My Gluttony System: I Devour God-Tier Talents-Chapter 42: City of Wonders

Kyrie Froze.

Desirae stood beside him, watching his reaction with a faint smile.

"Welcome to Teknologia," she said. Gesturing for him to place his bag on a device at the side.

"The city the Republic doesn’t want you to know exists."

Kyrie’s eyes suddenly escaped the awe-inspiring view, looking at her.

"What do you mean doesn’t want us to know?"

Desirae gestured toward the city with both hands open

"As you can see this city acknowledges psions. It does it openly and everything you see. The mecha-bots, the airships, most of the technology are powered and controlled by psionics."

She paused, her expression shifting.

"The rest of the Republic? They pretend we’re myths.Something grandmothers whisper about but no one really believes or would dare openly expose"

Her purple eyes glanced at him.

"Here? We’re the foundation. The backbone. The reason it exists."

Kyrie processed that slowly.

"So this place is..."

"A secret," Desirae finished his words.

"Atleast for most people."

She began walking toward the edge of the platform, where a smaller transport waited.

"Even wealthy people in Astria don’t know. Not unless they’re in the upper echelon. Politicians. Military leaders. People that truly matter. The Elite of the Elites"

Kyrie followed her, her words settling in.

"Lowborns? Average citizens? They’ll never see this!."

Her tone darkened for a moment.

"And if someone visits without clearance? Their memory gets wiped when they leave."

Kyrie stopped.

"They what?"

Desirae turned to face him. One leg on the transporter.

"Teknologia exists for other realms to see. This is proof of the Republic’s power and advancement. But for its own people? It’s hidden and controlled. A secret weapon that would cause panic and such should remain in the shadows."

This reminded Kyrie of what Negan’s advice was all about.

People were definitely terrified of what they couldn’t understand.

She stepped onto the smaller floating platform, gesturing for him to follow.

"Come on or are you scared?"

Kyrie looked at the city even as the transporter kept clicking while moving.

It wasn’t just an advanced city.

It was a symbol. A lie and a truth at the same time.The Republic showed this to outsiders but hid it from its own people.

"Come on," Desirae said.

"Let me show you around."

The transporter contained the two of them but it seemed to be capable of only that.

It was open-air, with brass railings and gears rotating at its bottom hence the clicking sounds.

Underneath it was a glowing Neteros core pulsing with a violet trail.

There was no visible pilot. The moment Desirae touched the railing. It came alive and began moving.

Kyrie gripped hard on the railing as they glided through the air.

They passed between airships, moving close enough for Kyrie to see passengers through the windows.

The city became clearer.

The buildings weren’t just terrace houses with brass and pipes protruding in the presence of steam.

They were alive with motion, gears that turned on exterior walls. Vents with decorative pipes.

There were even some buildings that had rotating sections, adjusting to account for foot traffic or airship docking.

Bridges connected the towers and spires as Kyrie could see dots of people walking peacefully.

The airship traffic in the sky was well organized with lanes for the various types of ships.

Some were cargo vessels with hulls covered in rivets and reinforced plating. Others were passenger ships with tinted glass windows and brass trim.

Only a few looked military, with dark frames and compartments that looked like weapon ports.

Even despite the numbers everything moved with absurd precision.

On the ground, the mecha-bots moved through the streets.

They varied from human-sized ones, patrolling or assisting citizens to the ones that were large as cars, moving cargo around.

Some were building-sized, working on construction projects in the distance.

Kyrie could see the citizens now. They walked the streets dressed in Victorian fashion but a little more elaborate with gears, googles and weird clockwork embroiled.

No one looked poor, desperate or tired.

Everyone looked... content.

This is what Astria hoped to be. Kyrie thought. What Strevus could never imagine.

The transporter came down docking at a station in what looked like the central district.

Within the station people moved between platforms, boarding or disembarking from transporters.

Sentinels stood at key points within and outside the station.They didn’t look oppressive. They were just there.

Desirae and Kyrie came down from the platform and left the station with Kyrie following her like ant to sugar.

The streets were lined with gas lamps alongside Neteros-powered lights.

Desirae gestured around them as they walked.

"Teknologia is divided into five districts, each under a mecha-dome."

She pointed toward the domes that were visible in the distance.

"Central Dome, where we are now. It’s all about government, commerce, and transport hubs."

She gestured to the left.

"The Academy Dome. Well it’s all about education, training, and research. Basically where you’ll be spending most of your time."

To the right.

"That’s the Industrial Dome. It’s for manufacturing, engineering, mecha-bot production and getting resources from the rest of Stria "

She half turned. Pointing backwards.

Behind

"That’s where you find the Residential Dome. That’s where I live."

And finally, further out.

"Military Dome. Sentinel headquarters, defense systems."

Kyrie took it all in.

"How many people live here?"

"A little above 200,000 permanently,"

Desirae said. "Most are psions or those with clearance to work with psions. Everyone here is aware of it "

She glanced at him.

"In Astria and Strevus, you hide your powers or people look at you like you’re dangerous. Here? Using psionics openly is normal. But you must be smart not to abuse."

Kyrie frowned.

"Seems easy enough. So why keep it secret from everyone else?"

Desirae’s expression remained focused.

"Control simply. The Republic wants psions useful, not powerful."

She stopped walking, turning to face him.

"If lowborns knew places like this existed. where psions are treated as essential,. somewhat special and not feared. What do you think would happen?"

Kyrie got it immediately.

Revolution. Demand for equality.

"Easier to keep it hidden," Desirae continued.

"Let the masses think psions are rare freaks. Meanwhile, Teknologia trains, equips, and deploys us as tools."

Kyrie looked around again as his head turned.

This was beautiful, advanced and borderline perfect..

But underneath the grandeur was control.

Sovereigns kept close. Memory wipes for outsiders. Strict Sentinel presence.

This utopia was also a prison.

—---

They walked for a while longer, and eventually, the Academy Dome came into view.

It was massive, its transparent top allowing sunlight to filter through.

The inside had buildings,.courtyards that were visible though open spaces where you could see students.

"This is where you’ll live or die" Desirae said.

"The Academy trains psions. Some students are here by choice. Others are recruited."

Kyrie could see some students practicing but his gaze didn’t linger. He was tired and needed to rest.

"You’ll be evaluated, tested, and trained," Desirae continued.

"They’ll want to know what you’re capable of."

She spoke while still strolling by.

"For now, let’s get you settled."

She noticed his thoughts were slowly drifting.

—----

They still walked as this was Desirae’s way of giving him a tour.

They arrived at the Residential dome as Kyrie breathed in. The air here was filled with the wonderful scent of flowers .

The buildings were less industrial with terrace apartments and balconies. Some were storied buildings but almost all of them had gardens.

Along the streets were mecha-bots, but their presence was subtle. They focused on maintenance work. Nothing that disturbed the peace.

Desirae led him to an elevated apartment building. A steam-powered lift carried them upward as they entered a hallway lined with numbered doors.

She stopped at the one near the end.

"This is home," she said, unlocking the door.

The interior looked elegant with book shelves spread out in the side and several devices like prompters on the table.

There were large windows that overlooked the city, offering a view of the domes and airships beyond.

Kyrie was sure this was the reason Desirae picked this room.

"For now, you’ll be staying here," Desirae said.

"Once you’ve enrolled officially, you’ll move to Academy dorms.

– For tonight, you are allowed to rest.

–Tomorrow’s going to be intense."

She gestured down a hallway.

"Guest room to the left, mine to the right if you want another movie "

Kyrie blushed without knowing, face to the ground as he bowed slightly.

"Thanks for this."

Desirae smiled faintly.

"Negan asked and i don’t say no to him."

She paused.

"But I’m glad you’re here. You’re... interesting."

Kyrie raised an eyebrow as he broke through the embarrassment.

"Interesting how?"

She smirked.

"You’ll see."

Yeah, he hated when she said that.

—-

The guest room was simple but comfortable.

A bed, a desk, a window overlooking the city. His bag finally fell from his hand landing on the marble floor with a thud

He sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window.

Teknologia stretched before him, glowing faintly in the evening light.

Strevus felt like a lifetime ago.

Astria was just a glimpse of something unique.

This? This was the real deal.

He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his white hair.

And then he finally felt it again. The tug on his mind.

He watched as lines of text appeared.

[Welcome to Teknologia, Host.]

[New Environment Detected: High-Density Psi-Zone.]

[System recalibrating...]

[Quest Update Available.]

Kyrie stared at the notifications.

"Talk about abandonment," Kyrie jested.

The system had been quiet since before Astria. Silent through the drive, the gate, the pillar. Silent through everything.

And now, here in Teknologia, it woke up.

[Quest: Adapt to Survive.]

[Objective: Complete Academy Evaluation.]

[Reward: TBA.]

Kyrie leaned back on the bed. The soft sheets felt amazing on his back.

"Of course," he muttered as he adjusted the pillow on his back.

A knock at his door suddenly pulled him from his thoughts.

He stood and opened it.

Desirae stood in the hallway, a glass of wine in one hand.

"Balcony," she said.

"Join me."

And you expect me to rest. Kyrie thought.

Women!

—--

The balcony overlooked the entire city. It was the spot to be.

Kyrie stepped out into the cool evening air, the sounds of Teknologia coming from all directions.

Desirae stood at the railing, her wine glass resting against the brass.

She turned to face Kyrie and handed him a spherical contraption with visible gears clicking within.

She stretched it out to Kyrie.

A promoter plated with gold.

Kyrie joined her, leaning against the railing beside her as he accepted the prompter.

They remained in the silence for a few seconds until Desirae broke

"The Academy will test you tomorrow. Don’t hold back."

Kyrie glanced at her

"They would crave to know what you are." She continued " Show them just enough "

"She took a sip of wine, her eyes still on the city.

"And Kyrie?"

"Don’t trust anyone completely. Absolutely no one"

Her tone was serious now.

"Teknologia is beautiful. But also unpredictable "

Kyrie nodded slowly.

"Understood"

Desirae smiled faintly, raising her glass slightly.

"Tomorrow, then."

Kyrie looked back at the city.

"Tomorrow," he echoed.