Chapter 26: Operation Santos City… Start (Part 2)

Shortly after the transport sphere came to a stop, the doors slid open, revealing to Don a vast hangar bay also themed in obsidian and gold, much like the rest of the base. Upon walking out, he immediately saw Gary standing next to some crates just a few feet away. In front of Gary were two of the minions, though this time they didn't have Don's face printed on their masks.

Gary turned to Don and Trixie as they walked out of the transport sphere, standing upright and keeping his hands behind his back as he welcomed them with a warm smile. "You're finally here. Sir Don, and you too, Trixie. I must say that outfit is quite fitting."

Don looked down at his own attire. It was different from what he was used to wearing in his former life, making him look like a rich Uropean from a Mediterranean country. Despite this, he didn't mind, especially considering the effort that went into it from Elle. He made sure to let Gary know that he very much liked it, so he nodded at the question. "It's very comfortable. Elle has great taste."

"Indeed she does, sir," Gary promptly agreed before turning his attention to the two minions standing by his side. One held a large suitcase, and the other a large backpack. Gary gestured to these items before explaining, "I've packaged everything you need in this suitcase and backpack. Any additional materials such as clothing and perishables like cosmetics can be bought within the city. As for the bag, you will find in it a laptop and phone, both interconnected and linked to the base's secure private network. It will be an essential tool for regular navigation on the web or black-market communications."

Gary then gestured to Don's aviators and wristwatch. "Also linked to the network are those aviators you're wearing, which contain the latest in covert spy technology. The same goes for your wristwatch, which, though it appears to be a normal luxury Colex, it actually contains a chip with modifications to the body that allow for augmented projection when used in sync with the aviators. To activate them, you simply need to tap the side of your aviators. They will automatically scan your retina to ensure it's you. If not, nothing will occur, and the intruder will see them as nothing more than regular glasses. However, when it is you..."

Gary trailed off as Don proceeded to tap the side of his aviators, activating the retina scan. Almost immediately, he could see projected menus above his wristwatch, a slicker version of a heads-up display. Gary further explained, "You can navigate the menus with your eyes or with hand gestures. Both will work seamlessly. The aviators and wristwatch contain additional features that I have listed in the Predator mission menus, where you will find all your current gadgets, assets, and resources neatly listed for convenience. The wristwatch and aviators are also linked to your laptop and phone for maximum efficiency."

'This is all straight out of a spy movie or superhero comics,' Don thought, though this didn't undermine the impression the gadgets had left on him. "Thank you, Gary. These will be a big help," Don said, prompting Gary to give him a warm smile.

"I am simply carrying out my duties, sir. I almost forgot—also in the bag are a pair of earbuds which you can wear whenever you need operator assistance from myself or Lady Noir. As I mentioned before, we do not have many assets within the city, so unfortunately, the help we will be able to provide will be quite limited."

Don took note of this information and nodded. "I understand." Though his answer wasn't completely true, Don felt he would have more than enough time to test out the gadgets and read the information in his own time. His decision to give a precise and speedy reaction had its benefits, as the system promptly notified him,

———

**+1 Aura gained.**

**Additional Aura from outfit: +5.**

**Total Aura: 6.** 

**Conclusion: Low Aura.** Aside from above-average looks and good taste in fashion, you do not really stand out.

———

Looking at the prompt, Don gained a bit more understanding of how it operated. 'So being confident helps,' he thought, immediately putting the information into action as he stood more upright and tucked one hand into his pocket. "Is that everything I need to know?" he confidently asked.

"For now, yes. I would have liked for us to have more time to prepare, but alas, that is not the case. However, I am glad to see you are not discouraged by the circumstances."

Don continued to play the confident role and replied, "I wouldn't say I'm 100% confident going into this, but with the preparations you've made for me, it would be quite tricky to fail. So don't worry about it." 

This was an even bolder response than his last one, but Don's gamble paid off as another prompt appeared. 

———

**+2 Aura gained.**

———

However, despite this gain, the conclusion remained the same, stating that Don wouldn't stand out much from the average person in qualities.

'So the more confident and charismatic I try to be, the better my chances with gaining Aura. But I can't exactly talk my way through everything. I need to back my words with action; otherwise, I might end up losing more. So it's a double-edged sword.' Don gained a deeper understanding of the Aura mechanism after this brief interaction with Gary. However, he felt it was more than enough to work with going forward.

'The young sir must be in a very good mood now that he and the young madam have gotten close. I truly thought I'd never see the day. Now I look forward to seeing what Sir Don can accomplish as Predator. To think I'd go from a doubter to a believer in such a short span of time. Truly, the young madam has great foresight,' Gary had his own interpretations of the matter that were far from the truth. But Don's sudden change of heart could only be explained by that, as Gary could see no other reason for it. Nothing had changed regarding Elle's approach toward Don.

Trixie, on the other hand, didn't care much for analyzing the situation and had much simpler thoughts. "Hey, Gary, since you and Elle are going to be holding down the fort, why don't I go to Santos City with Don? You know, for moral support."

Don immediately turned toward Trixie once she stated this, but before he could say anything, Gary immediately gave a nod. "I see nothing wrong with that. Considering your ability to quickly switch between locations, provided you don't cause mischief, I personally see nothing wrong. Though I would have to hear Lady Noir's thoughts on the matter once she awakens."

Trixie giggled at the answer and showed an innocent face. "Don't worry, I'll be on my best behavior."