UNIFIED W

Chapter 46: Irregular, part 11

Inside the secret lab under the HQ on Prov Island.....

Zeru was sparring with various types of humanoid robots, each equipped with weapons, inside a large training room in the secret lab facility.

Thomas, along with the doctor who had performed Zeru's operation, stood in a glass room one floor above, watching Zeru closely as he trained.

The humanoid robots were each programmed to test a certain technique of Zeru's.

The short, small robots were testing Zeru's speed, while the bulky, heavy robots were testing his strength and stamina.

Zeru now has dual-wielding swords from Thomas himself, swords that match perfectly with his powers.

Each time Zeru fought the humanoid robots, he became sharper, and his body grew more attuned to the second crystal.

Zeru's powers were more destructive, but he was in a much calmer headspace and didn't lash out like he used to.

Inside the training room, Zeru suddenly heard Thomas's voice through the speakers.

"Good job today, Zeru! You can have the rest of the day off."

Zeru slashed the remaining humanoid robots with his dual-wielding swords in a single attack.

As he swung his blades, a gust of flame burst forth, completely melting the humanoid robots.

Then Zeru walked out of the training room into the main hall of the secret lab.

Thomas and the doctor were still standing inside the glass room built one floor above the training room, where they were having a private conversation.

"You were right about the boy, Thomas."

Thomas let out a quick laugh.

"This is just the beginning. With this perfect result, we can create more like him and eventually grant our people powers that the great Wind Clan could only dream of."

The doctor turned to Thomas, his face revealing an uneasy expression.

"Sir, I know we've found a rare opportunity, but is it too early to mass-produce the artificial crystals for our people while we're still in the early stages of the AC project?"

Thomas didn't like the doctor's response and felt a bit disappointed.

"Tell me, Doc, what more proof do you need? You can clearly see the potential of this very thing that we, the people of the V Clan, created—the same people the world considers almost as useless as those lowlifes with no crystals in their bodies."

"Sir, I know our work here will make history, but we must remain patient and take time to analyze, as we don't fully understand the side effects of the artificial crystal."

Thomas slammed his fist against the glass wall and raised his voice.

"May I remind you that time is the only thing we don't have on our side right now, especially with what is happening around the world?"

The doctor momentarily forgot who he was speaking to and raised his voice while addressing Thomas.

"SIR, I don't need to tell you what would happen to us if we aren't careful."

Thomas starts walking back and forth in the room, more frustrated than ever.

"You don't get it, Doc. If we don't do this now, there won't be a clan to rule over anymore, and we'll end up in exactly the same situation as Von City: a dead leader and a rebellious people ready to destroy everything."

As soon as Thomas said that, the room fell silent, and soon after, Zeru stood at the entrance like a statue, a shocked expression on his face as he tried to process what he had just heard.

The doctor and Thomas exchanged a quick glance before turning back to Zeru.

Zeru slowly walked into the room, carrying his swords, and then turned to Thomas, rage burning in his eyes.

"What happened to Von City?"

Zeru didn't get an answer, so he swung his swords, creating a powerful tornado of fire that began to form around his body like a barrier, causing the temperature in the room to rise exponentially.

"Calm down, Zeru. We will tell you everything. Just calm down."

"Tell me right now, or I will burn this place to the ground."

Thomas saw that Zeru was serious, and the fire kept growing.

It would destroy the entire lab along with valuable information and resources, so Thomas decided to tell him everything he knew about the situation in Von City.

Zeru couldn't believe what he was hearing, and his anger was growing.

"I need to get off this island and return home right now."

"YOU CAN'T."

The doctor and Thomas answered Zeru simultaneously.

The doctor walked toward Zeru, trying to explain why he could not leave, but Zeru wasn't listening.

In the end, Thomas and the doctor nodded to each other, and the doctor took out a device from his lab coat.

"Listen very carefully now, Zeru. I didn't want to do this, but you've forced our hand."

Zeru took a few steps forward to approach the doctor, attempting to intimidate him.

"Do you really think that tiny device can keep me here?"

The doctor gave Zeru a confident look before answering him.

"This device will allow me to take away the gift we gave you, Zeru."

"Zeru's eyes widened as the doctor's words caught him off guard."

"That's right, Zeru. While he was operating on you, I also managed to place a very small detonator powerful enough to destroy the healing crystal next to it, and with a single....."

Before the doctor could finish his sentence, Zeru fused all his power on the tip of his sword and cut off the doctor's arm, causing the device to fall to Zeru's feet.

The doctor screamed in agony, trying to stop the bleeding, while Thomas stood at the glass wall, stunned by the scene.

Zeru then took his other sword and looked down at his chest.

"This is going to hurt a lot."

Zeru slashed open his chest, and blood gushed out as he pressed his fingers to the wound, removing the detonator from his body.

He immediately collapsed to his knees, blood continuing to flow, sweat dripping down his face, and he felt himself ready to pass out from blood loss and pain.

But the healing crystal immediately glowed brighter green, and it began to heal Zeru.

Thomas could not believe what he was seeing.

He watched as Zeru's body began to regenerate before him; the flesh grew back, the bones repaired, and the skin covered the flesh, all in the blink of an eye.

The doctor screamed at Thomas, who stood behind Zeru.

"Sir, call for help! Call the humanoid robots to take down Zeru."

Thomas pushed a button on his band watch, and immediately five giant humanoid robots broke through the glass window, pushing Zeru down into the training hall, where they surrounded him.

Zeru could hear that Thomas had put a lockdown on the entire secret lab, preventing anything from getting in or out, and his chances of escaping grew smaller and smaller.

But Zeru did not falter; instead, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and fused his powers with his swords, ready to fight.

As the swords became covered in Zeru's flames, the fire changed color to dark blue, and a serious look appeared on his face.

'I need to get back home to Von City.'