I Merged with a Forbidden SSS-Rank Nanosuit After Being Abandoned-Chapter 85 - Tracking Device
Both Zion and Koru sped up, zigzagging through the crowds of mercenaries on the sidewalks.
After a few minutes, the landing bay finally came into sight.
"Finally," Koru rumbled, brows furrowed as he approached the ship.
Just as the ramp lowered and they were about to step in, Uriel’s voice echoed through Zion’s head.
[Host, I’m picking up a signal on the bottom of the ship,] the AI said, voice low. [It seems to be a tracking device.]
Zion’s eyes narrowed, freezing mid-step as a hologram popped up in his eye.
[I’ve opened up a map with its location marked. Please get rid of it as soon as possible.]
Koru immediately noticed, also coming to a stop. "What’s going on?"
"Don’t worry about it," Zion said, jumping off the ramp. "You go in. I’ll be there in a second."
Koru’s brows furrowed, but he nodded once and walked inside.
Zion quickly made his way to the marker under the ship and started searching for any foreign object attached to the bottom.
[Our ship has just been cleared for airspace,] Uriel reported. [Once the tracker is gone, we can take off immediately.]
"That’s good," he mumbled, rapidly scanning the underside.
That’s when his head suddenly stopped.
A strange black device was hidden between several compartments.
"Is this it?" Zion asked, grabbing hold of the device.
[Affirmative.]
Zion ripped the device out without hesitation, tossing it onto the ground beside him, intentionally choosing not to destroy it.
With that, he turned back to the ramp and quickly made his way inside.
"Start the engines," he said as the ramp shifted shut behind him. "We’ve already wasted too much time."
[Starting engines now,] Uriel immediately replied. [Please hold onto something as we lift off.]
Zion nodded, holding onto the walls as he made his way to the control room.
Once the door shifted open, he found Koru already strapped into his seat.
Koru turned his head immediately. "Is everything alright?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
"Yes. I’ve taken care of it," Zion replied.
Just as he was about to reach his seat, the ship shook violently.
[Lifting off now,] Uriel reported. [Thrusters are ready in two minutes.]
Zion didn’t respond, gripping the back of his seat tightly.
As the ground grew smaller and smaller, the ship’s shaking finally cooled down.
He threw himself into his chair, strapping himself in just before the ship started pitching its tip upward.
The ship’s nose tilted completely upward in seconds, thrusters already roaring from behind.
[Thrusters are ready,] Uriel’s voice came through. [Exiting atmosphere in four minutes.]
Zion exhaled slowly and closed his eyes for a moment.
That’s when the thrusters activated, shooting the ship upward at rapid speed.
"Flying still feels strange," Koru muttered beside him, gripping the armrests tightly.
"You’ll get used to it," Zion said, opening his eyes. "Be prepared though. In a couple of minutes, the ship will shake again."
Koru stiffened immediately, his hands clenching the armrests tighter.
In front of them, the sky slowly turned darker and darker as the ship approached the upper atmosphere.
From there, it didn’t take long before the ship started shaking again as it entered open space.
Both Zion and Koru held on tightly, but the shaking seemed far less intense compared to when they left Planet D-418.
[We are in open space now,] Uriel finally said as the shaking subsided. [ETA to Heliax is three days.]
"You can unbuckle now," Zion said, clicking open his straps.
Koru followed suit, unbuckling himself before standing up and stretching his arms.
"This feels better," he said, cracking his neck.
Then he turned to Zion. "Can I learn with the hologram in the training room again?"
Zion raised an eyebrow but quickly nodded.
"Of course," he answered with a smile. "Just tell me what you want to learn."
Koru scratched his chin for a moment, clearly unsure.
Finally, Zion saw a flash of excitement run through his eyes as his mouth flew open. "I want to learn more about the mercenary stuff!"
Zion shook his head lightly, his smile broadening. "That’s easy," he said. "It’ll be ready by the time you get there."
Koru’s excitement flared as he slapped Zion on the back again and again, each blow heavy enough to make his bones ache, before laughing and disappearing down the corridor.
’What a peculiar Sentinel,’ Zion thought, brushing the dust from his clothes. ’Anyway...’
He turned around, narrowing his eyes as he stared into space.
"Can you tell if we were followed?"
Uriel didn’t answer immediately, quickly performing multiple scans.
[It doesn’t appear to be the case,] it finally said, voice low. [But it’s too soon to judge.]
Zion nodded slowly. If a higher-class ship came after them, it would spell trouble. They were still relatively close to the planet and easy to find.
’What are our odds if that happens?’
[That depends on their objective,] Uriel replied instantly, as if expecting the question. [If they are here to capture Koru, they won’t be able to attack our ship, since they’d risk killing him.]
It paused for a moment.
[And if their objective is to kill us, it would depend on how much higher-grade their ship is.]
A moment of silence fell as Zion sank into thought.
"That’s a better reply than expected," he finally said. "But let’s just hope nothing happens."
[Agreed.]
Zion stared at the countless stars ahead, a strange feeling settling over him.
"Uriel," he said quietly. "Keep scanning, please. I don’t want any surprises."
[Understood, host.]
Zion closed his eyes, exhaling deeply.
’Three days,’ he thought. ’I’d better get to the bottom of my new weapons before then.’
Not to mention using them on creatures—he had a strange feeling they’d see human blood even before that.
Zion stood up, eyes darting toward the corridor Koru had just entered.
"If I want to use them in a dangerous situation like that..." he mumbled, staring at his hands. "I can’t afford to know nothing about them."
