Read Novel Full Chapter 1774: Someone from his world
Chapter 1774: Someone from his world
Creack… Creackk..
A soft metallic creaking sound echoed from the entrance of the barracks, the noise sharp enough to cut through the constant mechanical hum of the military base. The guards stationed outside instinctively frowned and turned toward the sound, only for their expressions to stiffen into discipline.
The moment they recognised Commander 10 stepping out, both of them snapped into a flawless salute.
Neither of them moved an inch. They simply watched their Commander walk past, though a flicker of confusion lingered beneath their helmets.
His movements looked… unnatural.
Every step was rigid, almost as though movement of an old robot.
Neither guard dared question him. That wasn’t their responsibility. Even so, the silence didn’t last long as their encrypted communication channel quietly came alive.
“Did he… break his hip or something?”
“Hahaha… come on, I know he’s a cock sucker, but I didn’t expect him to ravage that pretty boy this badly!”
“Poor boy~ Haha.”
The private channel filled with suppressed laughter while the Commander continued forward with robotic movements, his stiff left leg moving first, followed by the equally rigid right leg.
Even his arms swung with awkward precision.
Just as he was about to pass them, the Commander turned his helmet slightly and spoke in an unnaturally monotone voice, almost as if he were deliberately mimicking an artificial intelligence.
“Don’t allow anyone inside… I haven’t finished my fun yet.”
“Understood, Commander!”
Both guards saluted once more without the slightest hesitation, their armored fists striking their chests in perfect synchronisation as Commander 10 continued walking away without another word.
Through the two tiny holes he created inside the helmet, Young Aether barely managed to see the path ahead.
Every step demanded tremendous effort as the heavy mechanical frame groaned beneath its own weight, its servo motors resisting every movement with an audible whine.
“Damn it… It’s so heavy! This thing is even heavier than the previous suit!!”
^It is Commander-Class. In fact, I am surprised you are even capable of moving in it. The joint servos possess extremely high resistance, the internal exoskeleton is constructed from reinforced military-grade alloy, and the suit’s overall mass far exceeds standard combat models.^
“I’ll take that as a compliment, but anyway… where’s the portal right now?” he asked while slowly scanning his surroundings.
^Hmm….^
Frankly, everyone seemed to be moving in completely different directions, making it impossible to determine which squad was actually heading toward the portal. Following a random group wasn’t much of an option either. The moment anyone attempted to communicate through the mech-suit’s encrypted neural network, his disguise would immediately collapse.
The suit couldn’t even activate its communication systems.
And if they discovered that…
He was freaking dead.
Moving this damn suit was already exhausting enough without constantly worrying about being exposed.
Every forced step felt like dragging an armoured bunker across solid steel.
^I forgot to ask you… What’s your plan anyway? I thought you wanted to infiltrate the military, but why? Looking at the current situation, even our attempt to divert their attention has completely failed.^
“Yeah… Why are they acting like everything’s perfectly normal inside the city? Oi, are you absolutely sure you did your job?”
^Bitch please! I did, okay? I spread the virus exactly as planned and released those monsters from the hospital. If they’re still acting as if nothing happened, that’s hardly my fault, is it?^
Young Aether fell silent.
He knew the operation had been executed successfully. Somewhere inside the city, civilians should have been screaming in terror while chaos spread through the streets.
Yet the military personnel around him continued carrying out their duties with frightening efficiency, showing not even the slightest hint of panic.
Perhaps another division had already been deployed to suppress the outbreak.
Or perhaps…
This city’s military command simply considered civilian casualties too insignificant to interrupt their current operation.
Whatever the truth was, one fact remained painfully obvious.
His plan to divert the military’s attention toward protecting their own people had utterly failed.
^So… You’re not going to tell me your plan? How are you going to save your people? How are you going to stop them now?^
Young Aether let out a quiet sigh before continuing forward. Keeping a careful distance, he tailed a few military squads carrying heavy weapon containers, watching to see whether they were heading toward the portal or simply transporting supplies elsewhere through the vast military complex.
^Pretty please~^
RIN began shamelessly begging.
Young Aether rolled his eyes. Knowing she would continue nagging him endlessly until he answered, he finally spoke in a low voice.
“If I wanted to divert them, I would’ve done it outside by spreading the curse myself, right? Why would I risk sneaking all the way in here if that was my real objective?”
^I thought your goal was to lure the Governor out of the tower so you could infiltrate it. Isn’t that what you said before?^
“It was… and then what?” Young Aether replied calmly. “This place is the heart of their military. Even if I had my powers, fighting everyone here wouldn’t be pretty. And considering…”
His words trailed off as his gaze slowly drifted toward a colossal humanoid mech. Towering over every surrounding structure, the giant war machine was covered in thick composite armour, its reactor core emitting a faint azure glow beneath layers of reinforced plating. Massive hydraulic arms hung beside its frame while countless maintenance drones hovered around it, replacing weapon modules and calibrating its systems.
“Yeah… I think I’d be pretty fucked even with my powers.”
^Then why are you here? My analytical module is unable to reach a conclusion.^
Young Aether chuckled quietly before his expression gradually turned serious as he followed the group around a corner.
“Because… I’m here to capture the President.”
^…Pardon?^
Young Aether instinctively clenched his fist as he came to a stop. The squad he had been following merely loaded their weapons onto an enormous magnetic conveyor system instead of entering a portal facility.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance before turning around.
“You know who has the authority to control the portals, correct?”
^The President?^
Almost instantly, RIN’s processing nodes accelerated. Streams of calculations flooded through her AI engine as thousands of possibilities were simulated in fractions of a second before she rapidly reached a logical conclusion.
Before Young Aether could answer, she spoke first.
^Since the portals are operated directly under the President’s authority, he must be somewhere inside Delta Tower. If you eliminate him, then the person responsible for maintaining the portal network connecting the other Empires disappears. The backbone supporting this Empire’s expansion would collapse with him, and the invading forces approaching your homeland would lose their only transportation route.
Then… you could seize control of the Empire yourself and become the new President.
Is that your plan? Wow… I never considered that possibility.^
Young Aether blinked… he planned everything except…
‘…Wait.’
‘Why the hell didn’t I think about becoming the next President of this Empire?’
For a brief moment, he genuinely considered it.
RIN’s logic wasn’t flawed.
If he seized control of the Empire, commanding its military, controlling its technology, and governing its people would become infinitely easier. He could stop the invasion, reshape the nation from within, and perhaps even forge peace between both sides without countless lives being sacrificed.
The thought lingered for only a heartbeat.
Then…
A dark, familiar voice echoed from the darkness buried deep within his mind.
“But we didn’t come here for peace… did we?”
Young Aether’s eyes quietly lost their hesitation.
His expression turned cold once again as he answered RIN in a flat voice.
“Who said I wanted to become the next President?” He continued walking through the endless steel corridors before adding, “But anyway… the plan remains the same. Take down the President, the one responsible for controlling the portals.”
^Hmm… Okay, but there is one little problem with your plan.^
“Which is?”
^HOW IN THE WORLD ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE DOWN THE PRESIDENT WHEN YOU ALMOST GOT RAPED BY A LOWLY COMMANDER!!!^
Young Aether parted his lips, only to close them again a second later.
“Well… that’s a good question.”
^Then answer the fucking damn question!^
He let out a long sigh.
“Who said I’m going to fight him?”
^Huh? Then how are you going to take him dow… OH SHIT! Don’t tell me you’re going to use that subspace. Is that why you didn’t use it before?^
A faint smirk appeared beneath Young Aether’s helmet as he silently nodded.
When he had faced Commander 10, he had already realised the brutal truth.
If he couldn’t defeat a mere Commander in a direct confrontation, then standing against a Governor was nothing more than suicide. As for the President…
That wasn’t even worth imagining.
Which was precisely why he had never intended to swap places with Commander 10.
Doing so would’ve led him to face the Commander either way after swapping with the President. Instead, Young Aether chose to face him directly despite the overwhelming disadvantage.
Governor Beta, however, was a different matter.
She had already exhausted an enormous amount of energy. Even if her damaged mech-suit had only been an act, the odds still favoured him. He had personally witnessed her flying continuously for hours across the land, and no combat frame could maintain maximum output forever. Her reactor reserves, propulsion systems, and combat efficiency had undoubtedly deteriorated.
Commander 10, on the other hand…
He was still operating at nearly full strength.
That was why…
He never swapped.
^Nice plan… Actually, I’m starting to think you have more than just a dick… even after ripping it off.^
“…”
Young Aether simply stared ahead.
Was…
That supposed to be a compliment?
Whatever.
He gave a small shrug and prepared to stop someone for directions since questioning a soldier was now his only realistic option.
Then…
TTTTTHHHHHHHH!!
The entire ground suddenly trembled with terrifying force.
A deep vibration surged through the War Sector like the heartbeat of a colossal machine awakening beneath the city. Steel walls hummed, overhead support beams groaned, and countless holographic displays flickered for a split second.
Every mech-suit in the vicinity instantly halted.
Without receiving a single audible command, each mechanical giant lowered its head in perfect synchronisation, as though acknowledging the arrival of someone whose authority stood above every military rank.
Young Aether quickly imitated them, lowering the Commander-Class suit’s helmet while silently wondering…
What the hell was happening?
The silence lasted only a few seconds.
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the vibration disappeared.
The entire base resumed operating as though nothing had happened. Cargo drones continued flying overhead, transport rails accelerated once more, and soldiers calmly returned to their duties without questioning the bizarre phenomenon.
Young Aether remained utterly confused.
What the fuck just happe—
^You have received a message.^
“Huh?”
He blinked in confusion.
“A message?”
“From Jonathan?”
^No. The sender ID is unknown… Most likely spam. Should I read the message?^
“Nah.”
Right now, he couldn’t care less about random messages. Unless it came from Jonathan, it wasn’t worth wasting even a second on.
Instead, he stepped toward a passing mech-suit, grabbed the soldier firmly by the armoured shoulder, and spoke in an icy voice.
“Soldier. Report to your superior.”
“…”
The soldier froze in confusion.
Why the heck was Commander 10 talking like some outdated military AI?
Young Aether didn’t allow him even a moment to think.
“Where are the supplies that were supposed to be transported to the portal? Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting? Is this how you treat your Commander?”
“Sir, I—”
“DON’T SPEAK!!”
Young Aether roared with the authority of a battlefield marshal, his voice echoing through the metallic corridor.
“How dare you speak before I have given you permission!”
“S-Sorry, si—”
“DID I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO APOLOGIZE?! LOOKS LIKE YOU REALLY NEED PUNISHMENT!”
The soldier immediately covered his mouth in horror.
Although he technically wasn’t assigned under Commander 10’s direct command, rank was rank.
Disrespecting a Commander was practically career suicide.
Worse…
Everyone had already heard about Commander 10.
Commander 10 supposedly had an unhealthy obsession with handsome men.
The soldier’s entire body stiffened.
Only then did horrifying realisation strike him.
Commander 10… was after his body!!
The soldier trembled violently before dropping to his knees.
“I-I am so sorry, sir! I have a wife… I have a family… I’m not into men… Please forgive this wretched man for being unable to respond to your ‘wonderful’ love!”
^Pfff! He thinks you’re gay… AHAHAHAH…!!^
“…”
Veins bulged across Young Aether’s forehead as the expression beneath his helmet practically screamed,
‘I’M NOT INTO MEN EITHER, BRO!!’
The poor soldier was literally begging not to be pegged.
“The supplies are being transported through that separate passage leading to the portal. I-I don’t know why they haven’t arrived yet, but I swear on my wife’s life… I never intended to disobey you! Please… please just let me go!”
The soldier nearly slammed his forehead against the metal floor in desperation.
Meanwhile, the surrounding soldiers barely spared them a glance. Apparently, scenes like this weren’t unusual whenever Commander 10 was involved. They simply continued walking through the corridor as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
Now it was Young Aether who felt awkward.
Not wanting to drag this embarrassing misunderstanding any further, he gave a small snort before turning away.
“Hmm. You’re an ugly bitch.”
“THANK YOU, SIR!!”
The soldier shouted with overwhelming joy, sounding as though he had just received the greatest compliment of his entire life.
Young Aether’s lips twitched beneath the helmet.
‘Damn… Just what the fuck has this bastard been doing to these men? If this is how he treats men… then what about women…?’
A wave of goosebumps spread across his entire body.
Without thinking about it any further, he followed the separate route the soldier had mentioned. Several mech-suits were already marching along the corridor ahead, and Young Aether quietly tailed them while keeping enough distance to avoid suspicion.
After several minutes, the passage split into two different tunnels.
Young Aether stopped in the middle of the junction, silently staring toward both directions.
The other mech-suits naturally turned right.
He was just about to follow them.
Then…
A strange feeling crept over him.
It was subtle.
Almost as though something beyond the left tunnel was quietly calling to him.
His brows slowly furrowed as his armoured fingers rhythmically tapped against the cold metallic wall.
^What are you thinking? Go.^
RIN urged impatiently.
Young Aether hummed to himself before unexpectedly turning left.
^Wait! Didn’t they go right?^
“Yes, they did. It’s just… I’ve got this weird feeling. Let me check this first.”
He continued walking down the silent corridor.
Unlike the bustling military passage behind him, this tunnel was eerily empty. Only the low hum of hidden generators echoed through the polished alloy walls while thin streams of red circuitry pulsed beneath the transparent floor panels, carrying enormous amounts of energy toward an unknown destination.
Several more minutes passed.
Then…
Tiny golden particles began drifting through the air.
Young Aether instinctively slowed his steps.
The further he walked, the denser the glowing particles became, dancing weightlessly through the corridor like fragments of condensed starlight.
His eyes gradually widened.
As he emerged from the tunnel, an enormous underground chamber unfolded before him.
It was vast enough to house an entire city block.
Yet instead of soldiers…
Instead of vehicles…
Instead of military equipment…
Ssssssshhhhhh~
The chamber was filled with portals.
Golden-white portals.
Not one or two.
Nearly dozens of them floated around the massive circular chamber, each suspended above intricate mechanical platforms.
^Your weird feeling was right… We found the portal chamber. The President must be somewhere around here.^
Young Aether barely heard RIN.
His attention had already shifted elsewhere.
Scattered around the outer edge of the chamber stood several enormous cylindrical containers.
Each capsule was reinforced with thick metallic frames at the top and bottom, while the centre remained transparent. Endless lights blinked across embedded control panels as holographic data streams continuously flowed over their surfaces, processing countless signals every second.
Some capsules had already been destroyed.
Others stood completely empty.
Except…
One.
Young Aether slowly walked toward it.
Step…
Step…
Step…
As though trapped inside a dream, he found himself unable to look away.
Someone… Someone was inside.
Their wrists were restrained by metallic cuffs suspended from the ceiling, countless cables piercing into the life-support frame surrounding the body.
The figure hung motionless inside the transparent cylinder.
A person… He knew.
Young Aether unconsciously raised his hand.
His fingertips slowly touched the cold transparent glass.
His voice emerged as nothing more than a whisper.
“Kai?”