and many more, its reach was vast and influential.
The Association was established a few years after the catastrophic events of the First Impact. To be precise, it was officially formed in 2017, rising from the chaos to bring structure and order to a world thrown into disarray. And it goes without saying that the headquarters of such an influential organization, located in London, England, would be a fortress of both political power and cutting-edge technology, standing as a symbol of humanity's resilience against the threats that once nearly destroyed the living world.
Wednesday, July 26th, 2077.
On this day, after a satisfying meal, Sonny found himself standing before the headquarters of the Hunter Guild Association. From where he stood, the towering structure seemed tall enough to pierce the heavens. Though, of course, that was merely an illusion.
In reality, the building stood only five stories tall. But upon closer inspection, its walls appeared to be constructed from some unfamiliar material, giving it an air of unyielding strength. It looked sturdy enough to withstand even the fiercest earthquake known to man, considering it had been built with the express purpose of repelling Tower Monsters.
With the exception of the DCA, perhaps, all weaponry produced by humanity were utterly useless against Monsters. Even nuclear arms could do little more than lull the weakest of them into a brief slumber, only for them to rise again a few hours later, unharmed.
And for this very reason, in the event of an outbreak, civilians would be gathered and assessed within the walls of the Guild Association building.
"...."
Sonny stood there, smartphone in hand, absentmindedly staring up at the towering structure, feeling a little overwhelmed. The building itself, along with the sight of Awakened humans moving in and out with confident ease, only deepened his sense of not belonging.
After all, he was just an ordinary guy in casual clothes; a black, long-sleeved turtleneck, pants held by a belt, and brown boots.
He definitely felt out of place. If not for the fact that he had awakened as a Sleeper, he wouldn't have dared to set foot anywhere near this place.
Ordinary Dreamless did not belong here.
Suddenly, his smartphone buzzed, pulling his wandering mind back to reality. He lifted it to eye level, and there, Warp appeared on the screen, smiling as she offered a few words of encouragement.
[You don't have to feel so down, Master. There's nothing to fear. Besides, you've already come this far. Wouldn't it be pathetic if you turned back now?]
'You really do have a sharp tongue, huh? And that's not exactly how you encourage someone, you idiot!'
The thought remained unspoken, as it often did.
Already accustomed to his digital assistant's unique personality, Sonny couldn't help but feel his spirit lift, even if only slightly, from her so-called encouragement.
With a deep sigh, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Alright then, let's head in, shall we?"