Read Novel Full Chapter 1754: Death Stare!
Chapter 1754: Death Stare!
Young Aether was literally shocked when Jonathan slapped his wife right in front of him.
Young Aether was like… why did you do that, bro?!
Even if there had been some misunderstanding or anything else, he should have handled it privately, not in front of a third person… even if that person was his friend!
‘Wait… Did she tell him about Sasha and me?’ he wondered. It was the only plausible conclusion that came to his mind, considering Jonathan’s sudden and powerful reaction.
It had to be that… right?
Young Aether slightly gulped before hesitantly raising his hand.
“Jonathan… I don’t think that’s correct–“
“You stay out of it, Aether.”
“Okay!” Young Aether immediately raised both hands in surrender as though he had already lost a fight that had not even started.
Jonathan turned toward his wife, his expression turning ice cold.
“What were you doing holding a knife in your hand and standing in front of my friend?”
‘Oh… so he was talking about that…’ Young Aether sighed inwardly before frowning.
‘But still… he didn’t need to slap her for it. I mean… if she has PTSD, then it’s not really her fault… sigh.’
After another silent sigh, he decided not to interfere anymore.
Yet the moment two pairs of ice-cold eyes shifted toward him, he instinctively gulped, feeling as though someone had poured a bucket of freezing water over his shoulders.
“Maiuri?” Jonathan called.
“Were you glaring at my friend right in front of me? Huh?”
Maiuri slowly withdrew her gaze from Young Aether and lowered her head.
“I am sorry. I shouldn’t have done it.”
“You’re apologizing to the wrong person–“
“Bro, it’s fine.”
Young Aether hurriedly interrupted with an almost horrified expression. He could practically feel the hatred burning behind Maiuri’s eyes, while Jonathan seemed determined to keep pouring oil onto the fire.
Maiuri silently stepped before Young Aether and bowed.
“I am sorry. I shouldn’t have done it.”
“…It’s alright… really.”
Young Aether awkwardly patted her shoulder, gently stopping her from bowing any further.
“Good.”
Jonathan nodded in satisfaction before effortlessly lifting Young Aether into his arms. Carrying him toward Maiuri’s room, he carefully placed him on the large bed.
“Wait… I’ll be fine lying on the ground.”
Jonathan simply ignored the suggestion.
“Your leg is injured. You’ll recover faster on the bed. It even has an automated massage function.”
Then his gaze shifted toward Maiuri.
“And you… lie beside him and make sure you take care of him.”
“…”
“…”
Both Young Aether and Maiuri stared at Jonathan for a brief moment before Maiuri quietly nodded.
Satisfied, Jonathan left the room with his other wife… presumably to have some fun.
“…”
“…”
Maiuri remained standing beside the bed.
She simply stared at Young Aether.
Without blinking or moving.
gulp
“I-I think I’d better sleep on the ground–“
“Please stay.”
The words escaped her lips so quietly that they almost sounded as though someone had forced them out of her throat.
“…”
Young Aether slowly turned toward the other side of the bed and shut his eyes.
At this point… he genuinely didn’t want to deal with this shit anymore.
Soft rustling echoed through the quiet room for the next few minutes before the mattress gently dipped beneath another person’s weight.
The lights automatically dimmed before fading into darkness, while the ceiling transformed into a breathtaking holographic projection of endless outer space. Countless stars drifted overhead, galaxies slowly rotating across the artificial night sky.
Normally, he would have admired the view.
Tonight…
He simply closed his eyes.
“Hmm…”
Of course…
He wasn’t actually asleep.
He was only pretending, waiting for Maiuri to eventually drift off herself.
Hours quietly passed.
The room remained silent except for the gentle hum of the climate control.
Thinking enough time had passed, Young Aether slowly rolled his head as though unconsciously turning in his sleep.
Just then…
“FUCK!”
He nearly jumped off the bed.
Maiuri was still staring at him.
She lay perfectly still on her side, her eyes wide open without the slightest trace of sleep. The unblinking gaze made her eyes seem almost ready to pop out of their sockets, her pale face half-hidden beneath long strands of hair.
“W-What are you doing?!”
“Jonathan told me to take care of you.”
She answered with complete seriousness.
“How am I supposed to do that if I sleep?”
“…”
Logically… She wasn’t wrong.
But literally… This was freaking weird!
“Do you need something?”
Maiuri slowly sat up.
Her long hair slipped over her face, casting deep shadows across her expression until she genuinely resembled a ghost climbing out of some horror movie.
“Should I take you to the toilet?”
“N-No need… I’m fine.”
Young Aether answered almost immediately, feeling increasingly uncomfortable by her behavior.
“Then why aren’t you sleeping?”
“…”
Without saying another word, Young Aether slowly lay back down again and closed his eyes.
He tried to sleep.
He really did.
But he could feel it!
Those two cold, unwavering eyes…
Constantly boring holes into his body.
“Hmm… if you keep staring at me–“
“SLEEP!!”
“Okay!”
Young Aether instantly shut his mouth.
…And he never managed to sleep for the rest of the night.
All night long, Maiuri silently stared at him.
All night long, Young Aether kept his eyes closed, staring into the endless darkness behind his eyelids.
In a strange way…
Both of them spent the entire night staring at something.
When the morning finally arrived, Young Aether let out a long sigh of relief before immediately calling Jonathan over to remove the bandages wrapped around his leg.
As Jonathan carefully unwound the final layer of bandages, his movements gradually slowed until they came to a complete stop. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Young Aether’s leg. There wasn’t a single scratch, scar, bruise, or even the faintest mark left behind. The skin looked perfectly healthy, as though it had never suffered an injury in the first place.
“It freaking looks as good as new…” Jonathan muttered, unable to tear his eyes away from the flawless leg.
Young Aether nodded with a broad smile.
“That’s one of my abilities. As long as it isn’t something fatal, I’ll be fine…”
Though inwardly, he quietly added,
‘Well… I only drank the healing potion after he wrapped my leg in the bandages…’
Jonathan looked at him with a complicated expression before letting out a helpless sigh.
“So… you used a life-saving grade healing potion… just for me?”
“Oi, don’t look so depressed.” Young Aether chuckled while waving his hand dismissively. “You’re my friend, and I’d do it again if your life were in serious danger.”
Jonathan could only smile weakly before slowly nodding several times.
“You really haven’t changed at all, Aether.”
He shook his head with a faint smile, looking both impressed and disappointed at the same time. Sometimes he genuinely wondered whether Aether was too kind for his own good or simply incapable of putting himself before others.
“So, what do you want to do now?” Jonathan asked curiously. “You still have about a week before your mech-suit is completed, so what’s your plan until then?”
He genuinely wanted to know what Aether intended to do after confidently claiming that the current war situation wasn’t their doings.
Young Aether rubbed his chin for a moment before answering.
“Well… how about I go for a jog? Since my leg has healed completely, I should test it first and make sure there aren’t any lingering problems.”
“Actually, that’s a good idea.” Jonathan nodded in agreement before remembering something. “I also bought you a few sets of clothes and tracksuits. You couldn’t keep wearing those same black clothes every day.”
Young Aether blinked before narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
“Oh? You bought clothes for me… but how exactly do you know my size?”
As he spoke, he instinctively crossed his arms over his chest, almost as if protecting himself.
Jonathan couldn’t help laughing.
“Haha… We measured your physical dimensions during your medical examination, remember? I simply used that data to order everything.”
“I… see.”
Only then did Young Aether slowly lower his guard before changing into one of the dark-colored tracksuits Jonathan had bought for him. After making sure everything fit comfortably, he left the apartment.
“Be careful, and don’t wander around too much.”
Jonathan warned him with the expression of a worried father sending his son out into the world.
“Okay, Father~”
Young Aether replied playfully before waving without looking back and beginning his morning jog.
Jonathan simply shook his head with a helpless smile before returning to his apartment.
Meanwhile, Young Aether jogged steadily along the wide pavement, his footsteps falling into a comfortable rhythm. The city around him had already come alive, with countless people walking toward their destinations while vehicles moved smoothly through elevated highways above. Delivery drones occasionally zipped between the towering buildings, and enormous holographic advertisements shimmered across the glass-covered skyscrapers.
Despite the lively scenery surrounding him, Young Aether paid almost no attention to any of it.
He gently tapped the earpiece hidden beneath his hair, and black barrier instantly flowed across his face before forming a sleek visor that completely concealed his identity.
The connection to his AI was established almost immediately.
“So… have you finally come up with a plan?”
^Affirmative. Although before we discuss solutions, I recommend acknowledging several inconvenient facts you have successfully ignored.^
“Fine, go on.”
Young Aether muttered while maintaining his jogging pace, carefully avoiding the pedestrians walking along the pavement.
^First. You currently possess an unconscious Governor. In case you have forgotten, Governors rank among the Empire’s highest-value military assets. According to my calculations, every available security division is almost certainly searching for her at this very moment.^
Young Aether silently nodded.
^Second. Her mech-suit has exhausted its energy, leaving her temporarily incapable of fighting or moving effectively.^
He nodded once again.
^Our objective is to acquire access to her mech-suit, bypass its authorisation protocols, and extract Governor-level intelligence. Only then can we determine the Terra Empire’s current operations, intelligence network, military assets, its weaknesses, and its future strategy. Correct?^
“Absolutely.”
Young Aether answered without hesitation.
^Excellent. Now allow me to explain why accomplishing that objective will be considerably more difficult than simply saying it out loud.^
^Since she is a Governor, there is an extremely high probability that her body contains a Neuro-Lock Chip, or NLC. It is a miniature tracking device permanently implanted inside high-ranking personnel. As long as the individual remains alive, the chip continuously broadcasts their exact location regardless of whether they are deep beneath the ocean, high above the clouds, or buried beneath layers of reinforced structures.^
^Only the President or individuals personally authorized by the President possess permission to access this information. Therefore, the Beta Soldiers are most likely searching for her through that Neuro-Lock Chip as we speak.^
Young Aether’s relaxed expression gradually became serious.
^There is another issue. You are assuming the Governor is harmless simply because she currently lacks power. That assumption has an estimated survival rate I find… disappointing. She could easily be pretending to lower your guard before retaliating at the most inconvenient moment.^
Young Aether nodded thoughtfully.
“I considered that possibility too… so what should we do?”
^Patience. I have not finished explaining the situation yet.^
^For some reason, the Beta Soldiers have failed to capture you despite having more than enough time to do so. This strongly suggests that they are currently unable to track the Governor’s location.^
Young Aether raised an eyebrow.
^Thus, the only logical explanation is that the subspace where you imprisoned her completely blocks the transmission emitted by the Neuro-Lock Chip. Frankly speaking… I believe that was nothing more than extraordinary luck.^
Young Aether slowly nodded as he digested the information, and he smiled happily; however, his smile halted as if this was what AI had wanted all this time,
^Unfortunately, your good fortune ends there. The instant you release her from that subspace, the Neuro-Lock Chip will immediately resume transmitting her location. Within moments, every authorised military network will know exactly where she is… and by extension, they will know exactly where you are.^
^One small reminder. We still do not know whether news of the Governor’s disappearance has reached the other Governors. If it has… the Iron Marshal, the Governor of this division, will come after you, and you are not the only one in danger. Jonathan, the individual kind enough to offer you shelter, will also become a target.^
^To put it bluntly… the moment that happens, you will have created your own funeral appointment.
Though I wonder what feels to be dead… It’s interesting… isn’t it… Hmm…^
As AI entered a thoughtful process.
Young Aether’s jogging gradually slowed until he eventually came to a stop.
“What if… they haven’t announced her disappearance yet?”
^If they have not… the situation may actually be worse.^
Young Aether frowned.
“Worse? How?”
^The President himself may come directly for you. I strongly advise against underestimating him because his mech-suit is fundamentally different from every other mech-suit ever created.^
Young Aether quietly listened while continuing to walk.
^The President-Level Mech-suit was constructed using the finest materials available from this world… as well as materials recovered from other worlds that are being imported through the contracts.^
^If a Governor-Level Mech-suit possesses enough destructive power to erase entire cities, then the President-Level exists on an entirely different level. Very little verified information exists regarding its true capabilities because almost everything has been classified.
The only universally accepted conclusion is that it is the strongest mech-suit ever built.^
“…”
^Several classified discussions and forums even speculate that a single President-Level Mech-suit could confront five Governor-Level Mech-suits simultaneously and still emerge victorious.^
Young Aether’s expression gradually stiffened as the weight of those words settled into his mind.
^There is also one disturbing rumor that repeatedly appears across restricted engineering forums. It claims that after the engineer completed the President-Level Mech-suit, his limbs were deliberately severed to ensure he would never build another one.^
“…”
Young Aether remained completely silent as he stared ahead at the bustling streets.