Three days later, Richard was again meditating in the white-metal chamber. He was alone; Lina was gone, managing Bytebull from a city away, observing him only through discreet cameras and remote sensors. Richard felt a sense of relief at her physical absence, the torrent of her thoughts no longer an immediate assault.
Three days. And finally… not silence, not yet. But not that deafening roar. Thank the System.
He noted that the constant hum of the mansion's inhabitants' thoughts was now merely background 'noise', no longer overwhelming.
Richard consciously experimented with his Adaptive Perception. He understood the mechanics of his newly awakened telepathy. The volume and clarity of thoughts and visions depended directly on range. Beyond approximately 100 feet, they dissipated into an indistinct murmur. The closer individuals were, the louder and clearer their thoughts and mental images became.
