--- Flashback ---
Nine years ago, Elenor was only fourteen years old. Lying on a hospital bed, the young girl was drawing ragged, uneven breaths, as though she were drowning in the depths of dark waters and desperately struggling to reach the surface. Her eyes were tightly shut, as if trapped in the grip of a restless nightmare. The veins beneath her skin had turned a terrifying shade of black under the effect of the venom spreading through her body. Her fever had climbed to forty degrees Celsius, and her fragile form was connected to countless medical devices and tangled cables.
On what had been an ordinary day—just another of her usual walks through the forest—young Elenor had found herself caught in the midst of an unexpected rift fracture. There, she had been attacked by a newly emerged venomous creature, a species that had never before appeared in official records. There was no information about it. No data. No antidote. The doctors, overwhelmed by the severity of her condition, had been rendered helpless. Without immediate intervention, they warned, Elenor would, at best, fall into a vegetative state. At worst, she would lose her life.
The moment Soran received the news, it was as if his connection to the world had snapped. Driven nearly mad, he locked himself inside his laboratory, abandoning sleep and rest for days on end in his obsessive pursuit of the formula that would save his only granddaughter.
In the heavy silence of the hospital room, young Omar stood by Elenor's bedside, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his entire body rigid with anxiety. He had barely managed to persuade Amanda and Ada to return home, as they were utterly distraught. The Demir family loved Elenor as if she were their own flesh and blood. Amanda, in particular, was drowning in guilt for not having been by Elenor's side at the moment of the incident; she could not forgive herself. Though Omar and Soran both knew it was not her fault, nothing they said could calm the storm raging inside her.
As Omar waited in the suffocating quiet, the door suddenly burst open with a deafening crash, nearly torn from its hinges. Soran stormed inside, followed by a group of doctors desperately trying to restrain him.
"MR. ALTAREZ! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! HOSPITAL PROTOCOL REQUIRES THAT WE TEST THE DRUG FIRST!" one of the doctors shouted.
Ignoring them entirely, Soran strode to Elenor's side and sat down. He pulled a prepared syringe from his pocket. His gaze was hard as steel.
"I WOULD NEVER GIVE AN UNTESTED SUBSTANCE TO ANY CHILD! ESPECIALLY NOT MY PROTÉGÉ'S DAUGHTER! DO NOT INTERFERE IN MY WORK! IT IS AN INSULT!"
Startled by the sudden escalation, Omar rose swiftly to his feet. The doctors continued their protests.
"BUT THIS IS EXTREMELY RISKY! IT COULD CAUSE UNKNOWN REACTIONS IN ELENOR DEMIR'S BODY—IT COULD EVEN KILL HER!"
Soran turned his head slightly, casting them a glare filled with cold fury.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO INTERFERE. LEAVE."
As the medical staff prepared to argue further, Omar stepped between them with an authoritative stride.
"I will make the decision regarding my adopted daughter. I have complete trust in my employer, Soran Altarez. I take full responsibility. Now please, allow the most intelligent man in Nevarion to do his job."
The doctors stared at Omar in shock.
"BUT THIS IS FAR TOO RISKY!" the chief physician insisted again.
Omar answered with unshakable conviction in his voice.
"I know. But I trust him."
At that moment, Soran carefully rolled up Elenor's sleeve. With steady precision, he injected the prepared serum slowly into her veins. When the procedure was complete, he held his breath and began to wait.
Come on, Elenor… I have no one left but you… If something happens to you as well…
With one hand, he clasped her small hand tightly. Leaning over the bed, he shielded her body from the view of the doctors and nurses behind him. From the outside, he appeared as proud and composed as ever. But within him, entire worlds were collapsing. Tears had already begun to stream down his face.
Omar sensed the unbearable weight on his friend's shoulders and the silent sobs he tried so desperately to contain. Turning to the waiting staff, he spoke firmly.
"Alright. That's enough. As long as Soran Altarez is here, everything is under control."
One of the doctors opened his mouth to object again.
"BUT—"
Omar cut him off sharply.
"No 'buts.' I understand your concern, and I appreciate it. But I need to speak with my employer alone. We are talking about the Emperor's most trusted advisor and scientist. Your distrust is an insult to the Emperor himself."
At the mention of the Emperor, every member of the medical team flinched. The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. The chief physician let out a deep sigh and gestured to the others.
"Alright. Everyone out. The guardian has spoken. If anything happens, the responsibility will not be ours."
When only Omar and Soran remained, Omar glanced at the broken door and exhaled quietly. He approached Soran and, clenching his fists, asked in a low voice:
"How is she, Soran?"
Soran tried to steady his trembling voice as he replied.
"…Don't worry, Omar… Your daughter will recover… I hope."
Even in such a critical moment, the fact that Soran referred to his own granddaughter as someone else's daughter—unable to call her my granddaughter—caused a dull ache in Omar's heart. But for Soran, this was a painful mask he deemed necessary to protect those he loved. He had already lost his family once. He did not possess the strength to endure that agony again. Tears streamed down his face, yet no one watching from the door or window could see his shattered state.
Seeing him like this, Omar felt even more guilty. His own eyes filled with tears.
'We should have been more careful… If Elenor dies, Soran will never stand again…'
At that moment, a faint voice echoed through the room.
"…Mr. Soran…"
Both men turned toward the bed at once. Elenor's ruby-colored eyes had parted slightly. For a fleeting instant, Soran wanted to throw himself forward and embrace his granddaughter, forgetting everything else—but he stopped himself at the last second. Only a sorrowful yet loving smile appeared on his lips.
"Good morning, young lady."
When Elenor noticed that Soran was holding her hand, she gently curled her fingers around his. Then, in accordance with an old Altarez tradition, she began tapping lightly against his hand with the tips of her fingers—successive, rhythmic touches. Through a pattern resembling Morse code, she was sending a message.
"Thank you, Grandfather."
When Soran felt that small gesture from his granddaughter, the tears in his eyes multiplied, yet he responded in the same way—tapping back with his fingers, expressing his love through the silent rhythm.
"Always, my honey bun… You scared me so much."
--- Return to the Present ---
Elenor lay stretched out on the couch beneath the shade of the veranda, resting quietly under the lingering weight of that resurfaced memory.
That day, I truly came back from death, she thought. When we returned home with Grandfather, that enormous man held me in his arms all night and cried like a child. That was the first time I saw up close just how terrified he had been… and how deeply he truly loved me. I suppose that endless, exaggerated chain of gifts began right then.
Letting out a slow breath, Elenor lowered her gaze to her own body—particularly to her chest. In a tone of reluctant acceptance, she muttered,
"Now that I understand there's no getting rid of you two, we should focus on what to do from here on."
Recalling the horrifying projected measurements written in her grandfather's note sent a shiver through her. She was already considered tall for her age, but imagining herself reaching the colossal proportions mentioned there was something she refused to picture.
Look at the bright side, Elenor… At least it wasn't just your measurements. Your muscle structure and bones developed significantly as well.
As if to shake away the thought, she moved her head from side to side. Casting one last displeased glance at the "two great peaks," she continued reading the Nano Suit's specifications:
√ Shape-Shifting: The suit can assume the form and color of any clothing according to the user's desire.
Note: Because Elenor's chest is heavy—placing serious strain on her back, neck, and waist and limiting mobility—the nanobots can transform into a specialized supportive bra. In this way, the suit bears the full weight, relieving stress on the body.
Now that will truly be useful, Elenor thought. Their weight really exhausted me throughout the day. And I won't need to waste money on clothes anymore; I'll only have to scan a design into the watch. Within seconds, the outfit will materialize on me.
√ Massage Function: Capable of delivering muscle-relaxing massage to every point of the body.
Elenor's eyes gleamed. After the pain she had endured in recent days, this feature sounded like a reward. She continued reading:
√ Impact Protection: Can be considered a light armor layer. With shock-absorbing properties, it provides resistance against certain monster attacks and knife strikes. If necessary, it can administer emergency medical treatment to injured areas.
Note: This suit should be regarded as a technological "second skin." However, it is not bulletproof. Since nanotechnology is still in its infancy, I could not integrate an energy shield into the system. Due to its complex structure, I was unable to use the hardest metals. Exercise caution during field operations.
There were no further explanations. The foundations of nanotechnology had been laid eight years ago, but progress had been slow. Her grandfather and the other leading scientists were so consumed with developing countermeasures against rifts, next-generation weapons, and biochemical defenses that personal projects like this inevitably fell to the background.
Even so, Elenor felt relieved. At the very least, she would no longer have to worry about what to wear—or whether her clothes would become too tight.
Now, back to the real issue.
She tapped the back command on her watch. The hologram of the Nano Suit faded slowly into darkness. Entering the primary design schematic of the watch itself, she was confronted with an extraordinarily complex structure—almost like a living map, layered and intricate. She examined every detail with meticulous attention.
Hmm… Ingenious, mesmerizing, and utterly magnificent. When Grandfather called this his "greatest masterpiece," he wasn't exaggerating. Assembling something this multilayered under normal conditions should have been impossible.
As she studied the schematic, one detail caught her attention and surprised her.
Now I understand why it couldn't completely disable the sensation of pain. Fifty-three percent of the watch's sensors are directly linked to my five senses. If we deactivate pain, the system becomes half-blind in perceiving the environment. It doesn't turn me into a machine; on the contrary, I am integrating it as a biological extension of myself. It functions like a second brain—yet without independent will or consciousness.
After minutes of careful analysis, Elenor reached a firm conclusion: it was impossible for LYRA to evolve into an autonomous artificial intelligence. From a security standpoint, her grandfather had constructed it like a fortress surrounded by impenetrable walls. Hacking it was nearly impossible—but Elenor still refused to let her guard down.
Just in case… I don't want to wake up one day as someone's puppet.
When she reached the part she was truly curious about, she paused.
Where is it… Ah, there it is. Energy source.
[Energy Sources]
• Sunlight
• Body heat
• Muscle movement
• Heartbeat and blood flow
• Respiration
• Intestinal movement
• Mana stones
• Bodily fluids
• External electrical energy
Once again, Elenor was captivated by what she saw.
'So as long as I live and breathe, this watch will possess virtually endless energy. Grandfather… today, you've made me admire you all over again.'
In her mind, she imagined Soran standing before her with that familiar, proud smile, raising his thumb in a gesture that meant approved. Shaking her head lightly, she let out a quiet sigh and began reading the warning text.
[Warning:] During procedures such as initial integration, awakening phase, bodily enhancement, or intensive data transfer, the watch's energy consumption peaks. In such cases, the system draws the additional energy it requires directly from the user's body. As a result, severe fatigue, insatiable hunger, and excessive thirst may be observed.
After reading those lines, Elenor released a deep breath of relief.
The fact that my current food demand is only temporary is excellent news. If this hunger had been permanent, the provisions in the shelter would have slipped away like sand through an hourglass.
Her mood lifted, yet she responded to the strangeness of this technological transformation with a faintly mocking smile.
I've literally turned into a walking computer—or a mobile medical center… It's actually quite amusing. Having millimetric control over my own body is an incredibly intriguing experience. I suppose I'm slowly beginning to find science as fascinating as Grandfather does.
After a soft chuckle, she grew serious again. Now, lastly, I should check my current condition. What exactly are the awakening requirements?
Focusing on the user profile that opened on the panel around her wrist, Elenor drew in a steady breath. On the screen, her biological data and physical limits stood exposed in absolute clarity:
[USER PROFILE]
• User: Elenor Altarez
• Height: 1.77 m
• Weight: 74.2 kg (Biological: 71.2 kg / Equipment: 4.45 kg)
• Body Fat Ratio: 18% (Optimal)
• Measurements: 122 - 68 - 108 cm
• Muscle Mass: Entry Level
• Status: Severe Caloric Deficiency!
[Physical Limits]
• Strength: 9/10 | Speed: 3/10 | Agility: 5/10
• Endurance: 9/20 | Physical Resistance: 2/10
• Chemical Resistance: 18/10 (Far Above Limit)
{Evaluation: You are slightly better than an ordinary human, but in worse condition than a trained infantry soldier. You are not even close to the level of an E-rank hunter.}
{Warning: In this state, never engage in close combat with rift monsters unless absolutely unavoidable.}
Elenor frowned as she studied the profile.
"Just as I thought…" she murmured.
"Aunt Amanda's training focused purely on survival. We never aimed for absurd thresholds like these. I don't understand what kind of training soldiers undergo to surpass these values."
Even so, she tried not to let the list discourage her. At least her strength was near the upper boundary—that was a beginning. Returning to the menu, she accessed the laboratory management panel and from there the internal security cameras. One by one, she examined every room meticulously from multiple angles.
At least the inside of the laboratory is completely secure.
She then activated the external security cameras. When the system's two-kilometer-wide field of vision projected onto the screen, her expression darkened. The situation outside was far from reassuring. Rifts of varying colors continued to open sporadically in the surroundings, and strange-looking monsters slipped out from within them. Just beyond the laboratory's main entrance lay the massive corpse of the Troll she had previously neutralized using a combination of flash bombs and toxic gas. The other creatures seemed to avoid that area.
The scent of the poison is probably deterring them.
With a deep sigh, she drifted into thought. If rifts continued opening at this density, sooner or later a portal would inevitably manifest inside the mountain—right at the heart of the laboratory. She hoped that, due to the mountain's structure and the lab's positioning, no exceptionally powerful creatures would emerge here. Moreover, she was still no different from an ordinary human in practical terms.
Straightening from her reclined position, Elenor sat upright. She raised her arms overhead and stretched thoroughly—but the sharp rrrip sound she heard instantly ruined her mood. Lowering her gaze blankly, she saw that her already tight sweater had torn completely along the underarm seam.