The moment Kenny gave his approval, the violet glow inside Noct's eyes brightened slightly as though the machine had fully shifted into operational mode.
[Command accepted.]
[Preparing reconstruction procedure.]
The robot turned toward the burning remains of the crashed ship scattered across the mountainside behind them. Massive sections of twisted metal still smoldered among the shattered forest while smoke drifted steadily upward into the morning sky. Even after several hours, the gigantic vessel continued radiating an overwhelming sense of alienness that made Kenny feel small every time he looked at it.
Thin streams of blue light suddenly projected from Noct's mechanical eyes toward the wreckage.
A low humming vibration spread through the air.
Moments later, something inside the ruined ship responded.
Several metallic compartments buried beneath collapsed debris slowly detached themselves from the wreckage before floating silently into the air. The containers hovered across the ruined forest as though gravity no longer applied to them before eventually stopping beside Noct.
The compartments unfolded automatically with mechanical precision.
Inside them rested several cylindrical capsules filled with strange silver liquid, constantly shifting and moving like living mercury.
Kenny stared at the substance with fascination.
The metallic liquid seemed alive.
Tiny glowing patterns continuously formed and dissolved beneath its surface while faint streams of energy pulsed throughout the containers.
"What exactly is that?" Kenny asked.
[Material designation: Aetherium Alloy.]
[Primary adaptive material utilized by Noct civilization.]
[Properties include neural compatibility, biological integration, molecular regeneration, and self-evolving structural adaptation.]
Kenny's eyes widened slightly.
Even without fully understanding the explanation, he could immediately tell this material completely surpassed anything humanity had ever created.
The robot continued speaking calmly.
[Aetherium Alloy is capable of merging with organic tissue while preserving biological stability.]
[Material suitable for cybernetic reconstruction and enhanced body modification.]
Immediately afterward, several streams of information appeared across Kenny's vision.
[Calculating reconstruction cost.]
[Cybernetic lower limb reconstruction — 210 UVE.]
[Left arm restoration and enhancement — 65 UVE.]
[Optical sensory augmentation — 40 UVE.]
[Emergency neural stabilization procedure — 25 UVE.]
[Total required energy: 340 UVE.]
Kenny frowned slightly while reading the strange units.
"What's UVE?"
[Universal Value Energy.]
[Primary energy source utilized for advanced replication and reconstruction.]
[Current reserve after emergency dimensional escape: 742 UVE.]
Kenny slowly nodded while absorbing the information.
Apparently, Noct's resources were not infinite. Considering the damage sustained during the crash, every remaining unit of energy was probably valuable.
For a brief moment, hesitation surfaced inside his mind.
But the hesitation vanished the instant his gaze lowered toward his lifeless legs once more.
If this machine truly possessed the ability to change that—
Then Kenny would accept any risk necessary.
Noct stepped closer toward him.
[Warning.]
[Reconstruction procedure will involve extreme discomfort.]
Kenny let out a quiet laugh.
"Extreme discomfort?" he muttered bitterly.
Pain no longer frightened him.
Not after years of surgeries, rehabilitation, and endless reminders that his body was broken.
What frightened him was remaining weak forever.
"This is my chance," Kenny whispered to himself.
"I'm ready," he said firmly.
The robot immediately began transforming.
Mechanical plates along Noct's arms shifted apart while hidden compartments unfolded beneath the dark metallic armor. Within seconds, both arms reconfigured themselves into dozens of unfamiliar surgical instruments glowing with faint blue and golden light.
Some resembled microscopic manipulators.
Others looked completely alien, their purpose impossible for Kenny to understand.
At the same time, the silver Aetherium Alloy inside the floating containers began rising into the air.
The liquid metal separated into countless glowing particles that swirled around Noct like streams of floating dust before gathering around Kenny's lower body.
[Beginning replication and reconstruction process.]
The golden particles immediately enveloped both of Kenny's useless legs.
Warmth spread through his body almost instantly.
At first, the sensation felt strangely comfortable, almost soothing compared to the cold mountain air surrounding him. Kenny could feel the nanoscopic particles flowing across his skin while tiny streams of energy seeped deeper into his flesh.
Then suddenly—
"GAAAAAHHHH!!"
Agony exploded through his nervous system.
Kenny's entire body convulsed violently against the ground as unbearable pain surged through both of his legs simultaneously. It felt as though every bone inside his body had been shattered apart and reconstructed at the same time, while invisible blades sliced through nerves, muscles, and blood vessels one layer after another.
His fingers clawed deeply into the dirt beneath him.
Sweat immediately poured down his face.
The nanomachines penetrated deep into his ruined limbs while streams of glowing metallic fibers spread beneath his skin like living circuitry. Kenny could physically feel things moving inside his body.
Reconnecting.
Rebuilding.
Evolving.
The sensation was horrifyingly unnatural.
"AAARGHHHH!!"
His screams echoed throughout the ruined forest.
The pain became worse with every passing second as the reconstruction process accelerated further. Golden particles continued pouring into his body while fractured nerves that had remained dead for ten years slowly began reconnecting themselves one by one.
Then suddenly, amidst the unbearable agony consuming his entire body, Kenny froze.
Because beneath all the pain, he felt something impossible.
His legs.
For the first time in more than ten years, actual sensation traveled through limbs that had remained completely lifeless ever since the accident destroyed his body as a child. The feeling was faint and chaotic, little more than scattered sparks of warmth, pressure, and pain coursing through reconnecting nerves, yet to Kenny it felt nothing short of miraculous.
He could feel them.
Not perfectly.
Not completely.
But they were no longer empty dead weight attached to his body.
The realization struck him harder than the pain itself.
Tears almost formed in Kenny's eyes as his breathing became uneven from sheer disbelief. Countless memories surfaced uncontrollably inside his mind at that moment—the endless hospital visits, the cold sympathy in doctors' voices, the pitying stares from strangers whenever they saw his wheelchair, and the countless nights he spent alone imagining what it would feel like to simply stand again.
Now, after ten long years, sensation had finally returned.
"I… I can feel them…" Kenny whispered weakly while trembling violently against the dirt.
At the same time, streams of glowing data continued appearing before his eyes.
[Neural pathways reconnecting successfully.]
[Cybernetic synchronization progressing.]
The golden nanomachines immediately intensified their activity beneath his skin. Kenny could physically feel microscopic structures spreading deeper into his shattered lower limbs while damaged nerves slowly fused together with artificial synthetic fibers.
However, moments later, new warning messages suddenly appeared.
[Warning.]
[Host biological condition critically unstable.]
[Body adaptation failure probability increasing.]
[Emergency procedure recommended.]
Kenny's expression tightened immediately.
The reconstruction process had already pushed his body beyond its limits, and even breathing now felt exhausting. Sweat poured continuously down his face while his heartbeat pounded violently inside his chest.
"What… emergency procedure?" he asked through gritted teeth.
Noct's synthetic voice responded instantly.
[Recommendation: Assimilation of Gene Booster Serum.]
[Designation: Titan-IX Adaptive Enhancement Compound.]
[Purpose: Accelerate biological adaptation, muscular compatibility, and neural synchronization.]
Before Kenny could even respond, another metallic compartment floated silently out from the distant wreckage of the crashed ship. The container unfolded midair, revealing a cylindrical vial filled with glowing dark-blue liquid.
The strange fluid pulsed faintly beneath the transparent glass like liquid lightning trapped inside a container. Tiny silver currents continuously moved throughout the serum, illuminating the surrounding air with an eerie glow that made the substance appear both beautiful and dangerous.
Kenny stared at it nervously.
Something about the serum felt instinctively unnatural.
"What exactly does that thing do?" he asked cautiously.
[Enhances muscle density, cellular durability, neural response, and physical adaptation.]
[Warning: procedure will significantly increase pain levels.]
Kenny almost laughed despite the unbearable agony already tearing through his body.
"At this point…" he gasped weakly while forcing himself to breathe steadily, "what's a little more pain?"
Without hesitation, Noct inserted the glowing serum directly into the side of Kenny's neck.
The effect was immediate.
Kenny's eyes widened violently as an overwhelming wave of heat erupted throughout his entire body.
"GAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
It felt as though molten fire had suddenly replaced the blood flowing through his veins. Every muscle inside his body tightened violently while waves of unbearable energy surged through his nervous system like lightning. Veins bulged visibly beneath his skin as the Titan-IX serum rapidly spread throughout his bloodstream.
The sensation was overwhelming.
Violent.
Primal.
His heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably while every muscle fiber inside him convulsed beneath the pressure of forced evolution. Kenny could physically feel his body becoming stronger as the Gene Booster merged with the reconstruction process.
His damaged left arm suddenly tightened with frightening force as torn muscles rapidly regenerated beneath the surface of his skin. Streams of silver microfibers fused directly into damaged tissue while his once-thin frame gradually became denser and more refined under the influence of the enhancement compound.
Even his breathing changed.
Heavier.
Sharper.
More powerful.
Kenny gasped as unfamiliar strength spread throughout his body, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. His senses suddenly became clearer and more sensitive as the world around him sharpened into impossible detail.
He could hear the crackling flames from the distant wreckage more clearly.
He could feel the cold mountain wind brushing against his skin.
Even the scent of burning metal and shattered trees seemed unnaturally vivid now.
For the first time in his life, Kenny truly felt alive.
At the same time, the reconstruction process intensified even further. The golden nanomachines continued rebuilding his shattered lower limbs while streams of synthetic fibers integrated directly into bone, nerve tissue, and muscle with terrifying precision.
The pain remained unbearable.
Yet now, hidden beneath the agony consuming his body, Kenny felt something else emerging.
Power.
Real power.
"I must… hold on…" he muttered weakly while struggling to remain conscious.
His vision blurred repeatedly as exhaustion and pain slowly dragged him toward unconsciousness. The reconstruction process had already surpassed what any normal human body should have been capable of enduring, yet Kenny continued fighting through sheer stubborn determination alone.
Kenny realized he must have fainted several times during the procedure. However, the moment he regained consciousness, a familiar synthetic voice echoed inside his mind.
[The procedure was a complete success.]