NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59: Genuineness
Kael sat in one of the chairs in the living room of Bach's house. Leaning comfortably back, he browsed through the holographic screen floating in front of him.
In one hand, he held a circular device etched with intricate computer-like designs. With the other, he scrolled through the screen, his eyes moving without pause as the stream of information flowed into his mind effortlessly. It was as if he were drinking water—only what he was consuming wasn't liquid, but knowledge.
Knowledge about the New One company.
Kael continued to absorb all the information he could find. Once he was done, he turned off the device.
He rested a hand under his chin, deep in thought as he recalled what he'd just read.
The New One company had existed for at least seventy years. Before that, they were one of the military's weapon manufacturers on Taros. Now, they had grown into a powerful and influential Primer company with business operations around the world. Though they weren't yet at the top of the food chain, many believed they were getting there.
During the era of intergalactic war, most planets had already been exposed to the worlds beyond their skies—especially after the Anthi-Org conflict began, where the fate of the entire universe was at stake. Because of this, planets had adapted, and one of the biggest shifts was in their perception of time. Seventy years wasn't long on a cosmic scale. And although interplanetary communication was now prohibited—most worlds having shut themselves off—cultural remnants from beyond the stars still lingered.
It was hard to go back to a time when the universe was still a mystery—an unsolvable wonder.
Seventy years wasn't long… but it also wasn't short. People still considered New One's rise surprisingly fast, especially after they released the new model of Half-Aegis—the same generation Carina and her team now used.
It had been thirty years since the release of that generation. Since then, there'd been no further updates about their Half-Aegis line on the Uni-Net, though New One remained one of the leading Primer companies on Taros.
I came here a hundred years ago… Kael thought. And the New One company was founded thirty years after the ice that sealed me appeared. Then, thirty years ago, they launched their 'new generation' Half-Aegis. After that, silence. As if the project suddenly stopped.
That can't be.
If they had the technology to create a Half-Aegis, they should've been able to improve it—unless they were hiding their progress… or they hit a bottleneck.
Kael leaned toward the second reason.
That seemed the most probable cause behind the long-standing stagnation of their so-called "new generation."
"Ten years before they launched their new-gen Half-Aegis… that's when they acquired the M0001…" Kael muttered, eyes gleaming with realization. "So they took ten years to crack my Drive… That's impressive. But their progress…"
The Exo-Engineers who built Kael's Aegis Prime were among the most brilliant minds in the universe. He believed that the New One company had only scratched the surface of understanding his Primeval Drive. If they'd made real progress, the trace of genuineness in Carina and her team's suits would've been far more pronounced.
And speaking of that 'genuineness'—Kael had a theory about why he felt it.
The New One might have integrated something into their suit that Kael was familiar with—but for now, everything was just a theory. Suspicions that required further investigation. In order to truly understand it, he needed to get his hands on the new generation Half-Aegis from the New One company.
And that would also confirm whether or not they truly had his Primeval Drive. Although the probability was high, it was still better to verify it in another way rather than confront them directly and risk being wrong. Still, Kael was confident in his speculation—in fact, he wanted to call it the truth. The clues he'd found were that strong.
"If I'm going to confront them, there's definitely going to be a fight," Kael muttered, a smile forming on his lips as he imagined himself going up against a powerful organization alone.
But if it came to that, his current strength wouldn't be enough. He needed to raise his power as soon as possible—or he'd just end up dead if he decided to challenge the New One company.
Fortunately, that had always been one of his goals—and he already had a plan. He couldn't even fight Pink in his current state. Just one breath from her, and he'd freeze to death.
As Kael sat deep in thought, planning his next moves to acquire an Exoskeleton suit, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs.
He looked up and saw Milan walking down, heading in his direction.
"It's already 2 a.m., and you're still awake," Milan said as she sat on the sofa in front of Kael.
"I've got a lot on my mind," Kael replied truthfully, glancing at the clock on the table. Sure enough, it was past two in the morning.
"I see…" Milan went quiet for a moment, then spoke again. "It looks like you're going to be staying with us. My father says it's a good thing, but… staying here might put you in danger."
"Danger? Where?" Kael asked, looking around the room as if trying to spot the threat she was talking about.
"I'm talking about my ex-husband," Milan said with a bitter smile.
"I know," Kael nodded.
"You know? And you're still willing to stay here?" Milan frowned. "I don't know much about you, but I can tell you're a good person. Even if you do look like a bastard. An asshole. I think you'd be better off somewhere else. My father… he's not thinking this through."
"I know what your father's thinking. It's pretty obvious," Kael chuckled before his expression turned serious. "But I'm not an ungrateful man. I never forget the kindness of others—and I always make sure to repay it. I'm the White Prime, and as one of the Five Aegis Primeval, I keep my word."
"But… he's a Primer. And you're not," Milan said, worried.
"Primer? He was more like a chicken, the way he ran off," Kael replied.
"Haha," Milan laughed. She already knew what had happened, but it was still hard to believe Kael had handled a Primer without even having a physically enhanced body. "So… what's your plan?"
"Raise my strength," Kael said, rising from his seat and standing in front of her. "And I'll make sure your ex-husband never harms your family again."
Hearing Kael's words, Milan smiled—and as her gaze drifted down to his crotch, her face flushed red. "Really… here?"
"Suck it." Kael said with a smirk on his face.
Milan gulped, her face red as a tomato but she didn't decline. Soon enough, the obscene sound of their act echoed in the room.