Chapter Nine: That 1% Chance.

The moment his discovery became known, dangerous individuals began to invade his life, seeking to exploit his groundbreaking creation. Realizing an imminent threat, he made a life-changing decision. He chose to travel back in time, specifically to the year 2010, to hide from the spies who were determined to kill him and steal his vaccine. And that's the time he decided that he really needed to get away and forget about his old life.

Embracing a new identity, he changed his name from Dr. Jason Akasi to Artemus Elpis. He also enrolled as a student at Marquina University, adopting the persona of a nerdy student to blend in with the crowd. He believed that enduring the bullying and hardships of a student life was a small price to pay compared to the alternative fate that awaited him in the year 2020.

Artemus embraced his new life as a student, immersing himself in his studies and navigating the challenges of university life. He endured the taunts and bullying, knowing that it was a necessary sacrifice to maintain his cover and protect the world-changing vaccine he has created.

"It's better to face the ridicule and bullying of others than being killed. I must remain hidden, protect my true identity, and safeguard the vaccine until the time is right." he whispered to himself.

He always reminds himself everyday of the risks he had taken and the sacrifices he had made. He knew that the spies were still out there, searching for him non-stop. But in the face of adversity, he found solace in the knowledge that he made the right choice, even if it meant enduring the hardships of being a "nerd" student...

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Kai is now standing inside the campus grounds of Marquina University. The coordinates provided by he Project Nosoi team indicated a mere 1% possibility that Dr. Jason Akasi, the genius scientist they sought, could be present at the academic nstituition. Despite the very slim chance, Kai knew that every possibility had to be explored in their mission to locate Dr. Akasi.

Taking a deep breath, he continued walking, his eyes roaming around the area. Students hurried between buildings, engrossed in their studies and conversations. He knew that amidst this sea of faces, he had to find the one person who held the key to saving countless lives.

"Eventhough the possibility is only 1%, I cannot afford to overlook any potential lead. I will search every corner of this university if I have to." he said to himself, full of determination.

As he navigated the campus, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sight of a student being bullied by two intimidating individuals.

Kai's gaze fell upon the student, who wore thick-rimmed glasses and had braces on his teeth. The vulnerability and fear in the student's eyes struck a chord within him. Without hesistation, he made a decision to intervene and help the poor guy.

"Hey, what's going on here? Leave him alone." he firmly stated.

"What's it to you? Mind your own business, man!" the burly guy responded, while looking irritated.

"You know what, bullying someone weaker than you doesn't make you strong. Now, back off." Kai spoke again, giving the bullies a warning look.

The bullies exchanged glances, sizing up Kai's determination. Recognizing that he's not joking at all, they begrudgingly stepped back, their intimidation tactics losing their effect.

Afterwards, the two guys decided to walk away, finally leaving Kai and the other student.

"Are you okay, man? I just couldn't stand by and watch that happen." Kai turned his attention to the nerdy guy.

"Yeah, I'm okay, thanks." the student answered in return.

And before Kai could say anything else, the nerdy guy suddenly walks away from him, almost in a hurry.

Kai just shook his head, while thinking how strange the student was. He decided to continue with his search for Dr. Jason Akasi...

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Artemus woke up, in a startled manner. He is aware that he has already opened his eyes, but all he can see is the pitch-black darkness...

He knows that he is sitting on a chair, and as his foggy mind starts to clear up, he realizes that he is blindfolded, with his arms and legs all tied up.

Artemus can sense that he is in a serious situation right now.

"Where am I right now? Who's the person behind it? Am I going to be killed?" he started asking questions to himself, as he is feeling more scared at each passing minute.

His train of thoughts stops in a halt when he suddenly heard a big sound. It's like someone is opening a huge gate. He can catch a small glimpse of Ray of light from the very small space in his blindfold...

"Who the hell are you? And what are you planning to do with me?" Artemus mustered all of his courage to ask his abductor, Eventhough his body is shaking.

But instead of answering his questions, the unknown stranger gave him a hard slap on his face.

Artemus bit his lip as he felt a sharp pain on his face.

The punching and the kicking continues, and he can feel all the pain in every part of his body. He groaned aloud because of the intense pain.

He felt another blow on his ribs again. And again.

And after what it seems like eternity, all the debating stopped, and Artemus totally blacked out...

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Artemus jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest as he gasped for air. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, and his body trembled with residual fear. He quickly sat up in bed, his mind still clouded by the remnants of a vivid and unsettling dream.

"Just  a dream... it was just a dream." he tries to calm himself, while breathing heavily.

As the fog of sleep lifted, Artemus let out a deep sigh of relief. He realized that the nightmare had only been a figment of his imagination, a product of his subconscious mind. But the lingering unease remained, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that his life is still in imminent danger.