Chapter 1513: Join The Fray II

While they were still on the road, Jay filled Lory in on the latest situation in Zenon and about Clift and Samuel’s mission progress so far. The closer they drew to the capital, the heavier the air seemed to become.

Their car passed through multiple layers of security checkpoints, each one more meticulous than the last. Guards with heavy arms examined their ’fake’ identification with scrutinizing eyes, scanners at the gate swept each car for any weapon or any dangerous object, followed by automated barriers that rose and fell in rhythm with flashing red lights.

Fortunately, with Jay’s connections, getting through the tight security was no more than a mild inconvenience. Even so, Lory couldn’t hide her astonishment at how fortified Zenon had become.

The capital’s skyline loomed behind massive walls laced with surveillance cameras and automated turrets. Soldiers stood at every post, their gazes sharp and unyielding, watching every car that passed like hawks circling prey.

The tension reminded Lory of Harland, though this level of security was something she only saw at the kingdom borders or perhaps some international airports, but never at the domestic entrance. The thought unsettled her. She glanced at the rearview mirror, watching the last checkpoint fade into the distance.

"What the hell was all that?" she muttered.

Jay exhaled heavily, keeping his eyes on the road. "That’s why Fargo sent me to pick you up. Things in Zenon have changed a lot after the dark age war ended."

He paused, then continued grimly, "The law has gotten stricter. People live under heavy surveillance, and every small mistake will be punished heavily, and it only gets worse from there. Did you know they country just tripled the funds for their military, they’ve also ramped up Dragxtarn recruitment."

"It’s like they’re preparing for war," Lory murmured, his tone low.

Jay nodded. "Yeah, and it makes everyone uneasy."

"We should send more of our people here, to monitor what’s really happening," Lory suggested.

Jay gave a short, humorless laugh. "Not that simple, Princess. Zenon’s become increasingly suspicious of Gifted people. You know they’ve never been fond of us, even in the past—but now it’s worse."

Lory frowned. "Worse how?"

"On the surface, everything looks normal," Jay said, his tone steady but weary. "Same rights, same opportunities, or so they claim. But in reality, Gifted people still face prejudice. They struggle to find good jobs. Many of them also quietly excluded when applying to good schools, even though they got good scores and everything, once even lost a scholarship after she was found to be gifted people You know, they all have special identification, so there’s really no way to hide it."

He exhaled softly, eyes still on the road. "Lately, there’ve been more attacks on Gifted people. The culprits usually get caught, but the punishment is light. One of them barely stayed a month in prison before being released. After that... the assaults just kept getting worse."

Zhao Li Xin’s brows furrowed. "Why don’t they just leave the country?"

Jay’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Not everyone can do it. Many of them aren’t financially able to leave the country. To leave everything they worked on for the rest of their lives is not an easy task; furthermore, getting citizenship in another country is not easy.

Therefore, places like Harland, where Gifted, Creators, and ordinary people actually live in harmony and are treated equally, are rare."

Lory’s gaze drifted toward the window, her reflection faint against the city lights. "I thought things would be better after the war," she murmured. "We all fought together, Gifted, Creators, humans. Side by side."

"Maybe at first," Jay said with a cynical smirk. "But these past peaceful days make people forget what happened in the past; it’s no surprise, humans have always been fickle creatures." Jay smiled cynically.

Jay turned the wheel, steering the car past the shimmering gates of a high-security residential tower. The tension of the city seemed to dissolve the moment they crossed the threshold, replaced by a muted calm and the low hum of energy barriers that shimmered faintly around the perimeter.

They entered the elevator, a capsule of black glass and soft blue light, and began their silent ascent to the top floor. When the doors slid open, the penthouse revealed itself like another world.

Spanning over seven thousand square feet, the interior was an elegant blend of glass, chrome, and programmable surfaces that shifted color tones with ambient light.

Holographic panels flickered gently along the walls, displaying live data streams and tranquil scenery. The panoramic windows curved outward, offering a breathtaking, near-aerial view of Zenon’s skyline, towers rising into the mist, skyways weaving between them like glowing veins.

Beyond the main hall, a floating terrace extended into the open air, bordered by transparent safety fields. A slender infinity pool shimmered along its edge, its surface reflecting the pulse of the city below.

"You’re here," Clift said as he descended the spiral stairs, dressed casually in a black smart-fabric T-shirt and khaki pants, a pair of home slippers breaking his otherwise polished image.

"Someone’s enjoying life," Lory teased with a faint smile.

Clift rolled his eyes. "Please. Compared to the Cestine Palace, this place is about the size of a pantry."

Lory laughed just as Samuel emerged from the kitchen, a steaming mug in hand. The kitchen’s counter automatically adjusted its height as he leaned against it.

"Your Highness," Samuel said with a grin, "I heard you were involved in another plane crash."

Lory groaned and dropped onto the white adaptive sofa, which shifted smoothly to fit her posture. "Yeah," she muttered, "I think I’m just gonna ride with Arcem from now on."

She realized the only safe air transportation she’d ever had was with Arcem, the royal family’s private airline.

Before long, the versipell potion wore off, and her appearance returned to normal, along with Zhao Li Xin’s. Lory brushed her bluish wavy hair from her face, then wandered to the pantry to make herself a cup of lemon tea.

"I’ve got MADD in me, you know that?" she said casually while stirring her tea after adding a spoonful of honey.

Clift and Samuel’s expressions stiffened. Clift spoke first, his tone edged with disapproval. "No, I didn’t. They managed to plant that evil device on you again?"

Lory merely shrugged and strolled back to the couch, her movements unhurried, almost lazy.

"That’s the only way to make them lower their guard," she said in a relaxed, almost offhand tone as she sank into the sofa, curling one leg beneath her like she had all the time in the world.

Clift turned to Zhao Li Xin, silently demanding an explanation, but the helpless look on Zhao Li Xin’s face said it all. Clift didn’t continue, realizing he wouldn’t be able to do anything if he were in Zhao Li Xin’s position.

He knew full well that once Lory made up her mind, not even heaven itself could change it. And if anyone tried to stop her, she’d go alone, which only made things worse, just like the last time.

Clift sighed heavily and sat across from her. "Fine. Let me check the MADD on your body first. Jay!" he called.

"Coming!" Jay appeared moments later, carrying a sleek black box no larger than his palm.

Zhao Li Xin’s expression turned grave. He sat beside Lory, his hand unconsciously tightening on his knee. "Can it be taken out?" he asked, his voice low.

"We’ll have to check it first, before we do anything," Clift replied, already gesturing for Jay to bring the device closer.

Lory glanced at the two men, amused by their tension. She picked up her tea, took another slow sip, and placed the cup back on the table. Then, with an easy flick of her wrist, she tied her hair up into a top knot.

"Is that a BioScan Module?" she asked casually, eyeing the object in Jay’s hand as if they were about to do something completely ordinary.

"Yup, it’s the new model," Jay said, grinning as he held it up. "Slimmer, smaller, and more accurate than what we used to have, courtesy of N.I.M.S., of course."

"What is that thing? Will it hurt her?" Zhao Li Xin asked, his curiosity giving way to worry.

Lory laughed softly, her tone casual, almost teasing. "Nah, it’s fine, honey," she said, patting Zhao Li Xin’s hand in reassurance. "It’s just a drone-mounted scanner that maps everything inside the body. It hovers over me, is not even touching me."

"It’s easier to show you," Jay muttered as he stepped behind her.

Lory turned slightly to face Zhao Li Xin and couldn’t help but chuckle at his stiff, stone-faced expression. "Relax," she said, reaching up to pinch his cheek.

"Don’t move, Lory," Jay’s firm voice cut through the moment.

Zhao Li Xin caught her hand immediately, his grip almost too tight. Lory sighed, sticking out her tongue in mock protest, but Zhao Li Xin’s attention was already fixed on the device in Jay’s hand.

Jay activated the module.

A low hum filled the room, soft yet unsettling, like distant machinery stirring to life. He guided the scanner with deliberate care, moving it slowly from the base of Lory’s neck to the back of her head. A thin beam of blue light followed in smooth arcs, tracing faint circles over her skin, the glow reflecting subtly against the line of her hair.

Beside her, the air shimmered, and a holographic projection began to take shape, then gradually sharpened into clarity. It displayed the interior of her neck and skull, a transparent image rendered in shades of blue and silver. The faint outlines of vertebrae and neural pathways glimmered like threads of light.

Then, amid the soft luminescence, a single point of red appeared near the top of her spine, small and flickering with red light.

Clift leaned forward, squinting. "Huh. They put the MADD in the C2 vertebra," his voice was tight with worry.

Lory pursed her lips. "No wonder I’ve been dizzy and getting heart palpitations."

"Those are mild symptoms," Jay replied, his voice low and somber. He deactivated the scanner and took out his tablet. "We should send this to Ethan Hamilton; he’s the one who created this da*n thing. He must know more than we do."

Zhao Li Xin’s expression darkened like a storm gathering behind his eyes. "Is there a way to take it out?"

Jay hesitated for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "No. I’d rather not touch it. This device features built-in safety mechanisms and requires a code to deactivate it. If we force it..." His gaze shifted to Lory, then back to Zhao Li Xin. "It’ll explode." ℯℓ.

Silence fell. Heavy. Suffocating.

"It’s got a code now," Lory muttered, irritation edging her voice.

Clift exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. His face was drawn, his eyes brimmed with menace. "Looks like they’ve perfected it, even without Sean Hamilton."

Samuel’s jaw tightened. His expression turned heavy, his arms crossed then speak coldly. "This much cruelty, it must be Igor Renovich’s work."

"So in short," Lory said after a moment, breaking the silence with an almost careless tone, "I’ve got a bomb in my head and we’re gonna need a code to disable it?"

Her attempt at levity landed like a spark in dry air, but no one laughed.