Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1771: First Time Facing Commander-Class Mech! Part-2

RRRNNNNNNGGGG!!!

The twin circular saws screamed as they tore deep into the reinforced metallic wall, sending molten sparks and shredded steel raining across the warehouse. Their spinning teeth continued grinding for another second before thick crimson cables pulsed with energy, snapping taut like living chains.

CRRRNNKK!!

The saws ripped themselves free from the wall and shot backwards, guided by the writhing cables before locking back onto Commander 10’s forearms with a heavy mechanical click.

“You move way too fast…” Commander 10 muttered, narrowing his eyes. “Just who are you?”

His gaze slowly drifted toward the transport truck parked inside the otherwise empty warehouse.

He wasn’t staring at it randomly.

It was the only place large enough to conceal someone.

Behind the truck, Young Aether remained perfectly still, pressing himself against the cold metal.

“Hey,” he whispered urgently through his earpiece. “Can you hijack his suit or something?”

RIN answered almost immediately.

^Unless he willingly gives me his access code… I don’t see any possibility of taking over his system. And even if I somehow manage to breach it… he can simply eject me at any time. He’s still the registered master of that mech suit.^

Young Aether clicked his tongue in frustration.

“Damn it…”

Commander 10’s arrogant voice echoed throughout the warehouse.

“Come out, little bug.”

He chuckled.

“I won’t kill you.”

The words sounded almost reassuring.

Ssssrrrrrrr~

The rapidly increasing whine of his weapons suggested otherwise.

The twin circular saws accelerated once more, crimson particles spilling from the edges as the rotation reached terrifying speeds.

Without warning, Commander 10 flicked both arms forward.

SHRRRNNNCCCKK!!

The spinning saws sliced cleanly through the cargo truck as though it were made from cardboard.

Young Aether’s eyes widened.

For an instant, time itself seemed to slow.

One spinning saw passed barely inches from his face, close enough that the violent airflow tugged at his hair while the scorching heat from the superheated teeth brushed against his cheek.

He instinctively swallowed.

No matter how he looked at the situation…

He was completely fucked.

“Should I use the Energy Diffuser?”

A compact DIY gun materialised into his hand.

Before he could decide…

RIN immediately objected.

^I already told you. The Energy Diffuser only works reliably against lower-class units like C-Class and at most Unit-Class. That won’t do anything meaningful against a Commander-Class mech suit!^

Young Aether clicked his tongue again.

What the hell was he supposed to do?

For the past four days, everything he had built, modified, and tested had been designed specifically to deal with C-Class and Unit-Class mech suits because that was the highest threat RIN had sufficient data on.

He had never imagined…

That he’d encounter a Commander-Class opponent this soon.

Even with his ability allowing him to move faster than the mech suit could comfortably handle…

He simply lacked the power to penetrate that armour.

SHRRRNNNCCCKK!!

The familiar shriek returned.

His instincts exploded into alarm.

Without hesitating, Young Aether threw himself into a roll.

The spinning saw tore through the front half of the truck a split second later, cleaving the vehicle completely in two before continuing onward.

Chunks of alloy and shattered machinery erupted into the air.

Commander 10 laughed.

“I can do this all day~”

Young Aether’s eyes rolled beneath his helmet.

“…Seriously?”

Even now…

The guy was throwing out cheesy one-liners.

As he scanned the battlefield for anything useful, his eyes suddenly locked onto a door at the far end of the warehouse.

Hidden behind stacks of industrial containers.

A way out.

If he could reach it…

There was no reason to keep fighting.

Running away wasn’t cowardice.

It was survival.

SHRRRNNNCCCKK!!

Another saw ripped through the remains of the truck.

Before Young Aether could move again…

RIN suddenly spoke.

^How about swapping him?^

“…Huh?”

Young Aether blinked.

A genuinely confused expression spread across his face.

Young Aether’s earpiece crackled as RIN suddenly spoke.

^Swap the Governor staying inside the subspace with him. That seems like the best plan, don’t you think?^

Young Aether’s lips twitched uncontrollably as he stared ahead with complete disbelief.

“…Huh?”

He lowered his voice before whispering through gritted teeth, “What happened to all that ‘the fallen Governor suit is just bait’ nonsense you’ve been telling me this entire time?”

RIN answered without even sounding embarrassed.

^Well… I still believe that’s a possibility. However, our current situation is much worse than I originally predicted. Swapping them would create enough chaos for us to escape safely.^

Young Aether fell silent as he considered the proposal.

The AI’s emergency solution was to replace a Commander-Class opponent with an actual Governor.

Was she fucking insane?

As ridiculous as the idea sounded, it wasn’t entirely impossible. If the Governor truly held a grudge against Delta Division, the moment the swap happened, the entire warehouse would descend into complete chaos. Commander 10 would be forced to deal with someone far stronger than himself, giving Young Aether the perfect opportunity to disappear.

Unfortunately…

That wasn’t the plan Young Aether wanted.

“No,” he muttered while another circular saw screamed through the air and carved apart another section of the destroyed truck. “I already have plans for the subspace”

SHRRRNNNCCCKK!!

The spinning blade effortlessly sliced through reinforced steel before curving back toward Commander 10, its crimson cables writhing behind it like mechanical tendrils.

RIN sounded genuinely curious.

^Really? Then what exactly are you planning?^

Young Aether didn’t answer.

Instead, he quietly observed the wreckage around him.

The transport truck had been reduced to mangled scrap metal after repeated attacks. Almost every panel had been cut apart, leaving only a small square section of twisted steel large enough for him to crouch behind.

It wouldn’t survive another attack.

Commander 10 slowly raised one of his enormous circular saws as the crimson particles surrounding the weapon intensified. The spinning teeth produced a deafening mechanical whine while the targeting sensors on his helmet locked onto the final piece of cover.

“This is your final warning,” Commander 10 said coldly. “Come out now, or I’ll reduce everything around you into scrap.”

The saw continued accelerating until the air itself trembled from its speed.

Just before the weapon fired…

Two hands slowly rose above the remains of the truck.

“I surrender.”

Young Aether carefully stood up from behind the wreckage, raising both hands into the air before taking a slow breath.

“Please… don’t kill me.”

Commander 10 finally saw the intruder’s face clearly.

For the first time since this battle had begun…

He looked genuinely surprised.

[+1000 AP]

“…He’s so young…”

Then another thought appeared almost immediately.

“…And annoyingly handsome.”

His visor instantly activated every available identification protocol. Facial recognition algorithms scanned Young Aether’s features and were rapidly compared against Delta Division’s military database.

Nothing.

No records appeared.

No matching identity.

No registration inside the Tower’s network.

It was almost as though this young man had never existed anywhere within the system.

Commander 10 narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“…Are you from the Slums?”

Young Aether slowly shook his head before lowering his gaze, allowing exhaustion and grief to spread naturally across his expression.

“No…”

He paused long enough to make the hesitation feel genuine.

“I’m from Beta Division.”

Commander 10 remained silent.

Young Aether continued speaking with a heavy expression.

“I’m searching for my mother.”

“Your mother?” Commander 10 repeated, unable to hide the confusion in his voice.

Young Aether nodded slowly.

“She told me she was trapped somewhere here. I received a signal that led me into Delta Tower, so I came here to rescue her.”

Commander 10 frowned.

For several seconds, he genuinely wondered what kind of ridiculous story this boy was trying to fabricate.

Then…

A particular memory surfaced inside his mind… about Governor, as if he realised something, and then his eyes narrowed.

“…Who exactly is your mother?”

Young Aether deliberately stayed quiet.

Commander 10 lifted one of the spinning circular saws, allowing the terrifying hum of rotating steel to fill the warehouse.

“I asked you a question,” he said in a colder voice. “Who is your mother?”

Young Aether visibly swallowed.

His breathing became uneven before he finally forced the words out.

“…G-Genome Beta.”

Commander 10 froze.

“…What the fuck?!”

^…What the fuck?!^

Commander 10 and RIN spoke at exactly the same moment, both sounding equally stunned by what they had just heard.

Young Aether almost laughed inside his helmet.

If guilt could physically take human form…

It would probably look exactly like him at this very moment.

He deliberately wore the expression of someone who had accidentally revealed a dangerous secret that absolutely wasn’t supposed to leave his mouth.

Seeing Commander 10’s stiff mech, Young Aether quietly continued.

“My mother disappeared over a week ago. I managed to track the last recorded NLC signal connected to her… and it led me here, inside Delta Tower.”

Commander 10 slowly lowered his weapon while processing the information.

“…So the intelligence reports about her disappearance were actually true…”

His eyes returned to Young Aether.

“So you’re saying…”

“…you’re really G-Genome Beta’s son?”

Young Aether nodded without any hesitation.

“Yes.”

He deliberately lowered his head before speaking again, allowing his voice to tremble with just enough emotion.

“I’ve been searching everywhere for her. I don’t know if she’s injured… I don’t know if she’s scared… and I don’t even know if she’s been eating properly.”

His expression became increasingly pitiful.

“My mother and I always ate together. She never missed a single meal with me, so… I can’t stop wondering if she’s hungry right now.”

Commander 10 remained completely silent.

The sadness in Young Aether’s voice sounded so natural that even an experienced soldier couldn’t immediately find any flaws within it.

His eyes carried desperation. His posture reflected exhaustion!

And every tiny movement suggested nothing more than a frightened son searching desperately for his missing mother.

Young Aether almost started believing the lie himself.

After all, every great actor understood one simple truth.

If you wished to deceive others perfectly, you first had to convince yourself that the lie was real.

Commander 10 stared blankly at Young Aether. It wasn’t that he had completely accepted the young man’s story, but something about it refused to leave his mind.

The disappearance of Genome Beta was classified information known only to the higher-ups. Even he hadn’t uttered a single word about it to his own subordinates because the situation was considered extremely sensitive.

So how did this random kid know about it?

…And why the hell was he so handsome?

“…And you’re saying the NLC signal actually pointed here? Inside the tower?”

Commander 10 asked with a deep frown as the spinning speed of the circular saws gradually slowed.

Honestly, Young Aether had no idea whether this bluff would actually work, but it was the only opportunity he had to escape. He had simply blurted out the first convincing lie that came to mind, yet judging by Commander 10’s reaction, it seemed the Commanders really did know about Genome Beta’s disappearance.

Which, in a way…

Worked perfectly in his favour.

Was he…

Actually lucky?

He wondered if he had somehow reached the point where everyone simply believed whatever came out of his mouth.

Maybe he had finally reached the peak of acting?

Fuck yeah!

Whatever the reason…

He was thankful for it.

“Yes… the NLC signal showed that she was somewhere inside the tower, so I tried sneaking in to find her.”

Young Aether lowered his head before hurriedly continuing.

“I’m telling you… I have nothing to do with any of this. I just want my mother back. Nothing else… Please… please, sir… I’m begging you… Please…”

His voice cracked as tears streamed down his cheeks, making him look no different from a desperate child who had thrown himself into danger just to save his mother.

[+1000 AP]

Commander 10 remained silent.

The massive circular saws slowly folded back into his forearms as layers of armour shifted with mechanical clicks, returning his weapons to ordinary humanoid hands.

Then…

He began walking toward Young Aether.

Young Aether’s entire body tensed.

Every muscle quietly prepared for the worst.

“Tell me something…” Commander 10 said as he stopped only a few steps away. “I’ve never heard of Genome Beta having a son. Care to explain?”

“Well…” Young Aether scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile. “I don’t really know the reason either, but she always told me I was her ace.”

“…Ace?”

Commander 10 narrowed his eyes.

“Hmm…”

His gaze slowly travelled from Young Aether’s battered mech suit to the countless wounds covering his body before finally settling on that… ridiculously handsome face.

[+1000 AP]

Young Aether had already demonstrated speed that completely exceeded normal human limits.

Considering G-Genome Beta specialised in genetic modification, it wasn’t difficult to imagine she might have secretly engineered someone like him.

At least…

That was the story Young Aether desperately hoped Commander 10 would believe.

“Hmm…”

Commander 10 nodded thoughtfully.

“…Alright.”

He stood directly in front of Young Aether, carefully studying every detail of his face.

Truthfully…

He had reached a similar conclusion… Just from a completely different angle.

No ordinary human should naturally look this attractive.

Someone had clearly tampered with his genetics.

Who else could it be besides Genome Beta?

The place built for designing children and the future of humans?

And this young man, no! This boy was so fucking handsome!!

[+2000 AP]

“…Not bad,” Commander 10 muttered before his expression gradually turned colder. “Even so… you still killed my subordinates.”

Young Aether quickly shook his already raised hands.

“I’m telling you, I never wanted to hurt anyone! I only came here to find my mother. I never intended to harm anybody! It’s you all who came to fight, not the other way!”

“…Hmm…”

Commander 10 hummed quietly before lowering his gaze, seemingly deep in thought.

“Then tell me…”

“Who is your father?”

“…”

Young Aether froze.

Of all the questions…

That was the one he hadn’t prepared for.

His mind raced desperately.

“…Well… Epsilon?”

The answer escaped before he could stop himself.

Inside, he almost buried his face in shame.

‘I’m fucking this up so badly…’

Commander 10 blinked.

Then his eyes widened.

“…Oh?”

“Ohhh…”

A slow grin spread across his face.

“That explains why those two are always at each other’s throats!”

He burst into loud laughter.

“Husband and wife, huh? The Governor is going to love hearing this story! Hahaha!”

Young Aether secretly smiled to himself.

Everything… was going surprisingly smoothly.

“Come with me,” Commander 10 finally said. “The Governor would love to meet you.”

He raised one hand toward Young Aether.

A pulse of crimson energy shot from the mech suit’s wrist before wrapping tightly around both of Young Aether’s wrists, forming restraints that resembled handcuffs.

Click!

The restraints locked into place.

Commander 10 casually slapped Young Aether on the backside.

“Now get moving your ass.”

“…”

Young Aether blinked.

For some inexplicable reason…

An uncomfortable chill crawled through his entire body.

It felt strangely familiar.

Almost identical to the unsettling sensation he had experienced around… Chad!