The very next day Jeremy realized something unexpected.
"Why didn't I change this time?"
He mumbled to himself when Axela appeared to him in digital form outside of his brain.
[It appears that the master has locked the chameleon command and you cannot change now.]
"What!?"
Jeremy shouted and saw his reflection which made his heart drop down in the pits of grief.
"So, you mean I'm forever stuck in this 17 years old body now?"
Axela shrugged and shook her head while responding to his question.
[Apparently yes, until the master gives me commands again. Although you don't look bad.]
She patted his head and Jeremy felt a feathery touch.
"Duh! I'm an adult, how can I cope with a teens body? It feels robbed as if I have lost a handsome sum."
He complained and touched his face which made him look delicate.
"Can't you turn me just for once more? And who's this bit*chy master of yours?"
The detective was burning with rage and turned towards Axela with a grumpy teen face.
[Hey, hey, mind your language...you insolent brat! My master's command saved you from that cell.]
"Yeah right! But why did your master choose to save me without any reason?"
Jeremy knew that no answer would arrive but one thing was confirmed, the anonymous master was on his side.
[You fully know that you won't get any answer, right?]
"Right! But at least tell me why I cannot unlock the command suddenly?"
He became curious yet anxious since he couldn't change now, and it meant that Jeremy had to be careful now.
[I believe we will find the answer outside since the master didn't leave any clue to us.]
"Mm. Okay, lets see-"
Before Jeremy could reply an announcement echoed in the building, and the residents were summoned to gather in the front lawn.
"What kind of trouble is this now?"
Jeremy became irritated that one after another everything was going against him. And the things were becoming unwelcoming for Jeremy Grayson.
Nonetheless he tidied up and headed towards the lawn where the flying bots were gathered. An announcement was running inviting the nobles and commoners to the competition.
"What kind of lousy strategy is this? But the reward is tempting for sure, a top class system implantation with a tested optimization serum."
Jeremy's eyes shone with the glint of evil, he wanted to take part because of so many opportunities.
[Don't tell me you are planning to jump into the fire even after knowing that it's a trap, specially designed to lure you out of the shadows!]
"That's why we are going to join to challenge them, that they can't catch me."
Axela gulped seeing her host turning into a mad man, she could sense evil within him.
But for some unknown reason there was a barrier between Jeremy's core and Axela, she was unable to sense anything else than a few thoughts and his heartbeat.
Quite an unusual thing for an extremely efficient AI (artificial intelligence).
[Are you certain? You can get caught since the command is locked now. And we don't really have anything on us.]
"Wrong! That's not our weakness Axela. It is our strength and our camouflage."
Jeremy crossed his arms on his chest and proudly glanced at the announcement.
It wasn't the first time the government had commenced such games and competitions. The authorities knew how to play with fears and hunger of the people, and to lure them into the trap for trials.
To fill the empty tummies and to improve the lifestyle people volunteered. No matter how much humanity had achieved, greed splitted the people and maintained the status quo.
[Well, if you say so. But what's the point of joining and going all through the games? Weren't you planning to operate outside the system?]
"I had a change of mind right after hearing the announcement. We will proceed as they expect us to."
Jeremy turned around to go back to his room with a careless manner yet a confident smile.
Whereas the citizens were excited to see this year's champion. While most were planning to join for the reward, and for the privileges which guaranteed a lavish lifestyle.
[O- okay!]
Rumours soon spread like wildfire, Artemis Corbyn (Jeremy Grayson) a seventeen years old kid had entered the deadly games. The authorities overlooked it because numerous teens had joined, then what made Artemis Corbyn special?
Let the misadventure begin!
Misadventure?
Jeremy stood behind the huge swarm of people in the queue, waiting impatiently for the gates to open. The opportunities weren't any less than hitting a jackpot worth the handsome amount of money, good enough to live without working.
'Let's see what secrets you are hiding and whom you are protecting.'
Jeremy skimmed through the queue and waited for his turn, the detective had to take notes to prevent his drop out or any failure.
'It seems the competition is open to every class. Mm, they suspect that I might have taken refuge somewhere unexpected.'
He meant by a shabby place or some dump yard but who would have known, that the runaway prisoner Jeremy Grayson was living among them.
[Next is your turn, Jeremy.]
Axela informed him and snagged his attention when Jeremy showed his identity and underwent the verification.
Somehow above on the sixth floor of the building a man was examining the contestants. His eye lens served as a magnifier, while the information was being loaded into his system on the wrist.
Jeremy walked inside the building totally off guard and with amazement, since it was his first time he had visited the rich division. The sect was never welcoming to anyone belonging to lower the area, thus it enticed him.
It was the very moment when somebody shouted from behind startling Jeremy.
"Watch out, kid!"
Jeremy turned around reflexively only to see a bot which was about to throw a laser beam at him.
'Oh shit!'
He studied the surroundings and ran forward towards the desk in the middle of the empty down hall. The room was three sided concrete with the entrance of a glass door and big windows.
'Is this some kind of test?'
Jeremy immediately grasped that the table was deliberately put there to give the wrong idea.
[I believe so. What are you going to do?]
A smirk graced his face as he motioned zig zag while dodging the beams and dashed towards the entrance. Jeremy Grayson aka Artemis Corbyn knew his shit pretty well.
'Just you wait and watch!'
Jeremy was confident whereas his witty response forced the anonymous man to take an interest in him.