"Zeneros? Please wait here." Kaito said.
He closed the door and was about to give Caine a call. But Carter had already sent him a message.
'Let them in', he texted.
'How did he even know…' Kaito frowned.
He questioned it in his mind but didn't dare to say it out loud or ask Carter Caine about it. Because he knew better.
Carter was actually controlling every single piece of electronic device inside the building with System Ghost's Hacking Skill so of course he knew Nina and Quill's arrival.
The Hacking of this primitive technology also raised his Synchronization by a little, but not too much to be noticeable. If he wanted to raise System Ghost's Synchronization effectively, he needed high-grade devices like Cyber Core.
Carter took a look at System Ghost's Synchronization.
[Current Synchronization]: 25.2%
Carter had been hacking when he had free time. But he only raised a little bit more than 3%.
'Once the situation here is stable, I might need to go to another dimension.'
Carter took a look at the Prime Shop. He took an interest in one particular item.
It was an item inside the 'Prime Items' Category.
This was the reason why Cyber Runner didn't worry that their Cyber Slaves would escape. The only other ways to get out of their grasp were the Prime Ticket or dimensional power.
For weak beings like a Cyber Slave, they definitely didn't have dimensional powers.
And because they were weak, they couldn't accumulate enough Prime Coins to buy even the lowest level of the Prime Ticket.
'Jumping to another dimension would also allow me to gain an additional skin. Jumping is essential. But I have to take care of this world first. At least I need to have a solid standing.'
Kaito knocked on the door, "They're here, Mr. Caine!"
"Let them in." Carter leaned back on his chair.
He was in his office. An old-looking office with wooden pieces of furniture all around. A standing clock next to his desk with a window overlooking the street below.
Kaito opened the door. Behind him was Quill and Nina.
"You can leave us, Kaito."
Kaito bowed gently and closed the door on his way out.
"Please sit. You can begin by telling me how you know Zeneros." Carter said.
Quill and Nina sat down opposite of him.
Nina spoke first.
"He saved us once. And we would like to join him."
"But you aren't an Invoker, are you? Why should I use my connection with him to help some ordinary people?"
"We have our usefulness. You can believe me." Quill said.
"Oh? You mean that Cyber Core on your arm, huh?" Carter said.
Quill instinctively shrunk back. He rolled his sleeves halfway, revealing some blue veins caused by the Cyber Core. Normal people wouldn't notice it. But if they had come across the Cyber Core, they would know exactly what it was.
The Primer rolled his sleeves down.
"You know about us?" Nina frowned.
"Yes, I do. Malicious infiltrators from another dimension that want to enslave us." Carter's voice hardened. "I should kill the two of you right now."
Nina took a deep breath. She wasn't an Awaken yet. But she knew that she was looking at one.
Awaken could kill Mortals as if they were ants. So Nina didn't doubt what Carter just said.
"Believe me. We don't want to be infiltrators. However, that thing on his arm..."
Nina rolled her own sleeve up, revealing a scar where the Cyber Core was supposed to be.
"That thing controls us and if we don't do what our benefactor says. Bad things will happen to us."
"So what? Are you saying I should pity you?" Carter smirked.
"No. I'm saying that we don't need to be enemies. We hate them as much as you are. I don't want to invade anyone. But they made us.
You might not trust me. But you should know that Zeneros saved us once. So he trusted us."
"I wouldn't go that far. He is the heroic kind. But go on." Carter said.
"There is a man, the Ghost."
Nina noticed as soon as she mentioned the name, Caine's eyelids fluttered a bit.
"So you also know him?"
"You can say that." Carter nodded.
"Then the explanation is easier. The Ghost removed my Cyber Core and freed me. Zeneros saved Quill and asked him to find Ghost. If Ghost also freed Quill then we can join Zeneros. He said it's a little challenging to test us." Nina continued.
"Yup. That sounds like him."
"We can't find this Ghost. There is no information about him at all. No one knows him. Not even a single mention on the internet. The only 'Ghost' thing we can find on the internet is Terror-related."
"Let me guess. You want me to help you find him to pass Zeneros's test?"
"That's correct." Nina nodded.
Carter leaned back in his chair and rested his chin on his hands.
"A wise man always asks. What's in it for me?" Carter said.
Nina and Quill looked at each other.
"What do you want?" Nina said.
"I want everything that you know about Cyber Runner."
Nina tapped her fingers on the table. Leaking information about Cyber Runner was a certain death penalty. But Nina's loyalty wasn't with them anyway. The only thing that she needed to consider was whether it was a good idea.
"What do you think?" Nina asked Quill.
"I agree. I'm not afraid of that stupid faction."
"Well said," Nina smiled and turned toward Carter, "We'll tell you everything we know."
"Splendid!"
They sat in the office for a few hours as Carter listened to Nina and Quill. He, himself, had also been a Cyber Slave. But he never survived any trip. The amount of information he had was much lower than Nina and Quill.
Carter stood with his hands behind his back. "Very well. Your information satisfied me. I will contact the Ghost for you.
You can stay with me for now. Just go to Kaito. He will arrange a room for you two.
"Two. We need two." Nina raised two fingers.
"Two is also fine."
They left the office. Carter stood silently, tapping his finger on his chin.
'The Exquisitor Tournament? So that's why those minor factions want to invade other worlds so much.' Carter thought to himself.