Don't Underestimate Your Opponent.

David looked at Rick confusedly, this kind of request was a complete surprise for him, "This is a bad joke."

"I am not joking at all. I am completely serious," Rick raised his head and looked into the blue sky, "Do you know what the chip that Marc Technologies installs does to a person?" Rick was originally the one who did this, and his job was to install these transmitters to the most important people.

For five years he had visited different countries and quietly penetrated the houses of politicians and the military to pick them up on the bait of Marcus without their knowledge. While his memory was like an empty sheet and all that motivated him was unquestioning service to his Master, he managed to process more than one hundred influential people, which allowed Marcus to subjugate the global government in a short time, both in the economy and in the shadow sector.

Politics, economics, the military sphere, the sale of arms, human organs, drug trafficking - everything was in the power of Marcus. The dream that Hitler once aspired to, possession of the whole world, was realized by Marcus Taubert invisibly from human eyes. He was a winner in a war that was not declared, and the whole world was in his hands of its own free will.

At least, Marcus created such conditions that people voluntarily surrendered themselves to his power, believing that it was their own sound and informed choice.

"As far as I know, these chips really help improve a person's health and capabilities, but the flip side is that the will of the person will be compelled as a consequence," David immediately realized that with all this global chipization something was wrong, and the more he watched this mass process, the more he was convinced of it.

Rick smiled, only the one inside the whole process was able to estimate the true extent of what was happening. And the whole story with chips was like this pyramid which they were next to. David's argument was just the surface part of the iceberg, the smallest part of what it was intended for.

"Your train of thoughts is correct. Restoring health without effort and excellent physical shape without the need for intensive training - what else does a lazy person need for complete happiness? His mind is so blind that the cheese in a mousetrap seems to him to be God's blessing," Rick sneered at how the newcomers at the base sincerely envied him that he had powers equal to their Master.

But only they did not realize that the balance in the universe is maintained no matter what happens. And if something added somewhere, then in another place it became less.

"Everyone with chips installed is connected to a single network. And if someone has improved their health or physical abilities, this means only one thing - these powers have been taken away from another chipped person. If one of the cash bags who is on his deathbed paid Marc Technologies a lot of money to regain his health, then exactly the same amount of health was stolen from another person."

David did not even imagine that these seemingly good intentions hid such cruel and insidious goals.

"Marcus could not stoop to such a thing, maybe you misunderstood something," Rick's words aroused a double feeling in Armand. On the one hand, he tried not to have illusions about his brother. On the other hand, it was his sibling, and deep down he wanted to believe in him.

"Ha, you'd think I misunderstood something? Believe me, of all of you, I understand the current situation like no other. Do you think that if people were aware of what they are signing up for, they would be so willing to accept such gifts of fate? People are greedy and insatiable, they are ready to take, but few are ready to pay the price," Rick turned to Armand and showed his palms,

"Your dear brother Marcus with these hands took the lives of more than a hundred people. Millions of people are in his power, and he decides who deserves to live and who deserves to die. He easily gets rid of a person if he sees a threat in him or does not see the benefits for his plans. Does this policy remind you of anything?" Rick did not hesitate to hurt Armand's possible feelings, in the end, the man had to know what kind of creature his brother really was.

"The monster named Marcus Taubert has long surpassed even your daddy Sigmund in his sins, and he was still that bastard. I think I don't need to prove it for you, we both personally knew this man."

Rick's words, like sharp daggers, cut Armand's feelings into shapeless pieces of emotion, he didn't know how to react to this information, "Well, Richard, you are the one to talk about morality."

Rick's lips tightened into a thin line, Armand could not even voice this remark, since Rick already understood that he was far from the image of a righteous man, "I have no purpose to pretend to be saints and close my eyes to my sins, on the contrary, I perfectly acknowledge them and accept. And believe me, the fee I paid for my mistakes cost me a lot. And I will not hesitate to make the person, who had his hand in it, pay the full price for everything. Therefore, I warn you in advance, Armand Taubert, if you get in my way, do not be offended that my anger will turn against you as well."

"I'll keep that in mind. In the end, each of us is protecting what is dear to him."

"Hey people, let's not create extra stress, all right? The children have already begun to squint in our direction," Daniel wedged into the conversation of two men, the air around whom already resembled thunderclouds during a storm. "What are some suggestions on how to get to Elena and Marcus?"

"How about shortening the path?" Rick looked at David and they understood each other without words.

"Do you suggest to get to them directly? I'm not sure that our abilities are so strong as to break a few meters of stone," David thought this idea was quite acceptable, but he doubted that they would be able to act as excavators.

Moreover, Elena and Marcus were on the lower level, and rough interference in the structure could lead to its collapse. David did not want to put his wife's life at greater risk than it already was.

"If you think so, then you very seriously underestimate your opponent. Even fifty percent of Marcus's power, which I now possess, is enough to do it easily and with surgeon accuracy," Rick not once has seen Marcus in action, and despite his overwhelming power, he was sure that Marcus showed only part of his abilities. The true potential of his strength was known only to its owner.

"Ashley, baby, come here!" Rick called the children and asked them to stand behind them, "Go back a couple of meters and close your eyes so that dust does not get into them."

The man closed his eyes and concentrated on the space around him, a light breeze ran across the surface of the ground, collecting leaves and small branches in a cycle. With each second, this cycle became stronger and stronger, until it turned into a tornado, about three meters high. Streams of air plucked the ground, exposing the surface layer by layer, until the soft soil was completely removed.

Rick waved his hand to the side, and the ground crumbled down, before them appeared a clear meadow, which was nothing more than a stone platform, hidden under a layer of ground soil that had accumulated over several hundred years.

"And what is this?" Daniel looked in surprise at the patterns and obscure drawings carved into the stone like prints. The whole area was covered with various drawings, patterns and symbols. Along with stones around this place resembled a ritual zone, which is often depicted in ancient history textbooks.

"Wow, dad, you're so cool!" Ashley ran to Rick and jumped into his arms, he did not hesitate to demonstrate this to Daniel with a look that shouted like she-said-I-am-cool. "Oh, I saw this drawing!"

The men looked at the girl in surprise. "Have you seen such a drawing? Where?" David asked, and Ashley jabbed her finger at Sean. And how do these adults never notice such obvious things?

A pendant was hanging on the boy's neck, the pattern on which exactly coincided with what was depicted on the platform in front of them.