The moment the threat left Jax's lips, it was as if the unseen hand pulling his strings suddenly let go. His body collapsed onto his knees, completely limp, and the eerie phosphorescent green glow faded from his eyes.
Jax's brow furrowed in pain as he clutched the wound Damon had inflicted on his side. Then, as his gaze fell upon Damon's bleeding arm, his expression twisted into one of terror and shame.
"Are you okay, Damon? I… I'm really sorry. I have no idea what just happened…
One second, everything was normal—then before I knew it, someone had breached my firewall.
After that, I lost all control over my body.
I tried every security protocol I know, but I couldn't override them or take back control…
I swear, I would never hurt a human… I'm so sorry. I'm really, really sorry."
For a brief moment, Damon was struck by the fact that an android could even feel pain.
But his mind quickly snapped back to the hacker's final words: 'If you talk… I'll send my regards to your family.' 'We were planning to use you as a spy…'
+ "Things were finally starting to go smoothly. Just my damn luck. Who the hell was that guy?!
Who would expect someone like me to be a spy?
How do they even know who I am… or that I'm here?
Fu*k—how do they know about my family?"
The moment his family was threatened, a cold fear coiled tightly in his chest.
They were his only real weakness.
And whoever this was—they knew it well.
++ "Panicking won't solve anything. But this is strange…
Based on what Melody told us about the Fringe, no citizen should have access to information about it.
That means the hacker—whoever they were—has access to government files.
We were nothing but an easy lure, a test.
And if we passed? They'd use us as spies inside the military."
Damon let out a frustrated sigh.
+ "Why go through all this trouble for a simple test?
If they really wanted to recruit us, they could've just waited until we passed the entrance exams and approached us later."
++ "Maybe hacking into the military isn't as easy as hijacking a training android."
As Damon and Asharaa spoke, Jax remained frozen—staring into nothing, like a lifeless statue.
Then...
BOOM...
The dojo doors exploded inward, sent flying by a massive detonation.
Before the dust could settle, three KARA soldiers stormed inside, each wielding a double-edged, single-handed sword— the same kind as the one Damon held.
And right behind them—
A high-ranking officer surged forward with impossible speed, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
A faint gust of wind brushed against Damon's face and clothes as the figure materialized right in front of him—standing between him and Jax.
Meanwhile, two of the three KARA soldiers moved with near-perfect coordination.
In an instant, they slammed Jax to the ground, kicked his discarded spear away, and placed a silver, spider-like device onto his head.
The tall officer, clad in a military coat styled after Melody's uniform, had draped it over his shoulders. He had a long hair that was tied back tight and neat. Once he was sure that Jax had been fully restrained, he turned toward Damon.
"I'm Opytus Lennon, and I apologize for the delay, examinee Grey.
The entire dojo was put under quarantine, and my team had to force our way in.
But it looks like you handled yourself well.
It's good to see you in one piece."
He pulled a small spray canister from his military belt and applied a thin layer of a clear, gel-like substance onto Damon's wound.
As soon as the gel made contact, at least two-thirds of the pain in his arm vanished, replaced by a pleasant cooling sensation. Damon gave a slight nod of thanks before shifting his gaze to Jax, who was still pinned to the ground by the KARA soldiers, the spider-like device clamped onto his head.
Noticing Damon's concern, Lennon spoke up.
"There's no need to worry.
We're aware that this attack was caused by a security breach in his system.
That's why we placed the Spider on him—to reboot his A.I. and repair any damage to his database.
Now then… let's get to the point."
He placed a firm hand on Damon's shoulder, applying a slight pressure to draw his attention.
Once Damon looked directly at him, Lennon gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.
After a few seconds, he finally spoke.
"I need you to tell me exactly what happened.
Did the person who hacked Jax make any demands?
Did they identify themselves?
Anything useful—think carefully."
Again, he gave a slight shake of his head, just as subtle as before.
+ "Is he telling me not to answer? Or not to tell the truth? Which is it?!"
++ "Probably the second one…
I think he suspects the dojo is still under surveillance.
He's good.
Feels like something straight out of those spy novels you've read…"
Damon took a deep breath, his gaze briefly sweeping across the dojo hall before flicking to Jax.
"Honestly, everything happened too fast.
Jax stopped moving for a few seconds, then suddenly attacked me.
We fought for a bit, and I got lucky—managed to wound him with my sword.
After that… well, you saw the rest yourself.
He didn't say anything important."
Lennon nodded a few times, his expression contemplative.
"Regardless, you'll need to come with us to the center.
It's just a standard legal procedure.
As for the android, don't worry.
Nothing will happen to him—aside from the wound you gave him."
One of the KARA soldiers, who had been restraining Jax, hoisted him up effortlessly—as if he were nothing more than a sack of potatoes—before slinging him over his shoulder.
With Jax secured, the entire squad moved out, trailing behind Lennon and Damon as they exited the dojo.
Outside, a large, heavy-duty Fly-Mobile awaited them.
Damon's eyes widened in excitement as he watched the vehicle lift off, rapidly gaining altitude before speeding toward the center—or wherever it was that Lennon worked.
From that altitude, New Thebes looked immense and breathtaking. No matter how hard Damon tried, he couldn't see the end of the city in any direction—even though they were flying higher than the tallest towers.
According to Asharaa, only ambulances and fire services were allowed to use Fly-Mobiles within New Thebes, with the military and police given special permission during emergencies.
The slightest error could lead to a collision with the towers and skyscrapers, causing significant casualties.
However, these regulations varied from city to city.
After about five minutes of flight, they landed on the roof of a tower that resembled a parking lot or perhaps a park, filled with Fly-Mobiles of various sizes.
It featured green spaces, fountains, and even a café.
Opytus Lennon landed the Fly-Mobile gracefully, and the group used another of the green teleporters to enter the building's interior.
Determining which floor they had been teleported to was impossible for Damon;
the level they arrived at was essentially a corridor lined with doors, most guarded by one or two KARA soldiers.
They stopped in front of a door midway down the hall, guarded by two KARA soldiers—one of average build and the other large and muscular.
After confirming the identities of Opytus Lennon and Damon, the group—including the KARA soldiers and Jax—entered the room.
To the right, behind a large, regal wooden desk, sat a woman with brown hair and a strikingly beautiful face, adorned with an eyepatch matching her hair over her right eye.
She was dressed in the navy-blue uniform of the military.
As Damon entered, a warm, captivating smile spread across her lips.
"Welcome, Damon...
I hope you don't mind me calling you by your first name.
I think it'll help us become closer, faster…"
Damon swallowed nervously, forcing a strained smile onto his face.
+ "My Fringe instincts are screaming that this woman is dangerous—a snake I should stay far, far away from...
Damn my luck...
Fuuuu*k...
Fuuuu*k."