Chapter 65: Seeking Revenge Without Delay

Bolon was on his way back.

Yes, the person who met with Zeke wasn't merely a decoy but Bolon himself.

He still believed, or rather forced himself to think, that Otto was eager to take his life... Thus, for over thirty years, he had remained secluded, rarely venturing out, always using proxies in public—a practice unchanged by time, epitomizing utmost caution.

This excursion was spontaneous, driven by a sudden desire to personally witness the new Enforcer who could challenge even Otto, just to gauge her capabilities.

Inside a highly secretive flying craft, Bolon lounged amidst lavish decor alongside two tanned young women adorned only with simple golden ornaments, exuding an ancient Egyptian allure as they intimately massaged him.

Comfortably reclining on a gold-plated seat, Bolon watched a large screen before him, displaying the last footage captured by a Zombie moments before its demise—the image of a white-haired little girl tumbling down from a cliff edge.

"Hmph! A bunch of useless fools. Even failing to capture a mere child." Bolon scoffed.

He didn't think his intentions were malicious; he merely wanted to invite the girl as a guest, providing her with fine food and hospitality, allowing Zeke to focus on completing their transaction—of course, if Zeke tried any tricks or proved incapable, then questions of intent and treatment would be reevaluated accordingly.

What surprised him was that despite investing heavily for years in training these Zombies, they turned out so ineffectual.

"Well, although it cost twice as much, at least we uncovered some hidden aspects of that fellow's abilities. Now we can trust him more," Bolon sighed, seeing no real issue here.

Even though the little girl likely perished, he had offered ample compensation in good faith. Anyone who wasn't foolish would gladly accept it.

The next problem lay in obtaining the code. Bolon claiming many old friends within Schicksal was merely bluffing. As soon as he began opposing Otto, those opportunistic individuals scattered like rats sensing danger. Securing information about the Oceanian branch's handover forces relied solely on money—a vast amount of it.

The current king of the kingdom, that mediocre younger brother, had already become Bolon's puppet. As for Anti-Entropy, after getting back on track, their need for his financial support steadily decreased. Thus, money was never an issue for Bolon.

Indeed, perhaps throwing more cash at the problem might help crack the code...

"Whoosh!"

"Crack!"

"Boom!"

In the void, a red streak tore through the flying vessel's tail section. The meticulously designed propulsion system barely managed to maintain balance, but still caused intense vibrations throughout the entire ship.

"What's happening?!" Bolon roared angrily, simultaneously feeling a sharp pain in his arm.

Startled, one of the girls accidentally left deep nail marks on Bolon's forearm, her face instantly draining of color.

"M-master, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean..."

"Waste of space!"

Bolon slapped her hard, sending her crashing to the floor. Her fiery yet alluring body trembled as she cowered, eliciting both pity and further temptation.

"Master, the ship is under unknown attack; we must immediately make an emergency landing."

"Could it be... Otto finally made his move?!"

Bolon shook his head. Fantasies aside, he knew well enough that Otto held no regard for him, especially during critical moments. Regardless, he issued orders for immediate descent.

On the ground, amidst the black smoke billowing from the crashed flying vessel, Bolon emerged surrounded by an armed force, with the two tanned, scantily-clad young women closely following him—not out of affection, but so he could use them as human shields in critical moments.

"Stay vigilant! Request immediate support from the nearest Anti-Entropy division."

"My lord, over there... we can't establish contact."

"What do you mean, 'can't establish contact'?!?"

"Zzzt! Zzzt! Zzzt!"

Laser beams pierced through bodies one after another, swiftly killing all guards around Bolon within the blink of an eye, including the servant he was conversing with. Splashes of scorching blood and flesh sprayed into his eyes.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!"

"It's me."

The clear yet slightly youthful voice was familiar to Bolon, for just an hour ago, they had been engaged in conversation.

Bolon's pupils contracted as he spotted a slender figure slowly descending from the pitch-black night sky.

Moments later, countless flickering red dots filled the heavens, emitting a chilling hum reminiscent of buzzing bees, sending shivers down one's spine.

"You... what do you intend to do?"

"To ensure I don't target the wrong person, allowing the true culprit to escape punishment. Answer me: Were the individuals at Yellow Mountain sent by you?"

"You chased me down just for this minor issue? Are you trying to confront me?"

"Seems like I've found the right person after all. That's reassuring."

Zeke slowly nodded, exhaling onto his hands to dispel the chill from high-speed flight.

Although further research could have helped him orchestrate an even more agonizing funeral for Bolon, Zeke knew he wouldn't sleep tonight unless this matter was settled.

"I'm merely a stand-in; killing me serves no purpose and will only anger my true master!" Bolon declared with a twitching face, sounding confident and unafraid despite his dire situation.

Zeke shook his head.

"You're not a programmed robot. Despite your robust appearance, you're undeniably a flesh-and-blood ordinary old man. During our conversation, there were indeed signals being transmitted from you, suggesting someone might be controlling you remotely. However, upon analysis, those signals contained no external commands. In other words, throughout that dialogue, it was solely between you and me... If a stand-in could truly replicate autonomy to such an extent, Fourth Huang would have been replaced long ago."

Bolon didn't know who Fourth Huang was, but he understood Zeke's implication.

Had his meticulously crafted deception of substituting reality for illusion been so easily exposed?

"Zap!"

A laser beam pierced Bolon's left leg.

"Bam!"

Bolon collapsed to the ground, momentarily stunned before the pain registered. The intense agony made him scream aloud.

"Ahh!!"

"You... you need to calm down! If you kill me, do you think the Alliance Leader will spare you? The forces behind me will also turn against you! Spare my life, and I promise to fully support your faction!"

Bolon's screams and pleas had no effect whatsoever on Zeke.

With a simple gesture from Zeke, a silver-white humanoid robot descended slowly from the sky.

Facing Bolon, the robot's metallic surface began to undulate as if alive, quickly transforming into an exact replica of Bolon's appearance.

"Calm down..."

The robot spoke with a cold, emotionless mechanical voice.

"Even if you kill me, will the Alliance Leader spare you?"

The voice still sounded robotic but gradually resembled Bolon's tone more closely.

"And the forces behind me will also sever ties with you!"

Now, the robot's speech conveyed a lifelike quality.

"Spare me, and I promise to fully support your faction!"

This time, it captured Bolon's rapid breathing, the mix of excitement and fear, even the lingering arrogance, all remarkably well simulated.

"You...you calm down! If you kill me, will the Alliance Leader forgive you? The forces backing me will likewise cut ties with you! Spare me, and I pledge to fully support your faction!"

The robot repeated Bolon's words from start to finish.

With identical appearance, speech, and demeanor, Bolon, amidst his pain, couldn't help but shudder.

"What...what do you want?" asked Bolon, fear evident in his question.

"What...what do you want?" echoed the robot, its mimicry now indistinguishable from the original.

"Aren't you fond of doppelgängers? Now, you've become your own favorite doppelgänger," Zeke remarked mildly.

"No! You can't do this."

"No! You can't do this."

"Stop it! Make that damn thing stop imitating me!"

"Stop it! Make that damn thing stop imitating me!"

Every sentence Bolon uttered was echoed by the identical robot, like whispers from a devil, driving him to the brink of emotional collapse.

In front of Bolon's eyes, Zeke summoned a virtual screen and dialed Otto's communication signal.

"Oh, on this bright morning, let's see who dares to interrupt my teatime? Ah, it's my dearest friend Zeke. Good morning! Care to join for tea if you have time?"

"Otto, I have a question for you." Zeke cut straight to the point, without any pleasantries.

On the screen, Otto responded with a resigned yet tolerant smile—an attitude so warm that Bolon dared not even dream of receiving such kindness.

"You're welcome to ask anything; I'll answer fully and truthfully."

"I heard you're planning to transfer the Gem of Desire? Someone intends to steal it."

"Haha! Let them try. The gemstone is already secured at the Oceanian branch. Those two Valkyrie units stationed later were merely bait for fools... But seriously, who would fall for such a simple ruse? Are they idiots?"

"Indeed, his name is Bolon Albert. Do you know him?"

Otto rubbed his chin, seemingly deep in thought. After a few seconds, he tilted his head with confusion.

"Who's that? I have absolutely no recollection!"

"No problem. Oh, by the way, I want that gemstone."

"Oh, feel free to take it. With Herrscher Cores, just one or two for research is enough; having too many concentrated together can lead to unknown dangers. Throwing it out was purely for safety reasons. If you wanted it, you should've said earlier—I could've simply given it to you."

"Well then, talk to you next time."

Zeke ended the communication.

Meanwhile, Bolon was utterly devastated.

"Bait... You idiot... Impossible! I've planned this for so long; it can't be! Who exactly are you?"

"Otto never took you seriously from the start. When I expressed my desire to kill you, Einstein's only request was... not to leave any traces behind—just that simple. See, your arrogance means nothing; nobody cares about you. Now, even the fruits of your years-long schemes will be entirely seized by the machine beside me... Feel free to share your final thoughts."

"I... No way... It can't be..."

"That's all for your last words? Well, no matter; nobody would remember them anyway."

Countless laser beams swept forth, burying Bolon, who had been confidently boasting just ten minutes ago, in utter despair and ruin.