Chapter 17: Alone Again

A bright morning enveloped the city, and Zero stood at the large panoramic window, watching the modern buildings that hid in the soft light.

He pondered the events that had transpired over the past six years. Thoughts were swarming in his head, because he realized that an important moment was approaching - in two days the neon storm would begin. There were fewer and fewer people on the streets, all preparing for this natural cataclysm.

- One month, - Zero spoke softly, - that will be enough.

He knew that his training would begin very soon, and he would need to go around to all the places of energy concentration all over the planet to strengthen his physical body.

After Alina passed the test and received her C-rank, their house was filled with guests. Representatives from different guilds came with gifts, trying to convince Alina to join them, talking about the advantages of their teams. A C-rank after the first test was a great achievement, especially when one already had combat skills, so such phantoms were valued, especially for medium-sized guilds. Alina, on the other hand, was in no hurry to make a choice. She decided to try out hunting on her own first to see how the point granting system worked. She wondered if she would be able to do effectively without the support of the guild.

During the day, Alina worked with the servants to do some minor rearranging of the house, trying to make it more comfortable. Meanwhile, Zero sat in front of the virtual screen, searching for information on the latest events. He tried to analyze all the data that was in his memory, every detail of the events that had happened over the past years. But the more he immersed himself in thought, the clearer he realized his limitations. Zero had no access to the deep knowledge of TON618 due to the weakness of his current body.

- Not yet, - he muttered, realizing that to fully connect with TON618, he would need a vast amount of neon, which he would only be able to awaken when he reached the age of 18.

Already in the evening, over a delicious dinner, Zero decided to inform his mother of his plans.

- Mom, I'm going to training tomorrow," he said, looking at her seriously, "I want you not to worry or try to follow me.

Alina, smiling, nodded.

- I know, son, and I believe in you. Nothing is impossible for you.

Zero felt warm inside. He was grateful for her trust.

- Thank you, mother, - he replied, smiling back, 'I'll set off tomorrow morning.

- But be careful, Zero, - her voice was soft, but a little worried.

- I will, - he replied.

The next morning Zero got ready to hit the road. After warm words and a hug from his mother, accompanied even by a few tears, he put on a new tracksuit and took some supplies of clothes, food and water with him. His destination was Prague, Czech Republic, where one of the strongest mutations of neon animals was to take place. 

He knew it was a dangerous place, for even strong phantoms did not venture there. But Zero was not like the others. The distance of over a thousand two hundred kilometers didn't stop him, for moving at full speed, he could cover it in half a day. Traveling through the dark forests, Zero destroyed mutants that got in his way, not even stopping and not paying attention to them. He was only moving forward.

Upon reaching the border, Zero stopped at the top of a hill, surveying the area in front of him. He noticed the heightened security measures: flying ships armed with surveillance and attack systems patrolled the air, and robots equipped with sensors capable of detecting the slightest changes in space moved about on the ground. The entire perimeter was under complete control, controlled by an AVI-based artificial intelligence capable of reacting instantly to any threat.

Zero knew that it was impossible to get past this perimeter using conventional methods. He took a deep breath and concentrated, hiding his aura so that no sensor could pick up his presence. His entire neon flow was hidden, so it seemed like he was just a shadow that didn't give off any energy. He waited until one of the patrol ships shifted to the west, opening up a small but sufficient area for passage. Zero then abruptly activated his technique using incredible speed. His movements were so fast and fluid that he swept through the perimeter like lightning. The security systems had no time to react: the sensors picked up only a light breeze, and the cameras captured only a blurred shadow. AVI's artificial intelligence, which controlled this boundary, could not even identify the threat - Zero's speed and aura control were at such a high level that he remained invisible to all systems. Absolute suppression of neon energy, complete absence of detected particles, and incredible speed were his main advantages that made him virtually invisible, even to advanced technology.

When Zero finally reached the place with the greatest concentration of energy, he felt a powerful stream of neon flowing through everything around him. The giant tree he sat under seemed to be the center point of this energy. Its mighty roots were deeply embedded in the ground, emitting a warmth and soft glow that Zero could feel at the level of his aura. He concentrated, feeling the vibrations of the surrounding aura. Here, every bit of space was filled with neon energy that swirled around like an invisible vortex. He knew that this place would be key to his training and future growth.

As he looked up at the sky where the stars twinkled, he suddenly felt lonely.

- I'm alone again... - Zero whispered softly, smiling sadly. He felt a light wind touch his face, as if reminding him that despite his power, he was still only a small part of this vast world.

The neon storm was one day away.