Chapter 153: Fake Identities
Chapter 153: Fake Identities
At the edge of Arhal City.
Cael looked at his clones and Junior. His blue eyes, still unfamiliar to himself, scanned the group.
"We should leave the city before high-stage rankers take action."
Junior nodded at Cael’s words.
"So, how do we go to the White Sea District?"
Cael smiled as he said,
"White Sea District is nearest to District Neva. And I have been to District Neva."
Junior frowned slightly. He did not understand Cael’s words.
Seeing Junior’s confused expression, Cael did not say anything. He simply waved his hand before him.
Immediately, mana surged in a circular motion.
The air shimmered. The space in front of them twisted and bent until a portal began to form. Its edges glowed faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Then Cael said,
"Let’s go."
Junior was shocked by Cael’s space mastery. Creating a portal over such a distance required immense control.
But he did not hesitate as he followed Cael and the clones.
One by one, they stepped through the portal.
Black Lightning Clone went first. Frostflame Clone followed. Junior stepped through, his blind eyes sensing the shift in mana around him. Then Cael entered last.
As soon as everyone was through, the portal closed behind them with a soft whisper of displaced air.
Nearby, the security cameras that had been aimed at the area flickered back to life. Their red lights blinked once, twice, then resumed their steady recording.
Cael had used Mana Sovereignty to stop them from working. No footage. No evidence. No trace.
...
Rainfall Forest. Due to the difference in time zones, it was night here.
When Cael walked out of the portal on the other side, the rain greeted him.
It fell in sheets, heavy and constant. The sound was a low roar, a white noise that filled the air. Droplets struck the ground, creating tiny craters in the mud.
But as the raindrops almost fell on Cael, they stopped inches from his body; they halted as if hitting an invisible wall.
The water slid down the barrier in thin streams, creating a translucent dome around him.
Cael smiled at his handiwork.
He had used Mana Sovereignty to command the mana around him, willing it to create a barrier.
One had to know that Cael was not using his own mana at all.
The surrounding mana itself was shielding him.
The rainfall forest stretched before them.
Tall trees with wide, dark leaves rose toward the gray sky. Their branches intertwined overhead, creating a natural canopy that blocked most of the rain.
The ground was soft, muddy, covered in fallen leaves and moss. The air was thick with moisture, carrying the smell of wet earth and distant flowers.
"Are you even human?"
Junior’s voice came from behind, quiet but pointed.
Cael turned back as he inquired,
"Why do you ask?"
Junior let out a chuckle.
"Black Lightning. Space. Frostflame. Wind. Clones. Absolute control over mana."
He paused, his blind eyes staring at nothing.
"Can one person even have all of these?"
Before Cael could say anything, Black Lightning Clone chuckled and said,
"There is more. Those are just the ones you have seen."
Junior was surprised. His head turned slightly toward the clone’s voice.
"Are you saying there is more?"
Cael and his clones shook their heads; they neither confirmed nor denied.
Then, Cael looked ahead at the forest and explained,
"This is the Rainfall Forest. It is near District Neva, but our destination is in the other direction."
"Once we cross this forest and one more district called Usha, then we will be in the White Sea District. But we need to make a trip to the District Usha to get fake identities."
He paused, then he asked Junior,
"You are sure the one who will create fake identities is trustworthy?"
Junior answered without much concern.
"Don’t worry. He will not leak our information. Besides, even if he does, they do not know our true identities."
Frostflame Clone nodded.
"Fair enough."
With that, they began crossing the Rainfall Forest.
The forest was alive with sound.
Rain pattered against the leaves above. Water dripped from branches, creating a thousand tiny splashes. The ground was uneven, covered in roots and rocks.
The group of four walked in single file, their footsteps squelching in the mud.
The forest seemed endless. Tree after tree after tree. The same dark leaves. The same thick trunks.
Unable to hold back any longer, Junior asked,
"How long until we reach the other side?"
Cael replied,
"At this pace, a few hours. Let’s preserve our mana as much as possible before we reach the destination."
...
Time passed. The morning sun illuminated the dark forest, its golden rays piercing through the canopy and casting long shadows across the wet ground.
The rain had stopped sometime during the night, leaving behind a fresh, earthy scent that clung to the air.
Finally, they reached the outskirts of District Usha.
In the distance, the walls of the district rose, tall and gray, marked with the insignia.
With the help of Cael’s spatial magic, they safely crossed the district barrier.
The shimmering wall of energy parted just enough for them to slip through, then sealed behind them without a sound.
They entered the city and merged into the crowd.
District Usha was bustling with life.
To prevent others from recognizing Junior, the Black Lightning Clone dyed Junior’s blonde hair into black.
After all, black hair was the most common color. It was a small change, but sometimes small changes made the biggest difference.
Yes, they were being overly cautious. Who would search District Usha while a kidnapping had just happened in Arhal City?
But still, it was better to be safe than sorry.
The main issue was the Council’s search protocol. By using it, the Council could gain access to all the cameras in all the cities and districts.
If they fed Junior’s image into the system, it would search for matching details. Facial structure. Hair color. Eye color. Height. Build.
But of course, the Council would not use this protocol unless something major had happened.
A kidnapped blind boy from the Golden Scale Academy won’t be enough to trigger it.
Still, Cael wasn’t willing to take that risk.
Then Cael brought out a pair of black sunglasses. Junior wore them along with a mask and cap, just like Cael and the clones.
Cael said with a sigh,
"You should have prepared these things yourself, you know,"
Junior gave an awkward smile as he answered,
"Don’t forget. I am under surveillance. I had no choice."
It took some time before they successfully disguised Junior.
His blind eyes were hidden behind the sunglasses. His face, hidden behind the mask. He looked like a different person entirely.
If not for the fact that they needed Junior to create the fake identities, Cael might have dragged him straight to the White Sea District.
Soon, the group of four arrived at a restaurant called The Sleeping Fox.
Cael was curious as he looked around. No matter what he saw, it was ordinary. Nothing stood out. Nothing seemed suspicious.
Just a normal restaurant in a normal district.
Junior walked to the bartender, the Black Lightning Clone guiding him, while Cael and Frostflame Clone took a seat.
Junior and the bartender exchanged words. Their voices were low, barely audible over the ambient noise of the restaurant.
Then Junior turned back and nodded at Cael.
A new bartender arrived. The old bartender guided the four of them into a back room.
And sure enough, as Cael had guessed, there was a pathway leading downstairs.
Cael sighed. He had read about scenes like this too many times. Now he was experiencing it.
Nonetheless, he entered.
The process only took a few minutes before four fake identity cards were given to them.
Cael was shocked. All they had done was provide four photos. No fingerprints. No background checks. Just photos.
Cael paid 100 million to them and left.
Of course, Cael was not stupid. He had created a new black account long ago for these kinds of transactions.
To prevent others from tracing it back to him, Cael decisively deleted the black account after the payment was complete.
Soon, they left The Sleeping Fox restaurant.
Junior asked with curiosity,
"How much did you have? You paid 100 million without hesitating. That is 25 million for one fake ID."
Cael answered with a smile.
"I am loaded anyway. But can you answer me something?"
Junior said,
"I will if I know."
Cael then asked,
"Did you have a connection with them? If so, what is your relation?"
Junior paused in his steps. He hesitated to answer.
Cael shook his head.
"It is fine if you do not want to answer."
Junior sighed and said,
"That is my father."
At his words, Cael almost lost his balance. He genuinely had not expected those words.
Junior continued,
"As you know, Arhal City is near the borderlands. My mother was a proud ranker, but she died in the borderlands when I was three years old. My father gave me to his older brother, my uncle, and left Arhal City shortly after."
Cael muttered, "I see."
He did not know what to say anymore. He kept his silence.
They continued their journey. They entered the teleportation center and gave the destination: White Sea District.
As soon as they crossed over, Cael heard ocean echoes from faraway, and the wind was filled with salty air.
"Finally arrived."
________
[A/N: Unedited Chapter]
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