Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1699: Entering ‘δ’ Delta City: Part-1

Sssssnnn~

The sleek luxury vehicle raced along the elevated highway.

Young Aether sat comfortably behind the wheel, one hand resting upon the steering control while the other leaned against the window ledge.

“Whssss~”

A soft whistle escaped his lips as his fingers tapped rhythmically against the metallic dashboard. His expression remained calm and relaxed while the scenery continuously shifted outside the window.

As he enjoyed the peaceful drive, his attention gradually drifted toward the rings he had taken from the previous owner.

“I saw holograms appearing from these before. There has to be some activation method hidden somewhere, but I have no idea what it is.”

Curiosity appeared within his eyes as he examined the rings one after another. He rubbed their surfaces and attempted several gestures that seemed reasonable, hoping some kind of interface would respond to his touch. Unfortunately, none of them showed even the slightest reaction.

“Maybe they’re just ordinary rings after all.”

His gaze settled upon the ring resting on his middle finger. Unlike the others, this one possessed a cleaner and more refined appearance. No crystal rested upon its surface, and no visible circuitry could be seen along its metallic frame. Despite that simplicity, something about it felt unusual.

“Hello? Can you hear me? AI?”

Young Aether frowned slightly while speaking toward the ring.

But no response.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose before trying again.

“Activate self-drive mode.”

Nothing happened.

Young Aether released a quiet sigh and shook his head.

‘Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. If the device really contains an artificial intelligence, then it probably operates through voice recognition or biometric authorisation linked to the original owner.’

The explanation made perfect sense.

After all, advanced technology rarely lacked security measures.

It wasn’t as though he couldn’t afford devices like these.

A considerable amount of money remained stored within his identification account, allowing him to purchase practically any commercial technology he desired.

The problem was never money.

But… Even if he had not stayed here long, he knew… what they were capable of. No… he knew how big companies work.

These devices collected information.

Tracking systems recorded movements.

Navigation systems stored travel histories.

Identity networks synchronised personal data.

People considered such functions convenient, but Aether viewed them differently. The idea of allowing someone to monitor his movements, analyse his behaviour, or trace his previous locations left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.

That’s one of the reasons he refused to use a smartphone in his first life… even though he lacked money.

Especially now… he needed to be as low as possible until he reached Epsilon.

He would rather avoid that nonsense entirely.

“I suppose I’ll be handling things myself then.”

A hint of disappointment entered his voice as he pressed the accelerator… the fancy car zoomed forward and faster.

Although the speed would have impressed most people, Aether found it painfully slow compared to what he could achieve through his own abilities.

Unfortunately, arriving at the border on foot was not an option.

If he appeared there dressed like a beggar while carrying a Golden Card, suspicion would arise immediately.

Even an average person would question such a contradiction, much less trained soldiers whose entire job revolved around identifying irregularities.

Border security forces inspected everything.

That reality had forced him to take the most efficient path available.

Even if alternative methods existed, they would have consumed additional time, money, and effort… This solution accomplished exactly what he needed.

Furthermore, Silver ID occupied nothing more than the middle class. Their privileges remained limited, and they were not allowed to travel between divisions.

Golden Card holders existed on an entirely different level.

Their status granted special privileges, priority treatment, and unrestricted travel between divisions.

Indeed, the old man had prepared everything Aether required.

It’s a pity he had to die; otherwise, Aether would have made a good friend.

“Anyway, let’s hope the rest of this journey proceeds without any surprises.”

For once, genuine sincerity accompanied his words.

Several hours passed before the border finally appeared on the horizon.

The massive structure rose from the landscape like a colossal fortress constructed from steel and composite alloys.

Enormous walls stretched across the land, separating the territories marked by the Flag symbols of ‘δ’ and ‘β’.

High above those defences, countless surveillance systems rotated continuously while monitoring every approaching vehicle and individual.

Traffic gradually slowed as vehicles merged into organised inspection lanes leading toward the checkpoint.

Beyond the walls lay Delta City, though very little could be seen from this distance. Layers of security infrastructure blocked most of the view, creating the impression that an entire City hid behind those fortified defences.

Automated defence platforms lined the upper walls while reconnaissance drones patrolled the airspace overhead.

Standing guards before the entrance were black mech-suits marked with glowing crimson stripes.

Every traveller underwent extensive screening before receiving permission to enter.

When he arrived at one of the designated gates, an illuminated guidance system directed his vehicle toward a specific inspection lane. The moment the luxury car entered the platform, automated magnetic rails engaged beneath its chassis and gently guided it toward a separate screening section.

The entire process occurred without any human intervention, allowing dozens of vehicles to be processed simultaneously.

Young Aether stepped out of the car and adjusted his suit before making his way toward the pedestrian inspection queue. Unlike the vehicle lanes, every individual entering Delta City was required to undergo personal screening before receiving clearance.

Long rows of people stood waiting beneath towering scanner arches that emitted faint blue light.

Dressed in an expensive suit and carrying himself with natural confidence, Young Aether blended effortlessly among the upper-class travellers.

Nobody paid him a second glance.

While waiting for the line to move forward, he listened to several nearby citizens discussing the biggest news story of the day.

“I can’t believe Genome Beta refuses to address this issue directly,” an elderly man complained loudly. “More than a thousand people died in just three days, yet she’s acting as if she doesn’t owe the public an explanation. She’s the one who brought that thing here, and now she’s refusing to acknowledge her mistake while choosing to remain silent…”

“Absolutely, sir,” another man agreed with visible frustration. “The amount of nerve she must have to stay silent after a massacre like this is unbelievable. Do you know how many stocks I have lost in just three days? Damn it!! Also, you should have seen the bodies they recovered. Children, elderly people… fuck.”

“Don’t remind me,” a woman muttered while rubbing her forehead. “The footage alone was horrifying enough. I’ll never allow my children anywhere near that zoo again.”

The discussion continued as more people joined the conversation, each offering their own complaints regarding the recent tragedy.

Young Aether stepped closer and casually asked, “Genome Beta… what does she actually look like? Does she have a family?”

The moment those words left his mouth, the entire group fell silent.

Several people turned toward him with puzzled expressions.

Young Aether remained completely calm under their stares.

“Did I say something strange?” he asked.

The group exchanged glances before collectively sighing.

One middle-aged man folded his arms and frowned.

“Young man, I know her mech-suit looks attractive and all, but don’t let appearances fool you. She’s nothing more than a complete bitch. An especially annoying one.”

Young Aether raised an eyebrow.

“So you’ve met her personally?”

The group immediately shook their heads.

“No,” the man admitted. “Nobody has ever seen the face of any Division Governors. Their identities are classified for security reasons. The public only sees their mech-suits.”

“Then how exactly did you conclude she’s a bitch?”

The question caused several awkward expressions to appear.

“Well…” one of them scratched his head. “We spoke to her once through a public communication channel during a city meeting. She sounded kind of arrogant, doing whatever she wanted without care for the stocks and market values, so we assumed she was probably like that in real life too.”

“Hmm…”

Young Aether nodded before returning his attention to the queue. Continuing the conversation any further would only attract unnecessary attention.

Still, a different thought surfaced within his mind.

‘Tsk. So I can’t blackmail her through family connections either. What a disappointment.’

For a brief moment, he had considered locating and kidnapping a relative to pressure her into submission. Unfortunately, that option appeared unavailable.

No matter.

There would always be other opportunities.

Besides, rushing forward without proper information rarely ended well. Taking careful steps was far wiser than blindly leaping into a situation.

The line gradually advanced toward the inspection area as travellers completed their screenings one after another. Several minutes later, Young Aether finally found himself standing before a black mech-suit marked with glowing crimson stripes.

At the same time, his vehicle had already entered a separate inspection facility located several lanes away.

The mech-suit lowered its gaze toward him.

“Identification and Origin Card.”

Its mechanical voice carried no emotion whatsoever.

Young Aether calmly handed both items over.

The mech-suit accepted them before briefly examining the Golden Card. After a short pause, it gave a small nod and passed the documents to another mech-suit stationed inside a nearby security chamber.

The chamber itself contained numerous advanced scanning devices. Several spherical machines floated above metallic platforms while projecting streams of holographic information into the air. One device generated a detailed three-dimensional profile of every traveller being processed, while another projected an interactive keyboard composed entirely of light.

Through a narrow armoured window, the Golden Card slid into a specialised scanner.

The mech-suit lowered its gaze toward the Origin Card and carefully examined the information displayed upon its surface. Initially, he was somewhat surprised to discover that every attribute possessed a perfectly balanced value of fifty.

Such results were uncommon enough to attract attention; however, the moment his eyes settled upon the 1000 Aevum, the faint interest within him immediately disappeared.

Inside his helmet, he silently scoffed.

‘Below me? Useless filth.’

As he casually slid the card through the window.

A thin crimson beam emerged from the visor of his mech-suit and swept across Young Aether from head to toe.

The advanced scanner carefully examined his clothing, accessories, and any abnormal energy fluctuations that might indicate hidden equipment.

After several moments of analysis, the system failed to detect anything noteworthy.

The mech-suit gave a small nod before speaking.

“Enter the scanner.”

As the reinforced security door slid open with a mechanical hiss, the soldier casually raised his weapon into a ready position. Although the movement appeared routine and practised, there was no doubt that he would immediately pull the trigger if the system reported any kind of threat.

Young Aether showed no reaction and simply stepped forward.

The inspection chamber looked somewhat familiar to him… That one initially checked his body when he arrived on Terra.

This particular version appeared different… Smooth metallic walls surrounded the enclosed space while faint blue lights illuminated various sensors embedded throughout the room. Aside from a few blinking indicators positioned near the corners, the chamber itself remained largely empty.

Young Aether quietly stood in the centre and waited for the inspection process to finish.

Meanwhile, inside the adjacent security control room, another mech-suit operator placed both the Identification Card and Origin Card upon a scanning platform. The machine immediately activated, releasing a wave of blue light that passed across both Cards several times before transmitting the collected data into the security network.

Multiple holographic displays materialised above the spherical machines.

Streams of information rapidly flowed across the transparent screens while the system retrieved registration records, financial history, travel permissions, biometric profiles, citizenship data, and verification logs associated with Young Aether’s identity.

Thousands of individual entries flashed past before gradually slowing and stopping once his complete profile had been assembled.

The operator carefully compared the information stored within the Origin Card against the records linked to the Identification Card.

Every credential matched correctly, and no discrepancies appeared within the verification process. Eventually, his attention shifted toward the financial section.

The moment he examined the account balance and Aevum ranking, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

“Who the hell approved a VIP Golden Card for this guy?” he muttered while shaking his head. “He barely has a million dollars sitting in his account, and his Aevum 2030. That’s lower than mine. He’s probably some sheltered rich brat whose parents handed everything to him.”

Without bothering to investigate any further, the operator selected the verification option and submitted the credentials for approval.

Almost immediately, a bright notification appeared above the holographic display.

[Credentials Verified!]

The message lingered briefly before disappearing as the system automatically advanced to the next stage of inspection.

The mech-suit operator switched to the internal surveillance feed and opened a live visual stream from the inspection chamber.

Young Aether appeared upon the holographic display, calmly standing in the centre of the room while waiting for the process to conclude.

The operator stared at the image for several moments before clicking his tongue in annoyance.

“Tsk. Look at that bastard. Some people really win the genetic lottery without doing anything to deserve it.”

A trace of jealousy appeared within his expression as he studied Young Aether’s handsome face.

With several casual gestures, he interacted with the floating holographic interface before him.

The visual feed immediately transformed into an advanced scanning display that rendered Young Aether’s body in monochromatic colours.

Layers of biological information became visible throughout the projection, revealing skeletal structure, organ activity, neural responses, blood circulation, and countless other internal readings generated by the inspection system.

“Hmm? Has the visual gotten bigger? Did I zoom in?”

The Operator suddenly frowned… The skeletal structure displayed by the deeper scan was no longer perfectly aligned with the body structure visible in the earlier image.

The Operator frowned as he flipped back and forth between two scanners and frowned…

One Scanner showing 5 feet 5 inches and another scanner showing 6 feet 7 inches.

“What the….”

What’s more, as he changed the scanners, he saw different muscular structures; one looked weak and small, while the other one was muscular and bulkier.

The two images no longer matched perfectly.

The operator found himself staring at two entirely different people occupying the same holographic space and the same movements that overlapped each other.