"What? Is this really a teleportation device?" Aaron was genuinely stunned. As far as he knew, no such device had been invented yet.

  "Yes, Master! It's a teleporting device. It was someone's failed experiment, but I fixed it. Now it can be used as a teleportation device. But its range is only 10 miles," Cipher explained.

  Aaron was amazed by his own mind's capabilities. He kept thinking about what Cipher had told him earlier. He needed to strengthen his soul core to fully utilize his brain's potential. With it, he could solve countless problems.

  "So, can I use this device to go home?"

  "Yes, Master! You can," Cipher replied. In the next moment, a bright light burst from the orb, and Aaron vanished. He found himself back in his room almost instantly.

  "Whoa! This is incredible!" Aaron couldn't believe he was using such a device.

  But suddenly, his room door creaked open. Aaron panicked and tried to hide the orb, but it had already disappeared from his hand.

  "Brother? When did you get here?" Julie was shocked to see Aaron in her room. She hadn't seen him come in, so how had he appeared out of nowhere?

  "Julie! I… I got here a little while ago. You were probably in your room. I didn't want to disturb you. Forget about that. I've got some good news for you," Aaron said, a faint smile spreading across his face.

  "Really?" Julie asked, her eyes wide with surprise. She had always dreamed of seeing the world beyond the wall, though she knew the reality of their situation. But now, she could actually experience it.

  "Yes, Julie! We're leaving tomorrow," Aaron said, watching her face light up with joy. Seeing her happiness made him happy too. After all, he had done all this for his sister. Otherwise, he would never have accepted Ermina's offer.

  Once Julie left, Aaron let out a sigh of relief. He reached into his pocket, searching for the teleportation device, but it was gone. Then, in the next moment, it reappeared in his hand. He had no idea how it happened.

  "Master, when Julie came in, I created a pocket dimension and stored the device there," Cipher explained.

  "What? A pocket dimension? You can really do that?" Aaron's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

  "Yes, Master, but I can't maintain it for long. For that, I'd need to be at a higher level, which depends on your soul core," Cipher said.

  Aaron didn't respond. He just lay down on his bed and quickly fell asleep.

  The next day , Aaron and Julie stood before the massive gate of the towering wall. Aaron carried only a small bag with their essentials. Ermina had warned them not to bring too much.

  When Aaron saw the enormous gate up close, he was awestruck. He had never been this close to it before and had never dared to approach it.

  Aaron wasn't sure how to get inside. With Cipher's help, he had analyzed the gate's technology. It wasn't particularly advanced, but opening it still wasn't easy.

  "What do you want, kid? You know you're not supposed to be near this gate. Get out of here," a deep voice boomed, snapping Aaron out of his thoughts.

  Aaron looked up to see a tall, burly man standing in front of him. He had seen this guard at the gate many times before. The man's face was scarred, a testament to his strength.

  "We need to get inside. Can you open the gate for us?" Aaron asked respectfully.

  "Ha ha ha… Kid, you can't go in there. This place isn't for people like you. Go back, or else…"

  The guard was about to finish his sentence when Aaron held up the card Ermina had given him.

  The guard's words caught in his throat as he stared at the card. He couldn't believe Aaron had a military card—something only given to those who joined the military teams inside the wall.

  "Sorry, sir! I didn't recognize you. I haven't seen you around before. I'll open the gate right away," the guard stammered nervously.

  Aaron noticed the guard's unease. He hadn't realized how much influence Ermina's card carried.

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  A moment later, a small door opened beneath the massive gate. It seemed to be the entrance for foot traffic.

  Aaron stepped through the door and entered the wall.

  Amberfort, the capital of the West Region—a city surrounded by towering walls on all sides.

  When Aaron saw the city, he was speechless. He couldn't believe a place like this existed on the other side of the wall. It was far more advanced than he had imagined. Skyscrapers loomed overhead, advanced cars zipped by, and he even spotted flying vehicles. A straight, long road stretched ahead, leading to a massive skyscraper in the distance. Aaron's mind raced as he processed the technology around him, giving him a headache.

  Aaron began looking around, unsure of where to go. He needed to meet Ermina as soon as possible. In a city this vast, he felt completely lost. He pulled out the card and read the address written on it.

  Wait a minute. I can find my way to this address on my own. Why would I need anyone's help? Aaron thought.

  "Cipher, show me the best route to this address," Aaron said silently in his mind.

  "Okay, Master!" Cipher replied, and in the next moment, Aaron could see the path ahead of him. Though he could have teleported directly to the destination, he decided against using the device in front of Julie.

  Following the path, Aaron soon found himself in a deserted area. He couldn't believe a place like this existed in such an advanced city. It felt more like a jungle than part of a bustling metropolis.

  Aaron noticed a signboard ahead. It read: "Motel."

  His eyes widened in disbelief.

  Had he really come all this way just to end up at a motel?

  "Seriously?" Aaron muttered to himself. It was such a bad idea

  Just then, the motel door creaked open. Standing in front of him was a familiar face. It was ermina

  "Aaron? Is that really you?" Ermina looked genuinely surprised to see him there.

  Aaron scratched his head, feeling a little awkward.

  "Who told you how to get here? Even our team leader forgets the way to this place sometimes," Ermina asked, her tone laced with curiosity.

  "Uh… I used the card you gave me. A cab driver dropped me off here. He seemed to know the way," Aaron said, chuckling nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck.

  Ermina gave him a sideways glance but didn't press further.

  "So, Miss Ermina, what are you doing here? I mean, why did you give me this address? Shouldn't you have given me the team office address instead?" Aaron asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "This *is* our office. Don't like it?"

  "What??" was all Aaron could manage to say. Was this really their office? Was he seriously supposed to work here? His heart sank. Even their old home was better than this.

  Ermina seemed to read his thoughts.

  "I'm warning you. If you say anything negative about our office without even seeing it properly, then…" Ermina's voice trailed off as she shot him a sharp look.

  Aaron could tell she wasn't joking. He decided it was best to keep his mouth shut.

  "Hello, Miss! I've been watching you for a while now. I don't care who you are, but if you try to intimidate my brother, you'll have to deal with me," Julie suddenly stepped forward, her voice sweet but laced with a warning.

  Ermina was taken aback by Julie's unexpected threat. She tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes as she studied Julie. Julie,

  "Ha ha ha… Aaron, I was just joking. I won't do anything. Please come inside, Mr. Aaron," Ermina said, her tone softening as she tried to normalise the tension.

  Aaron was baffled by Ermina's sudden change in demeanor. He couldn't figure her out.

  "Your sister is something else . Keeping her around might cost you extra," Ermina whispered into Aaron's ear as she leaned in closer.

  Aaron's heart raced as he caught a whiff of her perfume. Her proximity sent a shiver down his spine.

  Ermina glanced at him and smiled. Aaron didn't quite understand her comment about the "extra charge," but he nodded anyway. Ermina burst into laughter.

  When Aaron stepped inside the motel , it was the third time that day he was left speechless. The motel looked nothing like its shabby exterior. Inside, the atmosphere was intense. Weapons of all kinds lined the walls, making the place feel more like a military base than an office.

  Aaron began scanning the weapons. They weren't particularly advanced—just a few sniper rifles, machine guns, and a bunch of handguns. He was surprised to see such basic equipment in a place like this. In today's world, they were practically obsolete.

  "This is why we called you. We need you to improve these weapons.Our missions require better firepower, but our budget is tight. We can't afford new or advanced weapons, so we have to manage with these," Ermina explained, her gaze fixed on the wall.

  "Why don't you ask for a bigger budget? If your job is to protect the West Region, they should at least provide you with the necessary resources," Aaron pointed out.

  "You're right, but there are rules here. Teams are given resources based on their rank. The higher the rank, the better the resources. And rank depends on performance. It's not like we don't have skilled soldiers, but our team rarely gets missions that could boost our rank. And even when we do get a good mission, we struggle without proper weapons," Ermina explained.

  Now Aaron understood why their office was in a motel. He finally realized why he had been hired.

  Aaron knew he had a lot of work to do. He wanted to understand the full potential of his mind. To do that, he needed to strengthen his soul core. He had to become stronger—not just for himself, but for Julie. Who knew what challenges lay ahead?

  Aaron let out a deep sigh. He had made up his mind. This was where he would start.

  He picked up a small revolver hanging on the wall and examined it closely. Nearby, he noticed a large box filled with what looked like scrap parts from broken guns. He grabbed a few pieces in one hand and held the revolver in the other.

  "Cipher, use these parts to create the most powerful weapon you can," Aaron commanded.

  "Yes, Master," came the reply. A faint blue aura appeard from Aaron's hands, and the gun parts began to move on their own. Within seconds, a revolver of the same size appeared in his hand. Its grip shimmered with a sky-blue, glowing material.

  "Here you go, Ermina. A little gift from me," Aaron said, turning to her with a smile.

  Ermina was utterly stunned. In just one second, Aaron had created an advanced weapon right before her eyes.