Chapter 137: Not A Threat

Adam freshened up before the mirror.

He had changed into casual outing clothes, white shirt, black jeans, white canvas shoes. A cap sat low over his now-straight black hair. The reflection still felt unfamiliar.

The golden eyes were the most disorienting.

But adaptation was inevitable.

After looking at himself one last time he finally left the room.

Remedy had told him to meet her outside, since she would drive them to Tristan’s Mission Hall.

As he walked down the hallway, he passed the dining area.

Scott sat at the table eating breakfast shirtless.

Sweat still clung to his skin, steam rising faintly from his body, clear sign of an early training session. As Adam passed he glanced up at his new face, said nothing and continued eating.

Adam didn’t speak either.

They simply assessed each other nothing more as he walked to the exit.

Near the exit, Felecia was sprawled across the couch watching tv.

Beer already in hand.

Her clothing barely qualified as such and Adam’s gaze moved once but chose not to comment.

“Why don’t you join me once you’re back with Angel?”

“I don’t drink unfortunately,” Adam replied calmly.

She clicked her tongue.

“Wussy.”

“….”

He didn’t engage.

Arguing with someone who started the day with alcohol was strategically pointless.

He stepped outside.

Fortunately, he didn’t run into Ivy.

After last night’s line of questioning, distance was preferable.

The estate gates came into view.

Remedy stood in front of a sleek white sports car with golden rims.

She wore a yellow blouse with floral patterns and white trousers. Black sunglasses rested over her eyes.

She looked like a wealthy aunt on vacation.

The contrast with her actual age was jarring.

“You took your time,” she said.

“Just getting used to the new body.”

She nodded.

“Get in.”

Adam approached the car.

He reached for the door, but there was no handle.

He paused, forcing a chuckle from Remedy, as she slid her hand along the edge of the door and the panel lifted upward like a wing.

“….”

Adam remained silent and entered without comment.

Drawing attention to ignorance was unnecessary.

Remedy’s smile widened slightly as she walked around and entered on her side.

The engine purred to life.

The estate gates opened automatically and the car shot forward, merging seamlessly onto the highway, its speed increasing rapidly, as the wind pressure shifted.

Adam leaned back slightly, adjusting to the acceleration.

****

The sector of Tristan unfolded before them in layers.

It was unlike anything Adam had experienced in any low-tier sector.

The realization settled heavily.

He had truly been living in a well.

Compared to Tristan, Sector 418 was provincial or borderline rural. He now understood why the heirs from mid tier sectors had referred to it as a backwater sector. Any low-tier sector would feel like a small town beside this.

First, the roads.

Low-tier regions relied mostly on highways; they were functional, narrow and often congested. Tristan had multi-lane expressways layered with overhead flyovers. Traffic flowed in organized streams, merging without stagnation.

The road design accounted for volume.

Which meant population density was substantial.

Then there was transit.

He spotted elevated train tracks cutting across districts.

Not buses.

Trains.

It was systematic, scheduled and efficient.

The city skyline reflected controlled growth. High-rises were evenly spaced, not cramped and Adam observed everything through the window.

“I didn’t expect the difference to be this big.”

Remedy glanced at him briefly, slightly surprised by the comment.

Then she understood.

“It’s normal. People are drawn to essence.”

Her hands remained steady on the wheel.

“The more essence a place has, the more advanced it becomes.”

Adam nodded slowly.

“And the essence keeps increasing the further north you go.”

She nodded.

“There’s a reason the Essential Races originate from the northern continent.”

Adam leaned back slightly.

“But what if someone can’t handle the higher essence?”

Remedy answered casually.

“If someone doesn’t know what they can handle, then death is normal.”

Her tone wasn’t cruel.

It was factual.

“We humans love to talk about breaking limits. But sometimes… we should be honest with ourselves and know when to stop.”

Adam studied her profile.

“But you don’t follow that belief.”

A small smile formed on her lips.

“That belief is for normal people.”

She glanced at him briefly.

“And the two of us are anything but normal.”

Adam relaxed back into the seat.

“Right.”

The engine roared softly as Remedy increased acceleration.

The car surged forward along the expressway, slicing through traffic with controlled precision.

****

As Remedy drove, Adam’s thoughts circled back to something Ivy had said the night before.

He turned slightly toward her.

“The others. Do they know you’re a regressor?”

She didn’t hesitate.

“They don’t.”

Adam watched the passing skyline for a moment.

“Why didn’t you tell them?”

“They don’t need to know.”

Adam shifted slightly in his seat.

“So what makes me different?”

Her answer came without delay.

“Your eyes.”

He glanced at her.

“My eyes?”

“Not just Connect,” she said calmly. “For some reason, after reawakening this time, you gained Analyze alongside Fuse.”

She adjusted lanes smoothly.

“Lying to you would’ve been pointless.”

Adam remained quiet.

“With your nature,” she continued, “if you discovered I was lying to you, you might’ve started plotting ways to kill me in my sleep.”

“….”

He said nothing at first.

The highway stretched ahead.

After a few seconds, he spoke.

“I wouldn’t have killed you in your sleep.”

She gave him a brief side glance before returning her attention fully to the road.

“I don’t kill people for lying to me.”

She was silent.

“What if that person was a threat?” she asked.

Adam considered the question properly.

“Being a threat is different from antagonizing me.”

He leaned back slightly.

“Someone being stronger than me doesn’t automatically mean they want to kill me.”

His thoughts shifted briefly to Sector 418.

“The commander who had jurisdiction over Sector 418 was overwhelmingly strong. A threat by definition.”

He paused.

“But he didn’t antagonize me. He wanted to help.”

The distinction mattered.

“So even if you were a threat,” Adam continued evenly, “I wouldn’t have killed you.”

Remedy smiled faintly.

“It’s good to know you haven’t changed.”

He looked at her.

“You were testing me.”

“Sorry about that,” she replied lightly. “But unlike you, I can’t read people the way you can.”

He nodded once.

“No issue.”

After a brief pause, he added,

“And on an extra note… I don’t consider you a threat.”

She smiled again.

“Good to know.”

The car continued down the expressway at high speed.

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