Elmo stood beside Jack, his metallic core tightening with apprehension as he listened to "So basically, the first test is radiation—LOTS of it," Jack said casually, as if discussing the weather.

"Oh no... What EXACTLY happens inside it?" Elmo inquired, his eyes widening. "You'll be subjected to radiation, and your body will have to get used to it. Your skeleton will have sparks flying off of it, and you won’t be wearing your fur. So I’ll keep it for you," Jack replied with a shrug.

"No... Not my fur...! Ugh, fine," he muttered, handing it over to Jack. "Okay, I’m ready!" Elmo declared, steeling himself for the ordeal.

His digital voice screamed as his vision warped, everything twisting into a surreal, molten chaos. In this volcanic nightmare, Elmo spotted a distant exit door—a glimmer of hope.

Clawing forward, his skeletal body dragged itself toward salvation. Just as his hand reached for the door, a loud *BEEP* pierced through the nightmare, and reality snapped back.

For a moment, he lay there, motionless, before pushing himself up with a groan. "Does your body feel any different?" Jack asked. "Well, I can never unsee that... My body literally melted to slag thanks to those hallucinations. But yeah, I feel immune to it now," Elmo replied, glaring.

"Okay, maybe this wasn’t so bad after all," Elmo admitted, his eyes glowing with newfound power. "Welcome to the next level, Elmo," Jack smirked, as they both understood this was only the beginning.