Chapter 84- G-boots

Rion let out a satisfied sigh as he lowered himself into the cold bath, feeling the cool water embrace his skin and wash away the grime of the day. His muscular frame rippled beneath the water's surface, each movement of his defined arms and chest sending small waves against the tub's edges.

It had been a grueling couple of days, filled with tension, danger, and enough uncertainty to leave a man on edge. Now, in the sanctuary of this cold bath, he could finally breathe, letting the day's weight slip off his shoulders like a discarded cloak.

The bath was a stark contrast to the oppressive heat that had been clinging to him all afternoon, and as the water worked its magic, he could feel the tension draining from his body. Each deep breath he took was cooler, cleaner, more refreshing than the last. There was something soothing about this rare moment of peace, especially after the whirlwind of chaos he had found himself navigating. Even so, his mind refused to quiet completely.

Without the usual face mask that obscured his features, his chiseled jawline that had begun to grow a stubble was fully exposed, and the faint scars tracing his cheekbones and brow added an edge to his otherwise young looking face. His silver-white hair, damp and slicked back from the water, revealed more of his sharp, brown eyes.

The water sluiced over his skin as he reached for the washcloth, scrubbing away the last remnants of dirt and blood. As he stood there, he let his mind wander, considering the day's events. The meeting with the Normos Family had ended smoothly enough, but he could still feel a tinge of unease that clung to him like a second skin.

There was something off about the whole situation—something that didn't sit right with him. The family was being far too generous. Their pay had been increased, lodging upgraded, and the list of perks kept growing. It was almost too good to be true. Yet, for someone like Rion, who had learned long ago that nothing in life was free, it was a red flag.

Maybe it was the way the Dixie had been watching them, or perhaps it was the subtle undercurrent in the family's offers. Whatever it was, Rion knew he couldn't afford to let his guard down around them. Not yet.

Once he felt sufficiently cooled down, he stood up, water cascading off his muscular black form, emphasizing the ridges of his toned abs and the broad expanse of his shoulders. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it securely around his waist before stepping out of the tub, feeling the cool tiles under his feet.

With measured precision, Rion reached for the medical spray he had prepared earlier. He winced slightly as the antiseptic mist made contact with his skin, the cold sting a reminder of the cuts and bruises he had earned over the past few days.

"Still hurts," he muttered through clenched teeth, dabbing at a particularly nasty gash on his side. "Could've been worse though."

After letting the spray settle, he re-bandaged his wounds, his hands working methodically, almost like he was disassembling and reassembling a gun.

Satisfied with his work, Rion stepped out of the bathroom and into the room that had been provided for him by the Normos Family. He paused at the threshold, taking in the space with a critical eye. The room they had provided was... adequate. Not overly luxurious, but comfortable enough.

It reminded him of well-maintained three-star hotel that were always advertised on TV—neutral tones, minimalist décor, and just enough to make you feel like you weren't sleeping in a closet.

The walls were a neutral cream, adorned with minimalist artwork—a painting of a river at dawn, another of a mountain bathed in sunset hues. The king-sized bed dominated the center of the room, draped in crisp white sheets with a dark quilt folded neatly at the foot.

A modest wooden desk stood in the corner, paired with a leather-backed chair that seemed just uncomfortable enough to discourage too much lounging. Opposite the bed was a flat-screen television mounted on the wall, and next to it, a small minibar stocked with overpriced drinks he had no intention of touching.

The bed creaked slightly as Rion sat down, running a hand through his damp hair, his thoughts already drifting to more important matters. After the meeting had ended, a servant of the Normos Family had handed each of them a key, the numbers etched on tags inviting them to their temporary lodgings.

It wasn't the grandiose treatment he had expected from such a powerful family, but it was still far better than the tents he had been staying in before. He and Vance had made quick work of packing their belongings, settling into the new accommodations with little fanfare.

He shot a quick glance at his half-packed gear bag resting on the bed. Most of his equipment was already accounted for, but there were still a few things missing. He'd need to restock ammo, run diagnostics on his ATVS, and ensure everything else was perfectly calibrated.

Rion leaned back, feeling the cool fabric of the sheets against his skin as he let out a low exhale. The room was quiet—eerily so, compared to the usual clamor of where he'd been holed up before. It gave him space to think, and right now, his mind was moving at a million miles a minute.

Rion pulled out his phone and logged into the Mercenary Legion's page. His fingers swiping the screen as he navigated to his profile and checked the latest updates. The mission was marked as completed, a stark green checkmark next to it. He scanned over the details, noting the breakdown.

Not only had he received the expected payout, but the additional bonus—200,000 kila for their service—had come through as well. On top of that, his mission rating of excellent had earned them an extra 10,000 kila, bringing his total earnings from this mission alone to a staggering 240,000 kila. Rion blinked, his eyes bulging slightly as he calculated exactly how much he would have if he added the money from Young Master #1 and his previous savings.

"Well, would you look at that," he muttered to himself. "Looks like I've officially joined the nouvé rich club." He chuckled dryly, trying to temper the excitement bubbling up inside him. Despite his happiness, he reminded himself that he had worked for every single kila.

It was jarring, though, to go from rationing every bill to now having a small fortune at his disposal. Not too long ago, he had been scraping by, counting every expense. But he knew better than to be fooled by the sudden influx of wealth.

This money wasn't just handed to him on a silver platter. He had earned it by putting his life on the line, braving dangers that could have easily ended him at any moment. It was only through his diligence, his honed skills, and a bit of luck that he had made it this far.

Sitting back, Rion rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his mind already shifting to the next steps. There was still so much to do, and he wasn't planning on wasting time basking in his small fortune. No, this was just the start.

According to Dixie, the excursion to the research base—Area 69, as it was codenamed—was set to begin in at most, two weeks. That gave him more than enough time to prepare. With access to the Normos Family's internal supply chain, he could finally revamp his combat system properly.

With newfound energy, Rion dressed in light clothing, a simple gray t-shirt and cargo pants, before returning to his laptop. He fired up the design software, his fingers tapping out commands as various schematics popped up on the screen. His gaze sharpened as he focused on one in particular: the Gravitic Propulsion Boots, or G-boots for short.

These boots were one of his personal projects, designed to solve his most glaring issue—his lack of mobility. The G-boots generated temporary magnetic fields that enabled him to move at extremely high speeds, comparable to the Falian Tiger, a mutated beast who could keep up in speed with average modern cars. For the longest time, the design had sat on the backburner, incomplete and out of reach due to the cost of materials. He had been too broke to even consider crafting them before, but now…

Rion smirked to himself. "Guess being rich really does solve all your problems. Who knew?" he muttered sarcastically. He had to admit, there was something oddly satisfying about being able to splurge on the necessary components without having to worry about going broke.

I wonder if this is how those Young Masters feel all day.... he mused, thinking of the privileged fools like Young Master #1. Spoiled brats who had never known what it was like to struggle, to fight for every scrap of progress. In some twisted way, it was amusing to be in their shoes, if only for a moment. But unlike them, he wouldn't waste the opportunity.

His focus returned to the screen, and he tapped through several menus until the G-boots schematic filled the display. He had tasked the processor to conduct simulations and perform a huge number of mathematical calculations based on his previous resources but now, with his newfound wealth, Rion was no longer satisfied with 'good enough.' He zoomed in on a section of the design, contemplating the improvements he'd been brainstorming for weeks.

He had been tinkering with the idea for a while, thanks to his work refining and repairing his electromagnetic rifle. The experience had led to some unexpected breakthroughs, particularly in knowledge about stably converting his magnetic gear concepts into electromagnetic ones. The potential was limitless, but the only remaining issue was the energy requirements.

But he had already thought of a solution for that, too.

He pulled up the schematic for a modified Nova core on his laptop, adjusting a few lines of code and tweaking the design. According to his calculations, the modified Nova core should be able to provide enough energy for the G-boots to operate at full power for at least 15 minutes. That was more than enough time for use in most combat scenarios, especially since he was currently a long-ranged attacker.

But there were still a few chinks in the design. The electromagnetic fields generated by the boots needed to be stable, or else he risked losing control mid-run. Worse yet, if the power surged unpredictably, his legs might not survive the strain. One wrong calculation, and he could end up as a smear across the battlefield, or worse—his bones could shatter under the force of the acceleration.

Yikes....

After hours of fine-tuning the design and tweaking the code, Rion finally leaned back, staring at the screen with a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. The configuration of the G-boots was pretty much complete. He had already made every design choice that mattered. All he had to do was to fill up the increasingly more complete design.

However, the boots were just the beginning.

Now that he had access to a more robust supply chain, his mind was spinning with possibilities. He could upgrade his sniper rifle, reinforce it with better materials, maybe even integrate some shielding systems to protect the barrel from overheating during long firefights.

Oooohh....

Since he had reached the end of this design session, he recorded all of his insights in his personal database.

Of course, he did not stupidly describe the data in a way that hinted at the fact that his knowledge base was much more superior. His inherent paranoia always reminded him that no electronic system or database was truly secure.

It was better to start with the assumption that his records could always be accessed by a hacker, infiltrator or spy. For that reason, he merely typed up a bunch of jargon, code words and self-invented terminology.

Of course, even if a genius was still able to decrypt his gibberish records, they would only be able to obtain a bunch of random words and numbers that meant nothing to anyone unfamiliar with chuzkah technical specifications.

"Alright," he said quietly to himself. "Let's browse the Normos Family's sales channel."