I Merged with a Forbidden SSS-Rank Nanosuit After Being Abandoned-Chapter 77 - Four Million Credits

The next few days passed by peacefully.

Zion spent most of that time showing Koru around the city, introducing him to things that didn’t exist back on his home planet.

When they weren’t outside, they trained together in one of the private upper rooms reserved for them by the Guild.

Zion watched from the corner of the training room as Koru practiced, resting his arms against the wall.

’He’s really thriving here,’ Zion thought. ’Especially the ships.’

Koru had spent hours watching vessels land and take off in the docking bays, asking blunt questions about engines, thrusters, and the difference between spaceships.

As Zion’s gaze drifted back to the city beyond the windows, his expression darkened slightly.

’Something’s been off since two days ago,’ he thought, narrowing his eyes. ’Too many people with insincere intentions.’

He let out a slow breath, shaking his head.

’I’ll have to test their intentions,’ he decided. ’If someone’s really after us, it’d be disadvantageous to fight in space.’

Zion pushed himself off the wall and straightened.

"You done?" he asked calmly.

Koru paused mid-motion, then nodded. He stepped back as Zion powered down the training room, wiping his hands together.

"Is something wrong?" Koru asked, glancing at Zion’s troubled expression.

Zion didn’t answer right away.

He turned toward the window instead, watching the distant movement of ships through the reinforced glass.

"Not yet," he said eventually. "I was just... thinking."

Koru tilted his head back, studying him. "About what?"

Zion glanced back at him. Up close, it was even more obvious how much Koru had changed in just a few days.

All the previous hesitation and anxiousness had completely evaporated, replaced by his usual cheerfulness.

’Uriel was right,’ he thought, letting out a sigh. ’It’d be a waste to move forward alone just because of the past.’

After another second of silence, Zion decided to just get to it.

"I’ve been thinking about what comes next," he said, picking up his jacket. "I probably won’t be staying on this planet for much longer."

Koru’s eyes lit up. "So we’ll be going to other places?"

Zion fell silent in surprise, but quickly shook his head. "That depends."

"On what!" Koru nearly shouted, leaning down in front of him. "I want to see more planets!"

"It depends on you," Zion said, staring at him. "Are you sure you want to come with me, and therefore join my crew?"

Koru raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. "Was I not already part of your crew?"

Zion was speechless for a moment, but finally shook his head. "Not yet."

He paused for a moment. "And before you answer, you need to understand that you could die at any time."

Koru shrugged and immediately opened his mouth.

"That’s fine by me," he said, smiling. "I would’ve died back on my planet too if you hadn’t been there." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Zion hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Even if I told you I’m being hunted by the largest empire in the universe?"

Koru’s head tilted sideways for a moment, as if considering what he’d said.

Finally, a grin appeared on his face. "I don’t care about an empire or all that!"

Before Zion could say another word, Koru patted him roughly on the head with one of his large stone hands.

"Enough talking," he said, rubbing his stomach with his other hand. "I want to eat now."

Zion stared at him for a second longer, then let out a quiet breath.

"...Fine," he said. "Let’s go."

Koru grinned, already turning toward the exit as if the decision had never been in doubt.

The corridors outside were quiet, most mercenaries either out eating or busy being briefed about their next missions.

A few glances still followed Koru as they passed, but Zion ignored them, though he made sure to remember all of their faces in case something ever happened.

By the time they reached their floor, Koru was already talking excitedly about food he’d seen advertised on one of the public screens.

Zion unlocked both of their doors and stepped inside his own room. He pulled up the Guild’s room interface on a small hologram projector, skimming through the available meals.

"Order whatever you want," he said, tossing it to Koru after making a choice. "Just don’t break anything."

Koru nodded enthusiastically, staring at the screen with wide eyes as he disappeared into his own room.

As the door slid shut behind him, Zion enjoyed the silence for a moment.

[Host,] Uriel suddenly said. [You’ve received a message and a transfer from the Mercenary Guild.]

Zion froze.

"What is it?" he asked, immediately walking toward his desk.

As a holographic image popped up in front of him, his breathing slowed.

"...That’s more than expected," he muttered.

Zion stared at the number for a few seconds, imagining all he could do with it.

[4,360,000 credits.]

He exhaled slowly.

’It really was worth as much as expected,’ he thought, skimming through the report they’d sent alongside the money.

Just the information on the dozens of C-rank Ents had earned him two million credits.

[What now, Host?] Uriel asked.

Zion leaned back against the wall. "Now, I can finally break through to the next rank."

He fell silent for a moment as a wide smile spread across his face.

[That sounds perfect,] Uriel replied, its voice carrying a hint of cheerfulness. [We were in need of some additional unique weapons.]

Zion nodded, grinning as he tapped his fingers on his desk.

"Pull up the market," he said. "Let’s see how expensive some high-quality nanobot material is here."

A holographic screen popped up in front of him, automatically searching through hundreds of listings to filter out the expensive options.

Finally, the screen stopped on Yalqe’s Mercenary Shop.

[The Mercenary Guild seems to be trustworthy for a decent price,] Uriel said. [Twelve thousand credits per pound of nanobot material.]

Hearing that, Zion narrowed his eyes slightly. ’Calder sold it to us at ten thousand per pound.’

He shook his head for a moment. "How many pounds do we need?"

[Two hundred pounds,] Uriel replied instantly. [But there’s a 5% discount once we buy over a hundred pounds.]

Zion froze for a moment, his expression darkening.

"Just buy it," he said, waving his hand.

[Affirmative.]

As Uriel went silent and the website confirmed his purchase, Zion grimaced slightly.

’There goes more than half my money again,’ he thought, staring at the ceiling. ’But at least I’ll be breaking through tomorrow.’