“I can’t wait to get out of here,” the man Ning Shan was newly acquainted with said as his wife clung to his arm. He seemed much more relaxed than the other resident, almost as if he was intimately familiar with the hovering yellow drones—something that couldn’t help but draw Ning Shan’s interest.

  Still, it was now his turn.

  He took a few steps forward, standing between the drones, only to notice Sera looking like a nervous wreck. She hesitantly held the side of her clothes while her hood was draped over her face, obscuring her features. She seemed to want to turn away, unable to bear the sight.

  Ning Shan knew exactly about her fears, yet he was unconcerned. While his plan wasn't foolproof, as many details were unknown to him, he knew enough to be confident he could evade their eyes, and if something were to go awry, he also had some contingencies.

  Surrender Your Weapons...

  State Name and Affiliation...

  Ning Shan had no other weapons than the one orbiting the ringed planet in his core, yet he had no intentions of relinquishing his ownership. He doubted they would be able to discover it, and besides, even if he wanted to, the act of it appearing in thin air would only attract even more unnecessary attention.

  “Ning Shan. Lightforge Industries,” he said before white light covered his body.

  It felt as if countless needles constantly pricked his skin, trying to uncover what lay beneath. While the experience was far from painful, it was quite uncomfortable as he felt the light quickly dig deeper, examining every inch of his body. He remained calm and composed, awaiting the result of their inquiry, yet he couldn't help but grow slightly nervous when the light arrived at the boundary of his core. This would be the defining moment.

  The light sought to gain entrance, yet the black lightning arcing on the boundary prevented it. Without warning, the drone instantly became brighter; their light bathed Ning Shan in an extraordinary glow.

  The ones that had yet to pass the checkpoint couldn't help but take a few steps back, unable to bear the sight as they turned away and covered their eyes. Taken aback, Sera tried to see through the light but was unable to. Even she had to turn away, awaiting the light to recede. Still, she couldn’t mask her growing worries.

  The white light struggled against the boundary yet could not penetrate through. Ning Shan watched the struggle in real time, looking in on himself, and felt quite intrigued by the phenomenon. He even noticed the white light growing in strength, showing hints of turning yellow.

  Then, the black lightning sprung forth, coating the light as if trying to imprison it. The light was sucked within his core, forming a ball of light akin to the sun as the black lightning kept it in check. It spun rapidly as the drone emitted even more light, making the ball grow.

  While this happened in less than a second, Ning Shan watched it all happen in slow motion. The ball expanded rapidly, almost as if it was about to burst, but only then did the black lightning open a small floodgate, allowing the yellow part of the light to escape toward Ning Shan's red planet, which quickly devoured it, growing substantially.

  Ning Shan couldn't help but slightly smile as things went as he expected. As he thought, a part of that light held the same nature as the red dust he encountered time and time again. By letting it perfuse throughout his body and then gathering it at his core, he used the black lightning to strip away the part that gave it strength. While this was a gamble on his part, it seemed to have paid off. The red planet grew swiftly stronger, yet such swift growth would only be fleeting.

  Having noticed the change, the drones' lights began turning completely yellow. However, Ning Shan struck beforehand. While he wished to fully take advantage of it, keeping a low profile seemed more critical. He couldn't let others discover how different he appeared from the rest of the Cradle's inhabitants. While there may be others who used the red dust as he did, he had yet to meet a single one.

  While he hadn’t had enough time to uncover how hunters received their various gifts—such as Sera’s ability to alter gravity—he knew one thing for sure. To him, the red dust was a boon he could never get enough of, and it was poison for everyone else. It was only the way they used it that differed. As such, the drones could never fathom that he would use their light to strengthen himself.

  Fearing being discovered, Ning Shan released the light, letting it light up his inner universe. Still, the light could never reach the red planet, being stopped at its boundary by the black lightning that filled his inner world.

  The light flashed instantly before rushing out of his body, returning to the drones with what it had discovered when it was about to turn completely yellow. As the light was much too incandescent, none of the surrounding residents witnessed that peculiar scene, too afraid to look at it directly and become blind.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Ning Shan held his breath but remained calm externally as the light completely receded from his body, awaiting the drones' verdicts. The wait was much longer than for the others, almost as if the drones were deliberating with themselves. Even Sera picked up on the changes, looking toward Ning Shan with doubts and nervousness in her eyes.

  It took the drones a few more moments to come to a decision, but now Ning Shan could finally let his breath flow.

  Subject Is Unarmed...

  No Anomalies Detected...

  Ning Shan closed his eyes, letting a slight relief wash over him. While he was confident he could pull through, it remained a gamble, yet it seemed to have paid off. He had bypassed the checkpoint but had also profited from it. He had just reached the sixth level less than an hour prior and had now almost reached the seventh. Still, it was too soon for him to celebrate.

  Designation Missing From Database...

  Detaining Subject for Further Questioning...

  Suddenly, the light went from pure white to deep yellow, yet it felt completely different than when it tried to burrow into his core. The yellow light wrapped around him, almost as if fixing the space itself, disallowing any movements.

  A light flashed in Ning Shan’s eyes as he sought to struggle. His muscles bulged slightly, seeking to break free, yet no movement could be made. He could only look toward his captors, unable to resist as all four drones were now surrounding him.

  The room grew quiet. Sera even took a few steps backwards, trying to distance herself from him. Ning Shan couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her attempt as if they wouldn't find her relationship with him.

  Still, Ning Shan remained calm and stopped struggling, waiting for the verdict. At least, he knew things would be different from those the drones had captured some time prior. The fact that they didn’t transfer him right away was proof enough.

  “I must say, I wasn’t expecting to find someone whose DNA isn’t registered in the Database,” a voice emerged from one of the drones. Ning Shan could see the yellow light flicker as he spoke. Unlike the prerecorded message, Ning Shan was sure the voice came from someone made of flesh and blood. “Tell me, who are you spying for?”

  Ning Shan’s pupils dilated slightly. While this wasn’t exactly what he was expecting, this was something he could work with. Suddenly, the pressure holding him in place began to recede slightly, allowing him to speak.

  “What makes you think I am a spy to begin with?” Ning Shan replied calmly, even offering the man a benign smile.

  Ning Shan glanced around the room, only to see all remaining citizens look toward him with scorn in their eyes, almost as if he was their worst enemy. Even the couple he was now acquainted with showed distrust, while Sera did her best to make herself look inconspicuous. Still, the other residents wouldn’t let her get away with it.

  “They're with him!" they shouted, pointing toward the three of them. "We saw them! They were close to him, even talking amiably. Who knows what they conspired to do!"

  The couple were taken aback, while Sera only showed resignation. She knew she couldn’t get out of it. If only to show she had no intention of fighting back, she placed her only weapon—the same dust rod that Ning Shan possessed—on the floor before taking a few steps away from it, only for one of the drones to stand before her, shining the same yellow light upon her while another one stood before the couple.

  “I need no reason to deem you a spy," the voice said. "My word alone is proof enough. My only concern is the one you serve. Did you crawl out from the depths or from beyond the wasteland?"

  From its voice alone, Ning Shan could easily imagine the image of that man standing before him with an air of superiority, almost as if he was entirely at his mercy. Ning Shan could barely stop himself from laughing. He had to do his best to keep his features as neutral as possible. After all, this was hardly the first time he had met someone who erroneously thought the same.

  “Neither,” Ning Shan replied. “If you wish to know who I work for, then you better ask Charles Baxter. As for who I am, you don’t deserve to know.”

  Ning Shan's calm and firm attitude in such a situation seemed to take the man aback. He remained silent for two whole minutes, which gave Ning Shan the time to consider how best to proceed. While he could easily escape from the drones' hold, that would be ill-advised.

  He knew next to nothing about the Cradle's enforcement capabilities and had no intentions of finding out. But also, doing so would be implicating Sera alongside him. While he generally had no qualms in doing so, he still had uses for her.

  “Do not lie,” the voice finally replied. “You do not appear on Lightforge Industries employee roster. Besides, Sir Baxter would never employ someone of such dubious identity!”

  Ning Shan's eyes lit up but repressed the smile creeping on his lips. He saw an angle he could work with.

  “Why not ask him, then?” Ning Shan asked. “It would be much faster than trying to pry intel out of me. You’ll know soon enough who I am if he is inclined to tell you.”

  Following Ning Shan's lead, Sera also chose to chime in: "If you don't believe him, why not check out our room? It was leased under Lightforge Industries' name."

  Despite being separated by a metallic construct, Ning Shan could swear he could see the man frown, at least from the uneasy silence that followed. He chose not to push further, allowing the man to come to his own conclusions as he could feel him waver. Still, he knew this probably wouldn't be enough. He needed one last defining factor, his ace in the hole, and fortunately, it finally came.

  “If I may speak a few words,” the man said, his wife still clinging to his arms. His expression was somewhat hesitant, if not nervous, yet his voice was calm and clear, showing no hint of doubt. “While this man may be connected with Mr. Baxter, he currently works for me. I have hired him and his associate as guides, but also as guards during my stay on the Ninth Level. I would appreciate it if you could release him immediately, as I have an appointment to attend, and we have already wasted enough time."

  The drones turned toward the man, as did all those that remained. Even Sera seemed somehow shocked by his brazenness. She couldn’t help but fear what may happen to him. She knew only too well what the government could do to such people. Only Ning Shan showed a genuine smile, unable to hide it anymore, as things were finally back on track. He had been waiting for this!