Judgment Court: Omega

Before he could recover from his shock, Claretin's alert came.

"Wait, someone is approaching—more than one!" Zhou Zuo grew alert; no one besides himself and Claretin should have known about this hiding place. He had already delivered the seeds to Hank, and the payment had been credited to his account, so his companions shouldn't have been looking for him at this time.

If it wasn't a companion, then who could it be?

Instincts honed by a long time in the badlands told him that danger was closing in.

Zhou Zuo immediately moved; he hurried to the surveillance equipment, switched the cameras near his home to the screen, and quickly zoomed in to see the figures of the uninvited guests. They were rapidly approaching the area above the hideout from different directions.

Those people were dressed in uniforms similar to law enforcement officers, but unlike the grey-black color scheme of typical officers, their uniforms were black and white. The Sky City icon on their chests was extremely eye-catching—it was the insignia of the Elias Judgment Court!

Zhou Zuo's mind went blank; he couldn't imagine these people finding him so quickly. It had been less than an hour since he handed the seeds to Hank. How had they found his location?

A sense of crisis fermented rapidly in his heart. Zhou Zuo didn't have time to think; he grabbed the crystal-axis stun baton from the table and opened the door, wanting to escape before the Judgment Court members could surround him. However, as soon as he opened the door, a cold gun barrel was pressed against his forehead.

"Kid, you've got some damn big balls. You dare steal just anything?"

Three people walked in—two men and a woman. The leading woman looked down at him, her silver-white uniform indicating her high rank. Another monkey-faced member with a thuggish air stepped forward and kicked Zhou Zuo, sending him kneeling to the ground as he spat out foul insults.

"I can't imagine what would happen if tonight's business actually leaked out."

"How... did you find me?"

Zhou Zuo was brutally pinned to the ground by the soldiers, a powerful calf kneeling on his neck while another soldier put handcuffs on him.

"Do we even need to search? You've got a traitor among you, kid."

"Wait, you promised I could go to Sky City! You promised to make me an Alphas citizen! You promised me!"

"Don't kill me! I'm an intelligence broker who worked for you! I have plenty of other information I can tell you! I'm still useful!"

Hank was led in at gunpoint by two soldiers. Because his figure was too obese, he was panting after just a few steps; his scurrying appearance was truly ridiculous. He kept looking back with fear, his mouth constantly pleading for mercy.

With two sharp gunshots, the man collapsed into a pool of blood, his pupils slowly dilating. His final gaze rested on Zhou Zuo, filled not with apology, but with resentment—resenting the youth for dying later than himself.

Zhou Zuo watched this scene in a daze, not understanding why Hank, a partner for so long, would betray him. It was supposed to be just a normal transaction, just like all the others before...

"Damn you! Damn all of you! A bunch of goddamn rats, keeping me on edge all day. Why can't you just die quietly in the sewers?"

"You almost got me locked up in the imprisonment of consciousness for centuries, do you know that?"

"You almost made me become an inferior being like you!"

The monkey-faced Judgment Court member kicked Zhou Zuo's stomach repeatedly, as if venting a day's worth of accumulated anger on the youth. Then he crouched down, grabbed Zhou Zuo's hair to lift his blurred head, and slammed it back into the ground.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Only when Zhou Zuo's blood and hair matted together and his headset was smashed to pieces did the monkey-faced man feel satisfied. He stepped on Zhou Zuo's face and cocked his pistol.

"Your companions all died because of you, understand?"

Zhou Zuo's eyes slowly widened.

Even the companions responsible for picking him up...

Just as the monkey-faced man was about to fire, the woman stopped him.

"That's enough."

The woman crouched in front of Zhou Zuo. Her cold voice sounded familiar to the youth.

"Where is the seed?"

Zhou Zuo struggled to lift his head, hot blood blurring his vision. By the light, he could make out her features; the woman looked valiant and sharp, with an aura of high education, unlike the crude monkey-faced man beside her.

Zhou Zuo looked around the room and realized Claretin had already escaped during the chaos. For some reason, he felt relieved, as if a heavy weight had been lifted.

Ignoring the agonizing pain throughout his body, he struggled to lift his head, letting the blood flow into his eyes.

Zhou Zuo pointed at his neck, then slowly moved his finger down to his stomach.

"I ate it."

The woman stood up coldly and ordered the two Judgment Court members.

"Cut his stomach open."

Zhou Zuo momentarily thought he had misheard. He couldn't imagine these well-dressed upper-class people having methods more cruel than the desperate "bugs" struggling to survive.

Why...

They didn't have to fight over a scrap of food, they were educated, and they didn't have to look vicious just to survive.

The monkey-faced man seemed eager. He pinned Zhou Zuo's hand, flipped him over, and ran a blade along his neck, licking his teeth excitedly.

"You think I'll kill you? No, no, no. This has to be done while you're alive. You'll die slowly, bit by bit, in despair and pain."

Another large member crouched down; he had clearly done this many times before.

"Kid, hope for a better birth in your next life."

The coldness of death approached, tightening around him like a surgical blade cutting through skin, flesh, and bone.

"I recognize you!" Zhou Zuo suddenly shouted at the woman.

The two Judgment Court members paused, confused by his sudden outburst.

"Omega, you're Omega! Do I have to force you to admit it?"

The woman's expression didn't change. In front of all the soldiers, she raised her cold pistol and aimed at Zhou Zuo.

Then, consecutive shots rang out. When Zhou Zuo opened his eyes again, all the soldiers, including the two Judgment Court members, were on the ground, blood pooling from bullet holes.

"How did you recognize me?" the woman asked coldly.

"Your voice sounded familiar," Zhou Zuo coughed, relieved he had won his gamble.

"So it was a bluff."

The woman nodded. Under the youth's dazed gaze, she slowly raised the gun again, pointing it at his forehead and pulling the trigger halfway.

"Now, cutting open your stomach to find the seed has become the second most important task."