Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Chapter 610: Snap Back to Reality



Kieran exited from the Blackcrim Pod in what seemed like a few minutes of being inside, but he had established his plan from the beginning. He didn't intend to get into anything drastic until he procured a cushion for everyone.

X-hancers would always be their crutch until they no longer depended on it to keep their bodies healthy. Such was the fate of an Inhuman whose body remained in flux with a volatile and peculiar metabolism.

One food could not satiate.

Looking around, Kieran found Lillian engaging in her usual studious affairs. Her hands moved like lightning, and her brows were knitted from the stress of sorting everything in her speeding mind.

She looked up momentarily once she heard the emissions all Pods produced when opening and depressurizing. A smile graced her almost celestial appearance before she tore her eyes away from Kieran to continue toiling away at all the data involved in producing a remedy for Dahlia's suspended condition.

Soon, the others were walking inside the research area.

Bastion stopped before Dahlia, brushing a few peppered hairs from her face. His tender movements as he caressed his grandmother's gaunt cheek showed how much he cared for her. Without taking her eyes off her work again, Lillian asked:

"So, what brings you all out of Zenith Online already? It has only been a few hours since... well, not all of you, but at least you, Kieran, have entered."

Kieran shrugged. "Some things require expedient attention, and that's what we're doing. We're going to solve that X-hancer dilemma right now. Well... for right now, at least. It should be enough to tide us over until I can contact the source."

Lillian lifted her head briefly, surprise flashing in her bright, intelligent eyes. "You've already found a solution?"

"Think of it as I've called in a favor. Or wait, if not calling one in, I've set up a potentially mutual relationship?" Kieran shook the specifics aside, unsure how to classify his relationship with Alexandria.

Ezra was his proxy, but she wasn't here, which reminded Kieran.

'Definitely need to get her situated inside the new building once it has passed all the inspections and the modifications I've commissioned.'

After a moment, Kieran stared at Lillian, brushing the back of his fingers against her supple cheek, which earned some stares from the others. She shivered when his skin came in contact with hers, then tentatively lifted her chin to meet Kieran's gaze.

"Considering our speculations about Zenith Online, you should consider playing it. I know it'll detract from your research, but I feel your knowledge could be better applied if used on both fronts."

Add in the fact Zenith Online could hasten the effects of the X-hancers she consumed, thereby effectively increasing her output of work, and it sounded like an excellent suggestion.

Still, Lillian seemed conflicted.

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"I won't lie and say I haven't considered trying it out, but I've scoured the web and heard that the starting point takes some getting used to. I don't have time to deal with that curve." Kieran crossed his arms.

"What if I come to get you from whatever Untaught Haven you enter? Nothing says you have to follow the same route as everyone else. That scenario only applies to first-generation players. Anyone who comes later is bound to have access to updated opportunities. For that, you have me."

"Is that even allowed?" Lillian muttered.

"Don't know, but I also don't very much care."

The lack of adherence to the rules was shocking but not unfounded.

Kieran was basing his assumption on the fact that his teacher - the Myth of Mauling, whose identity superseded everyone in the Untaught Haven aside from maybe Agatha - had stepped inside when it wasn't his actual position.

Kieran should be capable of the same feat now that he was a Myth.

It was all conjecture and assumption, but he was willing to try if it meant applying Lillian's talents where they belonged.

Lillian mulled over the proposal and then looked at the others, who nodded.

"I think you should come join us, Doc. It's not healthy to always be in here with little change of scenery," Bastion said.

Nemean contributed to that idea, nodding foolishly. "Yeah, I think having you around while inside Zenith Online will be fun. Even if you're not a combat asset, you could, like... become a damned medic!"

Though there were no "medics" in Xenith, there were healers and menders, which could very well be Lillian's route. But aside from that, Kieran felt her talents as an alchemist were self-

explanatory.

With the right teacher, surpassing Sorcia in skill didn't seem impossible.

Granted, Sorcia was formidable and crested all of the indentured Alchemists of the Godhand Consortium.

"They're right," Altair commented. "I could imagine a scenario wherein you balance your two lives and achieve more because of it."

"See," Kieran gave a smug smirk, which Lillian's eyes lingered on, staring at the shape of his lips while unwittingly biting her own. "Everyone's on the same page and believes in you."

"Okay, fine," Lillian relented, giving into the pressure of everyone's expectant expressions. "You guys literally bullied me into this, so if I complain, you'll have to listen to me."

"Deal! We don't mind complaints from the doc!" Bastion bellowed.

Kieran nodded, satisfied with her answer. "You don't have to rush in now but do alert me before you join so I can school you in what to pick. Then I'll come to scoop you up from where

you land."

As they all talked amongst themselves, a large screen appeared before Lillian.

The sudden appearance of this translucent made her anxious, so she zoomed in, fingering the screen until the image became crystal clear. The cause of this screen was a sizeable air shuttle trespassing over the facility's airspace, but that lack of a blaring alarm somewhat confused

Lillian.

It led her to look deeper into it.

Upon closer inspection, she found the vessel moved directly over the patch of barren rocks meant to disguise the landing hatch. When it was closed, identifying the entrance should be impossible. And when in line, she caught a glimpse of the company stamped on the pristine metal door beneath a broad wing.

"Is that—" Lillian began, but Kieran interjected with a nod.

"Yup. One of the very families responsible for this facility."

Lillian's eyes went wide with disbelief. "No way, that's one of the Hall Industries' charter jets. If they're using one of those... just how many X-hancers are they transporting? How did you

manage this?!"

"Turns out that the world is smaller than we thought," Kieran chuckled. "I happened to run into a princess of the Hall Family without knowing it, and well, with the help of a proxy, we struck a deal. Though... I'm not exactly sure how she knows to come here."

Lillian looked at Kieran as if he were insane. "Never doubt the abilities of a Magnate Family, let alone one of the top of that classification. I'm sure they've been aware of you from day one; they just haven't found it within reason to act."

"Oh," Kieran deadpanned.

Opening the hatch, Lillian gave Alexandria and whatever cohort she brought safe passage to

land.

Meanwhile, Kieran thought about Lillian's comment.

Perhaps he unknowingly underestimated the operational purview of a Magnate Family, and maybe the reason no one attempted to find him... was because they had been aware of his whereabouts and actions all along.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

On Earth, at least.

Tracking his movements on Xenith was next to impossible. One moment, he was here, and the

next, he was there.

That realization snapped him back to reality and ignited another sense of urgency within him.