As Suteil sat beside Orim near the door of the carriage, he couldn't shake off a strange feeling. If the Magenta Forest is really as dangerous as they say, then why the hell haven't we been attacked by any monsters? A chill ran down his spine. Shit… did I end up with some insanely strong people? If he asked, they might find him suspicious.
After a moment of hesitation, he decided to brave it. Turning to Orim, he asked, "Hey, Orim… why haven't any monsters attacked us?"
Silence.
Everyone in the carriage turned to look at Suteil.
Damn… I really messed up. I should've just kept my mouth shut.
Then, Orim burst into laughter. "You're a strange one, outsider. The Magenta Forest isn't dangerous because of the number of monsters—it's dangerous because of the unknown ones. If a thousand people enter this forest, only a hundred make it out alive."
Orim smirked. "You really are a weird one."
Suteil stiffened. Shit… now what? He's getting suspicious of me.
Before he could think of an excuse, another man, Ralen, spoke up. "Where are you from, Suteil?"
His mind raced. Should I just say I'm from planet Rey? He clenched his fists. Ah, screw it.
"Evo, prepare for microelectric shock," he whispered under his breath.
With a snap of his fingers—BOOM!
The entire horse carriage exploded.
Suteil raised his hand, bending the light around him to turn himself invisible. In the next instant, metal fragments and energy surged around his body, forming into a suit—a masterpiece of technology. Blue energy pulsed through glowing lines, converging into three core reactors: one on his right shoulder, one on his left, and the last at the center of his chest. The core itself was a unique pentagonal circuit, packed with millions of transistors. The suit was forged from a special iron alloy—light, flexible, and highly conductive.
A dark voice echoed in his mind. You wasted too much energy creating this complicated suit. I can only maintain it for 30 minutes.
Then, another voice—calm, yet edged with amusement. You better pay attention. This guy might be crazy, but he knows what he's doing.
Suteil smirked. "Evo, what percentage of completion is the suit at?"
"Approximately 60%, sir," Evo responded.
"Good enough. You'll take the lead in this system," Suteil said.
Channeling atomic energy into the suit, his body surged with power. Then, in a flash of lightning, he dashed away—putting as much distance as possible between himself and the four strangers.