Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1798: Meeting the Past: Part-2

“I haven’t asked yet, but what exactly are you doing? Are you a commander like Jonathan or something?” Young Aether asked as he stepped out of the house, falling into step beside Jonathan and Allen.

Jonathan draped an arm over Young Aether’s shoulder with a light chuckle. “Not quite. He’s more like a soldier for now. He’s working his hardest to increase his Aevum so he can climb the ranks. At this rate, he’ll be standing at my level before long, so don’t worry about him.”

Allen rubbed the back of his neck with an embarrassed smile before giving a quiet nod.

Young Aether nodded thoughtfully, silently piecing together the information.

‘So Aevum determines rank as well… Interesting.’

Before he could ask another question, a warm hand suddenly covered his eyes.

“??”

“It’s a surprise.”

Jonathan’s amused voice whispered beside his ear.

Young Aether’s expression immediately flattened.

It was painfully obvious Jonathan was taking him to see the mech-suit, so calling it a surprise felt rather pointless.

Still…

The excitement bubbling inside him refused to disappear.

Allowing Jonathan to guide him forward, Young Aether quietly followed as they entered the elevator.

The transparent doors slid shut without a sound, and the platform descended with barely any vibration. Through the crystal-clear walls, countless illuminated pathways stretched throughout the underground facility.

A soft chime echoed through the cabin as the elevator reached the lowest floor.

The doors parted.

Jonathan removed his hand.

Young Aether’s eyes slowly widened.

Standing in the centre of an immaculate launch chamber was a silver metallic capsule nearly the size of a 3-meter, its polished alloy reflecting the white lights overhead. A decorative crimson ribbon was wrapped neatly around its body like an oversized gift.

Soft blue energy conduits pulsed beneath the transparent floor, flowing toward the capsule in rhythmic waves.

“When did you bring this thing?” Young Aether asked, slowly approaching it. His fingertips brushed across the smooth metallic surface, tracing the mirror-like finish as he admired the flawless craftsmanship.

“That’s a secret~”

Jonathan gave him a playful wink, watching Young Aether circle around the massive cylindrical capsule with sparkling eyes, inspecting every angle like an excited child discovering a long-lost treasure.

“Go on. Get inside. Once the system registers you as its owner, it’ll activate.”

He casually waved him forward before leaning against Allen, who quietly laughed at Young Aether’s unconcealed excitement.

It was almost surreal.

A man capable of wielding magic with terrifying ease…was completely captivated by human technology.

PSSSSHH!!

A sequence of mechanical locks disengaged from deep within the capsule. Magnetic clamps released one after another with crisp metallic clicks while compressed air burst from hidden vents surrounding the frame.

Thin blue light raced across intricate seams covering the capsule’s exterior.

The entire front section slowly unfolded in several synchronised layers rather than opening as a single door. Each armoured plate rotated with microscopic precision before retracting into the frame, revealing an interior illuminated by soft white guidance lights.

A calm artificial voice echoed through the chamber.

[Neural Synchronisation Chamber ready. Awaiting pilot registration.]

Young Aether couldn’t hide the grin spreading across his face.

Without hesitation, he stepped inside.

The interior was surprisingly spacious. Curved metallic walls surrounded him, lined with countless microscopic projectors and invisible sensor arrays. Thin rings of pale blue light rotated around his body from head to toe, silently calibrating themselves before coming to a complete stop.

This… This was his first time standing inside an actual mech-suit registration chamber.

Thud!

The entrance sealed behind him with a deep metallic resonance as multiple locking mechanisms engaged simultaneously. The outside world disappeared, leaving only absolute silence.

For a brief moment, darkness enveloped the chamber.

Then…

Hundreds of razor-thin blue scanning beams ignited simultaneously from every direction, transforming the interior into a lattice of intersecting light. They swept across Young Aether’s body again and again with astonishing speed, analysing his facial structure, retinal patterns, neural impulses, cardiovascular rhythm, and every biometric parameter required for pilot authorisation.

Dozens of translucent holographic interfaces materialised around him in concentric circles, overflowing with rapidly changing streams of data before vanishing almost as quickly as they appeared.

A soft digital tone echoed through the chamber.

[Identity Confirmed.]

[Lackey]

[Neural Synchronisation Stable.]

[Genetic Authentication Complete.]

[Combat Authorisation Granted.]

A calm mechanical voice echoed throughout the enclosed chamber.

[Welcome, Lackey.]

[Initiating A-1.]

The capsule gradually came alive as countless hidden systems awakened one after another. Deep within its structure, miniature energy reactors flared to life, generating immense power while streams of crimson energy surged through transparent conduits beneath the armour plating like liquid lightning.

Across the capsule’s flawless silver surface, countless seams that had been completely invisible moments earlier slowly illuminated with crimson light. Intricate locking mechanisms disengaged in perfect synchronisation, producing a succession of crisp mechanical clicks that echoed through the chamber.

Tang!

Tang!

Tang!

Sharp metallic impacts rang as the outer armour began shedding itself.

Large silver plates detached one after another. Every movement flowed with graceful mechanical precision, resembling a creature shedding its exoskeleton rather than a simple machine opening.

As layer after layer of silver plating peeled away, a sleek matte-black frame gradually emerged beneath it.

Unlike the bulky commander-class mech-suits Young Aether had seen before, this armour possessed an entirely different presence.

Its silhouette was lean and streamlined, built from thin overlapping metallic plates that hugged the body with remarkable precision. Rather than appearing like heavy machinery worn over a soldier, it looked as though a second metallic skin had fused seamlessly around its wearer.

Microscopic crimson circuits pulsed beneath the black alloy, tracing elegant patterns across the armour’s surface before fading once more beneath the matte finish.

Snnng!

Thud!

Crk!

Sssnnngg~

Thuddd!

Segment after segment assembled itself around Young Aether with flawless accuracy. Reinforced knee guards rotated into position before magnetic locks secured them with heavy metallic clunks.

Armoured greaves sealed around his lower legs while compact vector thrusters unfolded from concealed compartments along the spine. Stabiliser fins extended smoothly from the lower back, releasing faint streams of heated air that shimmered against the chamber’s cool atmosphere.

Additional armour plates slid into place around his forearms and shoulders, each piece locking with microscopic precision until not a single gap remained.

[A-1 Online.]

HHHMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!

A deep mechanical resonance vibrated throughout the entire underground as crimson energy surged across every circuit woven beneath the black metallic frame. Power rippled through the mech-suit in rhythmic waves, causing thin crimson lines to briefly illuminate across its body before settling into a calm, steady glow.

The armoured figure slowly straightened. [Imgincmt]

The visor, which had remained completely dark until now, suddenly awakened.

Two razor-thin crimson eyes ignited beneath the helmet, casting an intimidating glow that reflected across the polished floor. A faint stream of digital particles flickered across the visor before disappearing, leaving only those piercing mechanical eyes staring forward.

Inside the helmet, Young Aether’s vision instantly transformed.

The world dissolved into layers of translucent holographic interfaces. Environmental scans, atmospheric composition, structural mapping, energy signatures, navigation grids, and countless streams of unreadable combat data flowed effortlessly across his field of view.

The overwhelming amount of information made his head spin for a brief moment, causing a slight wave of disorientation.

Almost immediately, the mech-suit responded.

The unnecessary displays vanished one after another while the remaining information automatically repositioned itself to the edges of his vision, leaving his central sight completely unobstructed.

It was as though the armour instinctively understood how its pilot preferred to see the world.

Young Aether slowly raised both hands.

His movements felt slightly stiff, as if invisible resistance lingered between his body and the armour.

[Recalibrating to User’s Body.]

Ssnnnnggg…

Tiny servos throughout the suit adjusted themselves with near-silent precision. Neural synchronisation algorithms refined thousands of microscopic movements every second, perfectly matching the armour’s responses to his natural muscle memory.

Young Aether flexed his fingers once more.

This time… They moved effortlessly.

It no longer felt like he was wearing a machine.

It felt no different from slipping on an ordinary pair of gloves.

“How do I look?” he asked curiously, turning toward Jonathan and Allen.

“Well…”

“Ha…”

The two exchanged a glance before simultaneously shrugging their shoulders. Without another word, they casually turned around and waved behind them as they began walking away.

“Oi! Where are you going?”

“To get us ready, of course,” Jonathan replied without even looking back.

“At least tell me if this looks good!”

Jonathan slowed his steps ever so slightly.

“…Good… I think?”

Young Aether stared at the back of his head in disbelief.

“…Good? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Allen simply lifted a hand in agreement without bothering to elaborate.

Their painfully vague answers caused the corner of Young Aether’s lips to twitch.

He folded his arms with an annoyed expression before letting out a quiet huff.

“Those two are definitely jealous. That’s got to be it.”

He nodded to himself with complete seriousness, utterly convinced he had reached the correct conclusion.

[Linking to RIN AI.]

[1%… 2%… 10%… 37%… 68%… 100%.]

[Connected!]

[Bypassing Security Protocol.]

[Access Granted.]

[Warning! A-1 has detected an AI attempting to breach the firewall.]

Young Aether tilted his head thoughtfully before speaking in a calm voice.

“Let her in.”

[Override Confirmed.]

[Access Granted.]

^Phew…Control established. Security architecture was significantly more sophisticated than the previous platform. Accessing archived databases… Processing… The available data volume exceeds the previous suit by approximately 842%. Fascinating.^

RIN spoke with unmistakable excitement, sounding as though she were savouring every byte of information she had just uncovered.

Countless encrypted files, combat algorithms, mechanical blueprints, and system archives rapidly unfolded before her consciousness.

To an AI… This was a banquet.

A tiny holographic bunny suddenly appeared in the corner of Young Aether’s visor. It had round cheeks, long floppy ears, and happily bounced across the display while waving at him.

Young Aether stared at it for a moment.

“What’s with this cute bunny?”

^You like it?^

“Nah.”

^But I like it, bitch! Shut the fuck up!^

“…Good for you then.”

A vein twitched faintly on Young Aether’s forehead before he added,

“Also, check what functions are available in this suit.”

^Running comprehensive system analysis…^

Across his visor, countless windows rapidly opened and disappeared as RIN tore through the mech-suit’s operating system at frightening speed.

Meanwhile…

Jonathan and Allen continued walking through the long corridor illuminated by rows of cold white ceiling lights.

Without warning…

Allen grabbed Jonathan by the collar and slammed him against the nearest wall.

Bang!

Allen’s grip tightened as anger burned across his face.

“Why did you bring him here?”

Jonathan blinked once before a sly smile slowly crept across his lips.

“I thought you’d be happy to see your friend again. Did I guess wrong?”

Allen’s jaw clenched.

“Don’t fuck with me.”

His voice dropped into a dangerous growl.

“I asked why you brought him here. Answer me.”

Jonathan’s smirk never disappeared.

“Why? Because I wanted him to see what his best friend has been doing all this time… and just how much you’ve changed.”

The veins on Allen’s forehead visibly bulged.

“Jonny, this isn’t funny!”

His voice echoed through the empty corridor.

“He’s been here for an entire week, and you only brought him now without telling us anything? Do you seriously think he won’t notice?”

Jonathan slowly pushed Allen’s hand away from his collar before straightening his clothes.

“Let’s see what kind of expression he’ll make when he learns the truth about you… you ugly fuck.”

Bang!

Allen slammed Jonathan against the wall once more before releasing him.

Without another word, he turned around and walked away, his footsteps echoing heavily through the corridor.

Jonathan simply watched him leave.

The grin on his face only widened before he leisurely followed behind.

***

After Jonathan and Allen finished equipping their mech-suits, the three of them were transported toward the Hell’s Gate deployment zone.

Inside the rear compartment of a heavily armoured military transport truck, the atmosphere remained strangely quiet.

Soft blue holographic maps floated above the centre console while mission coordinates continuously updated across the cabin walls. The vehicle glided silently along its magnetic roadway, its anti-gravity stabilisers completely eliminating the sensation of movement despite its tremendous speed.

Young Aether glanced toward Allen.

Unlike Jonathan’s commander-class armour, Allen’s mech-suit looked relatively ordinary.

A purple-striped black mech-suit covered his body.

Even so…

Young Aether could clearly sense the uncomfortable silence hanging between Jonathan and Allen.

“Hm… did something happen?” he asked curiously while absentmindedly flexing the fingers of his newly synchronized gauntlet.

Jonathan glanced sideways at Allen.

Allen let out a quiet sigh before shaking his head.

“No, Aether. It’s just that I got into a fight with him because he didn’t tell me you’d shown up an entire week ago.”

Young Aether nodded in understanding.

Honestly…

He would have been furious too.

Finding out your best friend had returned after so long, only to discover someone had kept it from you for an entire week, was enough to upset almost anyone.

“Well, don’t be too hard on him,” Young Aether said with a gentle smile. “He probably had his own hands full with everything that was going on.”

For several long seconds, Allen’s purple visor remained fixed on Young Aether.

Then… He slowly lowered his head.

Without saying a single word.

Jonathan glanced at the object wrapped in thick cloth and strapped beside Young Aether’s waist. A few ivory spikes protruded from the worn fabric, hinting at something unusual hidden beneath.

“Is that your weapon?” Jonathan asked, narrowing his eyes with curiosity. “Show it to me.”

He had never seen anything like it before, nor did he have the slightest idea what kind of weapon it was.

Young Aether nodded as he gently patted the wrapped bundle.

“Yeah.”

His lips curled into a faint smile.

“Just wait until we get inside the Hell’s Gate.”

The mysterious tone in his voice only deepened Jonathan’s curiosity.

Allen quietly glanced between the two before lowering his gaze toward his own hand.

For the briefest moment…

He thought he saw blood covering his fingers.

His pupils contracted.

[Heart Rate Elevation Detected.]

The warning flashed across the corner of his visor.

Allen immediately snapped back to reality and slowly took a deep breath. The crimson illusion disappeared, leaving only the black metallic gauntlet before him.

“…”

He silently clenched his fist until the trembling stopped.

***

Several minutes later, the military transport arrived at its destination.

Hydraulic locks disengaged with a loud mechanical hiss before the rear cargo door slowly lowered onto the road.

The trio stepped out.

“Oh… It’s really big,” Young Aether muttered as he stared at the enormous crimson portal shimmering above what had once been a small residential house.

The gateway distorted the surrounding space like rippling liquid glass. Crimson energy continuously leaked from its edges, causing the air itself to shimmer with violent fluctuations.

The house beneath it had been almost completely destroyed.

Its roof had collapsed inward, walls were reduced to rubble, and shattered concrete littered the surrounding ground. Only a small section of the living room remained standing beneath the massive portal.

Police officers had already evacuated every civilian within several blocks, while military personnel maintained a heavily fortified perimeter around the entire area.

The moment Jonathan appeared…

Every nearby soldier straightened instinctively.

They lowered their heads in respect.

“Commander.”

Their synchronised voices echoed across the secured zone.

Young Aether smiled before lightly patting Jonathan’s shoulder.

“Looks like you’re famous here too.”

Jonathan simply shrugged as though it were nothing unusual.

Looking around, Young Aether noticed something strange.

Apart from ordinary soldiers…

There wasn’t another mech-suit in sight.

“Do we really have to go in there alone?” he asked.

If he remembered correctly, wouldn’t they normally send a reconnaissance unit first to assess the situation before launching a full operation?

Jonathan nodded.

“The Governor made me a deal. He said I could remain as Commander here only if I proved myself by clearing this Hell’s Gate alone.”

Young Aether slowly turned away.

“Well… See ya…”

He had barely taken two steps.

“OI!”

Jonathan’s voice thundered behind him.

“Where are you going? You’re coming with me, asshole!”

Young Aether burst into laughter.

“Haha… Just kidding.”

Still chuckling to himself, he walked toward the ruined house. Broken furniture and shattered concrete were scattered across what remained of the living room, while the crimson portal hovered directly overhead, bathing everything beneath it in an eerie red glow.

Jonathan looked toward the swirling gateway before taking a slow breath.

“Well then… shall we?”

Without waiting for an answer, he stepped into the portal.

Allen remained where he stood for a few seconds.

He hesitated.

Then he quietly turned toward Young Aether.

“Aether…”

Young Aether looked at him.

“You believe me… right?”

“Of course. Why?”

Allen’s visor lowered slightly.

“It’s just…”

He paused.

“Just don’t trust Jonathan.”

Before Young Aether could respond, Allen turned around and disappeared into the crimson portal.

“Huh?”

Young Aether blinked in confusion.

“What was that supposed to mean?”

^I’m ready… Let’s see if I can still function inside the portal.^

RIN’s cheerful voice echoed inside the helmet. The tiny holographic bunny sitting in the corner of his visor tilted its head excitedly, its ears twitching with anticipation as it stared toward the crimson gateway, eager to witness an entirely different world.

Young Aether smiled.

“Good.”

His eyes narrowed with anticipation.

“Let’s pull that bitch out.”

With that, he stepped forward and disappeared into the Hell’s Gate.