Chapter 201: A Surprising Turn

​[The Outermost.]​Nioh stood on a makeshift stage built of compressed scrap metal, his polished uniform a stark contrast to the gritty environment. He stared out at the assembly. Ten thousand faces, a tapestry of every major race. He knew they were criminals, smugglers, hackers, and assassins.

’It doesn’t matter what they’ve done.’ Nioh thought, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. ’What matters is the King’s vision.’

​His only internal anxiety stemmed from the elegant mansion across the square. He glanced up at the balcony and saw Morgana, standing like a marble statue, a glass of crimson liquid held delicately in her hand.

’Don’t cross her. That is the only rule.’

​He turned back, his voice projecting with an electronic clarity: "I am Nioh! The first commander under God wolf!! I won’t keep you waiting. I will jump straight to the point: God Wolf wants you all to work for him."

".....?!"

​A wave of confused silence washed over the crowd.

​Nioh elaborated, letting the tension build: "He wants you to be his ears and eyes. He knows your criminal history in all nations—the data is irrefutable. But if you work for him, all your records will be purged from the galactic databases, every bounty deleted. You will become free. You will have your freedom back!"

"...!!"

​The initial confusion exploded into a cacophony of hope and excitement.

​"Wow!"

"Be free... I can finally be free again!"


"Yes! I accept!"

"What is the job?! Are we going to be spies?"

​"Calm down!" Nioh commanded, letting his authority settle the crowd.

"You won’t be sent on suicide missions. Your job is simply to live your normal lives in the nations. Keep your eyes and ears open. Any news about God Wolf’s interests should be reported to me." He paused.

"But note this: if you provide information deemed highly valuable, you gain twice your income for that month!"

​"That’s all?" A Xenon hissed in disbelief.

"What if we don’t have any information?" a woman asked, adjusting her goggles.

​"Of course, you will still get paid your standard wage," Nioh answered. "But the more critical information you provide, the more your income multiplies."

​"What about our income?" another voice called out.

​"Each one of you will receive one hundred thousand galaxy crystals as a monthly salary," Nioh announced, the number sending a fresh wave of murmurs through the crowd.

"And your guaranteed freedom. You will have the liberty to do whatever you want! But! No illegal action! None, or you will regret it. Live your lives as normal, clean citizens. Of course, you can stay here if you wish. Now, decide!"

​The collective decision was swift and overwhelming. Ninety percent of the ten thousand criminals cheered their acceptance.

​"Good! Meet Mr. Nicolas here to get you signed into Eldoria’s system. That way, you will be instantly recognized by the system as clean citizens and receive your payment faster." Nioh smiled, pleased with the volume of high-level intelligence he had just acquired.

_

​Morgana observed the scene from her balcony, taking a slow, appreciative sip of the blood-red drink in her crystal glass.

​"Hmm... that kid is actually smart," she murmured. "Taking this volume of people and placing them as sleeper agents in all the nations gives him eyes and ears everywhere. It’s a masterful way to gather passive intelligence."

​She frowned slightly: ’What exactly is his plan? God Wolf never moved without a grand scheme. He isn’t just collecting gossip. There must be something more to this. A real reason behind this massive investment.’

​She walked back to her opulent couch and settled down, watching the crowds registering their biometric and cosmic brain data into the system.

​’Most importantly.’ She thought, her eyes narrowing:

’How did Eldoria acquire such an advanced, level system?’

___

​[Three-Eyed Nation.]

[Outside one of the race tunnels.]

​In the cold vacuum of space, near the gravity wells of the Three-Eyed Nation, a small, heavily shielded freighter hung motionless. Inside, the cabin was dimly lit, reeking of stale coffee and adrenaline.

​"Are you sure about this, Boss?" Jace, a nervous man with wide, dark eyes, asked from his co-pilot seat, staring at the translucent, high-velocity race tunnels that snaked around the planet.

​Scarface, a man whose face looked like a topographic map of old battles, hissed. "What? Are you scared, Jace? We already cut the locking mechanisms on a part of the tunnel structure. Once we confirm the target, we pull the track off its tether and capture the mark. Then, well, you know. Ransom or sale."

​He ran a scarred thumb over the console. "Those racing are the wealthiest thrill-seekers in the sector. If we can’t sell their unique, high-tech vehicles, we can simply ask for a ransom that sets us up for life."

​"Boss," a dark-skinned lady named Tala interjected, her voice tight. "I got news the commander under God Wolf is in this race. Do you think it is safe? What if we mistakenly capture her?"

​Scarface scoffed, but a flicker of caution crossed his eyes. "Not possible. I made sure we have the right tunnel before committing. Hitting God Wolf would only bring an unstoppable hammer down on our heads. No, the intel is solid: a little child is on this track. If we capture her, the ransom will be astronomical."

​He tracked a distant, high-speed vehicle on his monitor. It was Ellen’s sleek, race car, hurtling towards their point of sabotage.

​"Get ready." He moved his thumb towards a large, flashing red button on his command desk.

​His four crew members held their breath. As Ellen’s vehicle entered the section of the tunnel they controlled, Scarface slammed the button down.

​BAM!!!

​With a deafening electronic snap, the track section was instantly and violently pulled out from the main, stabilized tunnels.

".....?"

​Ellen was momentarily stunned. Her vehicle, built to handle impossible speeds but not impossible structural failure, drove straight out of the track and into the black void of space.

​WHOOSH!

​She looked up. A huge, articulated metal claw, extending from the belly of the warship, was moving fast.

​BAM!!

​The claw grabbed her race car, its reinforced chassis creaking under the pressure, and began hauling it toward the ship’s docking bay.

​"Huh?" Ellen muttered, not in panic, but in pure, detached curiosity.

"Am I actually getting kidnapped? Well, this is a surprising turn."