When he arrived at the beach, it was still nighttime. The party was going on but Dante had no intentions of taking part. He simply used his AI chip to reserve a top-tier suite in the highest-rated hotel in the entire Johannesburg.
Its name was the Royal Oasis. It cost $2,000 per night but came with a slew of services that left him dizzy just reading them.
He then ordered another ride to the hotel and chatted with the driver on the way.
As Dante arrived at the Royal Oasis Hotel, he was greeted by opulence and luxury. The grand lobby was adorned with intricate chandeliers, marble floors, and elegant furnishings. The staff at the front desk treated him with the utmost respect, recognizing him as a first-class traveler since he had his boarding pass still.
Dante's suite was located on the highest floor of the hotel, offering a breathtaking view of Johannesburg's skyline. The room was equipped with state-of-the-art amenities, including a private balcony, a jacuzzi, and a personal AI concierge to cater to his every need.
After settling into his suite, Dante took a moment to savor the tranquility and comfort. It was a stark contrast to the rugged isolation of McDonald's Island, and he appreciated the brief respite from his demanding mission.
Feeling lazy, Dante opened his windows wide and looked at the beautiful night sky.
......…
"Confirm that you have eyes on the target." A young yet potent voice sounded from a pair of earphones attached to the back of the listener's earlobe.
The listener was crouched down on the roof of a nearby building, looking down through his scope at Dante who was relaxed and taking in the view of the Johannesburg skyline.
The young listener on the rooftop was equipped with state-of-the-art gear, including a sniper rifle with advanced targeting systems and enhanced vision goggles. He was accompanied by his team of fellow mercenaries, all geared up and ready for action.
"Confirmed, I have eyes on the target. The subject is relaxed and appears unaware of any potential threats." The sniper responded calmly.
"Keep monitoring him. We need to be certain before we proceed with the plan." The voice spoke to him, who happened to be the tech specialist who was not on site but rather stationed within another suite in the same hotel.
"He's in a luxury hotel, surrounded by opulence. This might be the perfect time to strike." Came a female voice, who was crouched down like a cat at the edge of the Royal Oasis's roof, her posture casual despite the dangerous angle she took.
"Let's not rush into anything. We've only been tracking him for a few hours at best. We need to ensure we have the best opportunity to execute the mission." A dissatisfied and slightly accented voice sounded from the receivers on the various team's ears, coming from a burly Russian man who acted as a bouncer in the hotel's indoor club.
"I agree with Demolitions. Patience is key. We've come this far; we can't afford any mistakes now." A soft yet confident female voice sounded, being a woman who was pushing a tray of wine and food through the hotel's hallways, approaching Dante's door.
"Understood. We'll wait for the right moment. Keep me updated on his movements." Their illusive team leader commanded, his androgynous voice making the rest of the team halt their breath.
There was no one they feared more than their mysterious team leader who even gathered them together in a rush to take this target down.
ραndαsnοvεl.cοm "Roger!" They all acknowledged respectfully.
......…
Meanwhile, Dante was seated right beside his window and had crossed his legs, placing them on the sill casually. He smiled confidently even as he conversed with the AI chip in his mind.
"How many of them did you say there are?" Dante asked with curiosity.
[Six. Five normal operatives and one superhuman observing everything from a safe location.]
Dante was surprised. A superhuman? "Huh. Interesting. Which faction do they belong to?"
[They belong to a secret division of the United States Military, The Revengers. Upon hacking the entire United States Military Network, I found that there is very little information about them and what is available is heavily encrypted.]
[Neither any of the sitting presidents nor any government official whose term can be changed is allowed access. The only ones who can mobilize this faction are the powers of the Deep State that have been entrenched since the assassination of John F. Kennedy.]
Dante was alarmed. "The 35th president? What does he have to do with this?"
[John Fitzgerald Kennedy was president during the period in which not only America, but its executive branch were at the height of their power due to the Second World War. The Deep State had not yet gained the control it did now and presidents were privy to all the secrets and truths about America's power.]
[And so, he came into contact with the biggest secret I could find in the network, the existence of superhumans. Seeing how they had wracked havoc across human history and were even deployed secretly during both World Wars, causing massive deaths, Kennedy was not convinced of these 'weapons'.]
[As such, he planned to reveal the existence of these superhumans to the world and then bring them into the limelight, also forcing them to register with the government and undergo social training to make their powers controllable.]
[However, the budding Deep State powers did not agree with this and wanted to keep these weapons hidden and under their thumb as a weapon against their enemies and possibly to control the masses.]
[Unfortunately, there is a gap in information here, but I have computed many small details I could cobble together that show that John Kennedy refused to compromise and planned to reveal this information in a surprise press conference after his presidential motorcade in Texas.]
[Naturally, the Deep State couldn't allow this and hurriedly got an ex-marine to assassinate him. Due to how rushed it was, there were many flaws, and in order to keep their assassin quiet, they also had him murdered by another one of their men, who was also killed while in prison awaiting trial.]
[After that, the Deep State consolidated control and reduced the power of each president soon after, leaving the modern ones nothing but flagrant figureheads with no real power.]
Dante was speechless. This… since when did his AI chip become a conspiracy theorist?
Cough, but he certainly did not doubt it. This led him to ask the prudent question: "What then are these superhumans?"
[People like you, natural superpower wielders.]
This simple answer almost caused Dante to fall over in his seat. He did not even have time to care about anything as his mind thundered.
Dante felt so stupid. Naturally, if his home universe was a universe just as as big and natural as the Eternal Universe, why couldn't people here have superpowers?
No, if the higher dimensional being was the one who saved him and granted him his superpower, why didn't it invade this universe? Unless this universe also had higher-dimensional beings of its own?
Wait, the Zero Gate..!!!
Dante stood up in shock.
Could this universe also have a Zero Gate? A Black Land?
If it did, the implications…
No, not just the implications, but the meaning for him! The Zero Gate in the Eternal Universe was a discovered as well as a government-controlled resource that was shared equally, but the Zero Gate in this universe was not yet on that level!
Even if there was a lucky alien species that discovered it, they definitely could not exploit it as well as the residents of the Eternal Universe and they would not have nearly enough power to keep it from Dante's hands.
Thinking like this, Dante's breathing became heavy, like that of a wayward bull. His excitement clouded his mind and his entire body shook with desire.
He wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the fact that entrance to the Black Land was controlled and spread out between students. If he could find and claim this universe's Zero Gate, not only could he absorb Zero Energy 24/7, but he could harvest all ten fruits produced each year for himself!
He could also use it to build a faction of superpowered people controlled by him in order to act as his top echelon forces when invading the Eternal Universe. After all, his biggest qualms with the counter-invasion were dealing with the superpowered beings of the Eternal Universe.
While Dante had been dreaming of a sweet future, the operatives who had targeted him for unknown reasons began to close the net even faster. The woman who acted as a maid and was bringing the tray over reached his door and began to knock on it softly.
This snapped Dante out of his reverie as he remembered the situation he was in. His eyes flashed with confidence and interest as he briskly opened the door and revealed a winsome smile.
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