I've Got A Mana Processor In A Magic World-Chapter 88: Zephyr’s Father

Immediately he did, before he had the chance to process how his mind felt from connecting to his mana node, he felt a gaze lock onto him instantly from above. He had drawn the attention of the moderator fully now that he had a direct connection.

Zephyr’s consciousness stilled, all traces of his anger and bravado disappearing into thin air like it was never there in the first place. He was shocked into near-stupor from the gaze that locked onto him. He felt so small. So minuscule compared to this massive entity. The gaze felt cold. Mindless. Inhuman. There was no trace of emotion to be felt at all. The moderator simply looked at him like he was a bug. An error to be rectified.

Zephyr could do nothing here. He could think nothing. Barely aware as his fickle existence was about to be erased.

Until... Almost like a ray of light parting through the clouds, a thought formed again in his mind. Zephyr felt a pressure at the back of his mind. Incessant. Something was repeatedly pressing on his mind, giving him no respite until slowly, it became clearer.

It was a picture. An image of a man flashing repeatedly in Zephyr’s mind. Who was it? Why did he look familiar?

Zephyr began to become more conscious.

Now he could also hear a voice. But it wasn’t Aegis’ voice. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The voice sounded vaguely familiar... A male voice. Where had he heard it before?

As the image became clearer, Zephyr found that it wasn’t just an image, but rather, a video. A memory. A message. Someone’s message to him. But still, it felt familiar. The pictures he was seeing felt familiar, tugging at something deep within him. Something vulnerable.

He knew the man’s voice.

It was his father.

The moment he came to that realization, the memory sharpened into focus.

A man was seated in a small room, staring right at the tool he was using to record the message, making it seem like his stare was directed at Zephyr personally.

Dad... Zephyr whispered in his consciousness. There was no mistaking it. The foggy memory he had of his father cleared up instantly as he examined the features of the man staring right at him through the transmission. Old Bjorn hadn’t been exaggerating back when he said Zephyr looked nothing like his mother. He was a spitting image of his father. From his black hair, to his black eyes, his facial structure, and overall build.

It was almost like they were made of the same mold.

"Zephyrus." His father suddenly spoke. "If you’re seeing this message, it means either one of two things." He raised a finger. "One, you’ve naturally reached the required user privilege level to access this message. Or two, which I hope not," he raised a second finger. "You’re in a dire situation where Aegis Nexus 09 had no choice but to engage the emergency protocol, bypassing the user privilege lock. In which case I’ll get directly to the point." He leaned forward in his seat, clasping his hands as he stared intently at the recording device. "You. Can. Not. Die. Zephyr." He said word-for-word. "You must not die." He said with intensity. "Your mother is still alive! I am still alive!" He stood up, walking slowly towards the recording device. "Wherever you are. And whatever you’re facing. Know that we’re both somewhere out there, alive and kicking, so you must not die Zephyr!... You’re our boy..." his voice became shaky as he reached the recording device, his face taking up the whole view.

Zephyr saw the intense worry in his eyes. The way he was trying to convey everything within this one short video. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly like he had a thousand other things to say, but he couldn’t because of time. So instead of saying more, he simply breathed out shakily with wet eyes before the video suddenly cut to a different scene. One of a woman. An elven woman.

For some reason, Zephyr felt a strong and deep connection to this woman whom he’d never seen in his life, and instantly, he knew. This was his mother.

She was cradling a small child in her arms, staring at him with deep affection as his tiny hands waved about in the air reflexively. He was newly born, still with the blood of childbirth all over his body. "That’s me..." Zephyr came to a realization before quickly refocusing on his mother, trying to burn her image, her every feature into his mind so he never forgets.

She had a golden blond hair that was matted to her forehead with sweat from the labor of childbirth. Her eyes were a vivid sky-blue, and her facial features were soft, and exquisite. She was the definition of beauty. Even without any ornaments, in her labored state, she still looked heavenly. She subconsciously tucked a stray strand of her golden locks behind her long, elf ears, and immediately, Zephyr realized another fact.

His mother was no Half-elf.

She was a full-blooded elf of pure descent. Possibly even royalty. Her looks, coupled with her regal and exquisite mannerism stood out to Zephyr very prominently.

His mother was a full elf. Which would mean he was the one who was a half-elf...

And yet there was no particular elven feature to be seen on him.

"You. Zephyr, are the result of the culmination of two distinct races," his father’s voice brought his attention back to present just as his mother turned her head towards the door behind the camera view, glowing with a smile as she saw the newcomer, his father. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could see the love in their eyes as they both stared at him— the baby him.

Zephyr’s father’s voice continued to narrate, "—the result of a union that cut across dimensions," Zephyr’s attention was drawn to that statement, as something began to boil within him slowly. "You are yet to achieve what you were born to achieve, Zephyr. You are not weak! You are not deficient! You are more than whatever petty thing holds you down right now! So do not give in! Do not give up!" His father’s voice burned with an intense conviction that Zephyr couldn’t help but be infected with. An absolute surety that this was a stepping stone. His journey was just starting. So why should he die here? Why should he settle here?

His father’s voice continued to spur him on, just as the video cut back to him and he muttered and scribbled coordinate on a piece of paper on the table, holding it up to the recording device for Zephyr to see, "Point Genesis - 2798.81°-8692.53°-1421°-270725°Ω,88=> π⁰=1 | R-13 | SYS: MW-Sol."

"Remember this location Zephyr. It’s a spatial coordinate. I’ll be there... waiting." He said before the transmission cut off.