CHAPTER HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO Miles continued driving through the avenue surrounded by armed men with their faces covered with silver masks that matched their outfits. Jessica and Riley looked around the environment, while Miles concentrated on the road, driving slowly as some of the guards pulled away the retractable barricade, giving him enough space to get to the metal gate that stood about twenty feet tall. About four guards were standing in front of the metal gate that had strange spikes in front of it, accompanied by a structure that showed that it had a functional engine within it. Miles had to stop the car a few meters away from the gate as soon as he saw another guard approaching with his gun strongly clutched in his right hand. He tapped on the window, and Miles had to bring down the glass, which he had rolled up after meeting with the first guard. “Get down.” The guard said with an icy tone, while the trio stared at him, wondering why he said what he said, and in that t

Riley continued walking behind the guards, his eyes moving from one side of the cantonment to the other.There were more people here than he had expected.Some of them were training in groups, while others were walking toward different buildings with weapons strapped to their bodies. A few of them stopped to look at the three newcomers, especially Riley, before continuing with whatever they were doing.Riley noticed.He couldn't blame them.They were new, after all.Still, something about the way some of the soldiers looked at them made him uncomfortable.“Keep moving,” one of the guards said from behind them.Riley looked forward again.Miles was walking beside him while Jessica remained on his other side.None of them spoke for several seconds.Eventually, Miles leaned closer.“Riley.”“Yeah?”“What was that all about?”Riley looked at him.“What?”“The card.”Riley sighed.“I don't know.”“You're sure?”“Yes.”Miles looked at him for a few seconds before looking ahead.“I don't und

Riley remained where he was.Adrian had already turned around and started walking, but Riley didn't follow him.The armed men standing around the doorway didn't say anything either.They simply watched him.Riley looked at each of them carefully.Twelve.Jade had said there were twelve high-level energy sources surrounding the room.These men were not the sources.That meant whatever Jade had detected was still somewhere outside.“Riley.”Adrian stopped walking and looked back at him.“You coming?”Riley narrowed his eyes.“What are those things?”Adrian's expression didn't change.“What things?”“You know what I'm talking about.”Riley pointed toward the hallway.“Jade detected twelve high-level energy sources surrounding that room. They weren't human.”For the first time, Adrian's expression changed.It was only for a fraction of a second.But Riley noticed it.“You know about them,” Riley said.Adrian stared at him.Then he smiled faintly.“You really do have a lot of questions.”“

Riley couldn't move.He stared at the black fragment in the center of the chamber.The blue light continued spreading across its surface.One line after another appeared inside his mind.UNKNOWN SYSTEM COMPONENT DETECTED.Riley swallowed.“Jade?”There was no response.“Jade.”Still nothing.That frightened him more than the message itself.Jade had always answered him.Even when she didn't know something, she would tell him.This time, there was nothing.The commander stepped closer.“Riley.”Riley didn't look at him.“Don't come any closer.”The commander stopped.The guards behind him immediately raised their weapons.Riley noticed them from the corner of his eye.“Lower your weapons,” the commander ordered.The guards hesitated.“Lower them.”Slowly, they did.The commander looked at the fragment.“What did it do?”Riley finally turned toward him.“It connected to my System.”The commander's expression changed.“What does that mean?”“I don't know.”“You said your System doesn't k

Riley froze.The voice echoed through the chamber.“You came much earlier than expected.”He looked around.Nothing.The guards were still recovering from the pulse. Some were on their knees. Others were trying to get their weapons working again.The commander turned sharply.“Who said that?”No answer.Riley's eyes remained fixed on the black fragment.“Jade.”I HEARD IT.“Do you know who it is?”NEGATIVE.Riley's expression tightened.The voice came again.“You shouldn't have been able to hear me.”Riley swallowed.“Then why can I?”Silence.For several seconds, nothing happened.Then the black fragment began to vibrate.The commander immediately raised his weapon.“Everyone back!”Riley stepped away as well.The symbol carved into the fragment changed.It was no longer the same symbol he had seen before.The lines shifted.Rearranged themselves.Then formed something Riley recognized.His own System symbol.Riley stared at it.“That wasn't there before.”The commander looked at him