Chapter 260: Seeing Kylie Again
A cadence of crimson erupted from the anvil as Seth landed the final strike, causing a resonating hum from nearby parts.
Wiping off the perspiration dripping down his forehead, he heaved a sigh of relief — he was finally done.
With a wave, he warped the forged parts into his inventory. Seth would have loved to return to Earth then and there, but after being briefed on the consequences of unsafe teleportation to and from the Origin Realm, he decided against it.
Not only could he accidentally appear in a spot physically occupied by an evolver, causing an overlap in dimensional frequency that would result in mutual destruction...
There was also the chance that his enemies might set up a trap in a location they knew he’d appear in, and before he could even complete his teleportation, he’d be overwhelmed.
It was better to build safe habits now, because back at the safe residences, those buildings were fortified by the Origin Realm, and only those who leased them could enter.
Even enemies wouldn’t be able to break in by any means.
On his way out, he used the Meta card to alert Malgo that he was done, leaving some extra payment on the forge table.
He rushed back to their rented safe residence, making sure to renew their lease for the span of a month.
Just in case of war.
Within the cozy embrace of their residence, he wasted no time and activated the Origin Gate.
With a brilliant flash of milky gold, Seth’s frame bled back into the sitting room.
Glancing at his teammates, who had been anxiously waiting, he caught their surprised gazes.
Uriel glanced at the clock with a raised brow. Between the span of Seth leaving for the Origin Realm and returning, only about three hours had elapsed.
Even though they expected him to be quick, to them it was still too fast.
All were astonished except for Brandon. Having witnessed Seth’s forging firsthand, he was well aware of how monstrous Seth’s talent and efficiency were.
Seth gave them a quick nod and bolted for the door. There was no time — every second counted.
And each minute that passed drew them closer to deployment.
Racing through the skies, he zipped across the horizon. With Earth upgraded, it was as though he could finally breathe with ease.
The strain of constantly holding back had eased, and he could channel his speed stat to its fullest.
Though his reaction speed was a tad faster than his overall travel speed, it was still enough to get him to his destination within a few dozen seconds.
He dived down, racing toward the gleaming dome facility.
With a sweeping gust, he landed. The security agents were awed and alarmed, but upon catching a clear sight of Seth, they eased their guard.
The captain he had appointed to keep watch in case Kylie exited seclusion rushed up to him.
With a quick salute, the man attempted to explain that Kylie still wasn’t out yet, but Seth wasn’t having it.
Walking through the grand entrance, he navigated his way through the building with the panicked soldier tailing behind, trying to dissuade him.
Suddenly, Seth halted in his tracks. His gaze sharpened as he glanced at his hands.
His body simmered with a faint bronze gleam, imperceptible to the ordinary eye, but he could feel it clearly.
Something was stirring a reaction from his bronze genes. His brows furrowed as he felt a mental urge, almost as though his instincts were pulling him toward a certain direction.
The soldier behind him grimaced at the sight, but there was nothing he could do. In the end, he gave up and left Seth to walk alone.
Instead, he hurried to alert the only person he assumed could talk to Seth — the grand supervisor, Ronald Hart.
In the meantime, Seth, who had abruptly changed path, continuously followed the pull down an isolated hallway.
There were security barriers in place, but fortunately Seth’s identity card had been logged into the system.
The government and scientists were clear on the fact that no security measure could ever hinder the Apex’s path, and to avoid unnecessary property damage...
They granted him full access to almost all facilities. So except for a few highly secured sites Seth didn’t even know about, he could technically access all locations across the entire Aegis safe zone.
Reaching what seemed to be the final massive vacuum‑sealed doors, Seth felt the sudden jump in reaction from his bronze cells and instantly knew he was close.
He quickly pasted his card on the security sensor. After a split‑second scan, it flashed green.
A mechanical whirr rang out, followed by a seething hiss, as the doors slid open — the sight bleeding into Seth’s eyes.
His gaze locked onto the only human figure within. He blinked in astonishment. "Kylie?"
He called, but she remained unresponsive. Her frame was strapped to a mechanical chair, with interconnected transparent tubes attached from various angles, pumping an unknown gleaming coppery‑brown substance...
His frame flashed forward, abruptly appearing close to her. A worried light filled his eyes as he reached out gently for her neck, instinctively checking for a pulse.
And indeed, there was a steady pressure. She was alive, but that still didn’t ease his worry.
How did she get into this situation?
Who did this to her, and why?
His brows creased as he was plagued with the urge to rip off the mesh attached to her. But in the end, he didn’t.
He hadn’t known Kylie for long, but he knew enough to understand there could be another possibility.
She did this to herself...
His nose twitched as he perceived a familiar scent... blood. To be precise, his own blood.
Fortunately, before his mind could conjure wild conclusions, an elderly but lively familiar voice called out from behind him.
"Lad, I would need you to step back away from her slowly..." the voice spoke evenly.
Seth’s gaze sharpened, fitting an image to the voice. Finally, someone who could explain what was going on was here.