Chapter 178: Chapter 165.1 : Joy And Gratitude

The Telepathic class.

It was the second most common psionic class, resulting in Inis being home to hundreds of millions of Telepaths.

Human society benefited greatly from these high numbers, for while the psionic class wasn’t known for world-shaking might, it had, in many ways, had a greater impact on the world than any other psionic class.

Entertainment and communication; the psionic class was instrumental in maintaining and furthering these domains.

The most important thing the psionic class enabled was worldwide telepathic networks.

Their existence upheld human society in more ways than one. All major institutions and bodies made use of them, and extensively at that. Economies and trade lived and died atop the web of telepathic links. With them in place, the Psi media that Telepaths made possible could be shared with all parts of Inis, which the masses greatly appreciated.

Should worldwide telepathic networks suddenly vanish from the world, Inis would greatly suffer as a result. Thankfully, the possibility was extremely unlikely.

But how did they work?

How could Telepaths connect to those tens, hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away?

Were their Psi ranges just that large?

Yes and no.

The reason for the contradictory answer was because, unlike other psionics, Telepaths had two Psi ranges.

Their first Psi range, their normal Psi range, was large, comparable to Mimic’s. For instance, Nikolas had a 2,8-kilometre Psi range. He could throw his telepathic links to any mind within that radius.

The second Psi range was much larger than the first Psi range. It wasn’t unlimited, of course, still, even low-rank Telepaths could communicate across dozens of kilometres by using it, while high-rank Telepaths could trade information with thousands of kilometres separating them.

Distance was an important difference between the two Psi ranges, but not the only difference. Unlike the first Psi range, the second Psi range could only show itself in the presence of at least two Telepaths working in tandem, effectively making it a Union technique.

Two Telepaths would have to meet within their first Psi range’s limits and then telepathically connect to each other. Once connected, they gained the ability to save each other’s unique telepathic signature into their Conceptual Memory, no different than taking down a cellphone number.

This process was quick and simple. Better yet, Telepaths, even those on the weaker end could save potentially dozens of ‘numbers’ into their database. Once saved, the Telepaths could separate well beyond their first Psi ranges, and call each other. By doing so at the same time, the Telepaths’ minds would connect.

The connection wasn’t instantly established but instead depended on the Psi speeds of the Telepaths involved. The Telepaths’ telepathic links would extend out to their first Psi range’s limits…and then seemingly disappear.

Telepathic links travelling through the domain of the second Psi range were nigh undetectable. They were one step removed from Dimitri’s soul network when it came to discreetness. Even the duo with their extreme Psi sensitivity had trouble sensing these telepathic links.

The duo - and every other psionic - very much appreciated this fact though, for as much as they loved the worldwide telepathic networks, given the numerous amount of telepathic links active at any one time, the world would look like an entangled mess of blue webs if not for the curious property.

The worldwide telepathic networks relied on the existence of the second Psi range and its unique properties. Telepaths responsible for these worldwide telepathic networks were known to travel a lot in order to make as many connections as possible.

The more connections, the better. Telepaths scheduled time slots by which to establish and re-establish connections. In the modern world, this setup was perfected. The major telepathic networks were vast webs that spanned Inis, comprised of tens of millions of Telepaths.

Right now, Silver was benefiting from their existence.

After arriving at the Communication Centre building, Ralf called upon his other self.

Ray had left Ralf’s side after the introductions, the actual introductions, to work on anime in Altered Time. Hearing the reason for the interruption, Ray dropped his work at once and joined Ralf in the outside world. With both wanting to hog Hana’s attention, there was only one solution, and so they fused.

In a small grey room, Silver sat on his Psi chair. A Second Sight hovered near and captured his front profile, which was currently glowing. A bright smile hung from his face. The reason for the expression was undoubtedly the real-time video feed that was being projected into his mind.

Hana was similarly smitten as she took in her son’s visage.

After being informed of the request, she hurried to Popleigh’s newly established Psionic Association branch. The setup and room were nearly identical to Silver’s, and she too sat ‘alone’ atop a Psi chair of her own making.

Now, from thousands of kilometres away, she spoke.

[Hmm, those eyes shining with unparalleled self-confidence, Silver, right?] she guested, not having the benefit of the mental signal to tell.

[That nation-toppling beauty, Hana Fawkes, right?] Silver returned while cupping his chin in appraisal.

[Ahaha,] Hana broke out into a sweet chuckle. [No doubt, that silver tongue could only belong to one. It’s been a while son, too long. I’ve missed you like crazy. I don’t know if I could have lasted another day without going berserk and destroying everything around me. Zudrad would have suffered as Brenton did, so your timing really averted a crisis.]

Silver smiled.

Fawkes and destruction, was there a better pair? Certainly not…not even the duo could compare.

[I see, that’s good to know,] the fused being responded. [To keep the world safe, we’ll stay in regular contact from now on.]

[Yeah, to keep the world safe,] Hana repeated as a sweet smile bloomed on her face.

Silver returned a smile before letting his mind’s eye drift around Hana’s room. [This setup is better than I expected. Not bad, right?]

[Yeah, I think I can manage with this. Though, I’ll miss the hugs. Those dolls can only do so much.]

[We could do an indirect hug,] Silver proposed, however, his suggestion was quickly shot down by a sudden voice.

[Sorry to interrupt, but we don’t provide such services here. Though, I’ve heard of such requests being entertained in the entertainment zone.] After stating this, the voice went quiet, leaving the mother and son to their own devices…well, not entirely.

Telepaths weren’t forced to listen or experience information travelling through their telepathic links. Instead, they could pick and choose. That said, all communication via the current telepathic network was listened to and recorded by a Natural, for security purposes. Though, in the current case, curiosity played a bigger factor.

The line between the mother and son was of great interest to the Pillar factions. Many people listened in, in hopes of catching any crumbs that the two might let fall, not concerning their relationship, of course, but the mysterious Silver Path faction.

The pair understood this but weren’t too bothered. This was the price to be paid for instantaneous communication. They could secure privacy by using more conventional methods like sending letters, but then they would have to wait much longer. This wouldn’t do for the Fawkes family's needs and so, despite the intrusion, they went with this method.

[Guess, no hug then,] Silver said, slightly disappointed. [Anyway, how’s life been treating you mother? Anything crazy to report?]

A smirk rushed onto Hana’s face at the question. [Tada!] she voiced while snapping her fingers before setting herself ablaze in blue flames.

The staff received Hana’s signal and followed her previous instructions to the letter. They expanded the telepathic link’s capabilities beyond just audiovisual information to include Psi Sense information, allowing Silver to now detect Hana’s current Psi signature.

His eyes bulged as the information struck his mind. [You levelled up…and three whole ranks at that….]

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After a moment’s pause at the absurd happening, his heart and soul surged with jubilation. His mother’s successes were his own, and something to delight in. [Congratulations mom,] he said, face breaking into an ecstatic expression. [...As to be expected, the mother of dragons is herself, a dragon.]

Hana smiled joyously. [Yeah, it happened just two days ago. I was super surprised. I suppose my trigger was being separated from my boys…what a vile trigger to have.]

[Indeed,] Silver nodded. [So, what will you do with your newfound power? Conquer some nations? Zudrad’s been without a ruler for too long, think you’re up for it?]

[Mmm, I’ll consider that after gaining a few more levels. Till then, I’ll do some training. I’ve already started actually. Been sparring with Chloe lately. When you return in a year’s time, let’s battle again. You may have bested me last time, but things will be different then,] she said, slamming her fist into her palm. Hana went for a fierce look, but in Silver’s eyes, she was nothing but adorable.

His lips curled up. [I see, I’ll have to up my training then. I look forward to the day our fists meet again, mother. No doubt, our battle will be the stuff of legends,] he said, slamming his fist into his palm as well.

[Of course.] Rank 6 aura reveal done, Hana extinguished her psionic flames and refocused on her son. [Oh Silver, another important thing happened after you left,] after a pause, she continued, [...he visited.]

Silver’s eyes flickered. [It went well?] he followed up, voice cryptic.

[There were no problems. He had nothing but praise for you and your actions. He was really impressed.]

[That’s good to hear.]

[Yeah. You should probably expect a visit pretty soon. I’m sure he’s interested in getting the full story from you.]

[I see, I’ll be on the lookout then,] Silver responded, his voice casual but his eyes thoughtful.

The topic of what the pair had been doing since their separation was delved into next.

Hana didn’t have much to report. Aside from the training with Chloe, and the meeting with Micheal, which she couldn’t speak about, she had done the usual.

Silver’s account was much more lengthy. He touched on his journey to the Academy, mentioning the places he stopped at and the things he experienced while there, with a focus on the many foods and delicacies he got to eat along the way.

He also revealed that he had completed real Psi games, which the pair had discussed previously, and voiced his regret that she wouldn’t get to play them for a while.

Lastly, he went over his first day so far.

His first impressions of the Academy, the happenings at the first and second introductions, the acquisition of a new friend…

Silver shared it all in great detail, starting from his breakfast in Lisford this morning all the way till now.

Hana was all smiles throughout his account and was especially happy to hear that he made a new friend.

The mother and son continued on and on and on, unable to run out of topics to discuss. An hour in, Hana was joined by three familiar faces: Vincent, Chloe, and Walton.

Silver’s face turned awkward at their arrival; a week had clearly not been enough time to dissipate their overflowing gratitude, as was apparent by their glittering eyes.

After saying their greetings, the trio went on to thank him in various ways for nearly a minute straight, all the while, pointing their watery eyes his way. It was uncomfortable, as uncomfortable as he expected. Still, the fused being bore their words and feelings without fight or flight.

The reason for the group’s emotional state was due to Silver’s generous donation to the Duke’s cause.

Anime and R & R, especially the former, had made Silver very wealthy very quickly. The amount in his bank account was absurd; he had reached tycoon-level status practically overnight.

This was swell, but Silver had no need for such large sums of money. Beyond a certain point, money became worthless to him. Having money pile up endlessly was both pointless and wasteful in his books, and so he decided to put his wealth to good use, by donating much of it to a cause he believed in, the Duke’s cause.

He did so sneakily though.

To avoid being drowned by tears, Silver had Hana deliver a certain note to the Duke a day after he left Zudrad. The note was one of few words, yet incredibly powerful - or rather, devastating.

In it, Silver voiced his support for the Duke’s ideals and the direction Vincent wanted to take Zudrad in, and then laid out his donation pledge. The first half of the note warmed Vincent’s heart while the second half nearly stopped it forever.

90%!

90% of the revenue made from anime and R & R’s toys would go into funding the Duke’s cause; this was Silver’s stated pledge.

The Duke read this and all but ceased functioning for the next thirty minutes. Plopped on his chair, he stared blankly at the white ceiling as his thoughts and emotions swirled chaotically. When he finally exited his comatose-like daze, two emotions fought to dominate his heart, joy and gratitude. Their intense fight took a toll on the young man’s face, shattering his expression and causing him to bleed from the eyes.

The Duke had taken on many many debts to create Lycra and Popleigh. Using normal means, it would decades for him to pay them all off, but now with Silver’s patronage, it wouldn’t be long before he was debt free, and could fully focus on transforming Popleigh into the major metropolis he envisioned.

The influx of money would greatly speed up the Duke’s timeline. He was overjoyed at the fact, but even more than this, it was Silver’s belief and trust in him that brought the Duke the greatest joy.

Chloe and Walton would later learn of the note, and they too exploded in gratitude. The trio had been overflowing with said emotion for a week already, eager to get the chance to wholeheartedly thank Silver for his deeds.

And now they did, with Vincent’s ending words assuring Silver that he wouldn’t regret his decision to support the White Hawk.

Silver just nodded, Vincent’s words were redundant to him.

The group moved on to other topics and the conversation began flowing smoothly. Minutes later, the door to the room was pushed open again as more people arrived.

Greg, Jeff, Genise, Samuel…

Familiar faces greeted Silver one after the other. They kept their stays brief, not wanting to take away too much time from the mother-son reunion. They traded words for a few minutes before making their exit.

Thirty minutes after the Duke first arrived, Hana and Silver were once again alone. The next hour and a half flew by as the pair traded words and smiles with jovial delight.

Finally…

[Love you, son.]

[Love you too, mom. See you tomorrow.]

[Count on it.]

Following the exchange, the telepathic link connecting their minds came undone.

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