Chapter 27: Congratulations, You’re Now...

It was a notion that made The Boss’s brow crease.

Such an in-depth analysis of the world from a teenager was quite remarkable.

"So, to be the greatest of the Nexians, like I wanted, was to be the strongest, while to be the greatest of the Mech Designers is to earn the respect of the strongest," Declan analyzed.

"So, which of them is true greatness to you?"

The Boss asked, looking at Declan, who creased his eyebrows for a moment as he stared down at his own hands before suddenly pushing them away.

He turned toward The Boss and whispered in realization,

"None."

"None?"

Even The Boss felt numb at such an answer.

It was the last thing he had expected.

"Why do you say none?"

"That’s the answer. None."

Declan finally understood it after analyzing the matter from every angle.

"All the Nexians are, and will always be, dependent upon the Mech Designers. Without them, they’re nothing."

"All the Mech Designers are, and will always be, dependent upon the Nexians. Without their respect, they’re also nothing."

"So what is greatness in such a reliant field? Well, the answer is simple," he voiced, though more than anything, he seemed to be talking to himself.

"It is to be non-reliant."

"To be knowledgeable enough to create the strongest Mech Modules, and equally powerful enough to fuse with them and utilize their power to their maximum ability."

"That is the true greatness of both fields."

He said it while watching The Boss stare at him silently, his brows faintly creasing before he finally hummed deeply.

It was the truest answer The Boss had ever heard in response to the question of what someone’s greatest wish was.

Declan hadn’t prepared it beforehand, nor had he given the answer because he thought it was what The Boss wanted to hear.

He had only realized it at the very moment he was asked.

That made it as genuine as it could possibly be.

But then,

"Many have tried to walk that path," The Boss said to Declan.

"But none have reached it."

"The path to becoming a Nexian is one fraught with danger, and the path to becoming a Mech Designer is hectic."

"To be worthy of being called great in either field takes lifetimes, and the chances of achieving it are rarer than one percent."

"After all, we don’t have the Strongest Nexian of Mordran, only the Strongest Nexians of Mordran," he reasoned.

"If being non-reliant is true greatness, then that would mean doing both, becoming a Mech Designer while also becoming a Nexian and walking both paths at the same time."

"It’s a tempting path, but I do not know a single Nexian worthy of mention who is capable of creating his own Mech Module, nor do I know a Mech Designer who is as powerful as any of those Nexians."

He explained, causing Declan’s brow to crease faintly.

The Boss noticed the reaction and paused, choosing not to elaborate further.

Instead, he continued.

"You answered my question very well. Greatness, to you, is becoming non-reliant."

"It’s a good answer," he added, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

His hand then reached into the drawer, and he brought out a simple piece of paper.

Declan turned his attention toward it.

It was a tattoo sticker.

His brows furrowed when he noticed the symbol printed upon it.

An X.

What was stranger, however, was the bizarre golden light swirling faintly within its diagonal strokes. Even the paper itself appeared ancient, almost archaic.

The Boss picked it up and extended his hand toward Declan.

"Do you wish to join the Organization?"

At this point, Declan had no reason to refuse.

"I do."

His answer came with conviction.

The Boss rose halfway from his seat.

One of his fingers shifted into a claw, and with a gentle motion, he cut through the fabric around Declan’s neck, exposing the pale skin beneath.

The claw then pressed into his flesh.

Declan’s eyes narrowed as The Boss carved an X into his neck before immediately placing the tattoo sticker over the wound.

The sharp pain of the claw digging into his skin suddenly disappeared.

In its place came a strange cold sensation that spread through his neck.

For a moment, Declan’s entire body became rigid.

The green of his eyes suddenly flashed with a brilliant golden light, but it lasted only an instant.

The golden radiance faded, and when Declan opened his eyes again, The Boss was already sitting in his seat, a faint smile on his face.

"Congratulations. You’re now part of the X Base."

Declan instinctively reached toward his neck, only to pause when golden light reflected against his fingers.

An X-shaped symbol had been imprinted upon his skin, glowing like an ancient rune.

"Don’t worry about the light," The Boss said.

"It will only flare in my presence. Soon, it will disperse, and the tattoo itself will sink beneath your skin once I’m no longer nearby."

Declan hummed beneath his breath as he examined the mark.

"Now that you have officially become one of us, I think it’s time you understood what we’re actually about."

The next moment, the door of the vehicle opened, and The Boss stepped outside, with Declan following after him.

When he got out, his jaw slackened at the sight before him.

"Welcome to X Base."

What stood before him could only be described as a miniature version of a technologically advanced city.

Towering structures stretched toward the blue sky, their glass-smooth surfaces curving upward and covered in glowing lines of light that pulsed like veins.

There were no holograms cluttering the sky.

Instead, flying crafts glided along clean, silent paths, following trails of light that intersected like threads of energy.

The roads curved gently around narrow glass streams that reflected the towering structures above.

People walked calmly along both sides, their appearances sharp and refined, each carrying the same quiet sense of purpose.

Even the water flowing beside the walkways glowed faintly, tracing the paths ahead with soft blue lines.

Dozens of structures surrounded the central area, but none of them could compare to what stood at the very center.

A massive Core Tower.

It dwarfed every other structure around it, rising nearly a thousand meters into the sky.

It resembled a blade of light, its two enormous halves spiraling around one another before converging at the very top.

Even from this distance, Declan could feel its overwhelming presence, yet somehow...

It all felt strangely familiar.

"Wait a second."

Declan’s eyes widened.

"This... this is X City!"

The Boss chuckled as he came to stand beside him.

"You’re correct."

His words caused Declan’s mind to buzz.

X City.

He was standing before the legendary X City.

The most advanced city on Mordran.

There were three grades of cities across Mordran.

Grade C was the lowest.

These cities possessed inferior technological infrastructure and relatively weak defensive systems against Ember Race invasions.

Veyron City, the place Declan had just departed from, was one of them.

Then there were Grade B cities.

They possessed superior technology, stronger defenses, and significantly better living conditions.

Frit City, where Declan had grown up and worked with the Mechnoheart, was one such city.

And finally...

Grade A.

The pinnacle of civilization on Mordran.

Despite there being dozens of cities across the planet, only three possessed the prestigious title of Grade A.

They had the lowest invasion rates from the Ember Race and the most advanced technology humanity could offer.

Yet even those cities weren’t completely immune to invasion.

One had been invaded twice, and another had been invaded once.

But there was one city that had never been breached.

A city that no Ember had ever stepped foot inside.

It was considered humanity’s strongest fortress.

X City.

And now...

Declan was standing above it, looking down upon its entirety.

The sight was so surreal that words failed to describe it.

He could only stare, and for several seconds, he did so in silence.

Then The Boss snapped his fingers.

Something emerged from the vehicle behind them.

Two flying overboards.

They had no wheels whatsoever, and The Boss stepped onto one.

"I’ll give you a quick tour."

Declan stepped onto the remaining hoverboard.

It was his first time using one, but he quickly understood its mechanics.

The hoverboard responded to the body’s movements within microseconds.

A slight shift in the muscles of the body was enough for it to detect the rider’s intended direction and immediately move accordingly.

It also possessed self-balancing technology, making falling nearly impossible.

The Boss rose higher into the sky.

Declan lifted his head as his own hoverboard followed.

Soon, both of them shot forward, rising above the surrounding vehicles and structures.

"X City doesn’t offer citizenship passes," The Boss began as they flew over the city. "Nor does it simply allow people from other cities to enter."

"The only way to get inside is to have someone already living here bring you in."

"And even then, that person must reach a certain level before they’re permitted to bring an outsider into X City."

"The outsider is also given a limited amount of time before they have to return to their original city."

"I guess that’s why some people call it the Ex-City," Declan said. "With the ’Ex’ standing for Exclusive."

The Boss chuckled.

"Perhaps."

"But there’s an important reason for these restrictions."

"What is it?"

"To preserve the Mordranic potential of Humanity."

Declan frowned.

"Mordranic potential?"

"Yes."

"Mordranic potential is the purest genetic potential possessed by the true Mordran bloodlines."

"It’s also the foundation of Fusion Affinity potential."

Declan’s eyes widened slightly.

"The lowest affinity potential recorded in X City is C-grade."

"C-grade?"

The Boss pointed downward.

"Look below you."

Declan lowered his gaze.

"Every single person you see possesses at least C-grade Fusion Affinity potential."