The dark gray Porsche 911 glided silently through the heavy skies of Eden-3, cutting through the dense layers of pollution that separated the artificial glow of the Upper Zone from the toxic, persistent fog of the Lower Zone.
The pearlescent finish of the carbon fiber body completely repelled the soot in the air, preventing dirt from sticking to the paint and emitting a subtle cyan glow whenever the ionic turbines made millimeter-precise adjustments to altitude to compensate for wind currents and keep passenger comfort at its peak.
Inside the cockpit, despite the silence, neither of them felt uncomfortable with it. Accustomed to traveling long distances together in Elysium, both Lohan and Isabella knew how to stay quiet and enjoy the atmosphere.
The only thing that broke the silence was the sound of the car’s engine and thrusters, which were occasionally revved up more intensely, a sensation that always brought a subtle smile to Lohan’s face.
Lohan kept his hands firmly on the steering wheel, feeling every micro-vibration of the vehicle as if it were an extension of his own skin, driving with heightened alertness not only to enjoy the control over the vehicle but also to ensure their safety, considering that this was still not a discreet car, especially since they were now about to enter the Lower Zone.
The transition to Sector 4 was evident from the change in the urban landscape, with the crystal-clad, luxurious skyscrapers giving way to raw concrete hangars, dilapidated buildings, exposed wiring, and the smell of industrial waste that not even the Porsche’s filters could completely eliminate.
But at this point, even if the smell was unpleasant, it didn’t bother the two of them in the least.
In Elysium, they’d already had to deal with far more putrid smells, both from environments and from corpses. Compared to that, this subtle foul odor, which had already been filtered by the car and their masks, was practically nothing.
Lohan parked the car right in front of the large, decommissioned drone hangar that served as Silver Lotus’s headquarters.
The landing, as one would expect from a car like this, was so smooth that the gravel and dust barely stirred. The vehicle’s doors opened simultaneously, and Lohan and Isabella stepped out.
Lohan was wearing his old black overcoat. The fabric, which had once seemed too large for the frail body of the former Hayes, now stretched across broad shoulders and dense musculature that Slime’s anatomy had helped him build.
His aura had also undergone a major change, becoming oppressive; he was no longer the frightened, innocent boy who had begged for a chance in major guilds and had taken his own life in desperation.
His gaze was now far more serious, cold, and brimming with confidence, the result of having hunted thousands of monsters, eliminated rival Players, and even permanently gotten rid of people like Oscar and his bodyguards in the real world.
Beside him, Lisa maintained an equally cold expression. Her white beanie and urban jacket concealed the heiress of the most powerful family on the planet, but even with her identity hidden, her very posture exuded as much, if not more, intimidation than Lohan standing next to her.
Their outfits seemed to match in a dark, utilitarian style, even though they were clothes anyone could wear in the Lower Zone, but when worn by the two of them, with the aura they exuded as they stepped out of a car like that... it only made them seem even more mysterious.
People passing by on the street, exhausted laborers and small-time local thugs, stopped in their tracks for a moment upon seeing a Porsche 911 in that neighborhood.
However, as soon as their eyes met Lohan’s and they felt the intensity of his presence, their interest quickly faded, and these people swiftly looked away and quickened their pace to get away, figuring that with people like that, it would be safest to keep as much distance as possible.
Knock Knock Knock
Lohan walked up to the large metal door of the warehouse and knocked firmly.
Within seconds, the sound of heavy latches echoed, and the door was opened by Devon Baker. The college guy was about to say something casual, but froze upon seeing Lohan’s imposing figure.
"What’s up, bro..." Devon said, his voice faltering for a second as he sensed the massive aura of Mana that Lohan naturally exuded. He looked at the redheaded girl beside him, not making the connection between her and the other redhead he knew from college, and then at the luxury car parked right behind them, completely stunned. "Wow, Lohan... you’ve really changed since we last met. And you brought company?"
Lohan also flashed a smile and shook his outstretched hand. "A promise is a promise, Devon. We’ve finally come to get to know each other even better, haha."
"Please get in," Devon replied, opening the door wider and smiling back, though he was still clearly impressed by the boy’s transformation.
Of everyone who knew Lohan in real life, Devon was the second person who had analyzed and paid the most attention to Lohan, both in how he acted and in his appearance and physique in college, second only to Isabella, which made Lohan’s change leave him even more shocked.
Lisa projected a control screen through her ocular hologram, making a subtle gesture with her finger in the air, and the Porsche reacted instantly, starting its engines and following the two of them into the hangar autonomously.
The vehicle glided into a corner, parking elegantly next to the gang’s white motorcycles.
The arrival of the car and the pair immediately caught the attention of everyone in the hangar.
Zach stopped cleaning an engine part, Jenny crossed her arms with a defensive expression, and Kai felt his stomach churn again at the sight of Lohan, unable to forget the force that had knocked him down in the alley.
Staring at that face and thinking about the force he’d received from Elysium, Kai was the one most eager for a rematch with Lohan.
Then they looked at the Porsche as if it were an alien object... seeing Lohan driving a machine like that proved to the group that he wasn’t just talking big when he mentioned his results at Elysium.
Lohan nodded politely to the group, keeping his posture straight as he crossed the hangar. Then he finally met Skye’s gaze.
The leader of the Silver Lotus was leaning against a workbench, observing the scene with a mixture of genuine curiosity and a wariness she barely tried to hide.
Her blue eyes fixed on Isabella for several seconds, trying to figure out why Lohan would bring a girl to a place like this.
"Looks like power and money have made you even more handsome, Hayes," Skye remarked in a displeased tone, stepping away from the workbench and walking toward them while staring at Isabella. "Or did you just want to take your new girlfriend on an outing to a different place?"
Lohan thought to himself how funny the situation was.
"She thinks I brought a gold digger with me because I have money now?" He thought, laughing at the situation.
From Skye’s perspective, it really did seem like he’d found a girlfriend after becoming "rich and handsome," and that this gold-digger was only hanging out with him for what he could provide.
If Skye knew he was talking to Isabella Vance, the girl whose last name determined the price of every brick in that neighborhood, he’d probably have a mental breakdown.
However, seeing that Bella wasn’t bothering to explain or take offense, merely maintaining an expression of boredom behind her face mask, Lohan decided to go with the flow.
"She’s my business partner and the president of the organization I mentioned," Lohan explained curtly, cutting short the hostile atmosphere before Skye could say anything else rude. "We came here to have a serious conversation about what you’re facing."
Skye sniffed lightly, trying to detect the scent of Lisa’s Mana, but the spirit fox not only used Spiritual Power instead of Mana like ordinary mages, but her control over that energy was far greater than Lohan’s control over his own energies, completely nullifying Skye’s perception. "President, is that right? Even hidden under clothes that resemble our style, she still looks like someone who’s never stepped in a mud puddle in her life."
"Is that your way of starting a negotiation that could change your life and that of your companions? To be perfectly honest, Lohan, I don’t know if she wants this to end well," Lisa retorted, her voice muffled by the mask but laced with a coldness that made Skye freeze in her tracks, ashamed.
The silence that followed was broken only by the sound of a distant generator.
Skye narrowed her eyes, realizing that her own attitude really wasn’t appropriate.
"I’m sorry, I really went too far," she said next, surprising Isabella a little.
Lohan realized it was time to change the subject.
"Alright, everyone. Let’s focus on what matters," Lohan interjected, approaching Skye and Devon. "How are things going for the Silver Lotus in Elysium? Devon mentioned last time that you’d reached Level 9, but that the situation wasn’t looking too good."
Skye sighed, her tough-as-nails leader persona giving way to genuine exhaustion as she turned toward the center of the hangar. "Honestly? It’s hell. We all finally managed to get out of the newbie villages on Saturday, but the Open World is getting worse and worse..."