Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem-Chapter 259: She Had Fake Passes Ready

The Sentinel Core operatives stepped into a clean white room glowing with blue ether lights.

At the far end stood Veyron Clade, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the screens hovering in front of him.

He didn’t turn around when they entered.

"Well?" Veyron asked.

One of the agents stepped forward.

"Ironstride and Starjack have no memory of anything after the fight."

"Medical confirms it. Total blackout, likely forced."

Veyron finally turned, a sharp gaze focused. "And the mutants?"

"Gone. No corpses. No ether traces. It’s like they vanished right after being killed."

Veyron’s fingers drummed against his forearm.

"Mutants don’t vanish. Especially not ones that get this far."

He paced slowly, boots silent on the polished floor.

"We have constant surveillance, strong barriers, tight patrol routes."

"No way five of them should’ve made it into Ether Haven."

The second agent nodded. "We checked logs."

"No breach alerts, no unusual warp signatures. It’s like they just appeared."

Veyron narrowed his eyes. "Or someone brought them in."

The room fell silent for a moment.

He turned back to his screen and typed a few commands.

Camera feeds, city maps, and patrol routes appeared.

"Mutants aren’t clever. They don’t sneak. If they got in, they had help—or came through something we missed."

He looked to the operatives again.

"Recheck the area. I want the CCTV footage from the fight. All of it. From every angle."

"Yes, sir."

"And dig deeper into the memory scan."

"If it really was a forceful blackout, someone out there has that kind of tech or skill. That’s dangerous."

"What if it’s Beastkin Brood testing something new?" one of the agents asked.

Veyron crossed his arms again. "Then we’re already behind."

The lights dimmed slightly as the screen zoomed in on the alley where the battle took place.

He stared at it.

"No signs of tampering," the agent added.

"The footage just glitches when they go down. Like interference."

Veyron didn’t blink. "Then someone cleaned it. Covered their tracks."

He stepped away from the monitors and moved toward the window, looking out over Ether Haven.

"Get a team in plainclothes."

"Watch Starjack and Ironstride. Quietly. If they’re being watched—or used—we need to know."

"Yes, sir."

"Also..." Veyron narrowed his eyes, voice low.

"If someone’s strong enough to black out two elite heroes, wipe five mutant bodies, and leave no trail..."

"We’re dealing with more than a Beastkin problem or a new Beastkin problem."

He tapped the glass. "We might have something new inside the Dominion."

The operatives nodded and left quickly.

Veyron stood still, eyes locked on the skyline.

---

Zain leaned back on the bench just outside a quiet plaza.

He turned to Velra beside him.

"Did you solve the CCTV issue?"

Velra smirked and stretched her arms. "Of course, Master."

Zain raised an eyebrow. "How?"

Velra grinned. "Most of their tech here runs on ether."

"Almost everything does. Doors, screens, security feeds."

"So I just had to slip a little control into the stream—twist the ether flow inside their systems."

Zain gave a slow nod. "So all it took was some manipulation?"

"Our classes revolve around ether control," she said.

"It’s like rewiring a nervous system. Their machines couldn’t even detect it."

Zain smirked. "Impressive. Good job, Velra."

She gave a playful bow. "Always happy to serve."

He stood up and adjusted his coat.

"Alright. Let’s move. Time to head to the Hero Forge District."

Velra stepped forward, eyes scanning the streets ahead.

"We’ll go to District 3. It’s the closest one from here."

Zain looked up at the floating signs shifting above the road.

"Do you remember the route?"

Velra pointed ahead. "Yeah."

"We follow this lane, cross the mid-tier lift station, and then pass through the training gate checkpoint."

"Most people don’t use that one. It’s mainly for minor staff and side access."

Zain smiled. "Perfect."

They started walking side by side.

The city around them buzzed with quiet energy.

Civilians chatted near street vendors, and patrol drones floated lazily through the air.

Zain’s eyes stayed forward. "If Zelia is there, we’ll know right away."

Velra nodded. "But if she’s not?"

Zain shrugged. "Then we get some good information. That’s worth just as much."

Velra smiled again. "A smart plan, Master."

Zain smirked. "Always."

---

Zain and Velra stepped off the tram platform and approached the entrance to District 3.

In front of them stood a large checkpoint gate made of metal and glowing ether glass.

Two guards in blue armor blocked the way.

Their helmets scanned every passerby with blinking light lenses.

One of the guards raised his hand. "Halt. Identify yourselves."

Velra quickly reached into her coat and pulled out two slim black devices.

They were shaped like phones but etched with strange symbols.

She smiled. "We’re here for scheduled maintenance."

"Ether tech repair crew. Monthly check-up service."

The guards looked at the devices, then each other.

One guard nodded. "Standard tech scan needed."

Velra handed one of the devices over. "Go ahead."

The guard placed it into the scanner on the side of the checkpoint wall.

The machine buzzed for a second, then flashed green.

"Scan complete. Clearance confirmed."

The other guard waved his hand. "You’re clear to enter."

Velra nodded politely. "Thank you."

Zain followed her in without a word.

Once they were a few steps past the gate, he leaned closer and raised an eyebrow.

"That was smooth. Didn’t expect it to go that easy."

Velra smirked.

"Of course not, Master. I prepared these last night."

"Adjusted the ether tags and registered them to this district’s database."

Zain blinked. "You hacked their system already?"

Velra winked. "Let’s just say... I have my ways."

Zain laughed quietly. "Damn. I used to think you were just a good kicker. Or, well... a very good slave trainer."

Velra grinned. "In this age, being good with tech is just as important. Especially in a place ruled by machines."

Zain nodded slowly. "Good point."

Velra looked ahead.

"Come on, Master. Time to find out if your precious sister is here."

Zain’s eyes sharpened. "Yeah. Let’s move."

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