Chapter 111: Move out
After assigning Wei-Wan's team, Aerin shifted the holographic display one final time. The crowded commercial districts dissolved into a completely different section of Playmore as towering government buildings, noble estates, corporate headquarters and heavily guarded financial institutions illuminated the map in brilliant shades of white and gold.
Unlike the city's underground, where criminals hid behind masks and shadows, this part of Playmore hid its monsters beneath tailored suits, expensive jewellery and carefully rehearsed smiles.
Aerin studied the projection for several quiet seconds before speaking.
"Avenor."
Nyx looked up.
"So do you."
The holographic display zoomed further into the heart of the upper district.
"You'll both be with me."
Nyx raised an eyebrow.
"The political sector?"
Aerin nodded.
"You know this city better than any of us."
She tapped several highlighted buildings floating above the map.
"You know the influential families."
Another marker appeared.
"You know the corporations."
A third followed immediately after.
"And more importantly..."
Her finger rested on the glowing icon of a magnificent palace overlooking the city.
"...you know the people hiding behind all of them."
Nyx released a long sigh before rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"...I hate politicians."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Aerin's lips.
"Good."
She folded her arms.
"Then you'll fit in perfectly."
A quiet chuckle spread through the group before Aerin turned toward the final member who had remained silent throughout the briefing.
Brandon.
Unlike everyone else, he hadn't been paying attention to the holographic map.
Not because he wasn't listening...But because his enormous hands were already occupied repairing the heavily damaged armoured transport that had carried them this far.
Metal components surrounded him in organised piles while sparks occasionally burst from beneath the vehicle.
TZZZT!
CLANG!
Despite his massive frame, Brandon handled each component with remarkable care, tightening bolts, reconnecting damaged circuits and replacing shattered armour plating as though performing delicate surgery instead of mechanical repairs.
Aerin walked over to him.
"You'll stay here."
Brandon didn't look up immediately. Instead, he tightened one final bolt before setting his wrench aside.
"...Understood."
"You'll remain our scout."
Aerin's tone became noticeably softer.
"If Daito returns..."
She paused briefly.
"...contact every team immediately."
The mention of Daito caused the entire parking structure to fall silent.
No one spoke and no one moved. Every member of the group wore a different expression, but they all shared the same thought.
None of them knew whether Daito was alive. None of them knew if his battle against Monday Valhalla had truly ended.
For all they knew...He was still fighting or worse...The silence lingered until Mardale finally stepped forward. The humour that usually defined him had vanished completely.
His playful grin disappeared, replaced by an expression so serious that even Champagne instinctively stopped smiling.
"Listen carefully."
His deep voice echoed through the abandoned structure.
"I've lived long enough to know exactly what kind of place Playmore really is."
He slowly looked around at each member of the team.
"This city..."
"...is dangerous."
His gaze settled on the glowing skyline beyond the ruined parking structure.
"You may think Gregor Naught was bad."
"You may think you've seen monsters."
"You haven't."
Even Nyx unconsciously lowered her eyes as Mardale continued.
"You do not understand what happens..."
"...if the King notices you."
The atmosphere immediately grew heavier. There was no need to explain which King he meant since in Playmore...There was only one.
"So keep your heads down."
His voice remained calm.
"Blend into the crowd."
"Follow Aerin's orders."
"And don't give anyone a reason to remember your face."
Champagne cracked his neck before forcing out a grin.
"...You're making this sound worse than Gregor Naught."
Mardale looked directly at him.
His expression never changed.
"In Gregor Naught..."
"...you always knew where the monsters were."
He slowly extended one finger toward the magnificent city glowing in the distance.
"But here..."
"...the monsters wear suits."
Not the comfortable silence of companions...But the suffocating silence that followed an uncomfortable truth.
Playmore wasn't simply another battlefield. It was a city where corruption smiled politely before placing a knife between your ribs.
Aerin deactivated the holographic projection.
The brilliant map dissolved into countless particles of light before disappearing entirely.
She took one final look at everyone gathered around her.
"Move out."
No one wasted another second. The teams separated almost immediately.
* * *
Mardale, Champagn, and Zachia disappeared into the maze of entertainment districts where hidden auction houses operated beneath luxury casinos, five-star hotel, and extravagant nightclubs. Somewhere beneath all that wealth, priceless artefacts, forbidden technology, and living people were bought and sold every single night.
Wei-Wan's group headed in the opposite direction, vanishing into crowded merchant streets that concealed sprawling black markets behind abandoned warehouses and forgotten factories. If information regarding Stimuleigh existed anywhere, it would eventually pass through those hidden networks.
Meanwhile...Aerin, Nyx and Avenor turned towards the upper city.
Towards influence, towards politics, towards the people who controlled Playmore without ever dirtying their own hands.
As the trio disappeared into the night, Brandon remained behind beneath the abandoned parking structure.
The echoes of departing footsteps gradually faded until only the gentle tapping of his tools remained.
CLINK...
CLANG...
TINK...
He returned to repairing the transport in complete silence. Several minutes passed.
Then... his hands stopped moving. The wrench slowly slipped from his fingers.
CLANG...
The metallic sound echoed across the empty structure.
Fwoo....
Brandon lifted his head.
Far beyond Playmore... beyond the city lights... Beyond the endless sea of desert...he felt it.
A pressure.
So distant that most people would never notice it, yet impossibly overwhelming.
The air itself seemed to tremble.
Almost...like thunder rolling across the horizon before a storm.
Brandon narrowed his eyes.
"...Daito."
Far away...Something monstrous was still moving.
* * *
The upper districts of Playmore felt like an entirely different world.
Gone were the overcrowded streets, rusting buildings and endless concrete that dominated the lower sectors.
Here, elegance had become architecture itself.
Wide marble walkways stretched gracefully between towering skyscrapers, their polished surfaces reflecting countless lights from the city below. Luxury anti-gravity vehicles drifted silently along elevated highways, leaving only faint trails of blue light behind them as they disappeared into the night.
Restaurants suspended from the sides of glittering towers overlooked breathtaking views of the entire metropolis, while fountains infused with glowing Astral crystals transformed ordinary water into rivers of shimmering light.
Even the air was different.
Cleaner, cooler and artificially perfect.
It was beautiful too beautiful.
Aerin quietly observed everything around her as they walked.
People smiled constantly. Not because they were happy...but because they were expected to. Every handshake looked rehearsed. Every laugh sounded calculated. Every conversation carried hidden intentions beneath polished words.
Even the guards stationed outside expensive hotels and government buildings radiated an aura far more dangerous than trained soldiers.
These weren't ordinary security personnel. These were predators dressed as gentlemen.
Walking slightly ahead of the group, Nyx had hidden herself beneath a dark hooded coat in an attempt to avoid unnecessary attention.
It didn't work as a pair of elegantly dressed women suddenly stopped walking.
"...Wait."
One of them blinked repeatedly.
"...Is that...?"
Her friend gasped.
"Oh my God..."
"It is!"
"It's Nyx!"
Before either of them could approach, Nyx sighed in defeat, grabbed Avenor firmly by the arm and continued walking without breaking stride.
"Don't."
She didn't even glance backwards.
"Look back."
Avenor looked at her with obvious confusion.
"...You're famous famous."
Nyx groaned beneath her hood.
"You have absolutely no idea."
To be continued...