Chapter 57: Piloting the Optimus Prime Ethan woke up after eight hours of sleep. It was already afternoon. He freshened up, got ready, and stepped out of his room. His two days of seclusion had ended, and he had achieved his goals perfectly. Yet, there was a ticking clock looming over his mind. He asked the system to set a timer for him so he wouldn’t forget. Ethan went to look for his parents. His mother was chatting with his aunts in the drawing room. Jack wasn’t home—he had gone to the office, eager to start his research, and wanted to familiarize himself with the others in the lab. Ethan greeted his mom and aunts. "You’ve completed your retreat?" his mother asked. "Yes, Mom. I’m going out with Rose. I probably won’t be back for dinner." His aunts exchanged mysterious smiles. Elina also smiled softly. "We know. Best of luck." Ethan frowned, confused. He wasn’t going to fight any monsters, so why the best of luck? Anyway, he decided to ignore it and went out directly. He took a road vehicle and headed straight for Rose’s villa. He’d already asked where it was. He called Rose. Rose was still getting ready and said she’d need at least thirty more minutes. Ethan waited patiently. With his mental domain, he could now cover the entire Super City and even the surrounding wilderness. As he scanned the city, he sensed many powerful auras. In this Super City alone, there were nine Emperors. Among them, he could feel the massive life force of Leon in the Alliance Hall. He estimated Leon’s base strength to be around one billion tonnes. Whoa. That was enormous power. They probably all used the Battle Tower. Ethan calculated mentally: if someone achieved Level 5 in every realm of the Battle Tower, their base strength as a Level 9 Emperor would be about 1.6 billion tonnes. That was five times more than a normal Emperor who hadn’t used the tower. But the Battle Tower hadn’t been here for long, so it couldn’t have helped the first generation of martial artists. So besides the Battle Tower, they must have other treasures to elevate their strength. And I’m sure achieving Level 5 in every realm isn’t easy. If Leon had one billion base strength, Dragon was probably even stronger,maybe two billion tonnes. With his soul talent, Emperor Aura, his combat power would rise to forty billion. And with the Annihilation Technique’s seven-times multiplier, it would be a staggering two hundred eighty billion. Ethan’s maximum combat strength was around sixteen billion. He was so confident in his own growth that he didn’t even consider Dragon and Leon might have taken other rare treasures to grow stronger still. He hadn’t gauged Leon’s strength at the banquet—he’d worried Leon might notice something amiss. Thirty minutes passed while he calculated and pondered. So I still wasn’t the strongest person in the world. If Dragon couldn’t defeat the Ocean Emperor despite all that power, then that monster must be the real deal. I should learn the Extinction Technique up to Level 9 or 10 first. Then I’ll meet them. There’s no way in hell I’ll reveal myself unprepared. He also noted that Dragon’s aura wasn’t anywhere in the city or nearby. Either Dragon was out of the city—or in a secret realm. Finally, Rose came out. She looked as pure and ethereal as ever. Just seeing her calmed Ethan’s mind. He stepped out of the vehicle and opened the door for her. Rose smiled gently as she greeted him. "Where do you want to go, ma’am?" Ethan asked, tone playful. "Let’s go anywhere," Rose replied. "A fixed destination isn’t always the best." "Sure," Ethan said, happy to see Rose opening up to him more. It felt comfortable—easy. They spent the afternoon touring the city, sampling street food, and eventually visiting the perimeter of Aurora Martial University. A vast area had been allocated for the University’s campus—this would likely be the place Rose would attend. Later, they stopped in front of the science lab. Here, Ethan laid eyes on the towering twenty-meter-tall Optimus Prime replica. Cedric had once explained it was actually a Nova Sentinel, capable of fighting a Level 9 king beast, and it could be operated even by non-awakened humans. Of course, martial artists could also pilot it. Three non-awakened operators could run it, but it would take five to fight even a Level 1 King beast. For martial artists, it was much easier—two people could run it at full combat capacity. Ethan’s interest sparked immediately. He’d read countless mecha novels and seen many anime series. One of his favorites was Gurren Lagann—a supreme mecha of universal or even multiversal scale. He was completely fascinated. Beside Optimus Prime stood an enormous sword. Ethan couldn’t resist. He went straight into the science lab. Many of the higher-ups had been invited to the banquet, so when he introduced himself as a Hunt, everyone recognized his name. After five minutes, a senior officer arrived to see who was visiting. The moment he saw Ethan, his eyes brightened. "Young Master," he said, beaming, "you could have called. Any of us would have come to you personally." Ethan studied the man’s face. He recalled seeing him at the banquet. With a casual wave of his hand, he asked, "I’m very interested in piloting this Nova Sentinel. Is that possible?" The man—Dominic—was briefly stunned. This supreme genius was interested in mecha? Most martial prodigies scorned mechs, preferring to rely on their own flesh and strength. But seeing the excitement in Ethan’s eyes, Dominic felt a surge of pride. "Of course," he said quickly, smiling. "Come with me, Young Master. I’ll take you to the simulator room first. Once you learn how to control it, you can pilot the real thing." Ethan smiled. "Sure—let’s go." Rose followed them quietly, watching everything with curiosity. Inside the simulator room, several scientists in white coats turned to face them. "Welcome, Young Master," they chorused. "We wish you the best of luck." Ethan smiled back and stepped into the simulator. The system was simple: it required wearing a neural-link helm to connect his mind to the machine. After that, he could control the mecha as if it were his own body. For most people, the sheer mental load would be exhausting. But for Ethan, it was effortless. Thirty minutes later, he had mastered every control function. When he emerged, the scientists trailed after him, practically vibrating with anticipation. He didn’t tought someone at Ethan Hunt’s caliber would want to be their test subject. Cough! The pilot. Ethan stood in front of the twenty-meter mecha. Rose stood beside him, her eyes wide. The hatch opened. A crane rolled over to lift Ethan up to the cockpit. He waved it away. Instead, he conjured a metal platform beneath his feet, then, with a smooth motion, wrapped an arm around Rose’s waist and flew up together. Rose gasped, startled by the sudden movement, then flushed bright red. But the scientists all sucked in sharp breaths for a different reason. Hssss! The heir of the Hunts is a Spirit Master. No one knew that. He must have been holding back at the banquet. What a monster. They didn’t dare to publicize the discovery. If the Hunts hadn’t told anyone and they leaked it, the consequences would be disastrous. Yet, in their hearts, they were thrilled. A mecha needed immense mental energy to operate—and a Spirit Master piloting it? That was beyond ideal. Ethan sat in the main seat. Rose settled beside him, her cheeks still pink. The neural link engaged. The hatch closed. Suddenly, the mecha’s eyes lit up. Ethan flexed the colossal robotic hands and legs. It felt almost like his own body—immense, powerful, thrilling. He began to move, testing its stride and balance. It didn’t feel stressful in the slightest. Next, he practiced running, jumping, freehand combat. It had to be said—the scientists had done a remarkable job. Though it wasn’t as fluid as a human body, it was impressively responsive for a trial version. He gave the scientists a thumbs up. But they didn’t look reassured. Instead, horror dawned in their eyes. "What is this...?" one whispered hoarsely. "How can the mecha move like that? Impossible... We tested it with dozens of men, women—even martial artists. No one could make it move like this. It’s as if it’s alive..." Ethan ignored them. He drew the fifteen-meter sword from the mecha’s back. Then, he practiced a few sword techniques. Every movement was clean and deliberate. The sensation was indescribable. Rose, linked to the cockpit, experienced everything from the first-person view. She was as mesmerized as he was. It would be nice to go on a hunt with him in this, she thought. After a while, Ethan powered down. The hatch opened, and they stepped out. The scientists still looked dazed, unable to believe what they’d witnessed. Dominic was the first to regain his voice. "Congratulations, Young Master. You operated it like a professional. An absolute genius." Ethan liked the praise. He tilted his head expectantly, as if to say, Go on. The scientists obliged, showering him with compliments for five minutes straight. When they finally stopped—their mouths were twitching by the shamelessness of this genius. Ethan asked, "If this thing is ready for the field, I’d like to take it on a hunt." The scientists beamed with joy. No one had dared to test it in real combat yet. Dominic nearly stammered in excitement. "Are you sure, Young Master? Of course it can go on a hunt. Everything is ready. We only need a pilot." Ethan nodded. "Alright. We’ll go tomorrow." "Of course—of course!" After saying goodbye, Ethan turned to Rose. "Wanna go on a hunt, my lady?" Rose nodded, a spark of excitement lighting her eyes. Ethan smiled. "Then it’s a promise. Tomorrow, we go into the wilderness." They finished the evening with dinner at a five-star restaurant. Afterwards, Ethan dropped Rose off at her villa and went home. When he entered, Elina looked at him strangely. How did he come back so fast? she thought. Does my perfect son have... a defect in this area? No, no, no—how can this be? His father is excellent—surely the son is qualified, right? Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Why are you staring at me like that, Mom?" Elina coughed awkwardly. "Son, didn’t you go out with Rose? Why did you come back so early?" Ethan was speechless. "Then where would I go if I didn’t come home?" "Then... you didn’t book any hotel or something?" "Why would I do that? I just went out for fresh air. Okay, I need to talk to Great-grandpa. Bye, Mom." As he left, Elina exhaled in relief. Then irritation replaced her worries. What a dumbass. I want a grandchild—doesn’t he understand that? Should I ask Jack to talk to him? She sighed, exasperated. But that research fanatic hasn’t even come home yet. Elina was left alone, frustrated and angry.