[About Three Hours Later]
Zeus was sitting with Sam and George, who were caught in a heated argument about something Zeus wasn't particularly interested in.
Next to Zeus, Surai was sitting silently, observing the atmosphere around them.
Zeus turned to him and asked,
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"What was my relationship like with Beatrix?"
Surai thought for a moment before answering briefly,
"Close friends… to the point that you stopped going out with us as much recently. That's why Sam and a few others were a bit upset with you."
"Then why does it seem like you all don't like Beatrix?"
"It's not that we hate her… I really respect her. She's a brilliant fighter and a reliable teammate in the field."
"So is it true that she's arrogant and full of herself?"
"No… like you, I don't see her that way. She's a quiet woman who doesn't like getting too close to people. But I can understand that. On the battlefield, she's always helped anyone in trouble. Maybe it's just her commanding tone and cold demeanor that put people off."
"There's something bothering me… when I met her, she seemed really sad. Do you think I should go see her again?"
Surai looked at Zeus thoughtfully before answering with certainty,
"My friend, I think you should go see her as soon as possible… you have no idea how hard it is for someone close to you to forget you."
"I've been trying to call her for the past hour, but she's not answering."
"Of course she's not. Sam told her about the party, and she definitely knows you're here."
"Where does she live?"
"! … Are you thinking of going there?"
"Maybe."
"It seems you don't know who Beatrix is… she's the daughter of the city lord, from the noble Estac family. You'll find her at the municipal palace. But trust me, you don't want to go there… that place is heavily guarded."
(Zeus): "Estac family! The noble family deeply involved in military affairs… they have most of the city's weapons research scientists—intercontinental missiles and even weapons of mass destruction. You mean that family?"
"Yes, that one."
(Zeus smiling): "Wanna bet I can sneak into the palace?"
"If you're betting whether or not you're crazy enough to try it—yes, I'm sure you're insane enough to try."
"No… I'm not betting on whether I'll try. I'm betting on success or failure."
"!! … Are you serious?"
"Sam told me you specialize in infiltration missions. If you give me some info and tips—and with the secret backup tools I have—there's a high chance I'll succeed."
"Beyond all that… why do you want to do this?"
"I can't sleep knowing there's a girl crying because of me."
Surai laughed out loud, grabbing the attention of Sam, George, and John… even the three girls sitting a bit farther away.
(Alya): "!! … Since when can this man laugh like that?"
Surai stood up and pulled Zeus to walk away, leaving behind a single word that only deepened the group's confusion—they had no idea what was going on.
"You noble bastard… I love your madness, man. I accept the bet."
Once they walked away, Hanabi asked Sam,
"What were they talking about?"
Sam just shrugged with an "I have no idea" gesture.
A few minutes later, the loud sound of Surai's black car could be heard as it left the area.
(Alya): "I know this feeling… those two bastards found something fun and didn't include us!"
(Sam): "I'm feeling the exact same way."
---
[After passing several mountains to reach the tallest peak in the region / Somewhere at the base of the mountain]
Surai's car stopped between the trees of the forest. After stepping out and leaning against the car, arms folded, Zeus joined him.
(Zeus): "Got a cigarette?"
"Trying to look cool?"
"No, just a little tense."
"Don't tell me you're backing out! That would be boring, man. Why bring us here then?"
"I never said I was backing out!! Just give me the damn cigarettes if you've got them."
"Here you go."
Surai reached into the car door and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the inner pocket.
Zeus lit one and listened to Surai's explanation.
"First, you can't take any energy source with you, no matter the type. The mountain has a highly advanced detection system. Before I tell you anything else, you need to prove you can bypass that issue."
"You mean the detector can sense my genetic energy?"
"Yes, but that's not a problem—I'll give you my suit."
"No, I don't need it. Just tell me the rest."
"You're joking! You can't get in without a high-grade stealth suit."
"Dude, you're a third-tier gene fighter. My body can't handle the energy pressure from your suit."
"I can disable most of its functions to make it work with you."
"Forget it, I've got another trick."
"You can't hack the security system if that's your plan… it's a closed circuit. The only way to access it is through a cable inside."
"No, not that—I've got something different. Now tell me about the guard distribution and security systems. I'm not explaining my plan to you."
"Fine, do what you want—but don't come crying later. As for the rest of the security: there are automated machine guns along the palace walls, a whole army of remote-controlled robots stored underground… As for the guards—check out this map."
"!! … How did you get a detailed map of the palace and its defenses!?"
"Our team's database has blueprints for all buildings in the city—even government ones."
"! … Do you have clearance to access that info!?"
"Of course not. It's easy to breach the system from the inside. I have copies of some data… and don't act so shocked—it was you who made me steal that data in the past."
"!! … Why?"
"Long story—I'll tell you later. Now are you going in or backing out?"
"I'm going in… wait here. I'll be back in an hour and a half."
Zeus handed two of his rings and one bracelet to Surai, keeping only the one bracelet that represented his weapon.
He began climbing the mountain, walking silently among the trees until he vanished from sight.
Before entering the sensor's range, Zeus destroyed the energy-storing inscriptions on his body—effectively turning him into a regular human.
That way, the detector couldn't sense his blue energy—since it no longer existed inside him.
As for Zeus' weapon, it didn't use blue energy at all—it used mysterious inscription energy.
A type of energy Zeus couldn't analyze or trace, despite all his attempts with various devices.