Chapter 29: Unveiling the Villain within.

Chapter 29: Unveiling the Prodigy within

Ignoring her jab, Gift prepared himself, He crouched low beside the flowering shrub next to him, his gaze trained on the two guards patrolling the nearby paths. With Pixel’s sensory feed overlaying his vision, he could see their route outlined, every slight movement illuminated for him in real-time. His breathing steadied as he assessed the scene, feeling the hum of energy coursing through his suit as a red sheen coursed on the lines on its surface, urging him to move.

“All right, here I go....” he whispered to himself, focusing on his steps, the ground, and his breath.

In an instant, he shot forward. The world around him seemed to stretch and slow as he picked up speed, each guard’s motion dulled and exaggerated in comparison to his own. His first steps were deliberate, feet hitting the ground silently as he ducked behind a hedge, then darted along the edge of the manor’s garden paths.

" Focus, Focus...." He cheered himself on as he moved with such velocity that the leaves of shrubs and flowers barely shifted, even as he passed through them like a shadow.

Up ahead, a guard was halfway through a bored yawn, his head tilting slowly to one side. Gift sped toward him, keeping his footfalls even and nimble, each stride timed to avoid any loose stones or patches of grass that might throw off his balance.

" Your as calm as a still lake..." He mumbled, Feeling his body become attuned to every inch of terrain, his senses hyper-focused. He knew that one misstep would send him sprawling, yet he was determined not to give the guards even the faintest hint of his presence.

He slipped right behind the guard, who, to Gift’s heightened perception, was turning his head at a snail’s pace, oblivious to the silent rush of wind that trailed in Gift’s wake.

Just as the guard’s eyes drifted in Gift’s direction, Gift had already sped to the opposite side of the path, his form concealed in the shadow of an old stone bench.

Ahead, another guard leaned lazily against a lamp post, rubbing the back of his neck with exaggerated slowness to the point of almost looking completely still.

Gift kept his stride steady as he advanced toward him, ducking low to avoid being seen.

The guard’s hand lifted from his neck to scratch at his chin, the motion sluggish and unhurried in Gift’s eyes. Every muscle in Gift’s legs worked in pair with his nanotech suit as if they were both one entity as they simultaneously tightened and released, propelling him forward in swift, controlled bursts.

He watched the guard’s hand gradually lower, and with a quick sidestep, Gift shifted out of his line of sight just as the guard blinked slowly and yawned.

The world around Gift felt surreal in its slowness, The level of stillness was several times higher than when he first clashed with a Faeryn squad of soilders after his transmigration, as though he were moving through thick syrup while everyone else crawled through molasses.

With each step, his Genius tech prodigy mind raced to anticipate his next move, calculating distances, noting each tiny patch of uneven ground.

His every step was precise, avoiding a carelessly discarded rake on the grass and sidestepping a small stone that had the potential to disrupt his balance. Right now he wasn’t just running, but navigating a complex, slowed down maze with meticulous care.

Suddenly, one of the guards hurriedly reached for a lantern on a nearby post as if on instinct, much to Gifts dissatisfaction, His hand extending in a slow arc.

" Don't mess up, remember your as calm as a still lake..as quick as lightning..." Gift tried calming down his nerves to avoid making a mistake, in his eyes, he could practically count the guard’s fingers unfurling in midair as he reached forward. Knowing he had only 1-2 seconds before the guard turned to inspect the area, Gift darted into a narrow gap between two hedges, keeping to the shadows. The guard’s fingers closed around the lantern, but by the time he lifted it to his eye level, Gift had already moved past him, a mere whisper of movement in the night air.

With his gaze forward, Gift noticed a pair of guards in front of him, yet with their inferior eyesight, They hadn't noticed him yet.

Each of them were shifting their weight and turning their heads in his direction.

To him, Their faces seemed suspended in time, their expressions locked in place.

In the next instant, he sprinted past them, the rush of air barely stirring the guards’ tunics.

One of them squinted, his eyes sluggishly following Gift’s blurred silhouette, but his perception was hopelessly behind. Gift was already more than ten meter's away from the guards line of sight, his speed taking him closer to the manor building.

As he neared the manor building itself, he allowed himself to steal a glance back. The guards had only just started turning their heads, their gazes trailing where he’d been seconds ago, completely oblivious to his actual position.

Their movements seemed clumsy and exaggerated, almost comically slow, as they tried to process the faint breeze and faint red streak that had brushed past them.

Gift smirked, feeling a thrill of victory as he slipped unseen, the pounding of his heart lost in the steady rhythm of his footfalls. It might've seemed like a lot of time had gone by yet in truth, only about 6 seconds had passed since Gift used his supernatural speed.

Satisfied with his progress, he finally allowed himself to slow down before coming to a halt beneath a window on the manor’s third floor.

He tilted his head, calculating the best way to get up. It was a good three-story leap, which he was fairly certain his new suit could handle, especially with Pixel’s enhancements.

[Ready to scale this thing?] Pixel inquired, sounding almost amused.

" So long as you keep your trap shut, I think I'll be fine." Gift remarked with annoyance before focusing on his legs, the nano-suit humming softly as it's iconic red sheen glowed as it prepared for the leap.