Lights and runes flickered constantly across the surfaces of various Magical Devices, while a low hum came from the Magic Net beneath the laboratory. A streak of Flowing Light swept across the surface of a recording device nearby before Camil arrived in front of the young researcher, Kornbel.
"The auxiliary equipment is ready, Korn," the Grand Arcanist buzzed. "Prepare for the third connection experiment."
The young technician in the chair nodded. "I'm ready."
As he spoke, he looked up at Pea, who had come over out of curiosity to watch, and winked at her. "Watch carefully from the side. This is what Neural Thorns are really for."
After spending some time together, nearly everyone in the laboratory had become familiar with Pea.
Pea blinked as two more assistants stepped forward. One of them activated a device beside Korn's chair. It looked like some sort of terminal for connecting other Magical Devices: a cylinder with flickering runes at its top. The other assistant went behind Korn, pulled out the Neural Thorns at the back of his neck, then drew a cable resembling an Artificial Neural Cord from the cylindrical device and brought it close to the end of the Neural Thorns.
"Consciousness Extension Project, third connection test. All units, prepare to record data."
Camil reminded the team members nearby, then nodded to the laboratory assistant standing beside Korn. The assistant immediately connected the Neural Thorns to the Artificial Neural Cord extending from the cylinder—the terminal protruding from the end of the Neural Thorns seemed to come alive in that instant, immediately tangling with the corresponding structure on the neural cord and joining into one whole.
The next second, Pea saw the young researcher's body tense abruptly, while many of the Magical Devices throughout the laboratory emitted a shrill whine almost simultaneously.