Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Chapter 611: Doesn't Come Cheap



In light of Alexandria's generous offer to assist, no doubt an action bearing ulterior motives, Kieran guided everyone to welcome her at the hangar.

A reasonable walk, and if this was going in the direction he suspected it would, Altair and the others should get used to seeing another pretty face lingering in their space.

'Not that it's an unwelcome presence,' Kieran thought.

He didn't see many cons to deepening his relationship with a princess of the Hall Family, who admittedly already had tabs on his actions and tracked his progress. Kieran did, however, understand that getting romantically involved was a no-go. Should they cultivate a relationship, he felt boundaries had to be set.

For good reason, too.

Kieran grimaced at the thoughts flitting through his mind.

'I don't come from a powerful family myself, but the Magnates are known to endorse marriages of convenience. And in families like those...'

Kieran's thoughts suddenly paused as he watched the stellar charter jet's hatch open, a luxurious red carpet unfurling to create a proper walkway. From his brief encounter with Alexandria inside Zenith Online, Kieran didn't take her as one to indulge in opulent displays of wealth, but maybe he read wrong.

'Or maybe it's just how the vessel is designed, and she has no say in the matter.'

Regardless, he shrugged the thought aside.

More important to him was this strange sensation gripping his core. The hairs across his arm were standing up on end, and his instincts were tingling and relayed the presence of potential danger.

Kieran regarded the hatch grimly, catching hints of movement from the cross angle he stood at. He glimpsed many people who comported themselves in a trained, orderly manner.

'Bodyguards.'

More precisely, bodyguards with immense tactical knowledge and possible military training. The prospects of their rigorous didn't frighten Kieran. It was that strange air leaking out that had him off-kilter.

Then, those several figures disembarked the air vessel.

Kieran had not seen Alexandria yet, but her lack of presence was the least of his worries. With the appearance of six bodyguards, each in combat attire instead of formal suits, Kieran

understood what that instinctual moment depicted.

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'Inhumans. They're all goddamn Inhumans!'

There were no firearms on their persons, but that made them seem all the more lethal. The numerous daggers strapped to their limbs and fastened to their ribs by a modified vest seemed like all they needed to shred a man to mincemeat.

Bastion gulped in Kieran's rear, anxiously tugging at the color of his combat suit with vital sensors. "Gods, dude. Do you feel that rippling off them? I can't be the only one."

"Quiet, bro. I know that feeling anywhere," Nemean muttered. "I think they're trained super soldiers a division of soldiers rumored to only be deployed in the most perilous conditions to ensure a task is done right. And there's six of them... here."

Kieran took in their comments, watching as a lithe figure dressed similarly. Her silver hair shimmered under the cascading lights descending from the hangar's ceiling. Her purple eyes locked on Kieran, and he arched a brow, sensing a kindred but milder sensation from her. 'Alexandria's an Inhuman? Why wouldn't she be? But considering her state...'

He couldn't tell if Alexandria's mild presence stemmed from a greater mastery of her faculties or if she was simply weaker and thereby felt much smaller. The answer could be easily attained, but probing their battle prowess seemed foolish.

Especially in his condition.

'These hands of mine...'

To avoid showing off the healing inconvenience he called hands, Kieran adopted a tense stance with his hand arms locked behind the small of his back and his shoulder straight and leveled.

He almost seemed soldierly, but believing he could conduct himself as one was a grave oversight on anyone's part. Kieran was patient, however, tolerance was something he severely lacked.

Kieran thought Alexandria was the last to disembark, but six more guards came out, each lugging massive crates similar to the one Ezra had delivered. The dimensions couldn't be compared, and these seemed like newer, sleeker, and convenient models.

Tiny tremors were felt as each pair placed a chest down, earning a raised brow from Kieran and a sharp, startled whistle from Altair.

Alexandria passed through the cohort of bodyguards. Her footsteps were light and would have been soundless if not for the heels of her boots clicking as she ambled over.

"Lady Hall, please remain at length," one of the guards spoke, cautioning her to refrain from approaching too closely in a practiced manner.

Yet, she disregarded the advice, entering Kieran's personal space with a neutral expression. "Hello... Aatrox," Alexandria said. Her tone didn't have the same playful gleam that flickered in her eyes. There was a smile in there, one Kieran didn't understand.

"Kieran will do out here. But hello, Alexandria-"

"Ms. Hall," one of the guards interjected. The same one who issued the initial reminder.

Kieran flicked the guard a glance for being interrupted, but his gaze swam back to Alexandria seconds later. "Is he always that anal? He conducts himself like we're in the public eyes."

Alexandria let out a peal of soft laughter. "Oh, Kieran... we're always in the public eye. There is more than one kind of public eye. "But you're right. Relax with all the command, Evans."

Lillian frowned beside Kieran, simmering in her skin and bristling like a threatened cat, before covertly reaching for Kieran's hand behind his back. The movement was felt, but he didn't respond to it much, not that he could with his mangled hands in their mummified state. After a brief pause, Alexandria continued. "But you're right in this situation. Dial back the commands and reminders, Evans."

Sparing Alexandria a pointed glance, Evans nodded reluctantly. "Roger that, Lady Hall." "Sheesh, that dog is a tight leash," Bastion muttered under his breath.

Only, that utterance didn't happen low enough. And for that, Evans' gaze grew frigid and cold-blooded, like a war machine ready to claim a life as if it meant nothing.

Bastion's eyes widened, but Kieran tilted his head, finding the situation laughably ironic. "A bit emotional for an elite guard, don't you think, Alexandria?"

Observing the situation shrewdly, Alexandria's attention hopped from Bastion to Evans

before nodding.

"Right. I would have thought guards placed on me by my father would have better emotional restraint. Alas, expectations sometimes can't be met. It's a shame."

Kieran held in a laugh, finding Alexandria's quip amusing. It was clear she didn't favor the

people following her from her sardonic tone.

A few moments later, Kieran looked down at the chests separating him and Alexandria. Then,

The addressed the most pressing question.

"How many of those things do you have sitting in all these cases?"

"A thousand vials of every X-hancer from 1% to 50% concentration. The absolute limit of what I was permitted to part with."

"Permitted?" Kieran questioned.

"Permitted," Alexandria nodded. "I'm not sure if you know, but any X-hancer beyond that concentration just doesn't enter circulation."

He had heard mention of that from Ezra once before, but he didn't pay it much heed. However, considering confirmation came from the child of a Magnate Family, Kieran was inclined to believe that statement was factual.

Of course, that didn't mean Kieran blindly trusted the words shared.

"You said they don't enter circulation... which implies they exist and can be acquired. You just aren't authorized to conduct a trade like that."

"Smart man," Alexandria beamed, her pearly white teeth seeming utterly perfect. "Except, I don't think anyone is authorized except Summit Projects. To acquire that... you'll have to be recognized by them. And, I can help carve that path forward for a price - your help and

loyalty."

Kieran didn't agree or decline; he only raised a brow.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Neither of those things comes cheap."

"Well, it's good I came with such a hefty payment, ain't it?"