Chapter 13 - The Shortcut

I interpreted the texts and declared, "You will be able to give your enemies... explosive diarrhea." He grabbed me by the neck, pressing his knuckles against my head. I tapped his arm in surrender, laughing uncontrollably.

"Okay, okay!" I relented and explained his abilities, which were somewhat similar to what he had in his previous life but far more sinister. He was utterly astonished.

He inspected his scroll, his eyes swelling with pride. "Never in my life did I think I'd be capable of something so extraordinary. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you, man." He could probably figure it out on his own, I wanted to say, but he'll ask how I can be so sure. So it's better to keep everyone in the dark for now.

We entered Markus' tower and everything is identical. This realm is for Raymond and whomever he decides to be with. His greatly astonished to see what's inside the tower.

The girls were enjoying themselves, soaking in a hot spring bath. They had invited us to join, but we were too preoccupied. We were in the control room, guiding him through the panel and dials.

I showed him the treasure and the leaderboard room, and other areas. He was also considering bringing some of his family and friends over.

"This is incredible, but I know we have a lot to do, right? Shall we move on to the next step?" We held our scrolls midair, ready to proceed.

•••••••••••••••••••••••

"They're really going to take over the island!" Neil, the assigned monitor for the day, grew increasingly nervous as he observed the swarm of uniformed personnel outside the island. He hadn't spoken to Liam since showing him the footage. The girl, Vien, remained steadfast at her post, refusing to let anyone, including herself, get closer to the tower.

Despite the immense pressure from her family, Vien stood her ground. Neil admired her bravery and considered recommending to his brother that they find a way to help her. Perhaps she wasn't as corrupt as her politician father.

"Neil! Neil!" Barry burst through the door, breathless with excitement. "Liam is outside! He's with Raymond!"

Neil shot up from his chair, disbelief etched across his face. "Outside? He's meeting those people out there? Is he insane?" The youngest brother couldn't believe Liam would waste the intel they gave him just to confront the very people hunting him.

"No! Outside the castle!" Barry clarified, dragging Neil out of the room without further explanation. Neil was baffled. Was this some new ability?

When they finally stepped outside, Neil understood. Beside the tower stood another one, slightly shorter and adorned with rustic-hued gems. There, Liam and Raymond stood, flanked by two women.

"Wow, you have internet here? I'm impressed," Raymond remarked, immediately tapping on his phone and making calls. Tiara followed suit, eagerly uploading photos and videos. Neil felt a surge of relief at his brother's arrival.

•••••••••••••••••••••

I explained to my family that the towers could serve as portals, provided two favored humans from different towers allied themselves and inscribed their names in each other's scrolls.

Only kings crowned within the towers could negate or alter pre-existing alliances. Since we hadn't yet battled any creatures from the caves, the crown and throne hadn't appeared in the castles, leaving us free to dictate the terms.

The alliance offered a significant advantage: the ability to travel between the mainland and the island without relying on public transport or drawing the government's attention.

Raymond signaled his readiness. He handed Neil his phone and instructed, "On my signal, press this button." Neil nodded, staying behind in the realm with my parents and other sibling.

We brought my e-bike, which was still in working order. My sister Fae sighed in relief, grateful she wouldn't have to walk long distances to reach her destinations. Raymond assured everyone that more vehicles would be brought in, as funding wasn't an issue.

I opened the door to find a stunned Vien, along with the mayor and his entourage. They paled at the sight of me, all except Vien, who rushed forward and hugged me, tears streaming down her face.

She had earned my admiration and respect. Despite the pressure from her family, she had chosen to do what was right. "Hey, it's okay. Stop crying," I murmured, unsure of what else to say. I considered offering her a place with us but made it clear it would be for her alone.

A military officer with a badge whispered angrily to the mayor, "You said he left and returned to the mainland. What's the meaning of this?" The mayor stammered, unable to explain.

Raymond cleared his throat, drawing attention. An irritated Rohda complained, "You said he didn't have a girlfriend!" Tiara tried to calm her down, but Rohda glared at me. I was genuinely confused, I am single, as far as I knew. Vien released me and scrutinized Rohda with narrowed eyes.

The mayor scurried back to his camp, leaving the soldiers to deal with me. What a coward!

More soldiers surrounded us. The man in charge, Captain Wes, extended his hand with a confident smile. "Liam Loq, I presume." I didn't take his hand, but he gripped mine firmly. "I'm Captain Wes. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I remained silent, knowing such formalities often preceded betrayal.

"I understand you've refused to acknowledge that this island falls under eminent domain. Let's rectify that today," he said, his tone calm and assured. Seeing me in person seemed to have convinced him I wasn't a threat.

He kept a firm grip on my hand, likely thinking it would prevent me from making any sudden moves. Truthfully, he was stronger than I was. The mayor must have briefed him on my combat skills, but they had no idea of the greater threats lurking behind me.

The helicopters continued to hover overhead, their presence a clear attempt to intimidate.

"You can't seize land by force. That's the law," I stated firmly. Raymond, meanwhile, seemed more interested in poking his nose than engaging in the conversation.

"We are the law," Wes retorted, and the soldiers raised their weapons. Unlike the police, these men were trained for combat and are unwavering in their discipline. Even death wouldn't make them back down.

The tower's crystal hummed and glowed, charging up as if anticipating the battle. The soldiers hesitated at the sound.

"If you resort to force, your actions will be broadcasted," I warned, raising my hand to remind them they were being watched.

Wes scoffed. "Oh? Where do you plan to post it? ClikClok?" His men laughed, confident in their control over mainstream and social media.

I joined their laughter, catching them off guard. "You forgot about Zapp." Zapp, an independent and highly encrypted messaging platform, was a haven for uncensored information. Created by individuals from a rival nation, it was beyond the reach of their corruption.

Wes's smile vanished. He drew a handgun and pointed it at me. "Alright, hotshot. Let's see if you can still pull that off with a bullet in your face."

The helicopters fired a missile at the crystal, but it exploded mid-air as the tower unleashed a bolt of lightning, striking the chopper and sending it crashing into the sea. Rescue teams scrambled to the scene.

Amid the chaos, I broke free and disarmed the surrounding soldiers. Raymond demonstrated his strength, binding them with chains and pulling them into a tight group. Blades emerged from the chains, inches from piercing their bodies. Wes screamed in terror, but Raymond stopped just in time, smirking. Tiara looked thoroughly impressed.

Their comrades, realizing their captain had been subdued, moved to attack. Barry appeared behind me, shielding us with an impenetrable barrier. With a wave of his right hand, he sent a shockwave that knocked the soldiers back.

"Order them to stand down!" I commanded Wes. Still in shock, he reluctantly surrendered.

"You didn't strike a deal. Instead, you'll face the consequences of your actions," I declared. Through the tower's speakers, a voice echoed Representative Tulla, a staunch opponent of the current administration. Raymond had suggested involving another government official to expose the truth to the public. Politicians excel at undermining their rivals, and Tulla wouldn't miss this opportunity.

"Citizens," Tulla's voice boomed, "our leaders have been anything but transparent about the disasters unfolding worldwide. Rather than focusing on aiding our nation, they've pursued selfish gains. I urge you all to stay close to the towers that have mysteriously appeared. Avoid the crevices and remain vigilant..."

The mayor collapsed to his knees, cursing under his breath. The soldiers looked uneasy, realizing the nation was on the brink of unprecedented change.