Vahn was miraculously saved from Ezekiel's masochistic level training. This was possible thanks to the surveillance drones the mechanic had created the past few years. They were tiny, basically the size of a palm and even more possessed camouflage modules that kept them hidden from Awakened. This and the natural flaw of an Awakened to be unable to sense a being with not a bit of mana residing in them.
These three factors allowed the drones to move unhindered through the city without fear of being found. Some powerful figures could indeed sense there were being watched, but so what? They could never pinpoint exactly where the drones where.
Unfortunately for the mechanic the camouflage module couldn't be installed into his arsenal. Not without upgrading the blueprint to allow a figure as large as a human to stay hidden and more importantly, the creation of a full body armor.
But Ezekiel knew these things couldn't be rushed. Each blueprint Gacha cost about 50 Exp while blueprint fusion cost about 40. If he really wanted the full blueprint, he reckoned he had to reach level 20 then use all the Exp he had gained and degrade back to level 1. So he would much rather prefer the trial and error experiments he was performing.
"The drones finally caught something. An underground slave market, around the inner sector of the city. This… how the fuck did they keep this shit hidden?" Over the years, Laura had interacted with not only Ezekiel but also the two siblings, allowing her to advance her emotional intelligence to a standard degree. Right now, the only difference between the living AI and a human being was the fact that her brain could process information multiple times faster than a human.
Ezekiel frowned, his eyes narrowing. "That kind of facility has to be in the hands of nobles." He massaged his temples and sighed. "We can't send the knights to handle this, they'll only be stopped since the nobles have more authority over them. Not to mention, there's no credible proof. What are the energy readings from the people there?"
"About 10 people at the low Rank F. 2 at the middle and peak. The manager of the slave market seems to be at the very peak of the F rank. On the verge of advancing to Rank E too."
Energy reading was quite a simple creation on Ezekiel's side. He simply tweaked and created a weaker version of the MCR, inventing a miniaturized machine with the ability to read the quantity and quality of mana coming off from a person. And since most Awakened were self-conceited idiots, they didn't bother hiding or restraining their mana.
Ezekiel paused, pondering for a bit before he revealed a smile. "We can take them. We can directly deal with the low level people and then delay the rest till the guards come. As long as we create enough commotion and lead the guards there to see the hidden but now exposed slave market for themselves, even the nobles will be unable to prevent their arrest."
Vahn nodded, a bit of excitement welling up in him. "Let's go then. It's been a while since we've stretched our muscles."
"Stay safe." Yuri spoke softly, a look of worry painting her expression.
"Ah, sister. You finally care about me?" Vahn rose his brow in surprised.
"You wish, I was talking to Ez, you can die for all I care."
"My broken heart." He clutched his chest with a fake painful expression.
"Enough, let's get going." Ezekiel chuckled at the siblings' antics and led Vahn to the entrance of their factory. "Remember, use your Windchasers sparingly. I can't recharge them in the middle of a battle."
"Yes, mom. Gods, I've heard this advice a hundred times already."
"Better safe than sorry."
The two smiled, their Windchasers brightening up before releasing Psionic energy like a jet fuel, pushing the duo upwards and allowing them exit through the shaft high over their heads. They hovered around the hidden factory, making sure no one was near them then placing masks on their faces and covering their bodies with oversized coats and leaving the slum's vicinity.
***
Reed was extremely happy at the moment. He stood behind the counter of a lovely antique store while barely holding in a rather senile laugh.
After many months under his Lord, he had finally reached the peak of the F rank and would advance any time between the next two weeks. His Lord had even given him a raise and, even better, allowed him a taste of one of the prettiest girls they had to offer in the facility below his feet!
His manhood almost stood at attention just thinking of her body but he controlled himself. He knew that while at the antique store, which was just a front to hide the slave market going on below him, he couldn't allow any slip ups. Else his favorable place under the Lord would change. And he could not allow that to happen.
Suddenly, the bell to the store rang, alerting him of customers and making him immediately throw out all unnecessary thoughts from his head and walk forward to greet them with a smile. "Welcome, how may I be of help today?"
His eyes scanned the two quickly, sensing a trace of mana from the figure at the front but none at all from the one behind him. Sensing this, his expression warped slightly. If his Mana sense was unable to pick up any reading from the man behind with a calm air surrounding him, it meant the man either had no mana in his body at all or that he was stronger than him.
The first conclusion was quickly thrown out of his mind, a being with no trace of mana had barely been seen in the world of Taia since the beginning of time, even if they were, the being would most likely die as an infant, unable to defend itself against the ambient mana around it since no trace of mana could be found in its body.
Even Ezekiel wasn't born with no mana, he had been reborn in Taia with a thread of mana embedded in his being, but that thread was destroyed the moment his system was created. This was why he had been able to easily fool the manager before him into thinking he was a Rank E Awakened. Even if he had no plans to deceive the man.
Still, the mechanic was smart enough to catch on to the slight changes in the manager's demeanor and predict his thoughts causing an amused smirk to appear beneath his mask.