New Machines

A few days later, in the future world, Sanjay found himself enjoying a quiet, intimate moment with Maya. She rested her head on his chest, her body curled up against his warmth as he gently ran his fingers through her silky hair. The soft hum of the city outside their window was a distant murmur, drowned out by their shared comfort.

"Maya," Sanjay murmured, his voice low and thoughtful. "What do you think of Raghav? Can he be trusted?"

Maya stirred slightly, lifting her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes searched his, curiosity flickering across her face. "Why are you asking?"

Sanjay hesitated for a moment before replying. "I need a few things—advanced machines, like a blood manufacturing unit, modular housing builders, and even ship production units."

Maya blinked, her lips parting in surprise. "What?" she asked, propping herself up on one elbow. "Are you planning to open a company? And in multiple industries at once? That's not just ambitious—it's insane."

Sanjay chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Not exactly. Some friends of mine need them for their businesses," he said, deliberately keeping his explanation vague. He couldn't exactly tell her that he was gathering resources for a medieval world.

Maya studied him for a long moment, her eyes sharp and assessing. He knew she saw through his excuse, but instead of pushing for answers, she simply smiled. "Everyone has their secrets, don't they?" she said softly.

Sanjay exhaled, relieved. He knew Maya was smart—she had likely figured out that he wasn't telling the full truth, but she chose not to question him.

"Give me a list," she said, brushing her lips against his. "I'll check with Raghav and see what he can get."

"Thank you," he whispered, pulling her closer as he flipped her onto the bed, ready to lose himself in her once more.

A few hours later, as Maya typed on her sleek, holographic keyboard, a soft chime signaled an incoming message. She glanced at the screen and turned to Sanjay.

"Raghav replied. He says he can get everything, but it'll cost you 1,000 kilograms of gold."

Sanjay's eyebrows shot up. "A thousand? That's ridiculous! These machines are expensive, but not that expensive."

Maya shrugged. "Want me to negotiate?"

"Tell him I'll give him 100 kilograms, or he can forget the deal."

She typed the response and waited. Moments later, another chime rang out.

"He's countering with 200 kilograms, says it's tough to get the latest tech from the companies."

Sanjay frowned. Latest technology? He hadn't asked for cutting-edge models—he would have settled for something even a few years old. But if Raghav was willing to get the best, it only benefited him.

"Fine. Tell him to get everything by tomorrow, but I want the machines in my hands by the end of the week."

Maya relayed the message, then nodded. "It's a deal."

Sanjay leaned back, a small smile creeping onto his face. With this, he would finally have the resources he needed to build and defend his growing domain. To prepare for the future, he invested in additional security—hundreds of new drones equipped with electric stun weapons. With more people coming under his rule, safety was becoming a priority.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the underworld, the atmosphere in the fighting arena was electric. The deafening roar of the crowd filled the dimly lit space as two fighters clashed in the ring, their movements sharp and brutal. High above, in a lavish VIP lounge, a group of well-dressed elites watched the bloody spectacle unfold, placing bets on the warriors below.

At the center of the room, seated in the largest chair, Raghav exuded an air of authority. A smug grin played on his lips as he swirled a glass of expensive liquor in his hand. Around him, a few of his most trusted men stood attentively, awaiting his command.

"Boss, you look pleased," one of them—a towering man covered in intricate tattoos—remarked.

Raghav leaned back, his smirk widening. "Yeah," he mused, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "Things are about to get interesting."

The tattooed man nodded, his expression turning serious. "I'll inform our suppliers. More weapons are on the way. We'll make sure your big brother feels the heat for what he did."

Raghav's eyes darkened, and his grip on his glass tightened slightly. "Good. I want him to bleed for it."

The man bowed slightly. "Understood, Boss."

Raghav exhaled slowly, composing himself before turning his gaze to another subordinate. "And what about Sanjay? What have you found on him?"

The man hesitated before answering. "Boss, this guy's a ghost. No one knows where he came from or who he worked for. The only thing we've got is that he appeared out of nowhere a month ago… and he's been close to Maya ever since."

Raghav's smirk faltered for the briefest moment before returning, colder this time. He took a slow sip of his drink, his mind working through the implications.

"Keep digging," he ordered, his tone laced with quiet menace. "I want to know everything about him."

Raghav frowned, irritation flashing across his face. He had already heard whispers from his informants within the police that they were searching for the people who had broken him out. But that didn't concern him. What he really wanted was to recruit this mysterious mercenary.

Yet, it was proving to be more difficult than he expected.

"Tch… this is getting troublesome," he muttered under his breath.

His team was in bad shape. Good fighters were scarce, and the war had cost him dearly. Many of his best men had been killed when the police raided his hideout. The only one who had managed to escape was his tattooed lieutenant, and even he had barely survived with injuries. Raghav didn't blame him—he had been unconscious when it all went down.

But what truly surprised him was that Maya and this mercenary, Sanjay, had been the ones to rescue him. He hadn't expected that. The police raid and his arrest had been orchestrated by his own brother, a move designed to eliminate him from the race for their family's leadership. That betrayal stung more than anything else.

The underworld was ruled by six major families, and his was one of them. Their influence stretched far, feared by everyone except the national army and a handful of powerful conglomerates. But within the family itself, it was a brutal power struggle. Though both he and his brother belonged to the main branch, everything depended on connections and support. And unlike his brother, Raghav had very little of either.

The gold Maya provided had been a lifeline. With it, he had managed to hire a few mercenaries, but it still wasn't enough. His brother commanded far greater resources, with a well-trained force at his disposal. Raghav needed more. He needed fighters who could turn the tide.

"Keep an eye on both of them," Raghav finally said. "See if there's a way to bring Sanjay onto our side. Someone like him could be invaluable in the future."

While Raghav was busy plotting, Sanjay was deep in research, trying to understand more about this futuristic world through the web.

What he discovered left him in awe.

Humanity had spread across multiple planets—colonies thrived on the Moon, Mars, and even Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. The massive ring he had seen in the sky on his first day here wasn't just some celestial phenomenon. It was an enormous transit station, a gateway connecting these planets.

And the most mind-blowing part?

The total human population across all planets was nearly 50 billion. Despite all this advancement, however, they had yet to discover any alien lifeforms.

A strange thought crossed his mind. Is my Earth in this same universe?

"What are you thinking about?" Maya's voice broke his train of thought.

"Nothing. Just the universe."

Maya giggled, amused by his response. "Forget about the universe for now. Look at this."

Sanjay leaned forward, glancing at the screen. A bounty notice was displayed.

WANTED: Two criminals for hijacking a prisoner. Reward: 1 million quarks each.

Below the text were two distorted images. Their faces were heavily pixelated, but their body outlines were clear enough.

Maya smirked, leaning back in her chair. "Congratulations, you're officially a criminal now."

Sanjay blinked. "And what happens next?"

"Nothing."

She took a sip from her beer, completely unfazed. "We lay low. Don't do anything that puts us on the police's radar. In a few months, it'll all blow over."

Her nonchalant attitude left him momentarily speechless. But she had a point. Drawing unnecessary attention right now would only complicate things.

After some thought, he made a decision. "I'll head back to my world for now."

He needed to check on the progress in medieval times. It was safer there, at least for the moment. Besides, he could always return when the machines were ready. The drones had already been delivered, so there was no reason for him to linger here.

Sanjay stood up, glancing at Maya one last time. "I'll be back in a week. Take care."

She waved him off with a knowing smile, as if she had expected this all along.

When Sanjay returned to the medieval world after a week, he was relieved to see that only a week had passed here as well. As he walked through his fief, he noticed more people coming and going than before. This was unusual.

Frowning, he immediately called out in his mind, "Iris, what's going on?"

Iris responded promptly.

[Host, a few days ago, several people escaped from a nearby land due to a plague outbreak.]

Sanjay's expression hardened. A plague? That could be disastrous if it spread inside his fief.

[The security AI detected the newcomers immediately and alerted Commander Navin. Following the AI's recommendation, Navin ordered them to be quarantined outside the town.]

Sanjay felt a bit of relief knowing that the system he put in place was working. Before leaving, he had told Navin to rely on the security AI for any major decisions in his absence. It seemed the commander had done exactly that.

Still, this was a serious situation. If the plague spread, it could cripple his growing settlement.

"Iris, send the construction team to build a proper quarantine center. Also, dispatch the medical robots to conduct basic health checks on the refugees. We need to contain this before it becomes a problem."

Currently, the infected were being kept outside the town, separated by simple wooden barricades, with soldiers stationed nearby to ensure no one entered without permission. But that was just a temporary solution.

Sanjay exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples. I can't handle everything alone forever.

With his fief expanding, it was becoming clear—he needed a proper management AI to oversee operations when he wasn't around.

P.S: Hope you guys enjoy this extra bonus chapter for the weekday! Please send me power stones and rate the novel—I'd really appreciate it.

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