Chapter 126: Warning
The world was shifting faster than ever before, and Philip could feel the pull of power, responsibility, and uncertainty deep in his bones. After traversing the new site and witnessing the disparity in strength many wielding divine artifacts while he had distributed none Philip made a firm decision. He needed to prepare his siblings. First, he would handle the mysterious potions he had acquired.
He separated a few drops no more than two from the glowing vials and stored them in a reinforced mana-stable container. These were to be examined by Dr. Remi, a trusted if cautious ally. At the same time, Philip intended to collect the high-grade potions he had ordered months ago, products of expensive commissions and rare ingredients.
In a blink, he arrived before the towering, chrome-black structure of NeroTech Biogenic. It shimmered with wards and energy-dampening tech, but it posed no obstacle to him. He phased through the detection layers and walked through the doors.
The moment he entered, his eyes locked on a presence a cloaked figure hidden deep in mana shadows hovering close to Dr. Remi. Philip's evolved eyes pierced the illusion. Without hesitation, his telekinesis lashed out, snatching the figure from the hallway and smashing him into the wall with bone-crushing force. The man screamed as all his limbs broke simultaneously.
The cloak shimmered, revealing its complex array of mana suppression. Philip's frown deepened. So this is how he avoided the continent's suppressive laws, he thought. Any awakened being not registered or sanctioned by Earth's hidden systems should have had their mana drained dry upon entry. This cloak bypassed all that.
The shattered man was not ordinary. His skin had a subtle bluish hue, and his ears were elongated almost elven. He was tall, clearly humanoid, but not of Earth. Philip could sense that he was Legendary rank, but in his current state, he was utterly helpless.
Philip ripped the cloak apart. A sudden suction force erupted, causing mana to rapidly drain into an unseen point so strong that even Philip could feel the pull. Yet, he couldn't trace where the energy went. A dimensional anchor... or something else, he mused, disturbed.
Dr. Remi, who had stood frozen, finally sprang into motion, sprinting to the fallen agent. He quickly fed him a potent healing potion, his hands trembling as he worked. Philip didn't stop him he had no intention of killing the NAM operative. This was a message, not an execution.
When the treatment was complete, Philip finally spoke, voice calm but cold.
"I want my potions."
Dr. Remi nodded hastily and motioned for his assistant, who brought a mid-tier spatial ring filled with neatly arranged vials the potions Philip had ordered months prior. As he collected them, Philip handed Remi a small, sealed case.
"Analyze these. Even two drops could shift someone's foundation. Tell me what you find."
Dr. Remi looked inside and paused. The contents radiated an ancient alchemical signature, one that shouldn't exist in modern Earth alchemy. He was visibly intrigued and nodded. "I'll get on it immediately."
Philip gave the still-healing NAM operative one final glance before walking out.
He said nothing, but the warning had been delivered in blood and bone: I am not someone you can stalk or test.
A moment later, he appeared back in Lagos, inside his secure compound. He summoned his siblings, Amaka and Nathaniel, and handed each of them a selection of potions tailored to their elemental affinities and mental states.
However, as he watched them eagerly accept the potions, a realization struck him. They have power now, but no tools to wield it. No artifact, no gear nothing but their mana breathing technique.
The technique he taught them an advanced mana absorption method he refined from the Temple of Time and Space's Library was potent, but raw power alone wouldn't protect them. They needed more.
"Wait here," he told them, voice laced with urgency. Without further explanation, he vanished again, this time aiming for Adebode's Vault, ready to spend whatever he needed to ensure his family would not be left vulnerable in the storms to come.