Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1700: Entering ‘δ’ Delta City: Part-2

Young Aether quietly stood inside the inspection chamber, waiting for the verification process to finish.

Pale blue scanning grids continuously swept across his body from head to toe. However, the process was taking far longer than any inspection he had witnessed before, causing him to frown inwardly.

‘Did they… find out?’

After all, he was currently concealed beneath Nightfire’s illusion.

So far, none of the scanners had detected any abnormalities, yet that did little to ease his concern.

He could not dismiss the possibility that one of these machines might be capable of seeing through Nightfire’s deception.

While Young Aether quietly prepared himself for the worst possible outcome, the operator inside the adjacent security control room stared blankly at the two holographic images suspended above the spherical machine units.

Knock… Knock…

The window suddenly rattled.

The operator slid the reinforced panel open and saw a heavily armed mech-suit standing outside the inspection chamber. Crimson energy particles slowly circulated around the weapon mounted in its hands, ready to activate at a moment’s notice.

“What’s causing the delay?” the mech-suit asked in a calm but alert tone. “Did the verification process fail?”

The weapon emitted a low mechanical hum as several red warning lights flickered across its surface.

Meanwhile,

Spark!

A tiny spark suddenly appeared on the scanner where the Origin Card and ID card rested.

Within an instant, the spark spread through the entire verification network. Streams of electricity raced across cables, communication nodes, and wireless relay systems. Even the floating spherical processors projecting the holographic images flickered briefly as the disturbance passed through them.

Unaware of the anomaly, the operator shook his head.

“No. All identity records have already been verified,” he replied, shaking his head, “The visual scanners are just behaving strangely.”

His eyes narrowed as he glanced toward the two differen—

“Wait…”

“What happened?”

The operator stared at the holographic displays floating above the processors. Both showed identical live footage feeds.

One perfectly matched the young man currently standing inside the inspection chamber.

“Maybe a synchronisation delay?” he muttered.

He quickly reran the scanning sequence.

Moments later, the same result appeared.

Two identical footage streams.

“Yeah, definitely an error on our side,” he said with a relieved chuckle. “Almost got the poor guy eliminated because of a system glitch.”

The operator immediately issued a verification clearance.

A soft chime echoed through the inspection chamber as the red security indicators switched to green. The sealed door before Young Aether smoothly parted open while streams of light retreated into hidden compartments along the walls.

“Welcome to Delta Division, Mr. Lackey.”

Another red-striped black mech-suit handed over the Origin Card and Golden ID Card while giving a slight nod.

Young Aether calmly accepted both items.

However, the moment his fingers touched the Golden ID Card, a subtle spark erupted between the card and the ring on his middle finger. The discharge resembled static electricity jumping between two metallic objects.

For a brief instant, faint patterns illuminated along the outer edges of the ring before disappearing again.

Not noticing the reaction, Young Aether casually slipped both cards into his pocket and walked toward his vehicle, which had also completed its inspection process.

The luxury vehicle rested beneath several floating scanner drones that were now retracting toward their charging stations.

However, before he could enter the car, another mech-suit stepped forward.

“This vehicle is registered under a different owner’s name.”

Its visor focused directly on Young Aether.

“Of course it is,” Young Aether replied without the slightest hesitation. “The vehicle belongs to a friend of mine. My own car suffered a malfunction earlier, so he lent me his until the repairs are completed.”

His voice remained perfectly steady, as though he had already anticipated this question long before arriving.

The mech-suit remained silent.

Behind the visor, the gaze continued studying Young Aether without moving an inch.

Young Aether visibly sighed before fixing the mech-suit with an annoyed look.

“Fine. If you don’t believe me, feel free to contact my friend and verify it yourself. However, if that ends up delaying the board meeting, then you’ll be the one responsible for explaining the situation. Do you understand?”

His voice remained calm, but the cold authority behind each word made him sound like someone accustomed to giving orders rather than receiving them.

When it came to acting, most people made a fundamental mistake.

They performed for others, constantly worrying about whether their audience would believe them.

In reality, true deception began with deceiving oneself.

Only after fully accepting the role could a person project absolute confidence. Once that confidence existed, flaws in clothing, inconsistencies in circumstances, or imperfections in preparation became secondary because people naturally focused on conviction rather than details.

At that moment, Young Aether fully embraced the identity he was portraying.

The confidence in his posture, the indifference in his expression, and the subtle irritation in his voice all felt completely natural. Every word seemed to come from his soul rather than being a rehearsed performance.

Instead of pretending to be an important corporate executive, he carried himself as though he genuinely belonged among the Empire’s most influential figures.

The mech-suit studied him silently for several moments before eventually shrugging.

After all, the situation itself was not unusual. Wealthy individuals frequently used vehicles belonging to family members, business partners, or close associates. Furthermore, Delta Division’s verification systems had already cleared his identity.

There was little reason to continue harassing someone carrying a Golden ID card.

Without another word, the mech-suit stepped aside and allowed him to proceed.

Young Aether calmly nodded before slipping his hand into his pocket. Hidden from sight, he summoned the dead man’s ID card and casually pressed it against the vehicle’s authentication panel. Instantly, a blue scanning beam swept across the card while a series of digital symbols flashed across the vehicle’s surface.

A second later, the vehicle recognised the credentials and unlocked with a soft mechanical hiss.

Young Aether entered the luxurious vehicle and immediately accelerated away from the checkpoint. The engine produced only a faint hum despite its incredible power, and within moments, the car merged onto the elevated transit highway.

He had no intention of remaining near the inspection area any longer than necessary.

After several minutes of driving, he finally entered Delta City.

“There really isn’t much difference,” he muttered while observing the landscape outside.

The city looked surprisingly similar to Beta City. Vast highways stretched across the terrain beneath countless intelligent light systems that automatically adjusted brightness according to traffic conditions.

“Whatever. I’ll stay on the highway and head directly toward Epsilon City instead of wasting time here.”

His fingers lightly tapped against the steering wheel while he considered his objectives.

He knew there were certain things he could not touch yet.

Before taking action, he needed information and to keep them busy here.

That was the entire reason he had come here in the first place.

If another war erupted in the future, his Empire might not survive for long.

To accomplish that goal, he needed detailed knowledge regarding their weapons, military technology, production capabilities, and methods of disabling them. More importantly, he needed information about those Governor Suits, which appeared significantly more advanced than any standard mech-suit he had encountered so far.

As those thoughts circulated through his mind, his expression gradually softened.

A nostalgic smile appeared on his face.

“Four days have already passed without my wives. I wonder what they’re doing right now.”

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

“They’re probably crying and cursing my name for leaving without them. Knowing them, they’re definitely planning some ridiculous punishment for when I return. Haha… they’re honestly adorable.”

He shook his head while laughing softly.

Simply thinking about them made him feel relaxed.

The pressure, the planning, and the dangers surrounding him all seemed a little less burdensome whenever they crossed his mind. The warmth spreading through his chest was genuine happiness, something increasingly rare amidst the chaos of his life.

Then another thought suddenly crossed his mind.

“So far, only four days have passed here. If twelve days here equals one day there, then how much time has passed back home? Four divided by twelve then….”

He frowned while attempting the calculation.

“Hmm… Damn it! I need a fucking calculator for thi—”

^7 hours 53 minutes^

A familiar voice suddenly answered.

“Oh? Thank yo—”

The words died halfway through his sentence.

His eyes widened.

*Who the fuck just said that?*

Startled, he nearly slammed his foot against the brake pedal.

The vehicle immediately detected the sudden movement and activated its emergency safety protocols. Warning notifications flashed across the holographic dashboard while the autonomous driving system instantly assumed control. Without disrupting nearby traffic, the vehicle smoothly guided itself toward a side lane before gradually reducing speed and coming to a complete stop.

Young Aether barely noticed any of it.

His attention was entirely focused on the voice.

His eyes rapidly scanned the interior of the vehicle, examining the passenger seat, the rear compartment, the mirrors, and even the dark reflections in the windows. Yet despite his careful search, he found absolutely nobody inside.

The voice had spoken from somewhere within the vehicle itself.

Or… perhaps from somewhere even closer.

“Where are you?”

Young Aether asked with a deep frown while continuing to search the silent cabin.

One thing was absolutely certain.

He had not imagined that voice.

^Hello.^

The unfamiliar voice echoed through the vehicle once again.

Young Aether’s eyes immediately narrowed as he scanned the cabin with heightened caution. His gaze moved across every corner of the vehicle while his fingers subtly shifted, ready to summon his gun.

^I am here… look at your palm.^

“My palm?”

Young Aether frowned before lowering his gaze toward his hands.

For a brief moment, he saw nothing unusual.

Then his attention landed on the metallic ring wrapped around the middle finger of his right hand.

The ring possessed a sleek design. Its polished surface reflected the vehicle’s ambient lighting while faint microscopic patterns ran along its outer edge.

A strange feeling crept into his mind.

“Did the voice come from this?”

^Technically, that would be incorrect,^ the voice replied in a calm and oddly pleasant tone. ^I am currently using the vehicle’s audio system to communicate with you. However, yes, I am the one speaking.^

“…”

Young Aether stared at the ring for several seconds.

Then his expression suddenly changed.

“Shit! They tracked me down!”

His eyes widened instantly.

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind.

Had Delta Division discovered his identity?

Had someone secretly implanted a tracking device on his ring?

Had Nightfire’s illusion been exposed without his knowledge?

Without wasting another second, he immediately pulled the ring from his finger. His muscles tensed as he prepared to throw the object through the vehicle’s window before whoever was monitoring him could gather additional information.

^Wait!^

The voice suddenly sounded far more urgent than before.

^I am your Personal AI Assistant.^

Young Aether froze.

The ring remained suspended between his fingers.

“A personal AI assistant?”

His brows knitted together in confusion.

For several moments, neither his hand nor his expression moved.

Among all the explanations he had expected, that possibility had never crossed his mind.

Slowly, his eyes shifted back toward the metallic ring.

The polished surface reflected his bewildered face while faint blue patterns briefly illuminated along its edges before fading once more.

^You can call me… RIN^