Terra Nova Online : Rise Of The Strongest Player

The silence in Kid's office was suffocating as Leo mulled over Kid's desperate offer to become a loyal dog.

Simultaneously, Leo's clone remained poised with the dagger, just a twitch away from ending Kid's life, as although the minutes ticked by, and the cost of sustaining a clone was considerable, Leo showed no signs of dissipating it.

'A loyal dog, huh? But can a liar ever truly be a loyal dog?' Leo wondered, as his gaze bore into Kid's trembling form, his expression unreadable.

Finally, after thinking for several minutes, he broke the silence.

"How am I supposed to trust a single word you're saying, Captain? Your credibility was lost the moment I found that footprint in my backyard." His voice was calm, almost conversational, but the glint in his eyes promised violence.

"Unless there's some mechanism that forces me to believe you—something that assures me that the words coming out of your mouth are the absolute truth and not a lie cooked by you to save your life, I see no reason to spare you.

Because, as far as trusting your moral character goes Captain, I have no trust in you….. not an ounce"

Kid froze, his breathing shallow as the veiled threat settled over him like a heavy shroud.

For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words, his mind scrambling for a solution. Then, like a spark of hope in the dark, an idea struck him.

"There is… something," Kid stammered, his voice quivering but steady enough to convey the idea. "The ankle monitors. The ones worn by all ship members."

Leo's brow furrowed. "Go on."

"They're designed to keep the masses in check, but they have a secondary function, a feature that the company that produces them markets heavily.

With the right configuration, one can be reprogrammed into a master-slave collar. If I lie, disobey, or try to betray you, the monitor can punish me directly. An electric shock powerful enough to incapacitate."

Leo tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharpening. "And you're willing to put one of these on yourself? Let me hold the leash?"

Kid gulped, nodding rapidly. "Yes. If that's what it takes to prove my loyalty, I'll do it."

The room was silent again for a moment as Leo considered the offer. Then, with a small nod, he stepped back, though the dagger remained in his hand. "Fine. Where do I get one of these monitors?"

Kid hesitated before pointing to a drawer on the far side of his cabin. "There's a spare in there. It's inactive, but I can configure it."

Leo crossed the room with slow, deliberate steps, his every movement radiating controlled power. Pulling open the drawer, he retrieved the monitor—a simple black band, unassuming but heavy with promise—and returned to Kid, tossing it onto the desk in front of him.

"Do it," Leo ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Kid's hands trembled as he picked up the monitor and began tinkering with the controls. His fingers moved with practiced precision, though sweat beaded on his brow as he worked. Minutes passed in tense silence, the only sound the faint clicking of buttons and the soft hum of the ship's systems.

At last, Kid snapped the monitor open and fastened it around his own ankle. The device beeped softly as it activated, the green light blinking steadily.

"Here. It's done," Kid said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Leo's lips curved into a cold smile as he stepped closer, his towering presence making Kid shrink back instinctively. "Let's test it, then."

"You will lie when I tell you to lie, and you will speak the truth when I ask you to, is that understood?" Leo asked, as Kid nodded vehemently.

"Good," Leo said, his voice devoid of sympathy.

"First you lie, tell me your name" Leo asked, as after biting his tongue, Kid replied… "My name is Felix—"

Before he could even complete the sentence, the device zapped him, sending shockwaves of electricity rolling through his body.

"My name is Kid, Erasmus Kid. That's my name" he spoke again, and this time the device stayed quiet, indicating that he spoke the truth.

"Anytime, I lie to my master, it will zap me" Kid continued, as the device stayed silent.

"To prove it, let me lie voluntarily….."

"The device won't zap me, if I make a false statement—" He said, only to be zapped violently again, which proved that the device worked as intended.

Anytime Kid lied to Leo, the device zapped him, making it the perfect mechanism for Leo to trust the words coming out of Kids mouth.

"It works." Leo said with a smile, as with a flick of his hand, he dismissed the clone that had been holding a dagger to Kid's neck all this while.

"I've gotten rid of the clone captain, but remember, one lie, one betrayal, and I will end you—" Leo reminded, as Kid nodded fervently, his face pale and drenched in sweat. "I understand… I won't let you down."

Leo straightened, satisfied. "For your sake, I hope not."

Then, as if re-starting the entire conversation from scratch, Leo cracked his neck and began enquiring about the truth of everything, starting from the question about why exactly Kid stole his meditation manual in the first place?

The reply from Kid was different from what he expected, as it seemed like Kid genuinely did it to protect his future prospects and allow him to awaken his full genetic potential, however, he did not do it for such noble causes, but rather to save his own skin.

Kid, apparently desperate to curry favor, wanted to get closer to Mu Fan of the Mu Clan, who may or may not be representing the will of the whole Mu Clan on Leo's future.

It was a complicated story of self preservation, assumption of other party's intentions and Leo's unpredictability, but in the end Leo was able to determine that Kid did not explicitly want to harm him, and that there was no deliberate foul play at hand.