Chapter 65: A Unique Aircraft

David could not enter the waste processing plant directly, so he resorted to the simplest and most straightforward method: he used the ‘K2 Military Electronic Countermeasure Device’ to break through the plant’s security system.

Although the waste processing plant was a municipal facility, perhaps because there was nothing worth stealing or simply due to municipal neglect, its security was far from robust. David spent only two minutes to bypass the plant's security and gain access to its surveillance system.

Through the monitors, he saw Jeremy the Trainer’s hovercar parked outside a warehouse at the rear of the facility. David was in no hurry; he waited patiently until, an hour later, Jeremy finally left the warehouse.

This time, David did not follow Jeremy further. Instead, he decided to investigate the waste processing plant and uncover the reason for Jeremy’s visit.

He kept his public hover transport circling the industrial zone and did not return to the plant until noon. By then, workers were leaving in small groups. The odor of the plant was so strong that no one would dine on site at midday; instead, they went to nearby restaurants.

David entered through a side gate. Inside, some workers were resting, others had gone for lunch, and no one noticed an outsider slipping in. Of course, this was also thanks to David’s control over the security system; his presence did not register on any surveillance feed. Otherwise, even such a lax system would have detected a stranger.

With his Shadow Attendant observing from above, David carefully avoided any encounters and made his way to the warehouse. Upon arrival, he was surprised to find that the warehouse’s security system was entirely separate from the plant’s.

This only deepened his suspicion that some hidden secret warranted two layers of protection.

David tried to connect to the warehouse’s security using the ‘K2 Military Electronic Countermeasure Device’. Yet, his usually invincible electronic warfare skills met resistance. The warehouse’s security was exceptionally advanced—almost military-grade. He could break through, but it would likely trigger an alarm and expose him.

That was not an option. Fortunately, he was not purely an electronic warfare specialist; he also had the Shadow Attendant.

The Shadow Attendant slipped through the warehouse, only to be blocked by a membrane. But, drawing on past experience, David had it try several more times until it passed through.

The warehouse itself was vast and empty—nothing inside.

The Shadow Attendant could not explore further, bound as it was to a ten-meter range from David, so it lingered near the door. Through its vision, David assessed the security layout with a professional’s eye.

Soon, as David moved outside, the Shadow Attendant mirrored his movements within, and they reached a protruding section of wall. The Shadow Attendant phased inside and found the main security processor—a special military-grade photonic brain. No wonder the defenses were so tight.

The Shadow Attendant’s fingers danced rapidly over the core. For any security system, if the main processor was compromised, the rest was useless—at least to someone of David’s expertise.

In three minutes, with a crisp click, the processor’s defenses were completely breached. This isolated core could only be accessed externally by authorized personnel for data checks; otherwise, direct inspection was impossible. The level of clearance David obtained would be nearly undetectable.

David returned to the entrance. The doors slid open, and he slipped inside.

He closed the doors behind him and finally exhaled deeply. Though it all seemed simple, today’s surveillance had kept David on edge. He’d never done anything like this before and worried constantly about making a mistake and being discovered.

He was satisfied with the results: he had found Jeremy the Trainer’s home and its hidden, strange basement, as well as the organization’s secret base within the waste plant—and gained access to it.

David remained cautious. Although the warehouse seemed bare, he knew things were not as simple as they appeared. He had previously tried scanning the warehouse with a ‘Miniature Scanner’ but found nothing at all—not even the security processor the Shadow Attendant had discovered.

This suggested that the strange patterns on the walls not only hindered the Shadow Attendant but also rendered electronic scans useless, concealing every secret within.

The deeper David delved into the organization’s secrets, the stranger things became. Instead of using identity bands, they communicated via inexplicable altars; the odd symbols that blocked scans; bizarre rituals—everything hinted at some extraordinary mystery.

To unravel the warehouse’s secrets, David did not need to act himself. He sent the Shadow Attendant flying a circuit around the interior, confirming it was empty. But when the Shadow Attendant tried to descend, it made a major discovery.

David used the ‘K2 Military Electronic Countermeasure Device’ to access the main security processor, found a control system, and activated it.

The floor in the center of the warehouse slid apart, revealing an underground chamber.

A flying machine, covered in strange, intricate patterns, emerged before David’s eyes. The markings on its surface resembled those on the warehouse walls but were even more exquisite.

While the patterns on the basement and warehouse walls had been painted on, the designs covering the flying machine were inlaid with special, metallic materials, their complexity surpassing any wall motif.

David tried to connect his ‘K2 Military Electronic Countermeasure Device’ to the craft’s electronic systems, but there was no response at all. He began to suspect that the vehicle had no electronic control system whatsoever.

That seemed impossible. According to what David had learned from Edna, the Sirius Mercenary Corps’ electronic warfare expert, even massive warships had electronic control systems—just more complex and intelligent ones.

For a small vessel, ten meters wide and fifteen long, lacking any electronic controls or intelligent aids would make piloting it a tremendous challenge.

“Could the patterns on the surface be interfering with the K2’s signals?” David muttered to himself.

He directed the Shadow Attendant to approach and attempt entry, but it encountered immense resistance—so much that repeated attempts all failed.

Staring at the craft, David felt a sense of helplessness. If only he had his level-two longsword, he might have considered cutting it open.

He suspected that this craft was even more valuable than Garen’s Black Phantom. At least he could understand the Black Phantom, but this vessel was utterly inscrutable.

It was as if he stood before a mountain of treasure, unable to claim any of it.

In the Interstellar Federation, flying machines were extremely valuable vehicles. Strict regulations required pilots to have certain social privileges, but owning one remained a universal dream.

Garen’s Black Phantom, for example, could fly at extreme speeds within Rock Planet, easily evading even level-two Zerg. It could even venture into space.

David sighed deeply. After repeated attempts, he finally gave up on trying to claim the craft as his own.

Checking the time, he realized the lunch break was nearly over—he had to leave.

He now understood why Jeremy the Trainer had come: to inspect the craft in preparation for that evening’s operation.

What he did not know was the location of the so-called transport point, or why such a craft was needed.

Reluctantly, David closed the floor panels, meticulously erased all traces of his presence, then left the warehouse. Once again, using the Shadow Attendant’s abilities, he avoided the workers and exited through the side gate of the waste processing plant.