Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1766: Blacksheep: Part-2

With RIN’s guidance, Young Aether finally managed to don the mech-suit.

[C-2334 ONLINE]

As the visor gradually came to life, streams of translucent data cascaded across his vision before the surroundings resolved into flawless clarity.

Crimson energy pulsed beneath the mech-suit’s armoured plating like dormant veins awakening after a long slumber, while countless system indicators blinked to life along the edges of his display.

Young Aether slowly clenched his metallic fingers. The articulated gauntlets responded with remarkable precision, every joint mirroring his movements almost perfectly, yet a faint layer of unnatural resistance lingered beneath each motion.

^Minor synchronisation impedance detected. The C-2334 was calibrated for a different pilot. Please avoid sudden or excessive movements^

RIN’s composed, feminine voice resonated calmly inside his helmet, accompanied by several diagnostic windows that briefly materialised before fading from his view.

“Hmm… this feels really strange,” Young Aether muttered, his voice carrying unmistakable disorientation. The moment the system fully synchronised with his senses, the outside world no longer felt natural. Instead, it was as though he had been dropped into an ultra-realistic virtual simulation where every sound, movement, and depth was being reconstructed by countless sensors rather than his own eyes.

^An expected observation. Your vestibular system is currently reconciling biological perception with the suit’s multi-spectrum sensory array. In simpler terms… your brain is politely informing you that becoming several hundred kilograms of armoured metal was not included in today’s itinerary.^

Young Aether could only sigh before rolling his shoulders. The servo actuators echoed every movement with a deep mechanical hum, while microscopic stabilisers continuously adjusted the suit’s balance. Taking a few cautious steps, he gradually adapted to the mech’s weight before finally walking out of the assembly unit.

Before leaving, he glanced back at the chamber and the swarm of maintenance drones still hovering around the platforms. With RIN’s assistance, every surveillance recording and digital footprint related to the past few hours had already been erased.

At least for the moment, his presence remained completely invisible.

The moment he stepped outside, brilliant daylight flooded across his visor. The optical filters reacted instantly, automatically reducing the brightness before recalibrating the visual spectrum.

“Come on! Move it!”

“Check this one!”

“Twenty-four defective products! Your company’s contract will be terminated!”

The entire logistics sector buzzed with relentless activity. Hundreds of mech-suits marched between towering cargo platforms while autonomous transport trucks moved along designated lanes.

Massive magnetic cranes glided silently overhead, lifting containers the size of small buildings, as aerial drones streaked through the sky carrying sealed supply modules toward distant sectors.

^According to the stored operational data of this C-2334 unit, this sector is designated as the Delta Tower Logistics Zone. It functions as the primary distribution hub for military equipment, industrial materials, and interdepartmental transport.^

As RIN spoke, a holographic map unfolded before Young Aether’s visor.

Four enormous concentric sectors surrounded the towering central structure, each ring assigned to a different administrative department and protected by independent security systems. At the very centre stood the Delta Tower itself, piercing through the clouds.

Young Aether slowly lifted his gaze toward the colossal structure. Even from this distance, the tower seemed to stretch endlessly into the heavens.

If he wanted to stop the war before history repeated itself, reaching that tower was no longer optional. It was the first step, and perhaps the most dangerous one.

Just as he began analysing possible routes, a sharp voice suddenly called out from behind him.

“Hey! You there… are you new? Which department are you assigned to?”

The voice carried unmistakable suspicion.

Young Aether’s body stiffened for a fraction of a second before he forced himself to keep walking without turning around.

“Hey, you! Stop right there!”

Someone had clearly noticed him emerging from the restricted assembly chamber, and judging from the increasingly demanding tone, simple curiosity was rapidly turning into suspicion.

As the mech-suit soldier began closing the distance, Young Aether subtly increased his pace, pretending not to hear a single word.

Just as the soldier was about to catch up…

Snnngg~

A massive truck suddenly surged between them. The soldier instinctively stepped back to avoid the several-ton vehicle.

By the time the truck had passed…

Young Aether was nowhere to be seen.

“Hmm… where did he go?”

…

Meanwhile, Young Aether leaned against a wall, holding his knees as he steadied himself.

At the same time, crimson warning notifications flooded across his visor.

[WARNING! LOWER KNEE MOTOR FAILURE]

[Joint Stabilisation Reduced to 61%]

[Mobility Efficiency Degraded]

^I specifically advised you to avoid sudden acceleration. Congratulations… you’ve already damaged the suit.^

RIN’s annoyed voice echoed through the helmet, accompanied by a diagnostic model highlighting both knee joints in flashing red.

Young Aether merely shook his head.

“I didn’t have a choice.”

He lowered his gaze toward the mech-suit’s knees. Tiny showers of sparks crackled from the damaged joints as overheated servomotors struggled to compensate for the excessive strain.

The C-2334 had clearly reached the limits of what its hardware could endure.

In fact, He had not even activated his abilities, yet the suit was already beginning to fall apart.

“…Now where do I go?”

Without wasting another second, RIN projected a simplified holographic layout across his visor.

^Distance to Second Security Perimeter: 5.0 kilometres.^

“…That’s farther than I expected.”

Young Aether let out a quiet sigh before blending into the endless stream of mech-suits marching through the logistics sector. Fortunately, every soldier was hidden behind nearly identical armour, and no one paid him a second glance.

Disguising himself inside this mech-suit was proving far more effective than he had anticipated.

Nearly an hour passed before he finally reached the destination.

The moment he arrived, his footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

Rows upon rows of transport trucks, nearly identical to those entering through the outer gate, stretched across the enormous loading complex.

But that wasn’t what stunned him.

His eyes narrowed as countless mech-suits, each secured inside transport frames, were unloaded under extraordinarily tight security.

Heavy-duty drones suspended entire combat units in midair before carrying them deeper into the logistics facility, while automated cranes transferred enormous weapon containers onto military rail platforms waiting nearby.

“So many…” Young Aether murmured under his breath. “What exactly are they preparing for? This doesn’t look like the scale of a normal war…”

He slowly stepped closer to the unloading operation, hoping to gather more information without attracting attention.

“Hey! What are you doing over there?”

A security soldier suddenly stepped into his path, raising a weapon toward his chest.

Young Aether immediately lifted both hands in a harmless gesture.

“Nothing, sir. I was just wondering how much longer these transports are going to keep arriving. How long before the operation begins? We still have…” He deliberately paused, pointing lightly with one finger as though trying to remember. “…How much time left again?”

The soldier gave him a brief, suspicious glance before lowering the rifle slightly.

“That’s above your clearance level. You don’t need to concern yourself with the timetable.” He folded his arms before continuing with quiet confidence. “Everything is proceeding exactly according to schedule. Our Commanders will soon begin the invasion. Until then, stop wandering around and report to the logistics team. They’ve got plenty of work waiting for you.”

“YES, SIR!”

Young Aether responded with a crisp salute before immediately turning and marching away with the same disciplined rhythm as every other logistics unit.

^Hmm… it appears your plan only half succeeded.^

RIN couldn’t help commenting, her voice carrying the faintest trace of amusement.

A faint smirk appeared beneath Young Aether’s visor before his expression gradually turned cold.

“Looks like they haven’t started the war… yet.”

^That is hardly something to celebrate. We still cannot be completely certain. If anything, we should prioritise reaching the Delta Tower to assess the situation directly. Alternatively… should we release the cage? Considering the invasion may not have begun, this could be the most favourable opportunity.^

Young Aether silently stared at the security gate ahead before slowly turning toward the endless rows of mech-suits being transported into the assembly complex.

“Not now.”

His answer came without hesitation.

He resumed walking toward the second security gate.

^You’re planning to enter through the front gate… directly?^

“Do you have a better idea?”

For once…

RIN fell completely silent.

Just as Young Aether approached the checkpoint, his eyes suddenly widened.

The number…

‘2.’

It was engraved across the shoulder armour of a mech-suit approaching from the opposite direction.

Almost instinctively, he turned around and lowered his head, walking away as though trying to hide his face.

^…He cannot even see your face, idiot.^

“…Right.”

Young Aether blinked before letting out an awkward sigh. He had almost panicked out of habit.

Slowly turning back, he watched as Commander 2 entered the sector alongside several other Commanders and their accompanying subordinates.

The moment the Commanders reached the checkpoint, the security gates parted immediately without a single verification request.

They entered the second ring.

Young Aether remained motionless for several seconds before the corner of his lips slowly lifted.

“…I have an idea.”

Without wasting another moment, he hurried toward the checkpoint with deliberately anxious body language.

“E-Excuse me!” he called out. “I… I’m with them. Could you please open the gate?”

The two guards barely glanced in his direction.

“Personnel assigned to the Logistics Sector are prohibited from entering the second security ring without clearance.”

“…B-But I really am with them.”

His voice became increasingly desperate.

The guards remained unmoved.

“Sir! Please, sir! I’m really one of them! I… I only stepped away to use the toilet…”

One guard tilted his helmet slightly.

“The Logistics Sector doesn’t have a toilet.”

“…”

Young Aether froze.

…What?

Then where the hell does everyone go?

Suppressing the absurd question threatening to escape his mouth, he quickly noticed both guards staring at him with growing suspicion.

“I-I mean…” he stammered, desperately searching for an excuse. “I… I forgot something important, so I rushed back immediately…”

Even to his own ears…

That sounded terrible.

His heartbeat accelerated.

After coming this far…

Was he really going to ruin everything over something this stupid?

Then a thought flashed across his mind.

“Wait… I have Commander 2’s pass.”

Quickly, he produced Jonathan’s authorisation pass and presented it to the guards.

One of them examined it carefully before returning it without hesitation.

“It does not authorise entry through this checkpoint.”

Young Aether’s lips twitched.

For a brief moment, he genuinely considered forcing his way through.

Then…

He remembered the rumour.

‘Please let this work…’

He quietly cleared his throat before speaking with complete confidence.

“…I’m a member of Commander 2’s squad.”

“Huh?”

“I’m the one Commander 2 has been secretly training.”

The two guards exchanged silent glances beneath their visors.

It wasn’t that they immediately believed him.

Rather, Commander 2’s authorisation pass was unquestionably genuine. Combined with the fact that Commander 2 had only just entered the second ring, the possibility wasn’t entirely impossible.

At the very least…

It was convincing enough to make them hesitate.

The guards noticeably lowered their voices.

“Don’t tell me… you’re the one who trained inside Hell’s Gate?”

“The one who killed a hundred beasts with his bare hands?”

“The one who survived the stampede?”

“The one who ripped a monster’s throat apart?”

Young Aether simply stared at them.

…What the fuck?

Where were these ridiculous rumours even coming from?

Was Jonathan deliberately spreading this nonsense?

Or had the soldiers exaggerated every story until it became an outright legend?

Either way…

This was an opportunity.

Young Aether folded his arms and let out a dismissive snort.

“Hmph. Of course. Who do you think I am?” he declared, his voice calm yet overflowing with confidence.

“Commander 2 personally trained me. Yet here you are, treating me like some ordinary logistics grunt.” He took another step forward, lowering his tone.

“Everything happening here is part of Commander 2’s grand strategy to strike the enemy when they least expect it.”

The two guards fell silent.

Neither spoke for several long seconds.

Commander 2’s capabilities were well known throughout the Empire. Coupled with the recent rumours regarding the reshuffling of the Commanders’ authority, the explanation somehow… fit together surprisingly well.

Perhaps Commander 2 had indeed been secretly cultivating a hidden trump card to secure his position.

Everything seemed to make sense.

Unfortunately…

Protocol was protocol.

Even if they believed him, he still lacked the necessary authorisation to enter the second security ring.

Sensing their hesitation, Young Aether decided to play his final card.

“If Commander 2 hears that I was delayed because of…”

“You may enter, sir.”

One of the guards abruptly interrupted him.

Without another word, the reinforced security gate slowly slid open.

The other guards immediately turned toward him in surprise.

The soldier merely grinned proudly beneath his visor.

“If it’s for our Empire, then I’m willing to overlook protocol this once… especially if it’s for Commander 2.”

Young Aether almost laughed.

Instead, he maintained a solemn expression and slowly stepped toward the guard.

“Your loyalty to the Empire is admirable.”

He placed a metallic hand over his chest plate as though genuinely moved.

“I’ll personally inform Commander 2 of your dedication.”

The instant those words left his mouth…

Every other guard clicked their tongues in annoyance.

Only then did they realise what their companion had been aiming for all along.

He wanted Commander 2’s favour.

Damn it…

That opportunity was worth more than winning the lottery.

Several guards visibly grimaced with regret, while the smiling guard puffed out his chest with unmistakable satisfaction.

“Haha… better luck next time, losers.”

He watched proudly as Young Aether disappeared beyond the massive security gate.

…

The moment Young Aether stepped through the entrance, two circular platforms beneath his metallic boots emitted a soft mechanical hum.

Hydraulic lifts activated.

The platforms rose smoothly nearly two meters into the air before locking into place with a heavy metallic click.

Countless scanning beams swept across his mech-suit from head to toe before instantly disappearing, silently confirming his passage into the next sector.

^Congratulations. We have successfully entered the Armoury Sector.^

RIN’s composed voice echoed inside the helmet.

As the armoured gates behind him sealed shut, Young Aether slowly lifted his gaze.

Before him stretched an enormous… warehouses extended as far as the eye could see.

This…

Was the true heart of the Empire’s military industry.