"Stay calm, don't move. The algorithm might think you're also disobeying Trebolg," Yaco warned calmly as he observed the scene unfolding before them.
Just as the plummeting figure was about to hit the ground, another pair of robotic arms suddenly emerged, catching him midair and averting a fatal impact. The giant screen flickered back to life, and the robotic voice boomed once more: "Please resume your daily tasks and do not attempt to outsmart the system, or you will be eliminated. There will not be a third chance. Do you understand, Citizen B-50?"
The man, still dangling by his foot and trembling with fear, nodded quickly, still overwhelmed by how close he had come to death. The machine interpreted the gesture as a "yes" and slowly lowered him, depositing him onto a conveyor belt.
"Return to your duties," the cold voice commanded before falling silent.
Yaco glanced at the group and added, "You see? Everything is under control here, thanks to the artificial intelligence created by Trebolg. Her name is Ruby, and she oversees the entire realm. Without her, no one could leave this place without permission. Don't try to play the hero and save others," he said, casting a pointed look at Paltio, who had been on the verge of intervening. If Mok hadn't stopped him, the prince might have met the same fate.
"As long as you stay with me, you'll be safe. But you can't wander this city alone. That's why our lord tasked me with accompanying you. You'll need to stay by my side until you find what you came for and leave the realm."
"A superintelligence controlling the entire city… Fascinating," Golden remarked through the psychic link shared with the group.
"Good thing I stopped you, young master," Mok said, addressing Paltio with a relieved smile.
"Yes, thank you, Mok," Paltio replied, embarrassment evident in his tone.
"You always act on impulse," Alita and Ron reproached him almost in unison. "You nearly ended up like that guy."
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry about that. But it's probably best if, Golden, you don't show yourself anymore, and we communicate solely through telepathy like now," Paltio suggested.
"Agreed. I think you're right. I can't cause trouble for you all," Golden accepted, choosing to remain within the mental link and out of sight.
Everyone fell silent for a moment, lost in their thoughts. Yaco, noticing the quiet, asked, "Guys? Is something wrong?"
Pax, aware that everyone was in a psychic link, felt a pang of irritation at being excluded. "These damn fools didn't invite me," he thought to himself. Still, he decided to intervene to mask his frustration. "They're probably shaken by what just happened," Pax responded aloud to Yaco.
"Yes, that must be it," Yaco said, though his tone carried a hint of suspicion. Changing the subject, he asked, "Alright, where should we go? Do you already know where the piece is?"
Pax elbowed Paltio, temporarily pulling him out of the psychic link. The latter responded, "We need a room where we can meditate and determine where the piece might be."
"Alright, then I'll take you to the Blue Hotel," Yaco announced. A sort of integrated computer emerged from his arm, and he said, "Ruby, take us to the hotel quickly."
Ruby's voice responded immediately through the communicator on Yaco's arm: "Understood."
In an instant, the path beneath their feet began to move, adjusting its trajectory to lead them directly toward the hotel. The sign above the building clearly read: Azul.
Upon entering the hotel, Yaco approached a citizen of Bacadolia who managed the place and stated, "We need a room. The golden boy needs to meditate."
The woman, with a vacant gaze and an absent expression, seemed to have endured experiences similar to those of the punished individual from earlier. Without uttering a word, she handed over a sort of magnetic card. The path under their feet began moving again automatically, guiding them toward the room corresponding to that card.
Yaco held the card up to the door, which opened automatically after scanning it. Paltio entered with the group and announced, "I'll sit here to search for the piece." He assumed the lotus position in the center of the room while his friends took seats nearby.
Yaco observed the prince's behavior with curiosity but eventually commented, "Well, it's your quest."
Pax and Yaco remained standing side by side, gazing out the window. The silence between them was brief.
"So, you're a soldier from Tejod," Yaco remarked, examining him from head to toe. "I thought your kind were taller."
Pax scowled, annoyed by the comment. "My size doesn't matter. I'm highly skilled and strong. Don't let my appearance fool you."
"Bah!" Yaco scoffed, letting out a derisive laugh. "I prefer using technology to win battles rather than my fists. Besides, we have Ruby on our side." His smile carried a hint of mischief as he spoke these words.
"Yeah, whatever," Pax muttered, averting his gaze. In his mind, he tried reaching out to Golden. "Golden! Where are you? Why didn't you include me on your telepathic channel? Do you have another one?"
"I heard you, Pax," Golden responded quickly. "Sorry, but I still don't fully trust you. Plus, Paltio told me not to read your mind."
"Fine, whatever you say," Pax replied, visibly irritated. "But next time you leave me out of your conversations, I won't intervene when enemies show up."
"Do you want me to call you by your real name?" Golden teased.
"You win, stupid golden guy. For now," Pax shot back sarcastically, though his mental voice betrayed a flicker of frustration.
"Alright, I don't have time to chat with you. I need to help Paltio find that piece and get out of this terrible place as soon as possible," Golden concluded before disconnecting from Pax's mind to focus entirely on the prince.
"Alright, kid, focus. Let's start looking for that piece," Golden instructed.
"Yes, you're right. The sooner we get out of here, the better," Paltio thought, closing his eyes. Still, a part of him remained troubled by the plight of the realm's people. "Though I also want to save these people… With that artificial intelligence, Ruby, it seems impossible."
"Paltio, don't think about those things right now. Focus on finding the piece," Golden interrupted firmly. "I hope that since we're finding the pieces in order, this one is Sacaram. Maybe if we obtain that piece, we'll have a chance against Ruby."
"Yes, I'll focus. If it's that piece, it would be great. We could protect every citizen with a sphere," Paltio thought as he closed his eyes again. He meditated for a couple of minutes, attempting to tune into the search plane.
"Hey! Golden boy, have you found what you're looking for yet?" Yaco asked impatiently, breaking the silence in the room.
"Relax, let him concentrate," Mok interjected quickly, giving Yaco a serious look. "Sometimes these visions come to him in their own time."
"Bah! I hate waiting. If you need me, I'll be outside the room. Just remember: without me, Ruby would see you as intruders," Yaco warned before leaving the room, leaving behind a calmer atmosphere.
"Good riddance. That guy gives me bad vibes," Ron said, clenching his fists in frustration. "He doesn't fight fairly with his fists; he only uses tech gadgets."
"Yeah, and I don't like how much control he has here either," Alita added, crossing her arms.
"Plus, I have to keep Nakia hidden in this red cap I brought from the room Professor Kuang gave us," Alita remarked, adjusting her hat to better conceal the small creature inside.
"And I don't even like him!" Nakia exclaimed, poking her beak slightly out from the side of the cap.
"Silence, everyone! Let me concentrate. If we want to get out of here as soon as possible, I need to focus," Paltio said, raising a hand to calm them all.
"Alright, fine," they responded in unison, falling silent.
Paltio refocused deeply, and this time, he managed to join the search plane. There, he saw blurry images and objects rushing past him. Amidst it all, a sort of arrow began snaking its way in front of him. He decided to follow it, though this time it wasn't as easy as his first experience in this state. The arrow started swirling around his body, almost making him dizzy, until finally, it led him directly to the objective: what he was searching for and where it was located.
Suddenly, Paltio felt a gentle tap in his mind. It was Golden, carefully waking him from the trance with a mental nudge, just as he'd done before.
"Paltio, did you find anything? Do you know where the scepter piece is?" everyone asked simultaneously as soon as he opened his eyes.
"Yes," Paltio replied seriously. "But you're not going to like where it is."