The Morton Observatory was perhaps the only place at the Citadel where the government, specifically the Gamma Division, had no influence.
The reason for this was not Gladius or Xyrea, but Aiden Henk, the third independent scientist, yet, unlike Magnus and Refesa, there was something special about Aiden. Neither Magnus nor Refesa had the same privileges as Aiden. Moreover, they also lacked such a powerful ally as Gladius.
Now, two long years after Adam became a Phantom, he finally had the opportunity to meet the one who had been the catalyst for this event.
Tap.
The doors opened as four figures emerged from the lobby of the tall, dark skyscraper standing in the center of the First Ring.
Gladius and Xyrea walked ahead toward the parking lot, while Adam and Silvana followed behind them.
Adamâs gaze was full of determination. He didnât know if he could have managed to arrange a meeting with Aiden Henk on his own, but now that Gladius, Aidenâs friend and ally, was with them, it had become possible.
Silvana wasnât as confident, not because she didnât want to meet Aiden Henk, but because this situation wasnât as personal to her as it was to Adam, and that bothered her.
She had come into Adamâs life only after his most traumatic experience.
âDamn it. When Adam and I first met, I didnât even know everything heâd been through. What am I even going to do in this lab? I have no connection to Aiden Henk, and... I wasnât there for Adam when he needed me the most.â
Before Silvana could get too lost in her thoughts, Adamâs hand fell on her shoulder, pulling her close.
"Agh?" She gasped, caught off guard.
"Donât worry." Adamâs voice was firm. "Weâll go there together and get answers to our questions."
Silvana smiled as she nodded.
"Sure. Youâre ready now. Youâve become much stronger than you were at the start of your journey."
"Yes," Adam replied, but his gaze was fixed on Gladiusâs back. He realized that even though he had recently defeated Zin, one of the strongest Black Threat Level monsters, he was still far from Gladiusâs level.
âEven after I take the final two steps and become the next Second Rank Phantom, Iâll still be weaker than him, right? But what about the other Second Rank Phantoms? Will I be able to defeat even one of them?â
In fact, the most accurate way to gauge the strength of a Second Rank Phantom was not by comparing it to other Phantoms, but through the results of battles against Lords.
If a Second Rank Phantom would struggle to defeat even a Baron, the lowest Lord Rank, then that Phantom was likely the weakest and had a lot of work ahead of them.
However, Adam wasnât thinking about that. His goal lay far beyond the Barons and Lesser Lords.
He had to become at least as strong as Frida to have a chance of stopping the World Wipe.
Step. Step. Step.
In the silence, they walked into the parking lot as Gladius pulled out his key and pressed the button.
The headlights of the sports car standing in the shadows turned on, casting two cones of light.
"Wow..."
Adam and Silvana stood frozen, staring at Gladiusâs car.
Sure, Adam had enough money in his account to buy any car at the Citadel, just like any Phantom of his level, but some things simply couldnât be bought. Some were custom-made and produced in limited quantities.
That was exactly the kind of car Gladius had.
It was a sleek, dark-purple sports car that somehow resembled a fearsome wyvern ready to spread its sharp wings and race forward at tremendous speed.
"Adam, if you want, I can try to arrange a meeting with the designer who made that one for me. Though... Itâs been many years. By now, heâs just a grumpy old man, not the young diamond he used to be." Gladius turned to him.
"Huh, looks like you stopped counting the years a long time ago, didnât you?"
Gladius didnât deny it.
"If youâd lived as long as I have and seen as much as I have, youâd understand me better."
"Yeah?" Adam was confused. "Tell me, after all the years youâve lived, are you still interested in this life? It seems to me that if I were a hundred, or even two hundred years old, I would have died of boredom long ago."
Gladius gave him his trademark smirk.
"Of course Iâm interested. Everyone who complains about how boring life is is just an old grump, nothing more. Sure, when youâre young, everything is new to you, and that has its advantages, but the older and stronger you get, the more opportunities you have."
He waved his hand, heading toward his car.
"If you have a desire, youâll always find a way to fulfill it. In our modern world, finding entertainment is easier than ever, even if, once every 250 years, you have to take a little break. Hahaha!"
Strange as it may seem, Adam understood what Gladius was talking about. However, for him, it was a bizarre experience, because the difference between his age and Gladiusâs was enormous, even greater than the gap in their strength.
Click.
Gladius opened the doors as he and Xyrea sat in the front seats while Silvana and Adam were in the back.
Usually, simply arriving at the Morton Observatory was impossible. Every observatory was better protected than military bases or forts along the outer walls, but when their driver was Gladius, everything became much easier.
"Alright, letâs not waste any more time. I donât know if Aiden has any idea about the upcoming meeting or not, but rest assured, when we get there, his desk will be covered in empty coffee cups!" Gladius inserted the ignition key as the engine of his sports car roared, making the entire body shake.
As soon as he pressed the pedal, his car surged forward, ready to demonstrate the capabilities of one of the fastest cars at the Citadel.
Their final destination was the Morton Observatory and nothing more.