NOVEL WEB Chapter 15: Lab
"By the way, Mary has already caught us up on all the Aphrodite shit so no need to explain." Emma quickly announces and Rowan nods his head.
…
"Alrighty, this is the kitchen that no one really uses." There were sinks, cabinets, countertop, all the normal stuff, but what really caught Jacob's eyes was a little blue ball in the corner.
"What's that?"
"What do you mean? It's an item holder." Emma explained casually.
"But like, why is it here?" Jacob continues.
"To hold items."
"..."
Rowan sighs.
"It's to hold and preserve food." Rowan picks up the ball and presses a finger onto to the indent on the middle. The ball opens and a bunch of food and other items fall out.
"You take what you need and put the rest back. You activate it and charge it by adding in mana. Not that much effort." Rowan explains while putting back the goods inside the sphere. As soon as an object hits the ball, it converts into many, little light particles.
So they have this but not fridges?
"How does it work?" Jacob's blue eyes glisten with curiosity.
"Something something mana distortion. You can ask Elaina about the technical stuff, she loves it."
"Jacob, this is a common household item, how do you not about it?" Emma asks.
"Emma, everyone has their own circumstances." Rowan pats Jacob's back before whispering into his ear
"I know what it's like growing up poor. Emma is a little insensitive, don't take her words to heart."
A convenient excuse, thanks Rowan!
"I-it's an embarrassing topic to discuss you know. I've been taking care of my siblings for like half of my life. We didn't really have the money for…such common household products." Jacob holds back a fake tear.
"Yo! What are you two dudes whispering about? We still have more places to explore!" Emma runs ahead while the two men follow her.
Emma keeps yapping as she drags Jacob around, showing off their rooms. She laments about how Dylan destroyed her in rock paper scissors and got the second biggest room, the biggest room belonging to Mary.
"You're complaining about this?! It's way bigger than mines! My room is all the way on the opposite side!" Jacob furrows his eyebrows.
"In our defense, we weren't really expecting another member to pop out of nowhere. I didn't even know we had a spare room. Sorry lil bro~" Emma pats Jacob's shoulder with fake sympathy.
"Just you wait Emma! How about a game of rock paper scissors?" Jacob proposes.
"NEVER! That game is rigged I tell ya!" Emma vehemently declines. Jacob and Rowan both chuckle in response to her antics.
"Sore loser." The older guy mumbles.
"I heard that! Keep talking and I'll call you Roro for the whole month."
"No, anything but that! You're terrible at nicknames."
Their yammering stops after a few footsteps echo in the room.
"Glad you guys are having fun." All eyes turn to the pink-haired succubus who had her lips curved up.
"Need something Mary?" The auburn-haired questions.
"I forgot to show Jacob the laboratory."
"Oh yeah! Let's go gang." Emma races up ahead but gets her arm yanked by Marinette.
"I'll show him. Let's go Jacob." Marinette moves forward, carrying the elegant aura of a leader. Something about her was just…special. Jacob didn't know how to phrase it but she was definitely someone he shouldn't mess with.
After a bit of walking through the long corridor, they stopped before a regular looking wooden door. Marinette places her palm on the knob and a mechanical voice rings out before it instantly opens.
Mana Recognized. Welcome back Rosemary
"Come in." The succubus walks in, followed by the rest of the group.
As soon as Jacob steps in the room, he feels an instant hit of nausea. It was either by the sharp chemical stench or something else. He grits his teeth and looks around. The air was stuffy and in front of him was a large wooden board, covered in research papers and marks. There were long tables on the sides of the room covered in vials, unknown liquids, and what Jacob assumes are beast cores hanging about. He spots Dylan and Elaina who were decked out in safety gear, tinkering a core.
Dylan looks up.
"Tch. What now?"