The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 609 - 97 - Creating A Portal To Another World (2)

I might be calling this Phase 2, but in truth, I was just trying to make it sound grand—like some kind of world-altering breakthrough.

Yet, despite my theatrics, there was no denying that this could drastically accelerate Chloe's research. It could be the very key to unlocking what she had been desperately trying to solve, pushing her progress forward at an unprecedented pace.

The object in my hand—a single flash drive—held something beyond mere data. It contained decades of painstaking research, compiled by every scientist who had ever worked within the facility where I had been locked up. Their knowledge, their failures, their breakthroughs—all meticulously documented and stored. From the first researchers who dared to explore the unknown to the present-day scholars who had built upon their work.

In essence, this wasn't just a drive.

It was history itself.

Zoey's sharp eyes flicked toward the device, her gaze guarded.

"What exactly are you trying to make us do, Leon?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

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I met her stare without hesitation. "Exactly as I said—I want to see if it's possible to create a portal. One that doesn't just open blindly, but allows a person to go precisely where they desire."

She frowned, brows knitting together. "But why? You already have a portal that leads back home, don't you?"

She crossed her arms. "The same one you used to get here. You could just step through it and return to your world. So why bother creating another one?"

A slow exhale left my lips.

"Because I'm not looking to just go back home. I want to explore— other worlds."

Her frown deepened. "Other worlds?"

I nodded. "Yes. And besides— the world I came from isn't the only place I could call home."

Zoey's wariness didn't fade, but I didn't offer any further explanation.

I had lived two lives—walked through two separate existences.

My first life had unfolded in an entirely different world before fate decided to reincarnate me into this one. If someone were to ask which one I considered my true home, I wouldn't be able to answer.

I had spent eighteen years in my past life before it was cruelly cut short. And in this current life? I had only lived one year longer than that.

That meant, in total, I had thirty-seven years' worth of memories spread across two different worlds.

How could I possibly choose between them?

Rather than picking one—I chose both.

Zoey's sharp gaze lingered on me, filled with silent scrutiny.

And then, after a long moment, she muttered, "You're really a mystery..."

It seemed that even though she had been flicking her bean while I was pounding Chloe into the mattress last night, her suspicions toward me hadn't dulled in the slightest.

"Can you give me the drive?"

Chloe's voice cut through the tension—calm, steady, and unwavering.

She didn't turn to face us.

Didn't glance up.

She simply extended her hand, expectant.

"If I analyze the data, I might be able to uncover the missing formula that's been eluding me. My own calculations have only taken me so far—there are gaps I can't fill alone. I need the knowledge of those who came before me. Let me review the previous researchers' findings."

She wasn't asking.

She was commanding.

Without hesitation, I placed the flash drive into her outstretched palm.

The instant it touched her fingers, she snatched it, plugged it into her computer, and immediately set to work.

The room fell into a tense silence.

Zoey and I could only stand back and watch as Chloe's eyes flitted across the screen at inhuman speed. Her fingers flew over the keyboard in a blur, processing mountains of raw data faster than I could even follow.

I had seen her work before, but even I had never witnessed her in this state.

This was Chloe at her peak—in her domain.

And then—

"Ah! I found it!"

Her voice rang out, triumphant.

Not even a full minute had passed.

She had already found it.

Her pupils dilated as she devoured the information before her, soaking in years of research within seconds. I could see the exact moment her mind pieced everything together—her lips slowly curving into a victorious, almost euphoric smile.

Zoey and I exchanged glances.

And then, still staring at the screen, Chloe spoke—

"Leon, can you get me something?"

***

Zoey and I stood at the outskirts of the heavily fortified perimeter, the crisp night air thick with tension. The cave where the portal that had brought me to this world was inside loomed just beyond the towering barricades. Armed guards patrolled in tight formations, their rifles gleaming under the harsh floodlights.

They weren't just guarding a doorway. They weren't just guarding it out of protocol.

They were keeping me trapped in this world. They were guarding it because they didn't want me going back.

Zoey's voice was low, almost a whisper. "You're an anomaly to them, Leon. They're terrified of what you might do if you go back. If you were to share knowledge of this world with yours, your people might even declare war."

A dry chuckle escaped my lips. "That's ridiculous. It's not like I hold any political power. I'm not a king."

Zoey cast me a sideways glance. "Really? You carry yourself like royalty. You look like a prince from some faraway land."

I smirked. "Oh? Didn't know you saw me that way. So, I am handsome in your eyes?"

Her face immediately flushed, her composure cracking. "D-Don't be absurd!" she stammered. "There's no way I'd ever find you attractive! To me, you're nothing more than… than an alien!"

I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice. "An alien you secretly watched having sex… and then used as material for masturbation?"

Her reaction was instant. Zoey choked on her breath, face burning so red I could almost feel the heat radiating off her skin.

"D-Don't make fun of me!" she shrieked.

Her outburst had gotten too loud.

"Shh!" I clamped a hand over her mouth, pressing her against a tree. "Do you want to get us caught?"

She stiffened beneath my grip, wide-eyed. We were too close to the danger zone to risk unnecessary noise.

I held her there for a moment, waiting for the panic in her gaze to settle. When she finally nodded, I pulled away, glancing back toward the guarded entrance.

Dozens of soldiers stood at attention, their movements precise, mechanical. The entire area was locked down, the air thick with the scent of gun oil and damp earth.

"This feels like overkill," I muttered. "Stationing this many troops just to guard a cave?" I exhaled sharply. "Then again, considering this is a military dictatorship, I guess it's not that surprising."

This country was under the iron rule of a general—a nation built on military supremacy. They had no parliament, no democracy. Just an army following orders.

Zoey let out a small, amused sigh. "It makes sense, actually—considering the general is my father."

I froze.

"...Wait, what?"

She nodded, as if it were nothing.

I shot her a flat look. "And you just now decided to tell me this?"

"You never asked," she replied with a shrug.

I sighed, rubbing my temples.

So, not only was I dealing with a heavily armed military force, but the person helping me sneak in was the literal daughter of the man in charge.

Fantastic.

"So… they're guarding the portal because of you?" I asked.

Zoey's expression darkened slightly. "Probably not. My father doesn't make decisions based on personal reasons. Everything he does is for the benefit of the nation. If he ordered this place to be locked down, it has nothing to do with me."

There was something bitter in her voice—something unspoken.

I didn't press. "Fine. Setting that aside—how the hell are we supposed to get a portal particle without setting off the entire damn army?"

Chloe had given us one task and that was to obtain a portal particle—an essential clue in her research on artificial portals. Apparently, the air surrounding the portal was infused with unique, traceable energy. If we could capture a sample, she could analyze it.

Simple in theory.

Not so simple when surrounded by an entire military unit.

I had no clue how we were even supposed to collect something as intangible as air, but then Zoey pulled something from her bag and placed it in my hand.

A device.

It was sleek, black, and unnervingly advanced.

"This… actually exists?" I muttered, turning it over.

Zoey smirked. "Our military is decades ahead of normal science. You really thought we wouldn't have an air-capturing device?"

Fair point.

But that still left one major problem—

"How the hell do we even get inside?" I muttered, eyes scanning the overwhelming military presence ahead of us.

Zoey didn't hesitate. "Disguises."

She reached into her bag and pulled out two sets of military uniforms, tossing one toward me.

A sly, knowing grin stretched across her lips.

"Breaking and entering is the only way."