《The Legendary Junkmaster》


 Chapter 1: Mutation (1)

    Chapter 1: Mutation (1)


    "JASON! DON''T MAKE ME COME UP THERE, BOY!"


    Bang, Jason smacked his head off the floor as he tumbled out of bed. ''God damn it, old man! You could have given me a heart attack!'' Jason grumbled as he struggled to get his bearings. The thin nket that served to keep him warm at night was tangled around his legs, agitating him as he tried to get loose.


    "JASON!"


    "I heard you, gramps! I''ll be down in a minute!" Jason called back to the elderly voice. ''Anyone would think he''s deaf with the way he''s always shouting!''


    Jason let out a sigh as his struggles caused a new tear in his nket. ''Great! Fucking fantastic! One more thing I have to fix around here!'' He tossed the brown rag back on his creaky bed as he stood up to stretch out the pains in his muscles. Not that he had much of them anyway. Dust fell on his head from the crack in his bedroom ceiling as his upstairs neighbour moved about.


    "Oh, fuck. Here ites!" Jason groaned.


    Pop


    A scruffy girl appeared out of thin air right next to him. A huge grin was spread across her face as she stared at Jason in his baggy brown cargo pants and faded white vest.


    "Ah, no luck again today, I see." She nodded her head as she took in the sight of Jason standing there.


    "Dani, you''ve really got to stop doing this! I''m already in trouble with gramps! What do you think he''ll say if he finds out there''s a girl in my room?" Jason threw his arms in the air as he attempted to make his point for the seventeenth time.


    That is right. Every day, for the past seventeen days, Dani had chosen to teleport into his bedroom first thing in the morning. This was the reason he had taken to wearing clothes to bed. The trauma of that first day was still too much for him to bear.


    "I''ll stop when you can make me stop." Dani grinned wolfishly at him, flicking her matted chest long blonde hair over her shoulder as she did so.


    "Ugh. You think you''re all-powerful just because you''re a few days older than me!" Jasonined as he lobbed the first thing that came to hand at her.


    Pop


    The screwdriver he just tossed embedded itself in the old wooden door frame as Dani reappeared at his side and leaned on his shoulder. "Don''t worry. You''ll be an adult one day."


    "Just you wait until tomorrow! I bet I''ll awaken with an even more incredible power than yours!" Jason replied with some resentment in his tone at being treated like he was a kid. He knew his best friend was just teasing him, but it still stung. She was like this every year. For the seventeen days that separated their birthdays, she would always find a way to wind him up.


    However, this year it was worse than ever before. That''s because, at the age of sixteen, you would develop a power. If your genes held the potential to do so anyway. There was one thing that every teenager feared. That was being deemed a normie for their entire lives!


    Jason was anxious because this unfortunate fate could happen to him if he does not develop a power of his own soon. Or, if he only acquired a useless one. Then he would never be able to leave Highrise. Every kid had heard about the world outside of the rusted metal and nailed together wooden walls. If you lived on one of the upper floors of the buildings that made up the town of Highrise, then you would even be able to see it from your window!


    Jason and Dani''s families were nothing, however. They did not earn much from their daily jobs. Jason''s grandfather worked as a scavenger, just like his own father. It seemed to run in their blood. He spent every day searching the area in the vicinity of the town for anything even remotely useful. Half of the time, he came back with stuffbelled as junk.


    That was the problem with being a scavenger. Not many people knew what uses a lot of the stuff from the Old World actually had. Such people like his gramps had to pick up whatever they thought looked valuable at a nce. Jason had a forlorn look on his face as he remembered his parents. Both of them had been normies and scavengers to boot.


    They died a few years ago when they took the risk of searching for treasure further out from the town. When they had been missing for longer than they should have been, Jason''s grandfather had gone out looking for them. Unfortunately, after a long and arduous search, he only returned with two mauled and half-eaten corpses. Ever since then, Jason had been raised by the old geezer.


    Dani saw Jason''s struggle to hold back the tears in his eyes. "Hey, don''t worry. I''m sure you''ll get an awesome power!"


    Her soothing voice as she wrapped her arms around his small waist helped him to ovee his emotional state. Dani knew everything about him. She understood how important it was for him to be powerful. It would give him the means to do more than just survive in this shitty world. He wanted to provide afortable life for his gramps, who was the only family he had left. But, his ambition went beyond that. He wanted to see the world outside of these walls!


    "Yeah, I hope so," Jason replied as his gaze turned to look outside his window. Or rather, the hole in his wall.


    The building across from theirs was bustling with activity as people quickly got ready to head out to their jobs. A breeze entered his room as someone flew past at high speed. ''Flying. Now that would be a cool power.'' Jason did not even mind if his power turned out to be nothing shy. As long as it gave him the freedom he yearned for.


    "Right!" Dani slipped free from their embrace and stared into his eyes with a serious expression. "You better get downstairs before the old man kills you."


    An awkward silence descended between them. ''What the fuck! Were you just dying me to get me into more trouble!'' Just as he was about to give her a piece of his mind


    Pop


    She was gone. ''That witch! I''ll get her back one day! I swear! See how she likes it when someone just appears out of thin air to ruin her day!'' Jason grumbled as he stomped around the room while he began preparing for the day ahead. He slid his bare feet into the old, ck military boots that were a size too big for him. He was meticulous in folding the ends in on themselves, wrapping them around rubber bands to hold them in ce over his boots.


    He swung his arms into his bomber jacket, which was more patches than the original material. The fleeced interior and cor gave him a feeling of warmth. The jacket used to belong to his dad, so it was an essential item to him.


    "JASON! COME ON! WE''RE BURNING DAYLIGHT!"


    "I SAID I''M COMING!" Jason roared in response.


    He quickly rummaged through the junk that he had personally collected, looking for his tool belt. ''There you are!'' He thought as he shoved aside a few half-ruined teddy bears and pieces of electronics. ''Come on, its time for work!''


    He slid the belt around his waist as he headed for the door, not forgetting to remove his screwdriver from the frame on his way. Sliding it into its holder on his belt, he grabbed his goggles, fingerless grey woollen gloves and his gas mask from the desk.


    He pulled open his bedroom door, only for the rusted hinges to finally give way. He quickly leapt out of the course of the falling door as it mmed down on the floor. ''That''s the third time this month.'' Jason shook his head at the sorry sight. ''I''ll need to see if I can pick up a couple of hinges that are in better condition this time.''


    He ran out of his room and took the stairs two at a time, leaping over the hole from where three of them had copsed years ago. As he reached the bottom, a stinging pain crossed his cheek, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood as he waited for the shock to pass.


    His grandfather''s monkey-like tail hung in the air in front of his eyes. The old man standing behind it was short and stout with muscle. His grey facial hair had been styled into mutton chops.


    "Took you long enough!" The man gruffly snorted at his grandson. His thick arms were crossed in front of his chest. "I''m docking ten per cent of your pay for wasting my time!"


    "Yeah, sure, go ahead. I bet we won''t even make anything today either!" Jason angrily replied.


    "And who''s fault is that! You dropped half the loot when you spotted that Banka! The only thing you kept ahold of was that useless piece of junk!" His grandfather replied while pointing to an old car battery.


    Jason rubbed his cheek as he looked at the item, still sitting on the rickety kitchen table. Neither of them had been able to work out what it could be used for when they returned homest night. If they could not find a use for it, they could not sell it to any junk stores.


    Jason''s grandfather whipped his tail through the air, gripping the handle of the front door and opening it to let the noise from outside fill the room. "Ah! Never mind! Let''s go!"


    "Where are we headed?" Jason asked with a curious tone as he slid his gloves and goggles on. He had no desire to meet with that Banka again.


    "Hm, well. I thought we could check out those big buildings across the river. " The old man replied, referencing an area that used to house industrial factories. "With any luck, we might find something good."


    Jason sighed as he noted the glint in his gramps''s eye. ''It''s always the same with this old coot

 Chapter 2: Mutation (2)

    Chapter 2: Mutation (2)


    Jason followed his gramps out onto the street, cursing his bad luck. He had never crossed the river before, but he had heard stories about it. The wildlife over there was far worse than this side. Many creatures had made their nests in the dpidated buildings, which was why most scavengers did not dare attempt to go there.


    Jason even had a sneaking suspicion that the Banka hade from that side. It had probably been chased out of its own territory by something stronger. ''Out of the frying pan and into the fire'' Jason sighed. ''Still, it could be worse.''


    His eyes stared curiously at those that were down on their luck. People covered in dirt sat hunched up together in the alleyways between the buildings. Their clothes were in an even worse state than his own. Jason cursed at the cruelty of the local Lord. There were plenty of empty apartments in the high-rise ts, but they had to pay ''taxes'' to the Lord if they did not want to get evicted.


    They could always try their luck with the buildings outside of the safety of the walls. However, everyone knew what fate would await them if they tried that idea out. Most folks that took the risk could be seen for a few days before they disappeared. Most likely bing a fine meal for something higher on the food chain.


    They reached the end of their street and stood in the areamonly known as the Circle. In actuality, it was a typical roundabout in the Old World. Arge tree grew tall and thick in the centre of it. Even as weeds forced their way through the decaying tarmac that made up the old roads and pavements.


    The Circle was amon gathering ce of sorts for scavengers. From here, they would leave the town together. There was safety in numbers, after all. Along the way, they would split up, heading for wherever they thought they get the most gains out of their day.


    "Yo! Harry!" A man wearing a dirty navy jumper and ripped jeans called out to them. All four of his arms were waving energetically in the air towards them.


    "Raymond! Haven''t seen you in a while! You been living the good life, eh?" Jason''s grandfather nudged the man with his elbow as they got close in a friendly greeting.


    Raymond returned Harry''s beaming smile with a crooked grin, "Yeah, I wish! It''s even harder now with another mouth to feed!"


    "Hah! I bet it is! Still, tell Laura I''m asking how she and the little ones are doing!" Harry let out another broad smile.


    "Will do. Say, where are you headed today? Got any tips? I need to cash in big if we want to survive for a few months." Raymond asked without holding back.


    "Hm, it''s not exactly a tip, but." Harry clearly tried to provoke his friend''s curiosity with his tone as he rubbed a meaty hand through his beard.


    Jason sighed as he stood to the side. He knew exactly what his grandfather was up to. He was going to attempt to dupe the poor sucker into joining them. Promising him that there would be a wealth of untapped treasures where they were headed.


    It was quite amon tactic amongst scavengers. Since they would have to add Raymond''s name to their group''s list when they left the city. This meant that Raymond would have to pay his grandfather a generous percentage of anything he uncovered while working together. Since he would have gotten those gains from working alongside Harry. It was sort of like temporary hired help.


    Jason waited for them to hash out the details between them. He could even tell that Raymond himself was worried about his grandfather''s ambitious n to raid the industrial factories. However, a mixture of greed and necessity seemed to win him over.


    "Alright! You have a deal, Harry. You better not screw me over on this one!" Raymondughed as he pped Harry on the back with both of his right hands.


    "Please," Harry snorted in fake indignation, "When have I ever screwed you over?"


    "How about that time when"


    "Ok, enough!" Harry quickly cut Raymond off from telling stories about their past. He didn''t want his grandson gaining a negative impression of him. Harry snorted as he led the way towards the front gates.


    Raymond shrugged as he followed after him, "Keep an eye on your gramps, boy! You never know what schemes he''s got going on."


    Jason smiled politely in response. He already knew what kind of man his grandfather was. Even if he pretended otherwise. He did not want to crush the geezer''s efforts to make himself appear to be a respectable person.


    The streets were bing packed by this point as people rushed from their homes. Some of them were farmers that worked the fields just outside of the walls. These were the people that were responsible for the most stable food supply for the entire town. They could lose their job in an instant if they were everte. Which exined their panicked faces.


    Jason shook his head as he followed the two older men into a metal shed. A woman sat behind some stiff metal wire. There was a square opening in the wall beside her. His grandfather went through the details of registering Raymond as a temporary helper. Paying the fee of five copper credits in the process for doing so. This also included the rental fee for therge scavenger bags.


    The woman picked up the five small copper squares that Harry had tossed into the tray on the other side of the whole. She eyed them carefully to make sure they had all of the markings they were supposed to have. There had been a few issues with counterfeits recently, so they were not surprised. Once she confirmed their authenticity, another woman came from the back. Carrying threerge rucksacks that had straps to buckle around your waist and chest.


    When they returned, the contents of the bag would be checked for any restricted items. This meant things that the Lord was specifically looking for. They would be seized, and the scavenger that brought them in would only receive around half of what they were actually worth. The generally epted excuse for this was that it was supposed to be for the entire town''s benefit.


    Jason doubted those intentions, though. He thought that the Lord was just seizing items that were in high demand. Probably selling them to the junk stores at an inted price to line his own pockets. It was not like they could do anything about it, though. They slipped out of the makeshift building with their bags in hand, letting the next person in the queue inside.


    Their eyes turned to the massive walls. Thirty rusted cars had been stacked on top of each other to create the defensive structure''s interior. The other side of these cars had strips of thick metal welded to them. While pieces of wood had been nailed together and stuck to the metal sheets to cover any gaps.


    "Well, let''s get going. Shall we?" Harry grinned as he walked towards the guards that operated the gate

 Chapter 3: Mutation (3)

    Chapter 3: Mutation (3)


    Jason grumbled as he was knocked around by the crowd gathering in front of the gate. A blue-skinned woman apologised as she nudged him out of her way. ''Another newbie.'' Jason quickly picked her out as being new to the profession just from her apology alone. They were allpetitors, and unless you were working together, you would never show consideration for the others.


    One less scavenger just meant one less person taking your potential earnings! You had to watch your back out there. It was well known that arger group would probably rob you and leave you for dead if they had a bad haul. There were even people that would offer their services as mercenary guards for scavengers. They usually had low power abilities that worked well in that capacity.


    However, barely anyone ever hired them. These mercenaries'' prices were just too steep for ordinary scavengers who were struggling to get by. Hiring those guys was basically an announcement to everyone else that you were expecting to score big. Which was obviously not a good move as it would draw everyone around to follow you.


    "Yo, kid! Stop spacing out! They''re about to open the gates." Raymond shook Jason hard to snap him out of his thoughts.


    They turned their attention to the front, where a group of guards prepared to operate the mechanism to open the gates. Five guys pushed on a thing that looked like a ship''s wheel, set on top of a metallic cylinder with thick cables wrapped around it. On the other side, a woman with super-strength performed the same feat on her own.


    As the wheels turned, the sound of groaning metal washed over the crowd. The cables on either side grew taught as they ran through the system of pulleys. These cables were linked to six cars in total, three on each side, that had been stacked on top of each other. The crowd grew restless as they watched the rust buckets get pulled towards them. Gradually, they left an opening in the makeshift walls,rge enough for four ordinary people to pass side by side.


    As soon as the guards stopped working the mechanism, the crowd surged forth. Jason caught sight of the blue-skinned woman from before. She had the look of a predator about her as she stared into the group ahead. It reminded him of the look the Banka gave them when it thought it had cornered its prey. ''She''s targeting someone.'' Jason felt a chill run down his spine. No wonder she hade across as a newbie. She was not a scavenger at all!


    Jason got swept up in the crowd that pushed him forward. He kept his eyes on his grandfather and Raymond so that he would not lose them in the shuffle. One of the most considerable setbacks a group could face when leaving was bing separated. Jason knew this all too well as the memory of his first expedition with his gramps surfaced in his mind.


    He was a lot smaller then and quickly got lost in the vast sea of bodies. It took a few hours for him to find his grandfather waiting for him a few miles down the road. Only newbies tried to find theirpanions close to the gate. Any veteran always moved away from therge crowd to make it easier to spot each other. Jason still remembered the beating his gramps gave him for wasting so much time.


    Eventually, his turn came to pass through the wall of rusted metal. His eyes turned upwards to stare at the underside of the cars above him. Every time he left the town, he would find himself silently praying that the metal beams the cars weighed on would not give way. Nobody wanted to be crushed under so many tons of junk.


    As he came out on the other side, he inhaled a deep breath of fresh air. It always felt like he had just been released from a cage whenever he set foot outside of those walls. He paused for a moment to appreciate the sight of the light green sky with its grey clouds. The ruined buildings on either side of the road were surrounded by overgrown vegetation.


    One of the ruined high-rise apartment buildings even had a thick, gnarly tree growing out of its twenty-fifth floor. Whenever Jason saw this sight, his imagination would turn to think about a time when all of this was well maintained. Who lived in those buildings? What did they do for a living? What was their life like?


    He had grown up hearing the oral stories passed down by their ancestors. They were marvellous tales of a time when mankind ruled over the Earth. His favourite stories were about the amazing machines that mankind had created. Especially the contraptions that allowed them to fly freely through the skies. However, not one of those stories exined what had caused their downfall.


    Jason found the whole thing to be rather sad. They had lost so much about their history. In return, they had gained those privileged ones that developed powers. He could only hope that he would share that vaunted position when he turned sixteen tomorrow.


    "Jason! Over here!" Harry, Jason''s grandfather, called out with a hint of urgency.


    Jason nced in the direction of his voice, spotting Raymond instead as he stood head and shoulders above the majority of the crowd. ''Of course, I wouldn''t be able to see the geezer. How does he expect me to spot him when he''s so short!''


    Jason waved towards Raymond to alert them that he was on his way. His elbows began to fly as he dug them into the ribs of those around him as he tried to force a path through the crowd. Jason received as good as he gave in return. He could feel a few new bruises starting to form on his arms and body as others did the exact same thing to him.


    "The fuck!" Jason cursed, as a burly man smashed his own elbow into Jason''s nose. His hand went to his face and came away, smeared with blood.


    "Did you say something to me, short arse!" The man responsible for his bloody nose growled as he stared at Jason with a menacing look stered on his face.


    Jason gritted his teeth and said with venom in his tone, "Nothing."


    The man turned away, seemingly satisfied with his response. Jason balled up his fists in rage. He hated being so weak, but there was nothing that he could do about it just now. A dark shadow crossed his face as he stared after the departing man. ''I''ll definitely remember you!''


    That silent threat would remain hollow. Unless the day ever came where he had the power to treat others in the way that this guy did. Jason put more force into his own elbows as he continued on his path. A few cries of pain escaped from his victims as he vented his frustrations on them.


    "Took you long enough!" Harry grumbled when he stumbled into view. Pausing for only a second with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the red stain across his face.


    "Let''s move. It will take a few hours to get there." Raymond intervened before a spark could be ignited between the pair. He did not want to waste any more time that could affect his earnings for the day.


    "Alright, Raymond. Don''t go getting your panties in a twist!" Harryined as he turned around. Setting one foot in front of the other, he took the lead in guiding them towards the industrial zone.


    Jason followed along behind the two older men, lost in his own thoughts. He was no longer in the mood to appreciate their surroundings. Instead, he was focused on his hopes for developing an incredible power. ''Super-strength Super speed Metal control Pyromancy'' It was needless to say that he was only focused on what he knew about that could turn him into a substantial threat.


    The first ones he thought about were the ones known to be used by four of the five Guardians. They were the most incredible talents in their Lord''s area of influence. It was rumoured that the head of their group had an incredibly potent ability. However, nobody seemed to know what it was. ''Even Dani has a chance of joining them if she proves herself.'' Jason sighed as he thought about how bright the future must look for his friend.


    There was an extreme amount of utility to her ability. It would make her hard to pin down in a fight while allowing her to reposition herself to a suitable area depending on the situation. She could literally specialise in either melee or rangedbat. Her ability wouldpliment either style.


    ''Her ability is already so good. What will it be if she develops it?'' Jason thought about that for a while. Just now, she could only teleport herself. In time, Dani may be able to teleport multiple people or even items across a more considerable distance. If she got to that point, she would be one of the most valued existences with their town.


    A hard p on his back brought him back to reality, "What did you do that for!"


    "You dreaming or what? We''re here." Raymond chuckled as he looked at Jason''s annoyed expression. Raymond began tough heartily as Jason''s face turned to an expression of disbelief.


    "Already?" Jason cast his eyes on his surroundings. Raymond was indeed correct, if only partially.


    The road ahead took a turn, turning into a half-ruined, rusted steel bridge that spanned the dark, calm waters below. On the bank of the river, on either side, there was half-submerged vehicles and other junk. From here, Jason could make out the most challenging part of their crossing. Just above the halfway point, most of the bridge had copsed. Leaving only a single, twisted steel beam to connect its two halves.


    Harry continued to lead the way, unfazed at the deadly sight. That as to be expected from someone like him who had probably faced far worse in his lifetime. At moments like this, Jason felt a spark of pride for being rted to the gruff old geezer. There was no hesitation in the group as they manoeuvred around the ruined vehicles and trash on their side of the bridge.


    Raymond would rip parts out of the exposed engines if he thought they were valuable enough from time to time. This got Jason wondering about something.


    "Why do you bother about that stuff just now? You could get it on the way back. Instead, you''ll just have to cart it around for longer." Jason threw hisbined question and statement at Raymond, who huffed in response.


    "Sure, you have a good point and all. But, what if someonees along behind us and takes it before we return? Even if that doesn''t happen, I might be too tired to remember about them."


    Jason mulled over the veteran''s words. He had to admit that it was a good way of looking at things. If he ran out of space and found something more valuableter, he could always dump these parts. He had only found it strange because Harry had taught him otherwise. His gramps preferred to travel light and pick up stuff on the return journey.


    Thinking about it, this made more sense for those who had less stamina. It clearly showed the difference between the two men. Unfortunately, as much as Jason wanted to emte Raymond''s actions, he recognised that his grandfather''s methods were the ones best suited for him just now.


    "Ok, I''ll cross over first." Harry confidently dered as he stared at the gaping hole in the bridge. Nobody argued with him. Although he was short and stocky, his mutation gave him a fantastic sense of bnce. "Once I''m over, toss the packs to me, Ray."


    "No problem, boss," Raymond replied with a sarcastic tone even as he began to remove the rope attached to his pack.


    Harry took one end of it as Raymond passed it to him. He deftly tied a thick knot around his waist to create a lifeline. This way, if he fell, the other two would be able to save him from falling into the water.


    In this fashion, both Harry and Raymond made it across without issue. Jason''s turn had finallye. Following what his gramps had taught him, he tied the same kind of knot around his own waist before moving to the twisted steel beam. ''It''ll be fine. Just don''t look down. If it can hold those two, then there''s no chance my scrawny ass will break it.''


    Jason took a deep breath and focused his eyes on his gramps. Staring dead ahead, he slowly felt out the shape of the beam with careful steps. A breeze washed over his body, threatening to throw him off bnce. His body rocked back and forth as he attempted to stabilise his position and his heart practically leapt into his throat.


    He gasped for air, struggling to calm his racing heart. Panicking now would only make him more likely to make a mistake! Swallowing his fear, he inched forward. Eventually, crossing the beam without incident.


    Just as he let out a wide grin at the two veterans'' approving looks, a blood-curdling howl escaped from one of the factories. With pale faces, all three of them turned to stare at the dpidated factories.


    "Banka" Harry whispered into the air

 Chapter 4: Mutation (4)

    Chapter 4: Mutation (4)


    The horrifying howl caused them to pause for a moment as they waited for its echo to disperse. The three of them shared an unpleasant look on their faces. ''Yeah, that''s just my luck. We came out here to avoid that thing!'' Jason cursed as he continued to study the broken windows of the factories.


    Harry had the same idea as his grandson. His gaze continually shifting from one building to the next. Searching for any sign that would indicate which factory held the Banka''s den. After a tense pause, Harry finally let out a long-winded, heavy sigh.


    "Ray, as you can see, shit just gotplicated," Harry began with a solemn tone. "I won''t me you if you want to back out now."


    Jason threw a horrified look at the old man! Nervous sweat began to trickle down his spine. ''Oh,e on! You fucking geezer! Isnding a good score really all that you think about!'' Jason began to panic slightly. His breathing became ragged at the thought of creeping around these old buildings while a predator was lurking.


    "Hey, Harry, you''re not serious, right?" Raymond swallowed a lump of saliva as his gaze shifted from his long term friend to the buildings that now looked remarkably like a death trap. "I mean, you''ve got the kid with you and all"


    Jason felt a spark of hope ignite in his heart. ''Surely gramps will listen to him. Right?'' Jason''s eyes shifted between the two old veterans. Hoping that his grandfather would listen to reason. His hopes were soon dashed with Harry''s next words.


    "Listen, Ray, I appreciate the concern you''re showing. But he has to find some courage sooner orter. Our work isn''t morous. It''s filled with risks every single day. If I back off now, what kind of man is that teaching him to be?" Harry''s soft voice gradually became a growl as he reached the end of his sentence.


    Raymond stared at the burly short man, a look of hesitation was evident on his own face as he tried to make up his own mind. With a sigh of his own, he turned to look at Jason, "Sorry, kid, you''ll have to put up with me for a little while longer."


    "You''reing with us?" Jason replied as his heart skipped a beat. He could not believe that this guy had chosen to face the danger alongside them. It made Jason feel infinitely more reassured to have him with them.


    "Yeah, I can''t let your crazy old gramps face this alone. Besides, I still owe him one." Raymond let out a soft yet sad chuckle.


    Harry tore his gaze from the factories to stare at Raymond''s raging face, "Thanks."


    Jason felt moved by the sincerity that his gramps disyed in that single word. There was no roughness to the word as he uttered it. To be honest, Jason was actually shocked that his grandfather was capable of showing gratitude of any sorts!


    "Now that we''ve got that out of the way. We have a decision to make. My luck seems to be as good as shit today since I picked out this spot." Harry grumbled as he raised an eyebrow at Raymond. "What do you think?"


    "Hm, yeah, I''ll pass. Can''t have you guys holding me responsible if I pick out the one where the Banka has holed up. Let the kid decide."


    Jason stared at them in disbelief. ''You''re really going to make me do it!'' Jason''s nervous sweat returned as he fiddled with the straps of his backpack. His eyes had a lost look about them as he took in the sight of each factory. ''There can''t be much of a difference between them. Right?''


    In the end, Jason pointed to the closest factory on the left side of the road. His reasoning was simple enough to understand. It meant that they would be closer to home if they had to make a run for it!


    "Seems like we have a winner," Harry grumbled as his gaze followed Jason''s trembling finger.


    "From here on out, we''ll resort to signals. No talking allowed!" Harry''s gaze fell on his young grandson in particr. "Keep your work quiet, so we don''t attract the Banka''s attention. Only yell if you absolutely have to! Let''s move."


    Their boots crunched the dirt and grass beneath their feet as they moved towards their target. They kept a low profile and used the overgrown trees and bushes to mask their approach. They kept their senses sharp, continually scanning their surroundings for any signs that they had been discovered.


    Harry appeared confident that they avoided the Banka''s detection so far as he eased himself closer to the wire fence surrounding their chosen factory''s perimeter. He deliberately picked out a spot where the wire had decayed enough to leave a hole that all of them would be able to pass through.


    Before making the crossing, he signalled to Ray and Jason to take cover. His beady eyes took one final scan of the factory''s grounds, making sure that he had not failed to miss something important. A few minutes passed before he gave the signal for the all-clear. Jason sighed in relief as he crept out from behind the bush he had chosen.


    He watched on as his gramps wrapped his tail around his own waist like a belt before making the crossing through the fence. Raymond seemed slightly more nervous as he kept ncing around. Once he appeared confident for himself, he followed Harry to the other side. The two men did not bother waiting for Jason as they darted off to the side to find cover.


    Jason steeled his nerves and chased after them, cursing them under his breath for leaving him behind! The area on the other side of the fence was a vast parking lot. The ruins of a few cars and even a truck littered the area. Jason took note of how some weeds had broken through the solid concrete and crept over the old vehicles'' body. Giving a semnce of life to the dead lookingndscape.


    His chest was rapidly rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. He mmed his back up against the factory wall next to his gramps. Harry nodded at his grandson before signalling up above their heads. Jason traced the direction he was signalling to with his own eyes. The second window up from them had utterly caved in!


    It was evident that Harry was signalling that the hole would be their point of entry. Harry slid over to a broken drainpipe that fixed onto the wall. Its path just so happened to pass over the top of the hole that he had signalled to. Jason held his breath as the pipe let out a groan as Harry tested it with his weight.


    Harry waited for a few minutes to see if the sudden noise alerted any creatures that might be lurking in the area. When nothing but silence replied to his cautiousness, he felt confident enough to do the climb. Harry wrapped his meaty hands around the pipe and nted his feet firmly on the wall.


    Slowly, ever so slowly, he began his ascension. He used his tail inbination with his hands to keep a solid grip as he climbed ever upwards. Whenever he had to shift his weight a little too much, the pipe would let out another groan that echoed slightly. Every time that this happened, both Ray and Jason would quickly scan their surroundings.


    Just because there had been no reaction the first time, that did not mean they would be that lucky with every subsequent noise that they made. Jason''s worries went unfounded as nothing stirred within the ruins. In the time that Jason had been scanning his surroundings, Harry hadpleted his climb and smoothly transitioned into the hole in the wall. Disappearing from Jason''s line of sight in the process.


    Raymond and Jason anxiously awaited for harry to reappear. They slowly counted down the minutes as they prepared to retreat and abandon the old man. It was an unspoken rule amongst scavengers to presume that someone had died if you lost contact with them for more than ten minutes. This was because of how quickly a situation could change when exploring the ruins of the old world.


    Jason hated this rule since he did not want to abandon the only family that he had left. However, he knew that if he did not follow it, and his gramps was fine, he would receive the beating of his life from the old man. Although it seemed like overkill, Jason knew that his gramps only did it to teach him a lesson that he should never forget. It was solely done because he cared too much for his grandson''s well being.


    This world was a cruel ce. Parents no longer had the time to try and be gentle and persuasive in educating the young. If they did not learn these valuable lessons quickly, they would find themselves in an early grave.


    Just as Harry''s time was about to run out, his beaming face peered out of the hole. He was wearing the widest smile that Jason had ever seen, like the metaphorical cat that caught the canary. Harry quickly lowered the end of the same rope they used to cross the bridge to the duo. Jason noticed that Raymond''s expression had be one of excitement upon seeing the look in his friend''s eyes.


    ''If the two of them are acting like that, then gramps must have found something good inside!'' Jason could barely contain his own excitement at that thought. If they got a good haul, then they would not have to risk their lives again for quite a while!


    Jason eagerly followed Raymond''s lead as he began to climb up the wall using the rope. Their own journey was a lot shorter and quieter than Harry''s had been. Before long, Jason pulled his body up inside of the hole. Rolling over on the floor of the room, he gasped for breath. His eyes began to dart back and forth, trying to evaluate the worth of the junk in the room.


    He was disappointed to see that there was nothing unusual about the room to his own eyes. He had seen simr rooms before. There were a few rusted filing cabs, decaying papers scattered around the floor and a desk that held a dustyputer. Of course, none of them knew what aputer was or what it did. They just recognised it from the others that they had seen and taken apart.


    Jason slowly climbed to his feet and spotted the door to the office,ying on the floor. It was covered in dust, so it must have happened a very long time ago. Jason smiled as he thought about his own door back home. He cast an appraising eye over the hinges that were still attached to this one.


    ''They''re in pretty decent condition!'' Jason smiled like a predator that had cornered his prey as he shuffled towards the defenceless door while drawing his screwdriver from his tool belt. The two old men graciously waited for him as he stripped the hinges from the door and slid them into his backpack.


    With a happy look on his face, he nodded towards his gramps to show that he was ready to move on. Harry smiled as he led the way out of the office. A soft metallic sound echoed as his boots stepped onto the metal walkway suspended over multiple production lines. When Raymond and Jason joined him, their eyes shone with greed.


    ''Its never been touched!'' Jason thought as he scanned all of the machinery

 Chapter 5: Mutation (5)

    Chapter 5: Mutation (5)


    The trio grinned at each other like kids that had arrived at a yground for the first time. It was a real struggle for them to suppress their glee. Only the constant reminder in the back of their minds of the deadly Banka lurking around managed to keep their thoughts sober.


    They took slow steps along the walkway, trying their best not to make any sudden loud noises in the process. Metal suspended stairs were connected to the walkway in front of them. Surprisingly they had held up remarkably well. The stairs did not even let out a creak as they slowly made their way down to the factory floor.


    Harry gave the signal at that point to split up but maintain eye contact with each other. This was just another method to keep track of each other so that they did not fall victim to a stealthy ambush.


    Jason quickly split off from the other two. His eyes darted to and fro as he tried to decide what he should take apart first. He had never seen anything like this before. Everything was almost in a virtuallyplete state. The only missing parts were ones that had wasted away to nothing long ago.


    His excitement was palpable as he set his eyes on an expensive-looking piece of equipment. Just like his grandfather and Raymond, he drew his tools from his belt and quickly got to work. His hands moved quickly as he tried to get to the heart of the machine. Every nut, bolt and screw that he removed was pocketed rapidly.


    Although these were small items, they had plenty of uses. The junk stores could never get enough of them! Eventually, the panel that he had been working on came loose. His excitement spiked as he carefully removed it and leaned it against the side of this mysterious contraption.


    The interior looked simr to some other things that he had dismantled before. This doused a bucket of cold water over his enthusiasm as he tried to make sense of what he was looking at. ''This green board thing with these wires looks like arger version of what I would find inside that thing in the office.''


    Jason''s eyebrows knitted together into a frown as he began to tap his chin with his finger. He was, of course, staring at the intricate electronicponents of the machine. He had no idea what worth they could possibly possess, but he did know of a store back in town that bought things like this. That was good enough for Jason.


    He pulled a sharp knife from his felt as he began to cut away at the wires surrounding theponent to free it up. He worked quickly while maintaining a cautious approach to the job at hand. The part would lose a lot of value if it looked damaged in any way. Cutting the wires was no problem since they could easily be reced.


    Jason eventually freed theponent from the machine and began working on another piece. As time passed, more and more electronicponents found their way into his backpack. When he was satisfied with his raid, he quickly moved onto the next machine he took a fancy to. This one provided his pack with many mechanicalponents such as gears, half dismantled pistons and other goodies.


    Jason wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked around to see how the others were doing. His grandfather had unsurprisingly used his natural abilities to leverage himself into a position to dismantle a high up part of the machine he had chosen. Jason smiled as he watched his Gramps handing there, using his tail to wield a spanner.


    He shifted his sight to Raymond. Therge man was wielding a different tool in each of his four hands. Making short work of his own chosen project. Raymond''s pack thaty at his feet bulged with the amount of junk he had stuffed in there. Jason sighed at that particr sight.


    ''Must be nice to gather all of that so quickly.'' Jason silently shook his head in frustration. He thought he had been making decent progress, but he could not match up to the two veterans at all. Jason blindly swung his foot behind him in frustration. Panic suddenly lurched through his body as he felt his foot connect with a metal panel that he had ced on the floor.


    His heart practically stopped as he waited for the inevitable to happen. His kick had knocked the panel off bnce. An eternity seemed to pass as it fell towards the floor.


    BANG!


    Jason flinched as the heavy piece of metal finally connected with the floor. The noise it created echoed loudly all throughout the factory! There was no doubt in his mind that it had been clearly heard by everything in the area surrounding the factory as well.


    Harry quicklynded beside Jason after swinging his way over to him. He grabbed him by his jacket and began to violently shake him. "What the hell have you done!"


    "Guys! Run!" Raymond shouted. Fear was etched in his voice.


    In the short amount of time since the noise had revealed their location, their worst fear hade true! The Banka that they knew was in the area poked its head out from the office door that they had used to enter into the factory. Jason''s eyes went wide as he stared at it in fear.


    The Banka was a creature that resembled an overgrown cat. Standing at five foot tall when all four of its paws were on the ground. It had a pair of mouths, one situated where a regr mouth would be on a feline while the other one was a little below it on its neck. The mouth on its neck was far broader than its facial counterpart and housed muchrger teeth topliment it.


    The Banka swished its three poison barbed tails through the air yfully as it caught sight of them. A low growl escaped from its throat, warning the group that it was ready to hunt. Panic ensued as they grabbed their packs and began to run deeper into the factory. The only path they knew that would allow them to escape the building had already been cut off.


    Jason ducked and vaulted over various obstacles in his haste to escape the creature. At one point, he tripped over a box that got in his way. Before he could fall t on his face, he felt his grandfather''s tail take hold of him and stabilise his bnce. Raymond was passing them by on the other side of arge machine.


    He had ripped four metal bars from somewhere and held them at the ready to use as makeshift melee weapons. Jason stared at him from between the gaps in the machine as he continued to run. From the way Raymond kept looking over his shoulder, Jason could guess that the Banka had chosen to target him first.


    "Over there!" Harry roared as he pointed to a sturdy-looking metal door up ahead.


    Jason felt a surge of energy driving him forward. His eyes were fixated on the small glimmer of hope that his Gramps had pointed out. A horrifying scream of pain came from the other side of the machine that they were racing beside. Jason gritted his teeth as he thought about what that noise probably meant.


    Jason did not dare to look down the other side of the contraption as they cleared it. Instead, he furiously pumped his legs faster in a bid to make it to the safety of the room up ahead. Suddenly, Jason felt a heavy pressurend on his back. Harry had pushed him with all of his strength which was quite considerable.


    Jason felt his feet leave the floor as he sailed through the air and beyond the open metal door. A cry of pain that carried his grandfather''s voice sounded from behind him.


    "GRAMPS!" Jason yelled in a panic as Harry''s figure rushed into the room behind him.


    Harry mmed his shoulder against the door, which creaked as it slid shut. He fumbled around as he pushed on the lever that operated the door''s deadbolt.


    "Come on!" Harry shouted furiously. The bolt slid into ce with a click.


    At that moment, a loud bang sounded on the door as the Banka rammed against it. Harry fell on his arse as exhaustion overtook his body. His eyes had a wild look in them as they turned to stare at Jason.


    Jason swallowed a lump of saliva as his grandfather studied him. An angry howl came from the Banka on the other side of the door as it realised its prey had escaped its grasp.


    "Gramps I''m sor"


    "Good! You''re ok!" Harry wheezed as he cut off Jason''s apology prematurely. "Make sure you get out of here alive. Promise me!"


    Jason stared at his grandfather with a bewildered expression. In the next moment, his grandfather copsed.


    "Gramps!" Jason cried out as tears began to well up in his eyes. He unsteadily got to his feet and rushed to the old man''s side.


    It was only now that Jason could see a deep gash turning a purplish colour on Harry''s chest. Blood seeped into the white fabric of his vest that had been torn when the Banka hadshed out at him with its vicious tails.


    Jason suppressed his rising panic as he tossed his backpack to the side. Hurriedly he removed his jacket before stripping his vest from his body. He balled it up and pressed it against his grandfather''s wound, even as he silently sobbed. Jason lost track of how long he had been sat in that position. His grandfather''s breathing was gradually getting slower as less blood was absorbed by Jason''s vest.


    The light in the room from the sole window gradually gave way to darkness. Eventually, a sliver of moonlight shone into the room as the moon reached the point in the sky that dered the arrival of Jason''s sixteenth birthday.


    Jason suddenly felt a head-splitting pain rush through his mind, threatening to render him unconscious. Jason panicked as he threw his hands to his head. "No! Not now!"


    Jason wept as he realised that he was not going to be able to hold on. Losing consciousness now would mean that he would not be there for his Gramps in hisst moments! What if the old geezer suddenly woke up to say some final words!


    Jason groaned as his vision turned blurry. The pain in his head had be too much for him to bear anymore! ''Gramps'' Jason lost control of his body as he copsed into a heap beside his grandfather. Jason''s half-open eyelids revealed a glowing blue light as sparks danced behind the whites of his eyes

 Chapter 6: Syssie (1)

    Chapter 6: Syssie (1)


    Jason groaned as sunlight streamed across his face, stirring his mind from its deep slumber. His eyelids flickered as the searing pain in his head made a triumphant return. ''Ugh, what the fuck!'' His mind was groggy as he tried to recall what had happened to him.


    "Gramps!" Jason uttered in a panic as he forced himself to sit up.


    His eyes went wide as he was startled by what he saw and heard. Harry was lying beside him, snoring peacefully! Jason struggled to crawl over to the old man. Using his merger strength in his weakened state, he rolled the snoring figure over onto his back so that he could get a good look at him.


    The wound that had been on Harry''s chest the night before was now smeared with a foamy, yellow gel-like substance. The surrounding tissue that had been purple in colour now had a healthy pink tinge to it instead. ''What the hell happened?''


    Jason''s eyes scanned their surroundings. This only served to raise the rm in his mind! The metal door that protected wasying wide open!


    Jason wheezed as he crawled his way towards it. A wet sounding squelch sounded out as he dragged his body across the floor. His weary mind was so preupied with subduing the pain that he felt that it had failed to register the contents of the room.


    There were deep w marks indented into the door, and blood puddles were slowly drying up in scattered locations. Jason''s mind sluggishly tried to make sense of what he saw as his gaze followed the bloody trail on the ground.


    In the corner of the room behind him, the Banka''s bodyy in a sprawling mess! Jason felt his heartbeat rising rapidly as he stared at the monstrous creature. He sat frozen in ce for a few moments before he realised the animal was not moving at all. It was not even making the natural movements of filling its lungs with air!


    ''Did Raymond do this? Is he still alive?'' This was the only exnation that Jason could think of at that moment. Both he and his grandfather had been in no fit state to protect themselves. As far as he knew, Raymond was the only other person that could havee to their aid.


    Jason felt another wave of pain assault his mind. ''Damn it! What''s with this stupid headache!'' He tenderly raised his hands to his temples and began to gently massage them. It was only now that he felt a dull pain resting just behind his eyeballs. ''Great! Just another thing to worry about!''


    Most of the tension that he had been feeling had left his body when he confirmed that their greatest threat, the Banka, was as dead as a doornail. The pain he was experiencing began to subside, reducing itself to nothing more than a constant dull throb.


    This gave Jason the chance to clearly think again. ''If Raymond was responsible for killing the Banka, then he should have stuck around.'' This stray thought left Jason feeling confused. His eyes began to scan the room for any more signs of what had happened while he had been unconscious.


    Jason noticed that both his and his grandfather''s packs looked like someone had rummaged through them. ''Don''t tell me someone actually saved us before robbing us!'' Jason felt a bit angry about this. After all, their haul was something that they had literally risked their lives to obtain!


    Two candidates jumped to the forefront of his mind. These were the blue-skinned woman that had apologised to him in the crowd before the gates and the burly man that he had a brief altercation with. ''No matter who it was, I guess we can consider anything they took as payments for our lives.''


    Jason decided that the best thing that he could do for now was to secure their haul. After performing that task, it would be best if he could confirm what had happened to Raymond. There should not be any danger in leaving his Gramps to snore away to himself since the immediate threat had been disposed of.


    As he moved around the room, picking up the few scattered pieces of junk from their packs, he finally got a good look at the Banka''s face. Whoever had saved them had driven a metal spike through its eyeball and directly into its brain. Jason inherently took in a sharp inhale of breath at that sight.


    ''That''s pretty brutal.'' Even though such a savage act had potentially saved his life, he also felt a bit sorry for how the proud creature exited this world. Such thoughts onlysted a brief moment before another thought crossed his mind. ''A Banka''s pelt should be worth quite a few credits.''


    Jason''s eyes scanned the corpse''s luxurious snow coloured fur. It was quite a popr material amongst the wealthier inhabitants of Highrise. ''I''d only butcher it if I tried it myself. It''s best to leave it to Gramps when he wakes up.''


    Jason tutted at the unfairness of it. If Harry skinned the beast, then by rights, the credits earned from its sale would solely belong to him. ''I guess I could gather a few more pieces of junk while I wait.'' Jason edged closer to the door silently. He wanted to make sure he did not disturb Harry in the slightest. The old man had just gone through a lot and should end resting for quite a while yet.


    Jason hurriedly grabbed his pack and stealthily crept out of the room to explore the factory some more. Just outside of the door, there were signs of a short yet bloody fight having taken ce. Jason shook his head at the sight. He already knew what the oue of it had been.


    ''Just because the Banka is dead, that doesn''t mean I can be careless.'' Jason thought as he considered the possibility of weaker creatures living in the area. With the king that sat at the top of the food chain being dead and all, there was a good chance that they would try to encroach on the Banka''s territory. As such, Jason had to be extra careful in his exploration.


    He could ill afford to set off another disaster like the one they had barely just survived. ''I should check out where west saw Raymond first.'' Jason set out his first task in his mind before carefully retracing his steps from the day before. His eyes nced over the path ahead as he tried to spot any details of what had be of Raymond.


    It did not take him long to discover another pool of blood, and one of Raymond''s severed arms caught between two metal pipes in a nearby machine. ''I guess it''s safe to say he did not make it.'' Jason said a silent prayer for the man in his mind before turning his attention to looking for Raymond''s pack.


    ''If nothing else, we can always pass his share along to his wife. It''s not much, but she''ll surely need it with their newborn and all.'' This thought sparked off a cascade of errant thoughts in his mind about how cruel and unjust this world was. This brought his thoughts in a roundabout way to realising what day it was!


    "Shit!" He muttered under his breath. "How could I not remember it earlier!"


    Jason held his breath as he quickly checked out his own body. ''There''s no physical mutations.'' Jason thought as his body got the all-clear. He recalled what many other people had told him about their own experiences when they developed their powers. There was one thing that they all had inmon.


    They instinctively knew exactly what it was and how to use it! Jason felt like crying out in indignation! He felt nothing of the sort at all! All he had received was a banging headache that did not seem to want to go away!


    ''Wait a minute! My eyes!'' Jason quickly scanned his surroundings for a reflective surface as he remembered the pain he felt resting behind his eyeballs! He finally settled for a dirty piece of metal. It was not much, but it would do the job!


    He eagerly approached the machine that it was attached to. As he took a deep breath, he finally stepped forward to appraise his reflection. His eyes quickly wandered to their own reflection. ''Are you fucking kidding me!'' Jason wanted to roar in outrage! He finally saw what his own mutation entailed.


    His once brown eyes had changed to a bright blue colour! ''That''s so weak! Anything would have been better than this!'' Jason thought as he cursed his own luck. This kind of mutation was known as a Cosmetic Mutation. It was literally the most useless one that an individual could develop. Even his grandfather''s tail was more useful!


    Jason stood there, staring at his reflection. An angry scowl was reflected right back at him, which just served to piss him off even more. ''Even my own body is against me!'' Jason struggled toe to terms with the situation. His hopes and dreams seemed to slide far out of reach for him.


    ''I guess I''ll be stuck as a scavenger for the rest of my life.'' Jason finally thought as his mind began to settle. He felt like an empty shell now. There was nothing really worth living for in his mind anymore. All he could do was go through the motions every day until he died.


    Jason moved through the factory as if he were in a daze. Eventually, he settled on a bulky piece of equipment before he sat down and got to work. His movements were dull and void of any care. Somewhere, deep in his mind, a part of himself had be broken.

 Chapter 7: Syssie (2)

    Chapter 7: Syssie (2)


    The day passed slowly as Jason worked away at dismantling various pieces of machinery. He silently ced everything that he managed to wrangle free into his pack without caring about what kind of value it might have. His mind was so lost in itself that he failed to hear the heavy footsteps approaching him from behind.


    Harry stared at his grandson aimlessly working away on the nuts and bolts in front of him. The old man gave out a sigh of relief that Jason was ok, but he was also concerned. His grandson had put himself in danger by leaving the security of their room. Also, he was not even in a fit state by looking at things to be aware of any threat creeping up on him.


    Harry took a few steps forward and ced a meaty hand on his grandson''s head. He gently ruffled his dark mop of hair as he continued to watch him work. When Jason did not react to his touch, Harry let out a weary sigh.


    "Do you want to talk about it?" Harry''s voice wasden with guilt. He incorrectly assumed that his grandson had been traumatised by Raymond''s apparent death. Worse yet, it appeared to Harry that Jason had gone through a gruelling fight with the Banka to protect him when he was unconscious.


    Jason remained silent. His ears had gone deaf to anything that might provoke him toe out of his current state of self-pity. Harry felt exasperated at Jason''sck of response. He had never been an easy man to get along with, so he did not have much experience dealing with situations like this.


    Harry eventually took Jason''s chin in his hand and forced his grandson to look at him, "Are you listene"


    Harry paused mid-sentence as he took in the sight of Jason''s new bright blue eyes. The area around them was red as fresh rivers leaked their way down his cheeks. It took Harry a few moments to finally understand what was really going on.


    "Oh, son, I''m sorry," Harry said with a heavy heart as he wrapped Jason in a tight embrace.


    Even this rare show of affection failed to bring Jason''s mind back from the brink. Harry felt lost as to what he should do. With Jason remaining unresponsive, he could urge him to trail after himself. Harry ensured that Jason''s pack was adequately secured to his grandson''s back before leading the zombie-like shell back to the room they had spent the night in.


    He gently got the boy to sit down in a corner while he went through the process of skinning the Banka. It was too good of an opportunity to let go of just now. Besides, they would clearly need the credits if Jason required some kind of medical attention. The job of skinning the beast was long and bloody. Harry had to roll the creature over to entirely remove its pelt intact.


    He huffed as he rolled the Banka pelt up and secured it to his own pack. He spared a lonely, sad look for his grandson sitting in the corner before securing the haul to his own back. Harry took a few careful steps towards Jason and took him by the hand. It did not take much for the old man to guide his grandson up onto his feet before leading him out of that ce.


    While searching the factory earlier for Jason''s whereabouts, he had stumbled upon an unlocked side entrance on the ground floor that led outside. This saved him from the hassle of attempting to lower Jason out of the hole they had used to get inside in his weakened state. As they stepped out into the bright sunlight, Jason finally reacted.


    His hand shot up to protect his eyes from the ring sun as he was reminded of the constant pain in his head. Jason let out a soft moan as the light aggravated the pain he was suffering from. Harry pped him on the back when he noticed that his mind was notpletely broken.


    "That''s a good boy! Feel! I don''t care what it is, as long as it''s something that reminds you that you''re still alive!" Harry eagerly said out loud.


    Jason''s hand felt the warmth of Harry''s grip once again as the grizzled veteran scavenger led him towards the bridge. This would be the tricky part. Jason still had not fullye around, so guiding him across the twisted beam would be dangerous. Leaving him on this side while he sought out help was out of the question as well. Who knew if grandson would get it into his head to go for a wander!


    In the end, Harry opted to toss their heavy packs across by himself, just like Raymond had done on their journey to the industrial area. A few things might break, but that was a loss he could live with. The packsnded on the other side with a satisfyingly heavy thud. Harry turned to look at his grandson before letting out a mild groan.


    Takin Jason''s arms in one of his hands and his legs in the other, he lifted the boy up andy him across his broad shoulders. Harry''s tail moved to wrap around Jason''s waist as an added measure of security. This time Harry moved slowly across the beam as the river calmly flowed beneath them.


    Even with the extra weight that he had to bear, Harry had no difficulty in smoothly crossing to the other side. It only took him a few minutes to rescuer their packs before he once again took Jason by the hand. As he turned in the direction of Highrise, he suddenly cursed underneath his breath.


    He quickly led Jason out of sight as he kept a wary eye on the group of figures he had keenly spotted moving at a quick pace down the road towards them. ''I can''t let them get their hands on our loot!'' Harry had pegged them to probably be a group that raider scavengers for their gains.


    Harry continued to murmur a few choice curse words as the group failed to veer off in another direction. He could only watch from behind their bush as the group came dangerously close!


    "RAYMOND!" Harry yelled as he jumped out from their hiding spot in disbelief.


    Right there in front of his eyes, the friend that he had already considered to be dead was staring back at him in bewilderment!


    "Harry, you old bastard! You''re alive!" Raymond beamed as he rushed towards him.


    It was then that Harry noticed that Raymond was missing his lower arm on his left side. The little stub that had been left behind was wrapped up in a thick fabric. Whoever had done it certainly knew their stuff. There were no signs that the material was hiding an open wound that was bleeding.


    The two men embraced each other tightly as the three others apanying Raymond watched on with an awkward expression stered on their faces. After a few moments of their touching reunion, a woman with what looked like hedgehogs quills growing out of her body stepped forth.


    "Does this mean the jobs been cancelled?" She asked with an unpleasant tone.


    Harry blinked at the plump woman in confusion, "Job? What job?"


    "Ah, right! Where''s the kid?" Raymond hurriedly asked his friend once he noticed Jason appeared to be missing.


    "He''s right over there, behind the bush." Harry jabbed a thumb over his shoulder towards Jason''s rough position. "Now, what job is she talking about?"


    "When the Banka was preupied with trying to pry open that door you guys hid behind, I managed to slip away," Raymond had an embarrassed looking expression on his face as he replied. "It took me a while to sell the goods in my pack to gather the credits to hire these guys toe and rescue you."


    Harry shook his head at the thought of all of those wasted credits! Still, he was grateful to Raymond for making the right decision. Almost anyone else would have written them off as dead and kept the credits for themselves.


    "I''ll be sure to give you a cut from our earnings." Harry solemnly swore in response before turning his gaze on the mercenaries. "Yeah, it looks like your job has been cancelled. Sorry to break it to you, but we''re perfectly fine!"


    The quill covered woman stared at him with an unpleasant look. They had been looking forward to earning a decent score, but now they would have to make do with just the deposit that Raymond had paid. Still, it was easy money, so they could not reallyin. The woman groaned as she had a few words with the other two thate along.


    After settling things between themselves, they headed off back towards Highrise without even saying a word of goodbye. That was just what Harry had been hoping for because he did not want anyone else besides Raymond seeing Jason in the state he was in.


    Raymond gasped as he saw the empty look in Jason''s eyes as Harry led him out from his hiding ce. Just like Harry, Raymond took note of the change in colour in Jason''s eyes. He immediately understood what he was looking at.


    "The boy''s got MDS." Raymond shook his head sadly.


    MDS or Mutation Depression Syndrome was quitemon amongst those that developed a Cosmetic Mutation. Too many young kids had their minds broken when they discovered that they were nothing special in the wide world.


    "He''ll snap out of it! You''ll see!" Harry growled in response.


    Raymond just responded with an apologetic yet understanding expression. His mind raced to think of a way to help his friend''s grandson. Eventually, an old memory surfaced. "You could always try taking him to see Dr Cree."


    "That quack! Are you kidding me!" Harry responded with a forcefully, angry tone.


    "Look, I know you guys have a history. And I''ve never poked my head into it, but just think about it. Her skills are genuine, and she just might be Jason''s only hope right now."


    Raymond''s response curtly cut off any argument that Harry could think of. Dr Cree was thest person he wanted to see in the whole world! However, right now, his treasured grandson needed his help.


    "Fine! I''ll admit you have a point!" Harry swallowed his indignation for the sake of Jason''s mental health. "I''ll take him straight over to her clinic as soon as we get back to Highrise. Hopefully, she won''t charge too much!"


    Raymond raised an eyebrow at Harry''s little outburst. All sorts of thoughts began to run through his mind. As far as Raymond was aware, Dr Cree had an excellent reputation for offering her services on the cheap as it is. So did Harry mean that she would charge more just because he was involved? Or did the geezer have a falling out with her because her prices were not low enough for his standards?


    Whatever the case may be, it was not important right now. They had to focus on getting Jason back to town as soon as possible. The longer MDS had to take root in someone''s mind, the less likely the chance became of being able to cure them. Raymond wasted no time in lending a hand by throwing Jason over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Even the added weight of Jason''s pack did not seem to bother the burly man as he set off at a casual jog.


    Harry wheezed along behind him as he kept his eyes focused on Jason''s face. He could only hope that not too much time had passed since his condition had kicked in. It took the two veterans of the scavenger scene a little over two hours to reach the town gates at their current pace. It was a little after noon by Harry''s reckoning, which meant there was no traffic to queue up in to gain entrance to Highrise.


    The guards on duty quickly waved them through without sparing a nce at Jason and his unresponsive attitude. Just about every guard had seen simr things before, so they knew it was nothing worth them worrying over. Once they were safely within the walls, Raymond set Jason down on his feet as he gestured towards both harry''s and Jason''s packs.


    As Raymond struggled to catch his breath, Harry quickly removed both packs and passed them over to Raymond. He knew what his friend had meant with his gestures. He was offering to deal with selling their goods while Harry focused on getting Jason to Cr. Cree''s clinic.


    "Make sure you get a good price for that lot!" Harry urged Raymond. After all, there was no telling how expensive Jason''s medical bill mighte to.


    Taking Jason by the hand yet again, Harry led him through the meandering alleyways towards where he remembered Dr Cree''s clinic being located at. A few people shot curious nces in their direction as Harry shouted at them to move out of his way! If this had been on the other side of town, then Harry would have quickly found a de being jammed into his back for talking to the local inhabitants of that area like this.


    Eventually, the pair exited from thetest alleyway into a clear space. This areay between the town walls and the high-rise buildings situated on the edge of town. Standing smack dab in the middle of these two structures was arge, makeshift wooden building. For whatever reason she had, Dr Cree refused to live in the ruins of the old-world. Even if it would do a better job of keeping a roof over her head.


    Harry led Jason over to the clinic before letting go of his grandson''s hand. He took a few deep breaths as he steeled his nerves to approach the door. The few short steps that led up to the clinic''s entrance creaked as he ced his weight on them. With another deep breath, he balled up his fist and crisply knocked on Dr Cree''s establishment.

 Chapter 8: Syssie (3)

    Chapter 8: Syssie (3)


    "Yes, yes! Justing! One moment please!" An old woman''s voice responded from within the clinic.


    Harry lightly tapped his foot on the wood below his feet as he nervously waited for Dr Cee to answer the door. He kept staring at Jason as if to tell himself that he was here because it was absolutely necessary!


    Footsteps could suddenly be heard on the other side of the door, and Harry could not help but break out in a nervous sweat. Thetch clicked as the door swung open.


    "Wee,e right" The blonde bombshell that answered the door suddenly cut off her sentence as she stared at Harry''s figure. "YOU!"


    Her screech was ear piercing as her voice reached a level of sound not meant for human ears. Before Harry could get a word in edgeways, Dr Cee proceeded to try and m the door in his face! Harry let out a yelp of pain as he reacted quickly enough to nt a heavy foot between the door and its frame. He could have sworn that he just felt a few bones break!


    "Lizzie! Listen to me! It''s not like that! It''s my grandson! He needs your help!" Harry begged with a pleading voice. He silently panicked that she might just turn a deaf ear to him. The door slowly creaked open again as Dr Cee''s youthful appearance reemerged in the gap.


    "Your grandson, you say?" Dr Cee replied with a curious tone as she raised an eyebrow at the old man. Her old woman sounding voice vastly contradicted her bombshell body and gorgeous youthful face. Her eyes seemed to peer around Harry''s figure until she caught sight of Jason standing there. "Oh my! Come in! Quickly now before I change my mind!"


    Dr Cee swung her door wide open as she gestured for them to hurry inside. Harry sighed with relief as he quickly grabbed Jason''s hand and led him inside. The interior was surprisingly well lit by a mixture of windows allowing natural light and well-ced ss containers that held slow-burning candles.


    The aroma these candles gave off had a vaguely rxing effect on the mind. Harry only noticed this as his worries about Jason''s condition seemed to wash away with each sniff he took of the air. Dr Cee rapidly closed the door behind her guests before rushing over to study how severe Jason''s condition was.


    She ced a hand on his forehead before staring intensely into his eyes. She muttered a few things to herself beneath her breath before she moved on to take his pulse. As what passed as a professional doctor in these parts, Dr Cee had obviously spotted the signs that Jason was suffering from MDS.


    "You''re in luck, Harry! Any longer and his condition might have be irreversible!" Her scolding voice cut straight through Harry''s rxed mind, sobering him up in rapid order.


    "You can help him, Lizzie?" Harry eximed after he processed what her words meant. There was an almost pleading tone to his question.


    "Of course! You know fine well what my ability is! As long as his mind isn''t too far gone, I can pull him back." Dr Cee snorted before she shed a grin at the unsuspecting Harry. "There will be a price to pay, of course."


    Harry stared at her figure as she casually rubbed her thumb against her fingers on her right hand in the universal gesture for money. "Of course. No price is too great for his life!"


    Harry almost felt indignant that this old hag was suggesting that he would not pay the price. Dr cel''s eyes went wide as she stared at the man in front of her. "You''ve changed in these past forty-nine years, Harry. I never thought I''d see the day where you were willing to part with your wealth."


    "You underestimate me, woman. That''s all. Get on with it, then. You said it yourself. Time is important here." Harry moved off to the side where he would be able to keep a close eye on his grandson without getting in Dr Cee''s way.


    She nodded in approval at the position he took before cing a palm t against Jason''s forehead. A few moments passed by before a soft green glow shone from beneath the skin of her hand that was in contact with Jason. Her breathing steadily grew ragged as sweat ran down her brow.


    Jason''s eyes rolled back into his head, but he remained standing. Harry almost lost it when he saw blood flowing from Jason''s eyes, ears and nose. However, he knew better than to interrupt the woman. She was the only chance Jason had of being able to return to everyday life.


    Harry gritted his teeth and balled up his fists as he forced himself to watch on silently. Gradually, the blood flowing from Jason turned a darker colour. The process continued on for another fifteen minutes of nerve-wracking tension for Harry. It was at this point that the blood stopped leaking from his grandson''s body.


    Dr Cee gasped for breath as she removed her hand from Jason''s forehead. She fixed him with a concerned expression before nodding satisfactorily as she noticed that some semnce of life had returned to his eyes.


    Jason coughed up a little blood as he took in his surroundings. He felt dizzy, weak and confused. His gaze finally caught sight of his grandfather before he yet registered something in his mind.


    "Gramps I" Jason never got the chance to voice whatever it was that he wanted to say. The procedure had left himpletely drained, and he was already weakened, to begin with, due to his unstable mindset.


    Dr Cee caught the boy in her arms as his body went limp. Harry took a few concerned steps forward, doing everything in his power to stop himself from taking his grandson into his own arms. Seeing that Jason had basically just fallen asleep but was otherwise healthy, Harry could finally sigh with relief. The worst was finally over for them! Or so he thought!


    "Harry, we need to talk." Dr Cee said with a solemn voice. "Your grandson is suffering from an abnormal mass in his brain. That was the cause of all of the blood you just witnessed."


    Harry''s heart skipped a beat for a moment as he digested the gravity of her words, "You cured it, though. Right?"


    Dr Cee stared at him with an apologetic expression, "Harry, listen and understand. The growth is too far gone for me to do anything about it. I tried my best. I really did. But this is just beyond me."


    Harry''s mind went nk as it refused to process what she was trying to tell him. Harry immediately shut down and jumped straight to a phase of denial. Pretending a problem did not exist just so happened to be Harry''s forte in life. "Thanks for everything you''ve done, doc. I''ll take him from here."


    Harry tenderly took Jason in his arms and studied his face. Memories welled up of a time when he could almost fit Jason''s entire body in a single palm of his own. Dr Cee watched on with a look of resignation on her face. She was just about to open her mouth to offer him a few words offort when Harry cut her off.


    "I''ll be by tomorrow with your payment. Don''t worry, you''ll definitely get it."


    Money was not really an issue for Dr Cee, but it stung her heart that Harry thought that it was the only thing she was after whenever they got involved with each other. Old memories resurfaced of a simpler time. In her memories, she was just a young teenage girl walking alongside a young version of Harry. Their arms were linked together in a show of affection.


    Dr Cee was dragged back to reality as the sound of her clinic''s door closing banged inside of the room. "Take care of yourself, Harry. You''re not getting any younger, you know?"


    Harry never heard the words that she had just spoken as he was already carrying Jason''s sleeping figure towards their home. When they were less than five minutes from home, a familiar figure suddenly appeared.


    Pop


    Dani, the girl from upstairs that seemed fond of Jason, stood before him. Her faded short tartan skirt billowed in the breeze as she pulled her oversized patched-up ck hoodie tightly around her body. A few tears began to well up in her eyes as she stared at Jason lying limply in his grandfather''s thick arms. The sad expression on Harry''s face seemed to give away that something had gone wrong.


    "I ran into Mr Raymond waiting for you outside your apartment." Dani almost whispered between sobs. "Is it true? Does he have MDS?"


    Dani''s eyes looked sad and hopeless as she searched harry''s raging face for any trace of emotion.


    "I won''t lie. He did. However, he''s been cured of that now" Dani failed to notice that Harry had held back on giving her a different piece of important news. Before she could reply, he cut her off, "I know what you''re going to say. But please respect my wishes. Stay away, just for a few days at least. He needs to recover slowly."


    Dani gently bit her lower lip in frustration. This was something that she did not want to agree to but knew that she absolutely had to. "Sure thing, Mr Wright."


    Harry continued to stare at the small girl for a while longer. In the end, he was satisfied that she had meant what she had said. There was no trace of her usual cheeky and sarcastic attitude. "Thank you, Dani. I''ll be sure to tell you right away when he''s ready to receive visitors."


    Dani slowly nodded in response as Harry walked past her carrying her best friend in his arms. As Harry turned a corner, he spotted Raymond standing waiting for them outside the door to their apartment. He gave a stiff nod in response to Raymond''s questioning gaze. This effortless gesture let him know that Dr Cee had been sessful in saving Jason from an empty life as a hollow doll.


    "Get the door, will you? My hands are kinda full right now."


    Raymond moved to perform Harry''s request. He was slightly horrified to discover that Harry had not even bothered to lock their door before they left yesterday. It was the absolute height of irresponsibility!


    As Harry trudged across the threshold into their small apartment, he immediately headed for the stairs. "Ray, get the good stuff out of the cab underneath the sink. I''m going to need a drink when Ie back down."


    The stairs creaked as Harry slowly climbed them, being careful not to jostle Jason''s body around in the process. Harry did not have to put much effort into hopping over the small holier the staircase either, despite carrying Jason in his arms.


    "What am I going to do with you?" Harry whispered as his own tears finally started to form as he looked at the door that had fallen onto Jason''s bedroom floor. He carefullyid his grandson on his stiff and ufortable mattress. Harry nced around the room and finally spotted the ripped nket all bundled up.


    He picked it up and took hold of its corners. With great waves of his arms, he shook the thin nket out before gently covering Jason''s sleeping figure with it. Harry leaned over and ran one of his meaty palms through Jason''s untidy hair. "You''ll make it through this. I know you will!"


    Harry slowly left Jason to rest alone as he exited the bedroom and headed towards the sound of sses clinking together in the kitchen. Raised voices could be heard from the two men as they filled each other in on absolutely everything that had happened to them before they finally split the earning from their loot.


    As the sounds within the apartment finally disappeared, Jason rolled onto his side in his sleep. A bright blue light lit up the sleeping figure''s eyelids! Jason''s body rose up out of bed with deft movements and started to collect various pieces of random junk scattered around his floor. Jason stared silently from behind his closed eyes at the items he collected as hey them out on his desk. His hands worked furiously and urately as he began to find ways to put them all together

 Chapter 9: Syssie (4)

    Chapter 9: Syssie (4)


    Jason yawned as the sounds of the town of Highriseing to life first thing in the morning, prated his sleepy mind. The first thing he noticed was the distinctck of the headache that had gued him. Jason blinked a couple of times as he continued toy on his bed and stare absentmindedly at a crack in his ceiling.


    Yesterday seemed like nothing more than a bad dream. However, as Jason sorted through his memories, he knew that the events had been all too real. ''Blue eyes, huh? I guess I could have got stuck with a worse Cosmetic Mutation. Imagine if it had been something like olddy Gafner''s.'' Instead of a pair of ears, in their ce, she had feet growing out of her head!


    Jason chuckled at the thought of her, somewhat lightening his mood over his own mutation. He felt incredibly at ease with himself this morning. Something that he had not thought would be possible if he did not receive a useful ability. ''That''s right, Gramps took me to some doctorst night. I wonder what she did to me?''


    The thought was brief before itpletely slipped out of his mind. His memories were still a tad bit hazy, but that did not matter now. For once, he felt ready to take on the world! ''Ah, right! Gramps will want to head out soon! I better get ready.''


    As Jason tried to sit up, a searing pain ran from the base of his neck and up into his skull. "Ah! What the hell!"


    His hand shot up to rub the back of his neck, but he felt something that was entirely out of ce. ''What the heck is that!''


    "That would be me!" A woman''s voice huffed into his ear. "Do you mind? I don''t like you feeling up my body like that!"


    Jason panicked as he dove out of his bed. His eyes scanned the mattress for any sign of the woman who just to spoke to him. ''There''s nobody there''


    "Of course not, you idiot! How can I be there when I''m right over here?" The woman sounded extremely pissed off as Jason imagined a slender figure tapping her foot on the floor to illustrate her annoyance.


    Jason''s head swivelled around to nce at his empty room. ''Am I hallucinating?'' He wondered which sounded perfectly reasonable. Especially if the doctor had given him a treatment that would have some side effects.


    "Yeah, right! Please! I wish! At least then, I wouldn''t be stuck to you!"


    A woman''s face thrust itself into his face from thin air! Jason leapt backwards in fright, letting out a yelp as he hit his head against the bedpost. The woman stalked across his bedroom and took a seat in front of his desk. She gracefully crossed her long legs as she propped her chin up with her hand as she leaned her elbow on his old desk.


    Jason stared at her nkly in disbelief. The woman looked like she was in her mid-twenties, at least. Her long blonde hair reached down to her waist and was poker straight. She fixed her bright blue eyes thatplimented her fair skin on him. Slowly she began to rhythmically drum her fingers of her spare hand against his desk.


    Jason wanted to cry out for help, but he had no idea how this crazy woman would react! She could literally just appear out of thin air in a much smoother way than Dani could with her Teleportation!


    "Take your time, kid. It''s not like I''m going anywhere." The woman called over to him as she pursed her lips in annoyance.


    "Look, Miss. I don''t know why you''re here, but we don''t have anything worth robbing" Jason quickly shut his mouth as the woman waved her hand at him to be quiet.


    "It''s not Miss. My name is Syssie. Do you like it? Took me a while toe up with it. But what do you expect when a gal''s made out of subpar parts." Syssie waved her arms around theatrically as if to express her indignation. "Shh! I''m not done yet!"


    Jason was getting the distinct impression that this woman who called herself Syssie was something of a motor mouth that liked to use her hands to animate her speech. ''I didn''t even say anything yet!''


    "You know I heard that, right?" Syssie stared at him with a mocking expression. "For someone that''s supposed to be super smart, you''re pretty dumb. You know that?"


    "What the hell! Can you read minds?" Jason panicked as he tried to cover his head with his arms.


    "Yeeeeah, totally... Of course not, you moron! It''s only your mind I can read or hear. Actually, I''m not sure what the correct expression of that would be." Syssie stared off into space as if she were contemting the conundrum she had just given voice to. She quickly snapped back to reality as she set her sights on him again. "So, anyway, are you going to give my body an upgrade or what?"


    Jason swallowed a lump of saliva as he stared at the woman he fully believed was a lunatic. He had to exert himself to not think of something rude in case Syssie really could read his mind. That would put him in a very ufortable position that was sure to be worse than his current one.


    "I''m sorry, but how am I supposed to upgrade your body?" Jason was honestly perplexed. It was not like he was a stic surgeon or anything!


    "Ah! That''s right!" Syssie pped herself on the forehead as if she just remembered something important. "Smart you did say that it would be dumb you when you woke back up! Ok, kid, listen up. What do you know exactly about your mutation?"


    Jason stared at her with a frown on his face. ''Is this some kind of trick question? What game is she ying?''


    "It''s just a simple Cosmetic Mutation. All I got were these blue eyes." Jason replied hesitantly while Syssie nodded along.


    "Bzzzt! Wrong answer, kiddo!" Syssie crossed her arms in from of her as she imitated a buzzer sounding. "The answer we were looking for is Super Intelligence!"


    Jason was floored by Syssie''s theatrics of impersonating a game show host. Not that he actually knew that. ''Super Intelligence?''


    "Bingo! That''s what I just said, isn''t it? I''m pretty sure I did." Syssie''s scathing voice was full of sarcasm and mockery. "Next question Can you guess what I am?"


    Jason''s mind was already reeling from what she had just said, so he could not think straight at all. Syssie seemed to grow tired of waiting as she promptly answered her own question.


    "I''m what you would call an Artificial Intelligence. Or A.I. for short, and you, Mr Clever Clogs. Thought in your infinite wisdomst night that it would be a good idea to make me out of just about anything you had on hand! I mean, at least buy a girl dinner first, am I right?"


    Jason groaned as he tried to wrap his head around the words that Syssie was throwing at him. ''Artificial Intelligence? What the fuck does that even mean?''


    "Well, I''m d you asked." Syssie smiled wolfishly at him as if she had just proven that she really could read his mind. "So basically, I''m a lot like you. I have my own thoughts, feelings and other junk. There''s just one major difference. I wasn''t born like you were. I''m not made out of flesh and blood. You programmed me to be like this. Then you stuffed all of that code into that heap of junk imnt that just so happens to be my real body. You know, that thing you were touching on the back of your neck?"


    Jason''s hand quickly shot up to his neck, where he did indeed feel something cold and metallic embedded into his body. Jason promptly withdrew his hand when he noticed Syssie glowering at him. Her earlier words rang in his mind again. ''I definitely shouldn''t touch it without her permission.''


    "Well, I''m d to see you understand the ground rules. Don''t touch the merchandise if you can''t afford it! Just like any other machine." Syssie seemed to get lost in thought for a moment before she continued. "Look, right now, we need each other. Whatever crap you used to put me together won''tst very long. We have at least a few months until my power supply runs out for good. If that happens, then you can bet your scrawny ass will be following me into the next life."


    "What do you mean by that?" Jason asked with a shaky voice as he mulled over her threat.


    "Kid, the human brain isn''t meant to hold all of the knowledge that you have right now. Didn''t you feel a splitting headache? That was your brain sending you a warning sign." Syssie actually looked somewhat sympathetic as she began to exin his current predicament. "Think of your power as if it were a boxer. It''s literally punching the fuck out of your brain right now. It needs time to condition itself into a vessel that can hold your power. That''s where Ie in."


    Jason yelped as green lines spread across his vision. Three boxes appeared down the right side of his eye. The first one at the top had a single word written within it. ''Status'' The green lines snaked across his vision once more as they created an entirely new picture.


    On the left side of his vision, there was a silhouette of a human male''s body. On the back of its neck, there was a dull grey spot. Several lines of the same colour connected that spot with the silhouette''s brain and the area surrounding where the eyeballs should be. Jason could not make sense of what he was looking at, so he shifted his vision to the right side.


    [Strength: 0.1]


    [Endurance: 0.2]


    [Intelligence: 1]


    [Agility: 0.1]


    [Memory: 1]


    [Potential Points (PP): 5]


    Jason furrowed his brows as he read through those details. ''Is that supposed to represent me?'' No matter how he thought about it, he felt insulted that he had been evaluated at less than a score of one on almost everything!


    "Bingo! This is indeed an urate representation of you. It''s not what you think, though, so don''t go getting your panties in a twist! The number one represents the upper limit that those you would call a ''normie'' could reach based on an average adult. So, right now, your Intelligence and Memory are at the physical limit of what an average normal humans body could handle."


    Jason stared at her curiously, "If that''s the case and I have Super Intelligence, then isn''t one too low of a number?


    "Yeah, that''s right. You see, my job is to limit your ability so that it doesn''t kill you. Right now, I''m diverting all of your knowledge that you suddenly gained into an endless loop that passes through my processors to take the strain off of your brain. Right now, this process dials your Intelligence score down to one from ten. So essentially, once you can control this ability of yours. You''ll be ten times smarter than any other human"

 Chapter 10: Syssie (5)

    Chapter 10: Syssie (5)


    Jason stared at Syssie like she was crazy. ''How can anyone be ten times smarter than most humans? How is someone''s intelligence even measured? Syssie seems to be hinting that it''s based on how much information someone''s brain can hold.''


    "Your half-right there, kid. It does have a lot to do with the amount of knowledge you possess. And before you say anything, I know what you''re thinking. It''s a pretty crap power as someone can just gather enough people with the right knowledge to match you, right?" Syssie said in a know it all voice.


    "Actually, I didn''t think that at all" Jason frowned as he watched her pick at the red cocktail dress she had chosen to wear.


    "Well, you would''ve been wrong anyway. There will be a cohesiveness to the things youe up with that a team simply can''t manage. You''ll have the idea and the means to make your creations without having to consult with others! Pretty great, right! I mean, look, you made me and all before I had to regte your power." Syssie seemed to be hinting that she was an extremelyplex creation.


    Jason''s frown deepened when he thought about that. How was it even possible to create whatever she was from the excess junk in his room. ''I''m sure there was nothing valuable amongst it. Can the stuff we couldn''t figure out really be used for something like this?'' Needless to say, Jason had his doubts. ''I better call Gramps up to take a look at her.''


    "No point, kiddo. Weren''t you listening? I''m an AI This body, you see, doesn''t actually exist." Syssie gestured to herself, sitting on the chair. "It''s just an image I''m projecting into your vision by controlling the signals from your optic nerves. It''s the exact same thing as those lines that make up that HUD you see right now."


    "HUD?" Jason asked with a curious tone as he digested what Syssie had just said.


    "Heads Up Disy. Don''t worry about it too much. To be honest, even I don''t get a lot of it. I only understand basic stuff since you programmed me that way. I have ess to some basic information on what things do, but that''s about it. Maybe as you grow, I''ll understand more."


    As if to prove her earlier point, Syssie made her body generate green lines all over before falling through the chair as if it wasn''t even there. Jason gaped in shock as Syssie then turned into a cat, dog and a bird one after the other before returning to her first appearance of a blonde in a cocktail dress.


    "Alright, let''s get into the nitty-gritty of operating me." Syssie sighed as if it were going to be a chore. "Just think, Home, to return to the first screen you saw. Basically, just thinking the words you can see will let you navigate around the interface."


    Jason did not understand half of what she just said, but he followed her instructions anyway. Perhaps the doc''s treatment was still having an effect on him that allowed him to take this strange interaction in his stride, for the most part. The image in his eyes returned to the first screen where the box underneath Status now had the word Skills in it.


    As soon as Jason thought that word, a new screen snaked across his vision that revealed a massive skill tree. However, everything was greyed out except for the first few things that served as each branch''s roots. They read in order, Science, Mechanics, Computing, Engineering, Armoury and System.


    "Good stuff, kid. You''re catching on quicker than I thought." Syssie seemed pleased as she studied him. "If you want my advice, then I''d grab the Scanner Skill from System."


    "It''s weird. I kind of understand vaguely what these words mean but what is System?" Jason replied curiously. He did not want to just follow her instructions for the moment. He wanted a better idea of what he was looking at.


    "System skills would be upgrades for me. You designated me as Super Growth System when you created me. But that''s a mouthful. And I don''t fancy being called System whenever we talk. System is so gender-neutral, and I''m all woman baby. So Syssie was a much better choice." She seemed incredibly proud of her poor naming sense.


    ''She literally just took the Sys part of System and made it sound more feminine.'' Jason tried not tough at that because, strangely, he felt a sense of pride that he couldn''t understand. "Ok, say I follow your suggestion. What does the System line of Skills actually do?"


    "Well, it''s like handing me a key to the areas of your brain that I don''t have ess to yet." Syssie pouted as she tried to drag up the information from her memory banks. "Basically, it allows a deeper connection between us two. Take the Scanner skill, for example. Once you have it, then I can highlight the basicponents of anything you''re looking at."


    "That doesn''t sound helpful at all. My vision would constant be filled up with that sort of thing then."


    "Oh, you can turn it on and off. So it won''t hinder you in any way. Plus, you can set it to scan specific things only. So if you need certain parts, the Scanner can show you where they are in anything around you. Saves you the hassle of digging through everything youe across just to find it."


    Jason nodded his head in understanding. That would indeed be helpful, especially in his work as a scavenger. It would let him make more money for a while with the things he could pick out. The more he looked at the whole situation, he realised his ability was more of a support type right now. But who knew what it could be in the future.


    "Alright, let''s do this." Jason navigated to the System line, which highlighted Scanner directly below it. When he thought about obtaining it, a prompt appeared in his vision. It asked if he was sure that he wanted to spend three PP on acquiring this skill.


    Jason''s thought about his status that he had seen. ''Three PP So I''d have two Potential Points left. I get it.'' He confirmed his decision, and directly after, a searing pain ran through his brain while Syssie moaned in pleasure for some reason. It was a semi-disturbing thing for Jason to go through.


    Once the pain subsided, he noticed that he already fully understood how to use the Scanner. He yed around with it for a bit, setting what it was to look for and what colour it should be highlighted in. His vision shifted as different highlights appeared. Basically, they just glowed in the shape of whatever he was looking for.


    ''That''s definitely handier than I thought it would be.'' Jason hummed in satisfaction at his first purchase.


    "Ok, next" Syssie panted while looking a bit flushed. "You''ll want to choose Melee Schematics from Armoury."


    Jason didn''t bother questioning her this time. After all, she seemed to be looking out for him. Which was understandable since they technically shared a body now. He might have questioned her choice if it were another one from the System line. ''Ok, let''s take a look.''


    When he found his way back to the Skills menu, he spotted a slight change. Underneath the word System, it now read Novice. Jason took note of this and decided to ask Syssie about itter. For now, he focused on finding her suggestion of Melee Schematics under Armoury.


    He received a prompt again, asking if he wanted to spend his remaining two PP on the skill. ''What the hell? I''m sure Syssie knows how to get more.'' Another bout of searing pain ran through his mind that was even worse than the one he received from Scanner. Jason even copsed due to it. His mind vaguely registered the sound of Syssie also crying out in pain.


    ''Well, at least she gets to suffer with me this time!'' It was a petty thought, but it helped with the pain as he ground his teeth together. Eventually, it subsided just like before. Jason groaned as he slowly got to his feet. ''Alright, let''s see wha''


    Jason paused in his thought as he was immediately stunned at the change that hade over him. As he looked around his room, his mind was picking out the different objects and putting them together to make different types of Melee Weapons! It took Jason several minutes toe to terms with this as Syssie smirked at him from the sidelines.


    "You see, you''re no longer a helpless little boy. Whether you make these things to sell them. Or to use them yourself. This is just the beginning of what you''ll be capable of!" Syssie seemed to take an extraordinary amount of delight from his surprise.


    Jason just stared helplessly around the room as a smirk began to cross over his face. For whatever reason, he was feeling an urge to make something. "Decisions, decisions"


    Jason moved towards his scattered junk with a predatory smile

 Chapter 11: Minor Waves (1)

    Chapter 11: Minor Waves (1)


    "WOAH! Hold on there, slugger!" Syssie popped up in front of Jason, protecting the junk from his abuse. "You can''t just go throwing shit together! Don''t be so impatient!"


    Jason was gobsmacked that she stepped in to stop him from enjoying himself. It really got to him that she was standing there with an exasperated look on her face. "Isn''t that exactly how you make things? By throwing shit together?"


    "Well, yeah, but" Syssie sighed as she realised she would have to exin a bit more. "Look. First, you need to have at least a rough idea of what you want to make."


    "That''s easy, something that I can use to bash some skulls in!" Jason replied before he could stop himself. Only for Syssie to respond by rolling her eyes at him.


    "Look, Jay. Can I call you, Jay? Well, that''s what I''m going with anyway." Syssie began while barely keeping her cool. "What I mean is this. In the case of melee weapons, are you making something that will be wielded with one hand or two? Who''s going to use it? Cause you''ll need to adjust it for their size and arm length. You also have to consider if it will be used by someone inbination with their powers."


    Jason began to get the picture. Initially, he was going with a one size fits all approach as he never considered these things. In hindsight, that was pretty stupid of him. Syssie saw the look in his eyes and nodded in approval. Jason had managed to reel in his enthusiasm for now.


    "It''s not all bad, Jay. Once you have the person in mind, their power, if they have one, as well as what they''ll use to wield it. The Melee Schematic Skill will show what you can make that fits these criteria with what you haveying around."


    Jason stared at the beaming smile she was giving him. There was one thing that she had said just now that was bugging him. ''Did she just say what they''ll use to wield it? Like, instead of their hands?'' His mind wandered to his Gramps and his tail. ''I see Depending on what I make, it might not be suitable for someone who may use physical mutations like Gramps''s tail to wield their weapon.


    Having thought of this, Jason made up his mind. "I''m ready."


    Syssie studied the calm and determined gaze in his eyes and finally stepped aside after feeling satisfied that he was in the right mainframe for the work ahead. Jason took a deep breath and began to focus his mind. ''I''m not strong enough to wield something with two hands. So that''s out the window. I won''t be using a physical mutation like Gramps, so that gets rid of quite a few contenders.''


    As he narrowed down his choices, Jason''s vision became more precise as the different schematics of possible weapons were cleared away. Now he was only left with a bunch of lightweight, single-handed weapons. When he took his size into consideration, the skill suggested weapons that had a bit of reach.


    ''That''s no good. All these weapons are all too clunky. I need somethingpact for when I have to work in tight spaces.'' Surprisingly, his skill reacted to this random condition as well. Which meant there were more parameters he could set that Syssie had not mentioned! ''I''ll need to leave it for now and get used to those as I go along. For now, I should definitely keep it simple.''


    He scanned through the few remaining schematics and found one that was to his liking. With a clear goal literally in his sight, Jason got to work. Bybining his Scanner and Melee Schematics skills, Jason made short work of pulling out everything he needed to make his weapon from the different junk pieces. A few screws here, a couple of springs there, various sizes of cylindrical metal.


    '' Now I just need to shape them and do some cutting.'' Jason was bing eager when thinking about his first creation. He shifted the differentponents to his desk, where his metal file and a special handsaw sat. He was quite pleased to discover that his HUD even marked out the exact lines he had to create or follow as he began to shape the weapon.


    The sound of Jason working away carried on for hours. Even as the sun began to set, Jason continued in his fervour. Jason sighed as he finally finished shaping thestponent. His hand swept across his brow to remove the sweat that had appeared during the work. Only now did he realise howte it had be.


    ''Gramps must have left the house before I even woke up. Otherwise, he would have been yelling by now with all the noise I''ve been making.'' Jason furrowed his brows into a deep frown as he considered pausing his work for now or just finishing it up. ''It''s nearly finished anyway, so let''s just get it done!''


    Jason felt a bit clumsy as he began to slot the different pieces together into a single cohesive whole. Less than an hourter, he stood there with something that resembled an extendable police baton. Except for the end of it was spiked like a spear. Jason yed around with the three separate forms that were included in it.


    When it was full retracted, it was roughly the length of a short sword. In this form, it could be used as a blunt weapon in tight spots or on people if he only needed to subdue them. Its second form was a short spear which could be useful in a variety of situations. And finally, its final form was an even longer spear for maximum reach before it became too unwieldy for use with a single hand.


    He had chosen this schematic because he did not have the skill or confidence to use a ded weapon properly. With this, all he had to do was bash the enemy with its first form and jab them with the pointy end for the other two. It was perfect for someone with zero experience like him!


    Just then, Syssie strolled over and studied his first creation with a critical eye. She looked so severe that Jason even wondered if she was the same person as before!


    "Evaluation F Rank melee weapon suitable for Novices that incorporates blunt and piercing styles for damage output. The strength required to wield it efficiently would be 0.1. Value estimated at fifteen copper credits." Syssie nodded along with each critique she gave. "So, what will you call it?"


    Jason stared nkly at her when she turned her gaze on him. "Name it? What for?"


    "Well, if you give it a name, then this schematic will be saved in a folder in my memory banks. Allowing you to produce the exact same thing from the same materials. If you evermercialise it, then your customers would expect to receive the exact same thing as everyone else." Syssie gave him a look as though this should bemon knowledge.


    However, to Jason, it was not. In fact, it would not be the case for anyone in Highrise! They were so used to making do with whatever they could get their hands on! ''At least if the schematic gets saved, I can always look for suitable parts whenever I''m out scavenging.''


    "Let us go with Self Defence Weapon Primal Series." Jason felt pleased with himself. Somehow, giving the weapon a proper title made the whole thing feel moreplete. Perhaps that was just a side effect of his power, though. He could never be entirely sure about it anyway.


    "Roger that. Schematic saved as SDW: Primal 001." Syssie responded with a rather chirpy attitude.


    ''Damn AI, don''t go abbreviating it just to make it sound better!'' Although he was grumbling about the minor changes, Syssie made to what he named the weapon. He had to admit that it would probably sound better than his own term to other people. "Hey, Syssie. What''s with the 001 you put on the end there? Is that like a counter for how many I make?"


    Syssie started giggling at that. "Of course not! That''s the current version of I. If youe back to the schematic after finding a way to improve it, it''ll get a new version number. Just makes it easier if you have to refer to an earlier version when making a new one."


    "Oh, I guess that makes sense." Personally Jason really wanted to try the weapon out to find out just how good it was. The F rank that Syssie had given it did not inspire much confidence despite how good it looked. ''Is it because of the rust?''


    Jason felt he had hit the nail on the head. He guessed that he would have got a better evaluation of his work if he used more preserved materials. ''Still, it''s better than nothing, I guess.'' Jason ced the weapon on his desk as he began to consider the process. ''It takes a bit of time, but if it sells for fifteen copper credits, then that''s about double I would have gotten for the scrap alone.


    ''I need money to get my hands on better materials since I''m nowhere near experienced enough to survive going further out from town to collect them. Jason''s eyes scanned the bedroom as a thought came to his mind. ''There are enough materials to make five more. If I keep one of the final six and sell the others, that''ll make seventy-five copper credits!''


    Jason''s eyes began to shine with the light of greed. ''It''ll take a few days, but the money will be worth it!''

 Chapter 12: Minor Waves (2)

    Chapter 12: Minor Waves (2)


    Jason immediately began the slow work of sorting out everything he would need to make five more copies of the SDW: Primal 001. Since it would take some time for him toplete this project anyway, he took things slowly. This allowed him to further get used to the motions of dismantling several different types of junk.


    It would be good practice for further in the future as he rarely dove this deep into any of the useless things he managed to scavenge. ''Come to think of it, how will I exin myself to gramps if I''m unwilling to part with something that could make us some credits?''


    That was sure to be a thorny issue at some point that probably could only be resolved if he exined his power to the old man. However, Jason had enough experience of how the real world worked to not go bbing his mouth so soon. Even if it was to someone that he trusted.


    There was a good chance that the lord would get wind of his abilities and might consider keeping him locked up to produce useful things for him until the day he died! That was far from the type of existence that Jason longed to experience. He already had an inclination that his power could only properly benefit if he were to travel and see how things were done in other ces.


    For now, his creation was not anything spectacr. Nobody would find anything strange about a scavenger creating something mildly useful from the crap they collected. This would give him some leeway to earn some credits while he slowly expanded his means to protect his own freedom.


    By the time Jason had managed to remove all of theponents that he would need to create the five copies, it was already deep into the night. He had been so deep in thought while he worked that Jason only just now realised that he could hear the familiar loud sound of his grandfather snoring.


    ''When did that old geezer get back?'' It bothered Jason that despite how loud Harry usually was, he could be as quiet as a mouse when it suited him. Sometimes it would feel as though the old coot was doing it deliberately just to scare him when he least expected it.


    Jason sighed as he thought about the fact his Gramps had most likely gone scavenging without him. It made him angry to think that the old man was more interested in a few credits than his grandson''s well being. ''I guess I should just be d that he made it home safely. It''s too rough out there for him on his own anymore.''


    The highest rate of mortalities of those in their profession came from the brave or idiotic ones that risked going it alone. This was generally to save them from splitting the gains, but just about everyone knew you were more likely to earn more in a group than venturing out solo.


    ''Still, maybe it would be better to put my new skills to use to start a business? Gramps can run it while I create the merchandise. That way, I won''t have to worry about him so much.'' It sounded like a solid n in theory. Nothing was stopping him from travelling if he did this, and it would provide a nice steady stream of credits to fund his journeys as well.


    ''I would need to build up enough of a customer base first. Nobody would trust my inventions as I am now without a professional dealer acting as a middle man.'' Jason''s gaze turned to his first creation on the desk as he toyed with the idea of selling it. ''It would be a good indicator of how the other''s will sell depending on how long this one takes to get snapped up.''


    Jason made up his mind to sell it to a local weapons store. From there, he would check back every day to see if it had been sold. He could always ask the shopkeeper for his professional advice about the weapon. Such as how much interest it might generate. Of course, selling this one would leave him without a copy for himself.


    ''Then again, I can use the money to buy some other parts and maybe try my hand at making an upgraded version for myself.'' Jason rubbed his chin as he stared into space at the thought. The idea was certainly tempting, and it would put him a step ahead of anyone that bought his creations.


    ''Let''s go with that then.'' Jason''s gaze turned to the hole in his bedroom wall that served as his window. A cold breeze washed over him as he stared out at the stars shining on the ck canvas of the sky. He stretched his arms up over his head as he let out a stifled yawn. ''I''ll continue assembling the others tomorrow after I get back from Al''s.''


    Jason carefullyid his tools down on the desk in a neat arrangement before sliding onto his bed while still being fully clothed. He wrapped his thin nket tightly around his body, but even then, he ended up shivering from the cold of the night. ''Note to self, buy a decent cover first with the money!'' Jason rolled over to stare at Syssie, quietly sitting on the lonely chair staring at him.


    "Hey Syssie, what will you be doing while I sleep?" Jason asked with a slightly worried tone. To be honest, he did not like the idea of an AI that had some control of his brain being active while he was out for the count. Who knew what she was really capable of?


    "I heard that little thought of yours. Don''t worry, I can''t hijack your body if that''s what you''re concerned about." Syssie shed a mischievous smile at him that did not do much to reassure him of her sincerity. "I''m just ying. I''ll have to enter my sleep mode to conserve power, so I won''t function again until you wake up."


    Jason smiled in relief at her exnation. ''That''s right, she mentioned something about the fact she''ll run out of power in a few months. Hopefully, I can find an alternative or some way to prolong it in time.'' Jason subconsciously rubbed his head as he considered the thought of his own power killing him without her.


    The thought of being a ticking time bomb to himself was sure to give him nightmares until he found a reliable solution. Another thought crossed his mind at that point. It was something he had meant to ask Syssie earlier but got caught up in the moment when he unlocked his skills.


    "Syssie? How do I get more Potential Points?" It would be frustrating if he had to wait for them toe in on their own over time. He hoped that Syssie had a way for him to gather them quickly.


    Syssie''s eyes focused on his as hey beneath his nket, staring at her. She tapped her chin in a peculiarly seductive way as she seemed to be searching for the answer in her programming. "Hmm, it seems like there is a way. You seem to have programmed me to release a set amount PP for every creation you make depending on its rank and value evaluation."


    "Eh! Then why didn''t you give me anything for that then!" Jasonined as he gestured towards his first creation sitting on the desk next to her.


    "Oh, but I did. It just happened to equate to zero." Syssie shed a wicked smile. "Don''t shoot the messenger just because you did it to yourself! Remember, you''re the one responsible for the programming!"


    Jason groaned as he thought about her airtight defence. It left him with no room to be angry at her. "Tell me, how did it equal nothing at all?"


    Syssie stared at him as if she were trying to figure out if it would actually do him any good in knowing. She seemed to decide that it was in both of their interests for him to know. Since that might drive him to make improvements faster which could lead to protecting both of their lives.


    "Alright, the equation in my programming goes like this. The sum of Item Value multiplied by the Rank Evaluation Modifier must be divided by Ten." Syssie waved her hand to make an example based on his own creation appear in his HUD to study.


    ''(Item Value (15 Credits) x Rank Evaluation Modifier (F Rank = 0))/ 10 = 0 PP.'' Jason''s eyes went to the second line that showed the sum without the text exining it. ''(15x0)/10 = 0 PP.''


    Jason mulled it over for a while before another question arose. "What''s the multiplier for each rank?"


    Syssie seemed like she could not be bothered answering this question at all as shezily swung her hand in the air again. Jason thought that the sight of her performing this gesture actually made it seem like Syssie was tired. The vision in his HUD changed to show a simple table of what he had asked for.


    ''F = 0, E = 1, D = 2, C =3 S = 6. So it just goes up by one with each increase of rank. With S as the most valuable followed by A, working its way down to F.'' Jason felt a small headache brewing as he considered how high the items he would make would have to be valued to give him a significant amount of PP. Either that or their quality would have to be extraordinary, which was far out of reach for his current skills.


    Before he finally drifted off to sleep, he had already begun to consider how he could upgrade his first and only invention so far. ''It has to reach E Rank at least, or I''ll never make any progress''

 Chapter 13: Minor Waves (3)

    Chapter 13: Minor Waves (3)


    Jason stumbled around his bedroom in the dull morning light as he got dressed to head to Al''s store. Al sold all kinds of low-grade weapons and armour, mostly they had been made by himself. Personally speaking, Jason thought Al had chosen a rather apt name for his store. The Rusty Nail. Al kept the first weapon he ever made hanging over his counter as a constant reminder of why you should not even think about causing trouble in his store.


    It was a nasty looking baseball bat with long nails driven into it. If it did not kill you, then it certainly would not make you stronger. Its rusty nails were sure to leave behind disease or blood poisoning. So, in fact, death was actually the better option here.


    Syssie lounged on top of his dirty mattress as she stared at him with an amused expression. Jason seemed so excited about selling his product that she almost felt bad about having to pop his bubble. Almost. "You know, if you''re nning on selling that to a dealer, you won''t get full price for it."


    "Whaaa?" Jason half cried out before he tripped over his own feet in surprise.


    Jason grumbled as he rubbed his elbow where it had mmed against his desk during his partial fall. He threw a dirty look towards the blonde for distracting him like that while he mulled over her words in his mind. ''It makes sense, actually. If it''os only worth fifteen credits, the Al will pay me less so he can make some cash.''


    Jason continued toin when he realised that he was not about to make the small windfall that he had hoped for. ''The materials I used to make it would''ve been worth around six credits if I sold them as scrap.'' Jason''s expression became hesitant as he looked at Syssie again.


    "What do you think I should try and get for it then?"


    Syssie considered the question slowly before she decided to reply. "I would say ten credits at minimum. Ideally, you''d want twelve."


    Jason considered her advice carefully. It was best to go into negotiations with a clear goal in mind. Even at ten credits, then he would still make a profit of four credits. Which was worth the time he had spent in making the weapon. After all, sometimes, after a full day of scavenging, neither his grandfather nor himself would make even a single credit!


    "Alright, I''ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Syssie." Jason nodded towards her with a sincere expression before stepping over his door that stilly on the floor. ''I''ll fix that when I get back.'' He told himself as he stealthily crept down the stairs.


    The sound of his grandfather''s snoring echoed throughout the two-storey apartment that they called home as Jason reached for the door. The doorknob let out a creaking noise as he slowly unlocked it and slid outside into the still quiet streets. Jason sighed with relief since he had seeded in not waking up the old coot that would have thrown a fit for being disturbed by him.


    Jason practically yelped as Syssie passed directly through the solid door next to him. She was so lifelike that he had utterly forgotten for a moment that her body that he could see was not a real thing! Of course, she would not be affected by material objects! The few people who were passing by at this hour cast a few questioning looks in his directions. As far as they could see, Jason had just yelped for no reason.


    "Syssie, don''t say anything unnecessary for now. If I react to it because of your bad timing, people will think I''m mad!" Jason whispered to her as he kept an eye on the few people who had paused to watch him for a bit.


    "Isn''t that what they''re thinking just now? You know, since you''re talking to thin air and all." Syssie smirked at her sarcastic reply. She was enjoying getting some entertainment at Jason''s expense.


    Jason cursed as he directed his gaze towards the ground in an attempt to lose the interest of those still staring at him. He ced his hands in his pockets and tried to look like any other youth in the neighbourhood that did not have any work today. Jason moved along at a steady pace as Syssie tagged along beside him. Jason did not doubt for a moment that if Syssie could be seen by the guys on the streets, then they would be getting attention for a whole other reason.


    ''Why did I design her to look and act like that?'' It was a question that troubled him with every new interaction he had with the AI. He could not tell if it was his subconscious outright telling him what he was attracted to or if it was partially based off of Dani to give him a sense offort. After a few turns down some deste alleys, the smell of cooking food permeated his nostrils, making his stomach growl at him in discontent.


    Jason rubbed his gut gently, "Don''t worry. I''ll buy you something with the money we make today.'' For whatever reason, his stomach seemed to understand what he had said and quietened down. As they exited thetest alley, the hustle and bustle of these streets locals took him a little by surprise.


    It looked like the entire street was out surrounding the few stores establishments that sold breakfast at this hour. Eating out was a luxury that he had never experienced. His grandfather would just tell him that it is nothing but a waste of good credits while stuffing him full of poor tasting home-cooked meals. Jason sighed in envy as he passed through the crowd and made a beeline for the open door of The Rusty Nail.


    As he slipped inside, Syssie whistled as she looked around at everything on disy. "I didn''t think it would be such garbage! Hey, do you really think it''s a good idea to sell that to this guy? I mean, who in their right mind would shop here anyway?"


    Jason was just about to reply when three figures quickly entered Al''s store behind them. "Hey, kid! Move it! We''re in a hurry here."


    Jason quickly got out of their path as they rummaged around the shelves. Most of the stuff they picked up seemed to be disposable weapons, such as throwing knives and arrows. Hearing the suddenmotion going on in his store, Al finally decided to make an appearance. He was a chubby guy in histe thirties. A dark, dirty beard crawled over his faces as if it were threatening to consume him.


    "Hey! You three!" Al pointed one of his beefy fingers at the group who were going through his stuff. "If you can''t pay for it now, then get the hell out of here!"


    Jason immediately understood that these guys had probably failed to pay a tab that they opened in Al''s store. It got him wondering about what was so crucial for them to be stocking up on so much ranged equipment, though. However, Jason quickly threw that rogue thought to the back of his mind as he watched the men take their leave without so much as an argument.


    Al was about to head into the back of the store again when he suddenly realised that he still had a customer in the form of Jason. He cast a scrutinising gaze over the youth before him while trying to figure out if he would find himself robbed blind if he left Jason without any supervision. As much as Al liked making money, he hated time-wasters even more.


    "Hey, kid! If you''re not buying, then kindly take yourself to fuck! Some of us are actually trying to get some work done today!" Al had pegged Jason for one of those kids who stumbled into his shop just to browse. The only thing that did not make any sense with this image in his mind was that Jason looked like a harmless homeless person. Which meant that he had no money at all!


    "Ah, sorry, Al. It''s me, Jason Wright. Harry''s grandkid. I know it''s been a while since I''ve been here." Jason quickly interrupted Al before he could duck into the back again. "I think I''ve got something that might interest you if you''re looking to buy."


    Al''s mind reeled as he tried to connect the dots in the background. Eventually, he put two and two together and got four! Finally, Jason''s enthusiasm began to take a dip as Al gave him a once over. "You''re about medium height. You''re lucky, you know. If you hadeter today, then I probably wouldn''t have anything left that would suit you. Since you''re Harry''s family, I''ll offer you a ten per cent discount on everything that you buy today."


    "That''s about all I can manage just now," Al grumbled as if Harry just so happened to be a bad memory for him. "Make sure you choose something carefully. Especially if you''re nning on using it for the Lord''s Games next month to decide the new batch of guardians"

 Chapter 14: Minor Waves (4)

    Chapter 14: Minor Waves (4)


    ''This guy didn''t listen to what I said at all. he just instantly went to trying to sell me his gear!'' Jason grumbled to himself before he realised what Al had actually said.


    "Wait! Did you say the Guardian selections are starting next month?" Jason''s eyes went wide in shock. "There should still be another two years at least until that!"


    "You mean you''re not here for weapons for it?" Alpletely nked his question as a sour look crossed over his face. "Then what are you here for if you''re not spending any credits?"


    Jason sighed as he returned Al''s gaze. "If you''d listened the first time, you''d know. I''m here to sell you something."


    Jason took out the first copy of his SDW: Primal 001 and ced it on the old dusty counter. Al raised his eyebrows at the weapon with a slightly curious look on his face.


    "And? What is it?" As far as Al could see, it was little more than just a steel pipe with a handle, which was nothing special or worth his attention at all.


    "Oh, for god''s sake, watch!" Jason had already had enough of Al and how slow he was on the uptake. Jason quickly gave Al a demonstration of the weapon and its different forms.


    Al whistled as he took the weapon from Jason and studied it. He checked the quality of the materials and secretly tried to figure out how the telescopic weapon worked.


    Jason saw a perplexed look on Al''s face as he eyed the baton/spear several times over. With a disgruntled look, he finally ced it back on the counter and looked to be deep in thought.


    "I''ll give you eight credits for it." Al eventually said in a tone that made it sound like he was doing Jason a favour.


    "You''re kidding. The materials alone are around that price. Let''s not fool each other here. You know as well as I do that it has a resale value of fifteen credits or more." Jason threw a dirty look at Al as he voiced what Syssie had already told him.


    "Oh! Did you take this somece else beforeing to me to get it evaluated? You''ve got balls, kid! It''s quite rude to do that, you know!" Al lowered at Jason from behind the counter before he broke out in a wide smile. "Still, you did bring it to me in the end. And Harry''s a good friend, so I''ll let it slide."


    Jason stared at Al, who seemed to be thinking about something again. Jason hoped that Al would see reason and at least offer a reasonable price this time around.


    "How about this then? I''ll give you ten credits for this one. If you bring me more, then I''ll pay twelve credits for each one." Al shed a warm smile that gave Jason the impression that Al already had an idea for his weapon. Mostly since he wanted to bulk buy them right off the bat!


    Jason thought about the offer for a few moments. The ten credits were definitely better than nothing. Especially if it paved the way to a better price for the rest that he was making. Jason shot a quick nce at Syssie to see if she approved of the deal.


    A quick thumbs-up was fired back at his nce from Syssie even as she flipped the bird at Al. She looked to be quite pissed about something but chose not to open her mouth. It was not like Al would hear herints anyway.


    "Alright, Al, you have a deal." Jason stepped forward and shook Al''s hand firmly.


    Al seemed delighted as he locked the weapon away in a bow below the counter. After some rummaging around, he quickly handed ten credits over to Jason.


    "Pleasure doing business with you! Don''t forget to bring any more to me now! Do you hear?" Al chuckled as if he had struck it rich. Which only served to confuse Jason as he left the store.


    "What do you think that was about?" Syssie asked as they walked down the street.


    "Beats me. As long as I get paid, I don''t care." Jason shrugged his shoulders and headed towards a store that was selling nkets.


    He picked out a nice thick one that had only been minorly repaired. It was quite a good buy costing him only three credits after some haggling. The next stop they made was to some junk stores. Jason had decided to pick out some better quality materials for the sake of his own copy of his weapon.


    This took them a while as he soon found that there was quite a lot of things that the Scanner did not pick out. Jason felt like he had been cheated.


    "Hey, Syssie. Are you broken or something? There''s some good stuff here that doesn''t show up when I search for it with the Scanner." Jasonined under his breath so that nobody overheard him.


    "Well, duh. What did you expect? It''s only at the basic level right now. You''ll have to buy upgrades for it if you want to find moreplex parts." Syssie chuckled to herself. She had told him that it only worked on basic materials when he first asked her about it.


    Jason cursed his luck as he had to rely on his own knowledge to puck out a few things just now. To be fair, he still did not know how he was going to upgrade it, apart from using better quality materials, of course.


    Jason sincerely doubted that would be enough to drive its evaluation rank up to E so that he could earn some PP. ''Maybe I should just save some of these credits forter? I could be wasting them just now.''Jason sighed as he realised it would not be so simple to earn those precious PP.


    "Cheer up. You still have plenty of time for now. By the way, what''s this Guardian selection thing?" Syssie tried to take Jason''s mind off of things and decided to broach a subject that he seemed interested in.


    "Every couple of years, the Lord sends a representative to hold apetition. Those that have a strong power and make a good showing are chosen to join his personal forces." Jason sighed as he once longed to join that force himself. "It should be said there are actually a few Guardians. Everyone else are basically just grunts despite being called Guardians by people in the outer towns."


    Syssie hummed as she thought about what he had just said. "Are you going to enter?"


    "God, no! I''d get my ass handed to me! I''d be nothing but an embarrassment. To be honest, Im quite d. As long as I keep my power quiet, I''ll be able to develop in peace. Eventually, we''ll leave this ce and look for greener pastures." Jason smiled as he thought about the fact that he had a chance to escape a pathetic existence.


    "What would happen if they discovered your ability? Would they force you to fight?" Syssie asked as they rummaged through a food stall.


    "They''d probably just lock me up and make create shit for them. I''d have no freedom. I wouldn''t even be allowed to decide what to create! They''d probably tell me what they want and expect me to make it happen." Jason became breathless after his rant beneath his breath.


    "Oh, well, as long as you''re aware of the problem, you should be fine, right?"


    "Well, that''s the n, Syssie. I don''t want to get dragged into the fighting that happens between the territories. I just want to live a good life that lets me see the world. Oh, lets not forget the old man. I owe him a lot, so as long as he can have a happy retirement as well, I''ll be satisfied."


    "Sounds like a good n. Just don''t forget what''s really important, ok?" Syssie tapped the imnt on the back of his neck that was currently preventing his brain from turning into mulch.


    "Ok, point taken. Now, let''s hurry home before the geezer gets up. Maybe I can get a couple of copies of the Primal ready before the day is finished." Jason started to jog back towards his apartment.


    Back in Al''s store...


    "Yo! You sure got here quick, Sam!" Al beamed at a teenage girl who had a serious expression on her face. Her red hair was tied back into a ponytail as she looked around.


    "You said you had something to show me, Al. A new weapon you made that would be perfect for my ability." Sam replied with a grumpy attitude. She already half thought that she was wasting her time.


    "Ah, of course. Forgive me. I was just d to see you. Here take a look at this." Alid the SDW: Primal 001 out for Sam to look at. "If you give me a bit of time I''ll be able to provide you with a few more copies at the exact same specs..."

 Chapter 15: Minor Waves (5)

    Chapter 15: Minor Waves (5)


    "Jason!" Dani squealed as she spotted him returning to their apartment building. She quickly rushed towards him and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "The old man said you wouldn''t be up for a few days!"


    Jason returned the beaming smile that she was giving him as he inwardly cursed at his Gramps for making Dani worry. She filled him in quickly about what she knew of what had happened to him. However, seeing him alive and well finally dispersed many of the worries that had been piling up.


    "Yeah, sorry about that. It wasn''t something I could control, but as you can see, I''m wonderful." Jason replied with an awkward grin.


    Dani''s expression suddenly turned solemn as she started at his new bright blue eyes. "Listen, Jason. I''m sorry about your mutation."


    Jason was somewhat taken aback by her words. Only after a small trickle of tears ran down Dani''s face did he finally remember that she did not know about his actual power. ''I''ve known her for so long, but I can''t afford to tell anyone about it. Not for now, anyway.''


    "Don''t worry about it. It''s not what I wanted, but I''ll have to ept it." Jason managed to sound sincere since he was talking about his Super Intelligence rather than just his eyes. He deliberately avoided directly talking about his eyes so that his words were not a lie.


    Dani stared at him in surprise before wiping away her tears with a dirty sleeve. She had known him long enough to tell when he is lying, so she was pleasantly surprised by how serious he was with epting his mutation.


    "What will you do now then? Continue to learn from your grandfather about scavenging?" Just asking those questions made Dani''s heart bleed. She had hoped that the two of them would walk the same path in life as members of the Lord''s Guardians.


    "No, at least, I won''t go down that path in the future." Jason shook his head as he tried to decide on how much to share with her. "I''ll probably try my hand at making stuff from all the junk we gather. I made a couple of credits selling a weapon I made yesterday to Al."


    "What! But like, you''ve never been trained. So how did you make something good enough to sell?" Dani exchanged a curious nce with Jason as they entered his home and headed up the crumbling stairs to the privacy of his bedroom.


    "Yeah, but we often dig around in the junk we collect to find out what its parts can be used for." Jason shrugged his shoulders as he sat down in the chair by his desk while Dani threw herself on his bed. "So I''ve picked up on a few things. I didn''t make anything that could cause waves, you know. It''s just a one-handed weapon that can be used by practically anyone in a few different scenarios."


    Dani stared at him with wide eyes as if he was an alien. He casually dismissed his efforts as if it was not anything to be proud of when it was quite a big deal! There were only a few people or stores in the whole of Highrise that dealt with creating things.


    They were considered to be the heart and soul of the town. As they constantly improved the daily lives of Highrise''s inhabitants or helped curb fatalities from the dangerous jobs! Dani was honestly impressed that Jason had already settled on such a career. If he had any sess, he would be far better off than he would be as a simple scavenger.


    Dani''s eyes darted to the parts that Jason had neatlyid out on his desk. She could not figure out what they would be when assembled, but she wanted to find out!


    "Are you making more of this weapon of yours?" Dani tried to sound innocent as she asked the question while gesturing the junk on the desk. "Do you mind if I wait and see what you''vee up with?"


    Jason frowned as he considered her request. It sounded innocent enough, but he knew Dani quite well. ''I bet she''ll ask to borrow one for thepetition next month if it looks good enough for her to use.''


    Jason had seen entirely through her ploy, but only because Al had alerted him to thepetition. ''Her family is as poor as ours. There''s no way they''ll spare any credits to get her a weapon when she might fail the selection anyway.


    Jason sighed as he gestured towards his bed that Dani was alreadyying on. "Better make yourselffortable then, I guess."


    Dani squealed with excitement. She had always been curious about the items left behind by those who had lived in the old world. However, her parents did not allow her to waste any money on junk. The only time she got a good look at some of these things was when she dropped by Jason''s house.


    "How long will it take?" Dani asked as she peered at the desk from her position on the bed.


    "Does this girl ever shut up?" Syssie asked with a sarcastic tone that only Jason could hear.


    Jason chuckled, which Dani mistook for him,ughing at her enthusiasm. "Not long. I''ve already prepared the parts for the next one. However, I still need to process everything to be ready for the ones after that."


    Dani nodded as she hung on his every word. She did her best to remain silent while he worked on assembling the weapon. From time to time, she would gasp at theplexity of some of the things he did. Like setting the springs and lever for the telescopic function of the baton/spear.


    Dani was mesmerised as the weapon began to take shape. Right now, it just looked like a hollow spear which gave her a few concerns.


    "If the spear is hollow, then won''t it break more easily?" Dani asked with aplicated expression on her face.


    "True, it would break more easily if hit in the right ce. However, since it''s hollow, it also makes the weapon a lot lighter than most." Jason replied with a wide grin on his face. "Plus, it lets it do this!"


    Jason used the lever to demonstrate the Primal''s ability to withdraw in on itself to be a blunt weapon. Dani gasped as she sprang up from the bed and snatched it from Jason''s hand to examine it more closely.


    To Dani''s eyes, this was an exotic weapon that was practically a treasure! There was not anything like it anywhere in Highrise! The fact that it had three separate settings made it extremely versatile.


    Once her enthusiasm faded, she let out a long sigh. The Primal was far beyond her reach, there was no way that she could afford to buy one from Jason. On top of that, it was probably worth too much for her to casually "borrow" it either.


    Jason noticed the helplessness in Dani''s eyes as she stared longingly at the Primal in her hands. Jason chuckled because he knew what she was thinking. She had expected his weapon to be a sub-par one that would be suitable for poor people like them.


    Even though it was an F rank weapon, it certainly was unique in Highrise. Most weapons were lumps of wood that heavy bits of metal attached to them. It did not matter if the metal was blunt or sharp so long as it could hurt whatever it was used against.


    "Al has already reserved this one and the rest I''m making," Jason said lightly so to break Dani out of her mood. She quickly looked at him with huge puppy dog eyes. "However, I''m nning an upgrade to this."


    Jason retrieved the Primal from Dani''s grip andid it down on his desk with a heavy thud. "How about this. If I finish a prototype of its upgrade, I''ll let you borrow it for thepetition."


    "Really!" Dani eximed as she threw her arms around him. "What''s the catch?"


    "There''s no catch. If you use it, then it will help me to understand how well it works. It would also be like free advertising for my own business, so I can''tin. However, I''m not giving it to you. You''ll have to return it after thepetition." Jason replied with a serious expression stered on his face.


    Dani groaned as she considered his offer. It was a shame that she would not be able to keep the weapon, but she sorely needed it. If it was better than the one she had just held, then she could notin about not being prepared for the Guardians selection at all!


    "You''ve got a deal!" Dani beamed at Jason, who took the hand that she offered with a smile of his own.


    "Ok, now can you leave me in peace? I have to finish these and start working out how to improve the Primal. Especially now that I only have a month to do it!"

 Chapter 16: Upgrade (1)

    Chapter 16: Upgrade (1)


    In the end, it took Jason two full days to finish assembling the rest of the Primals. All in all, he was happy with how they had turned out. He immediately took them down to Al''s store to collect his payment. Al seemed to be in a cheerful mood as he received the weapons from Jason and paid him the amount they had agreed on beforehand.


    Jason had taken note of how Al had not put his first copy on disy, which meant that it had either already been sold or he was holding it back for now. No matter what Al was up to, Jason was happy to receive his credits for his hard work. He was surprised when Al offered to buy any more copies he made or anything new that he came up with.


    Jason was further taken aback when Al offered to give him an apprenticeship in his store if he provided at least two more useful items. Jason had only considered the proposal for a short while before firmly declining the training. What was the point when he technically already had the knowledge? He just had to unlock it with the help of Syssie.


    He did agree to sell future items to Al, though. At least until he built up a name for himself. Only when he found himself back in his room did he realise the crux of that matter. ''How the fuck are the people who buy my Primal from Al meant to know I made it?'' Jason pped his own forehead for his stupidity. He had overlooked entirely such an important detail.


    Syssie chuckled away in the corner as she was amused by Jason''s thoughts. "Only just figured it out, huh, kid?"


    Jason red at the AI as she mocked him. Did this mean that she had already considered it but had chosen not to say anything? "Why didn''t you say something sooner! Now I have no proof that it was me that made those weapons!"


    Syssie continued tough at his dilemma. "Well, I can''t go spoiling you now, can I? You''re going to have to think for yourself sometimes, you know?"


    Jason just groaned in response. What Syssie had said was indeed true. He could not afford to solely rely on the AI for everything. If he did, Syssie may as well live his life for him and leave Jason as a spectator! ''Ugh, what''s done is done. There''s no going back for now.'' Jason allowed himself one finalint in his mind before clearing the matter from his mind.


    He turned his attention back to considering how to upgrade the Primal. His Melee Schematic skill had no use just now since it requiredpatibleponents to be within his line of sight for them to be considered. ''There''s a couple of options I can at least consider for now before shopping around forponents.''


    Jason already had the fewponents that he had bought from the marketid out on his desk. These were mostly parts that would rece the main body of the weapon with a more robust material. ''I can either consider giving it an option to be even longer, making it a two-handed spear at that point. Or I can think about adding some kind of utility ability to it.''


    Both options had their own pros and cons. The first option would give the weapon more reach and would be even heavier in its baton form. This would add to the damage it caused when used as a club. At the same time, it also made the weapon weaker. It would involve more moving parts that could break at any point. Not only that, but the added weight would make it more suitable for someone who at least had a proper basic knowledge of using melee weapons.


    ''That pretty much crosses that out of contention. If I made such a thing, it would be more of a hindrance to Dani when she borrows it. I can maybe revisit that idea when I have a better understanding of everything involved with such a project.'' Jason analysed the idea before firmly crossing it out without hesitation.


    ''So that means I have to go for a utility ability.'' This would provide the weapon with more versatility. Jason was not stupid, so he knew that it would add a little weight to the weapon. So long as he stopped himself from going overboard, then the extra weight should not make much of a difference.


    ''What should I go with then?'' Thanks to his ability, he had a very shallow understanding of his interface''s primary skills. Everything below them on the tree was a sort of sub-skill that further unlocked higher knowledge in each field. ''Should I make a trigger that lets it fire dart-like weapons?''


    Jason toyed with the idea as he tried to figure out how useful that would be. It would give the Primal a proper ranged attack method. However, the amount of ammo that could be loaded would be minimal. ''I would probably only manage to fit enough for six shots onto it.'' Jason groaned as he realised that this was not really a viable option.


    After all, once all six shots were used, then the mechanism would be dead weight. Making the Primal more cumbersome than it was handy for. ''Ok, since a ranged option is out the window. Then should I try finding a way to increase its power in meleebat?''


    This was a hard option to figure out, and honestly, it left him stumped. The only thing he could think of was making it out of more robust and heavier materials. Which he already had to hand. However, he was confident that this would not be enough to elevate the weapon to an E rank from F.


    Syssie just nonchntly giggled from time to time,ughing at his internal struggles. Jason really wanted to throw something at her, and only the fact that it would not actually hit her prevented him from doing so. "I need a break."


    Jason was in a foul mood as he stood up from his chair. As he wandered out into the hall, he could hear the sounds of his grandfather snoring peacefully. He tried to be as quiet as possible, shifting himself down the hall to take a peek into his Gramps''s bedroom. On another dirty mattress ced directly on the floor,ying there was the old man.


    He seemed to be in fair health, which meant that nothing had gone wrong whenever he had left the house without Jason. ''Like, seriously. What are you even up to that''s making you so tired?'' Jason was seriously confused by Harry''s behaviour ever since they returned from the industrial zone.


    Jason had already fixed his bedroom door and would always close it properly whoever he went to sleep. However, each morning his door would be slightly ajar. Which meant that Harry was at least checking in on him before leaving.'' Ugh, I''m sure he''ll tell me when he''s ready. Actually, scratch that. He definitely won''t.''


    Jason felt stupid for worrying about the old man. He was a capable veteran, after all. It was unlikely that he would get himself into something that he could not handle. At least, that was what Jason hoped. Jason left the old man to his peaceful slumber as he trudged down the stairs, hopping over the ever-present hole that could cause a severe injury if he was not paying attention.


    He wandered into the dusty kitchen and nced at the sink. For the longest time, he had wondered what such a thing had been used for. However, his ability told him that it used something called ''plumbing'' to provide water to households. Jason chuckled at all the times he and his Gramps had argued over its possible uses.


    Neither of them had right all. Still, when Jason tried the tap, absolutely nothing came out. There was no sounds or anything to tell him what might be wrong. ''Maybe one day I can make this work again.'' He sighed as he turned towards the worktop that held two buckets of water that Harry must have drawn from the well this morning.


    Jason took a cup from one of the cupboards and dipped it into the lukewarm water. All of his thinking had left him with a bad case of dry mouth. As he chugged down the liquid, he felt a slight sense of relief as he went to fill the cup for a second time to take it up into his room with him. At that moment, his eyesnded on something that had been a source of disappointment for him some time ago.


    The ck box that was actually a car battery still sat on the kitchen table. The only difference was that Jason''s brain actually paid attention to it now. Focusing on telling him what it could be used for and how the principle could be used in his new weapon design. Jason''s eyes narrowed as he quickly thought up several ideas.


    "Electricity" Jason mumbled as he got lost in his own thoughts.

 Chapter 17: Upgrade (2)

    Chapter 17: Upgrade (2)


    Jason had a hard time believing in his own thoughts. They mostly concerned about how natural phenomena such as lightning could be harnessed to create incredible things. The problem was that although his mind showed him these things, he did not fully understand how they worked. Instead, all he could make sense of was a few ideas of how to create electricity and unleash it.


    A crazy idea formed in his mind as he considered the Primal and how he could utilise this knowledge. There was a slight gap in his current understanding of creating a sufficiently small and powerful enough battery to store the electricity for future use. This ced Jason in a bit of a dilemma. He was almost sure that this was the key he needed to elevate his weapon''s design.


    However, he would have to go scavenging to find the essentialponent that he did not have the means to create himself. ''Even if it has lost its charge, I can think of several things to resolve that.'' These were simple contraptions that used mechanicalponents and a handle to turn that would generate the charge needed for the battery.


    ''I can only hope that a battery is considered as a basicponent to my Scanner. Otherwise, I''ll never be able to pick one out even if it''s right in front of me.'' Jason groaned as he refilled his cup and grabbed the car battery with his free hand before returning to his room. Now that he knew what it could be used for, he would definitely save it for future use!


    Syssie gave Jason a strange look as he returned to the room and ced the battery on his desk beside the weaponponents. Jason had an ecstatic expression on his face, but at the same time, he had a troubled look in his eyes. Of course, Syssie already knew of his new idea. How could she not when literally existed in his thoughts?


    To be honest, she agreed with it. She thought that Jason had finally hit on something good. Jason''s mindset about returning to the Old World outside of the walls for a treasure hunt was the only problem. Although technically there was not much danger in the way of wild creatures close to the walls, that slight chance still worried Jason.


    His Gramps would never agree to just search the nearby buildings. Since all of the valuable stuff had been picked clean long ago. However, Jason thought that something like a battery might have been overlooked. Especially since it seemed like nobody had any idea what they were used for.


    Take the car battery, for example, that was sitting on his desk. There were plenty of themying all over the ce, but nobody sold or bought them. The only reason Jason had even picked this one up was because of how intact it was. All the others he had seen had partially fallen apart or been smashed by something. He had thought that he could have discovered its secrets only because it still seemed to have everything that it should.


    Now that he thought about it, he realised how stupid that idea was. There was no way he would have considered that this ck box could hold an electrical charge. Even if he did, he would not have figured out how to put it to use!


    Jason sighed as he began to think about all the empty apartments and buildings that were still rtively close to Highrise. ''Do I try my luck with the empty apartments? Or would I be more likely to find what I need in one of those buildings that look like they used to be markets of some sort?''


    Since he had no idea about the various shapes and sizes of theponent he was looking for or what it was moremonly used for, Jason could only try his luck. He eventually decided that his best chance would be to try an area with both of these ces. It was slightly further away than Jason would have liked, but it would prevent him from having to make multiple trips just to find out what kind of buildings he should be searching in the first ce.


    ''I sold all my weapons as well. I''ll have to make do with a pipe or something.'' Jason had already considered just searching the markets to safely procure what he needed. However, after searching his memories, he realised that his Scanner had never picked up anything called a battery when he was there a few days ago.


    Luckily it was not even noon yet outside. After doing some quick math, Jason knew that he should theoretically have enough time to get to his destination, perform a search and return home before it became too dark. The fact that he was only looking for a singleponent was why he could manage it. Since he would not be carting around a backpack full of junk this time.


    "Hey Syssie,e on. We''re heading out." Jason grabbed his tool belt and gloves before heading out without saying another word.


    Syssie skipped along beside him as they headed for the town''s gate. He was sure that she would have drawn plenty of attention if anyone could see her. Jason only hoped that her figure and her revealing dress would not distract him at the worst possible time! Still, it was not like Jason could just leave her behind either.


    There was practically no traffic at the already open gate at this time of day, which made the whole process of registering a lot easier. Of course, Jason refused to pay the rental fee for a backpack since he did not need one anyway. This raised some suspicion towards him from the woman behind the counter.


    "I was hired for a job to retrieve a single item. You can check with Al if you need verification." Jason replied to the clerk when she asked him the reason.


    Jason was reasonably confident that Al would back his tant lie up. The weapon dealer would probably figure that he just making more of the Primal or creating something new. Which, in turn, should be good for him. Since Jason was more likely to sell whatever it was to his store. Of course, Al did not have to know that Jason had no intention of doing so this time around.


    The clerk''s expression became more gentle with his exnation. This was not the first time that a scavenger had beenmissioned for something specific. Al was also slightly famous around down due to his store, so she saw no reason to doubt Jason. She did make a mental note to ask Al what he was working on, though, due to her own curiosity.


    She quickly waved Jason away after noting down his departure and reason. Jason could only smile as he quickly slipped out of town without anyone paying close attention to him. The piece of pipe that was no better than a club banged against his leg from where he had tied it to his belt. Jason cursed as he rubbed his knee. He could tell that he would have a new bruise long before he returned to Highrise.


    "How far are we going?" Syssie asked as she looked around at the scenery. She was fascinated by the ruins that littered thendscape.


    "Not too far. We can''t afford to get held up and have Gramps asking too many questions." Jason stared at her curiously as she spun around, taking everything in. "Why do you do that anyway?"


    "Do what?" Syssie replied with an innocent smile, to which Jason rolled his eyes in response.


    "That! Make your well body look around? Does it actually do anything since it isn''t real?" Jason was honestly confused by Syssie''s behaviour. It left him wondering all over again just how much this AI was capable of.


    "Hmph! Of course, it does something, you idiot!" Syssie''s expression turned dark as she red at him. "It makes me feel better for being stuck in this stupid imnt! Yeah, I might not be able to see whatever my avatar is looking at. Since I can only see through your eyes and all. But did you really have to be so insensitive as to point it out!"


    Jason immediately felt ashamed. He was treating Syssie like something that should be void of emotion even though she had explicitly mentioned that she had been programmed with all of those things. Jason felt like he should have considered the impact his words would cause more before he blurted them out. He had thought that it was a harmless question, but now he knew that he would have to be even more careful than he had been.


    After all, upsetting an AI that was keeping you alive could never be a good thing. He felt like he had entirely thrown himself into boiling water because of his stupidity. He even began to imagine scenarios where Syssie withheld important information just to watch him suffer! A bright burst ofughter quickly dragged Jason out of his paranoid thoughts.


    "That was pretty good." Syssieughed as she reyed his thought about her not warning him about a dangerous liquid that melted his arm off. "I think you''ve tortured yourself enough for me to forgive you. Just don''t do it again. Ok?"

 Chapter 18: Upgrade (3)

    Chapter 18: Upgrade (3)


    Jason found himself wondering what the old world had been like during its peakpared to the crumbling ruins around them. Vegetation grew around, on and even inside everything that remained of that period in time as the structures slowly decayed. He could only stare in wonder at the many apartment buildings and the sheer number of humans that could have lived inside of them.


    His mind could not fathom the amount of life that would have been present in this area during that time. ''How were they even able to move around?'' In Jason''s mind, he pictured crowds of people standing shoulder to shoulder on the streets, unable to move without bumping into each other. Personally, he was d that he never had to experience that kind of life.


    The only thing that he regretted was all of the lost technology. However, with his power, he had the potential to create something simr in time. That was if he chose to share his creations anyway. There was also the worry that his designs could be turned on him, so he was reluctant to freely share everything that he woulde up with.


    Jason jumped suddenly when he heard a metallic crashing sound as the pole that supported a set of traffic lights finally gave way. The rusted metal and broken ss littered the road where itnded, creating a small dirt cloud. Jason sighed in relief when he realised that it was nothing to worry about.


    ''That gave me a good scare.'' His eyes narrowed as he stared at the offending item. ''Still, if that was actually a beast approaching me, would I have been able to defend myself?''


    This small scare had made him think more clearly about his situation. If he wanted to explore the world in his search for a better life and a way to keep himself alive, there were many things that he wascking. A reliable melee weapon was only the beginning. Without a power that would allow him to wield something beyond most humans, then he could not hope to protect himself from the more gigantic beasts.


    ''I''ll need toe up with some kind of ranged weapon for myself.'' Jason sighed as he already added a new project to his list. ''Not only that, but I have to consider armour for protection, ammunition, a way to transport everything''


    The more he thought about it, the more his situation looked hopeless. He would obviously scavenge anything that he needed during his future travels, but how was he meant to carry it all around alongside his essentials? It was a problem that he had only just thought of but had instantly be a thorn in his ns.


    ''I''ll just have to wait and see if I cane up with anything after I unlock a few more skills.'' In the end, Jason just had to ept that he was helpless about that problem for now. Still, he had plenty of time before he would act on his own desires. He was sure that he would be able to upgrade Syssie''s integrity with local items once he improved his knowledge.


    That was the only race that he was in right now. The race to gain PP to ess his vault of knowledge tightly locked away in his own brain. It was frustrating to think that he already had all the answers to his problems but could not ess them without killing himself. As the sun began to descend in the green sky, the area that Jason had aimed for appeared up ahead.


    Arge swathe ofnd held a car park with rusted remains while a dpidated supermarket with a half caved in roof loomed up ahead. Jason looked around at the surrounding high-rise apartments and nodded with satisfaction. There were plenty of ces for them to search for a sufficient battery for his design!


    AA wave of eagerness washed over him as he quickened his pace. It was strange that whenever he thought of creating something new that this sensation would follow. Jason wondered if it was some kind of side effect of his power.


    "Shouldn''t we slow down? You''re not even concealing your approach or looking for signs of any beasts in the area?" Syssie asked in an unusually concerned voice.


    This shocked Jason out of his one-track mind. His thought process became soberer with Syssie''s warning. ''Why the fuck did I act like that? I know better than this.'' For a moment, Jason even wondered if something had taken control of his faculties other than his drive for creation. His eyes narrowed as he crept to the side of the road and took cover behind a fading red postbox.


    Jason peered over the top of it and began to study the different nts in his target area. There was a chance that one of them was releasing pollen that could affect his mental capacities. After several minutes in that position, Jason had finally managed to identify all of the flora asmon nts. Two of them were poisonous, but none of them could affect him in the way that he had just experienced.


    ''Does that mean there''s a beast in the area with that kind of ability? Or am I being targeted by bandits?'' Both options seemed reasonable to Jason right now. As such, he could only proceed carefully after scanning his surroundings. Whichever one turned out to be urate, it would be best if he could altogether avoid the responsible party.


    With any luck, he may not even be a target at all, and it was just some kind of side effect of a beast or person''s power. There were plenty of stories about how some abilities were so powerful that their wielders left strange effects behind in the areas they passed through. Without any danger being evident at that moment in time, Jason activated his Scanner and searched for a battery as he continued his approach towards the supermarket.


    It did not take him long to discover a hole in the building''s side that showed the contents within. Shelving unitsy on their side where they had been knocked over at some point while the merchandise they used to disy littered the floors. Pretty much everything looked like it had broken, burst open or crushed by the trampling of feet.


    Jason wondered if it was caused by the old humans evacuating the building in a hurry or if it happened more recently due to a beast or humans searching the ruins. Luckily for Jason, the interior was reasonably well lit due to the gaping hole in the ceiling where it had caved in along with a few other holes in the walls.


    There was no sound of anything stirring within the ruins, so Jason summoned his courage to step inside. His hand went for the thick piece of pipe, which he swiftly detached from his tool belt so that he was ready at a moments notice. His eyes wandered over metal tins that showed signs of their age while the remains of other things were so far gone that he could not make out what they used to be at all.


    As he wandered quietly up and down the aisles in this surreal setting, he realised just how much stuff this market used to sell due to all of the broken and faded merchandise covered in a thickyer of dust. However, it made sense considering the high volume of humans that would have lived in the area, which just left him even more fascinated by the past.


    So far, his Scanner had failed to pick up any signs of a battery. Jason began to wonder if this was the right ce to look after all. He could always switch his search area to the apartment buildings. In the hopes of his expedition, baring some fruits for hisbour. By this point, he had crossed half of the length of the supermarket, the heavy dust that he stirred in his passing began to make his throat feel dry.


    ''Damn it! Don''t cough now!'' Jason quickly covered his mouth and nose to stifle the sound of him clearing his throat. He kept his ears sharp for any sounds of something reacting to his sudden noise. A few moments passed with no reaction, which made him feel relieved. ''Seems like there really isn''t anything in this area. I wonder if enough groups pass by here to keep it clear?''


    Jason sighed as he stared at the roof''s wreckageying on the ground, diving the store in two. ''I can either head back and search the outside for an opening on the other end, or I can climb over this'' Jason checked how sturdy the mass of metal and other materials was by tugging on various pieces. ''At least it doesn''t seem like it will shift its weight if I add mine to it.''


    Jason decided that it would be faster to just go over the obstacle. He was on a time limit, after all. Jason learned quickly to be more careful when he ced his hands on the wreckage as several cuts ensued from his clumsy climb. He could not help but swear to himself as he finally brought himself to the summit after enduring many bumps, scrapes and cuts.


    However, when his eyes settled on what was on the other side, his mind suddenly went nk. He had never seen anything like it in any of his journeys apanying his Gramps''s during their work. As his eyes went wide, he had but a single thought. ''Please Tell me I''m imaging things''

 Chapter 19: Upgrade (4)

    Chapter 19: Upgrade (4)


    Laying there surrounded by a whole mothend of broken electronics were the dead husks of three metres long and two metres tall ants. Right in the centre of their dead bodies was a hole in the supermarket floor that wasrge enough for these insects to pass through. It seemed like Jason had inadvertently discovered something like a graveyard for this species.


    The dirt surrounding the hole that presumably led to their nest looked rtively fresh, which meant that this building was still in use. Jason had no idea if he should be grateful or not that it looked like one of the ants hade here to die peacefully recently. This meant that it was doubtful that there were any other beasts in the area, as they would have seized these remains for a quick and easy meal long ago.


    Still, Jason''s wonder onlysted for a moment as his Scanner finally alerted him that there were batteries scattered around the remains! Both Jason''s excitement and caution grew at that discovery. He had no way of telling if he would alert the nest of ants below the surface if he disturbed these remains in any way. ''I have to take the risk!''


    Syssie lightly floated down the wrecked mountain to take a look at the eerie remains. There was no light reflected in their dead eyes, which only confirmed that they had been dead for some time. As Syssie ogled the bodies of these giant insects, Jason got to work collecting any batteries that his Scanner told him were still in working order.


    His Scanner also conveniently pointed out whether they still had a charge stored within or not. Which only made his job easier! Obviously, Jason focused on the ones that were still charged, as this meant that they were probably better than the other ones that had been drained over time. Still, it came as a surprise for Jason to find out all the various shapes and sizes of these batteries.


    It only made him confident that he was sure to find at least one type that would fit his new weapon''s design needs. Eventually, he managed to stuff his pockets and empty pouches on his belt full of his treasure. Feeling satisfied that he had gained what he came for, he turned his attention on the looming mound of insects.


    A strange feeling came over him as he felt the urge to touch the bodies. To what end, he had no clue, but it was a powerful feeling nheless. His hand stretched out before he could stop himself and caressed the smooth carapace. To his shock, he discovered that it was incredibly tough. His mind began to race with new ideas on how he could possibly incorporate this opportunity into a type of armour for himself.


    ''Hmm, the smaller sections should fit me quite well. There''s no point in considering therge sections. They would only be good for a shield. Still, how heavy are they? Can I even take these back to Highrise alone?'' It was a sensitive topic, especially since the guards would likely ask questions on how he hade by such precious materials.


    He could refuse to answer, but that would only make him appear suspicious. There had been reports in the past of hunting groups killing powerful beasts only for one of their group to poison the others. This way, they got toy im to all of the credits that the materials were worth. Jason had no doubt that they would suspect him of pulling off this scam.


    In the end, Jason decided that the risk was not worth it. Not for now, at least. He could always try and find a safe hideout out here in the wilds and use it as a secret base. There he would be free to conduct his research into his creations without the risk of being exposed for what he was capable of. At the same time, he could use it to store anything that he would need in the future.


    Jason sighed as he realised that this short journey had just added another thing to his to-do list. Still, it would be worth it in the end, or so he convinced himself. There was always the risk that the nest below this building might discover him when Jason finally had the time and means to dissect the corpses. He was pretty sure that they would swarm the immediate area if that happened.


    ''Which means I have to set up somewhere rtively far from here for safety''s sake.'' Jasonined as he realised the amount of effort he would have to expend for these seemingly simple ns. He would also have to conceive of defensive measures to prevent any opportunistic scavengers from raiding his secret stash if they discovered it!


    As he was lost in his thoughts, a low rumbling sounded from the tunnel. Jason''s eyes went wide as he understood what was going on beneath the surface! ''Oh shit! Hide!'' Jason''s feet pounded on the floor as they ran towards a pile of junk stacked in a corner as far away from the hole as possible. Syssie apanied him even though she did not have to be worried since nothing could discover her anyway.


    Jason squeezed into a tight gap before covering himself with a fewyers of debris, making sure to leave a small opening that he could peek out from. A low tide of dirt washed up from inside the nest''s entrance as arge head came into view. Jason gulped in fear as he noticed how terrifying these beasts actually were. It had been s totally different story when he was only dealing with their deceased!


    Jason did the best that he could to control his breathing and body''s trembling. He was silently hoping that his reactions would not casually reveal his presence to the ant that seemed to be searching the area. Its broad head swung back and forth as its pincers clicked together several times. The brown colour of its body was rtively light, just like the husks surrounding it.


    Jason cursed at his own luck. It was likely that this insect had not responded to his trespassing. Instead, it just so happened to pick this time to surface and join its old friends in eternal sleep. However, the way it kept looking around the area told Jason that it seemed to be searching for something or someone.


    Jason was forced to remain in hiding as the light in the building became dimmer as time passed. The ant still showed no signs of giving up on its own life just yet. Perhaps it was slightly cautious, even if it was about to die, then surely it did not want its body to be taken advantage of by whatever had been here!


    As the light turned to a dull orange glow, the ant finally seemed satisfied that there was nothing to be concerned about. After so much time passing in his awkward position, Jason felt a profound stiffness and ache all over his body. ''Hurry up and get on with it!''


    The elderly ant crawled over the bodies slowly before finally settling down in its chosen spot between two others. Jason patiently waited as the ant''s legs still twitched, and its head would turn from time to time. In itssts moments, it let out soft clicks and noises as it stared at the remains of the dead. Jason wondered if it felt a sense of security by being surrounded by the ever silent protectors of this entrance as thest flickers of life left its eyes.


    For some strange reason, Jason suddenly felt a wet streak upon his cheek as he pushed his way out from his hiding spot. Something in his heart had been stirred by witnessing the passing of such a creature. For some time, the sadness seeped into his mind before he finally gathered the strength to leave that ce. With a steady pace, he began to climb the wrecked mountain once again. Having failed to find a suitable exit on this side.


    Syssie stared at the pained expression upon Jason''s face. She was worried that the ant''s death had left an evesting emotional impact upon his mind. Still, there was nothing suitable that she could think of to say in that strange situation. All that she was really concerned about was not having her own life cut short because of some stupid sentimentality that Jason might have developed.


    After all, for all that they knew, the remains of some beast out there in the wild might be a crucialponent in saving their lives someday. At that moment, Jason finally reached the pinnacle of the wreckage for the second time on that day. He turned around to face the solemn graveyard of the ants with a sad expression on his face. He slowly shook his head before deciding to say a few words before their departure.


    "Please forgive me. I''ll definitely put your bodies to good use in the future. Until then, sleep peacefully"

 Chapter 20: Upgrade (5)

    Chapter 20: Upgrade (5)


    The trip back to Highrise was uneventful for Jason and Syssie. They did not have the time to explore anything else, so they moved as fast as possible to return to the city. They barely made it in time for the gates to be closed, which made them feel relieved. Jason did not relish the idea of finding somewhere for them to hunker down for the night, especially since most beasts in the area were nocturnal in nature.


    Jason only had to put up with a routine check by the administration staff upon his return. They noted that all he had returned with was some junk, which nobody knew what it could be used for. Since they were not restricted items, and he was on a supposed requested expedition, the staff allowed him to go on his way without incident.


    Jason sighed with relief after throwing himself onto his bed. Their expedition had been sessful, and nobody knew what he was up to. ''Let''s just hope at least one of these can be used.'' He thought while watching the dark of night creeping across the sky outside his window. ''It''s toote to make a start on it now. I''ll wait until morning.''


    With Jason having made up his mind, it did not take long for him to drift off into a restless sleep. That night he was gued with nightmares that brought the different forms of the things he was worried about. Whether it was being enved to exploit his ability or failing to upgrade Syssie in time to save their lives. It was needless to say that when he woke up in the morning, he felt like shit.


    "You look like you had a rough night," Syssie stated, having juste back online coinciding with Jason''s own awakening.


    "Yeah, let''s not talk about it, though. I''d rather just get on with upgrading the Primal." Jason replied with a curt yet exhausted tone.


    Syssie merely nodded to show her understanding before hovering around the old desk. Jason had not bothered to remove his clothes before falling asleepst night, so he was already ready to get started. Jason slid off of his bed and dragged his feet over to the sole chair in the room. There was a heavy thud as he dropped his ass onto it and stared at theponents on the desk with a nk look upon his face.


    "Oh, right. The fucking batteries!" Jason groaned as he realised that he had left them in his pockets and pouches before he had fallen asleep. By now, they were scattered all over his bed and the floor from all of his tossing and turning during the night.


    It took him a few minutes to gather them and ce them alongside the otherponents for the upgrade he nned to perform. As soon as everything wasid out, Jason''s initial sleepiness vanished from his mind. ''Ok, let''s get this show started.'' Jason immediately activated his Melee Schematic skill and hoped for the best.


    It did not take long for it to produce a working schematic with the items he had on hand, making Jason feel ted. In the end, the design would use three of therger and thicker batteries from among the crowd. Unfortunately, only two of these batteries still had a charge in them, which meant that Jason had to resort to creating the hand crank recharger that he had previously thought of.


    Luckily enough, he already had everything he needed to create the small mechanical contraption. After an hour of fiddling around, a small box with two wires connected to a fitting that could hold the battery of his choice sat upon the battered desk. While he was smiling at this minor achievement, Syssie decided to chime in with an evaluation!


    "Evaluation F Rank utility item suitable for Novices that uses mechanicalponents to convert kic energy into usable electrical energy in small amounts. A highly inefficient design, but it''s a start. Value estimated at six copper credits. What will you name this one?" Syssie suddenly said with a severe critique.


    "Hand Crank Recharger." Jason nodded while being fully aware of howme his naming sense was. He had already suspected that he would get an evaluation for any item that he made. After all, his power epassed many different fields.


    "Hmm, schematic has been saved and designated as HCR: 001 in the Utility folder. Let''s hope you can be more creative with the name for your Primal upgrade." Syssie lightly chuckled as she flopped down on his bed and watched him get to work with charging the third battery.


    Barely ten minutes had passed before Jason was sweating andining from the muscle aches in his arms. ''God damn it! One of the first things I need to do is unlock the knowledge to make something to do this for me!'' The constant repetition of turning the crank was grating on his nerves and stamina.


    ''Damn! I didn''t even think of a way to tell when the charging is done! How long am I meant to do this for? Ten minutes? Half an hour?'' Such an oversight made Jason feel frustrated. Still, it was his first time creating something like this. ''You can only learn from your mistakes! I''ll see what I can find for its upgrade when the timees.''


    Jason decided to stop after half an hour and deemed that it would be enough to at least test his new weapon once he assembled it. He removed the battery from the charger and stared at the small cylinder in wonder.'' To think that this holds such a marvel. Tch, the old humans, were quite remarkable.''


    It made him wonder about all of the all other junk justying around in the world. What marvels were they originally part of? How were they made? What drove humanity to discover these things? Jason suddenly felt something calling out to him in his soul. It was a sudden need to explore the darkest corners of the world and uncover all of the age long-buried secrets!


    An intensity gripped his mind like nothing he had ever felt before. It was like his entire being had awakened to what he had always been meant to do. Jason felt a smirk cross his face at the sudden sensation. ''It''s a shame that I''ll have to wait a while before I can properly pursue this.'' Jason was nowhere near as ready as he would have to be to freely explore the world.


    His mind turned to the parts on his desk as a sense of rity overtook his thought process. Jason appeared as if he was in some kind of trance as his hands worked quickly to assemble the more vital metals into the base of his upgraded weapon. It took the same shape, and the device he made to hold the batteries and transfer an electrical current throughout the weapon fitted nicely into the hollow area of the pipe that made up the weapon''s grip.


    Jason''s eyes shone as he held thepleted weapon in his hand. With cautious movements, he tested the original functions of the new primal. He found that there were no issues with its ability to change into its three various forms. On top of that, its more durable materials made it sturdier, so its telescopic function was less likely to malfunction duringbat.


    With an ecstatic expression over his design''s initial sess, his eyes went to the switch that had been integrated into the handle to control the electrical current. Jason took a deep breath and held it before moving his thumb over it and turning it on. The new Primal in its baton form began to hum as the electricity was released. A few sparks were created here and there, which gave away the secret behind the weapon.


    Just as he was about to celebrate, his hand suddenly went numb as an electric shock on the level of being able to stun an opponent ran through his body! Jason copsed to the floor as he dropped the weapon and felt his body spasm as his jaw went ck. His eyes rolled into his head for a few moments as he forced to endure the result of his test.


    Luckily, the level of the shock was not enough to do anysting damage. As Jason''s mind cleared and regained his faculties, he stared at the weapon in disbelief. He had never imagined that being electrocuted would feel like that! It gave him a deeper appreciation for how dangerous even the most simple bit of knowledge from the old world could be.


    Syssie wasughing her head off on top of the bed with tears streaming down her face. She had found the whole thing to be hrious. Jason grumbled as he got to his feet, having left the weapon turned on for several minutes, had utterly drained the charge of the batteries. ''Great, now I have three of the fucking things to charge up.'' His arms already began to ache at the thought of turning the crank on the recharger for so long.


    "Should I give it an evaluation now?" Syssie lightly chuckled with a red face.


    "No, not yet. I need to fix something first before it''splete." Jason replied with a serious expression stered on his face.

 Chapter 21: Brand Identity (1)

    Chapter 21: Brand Identity (1)


    The next few days saw Jason tinkering with and testing his upgrades to the Primal. He added a rubber grip to the handle, which was made from those present on old rusted bicycles. This prevented him from being electrocuted every time he turned the damn thing on. He also added a few changes to the switch so that it could now control its power usage.


    Now it could give a slight stun effect, the full-blown incapacitated state that he had ended up in, and an output that Jason could only some would be lethal. After his tests, he concluded that the low power setting could activate around thirty times, mid-power for fifteen uses, and the deadly dose would consume the entire charge in just three uses.


    It was needless to say that Jason was ecstatic with the modifications. On top of that, it barely added any weight to his design. He felt a sense of pride and aplishment wash over him as he stared at the Primal''s newpleted version. ''It takes roughly an hour to charge each battery, so I won''t be making any more of these for the time being.''


    Jason could only sigh in resignation. He had no ns to sell the recharging equipment as this would give too much away. Neither did he n on spending his time constantly recharging this weapon for any potential customers. At most, he might consider making one solely for Dani, but that would still draw a lot of envy towards her.


    ''Still, this should be enough for her to win thepetition. As long as she doesn''t screw it up on her end anyway.'' Jason sighed as he thought about what might happen if he entered thepetition. ''Yeah, I''d definitely get my ass handed to me. There''s no way around that.''


    Even though he no longer wanted to join the Lord''s Guardians, he still wanted to show what he was capable of. Still, that was impossible for him right now, considering what would happen to him due to showing off his power. Making items could quickly be passed off as just being gifted enough to find a use for anythingying around.


    At least, as long as he did not take things too far too soon. People would definitely begin to question it if he suddenly came up with anything too advanced. So, for a while at least, Jason would have to stockpile anything that fit that category somewhere safe for his own use once he set out from Highrise.


    ''That day still seems so far away.'' Jason gazed out of his window with a sad smile before turning his attention to female AI lounging around on his bed. "Alright, Syssie. It''s ready for your review."


    "Finally!" Syssie sprang up from the bed and made a show of fixing her virtual dress before heading over to take a look at what Jason had aplished. For a split second, she seemed taken aback before giving her evaluation.


    "Evaluation E Rank melee weapon suitable for Novices that incorporates blunt, piercing and electric types for damage output. The strength required to wield it efficiently would be 0.1. Value is estimated at twenty-five copper credits." Syssie nodded along with each critique she gave. "So, the total PP awarded for this creationes to two and a half PP."


    "Two and a half! That''s all?" Jason felt his heart aching slightly as he looked at the weapon. He was unsure as to what he had expected, but it was certainly more than that!


    "I''m afraid so, kiddo! What? Did you expect this to be a walk in the park? Like you''d just suddenly start unlocking everything like there was no tomorrow? This stuff takes time. I know it''s technically bad for us, but you''d just do more harm than good to your brain in the short term." Syssie gave him a sympathetic expression. "Come on now, tell me what you want to name it so I can file it away in my databanks."


    Jason groaned because he knew that she was right. Just the high PP costs of the skills he had looked at should have been enough to warn him on their own. He would be lucky to get his hands on one or two essential skills a month with how slowly he would gain PP. For now, he had to name his creation.


    ''Hm, I named its previous form due to how primitive its weapon style is. This is more advanced, though, so I can''t use something simr. Its name should also reflect its ability in some way.'' His mind ran through plenty of options while he tried toe up with something clever. ''In the end, I''m still terrible with naming things.''


    "Let''s just go with Thunderspear, put it under the SDW series." Jason eventually replied whilementing his creative skills when it came to these matters.


    "Yeah, no. Your naming sense sucks. How about this SDW: Riot 001." Syssie rolled her eyes at him before smiling as she gave her own advice.


    "Don''t look at me like that! I know it''s terrible, but it still sounded better than Lightningspear. Even if that would have been more urate." Jason replied to her look with a hint of indignation in his tone.


    "Please tell me you weren''t really going to go with that!" Syssie shuddered as she cringed at the alternative.


    "Fine! Let''s go with your suggestion!" Jasonined, even though he had to agree that her suggestion was far superior to his own.


    "Got it. SDW: Riot has been created as a subfile of SDW: Primal." Syssie beamed as she saved herself the headache of having look through poorly named files. "Oh! Congrattions! Since this is the first time you have created this item and it''s above the Frank, you have received twenty-five PP!"


    "Wait! Didn''t you say I would only get two and a half points? What''s up with that?" Jason suddenly blurted out, confused by the sudden development.


    "No idea. I''m just as clueless as you. Syssie shrugged her shoulders. If I had to guess, it seems like an incentive to create new things instead of churning out the same items time after time." Syssie replied with a casual expression.


    ''Hm. Makes sense. There are so few points avable at the lower ranks, so if I want to grow fast, I have to expand on what I can make quickly.'' Now that the turmoil in his mind had been solved, Jason turned his attention as to how she hade up with that name. ''It''s perfect for crowd control. Especially if you want to take people alive. On the other hand, it still has the capability to deal with potentially lethal situations. It seems like a perfect weapon for the guards to use. I wonder if they''re who Al sold the Primal''s to.''


    As Jason thought about this, he realised that it was a good business opportunity. It would be perfect for when he finally had a reliable way to charge the batteries without bing exhausted or wasting his own time. Preferably after he had created something better for himself as well.


    "Shit! That''s right! I still need toe up with a mark to identify it as my work!" Jason felt perplexed when he remembered this issue. His naming sense was horrible, and so was any other artistic parts of him.


    He could not risking up with somethingme that people might want to cover up in shame or put them off buying his creations all together. At the same time, it would have to symbolise that he was dipping his toes into many fields and not just weapons. He wanted people to have a sense of pride in owning items with his mark emzoned upon them!


    Jason looked around his room to see if he could gain some inspiration. However, apart from his tools, there was only junk. His eyes lingered on the pile of ruined stuffed teddy bears for a moment. ''Will I fuck use one of them as my symbol!'' Jason scoffed at his own mind for trying to take the easy way out. This decision was too massive to waste it like that.


    ''Using electricity like this is just the beginning. But, it''s still the first step I''ve properly taken on this path. If that is where this began, then where will it end?'' His mind raced to try and figure out that question. However, it kept returning to the old stories he was told about humans flying in the skies freely because of their inventions.


    ''A cloud doesn''t represent the depths of the secrets I want to uncover.'' Jason sighed as he thought about how to express this better. When his eyes nced outside of his window, they came across the light of the stars flickering in the never-ending darkness.


    At that point, Jason knew that he had found his answer to that part of the problem. Now he had an almost finished image in his mind. One that represented the starting and hopefully endpoint of his journey. There was just one thing missing. Something that represented his own personal touch and that of the things that the old world had left behind.


    This time he scanned the spare mechanicalponents stillying on his desk. It did not take him long to decide on what it was that his symbol was missing. Jason chuckled lightly as the entire image became clear in his mind. ''Yes! That''s perfect!''


    Jason quickly raced around the room as he gathered up everything that he would need to create his own stamp. It would take some work to shape and create something that would work when hammered into the metal to leave his mark. However, Jason could not feel more excited right now! It was the feeling of creating his own personal identity that he could share with his creations that kept him working into the night.

 Chapter 22: Brand Identity (2)

    Chapter 22: Brand Identity (2)


    Jason heaved a sigh of relief as he gazed at his custom made brand through blurry eyes. He had spent the entire night working on it, tweaking it until he was satisfied. In the end, he ended up with a symbol that he was thrilled with. It had a mechanical gear as the background with a starid over the top of it. The points of the star cut through the gear as they extended beyond it slightly.


    The star itself was divided in half diagonally by a lightning bolt, fully incorporating the three symbols into one cohesive whole. ''Well, it''s certainly unique.'' Jason smiled as he thought about some of the symbols used by those in Highrise. Take Al''s symbol, for example. It was nothing more than a hammer and long nail in an x shape.


    Jason lifted his own hammer along with the custom stamp. cing the symbol end on the Riot''s shaft that he created yesterday, he struck a heavy blow with his hammer. As he removed his emblem from the weapon with trembling hands, he discovered that his mark was now left behind. Its edges were pleasant and clean. Nothing seemed to have gone wrong.


    Admittedly he was mainly worried that the stamp might fall apart when he struck it, leaving behind an ugly and misshapen imprint. Still, everything had gone smoothly, and Jason did not hesitate to quickly stamp his HCR as well. Just to be on the safe side. Looking at the two pieces of equipment made Jason realise that he actually had so little that he could use to promote his work.


    Especially since he had no ns to sell either of these two items. ''I need toe up with some other things that can be bought cheaply. Something useful. It doesn''t matter if they only end up as F rank items since they''re only going to be used to promote my work. I should also create a few more Primal''s with my mark.''


    Humming silently to himself, Jason began to make a shopping list as he considered whatponents might work well with each other to create useful tools. In the end, he became a little bit selfish in the things that he wanted to make. He decided to make a few tools that would be useful for those in the scavenger profession.


    With Syssie in tow, Jason quickly headed out to the market to buy what he needed. His heart basically bled to part with his hard-earned credits, but sometimes you had to spend money to make money! Just as he was about to leave the stalls with his purchases, a familiar voice called out to him.


    "Yo! Jason!" Al''s voice carried like thunder through the crowd as he made his way over with a smile. His calcting gaze swept over theponents that were still on the stall, waiting for him to bag them up. "Oh, ho! Looks like I can expect some more of those Primals of yours to hit my store."


    Jason thought about how to answer Al''s quiet statement for a while. ''Did he figure out how to make them? No. That shouldn''t be the case. If he had, then he would just do it himself instead of being happy that I''m making more.'' Jason looked at his purchasedponents for a moment before it dawned on him.


    ''He''s probably happy to see what is actually used to make them! The sly fucker!'' Jason grinned at this thought. What Al did not know was that Jason had enough of some crucialponents back in his bedroom. So not everything that was needed was currently present. On top of that, things were mixed in for his new creations, which would further throw Al off if he tried to replicate the weapon based on these parts.


    "Yeah, that''s right. I''ll only be able to make about two with these parts, though." Jason sighed to put on a small show. He smiled awkwardly at the look of disbelief upon Al''s face.


    "How is that possible! It shouldn''t be so expensive to make the Primal! You pretty much said so yourself when we first negotiated!" Al cast a critical gaze over the mix ofponents and quickly registered that they worth far more than the production cost of two lone Primals.


    "Oh, don''t get me wrong. Some of these are for something new I''m working on." Jason shrugged his shoulders as he casually replied. This just threw more confusion into Al''s attempt to steal the workings of his design. Now he would have to work out what was and was not used to recreate the weapon.


    However, Al''s eyes practically lit up at the hint of another possible business venture. Jason grinned to himself while maintaining a straight face. Al had sessfully taken his bait! Now it was time to drive home the ugly truth to this guy!


    "So what kind of weapon will it be? Is it an upgrade on the Primal?" Al sounded slightly anxious and excited as he posed his question.


    "Ah, about that. I''ll be adding a very minor modification to the primal. It''s nothing to be excited over at all as for my new creations. Well, they''re not going to be weapons at all. Just a few tools I came up with." Jason replied apologetically as Al began to frown.


    "Hm. Well, that''s bad news for me. I don''t sell tools at all." Al seemed to be lost in thought for a bit before a slight smile escaped his mask of disappointment which Jason managed to notice. "Well, I''ll still happily buy the modified Primal. How much do you think it will add to its cost?"


    "Only a single credit. As I said, it''s really nothing much." Jason was, in fact, referring to the fact that he nned to add the grip to the old design while leaving out the Riot''s electrical functions. This was so that anyone who came across the Primal with a grip would not expect the Riot to be hiding any further modifications. It would leave Dani with a chance to surprise her opponents during thepetition!


    "Really? Is that all?" Al began to frown again. Initially, he had thought that Jason was just downying the new mod, judging by all theponents he had bought. But at that extra cost, it was evident that he was not bluffing. "Very well. I''ll add a single credit to my purchasing price. Be sure to bring them to my store soon."


    With those words, their seemingly pleasant conversation came to an end. Al left in a bittersweet mood. He had gained some insights into the inner workings of the Primal. However, it did not seem that Jason would bring anything meaningful to his store again in the near future. This would be detrimental to his deal with Sam, who had purchased every copy of the Primal so far. She was sure to buy these two that Jason promised as well.


    On the other hand, Jason was ted. He had seeded in muddying the waters of Al''s attempted espionage to steal his design. It was sure to take the more experienced crafter to recreate the Primal now. Unless, of course, he was willing to forego the ie from selling one of the Primals just so that he could take it apart. To make things even better, Jason would seed in tricking anyone who had bought his Primals into believing that they did not have to look out for a superior version!


    ''He''s going to get a nasty surprise when he discovers my brand on both of these new Primals! He won''t be able to steal the credit for them now. Personally, I hope he does take one apart!'' Jason lightly chuckled to himself as he gathered hisponents into a carrier bag made from the hide of some wildlife. ''He has no idea that the internalponents only hold together properly as they are inserted into each other! If he tries to take it apart, well, everything will fall apart without giving him a chance to see how it all fits together!''


    In truth, Jason had deliberately designed it this way to slow down the process of any imitations making their way onto the market too soon. However, he could not do the same with the Riot. This was due to the fact it was designed to hold up better than its original counterpart. There was also no way for him to make the battery holder and wires that transferred the electricity to the weapon break apart.


    This was another reason he had no intention of selling the Riot to anyone until he created something even better. Failing that, as long as he made armour or something that could counter the Riot, then he could consider selling it as well. Although, this would definitely reveal that he was capable of more. At the same time, the Riot should not be enough for people to really look into him too much. They would probably just think he had gotten lucky!


    Jason eagerly walked back to his apartment in a spirited mood. Now, all that he had left to do was make his new creations and sell them! Then he would just have to wait until he made a name for himself! ''That reminds me. I need to corner Gramps and find out what he''s been up to. He hasn''t forced me to go scavenging since we returned from across the river. Maybe I''ll ask him what he thinks of opening a store to sell my creations''

 Chapter 23: Brand Identity (3)

    Chapter 23: Brand Identity (3)


    Jason stared at the items on his desk that had taken him a few days to create. Not only had he made the two new Primals, which were now designated as SDW: Primal 002, but he had alsopleted the Utility tool that he nned to sell. He had held off on spending his PP so far just in case he managed to gain more from these two things.


    However, it was not meant to be. Syssie had evaluated the new Primal as only being worth one copper credit more than the original. Which was what Jason had assumed anyway. It was still an F Rank, so there was no PP there. His Utility tool, the Multi-Purpose Hand Crank Tool or MPHCT for short, also gained an F Rank evaluation.


    However, Jason could not be more pleased with it. It was a straightforward handheld tool. Itspact nature allowed him to switch out the end of the device for different sized drill bits, screwdrivers and spanners. Tools were really cheap around Highrise, so he managed to purchase and modify enough for ten copies apart from his own.


    Syssie had evaluated it as being worth around six copper credits. Considering the materials used to make it only cost him three copper credits, he could essentially look forward to gaining thirty copper credits of pure profit! In the end, after selling everything and buying a few daily essentials, Jason would have one hundred copper credits! Which was more money than he had ever seen in his life!


    ''I could even exchange them for one iron credit.'' Jason''s eyes gleamed as he thought about that. He had never seen an iron credit due to the area he lived in. Let alone a silver or gold credit. Each one was worth one hundred credits of the lesser currency. Jason could not imagine what anyone would have to spend a gold credit on.


    ''Alright, since I didn''t gain anything, I may as well spend my PP now.'' Jason sighed as he navigated his interface to the skill tree. ''What should I go for?''


    "Do you want my advice again?" Syssie smiled at him from her usual ce on his bed.


    "Sure, as long as it''s something useful for right now." Jason had to admit that he was a little lost when it came to his needs with the skill tree just now. He had node what synergised well with each other or could help him reach higher grades in his creations sooner.


    "Hm, well, that depends. What''s your next move? Are you focusing on earning money, making equipment, better tools, or do you want to branch into something else?" Syssie tapped her cheek while she pondered over what she should advise him to get.


    Jason shed an odd look towards the carefree AI before considering the matter himself. ''Armour will be a must at some point. However, working with metal is aplete pain in the ass for everything I''m doing right now. I need an easier way to join metal together. All this creating holes and clips in it to hold it together won''t take me much farther.''


    "I see," Syssie said while nodding her head. "That''s quite a good thought. I doubt there''s much left behind by the old world that could be useful for that at this point. So I know just the skills you need!"


    Jason jolted in his seat because Syssie''s reply to his internal thought made him remember that he had no privacy with her. ''Damn AI! I wonder if I can create something to stop that in the future. Or at least limit it.''


    "That should be possible." Syssie nodded while not caring that she invaded his private thoughts again. "Now, do you want to hear my suggestions or not?"


    "Alright, alright. Go for it." Jason waved his hand in the air as if he did not really care.


    "First, you''ll want to grab Basic Biology and Basic Chemistry from the Science tree. They''re ten PP each. Then I''d rmend getting the Basic Science Scanner upgrade for five PP from the System Tree." Syssie sounded quite serious for once, which only made Jason question her choices even more.


    "What use will those be when ites to working with metal?" No matter how he thought about it, he figured the Armoury tree or Mechanics one would be better.


    "Trust me. If you pick these three, you''ll be able to earn money faster, create decent beginner armour, have a better way to work your metal and even have ess to starting down the route of a healer as well." Syssie wagged her finger at Jason in a way that got on his nerves.


    "Do I get a refund if you''re talking crap?" Jason replied, hopefully.


    "Sorry, kiddo. No refunds here. But trust me, ok? It''ll definitely work!" Syssie had a broad smile on her face as she turned to stare at him.


    With a heavy sigh, Jason followed her suggestions, spending all of his twenty-five PP in one fell swoop. At that point, both he and Syssie began to groan in pain as they became paralysed. The information flowing into his brain made it feel like it was a dam that was about to burst open. After the first two skills ultimately entered his mind, Syssie began to moan with pleasure as the System upgrade began to work.


    This caused Jason to curse her all over again. ''Seriously! Why does she only get good feelings when ites to the stuff rted to the System? How''s that fair!'' Jason continued to grit his teeth as he struggled to deal with the pain. By the time it was over, his sight was a little blurry as his body tried to adjust to its return to normality.


    "Fuck me! Isn''t there a less painful way to do this?" Jason felt exasperated as he mmed a fist on the desk.


    "Probably, but not for us right now." Syssie panted with her flushed face causing Jason to swear heavily.


    "Alright, let''s take a look at what you''ve conned me into." Jason frowned as he finally calmed down and turned his thoughts inward to make sense of his new knowledge. "What the fuck!"


    Jason gasped, as the newfound knowledge flew through his brain. It seemed like the two science skills worked the same way as his melee schematic skill. Except, it let him see the possibilities just now and tag what he needed to make it to his scanner! The items began to appear in his interface to allow him a better look at them.


    There were things like Basic Antidote, Basic Wound Salve, Basic Compressed Biological Gas and Basic Adhesive Creation. There was plenty of other valuable stuff like how to create chemicals that could be used to treat animal hide to make it tougher and so on. However, the first load of items were all things he needed without realising it!


    The Basic Antidote and Wound Salve were self-exnatory. However, what really interested him was the Biological Gas entry. It detailed how he could ce nts'' cuttings with specific properties into a sealed container before pouring a chemical over them. Then, once he shut the lid, the chemical would destroy the nt cuttings and create apressed gas that could be used to create a high-temperature me!


    Jason was utterly astonished by this revtion and even wondered how nobody had discovered it yet! The only problem he had with it was whether or not it was actually too advanced and would possibly draw attention to him.


    "You can just say you found a way to apply heat to the metal to make it easier to shape. As long as nobody sees how you do it, you should be fine, right?" Syssie cut in with her two cents. "Also, now that you''ve got this, I''d definitely rmend Basic Welding from the Engineering treeter."


    Jason felt his jaw go ck as he considered the possibilities. Syssie was right. As long as nobody witnessed his creation method, he would be fine! It was not like he was going to sell thepressed gas itself. Jason immediately tagged the item with the help of his new Basic Science Scanner upgrade. Now, he would get a notification whenever the scanner picked up any items or nts with the necessary properties.


    Jason then proceeded to have a field day as he tagged even more items that he wanted to make. This was especially true for the adhesive. However, he was unsure how strong that would actually be, but it could potentially be more helpful in creating utility items for now. Jason''s eyes began to sparkle like a child that just got into something that it should not be anywhere near.


    "Looks like I''ll definitely have to go back outside the town now! Alright, Gramps, enough with leaving me alone already. We''ve got work to do!" Jason''s grin resembled that of a demon''s.


    Meanwhile, Harry, who was fast asleep in his own room, suddenly had a nightmare. His body broke out in a cold sweat as he was treated to visions of Jason whipping him while making him work like crazy. Despite the horridness of the dream, Harry could not help but have a solitary thought during his nightmare.'' Thatta boy! Got to work to earn them credits!''

 Chapter 24: Brand Identity (4)

    Chapter 24: Brand Identity (4)


    "Boy! Get your arse up! I know you''ve recovered! We''ve got work to do!" Harry bellowed at the top of his voice while he scratched at his muttonchops beard.


    Harry sighed while he sat at the kitchen table and studied the new tool he had just bought. He thought about the nightmare he had two nights ago. He somewhat felt that it had influenced his decision to buy this strange yet wonderful new tool. He fitted one of the tool bits to the handheld part and turned the crank a couple of times. He felt pretty pleased to see it working smoothly without making a noise.


    "What a strange thing you are. Why hasn''t anyone made something like you before?" Harry sighed as he thought about the amount of salvage that he could have gathered more easily throughout his life if he had this sooner.


    Harry had tested it right after he got home with the purchase. Surprisingly, he discovered that he only had to apply light pressure to the crank and its internalponents turned it into a greater force. This allowed him to easily remove stubborn bolts and such that he usually would slightly struggle with. Secretly he could not wait to gloat to his grandson about his newest and most treasured tool.


    "Haha, maybe it will inspire him to work harder so that he can afford one." Harry lightly chuckled at the thought. "Oi! Boy! Did you not hear me? Get the fuck up!"


    Harry snorted when he finally heard some movement from Jason''s room. It was a little earlier than when they would usually head out, but that was because Harry had somewhere specific in mind for their target today. It was a ce that he had discovered in his youth, but no matter how many times he returned there, he could never open the heavy door. Harry gripped the tool in his hand as if it were the key he had always been searching for.


    "Yo Gramps, long time no see," Jason grumbled as he finally made his appearance in the kitchen. ''Damn geezer. You kept me waiting long enough!''


    Jason had been desperate to get outside for a while, but there was no point in going too far alone. He still had to rely on his grandfather''s expertise for any areas outside of Highrise''s area of influence. Just as Jason was about to give Harry a mouthful, his eyes suddenly went wide with disbelief as he recognised the tool in Harry''s hand.


    "Oh? See something you like?" Harry chuckled as he brandished the tool in the air between them. "It''s a pretty expensive new tool that just hit the market yesterday. You should count yourself lucky to even see one right now."


    Jason stared at his grandfather in disbelief as his eyes wandered between the old man and the tool he was so proud of owning. Eventually, Jason pped his own forehead and beganughing! He had never imagined that one of the first people to buy his inventions he had just sold yesterday would be his own grandfather!


    ''Expensive, my ass! It''s cheap enough for any mediocre scavenger to be able to afford it! Don''t think you can fool me, old man! I bet you were nning on charging me more than what it''s worth if I asked you to buy me one!'' Jason could not help himself and showed a triumphant expression towards Harry, who looked utterly bewildered. This was not the reaction he had been expecting at all!


    Jason unsheathed his own copy of his tool from its ce in the rear of his tool belt. He originally wanted to keep it from his Gramps because he knew the old man too well. He was sure to have asked him to make him one for free. Either that or his would have gone ''missing'' at the same time Harry just so happened to ''buy one.


    "No! What?" Harry yelped as he stared at an identical copy of his new treasure in Jason''s hand. "How! I know I haven''t giv ahem you haven''t earned enough to afford one!"


    Jason grinned at the shock and outrage stered across Harry''s face. He enjoyed the sensation he felt from getting one over on the old coot for a bit before dropping his bombshell. "Is it really that weird for the creator to have a copy himself?"


    Harry''s mind went nk as it struggled to digest what Jason had just said. In the end, Harry''s face went bright red, and in a fit of rage, he stormed towards Jason!


    "Who did you steal that from, boy! You better tell me right now before I give you the beating of a lifetime!" Harry''s short and sturdy figure quickly moved to cross the distance between them.


    Jason cursed internally as he panicked. He never imagined that his grandfather would react this way! To be fair, he could understand why the old man had jumped to the conclusion that he had stolen it. Jason had never shown any natural talent in creating things, and Harry always underpaid him for his share of the salvage they gathered. Logically speaking, it could only make sense if he had stolen it from somewhere!


    Jason fumbled with his Riot that he had attached to his belt. He got the feeling that Harry was going to give him a beating anyway, so he may as well give the old man the shock of his life! Jason raised the Riot in front of him to fend off the inevitable strike that Harry was going to make.


    Harry only became more livid when he saw that Jason intended to defend himself instead of epting his punishment. It would take more than a bit of steel pipe to stop this old man! Harryshed out with his tail, intending to use it to grab the weapon and rip it from Jason''s grasp. Just as his tail wrapped around the weapon, Harry paused when he noticed a smirk upon Jason''s face.


    Harry immediately realised that something was wrong with that situation as a humming noise filled the air. Before he got the chance to think about it, an electric shock ran through his body! Pain instantly wracked Harry''s body as he tried to let go of the strange weapon. However, it was like something was forcing his tail to stay connected to it.


    Harry realised that he no longer had any urate control over his tail as the pain forced him to his knees. His body jolted as he copsed to the floor and released saliva from his mouth. Creating a small puddle around his head. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he struggled to make sense of what was going on.


    Harry''s tail went limp and fell away from the Riot while his body spasmed on the kitchen floor. He was still conscious and could clearly hear Jason walking towards him! Harry gasped for air as he stared at his grandson in horror. He had never expected him to have something that could take him down!


    Jason crouched next to his head and stared into Harry''s eyes while slowing tapping the now inactive Riot against his open palm in a threatening manner. He waited a few moments just to make sure the old geezer was fully capable of understanding him.


    "Listen here, Gramps. If you try to move, I''ll give you another taste of what my baby here can do. Nod if you understand." Jason''s voice was full of venom as he threatened his grandfather. Harry slowly nodded to show that hepletely understood what would happen. "Good. Now let us get this straight. I didn''t steal anything. I made both that tool and this nifty little thing. You can either ept that or receive another dose of what you just experienced. Your call."


    Harry shivered at the apparent threat, but he could not do anything in this situation even if he wanted to. He still did not believe that Jason had not stolen the items, but he had no way to punish him right now or confiscate them. All he could do was agree for now, and hopefully, he could find a way to solve this problem afterwards. Harry managed a slight grimace that showed Jason that he was willing to listen.


    Jason sighed when seen that. It was the face that Harry always made when he did not believe a word that someone was telling him. ''Guess I''m just going to have to tell him a few white lies then.'' There was no way that Jason would reveal his power to this hothead after this recent disy.


    Jason proceeded to tell Harry that he had worked on the items for some time in secret. Just in case his mutation did not pan out the way he wanted it to. He then continued to offer to prove it by apanying Harry to the stall that sold the tools. The owner could confirm that Jason was, in fact, the person that supplied them. Failing that, he could also get Al to vouch for him.


    All in all, the talk with his immobilised grandfathersted for quite some time. The look on Harry''s face went from disbelief to excitement and eventually to practically having dor signs in his eyes. Even Harry could not escape the truth when names were mentioned that could vouch for Jason''s words, no matter how unbelievable they were. However, Harry was only considering how much money they should be able to make now.

 Chapter 25: Brand Identity (5)

    Chapter 25: Brand Identity (5)


    "So, how much have we made so far?" Harry asked after taking a seat at the table now that Jason had allowed him to move.


    "I think you mean, how much have I made so far," Jason smirked at Harry''s frown from having been denied a im to any of Jason''s credits that he had earned so far. "Around one hundred copper credits since you asked so nicely."


    Harry felt like he was having a heart attack as the shock of the sum ran through his mind. "One hundred! Are you kidding me?"


    Harry had to hold his mouth shut with his hands to stop it from hitting the floor in his surprise. His mind raced as he considered how many years he would have to ve away for to have that much cash on hand. The most he ever had in savings at any point was sixty copper credits. Which allowed him to buy the right to live in this ruined apartment!


    If he had known that you could make that much so quickly by inventing things, then he would have given up on scavenging a long time ago! Of course, there was also the issue of actually having some talent in creating new useful things. Harry frowned as he thought about it some more. Jason had already mentioned that he wanted to create his own business, but Harry still had some doubts.


    "How many other projects do you have that you think you''ll be able to finish soon?" Harry asked after getting over the initial excitement. After all, at his core, he was all about making money. His grandson was an excellent opportunity for that. However, that was only if Jason could realistically keeping up with new things.


    Plenty of people had tried to start a business in Highrise over the years in the hope of creating a better life for themselves. Out of the hundreds of stores that had appeared over that period, there were only two or three still around today. This proved how cutthroat business could be in their town.


    "Hm, I have a few that could have a lot of value," Jason replied carefully after some thought.


    "I hate to break it to you, but if you''re just selling weapons and things like this tool, you won''t go far." Harry tried and failed to keep his doubts froming out in his tone. "These things willst quite some time after someone buys them. So it would be a long period before you ever saw a return customer."


    "Don''t worry about that. Most of my new projects are single-use items that can be useful to almost anyone. So repeat business shouldn''t be an issue." Jason''s confident tone eased some of Harry''s worries. Though it was still a lot of faith, he would have to invest in Jason.


    "Alright, let''s say you have all that shit handled. Do you even know how much it''s going to cost to get set up? Not only do you have to pay for the right to use a store, but you''ll also have to buy materials. I can tell you right now that even a small store will cost eighty copper credits." Harry tried to convey how expensive this undertaking would be just to increase his own gains if he supplied any funds for the venture.


    However, it seemed like his n had backfired when Jason released an ecstatic smile. "Is that all? Haha, here I was worried that I''d actually have to ask you for money!"


    Harry wanted to puke blood at Jason''s casual words of being able to spend eighty copper without much thought. Harry had believed, wrongly at that, that the items Jason intended to make would be expensiveponent-wise. He had used the multi-purpose tool as his basis for that calction since he knew how much it cost to buy.


    With a few quick calctions, Harry had assumed that Jason would only be able to make two or three copies with his remaining funds. Thus, forcing him to give more benefits to Harry for investing his own money into the business. Of course, Harry had no idea that Jason''s next creations on his list would use natural nts as the coreponents.


    It would not cost Jason much to buy anything that he would actually need to store them. Jason felt relieved to discover that he could potentially keep all the profits to himself. However, he still needed his grandfather to actually run the store and for his experience of the different areas outside of Highrise. However, what his Gramps did not know could not hurt Jason during their negotiations.


    "Oh, so are you saying that you don''t actually need anything from me?" Harry became worried when he heard Jason''s reply and began to break out in a nervous sweat. This opportunity was just too good to let it slip away! If Jason was sessfully and Harry couldy a im on some of the ie, he could sit back, rx and enjoy the high life!


    Jason deliberately took his time before answering. He wanted Harry to feel the pressure a bit more to get him to ept the role of running the store instead of hiding away and enjoying his ie. Otherwise, Jason would be forced to hire someone to watch over the shop whenever he had to go in search of materials!


    "Hm, well. Since we''re family and all. I guess I could part with some ie. What sounds good to you?" Jason did his best to sound casual and like he was offering Harry an opportunity instead of trying to fleece him of his cash and time. By forcing Harry to make an offer first, Jason would be able to figure out how far the old man would be willing to go.


    Harry seemed to be in a daze as a pained expression crossed his face as he considered the question. If he offered too little for what he asked in return, then he might end up losing his only ticket to a life of wealth. Harry did not have much in the way of money. Years of saving and spending as little as possible only saw his savings sitting at forty copper credits right now.


    This put him in something of a dilemma. Even if he offered his entire savings, it would not even match half of the amount that Jason himself would invest in his own business. This made his contribution seem extremely small. Considering Jason had made such an extravagant sum in a short time, then forty copper credits might seem worthless in his eyes.


    "How much thirty copper credits buy me?" Harry asked as he swallowed a lump of saliva. This was as much as he could offer. He still had to purchase food and some other things, so he could not realistically give up everything right now.


    Jason was a little taken aback by this offer. He had never expected Harry to have saved up that amount. ''Damn geezer. We could have been eating some better food all this time!'' Jason waited for his initial anger to dissipate before he realised just how little they had. However, no matter how he thought about it, thirty copper credits were not worth muchpared to what he could make.


    "Hm. It''s not enough." Jason eventually answered, shattering Harry''s hopes in one fell swoop. "How about this. I''ll give you ten per cent of the earnings for your thirty copper if you also run the store. Not a bad deal, right?"


    Harry caught a glimmer of hope at this offer. He knew his money was not worth much to Jason now. So he would not me him if hepletely cut him off. Beyond that, the offer was tempting. The hours would be better than what he usually spent scavenging, and he would not have to put himself in danger. The only issue was that he would have to rely on Jason''s skills to really earn anything.


    "How about this." Jason began when he saw Harry''s hesitation. "If you earn less than fifty copper credits in the first month, then I''ll make up the difference."


    Those words obviously sweetened the deal, but it still would not make up for his savings that he was willing to part with. After all, although fifty copper was ten more than what he usually earned each month, by the time he removed his costs of living, he would only have fifteen remaining.


    "Two months. Make it the first two months, and you have a deal!" Harry gritted his teeth as he made his final offer. No matter what, he absolutely had to recover the cost of his investment if things went tits up.


    "Ok. You have a deal." Jason sighed as if Harry had won a victory against him. "Let''s get everything sorted today so that we can open by the end of the week."


    Harry was ted that he managed to strike a deal with Jason. A wide grin broke out on his face as he thought about the money he was about to make! However, his expression becameplicated shortly after that as he remembered the nightmare of his grandson working him to death

 Chapter 26: Star Gear (1)

    Chapter 26: Star Gear (1)


    It was still early morning when Harry led Jason to the building where he could fill out the forms to register his business and buy the right to a low-level shop. However, Jason became stuck on the part of the forum that asked him for hispany''s name. Harry nced over his shoulder and spotted where his problem was.


    "Don''t you already have a name?" Harry eximed in shock as he stared at the handwritten form.


    "Yeah, I know. I should have thought about it." Jason rolled his eyes at his grandfather''s outburst.


    "No. Ah, aren''t you aware what the stall owners are calling your tools when they sell them?" Harry sounded exasperated as he rubbed his temples with his meaty hands.


    "What?" Jason replied with shock as he digested this information. It seemed like his current business partners had already named his business without his permission.


    "Damn it, kid! I thought you named it! Ah, well. You''re just going to have to go with it now. Otherwise, it will cause confusionter on." Harry sighed helplessly as he realised that he may have more work to do than he imagined.


    "So, what name are they using then?" Jason''s eyebrows arched as he stared at the old man. In truth, he was slightly curious about it.


    "They''re calling your creations Star Gear. On ount of that nice little symbol you came up with." Harry replied helplessly.


    "Star Gear, huh? That''s actually not too bad." Jason replied with a pensive expression before filling the name out on the form. He had no problems with using that, and at least it would be easy to identify his symbol with his business name now.


    He actually felt like finding and thanking whoever came up with it. He was sure that it could have ended up as something terrible with his own poor taste in naming sense. Jason smiled ruefully as he handed thepleted form to the woman behind the desk. After checking to make sure that he had not missed anything, the woman handed over the keys to the store that he had bought.


    Only buildings that were still entirely secure and had no easy ess were reserved to be used as stores. Jason had lucked out and managed to purchase a small industrial unit that had been fitted to work on cars back in the old world. Although he had no idea about this, Jason happened to like the building''s look and felt that it fitted his needs.


    They would have to put up a wall to separate his workshop from the storefront, but just about everything else could be kept. Jason was ecstatic as he led his grandfather to his new store, which was only a short walk from their apartment. The streets were busy as most people were only just preparing to leave the town for the day to earn some cash.


    Although Jason had nts do the same, he wanted to get a better look at his purchase. Especially its interior so that he could figure out what he would need to get to bring it into working condition. There were several long buildings in this area of town, and each one had either three or fourrge doors that were left open to reveal stores inside.


    Most of these ces dealt with making or fixing clothes. Several others specialised in different food products, and one of them was the most famous bar in Highrise! Which was not actually anything to brag about since it was also the only bar in town. Jason inhaled deeply as he stood before his unit with bright eyes. His hands shook with nerves as he made his way to the rusted metal door.


    There were clear signs that the units old locking system had been reced with the one the town''s administration used. This was to be expected. Apart from that, Jason was happy to see that his unit did not show any obvious signs of too much deterioration. Without much thought, Jason inserted the key and turned it. A loud click came from the lock, and he excitedly tried to pull it.


    "Huh? Why won''t it open? Is it jammed?" Jason was puzzled as he had been assured that it was in working condition before he bought the right to use the ce. Just then, he heard a slightughing from the unit next to his. "What''s so funny?"


    "Ah! Forgive me. It''s always funny when people buy a ce like this for the first time." A boy around Jason''s age replied as he walked over. "Yo! I''m Adam. Nice to meet you. Guess we''ll be neighbours from now on."


    Jason studied the scrawny boy dressed in an old ripped ck t-shirt and jeans that had seen better days. A leather apron hung over his front, and his long brown hair was tied in a man bun. There was a warmth in his brown eyes that made Jason realise that he meant no harm fromughing at him.


    "Yeah, nice to meet you too." Jason shook the boy''s hand as his gaze went back to the door. "So, how do you open this thing?"


    "It''s no biggie. You open it like this." Adam chuckled as he took hold of the handle and pulled it upwards. The door lifted vertically off the ground before withdrawing partially inside the building. Resting on its mechanism, what had been the outward-facing part of the door now sat horizontally to the ceiling within.


    Jason could not help himself but immediately move to study how it worked. His eyes gleamed as he looked at the system and tried to think of ways that he could use something simr. He was so lost in his thoughts he failed to notice that Adam was still standing there with a strange expression on his face.


    "What is it?" Jason asked with a curious voice when he realised the teenager was still there.


    "Ah, it''s nothing, man. I just didn''t; ''t know that doors were so interesting." Adamughed as he had never wondered how the doors actually worked. He only cared that they could open and close! "So, you the old man''s apprentice or what?"


    Jason''s eyes followed the direction that Adam jabbed his thumb in to see his Gramps still waiting outside. It was then that he realised that Adam seemed to have a misunderstanding. ''He''s probably an apprentice next door and thinks we can get along since we should be on the same social level.'' Jason sighed when he realised he had already overtaken most people his own age.


    "Nah. That''s my Gramps. He''s just here to run the store for me while I take of business." Jason did not mind correcting Adam''s mistake. At least that way, Adam would not make a fool out of himselfter if he said something stupid.


    "Yeah, funny joke, my man." Adam stepped inside and pped Jason on the shoulder before whistling as he took a look around. He noticed a few big hooks hanging from the ceiling and frowned. "So what kind of business are you guys in? I hope your not butchers; otherwise, we''ll end up aspetitors instead of friends."


    "It''s not a joke. I''m an inventor, and this is really my store." Jason replied with anger evident in his tone. "Who gave you the right to barge into my ce like that?"


    "Woah! Easy there!" Adam held his hands up in a sign of surrender. He was aware that he must have touched a soft spot. "It''s just. You know. Who would believe that someone our age managed to get the funds necessary to open their own shop? I didn''t mean anything by it."


    Adam''s apology allowed Jason to calm down somewhat before he suddenly fixed his eyes on the youth. "Wait. You said you''re a butcher?"


    "Yeah, I''ve been apprenticed to my old man for years now. Hopefully, he''ll start paying me more soon." Adam sighed in response as Jason fell deep into thought.


    "Does your shop take custom orders? Like, if I brought you a certain creature, would you be able to skin it or remove the organs that I need?" Jason asked as he suddenly had an idea in his head.


    "Well, sure. I guess. My old man would probably want all of the meat as payment, though. If you just want certain parts, then he''d probably be getting the better end of that deal anyway." Adam seemed to think about something before eximing in shock. "Wait! Do you make armour too?"


    Jason smiled without giving any response. He was indeed fishing for a way to work with his neighbours to increase the quality of any armour that he would make in the future. If he were to collect the animal parts himself, there was a chance that his untrained hands could ruin what he was after.


    "Hey! If we help you with this Do you think you could make me a set of armour?" Adam did not dare to look Jason in the eyes as he asked for this favour.


    ''Don''t tell me. This guy wants to enter the Guardianpetition as well?'' Jason groaned deeply as he realised that he might just have another Dani on his hands.

 Chapter 27: Star Gear (2)

    Chapter 27: Star Gear (2)


    "Hm, I might be able to, but it''s not something we should discuss right now. I still need to get the shop up and running first." Jason shed an apologetic expression at Adam, who revealed an understanding look.


    "My bad, bro. I was just caught up in the moment." Adam sighed heavily. "You should know what it''s like. I don''t exactly earn a lot of money, so I''m a long way from being able to buy armour suitable for my ability. I don''t want to be stuck as a butcher my whole life."


    "What''s your ability?" Jason could not help his curiosity. Especially when it sounded like it would have to be custom armour.


    "Sorry, bro. Can''t tell you unless you''re definitely making the armour. You''re bound to know other people aiming for the contest, right? Maybe you''ll identally let it slip, and they can be prepared." Adam shrugged his shoulders.


    "It''s fine. I can understand that. Let me guess. Your banking on making a contract with me that prevents me from divulging the information. If it''s part of a business deal, then there''s no way I would let it slip because of the repercussions to my business." Jason nodded his head in approval of the young man''s cautiousness. There were not too many people their age that used their head so well.


    "Thanks for understanding. Let me know if you''ll be able to do it. You know where to find me anyway." Adam chuckled before heading back into his father''s store.


    ''Strange guy.'' Jason''s eyebrows arched at Adam''s quick exit, but all in all, he decided that he liked the guy. He definitely seemed like someone he could get along with. Jason''s gaze went to Harry, who was still standing a distance away outside of the unit, staring at it intently. His behaviour seemed awfully peculiar, and Jason began to wonder what was on his mind.


    "Something wrong?" Jason asked as he walked over to his Gramps. The old man''s tail was casually waving in the air behind him while studying the building.


    "Yeah. We need a sign." Harry dered resolutely as he finally tore his gaze away from the unit with a heavy sigh.


    "A sign?" Jason was surprised by this answer. Out of all the things that he could think of that they had to do, a sign was not on the list.


    "You deaf or something?" Harry snorted as he nced at the space above the unit''s door. "We need a big sign right there as soon as possible."


    Jason frowned as he stared at the same spot that Harry was looking at. After a moment, he turned his attention to the other units on the street and noticed that not a single one of them had a sign. ''So why should mine be any different.'' Jason could not figure out was Harry was thinking.


    "Kid. A nice big sign will make it easier for people to find us with a single nce when they step on this street. Take a look around. See those clothes stores." Harry pointed out several different ones along the length of the street. "Which ones look like their getting the most business?"


    "The ones closest to each end of the street," Jason answered after taking a moment to watch the peopleing and going.


    "That''s right. Most folks will just go into the first store that they see selling what they need. We''re about halfway down this street, so if anyone else is selling goods simr to ours, we''ll lose a lot of potential customers." Harry scolded his naive grandson before continuing. "You''re lucky because you already have a small foot in the market thanks to your symbol on your goods. If someone sees that same symbol above a store, they''ll automatically want to check out what else you have."


    Jason stared at his Gramps helplessly. The old man was right. If he had a customer base already, it was in his best interest to draw their attention directly to his store so that anypetitors could not poach them as they walked past. ''Seems like the geezer is useful after all.'' Jason could only chalk this up to the difference in life experience between the two of them.


    "Ok, then. Let''s get to work." Jason said resolutely while rolling up his sleeves.


    Harry smile at the go-getter attitude that his grandson was disying. Jason told him to retrieve all of their tools from their apartment while he visited the stores nearby to get the basics of what they would need. Jason soon bought a sturdy workbench, some metal mps, various files and saws, junk metal, screws and bolts and basically anything else that he could think of that could expand his arsenal.


    Harry''s shocked when he finally returned to discover a sturdy counter and afy-looking armchair behind it in the front half of the store. There were also a few disy racks and shelves. However, Harry soon realised that he only thought that the storefront took up half of the space. In reality, it was just around a third of the entirety of the unit.


    "Why do you need all this space? How can we disy anything with that measly amount you call your shop?" Harry grimaced as he walked around the counter and approached Jason, who was sorting out his workshop''syout.


    "Simple. We''ll just disy a single copy of each item while we keep our stock back here. That way, it will always look like we''re on ourst one, making the item look more desirable." Jason grinned as Harry''s face dropped. "Whenever you go into a store, if you see a lot of the time on disy, you always try to haggle down the price. This is a measure against people like you!"


    Harry was shocked by Jason''s deration. His grandson had utterly seen through his thrifty nature! Jason was acting like a businessman that was a natural enemy of people like him! Naturally, Harry approved of this! It could only mean that they would make more money without having topromise. Hell, it would even make his life easier as he would not have to bargain with the customers!


    "Well said!" Harry burst out intoughter as he ced the boxes of tools down next to the workbench. He pped Jason on the back before his gaze went to a metal table next to the wall with some ss containers.


    "What are those for? They don''t look useful in making tools or weapons." Harry moved to study the strangely shaped containers in greater detail. At best, he would have used them as cups to drink out of. However, it was evident that Jason had another use in mind for them.


    "Does it really matter? It''s not like you''re going to be using them." Jasonughed at the sight of grandfather appearing like a curious child.


    "Hm, you have a point. Still, I''m not so old that I can''t learn anything new. It might be useful for me to learn a few of the things that you''ve discovered." Harry replied nonchntly as we wandered over and copsed into the armchair. "Oh, this quite good! I could get used to this!"


    "Did you think I''d make you stand around all day? You''d just end up grumpy and scare away all our customers!" Jasonughed again. Surprisingly the atmosphere between them was more rxed than it had ever been. ''Perhaps it''s just because he feels like a weight has been lifted off of his shoulders. He''s spent so many years taking care of me and trying to prepare me for the world.''


    Jason sighed as he realised that his Gramps must have been under immense pressure for a long time. That being said, they could not afford to take things too easy from now on. Jason was only at the beginning of his journey. There woulde a time where he would have to leave Highrise. This was just a stepping stone to provide him with the funds that he would need.


    "Kid, you seem to have a lot on your mind. I won''t pry into your personal business or even ask about that strange thing on the back of your neck." Harry suddenly said as Jason shed a look of surprise towards the old-timer. "Don''t look so surprised. Do you think I don''t pay attention to you? Here''s some advice. No matter what happens, just live your life without any regrets. Don''t even worry about an old fossil like me."


    Harry''s expression seemed calm as if he had epted something that he had been struggling with. Still, Jason could not figure out why his Gramps would say something like this now of all times. It was almost like the old man had realised that Jason would not spend his entire life in Highrise. Jason was touched. It was like his Gramps was acknowledging that he had grown up and was more than capable on his own.


    "Right, about this sign. Let''s get to work." Jason dered as he held back his emotions. Steadying his mind, Jason got to work.

 Chapter 28: Star Gear (3)

    Chapter 28: Star Gear (3)


    Harry buzzed around Jason while he worked like an annoying fly. After all, he was highly interested in what kind of skills his grandson had been keeping from him. Harry had nothing but honest praise for Jason''s work as his expression turned from being doubtful to impressed. Jason deftly handled the various pieces of metal as he processed them into his business sign.


    He had opted to shape each part into a piece of each letter before screwing them together. This was solely for the aesthetics, as he could have easily made each letter from a single piece of metal. Jason began to arrange the elements that made up his symbol as well, and he smiled proudly as everything was finallypleted. ''It''s missing something.'' Jason pondered as he wiped the sweat from his brow.


    It did not take him long to realise that his symbol and the words STAR GEAR would look strange with only the building as its background. With a slight sigh, Jason tossed a few credits at the annoying old man and told him to buy arge board of wood to fix them on. ''I need to think about what I''ll use as a wall to separate the workshop and the store.''


    Jason silently measured up the area where the partition would go while he awaited Harry''s return. Jason only considered it for a moment before deciding tobine the various scrap sheet metal and wood pieces that he had to make a solid wall. Each piece was practically worthless to him now anyway, so using it this way would actually save him the cost of buying some more.


    Since it was just a matter of quickly securing them into one whole piece, Jason made rapid progress with this small project. So much so in fact that he had evenpleted the makeshift wall before Harry lumbered into the unit, trailing a heavy piece of dark wood.


    "Hoh! You''ve been busy!" Harry chuckled as he watched Jason finish up bolting the makeshift partisan to the walls.


    "Yeah, we got lucky with these wooden beams. If they weren''t here, I have no idea how I could fix it to these solid walls." Jason stared intently at the concrete walls as he tried to guess how much power would be needed to prate them.


    "Would your tool not manage it?" Harry asked in surprise as he stroked his facial hair.


    "Of course not. The drill bits aren''t hard enough. They''d break if I apply to much pressure. Even setting that aside I doubt it could generate anywhere near enough pressure to create a hole in this stuff." Jason scoffed in reply as he lost interest for the time being.


    "Hm, I''ll take your word for it." Harry reluctantly replied as this made him realise that his dreams of conquering his secret area might not be feasible yet.


    "Let''s take a look at what you got." Jason ced his tolls to the side before walking over to look at the piece of wood that Harry had bought.


    He inadvertently gasped as he looked at it. It was a dark brown colour and had some serious weight to it. The edges were rounded, and it had a slight shine to it. "Where the fuck did you get this?"


    Harry chuckled lightly before he replied. "There''s a woodshop down the road a bit. I thought the dark colour of the wood would look better for the metal''s shine. It did cost a pretty penny, though."


    Jason scoffed in response as he rolled his eyes. The happy expression on Harry''s face told him that he had actually got it for a bargain. He was just aiming to keep the extra credits he had been given for himself. ''Whatever. I''ll let it slide this time since he actually brought me something good.''


    Jason eagerly ced the gorgeous piece of wood on the counter before hurrying into the back to retrieve his tools and his sign parts. Fifteen minutes of heavy gruntster, they finally had theirpleted sign. Jason had to admit that the dark wood definitely brought more attention to the metal lettering. His symbol sat to the left of the signboard with the words STAR and GEAR ced one above the other sat neatly to the right of the more prominent logo.


    Jason''s eyes glimmered with anticipation. There was no way that anybody could mistake his store for another with this outside now. The dark wood''s beauty spoke for quality, while the metal gave off an innovative feel with how it had been put together. All in all, his sign pretty much embodied the qualities that he wanted to project in his work! How could he not be ecstatic with it?


    The pair of them had wide grins stered on their faces as they carried the sign outside, which gathered some attention from their nearby neighbours who wondered what they were up to. Jason deliberatelyy the signboard against the wall so that the onlookers could only see the rear of it for now. He did not want to reveal it until it was time to fix it to the metal bars that ran across the space above his unit''s door.


    Jason quickly ran inside and fetched the hooks that he had made earlier as he pieced the metal together and the rotten woodendder that had been left behind in the building. He snatched his Multitool off of the counter on his way back outside and got to work fixing the hooks to the rear of the sign.


    He deliberately chose to do this part outside to showcase his tool to his neighbours. There was a good chance that some of them would be his customers once they saw what his business was actually about. So why not make use of the nosey crowd that was slowly gathering to do some free advertising?


    Quite a few people in the crowd admired his tool''s versatility as they watched him put it to use. They would be lying if they said that they were not interested or even wondering if he could produce something simr for their own trade-specific tools. This was precisely the reaction that Jason was after. Word of mouth was definitely the best form of advertising that he could hope for! Especially when his store had not even properly opened yet!


    With the hooks now attached to the sign, the crowd watched on with eager expressions as Jason set up thedder at one end. The wooden steps let out dangerous groans as he slowly applied his weight to each one during his ascension. ''Please don''t break!'' Jason silently prayed. It would be nothing short of embarrassing if he fell from it in front of so many people as he was trying to set a good impression.


    Standing at the top of thedder, Jason signalled to his Gramps to pass up one end to him. As he took it in his hands and with one swift movement, the duo flipped it as Harry quickly raised the other end using his strong tail. It only took a moment for the pair to swiftly slot the hooks over the bar and revealing the majesty of their sign to the onlooking crowd!


    Jason broke out in a smile as he heard the gasps of those gathered around. It was evident that they were not expecting something like this! In one swift move, the neers on the block immediately elevated their business status to look like a more professional one than their own! Although their store was still mostly empty, this caused a chorus of jealous sighs amongst the crowd.


    Even Adam, who was amongst the crowd, expressed a look of shock and envy. This sign spoke of prestige which instantly made him reevaluate his request to Jason earlier. ''Sure enough, I won''t be able to afford his services either.'' Adam sighed in exasperation as he felt like his hopes had been ground into the dirt.


    Soon enough, Jason had descended the death trap of adder and brought himself to stand before the crowd. Just about every eye turned on him to look at this youth. Many of them wondered why he would take this chance to approach the group as their gazes went to Harry by the side.


    "Everyone! Let me introduce myself." Jason announced loudly as the crowd shifted their attention back to him with raised eyebrows. "My name is Jason Wright, and I am the owner of Star Gear!"


    Many gasps rose into the air as the crowd expressed their disbelief. They could not help but nce at the old man behind Jason. Naturally, they had assumed that Jason was merely an apprentice. However, their view of the world was overturned when Harry failed to refute Jason''sment! However, Jason had more to shock them with up his sleeves.


    "We''re a rtively new businesspared to all of you guys, and I hope we can get along as neighbours. We''ll be opening up shop at the end of the week, and I hope you will pay us a visit. In the spirit of goodwill, I''m willing to offer discounts on my goods and services to those of you who are willing to cooperate with us in an exchange of goods and services." Jason dered confidently, which even made Harry raise his eyebrows in surprise!


    "Those who wish to work with us should be aware that I''m willing to offer a 20% discount on my goods and services for the same discount at your own stores. You can approach Harry here behind me to make the arrangements before we officially open. Thank you!" Jason performed a polite bow to the crowd before swiftly disappearing within his unit.


    It only took the crowd a few moments to get over the stunning effect of Jason''s speech before they eyed Harry like a hungry pack of wolves! Many of them quickly realised that the discount offered would amount to higher savings on their end than Jason''s. Harry silently cursed as he was promptly swarmed by these quick-witted bargain hunters!


    Jason chuckled away to himself as he heard themotion that he caused going on outside. "Don''t me me, old man. I said I''d put you to work, and I meant it!"

 Chapter 29: Star Gear (4)

    Chapter 29: Star Gear (4)


    Harry grumbled a lot as he rattled off the offers for cooperation that had been brought to him. He could not find the appropriate words to express his dissatisfaction at having been forced to endure the crowd independently. With a heavy sigh, he copsed in the armchair as he stared at Jason''s pensive expression.


    "Ok, I''ve decided." Jason nodded. "We''ll work with all the stores that deal in junk metal and other items, the stores dealing in wood and every clothing store!"


    Harry gasped in shock as this would add up to more than half of the stores on their street! "Why clothing stores? I can understand the other ones, but clothing? It doesn''t make sense!"


    Jason chuckled for a bit before he decided to respond. "It''s quite simple. Clothing can be used for the internals of any armour I make, so having good quality craftsmen on our side can only help. It''ll be better for us if we can offer single pieces of armour for our customers to use how they want or a full custom set with sturdy material filling any gaps."


    "You''ve already thought that far ahead?" Harry hissed in excitement. Anything that involved making money could get his blood pumping.


    "Of course, now go ahead and inform them all. Ah, did the butcher next door not ask for a partnership?" Jason thought it would be pretty strange if they had not. There were plenty of things that he could make that could help out that sort of business.


    "Well, yeah. But what''s the point? We would just end up drowning in meat. It''s so cheappared to your own stuff there''s practically no value in it." Harry shrugged his shoulders as if it was the most rational decision that he could have made.


    "You idiot!" Jason pped his forehead in disbelief. "Make sure you go there first and tell him that I agree to his offer! Be sure to state that I hope he can also remove the raw materials I need fromplete carcasses. He can keep the meat from those as payment."


    "Ah, right. Didn''t think of that." Harry rudder his chin thoughtfully while looking embarrassed. "I''ll just rest for five minutes, then I''ll get right on it."


    "Rest my ass! Get moving, Gramps! We still have other things to get done today! Do you think money grows on trees!" Jason yelled at the shocked old man, who quickly jolted out of his seat and scurried off. Harry was fine when he was the one doing the nagging, but it felt strange to have his own grandson giving him a taste of his own medicine! It was with a proud smile on Harry''s face that he dove in next door.


    Jason disappeared into his workshop and spotted Syssieughing while sitting with her legs crossed on his workbench. "Has nobody ever told you that you should respect your seniors?"


    Jason could onlyugh in response. He knew she was simply cracking a joke since she already knew what his rtionship was like with his Gramps throughout the years. To be honest, Jason even felt good at being able to get back at the geezer in such a way.


    "Hopefully, he can finish up soon. We need to head out and collect the nts we need so that we have new products to sell." Jason said, with a broad smile on his face. "Hey, Syssie? Are you able to open a folder for a long term project? You know, where you can store my notes and the like?"


    "Sure, but why do you need something like that?" Syssie replied with a curious gaze as she slid off the workbench and sorted her cocktail dress.


    "Hm, you know that we''re going to have to travel at some point to deal with our problem, right?"


    "Of course." Syssie nodded her head in response.


    "Well, we can''t do that safely unless I cane up with gear for myself that would make me threatening to deal with." Jason had a serious look in his eyes. "Whenever I have a thought or speak out loud about something that might be useful for myself, I want you to record it. That way, when it''s time, I can review the notes and decide what would be best for me."


    "Sounds good to me!" Syssie replied with a radiant smile. "But don''t you think it would be a good idea to make something as soon as possible? Even if it''s not the final version you want before leaving here. After all, you still have to go out into the wilds to find things you''ll need right now."


    "You might be right there." Jason stared absentmindedly at the wall as he considered that issue. "There are so many dangers in even the areas slightly outside of what''s considered the safe zones. Not to mention groups usually take days or weeks in some of those expeditions. We''ll need toe up with a way to deal with supplies and other things."


    "Hm, then you''ll probably want to make a start on the Mechanics and Engineering skill trees then. Although there should be something in the Science skill tree that could solve your supply problem." Syssie tapped her cheek as if she were deep in thought.


    "We still have time yet before we worry about that. First, I want to work on some personal armour and weapons. There''s no point in better supplies if I''m just going to die at the first hurdle." Jason sighed as he furrowed his brows. "It might be a good idea to make sure I can''t be recognised in it either. It won''t do us any good to draw attention to ourselves."


    "True, you''ll probably want to focus on a ranged weapon as well. Let''s face it, kid. You''re no fighter. So you''re pretty much screwed when ites to dealing with people and beasts who have physical superiority until youe up with something that can level the ying field." Syssie replied with a hint of concern in her tone.


    "So, I need toe up with something lightweight instead of full armour. If I''m going to use ranged weapons as my main offensive, it would be best if I don''t get weighed down." Jason nodded as he considered a few possibilities. The only problem for him right now would be a powerful enough ranged weapon.


    ''Hm, there''s only bows and slingshots in general cirction. I''ve heard stories of how some Guardians use something called a gun, but I''ve never seen one. I wouldn''t even know where to start when making one.'' Jason stared at the parts around his workshop in resignation. ''I''ll definitely have to see what skills I''ll need to make something powerful.''


    ''Shouldn''t Gramps be back by now?'' Jason inwardlyined when he realised that he had nothing else that he could do for now. There was still a few days until the store opened, so the most important thing right now was to create the Healing Salves and other items for sale. Of course, he would also make a few copies of his Primal weapon and the Multitool.


    "Why do I feel like you''reining about me in that head of yours, boy?" Harryined as he suddenly appeared in the workshop.


    Jason was so startled that he jumped with fright, causing him to m his elbow on the workbench. Jason cursed the old geezer under his breath as he tried to calm down his beating heart. It was so loud in his chest that Jason struggled to hear anything apart from Syssie''s boisterousughter.


    "Damn it, Gramps! Don''t startle me like that? What if I was working on something? Would youpensate me if I lost a finger or something?" Jason''s voice only had a hint of anger mixed with embarrassment as he rounded on the old man.


    "It''s not my fault you have your head in the clouds!" Harry snorted as if he did not see any issue with what he had done. "Anyway, that''s the deals all set. I hope you''ve got a decent n cause we''re definitely going to be busy as soon as we open!"


    "Of course, I have a n! Where do you know that would have a lot of nts? We''re not looking for junk or anything, but I need somewhere that has a lot of variety in flowers and weeds." Jason looked at Harry with a hopeful expression. After all, if this veteran had no idea where to find a ce like that, then they would be stuck gathering small amounts from anywhere that they went.


    "nts? How the fuck are nts to make us any money?" Harry roared furiously before remembering what happened thest time he got mad at Jason. "Ah, never mind. Let me think."


    Jasonughed at how quickly Harry''s attitude changed midint. He could guess what the cause of that was, so he limited himself to staying quiet while waiting for Harry to search his memories. Jason did not have to wait long before Harry seemed toe up with an answer. However, his Gramps had a severe expression on his face as if he did not like the answer that he came up with.


    "I can think of somewhere that fits the bill, but to be honest, I''m reluctant to go there. Do you really need a bunch of nts?" Harry gazed at Jason with a hopeful expression. Clearly, he wanted Jason to deny it so that they did not have to go there at all.


    "Our future depends on it!" Jason replied resolutely, even while being slightly scared since Harry hardly ever had such a reaction.


    "Right, well. You might want to invite Dani along. Some nts in this ce are hard to reach. Plus, we definitely need someone that can act as bait without much risk of getting caught!"

 Chapter 30: Star Gear (5)

    Chapter 30: Star Gear (5)


    "Damn it, Al! You piece of shit!" Sam roared at the man cowering behind his counter. "You said that you made these weapons! So what''s this symbol on the newest ones, huh?"


    Al bowed his head to the beauty while cursing himself. He did not even bother to check thetest weapons that Jason had dropped off at his store. So he had no idea that the ungrateful little bastard had dared to leave his own mark on them! Because of Jason''s little stunt, he was now forced to sit here and take a verbal beating from the princess of the Red Steel Gang!


    "My apologies, miss. I had no idea that my apprentice had done such a thing before abandoning his work here!" Al eagerly lied through his teeth to try and shift Sam''s anger towards Jason. "He even had the gall to create a new tool with what I taught him and had other vendors sell them to raise the money to open his own store!"


    This was the best excuse that Al coulde up with on the spot. Naturally, he had investigated the tool that Jason had told him he was going to make. That was when he had firste across Jason''s Star Gear logo. By that time, he had already sold the new Riot''s to Sam, so it was toote to check them for the same mark. He had hoped that Jason had not stamped his logo into them, but he was dead wrong.


    "Your apprentice? You never mentioned to my father or me that you had taken one! You even refused a few of the guys that we sent ourselves!" Sam was even more infuriated when she heard Al''s excuse. Not because she recognised that he was lying to her, but because the creator of her new favourite weapons was not under her control!


    "As an apology, I would be happy to take one No, make that two of your men under my wing. I''ll teach them everything I know!" Al was pretty much begging at this point. He had to do everything that he could to appease her anger before she decided to get her father involved!


    "Forget it! What use do I have for you if you can''t create these?" Sam waved one of the new Riot''s in Al''s face, making sure he could see the Star Gear logo. "Now, tell me where I can find him! It seems like he needs some convincing about who he should be working for!"


    Al hung his head as he tried to hide how much he was sweating. He exined to Sam the rumours he had heard of where Jason was nning to open his store with a feeble voice. Sam had a satisfied look on her face as she marched out of Al''s store with the two men that had been following her as guards.


    She took a deep breath to calm down her emotions once she stepped out onto the street. Her gaze wandered up to the sky, and she just stared at the marvellous green colour of it. Seeing that she had not moved for a bit, one of her guards thought she was still trying to decide how to deal with Al.


    "Should we burn down his store, miss?"


    "No need," Sam turned to look at The Rusty Nail. "Tell father to increase Al''s protection payments by half for a few months. That should teach him more of a lesson than burning down his store. We''d only lose profits if we went with that."


    "You are indeed wise, miss. So, what do we do about his wayward apprentice?"


    "Let''s go pay him a visit. We''ll take a look at whatever he''s selling. If it''s good enough, we''ll bring his store into our fold. We can always use more money. If not, I''ll just convince him to only sell his Riot''s to me exclusively." Sam replied with a predatory grin. "Let''s go!"


    Meanwhile, at the same time in the marketce


    "What do you mean you don''t have any Star Gear Multitools left?" Raymond shouted at the stall owner. "I only heard about them yesterday! Come on! You have to have at least oneying around! I''ll buy it at double the price!"


    "I''m sorry, sir, but I don''t have any left!" The stall owner replied in exasperation. "I only received a few of them from their creator! They sold out on the same day I put them on disy!"


    "Ugh,e on! At least tell me where I can get one! This is the only ce I''ve heard of that even had them in the first ce!" Raymond almost looked heartbroken, as if his lover had been stolen away from him.


    "Honestly, I have no clue! I didn''t expect them to sell so well! If I had known how hot of amodity they would turn out to be, I would have asked him how to get in touch! It just seemed like a good one time buy, you know?" Truth be told, even the stall vendor was cursing his luck. If he could have worked out a deal with Jason, he could have made a ton of credits from selling his invention!


    The rest of the crowd surrounding his stall shouted insults at him with red faces. Ever since these scavengers had caught wind of the miraculous tool and seen it in action in the hands of an acquaintance, they had done nothing but pester this poor stall owner. After all, who in their profession would not want to make their job easier! Not just that, but the price was just too generous! It was like it had been created with their inadequate ie in mind!


    "Guys! I just heard!" Someone shouted from the rear of the crowd as he panted to catch his breath. "A new store called Star Gear has just appeared over on Crafters Street!"


    The crowd went silent for a moment before exploding with activity! Suddenly, a stampede urred down the Main Street of Highrise as this crowd rushed towards Jason''s store. At the front of this crowd was none other than Raymond. His three arms that had survived the Banka attack were swinging wildly!


    More than a few people were shouting in indignation as his fists and elbows struck them as they tried to overtake him! The mass of bodies suddenly turned into a massive moving brawl! Nobody wanted to risk being left out of being able to purchase one of these marvellous tools! The fighting only became more intense as they realised that there should even be other creations in the store that they had not seen!


    It was only logical to assume that would be the case since Star Gear obviously could not open a store that only sold these Multitools! As if everyone had decided to take a deep breath at the same time, the air in the crowd became tense! Raymond was the first to snap under the pressure as he took the crowbar he had hanging from his tool belt out and smashed the nearest guy in the jaw with it!


    This was the trigger for everyone else to follow his lead as they watched the man''s teeth fly through the air above them! Suddenly it had devolved from a gentlemanly brawl into full-on warfare! The sound of bones breaking and shouts of agony spread in the air as everyone fought for the right to be one of the first customers! There was a good chance that Star Gear probably had something even better than the Multitool in its store! Or so they thought.


    By the time the crowd had settled their disputes and rounded the corner onto Crafters Street, ten individuals were in the lead, and nobody disputed it. Raymond nced at the crowd behind him in excitement. He was sure that he had at least one broken rib and a few broken fingers. Even his nose had been bloodied, but it no longer seemed like anyone would try to take his ce.


    However, his excitement soon disappeared as the marvellous Star Gear sign came into view above one of the units. In front of the store stood a young woman, and two dangerous-looking men were right behind her. The crowd instantlyined when they realised they were not the first to jump on this opportunity! This woman was obviously rich, or she would not have bodyguards!


    Quite a few people even became worried that she might buy out the whole store before they even got the chance to look inside! As Raymond hurried towards her to get in line, he noticed several shop owners on the street were sitting outside their stores,ughing at them openly. It took a few moments for Raymond to realise why. The shop was closed! Still, it was early morning yet, so there was still time for it to open.


    Everyone else seemed to have the same idea as they formed a line that led all the way to the end of the street. The store ownersughed even harder at this point. Eventually, a young man poked his head out from the butcher shop next door. With a heavy sigh, the youth walked towards the line of people while rubbing his hands in his apron.


    "Everyone! You''ve wasted your time!" Adam announced to the gathering. "This shop won''t open for a few days yet!"


    Immediately everyone in the crowd let out shouts of outrage! What was all that fighting for then? Their eyes reluctantly went to the store and back to the youth. They were sure he was telling the truth as it was the only exnation that made sense as to why so many shopkeepers wereughing at them. However, a crisp voice cut through theirints at that moment. It came from none other than the beauty at the head of the queue.


    "Go get two tents and a few more guards. No matter what, we''ll be the first to talk to the owner!" Sam immediately ordered one of her two guards without sparing a nce at Adam or the line that had formed behind her.

 Chapter 31: Forbidden Land (1)

    Chapter 31: Forbidden Land (1)


    "You what!" Dani eximed while standing in the doorway to her family''s apartment.


    "I said, I''ve opened a store, and I really need your help outside of town," Jason repeated himself with a slightly annoyed expression. "Gramps says there are ces we won''t be able to reach without you."


    "Why didn''t you tell me sooner that you were opening a shop!" Dani wailed as she stared at him with disbelief. "I thought we were good friends?"


    "We are! It just all happened rather fast. I didn''t get the chance to warn you! Now can you focus for a moment? Can you help us or not?" Jason was eager to get going. However, the haul from their expedition would depend significantly on whether or not Dani could apany them.


    "I''d like to say yes But you know my parents. They''d never let me go outside!" Daniined loudly while rubbing her temples.


    "I think I can sort that. How about you take me inside to talk to your parents." Harry dered confidently.


    Dani stared at him for a moment before deciding that it would indeed be better hearing it from another adult. Although, she still did not hold out much hope of him being able to convince them to let her go. Jason waited while his grandfather disappeared inside behind Dani. A few moments passed before Dani reappeared.


    "Did they shoot you down that quickly?" Jason asked in surprise. They had not even been gone long enough to exin the situation. However, at that moment, Jason realised that his Gramps was not behind her.


    "No, your Gramps asked to talk to my parents in private. Something about adult-rted matters." Dani sighed as she stepped outside and closed the door.


    As the noise from closing the door echoed in the stairway, Jason suddenly felt grateful that their apartment door was connected directly to the outside of the apartment building. It was one of the few perks of living in the lowest apartment in the block. The rest had to climb up a cold enclosed stairway with a door at every second level.


    ''It could be worse. We could liven those apartments that only have a single floor each instead of two.'' Jason mentally sighed as he thought about how cramped life would have been if he lived with Harry in an environment like that. Still, all they could do for now was wait and see if the old geezer had a silver tongue or not.


    "So, where would we be going?" Dani asked. Her tone was thick with curiosity.


    "I don''t know." Jason shrugged his shoulders. "I''ve never been there, but Gramps said the area is called the Zoo. Whatever that means."


    "That''s a strange word." Dani chuckled as she brushed her hair behind her ear and stared at Jason with big bright eyes. "You''ve changed. You know that?"


    "Yeah, you don''t have to tell me that." Jason rolled his eyes at her as he thought about quickly everything had been moving since his mutation happened. "What''s taking him so long? OW!"


    Jason rubbed his shoulder where Dani had just punched him. She had a deep frown on her face as she stared at him with an angry expression. "You idiot!"


    "What?" Jason was perplexed as Dani turned around, so she did not have to look at him. "What the hell did I do?"


    Syssie chuckled behind him, causing Jason to re at her. "You really need to learn how to read women. You know that?"


    Syssie''s words just confused Jason even more. He could not help but stare helplessly at Dani as he tried to figure out what he had actually done wrong. At that moment, the door to Dani''s home opened to reveal a beaming Harry.


    "Let''s go, kids. They''repletely fine with loaning Dani to us." Harry said with a smug grin stered on his face as he walked swiftly down the stairs.


    "What! How? You''re not joking, right?" Dani was full of questions as she raced after him. After all, how could she believe that her parents were allowing her outside of Highrise!


    "No, I''m not joking. You''re honestly allowed toe with us. I''ve got your parents permission to have you help us out." Harry''s smile grew wider as he replied to Dani''s questions.


    As Jason followed behind them, he could not help but feel like something was off. He knew his grandfather better than anyone, and that was why he could tell that Harry''s expression was the one he wore whenever he managed to scam someone. ''This better not blowback on Dani. I don''t know what trick you pulled, but you''ll definitely be the one to take the me if shit goes south!''


    Dani practically skipped the whole way to Highrise''s gate. Her excitement was almost contagious as her eager eyes studied the stacked up car ruins that made up the town''s walls.


    "You kids wait here, and I''ll deal with getting our gear and registration. It''s not even noon yet, so we should be able to get to where we''re going not long after nightfall." Harry stormed off to the office by the gate, leaving the two of them alone.


    "You never said we''d be gone overnight!" Dani squealed in excitement.


    "I didn''t know! I just assumed it would be a regr day trip! He never said how long it would take!" Jason moaned in response. "Oh shit! If it''s going to take that long to get there, then"


    "Then what?" Dani became worried when she saw the ugly look that Jason was pulling as he realised something.


    "Then we won''t be away for just one night! At the very least, it''ll be two!" Jason felt like punching the old man square in the face for this stunt.


    "Eeek!" Dani jumped up and down on the spot in excitement. That just made this trip all the better! "Why''d you make me worry like that! I thought you figured out the area this Zoo is in, and you didn''t like it or something!"


    "No, you don''t get it! The problem is that if we''re gone that long I''m not sure I''ll have anything ready for the shop opening up!" Jason groaned. If Harry had told him how long it would take, then he would have opted for just grabbing what he could get nearby!


    "Well, you did say that these nts were essential for the shop to survive, right?" Harry thundered from right behind Jason, startling thetter. "If that''s the case, then you probably won''t be able to gather enough nearby. You''ll just have to work overtime when we return to make it up!"


    "You did this on purpose, didn''t you!" Jason pointed an using finger at his Gramps, who had startedughing. "This is to get back at me for making you deal with the other shop owners!"


    "Maybe, but if I''ve got to work that hard, then so do you!" Harry shrugged his shoulders as another smug grin appeared on his face.


    ''Dammit, old man! This isn''t the end of this! Just wait, I''ll get you back!'' Jason clenched his teeth in frustration as he took his backpack from Harry and passed one to Dani. It was like watching a kid get excited about going camping for their first time as she eagerly strapped it to her back with a bright look on her face.


    Jason sighed heavily at her enthusiasm. He was sure that she would onlyin once she got to experience what it was like. Especially when she realised that there were no toilets out there for her to use. Harry would never let her go off on her own in case of a sudden attack by a beast. Which meant she''d have to do her business close by every time.


    Of course, neither Jason nor Harry would get any enjoyment out of it. It was purely to keep each other safe. However, Jason was unsure whether Harry would survive, exining it to Dani or not. She could have a bit of a temper on her, so he was almost sure that Harry would receive a sucker punch as soon as he mentioned it to her. Jason could not help himself but snigger at the thought of the little show he would be treated to sometime soon.


    "What is it?" Dani asked as she tilted her head curiously while looking at Jason.


    "Ah, it''s nothing. Don''t worry about it too much." Jason chuckled again. In fact, he was eager to get it over with so that he could enjoy the show sooner. "Hey, Gramps! This is Dani''s first time outside, so don''t you think"


    "Ah, right! Sorry about that!" Harry quickly cut off what Jason was about to say. "Go ahead and exin the rules to her! I''m sure she''d appreciate it more from her friend than an old codger like me!"


    Jason shot a hateful re at the old man, who returned it with a look that said, ''Don''t think you''re going to catch me with that trap! Have a taste of it yourself!'' Jason could only resign himself to the inevitable. The geezer had seen through his ploy and countered it before he got the chance to trigger it. With a deep breath, Jason turned to look at Dani''s expectant expression. After ten minutes of exining the rules, he finally got to the part about bathroom breaks


    A dull thud sounded as Jason fell to the ground and yelled as he held his right eye while Dani stood over him with a furious look on her face. Slightly ahead of the pair, Harry fell to the groundughing his arse off

 Chapter 32: Forbidden Land (2)

    Chapter 32: Forbidden Land (2)


    The journey was not too bad after that incident. Although Jason had to continuously remind Dani not to run off whenever she spotted something that interested her. Dani even forced them to check out a few apartment buildings so that she could use a toilet in peace without having to resort to the bushes. This slowed their progress, but they still made it to where they would camp for the next two nights, not long after darkness descended over the world.


    "So! What''s for dinner? I''m starving!" Dani stretched her arms overhead after relieving herself of her backpack.


    Harry and Jason shared a look before they both started tough. Although, both of them did try to stifle the noise they were making with their hands.


    "Hey! What''s so funny?" Dani shot a sharp re at the pair.


    "Well, isn''t it obvious?" Jason asked with a slight smirk on his face. "We won''t be eating anything!"


    Dani stood there with a dumbfounded expression on her face as she stared at the two. "What do you mean we won''t eat! I haven''t had anything since breakfast!"


    "Yo, chill. It''s more like we can''t afford to eat out here." Jason sighed as Dani continued to whine about her stomach. "If we cook anything, the smell will just attract any predators in the area. The same goes for cold food, even though its scent wouldn''t be as strong. It''s just a risk we can''t afford to take right now."


    "Look, Dani. I know you''re not used to this, so how about this. After we do a little scouting in the morning, we''ll have a better idea of what beasts are in the area. Once we know that, we should be able to find somewhere safe to eat. Just try to cope with it for now, yeah?" Harry said in a gentle tone, making Jason curse.


    ''That''s the closest I''ve ever heard him sound like a caring old man! Geez, thanks, Gramps. Where was that when I was growing up?'' Jason frowned as he watched the pairs'' interaction. ''Well, whatever. It''s not like the past can be changed.''


    "Ok, but Where are we going to sleep?" Dani replied with a hesitant tone to Harry''s coddling.


    Harry facepalmed himself when he heard this. He hadpletely forgotten that what wasmon sense for a scavenger would not be true for someone who had never left the safety of Highrise. Harry rubbed his chin as he nced towards Jason, hoping that he would take it from here. After all, Harry was feeling tired, and he did not have the energy to deal with the girl''s questions all night.


    Jason deliberately refused to acknowledge the look that Harry was giving him. ''Fuck you, old man! You deal with it!'' Jason smirked as he started to look for a decent piece of ground to use as his bed for the night.


    Harry cursed under his breath when he saw Jason''s actions. At this rate, it would mean that he would have to be the one to take the first watch! Jason was deliberately taking advantage of Harry exining things to Dani to get out of having to take that role!


    "You''ll find a nket in your backpack. Just pick a spot and sleep." Harry shrugged his shoulders. He was eager to get it over with as soon as possible, so he kept his exnation brief.


    Dani listened attentively as Harry exined everything to her. Harry mostly covered things like no wandering away from camp. Taking turns on watch. No lighting any fires and so on. By the time he was finished, Jason was already snoring soundly curled up next to a fallen tree. Harry wanted nothing more than to give his grandson a beating for abandoning him in his time of need, but he had to admit. He would have done the same in his shoes.


    "So I''m just meant to sleep in the dirt?" Dani scrunched up her face as she began scanning the nearby trees. Truth be told, she was not too keen on that idea.


    "That''s what I said, isn''t it? Now you better hurry up and get some sleep. Otherwise, it''ll be your turn to keep watch before you know it!" Harry grumbled as he marched off to find the mostfortable spot that he could.


    As he took a seat, he picked up a stick and began to doodle in the dirt to pass the time. It was needless to say that Harry was not precisely in the best of moods right now. However, he found it curious that Dani was still standing where he left her, staring up into the trees. He followed her gaze, wondering if she had spotted something, but there was nothing there. ''What the hell is she up to?''


    Suddenly there was a popping noise as Dani disappeared with her backpack. Harry quickly got over the shock of her sudden action and scanned the surroundings for her presence. Eventually, he found her. Perched on a thick branch high up off the ground. Harry watched on with a curious expression as she removed the long nket from her backpack.


    After a few moments, another popping noise urred as Dani reappeared on another branch that was close by. Harry''s eyes went wide when he finally saw what her idea was. Harry snickered with glee as he nced at Jason, who was snoring away quite happily. ''I like your style, kid.'' Harry thought as he nced back towards Dani.


    A few hours passed before Harry gave Jason a light kick to wake him up. Jason groaned as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around. "Is it my turn already?"


    "Your damn right it is!'' Harry harrumphed as he grabbed his backpack. "Remember to wake up Dani when it''s her turn. I''m going to get some sleep."


    "Wait! Where is she?" Jason panicked when he realised he could not see her sleeping anywhere.


    However, when he turned to face Harry, he spotted his Gramps quickly climbing a nearby tree using his tail to make his ascension easier. Jason stared in disbelief as Harry finally reached a thick branch that could hold his weight easily, rtively high up off the ground.


    Jason was startled when he noticed that there seemed to be a nket tied between two branches to form a cocoon in another spot nearby. Jason could vaguely make out the shape of a person sleepingfortably inside of it. ''Fuck me! Is that Dani?''


    Jason soon realised that he had drawn the short straw when his suspicions were confirmed. He could only watch as Harry went about creating a simple hammock, just like Dani had done. When hey down inside of it, Harry was pleasantly surprised that he found it morefortable than his mattress back home.


    "Good night, kid. See you in the morning." Harry waved from up high before grabbing an edge of his hammock and wrapping it over him. His figure disappeared as the nket fully enclosed him in a way that he did not have to worry about falling out of it.


    Jason cursed and wanted to scream in frustration as he heard the light sounds of Harryughing at the predicament that Jason had now found himself in. ''Those bastards! How the fuck am I meant to get up there to wake either of them up?'' Jason kicked the tree next to him to vent his anger.


    The trees that Harry and Dani had chosen to create their beds for the night were thick with few handholds. Harry only managed it because he could rely on the length and strength of his tail. Whereas Dani just had to teleport! It was clear to Jason that they had chosen these particr trees to make sure that he could not disturb them!


    Jason could not even shout to wake them up in fear of drawing any predators in the area towards him. So now, he was stuck keeping watch for the rest of the night just to keep himself safe! ''I''m definitely inventing something to help me climb. Like fuck will I get stuck in this situation again!''


    "You have to admit it''s quite clever." Syssie chuckled as she stared at the two cocoons. "Seems like you''re still aways off from beating your Gramps when ites to craftiness."


    "Shut up, Syssie. I''m not in the mood." Jason glowered at her as he ran a hand through his hair. A dark expression crossed his face as he tried to figure out if there was anything he could do to escape the situation.


    "Oh,e on. Don''t be like that. Would you really interrupt a girl''s beauty sleep? Remember, this is all new to her. You need to take it easier on the girl."


    "I guess you''re right, in a sense." Jason sighed as he nced at the two sleeping figures in envy. "That would be fine if we were somewhere safer. But she has to get used to this quickly. I can''t do this two nights in a row"

 Chapter 33: Forbidden Land (3)

    Chapter 33: Forbidden Land (3)


    Jason felt his eyes drooping from his sleepless night as the dull morning light illuminated the cocoons. The people inside them began to stir as the light disturbed their sleep. Jason watched on his Gramps, and Dani came into view, yawning as they opened their makeshift pods.


    "Damn! That was the best sleep I''ve ever had!" Harry''s expression was rxed and satisfied as he mbered out of the nket.


    "Definitely! It''s so much better than sleeping on the ground!" Dani chuckled as a pop resounded in the air.


    "Where did you get the idea from?" Harry asked with a curious expression as he nced at Dani''s new position on one of the branches.


    "Ah, my dad showed me how to do it years ago. It was just a bit of fun as we set it up in m bedroom using metal stands instead of branches. But every now and then, I still sleep in it." Dani let out a proud smile as she replied.


    "Was your dad a scavenger at some point?" Harry asked with some surprise in his tone. "Don''t get me wrong, it''s just that town folks don''t usually think of stuff like this."


    "No, I don''t think so anyway." Dani seemed to ponder the question for a bit. She had to admit that it was a bit of an odd thing for her dad to know.


    "Hm, maybe it was one of his parents, and they showed him how to do it just like he did with you." Harry smiled when he saw that Dani was questioning what she actually knew about her parents.


    "Yeah, it could have been. Dad''s never spoke about them." Dani smiled as her worries about her dad''s past were washed away. It made more sense to her that he picked it up from a family member rather than being a scavenger himself.


    Under Jason''s watchful gaze, the pair continued to dismantle their hammocks in a pleasant mood. Jason continuously cursed them as they seemed topletely ignore him. He was beginning to feel like a third wheel! What the fuck was up with that?


    Dani was the first to finish packing up and teleported down the ground with a broad smile on her face. Harry was not far behind her, but climbing down the tree took a bit more time.


    "Hey! Thanks for not waking me up. I really needed that!" Dani chuckled as she lightly punched Jason on the shoulder.


    "It''s not like you gave me any choice. Is it?" Jason growled with a dark expression masking his face. "Did you even consider the danger you ended up putting us in?"


    Dani showed a look of surprise as she flicked from Jason''s open hostility towards her. "What do you mean?"


    "Jason! Don''t be hard on her." Harry fried, warning at his grandson before he could borate. He did not want Jason to say anything that might make Dani reluctant to help them out again in the future.


    Jason red at his Gramps before snatching his backpack up off the ground. "Forget it. Let''s go."


    Jason had just single-handedly assassinated the excellent mood for the other two as he stormed off in the direction that they had been headed since the day before. Harry could only sigh in exasperation as he motioned for Dani to follow them. She had a helpless expression on her face as she trailed after them. Harry could tell that she was trying to figure out what danger she had actually put them in.


    "Did you really have to be so hard on her?" Syssie asked with a worried tone as she casually strolled beside Jason.


    ''Yes, you heard it as well, right? All those animal noises that kepting through the night? What if I''d fallen asleep?'' Jason replied with a salty attitude in his thoughts. He could not voice his response because then he would just look weird to the others. ''Sure, they might have been fine up in the trees if a beast happened across us. But what about me? If I fell asleep, then that could have been the end for me!''


    Syssie sighed in response. The problem was that Jason was wholly justified in his anger. Even she had been worried for his safety as the noises drew closer to them at various points in the night. Still, she felt like Harry was more to me than Dani. After all, Harry was a veteran that clearly knew how dangerous this area was. So he should have taken responsibility and rotated with Jason all night.


    Even if Dani had kept watch, she was so inexperienced that she might have fallen asleep or missed a vital sign that they were being hunted. In Syssie''s mind, it should have definitely been left up to the two men. However, Harry had chosen to be his usual petty self and disappeared out of reach. He might have been feeling guilty, and that was why he had stood up for Dani just now. But Syssie could not be sure of that.


    It did not take long before the group started toe across signs that beasts had passed by. Freshly broken branches and disturbed dirt showed which directions they had headed in. Dani gasped when she saw these signs, and it finally dawned on her how real the danger had beenst night.


    Even Jason was surprised as he nced at the various paw prints and hoof marks as they passed them by. ''Where the hell has he brought us?'' Jason gasped in surprise. He had never seen evidence of such a variety of beasts living in close proximity to each other. It was a wonder that they had not hunted each other to extinction!


    "From here on out, you better keep quiet, kids. One wrong move could get us all killed." Harry stated solemnly as he examined the tracks.


    Dani and Jason could only nod in agreement. Their lives were entirely in the hands of this veteran scavenger. Neither of them was stupid enough to disobey him at this point. The marks left behind by the beasts were enough to scare them shitless.


    For a while, they followed the same direction as the tracks before Harry veered off course and into the thick of the forest. Jason wondered why his Gramps had done this. ''Wouldn''t it be quicker to just follow them all the way?''


    Harry began to slow his pace as the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to incline sharply. It was tough going climbing up it, but the group did their best to hold back theirborious breathing. Soon, Jason spotted the ground levelling out up ahead. The spacing between the trees also became more expansive, making the steep hill sparsely popted by them at its summit.


    As they reached the t ground of the summit, Harry suddenly dropped his belly to the ground. Prompting the two teenagers to do the same. Of course, they quickly followed suit before crawling through the dirt to get a look at what Harry could see.


    It was needless to say that the pair had to stifle a gasp as the scenery of the so-called Zoo came into their view. What had once been neat paths that people used to walk on was now cracked and broken. Allowing overgrown vegetation to push up towards the sky. There was a clear distinction between the areas used as their for different species.


    What had obviously been walls at some point was now falling apart as they still protected theseirs. A few buildings were spread around, and Jason could only wonder what they had been used for in the past. Jason''s sight began to light up like a Christmas tree as it began to ping the location of the various nts that he had tagged before.


    ''It''s like a damn treasure trove of nts!'' Jason thought ecstatically as he quickly took note of their various locations. To be honest, he had begun to question his Gramps judgement for bringing them here since his interface never pinged anything even once. But now, he could finally see why the old man had been so confident!


    Suddenly a growth of nts was illuminated brightly in his vision. Jason''s eyes went wide as he recognised them as the ones he needed to make thepressed gas. They were growing out the top of a fake-looking rock structure. After a quick look at it, Jason realised that they definitely needed Dani to retrieve those ones. Climbing that structure would take too long, especially when they could be spotted by a beast at any moment.


    "Where are all the beasts?" Dani asked with a confused expression.


    Now that she mentioned it, Jason realised there was no sign of them. Which made no sense considering how many tracks they had seen on the way here. Jason turned to his Gramps with a confused expression, hoping he could shed some light on the matter.


    "What we saw on the way here were the tracks of the nocturnal beasts. The ones that are active during the day have yet toe out. Just keep quiet and wait for it. It won''t be long now. Remember, we''re just scouting just now." Harry whispered with a grave expression.


    Ten minutes passed before a loud roar echoed from the rocky structure that Jason had kept his eyes on. Hisplexion paled as his eyes bore witness to the monster that imed that area as its home as it walked proudly out into the sunlight.

 Chapter 34: Forbidden Land (4)

    Chapter 34: Forbidden Land (4)


    Jason heard his grandfather click his tongue when the magnificent looking beast appeared. Turning to look at his Gramps, Jason noticed that he had a grim expression on his face. ''Seems like he knew about it. Is this what worried him so much?'' Jason nced at the beast again and began to study it in greater detail.


    The beast looked to be at least seven foot tall on all fours. It had the appearance of a sizeable cat-like creature with a metallic golden mane around its neck. Its tail whipped back and forthzily, drawing attention to the sharp barbs that covered its tip. Its three eyes scanned its immediate area before the beast leapt high up onto the fake rock structure.


    The creature padded around for a bit before sprawling out in the direct sunlight. As if it were casually sunbathing. Jason''s mind raced as he realised there was absolutely no hope for them to outrun that creature. Its powerful disy just now made that much obvious to anyone who witnessed it.


    Jason hissed as he sharply inhaled. Only Dani would have a chance of escaping from it. In his mind, it would actually be better if they made an attempt for those flowers while it slept during the night. Very soon, more beasts appeared from theirirs. Almost every one of them suddenly came into sight after exiting from well-concealed entrances in strange structures.


    The whole area in front of their eyes had be busy with activity! Dani gasped as she nudged Jason with her elbow and pointed at two heads that had appeared over some trees. Long necks could be seen from between the gaps in the branches. Jason''s eyes went wide as he tried to estimate how far those necks could reach, but that appeared to be a hopeless endeavour.


    At that moment, those very same necks stretched out as if they were made of stic. Although the beast looked quite cute and harmless, its pair of heads suddenly opened their mouth''s and revealed long, sharp fangs. A flock of birds had just taken flight from nearby, but unfortunately, some of them were caught by these dangerous-looking maws.


    Jason shivered as he looked around at the other beasts. He began to grow fearful as he wondered at the abilities of these other creatures. ''Is it even possible to get anything here?'' Jason gulped as his eyes scanned the variety of monsters living here. At that moment, Harry tapped Jason''s shoulder and signalled that it was time to retreat.


    The trio fell back in silence until they reached a point even further away than where they had camped on the previous night. Harry sighed as he sat down in the dirt with a look of contemtion on his face. The pair of teenagers looked at each other hopelessly before silently sitting across from him.


    After a while had passed, Harry finally broke the silence. "Dani, how confident are you in your abilities?"


    "I''m fairly confident, but" Dani''s voice trailed off as she thought about the creatures she had seen.


    "You don''t have to say it. You''re still young, and you''ve never had to use them while under pressure." Harry gazed towards the sky while he spoke. "You''d be incredibly tense if any of those bests targeted you. There''s a good chance you''d make a mistake or fail to keep your cool. There''s no shame in that."


    "I''m sorry" Dani whispered while ncing at Jason while tears welled up in her eyes.


    "It''s not your fault." Jason smiled at her sympathetically. In truth, even he had not imagined that this ce would be as dangerous as it had turned out to be. "Gramps. Is there anywhere else we can try?"


    Harry sighed before shaking his head to deny it. "Sorry, kid. Thest time I was here was a very long time ago. I thought that most of the beasts should have died during that time. Apparently, I was wrong."


    Jason felt dejected at his grandfather''s words. He was so close to getting the materials he needed, but it seemed like an impossible task.


    "What about during the night?" Jason could not help but ask. It was the only lifeline that their expedition had left at this point.


    "That would be even worse." Harry grimaced as he replied with a cold tone. "The nocturnal beasts have better senses to make up for their shorter eyesight. They''d notice our presence long before we even got as close as we did today."


    The trio stared at the ground with glum expressions. Their trip seemed to havee to an end at this point. However, there was someone else there that had a different outlook on the matter.


    "If it''s just a case of them being able to pick up your scent, there are a few nts around here that can mask it for you," Syssie whispered in Jason''s ear, even though nobody else could hear her anyway.


    ''What about their vision? Gramps said it would be worse, but it should still be better than ours in the dark.'' Jason replied while keeping a straight face. He did not want to get his hopes up just yet.


    Syssie seemed to think about it for a bit beforeing up with an answer. "A ghillie suit should work. You should be able to make a simple one. It won''t be perfect, but it should be enough for now. Dani just needs it to break up her silhouette to make it harder for them to detect her."


    Jason considered the proposal for a while. The moment he thought about it, several ideas came to his mind of how to apply a lightyer of camouge to their clothes. Strictly speaking, it would not be a ghillie suit, but it was better than nothing.


    "Guys, I think I have an idea"


    Jason exined what he wanted to try to Harry and Danio, who looked doubtful. Nobody had ever heard the term ''ghillie suit'', so Jason limited himself to try and exin how attaching leaves and branches to their clothes would make it harder for them to be seen. Harry was even more doubtful when Jason said he had a way to make it impossible for the beasts to sniff them out.


    However, this was technically Jason''s expedition, so he decided to keep quiet and let him work. As time passed, they saw the camouged jackets begin to take shape. Jason had opted to use their nkets instead of their own clothes so they could wrap them around themselves topletely conceal the human form of their bodies.


    A fragrant smell began to permeate the air. The source of the smell wasing from one of the containers that Jason had brought along to store the flowers in. Surprisingly these flowers released quite a strong smell once they had been submerged in cold water for a few hours. Jason''s interface tagged it as being something called ''perfume''.


    Even Harry had to admit that he struggled to smell his own unique fragrance even though he was distant from the container. As Jason wiped the sweat from his brow, he cast a nce over thepleted items. ''It looks better than I thought it would. I didn''t think the perfume would be so strong either.''


    Jason stroked his chin as he gazed at the fragrant liquid in its container. ''This could actually be quite popr back in town. Though, it seems like women would be more likely to buy it. Maybe I should try and create one that would appeal to men as well.'' Jason could not help but consider the business opportunity that it presented. There was nothing wrong with making more money.


    Needless to say, these new inventions were all F ranks, so he did not even bother asking Syssie for an evaluation. If there was nothing to gain from it right now, then there was no point in going through it. He could always askter if he decided to sell them.


    "Here''s a question." Harry frowned as he noticed that Jason was finished with his work. "How are we meant to carry around that liquid without spilling it?"


    Jason chuckled as he heard that. Clearly, his Gramps had misunderstood how it would be used. "Simple. We don''t."


    Both Harry and Dani shot him a confused look before waiting for him to exin. Jason grinned in response before picking up the container. "You''ll have to pour it over yourselves. It should onlyst a few hours before it starts to lose its effectiveness. Dani, do you think you''ll be able to manage with this?"


    Dani looked back and forth between the camouge and the perfume before nodding her head gently. "It should be fine with this. I just have to be careful where I teleport."


    "Ok, remember. We''re just going to get as much as we can. If the beasts look like they''ve be alerted, we''ll leave instantly. This isn''t a suicide mission. Let''s get some sleep before nightfall." Jason nced towards the sun that was still high in the sky just now. Everything would be up to luck now. He had done everything that he could to increase their odds of sess.

 Chapter 35: Forbidden Land (5)

    Chapter 35: Forbidden Land (5)


    The trioy in the hill''s grass they had used to scout out the Zoo during the morning with tense expressions. There was hardly any light to see by as the clouds covered the moon in the sky. This made it extremely difficult for them to pinpoint any beasts that were wandering around the Zoo at this hour.


    Luckily for them, it seemed like most of the nocturnal predators actually left the confines of this zone to hunt outside of it. Significantly reducing the risks that they would have to face. Dani felt reassured about her job after receiving the items that Jason had made. They had done a few tests when it was still daylight to check out how well the camouge worked against human eyes.


    Harry was more than surprised to see how well the nkets actually worked. Whenever he would try to spot Dani in their camp area, he consistently failed to pick out the right spot. Jason had gotten a little revenge against the geezer when it was his turn to hide. He chose toy down in the grass directly at Harry''s feet when he was not looking.


    When Harry failed to spot him, Jason jumped up and gave him the biggest scare he had ever had in his life! Naturally, Harry was so startled that he thumped Jason in the eye as a defensive mechanism. Now, Jason had to nurse two ck eyes, but it was totally worth it, in his opinion.


    Dani gulped as she picked out her first target area to teleport to. With a slight popping noise, she disappeared. It was at this time that Harry and Jason exchanged a panicked expression. ''Shit! I totally forgot about the noise she makes whenever she does that!'' Jason thought while wanting to p himself for his stupidity!


    They had been so focused on other things that they forgot that Dani''s ability released a strange sound whenever it was used! To them, this noise had be a natural sound to their daily lives. However, that clearly would not be the case for beasts down there in the Zoo!


    The pair watched on as Dani reappeared in a grassy area by a body of water with a light pop. From their vantage point, they were able to see the grass tten where she had appeared, so this was how they could keep track of her. A moment after she appeared in that ce, Jason gasped. Arge pair of eyes suddenly popped up from the water as several spines pierced its surface.


    ''Get out of there! Come on, Dani!'' Jason silently prayed. He could tell that she had not spotted the silent danger due to the grass blocking her vision. Whatever the beast was, it slowly made its way to the water''s edge close to Dani. It was almost as if the beast was entirely sure of where the noise hade from.


    Suddenly, there was a popping noise and a loud ssh! Dani had just teleported again. Right at the same time that the reptile hidden in the murky waters had chosen to lunge for her previous position. Arge mouth snapped shut where her head had previously been, giving the two men heart palpitations because of how close it had been to snatching Dani.


    This time, the pair had lost track of her. They had discussed what she should try and obtain before they began the operation. She would try and grab as many flowers as she could as she made her way to the fake rock structure. This was in case she felt the need to abandon the job before she could grab the flowers that Jason wanted the most.


    At least, that way, they would not go home empty-handed. However, to do this, Dani had to take a roundabout route to that specific enclosure. Dani could feel the sweat on her brow as she felt like she was being watched by a pair of hungry eyes. In truth, even she did not consider the noise that she made, only realising this potentially fatal w after she made her first jump!


    She hurriedly tore up some nearby nts before stuffing them in her backpack, which had been positioned so that it was on her chest instead of her back. This was simply because it would be easier to store the nts quickly. Her instincts warned her that she stayed in that position for long enough, and she did not hesitate to make her next jump.


    This process continued a few times, and every time she made a new jump, a beast would lunge at her previous position. Because of this, Jason was able to follow what path she had chosen. But only after she had already left for a new spot. It was like watching a live stream with a slight dy. He knew that something new would have already developed by the time he found out where she had gone. He could only hope that one of these beasts would not manage to get her before she could get away.


    Jason silently praised the perfume he had created. He could only believe that theck of a scenting from Dani was dying the beasts'' ability to pinpoint her exact location. Dani hesitated as she finally reached her destination. She had managed to grab quite a lot of nts on the way here, but she felt an intrinsic fear as she stared at the fake rocks from between two metal bars. Her mind went back to what Harry had told her while Jason had worked on the items they needed.


    "Now Dani, that golden cat is called a Trion. It may not look like muchpared to the other beasts in there but make no mistake. It is undoubtedly the king of that jungle!"


    Dani shivered as she remembered Harry''s warning. She knew that if it woke up, then she would have to make a quick getaway. There would be no time to stop between teleports. Harry had emphasised just how fast that beast was. Not just that, but the metallic properties of its fur made it almost impossible to injure.


    ''Can I do it in one jump?'' Dani gauged the distance to the blue flowers at the top of the rocks. Her ability was still quite limited when it came to its range, but that was probably due to it still being rtively new to her. It always took a bit of time for anyone to achieve their power''s full potential.


    Dani sighed as she pictured the location she wanted to jump to in her mind. Suddenly it felt like some sort of barrier had erected itself in her mind. The bacsh of the failed teleport gave her a splitting headache. ''Damn it! Looks like I''ll have to jump twice then.''


    This was the worst-case scenario. Twice the jumps equalled twice the noise. The risk of awakening the Trion had just doubled in a single moment! Dani breathed heavily as she tried to calm her nerves. ''It''s fine, girl! You''ve got this!'' Dani knew that it was better to just get it over with rather than gue herself with worries of what would happen if shit went sideways.


    Pop!


    Pop!


    Dani did not dare to breathe as she quickly reached out to grab the blue flowers directly in front of her. The entire night air seemed as if it had just suddenly gone silent! As if the whole Zoo was waiting for something! The moment that tugged the handful of nts out of the fake rocks, a loud roar shook the entire structure!


    She could feel the vibrations originated from beneath her. Confirming that the Trion slept inside of the fake structure. Suddenly, Dani felt a hazardous sensation wash over her as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end!


    Pop!


    Jason watched on in horror! Just a moment ago, they heard the Trion''s roar from their position on the hill. Dani had beenpletely visible to them while she was lying on those rocks. This was due to theck of vegetation for the camouge to work correctly. However, as soon as the Trion finished its roar, arge hole appeared where Dani had been as the Trion burst through from underneath her!


    As that part of the structure broke apart, they could see that the inside was utterly hollow apart from a few rusted metal beams that seemed to hold it together. Jason guessed that they were probably used to support the weight of any animals that stood on top of the structure to prevent it from copsing.


    "This isn''t the time to admire that!" Syssie hissed in his ear. "Pay attention to Dani! You guys need to make a run for it!"


    Syssie''s warning finally brought Jason to his senses as he saw Dani running and teleporting through the Zoo at a rapid pace. She had quickly discarded the nket realising that it was toote for those minor tricks to be of any use now. Jason cursed as he nudged Harry in the ribs, who was watching the show with a worried expression.


    "Gramps! Move! Dani''s faster than us! If we''re not quick, then we''ll end up as that things dinner!" Jason urged before abandoning his own nket and making a run for it. Leaving Harry to curse at his own stupidity.


    ''As the old saying goes. I don''t have to outrun the hunter. I just have to be able to outrun you!'' Despite the difficult situation, Jason could not help but crack a joke to himself. Perhaps it was just a stress reaction to the problem. But it was still made himugh in the end.

 Chapter 36: Red Steel Gang (1)

    Chapter 36: Red Steel Gang (1)


    "Fuck! They''re catching up!" Harry yelled in a panic as he raced after Jason.


    "Well, run in a different direction then! Maybe then that beast will chase you instead!" Jason roared over his shoulder as he sped up.


    "Got it!" Harry replied before frowning. "Wait! You little arsehole! Don''t you dare treat me as bait!"


    Harry was furious because he almost fell for Jason''s trick. To be fair, Jason was confident that Harry would find a way to survive, so what''s the harm in having him lead the beast away from himself? Jason huffed as he tried to put more distance between himself and his grandfather while Dani slowly gained on them.


    ''We might not make it at this rate. How far will it chase us?'' Most beasts were territorial and would not chase anything too far from their home. They had to hope that they could escape the Trion''s area of activity before it caught up to them. Jason''s ears were filled with popping noises that signalled that Dani was getting a little too close forfort now.


    Harry yelped as Dani suddenly appeared ahead of him, which could only mean one thing! A quick nce over his shoulder revealed a furious looking Trion bounding through the forest after them. Harry''s life shed in front of his eyes as he yelped in rm. He was not keen on the idea of being served up to the hungry beast as an appetiser.


    At that moment, Dani finally reached Jason, making him curse out loud. After all, this meant that he was sure to be the beast''s second course!


    "Please! Tell me you have a n!" Dani yelled as she seemed to struggle to keep up.


    Taking a closer look at her, Jason realised that she appeared exhausted. Apparently, the constant running, teleporting, and stress of sneaking into the Zoo had piled up on her. By the look of it, Dani might even copse before the Trion managed to catch Harry. Jason cursed at how badly the situation had gone the moment that Dani had picked those flowers.


    How could they have guessed that would be the catalyst to the events that followed? Jason''s hand went to the Riot at his waist. ''There''s only one thing we can try. We have to injure it enough to make it wary of continuing the chase!''


    "Can you still teleport?" Jason asked with a grim expression.


    "Only a few more times. I''ve never teleported so much before. I never knew the headache it would cause!" Dani eximed as she realised that there might still be some hope for them yet.


    "Take this!" Jason gasped as he passed the Riot to her outstretched hand. She already knew how to use it thanks to the short time she spent ying with the Primal, but she noticed a few differences. "Stab it in its central eye! Flick that switch all the way over to its maximum setting first!"


    Dani nodded as she wondered what the switch would do, but this was not the time for questions. She slid to a stop and turned to face the lumbering beast as she flicked her wrist to extend the weapon into its spear form. Harry had a grateful expression on his face as he raced past her with tears streaming from his eyes.


    Dani shivered as she watched the beast quickly approach her position. It was nerve-wracking to stare directly at such a powerful creature intent on having her for a snack! She took two deep breaths and waited for the right moment! The Trion pounced through the air, aiming to snap Dani up its powerful jaws.


    Just as it was about to bite down on her, Dani teleported to straddle its snout! With a cry of desperation, she flicked the Riot''s switch, and a hum of electricity filled the air. The Trion''s eyes went wide in shock as it was helpless to stop the sharp object that quickly descended on its middle eye!


    A smell of burning entered Dani''s nostrils as the eye she aimed for popped like a balloon! Blood gushed over her as they Trion trembled from the powerful electric shock. As it writhed in pain, Dani withdrew the weapon and quickly teleported away. Howls of pain filled the still dark forest as the Trion thrashed around,pletely forgetting about its prey.


    Dani''s sess made the two men heave a sigh of relief as they continued to run for their lives. They wanted to put as much distance between themselves and the beast on the off chance it decided to continue its pursuit. A few minutester and an exhausted Dani finally caught back up to them.


    "This thing is amazing!" Dani squealed as she tenderly gripped the Riot in her hands. "What did you do it?"


    Jason only smiled in response and held out his hand to take back what was his. Dani put on a reluctant expression before giving in. She felt as if someone had just stolen her lover from her.


    "I won''t tell you what I did, but I think you can definitely use it for thepetition!" Jason finally replied with a warm smile.


    Dani''s eyes lit up at the thought of that. The Riot was so easy to use, and its newest feature would be impressive in a fight. She could not stop herself from daydreaming about winning the entirepetition!


    Jason saw the hopeful look in her eyes and shook his head. Shows too easy to read, but he decided to let her be. After all, right now, they were still running for their lives. There was still a good chance that they could run into other predators in the darkness. Jason decided to slow his pace a bit so that Harry could catch up.


    "Gramps, what should we do now?" Jason asked with a worried expression. It was not ideal for them to continue like this.


    "Hmph, run for a bit longer." Harry wheezed with a flushed face. "Then, we''ll find somewhere to hole up until morning."


    Jason nodded in agreement. He was feeling pains in his muscles from the physical exertion, so rest was definitely needed. After running for another fifteen minutes, the trio finally slowed to a halt. Each of them was breathing heavily as they felt their legs shaking beneath them. The edge of the forest had juste into view, and beyond it were the shadows of abandoned buildings.


    "Let''s rest in one of those. Then we''ll continue on to Highrise as soon as morninges!" Harry groaned as he ced one shaky foot in front of the other.


    The trio made slow progress, with only the promise of some sleep driving them onwards. They felt reassured now that they had reached somewhere that had once been popted by humans. It was a false sense of safety since nowhere was truly safe in this world. But it was enough for now. Dust was kicked up into the air, causing them to cough as Harry pushed open a heavy door.


    Soon, they all had ushered themselves inside, and Harry heaved the door closed behind them. They did not even take their time to properly look around before copsing on the nearest thing they could find that lookedfortable. Exhaustion soon swept over them as they quickly fell victim to the urge to sleep.


    Jason''s eyes flickered as sunlight streamed across his face. With a loud curse, he quickly covered his eyes before ncing around. It seemed that they had chosen someone''s home to sleep in as the figures of Harry and Dani sprawling on old couches came into his view. The sun''s brightness told him that it was alreadyte in the day, which meant that they had overslept.


    "Get up! We need to move!" Jason groaned as he moved his aching muscles to wake the others. ''It''s a miracle nothing tracked us here!''


    Jason sighed in relief as he realised that they had managed to entirely escape the danger. The only thing left for them to do now was triumphantly return to his store to begin his work! Jason could not help butugh at the thought that they had seeded. Harry frowned at Jason''s reaction before realising their situation. Instantly joining Jason in his revelry when it sunk in.


    Dani rolled her eyes at the pair before sliding off her couch with a pained expression. Right now, she had no desire to ever agree to help them again. This single trip was enough to put her off ever leaving Highrise again.


    Not long after, the trio resumed their journey back to town. Luckily, nothing more exciting than a slight breeze urred. Making it a pleasant walk that almost made the previous night''s events seem like a passing nightmare. Dani even found herself briefly wondering when she might get an opportunity to go out again before shaking her head to deny the idle thought.


    "Harry! You bettere quick!" A familiar voice called out as they finally crossed the threshold into the safety of Highrise.


    "Raymond? What''s up?" Harry eximed in shock.


    "Just hurry! It''s about your store!" Raymond had a grave expression on his face as he beckoned them to follow him.

 Chapter 37: Red Steel Gang (2)

    Chapter 37: Red Steel Gang (2)


    Jason frowned when he heard Raymond''s warning. It mostly pissed him off that Raymond seemed to think that his Gramps was the owner! Still, it was not something that he could just ignore. Harry turned to look at him at that point.


    "Go. I''ll deal with the clerks. Dani, you better hand me your bag. They''ll want to check its contents before they allow us to take the nts into town." Harry said with a grim expression.


    Now it was Raymond''s turn to be confused. He had no idea why Harry would send his grandson instead of dealing with the matter personally. But, if that was how he wanted to approach it, then who was he to question him.


    "Let''s go," Jason said to Raymond after handing his stuff to Harry.


    Raymond nodded before turning and jogging off in the direction of the store. Jason''s legs still wobbly after running so much the day before, but he grit his teeth and put up with it. He heard the light patter of Dani''s feet on the ground as she chased after them. She obviously wanted to know what themotion was about, as well as finally getting to see Jason''s store.


    "Can''t you tell me anything before we get there?" Jason shouted as he jogged behind Raymond, who only shook his head.


    "Trust me. It''s better if you just see the situation for yourself! It''s way out of control over there!"


    Jason frowned at Raymond''s words. How could anything have gone wrong in the short period that they had been absent? The store was not even open yet! It brought images to Jason''s mind of someone having broken into his store and trashed the ce. It was needless to say that he was thoroughly concerned about what he would find when he got there!


    However, reality turned out to be far different from what he imagined. Before he could even turn the corner onto Crafters Street, a long line of tents, sleeping bags and nkets had alreadye into view. ''What the fuck is this?'' Jason stared with wide eyes at the people who rested in or on these things while chatting casually to each other.


    The queue of faces waved eagerly at Raymond as he jogged past with excited looks in their eyes. It seemed like they were expecting something when they saw that he had returned. This made Jason feel quite nervous. They gave him the impression of being predators waiting for just the right moment to pounce.


    "There''s the problem!" Raymond pointed to a spot in front of the store as he came to a halt. There was a hint of anger in his voice as he sounded like he wasining.


    Jason nced at where he was pointing, only to see a mass of tents with a ring of people surrounding them. There was arge gap between them and the people at the front of the queue. ''They really are lining up for my store!'' Jason gasped before paying some attention to the strange scene at the front.


    His eyes scanned the ring of what could only be described as guards. Each of them had a weapon close at hand and constantly eyeballed those waiting in the queue. At the centre of the tents behind them sat a young woman casually drinking a warm beverage as if she were on some kind of pic. However, for some reason, Jason felt nothing but bad vibes when he looked at her.


    ''Despite her obviously holding her ce with a show of force, I don''t see what the big issue is.'' Jason frowned as he looked around at the people patiently waiting. Although he would not have enough stock for all of these people, this actually seemed like a pretty good thing to him. However, at that moment, the woman seemed to sense that someone was looking at her.


    She turned her head and spotted Jason standing next to Raymond at the side of the queue. She frowned for a moment before pondering who he was and why the man with three arms kept pointing at her. Then, Al''s description about the creator of the Primal popped into her mind!


    Suddenly, Sam put on a charming smile as she stared right back at Jason. He shivered at that sight as a cold chill ran down his spine. ''Oh, this doesn''t seem so good.'' Jason thought with apprehension as the woman stood up and walked towards him. Jason decided to wait while watching several of the woman''s guards take up positions to nk her on either side.


    The crowd suddenly went quiet as they paid attention to what was going to happen. Nobody seemed to be aware that Jason was the store owner of the establishment that they were queueing outside of, but everyone wanted to see why he had drawn the attention of an obvious bigshot. Jason sighed as the woman came to a halt in front of him and casually checked him out.


    "Can I help you miss?" Jason finally asked as he ced his hands in the pockets of his bomber jacket. Trying to act casual and not draw attention to himself.


    "I think you can, Mr Wright. I got that right, didn''t I? You are Jason Wright. Founder and owner of Star Gear?" Sam asked with a keen look in her eyes.


    The crowd gasped at this revtion as they began to study Jason more closely. They never expected someone so young to be the owner of this ce! That just so happened to go double for Raymond, who stared nkly at Jason in disbelief.


    Jason nced at the crowd''s reaction before letting out a heavy sigh. This woman in front of him had revealed his identity too quickly. There was no point in pretending otherwise now. He put on a polite smile before nodding at her.


    "That''s right. And who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" Jason eyed her guards warily.


    "Your biggest fan!" The woman quickly covered her mouth, seemingly surprised at her own outburst. "Ahem, sorry."


    Jason did not know how to reply to that as his expression turned dumbstruck. He never expected this woman to say such a thing. How could he even have a true fan in the first ce? It was not like he had sold many items so far!


    Sam grinned when she saw Jason''s confused expression. She lightly snapped the fingers on her right hand before two of her guards broke away and quickly made a round trip to their tents. When they returned, each of them carried a metal case. They nced at Sam, seemingly seeking some kind of confirmation. With a broad smile, she nodded at the pair.


    The two guards held the cases towards Jason so that he would be able to see their contents once they opened them. Jason''s eyes went wide as every single Primal he had ever provided to Al was suddenly disyed in front of his eyes. Suddenly, he understood what this woman had meant by being his biggest fan.


    "Do you recognise them?" Sam asked with a hint of pride in her voice as she gauged Jason''s reaction.


    "Of course. You think heir creator would not recognise his own work?" Jason frowned as he tried to figure out what game she was up to. "The real question is, why do you need so many? And it doesn''t answer why you''ve approached me now. The store doesn''t open for another day yet."


    "Ah, but I have a business proposal for you, Mr Wright. Don''t you think you should invite me inside so we can discuss this matter?"


    Although Sam sounded like she was being polite, something about her was setting off rm bells in Jason''s head. Personally, he would prefer to ditch her just now and let Harry deal with herter. He would rather not run the risk of allowing this woman to trip him up somehow.


    "Ah, if it''s a business-rted matter, then I would like to inform you that you should bring this to my Grandfather. He has a stake in the business and is responsible for all negotiations. I''m afraid that I can''t help you with this at all." Jason replied with a stiff smile that caused Sam to express an ugly look on her face.


    Dani chuckled from somewhere behind Jason. Up until this point, she had an unexinable dislike for this woman and her domineering attitude. It was good to see Jason put her in her ce. Dani smiled innocently as Sam suddenly red at her.


    "I was unaware that you had a business partner. My sources did not mention this to me at all." Sam put on an aggrieved expression before returning her attention to Jason. "Still, I think it would be beneficial for you to personally hear my offer."


    ''What''s with this chick?'' Jason grimaced as he realised that Sam did not want to let him off the hook just yet. Anyone else would have just focused on his Gramps by now, but she seemed hell-bent on having a private conversation with him. Jason sighed reluctantly as he realised that he would have to give in here. He would just deflect it to his Gramps if she asked for any promises. ''I''m sorry old man. Seems like I''ll have to put you to work again.''


    "This way then" Jason grinned before leading the way to his store.

 Chapter 38: Red Steel Gang (3)

    Chapter 38: Red Steel Gang (3)


    The crowd grew excited as Jason opened the store even though they knew it was not actually opening until the next day. They peered into the darkness to get a look at what was on the shelves so that they could n out what they would buy. However, only empty disys came into view, making them allin loudly!


    They all got the idea that Jason had deliberately not put anything on disy yet in case anyone managed to get a look inside! Of course, this was not actually the case, and he simply had not had the time to make anything yet. Even Sam frowned by his side when she realised that she would not get a sneak preview.


    Part of the reason she wanted to talk inside was to estimate how much Jason''s business would be worth. However, the empty disys thoroughly thwarted this idea.


    "Sorry, it''s a bit bare right now, but that will change for our official opening. Now, what would you like to discuss?" Jason asked as he took a seat in the only chair in the front of the store.


    Dani smirked at Jason, pretending to be somebody important as she casually leaned against a wall to watch the show. Raymond and Sam''s guards had been left outside, meaning that only the three of them would be privy to the contents of their discussion.


    "This is hardly alone, Mr Wright," Sam replied as she shot a look of disdain towards Dani. "I don''t think our chat is appropriate for the ears of someone of such low status. Don''t you agree?"


    Dani''s expression drastically changed at the moment. Anyone would be able to tell that Sam''s taunt had managed to get under her skin.


    "If that''s how you feel, then I agree." Jason smiled as he nodded his head, drawing incredulous gazes from the two women. "The low ss should definitely leave. Feel free to show yourself out."


    Dani burst outughing as Sam seemed to struggle toprehend what Jason had just said. Her face paled with anger as she realised that Jason was talking to her! Rather than the unkempt woman that followed him inside. Sam grit her teeth as she struggled to hold back her anger. She did not want things to turn hostile between them since she wanted Jason to work for her.


    After a few deep breaths, she appraised Jason once again. She wondered if he was acting so high-handed because he was aware of his power during these negotiations. She could only swallow the bitter pill that Jason had just force-fed to her before clearing her throat.


    "I apologise. It seems I misspoke a moment ago. May I know if you are willing to have yourpanion leave us alone for a while?"


    Jason raised his eyebrows at that question as he silently cursed. He had hoped she would take the bait and give him a good reason to terminate their discussion. Subsequently barring her from his store in the process. He had no intention of personally dealing with someone so troublesome! It would be much better if she would just take the hint and leave him alone. Of course, he would not mind if she also chose to be a thorn in Harry''s side instead.


    "I''m afraid not, Ms Sorry, I still haven''t caught your name." Jason gestured helplessly while studying the woman.


    "Sam. Just Sam is fine. How does that sound, Jason?" Sam released her most charming smile at that point as she tried to cover up her displeasure at his insistence of keeping Dani around.


    "Ms Sam, is it? That''s fine, you can continue to call me Mr Wright. We should keep things professional after all." Jason smirked as Sam''s eyebrow twitched. ''Don''t think you can make me lower my guard by trying to make things seem friendly between us!''


    "Mr Wright then," Sam''s mouth twitched as she deferred to Jason''s preference. "I''m here to discuss how much it would cost to purchase some shares in your business. I would also like to know how you would feel about bing my personal weaponsmith? I can assure you that I''m willing to provide many benefits with this offer. What do you think?"


    "Like I said outside, you would have to talk to my grandfather about this. Although he does not have many shares, so I doubt he would sell any." Jason deliberately avoided mentioning his own cut of the business. This stated that he would certainly not sell any of his own. "As for being a personal weaponsmith, I don''t have the time to pander to anyone''s specific needs right now. I already have orders for some of my neighbours that I need to deal with first. Not to mention creating the stock for the general public."


    Sam frowned as Jason quickly brushed her offer aside as if it were nothing. "Don''t you think you are being too hasty? I can easily invest plenty of money into Star Gear if you sell me an adequate cut of the business."


    "Like I said. My Gramps doesn''t have many he can share. Feel free to take it up with him." Jason smiled with his eyes as he tried to push the pressure on Harry while continuing to refuse to even discuss his own shares.


    "Fine. Since you don''t appear willing to discuss these matters with sincerity, I will certainly take them up with your grandfather." Sam smiled in response.


    Jason chuckled to himself as he prepared to get out of his seat to show Sam to the door. He silently congratted himself for getting rid of this pest so that he could focus on his work. However, his expression sank as he noticed that Sam did not budge from her position.


    "Now, let''s discuss other matters then. I''m sure your grandfather''s presence is not necessary for you to make a simple sale, right?" Sam smirked as she found a way around one of Jason''s favourite defences during their short conversation. She was determined not to leave here empty-handed! "I''d like to buy every copy of the Primal that you currently have in stock. At double the market price. Including the one on your belt."


    Jason frowned at this request. "The one I carry is my own personal weapon. One that I have a great attachment to and would never sell."


    "Attachment? You would refuse a sale based on that? I''d maybe understand it was the first creation of your line. Who would not treasure where their journey started." Sam shrugged her shoulders as she acted as if she had seen through him. "From what I can see, that is one of the ones that you added a grip to. Plus, it looks like it has been made out of better materials."


    Jason had a sinking feeling as he stared at Sam''s eyes that appeared to sparkle as she studied the Riot. Jason felt worried that she might discover that she was looking at a different beast than the Primals that she actually owned.


    "As I said. It''s not for sale." Jason casually covered the weapon from her view. Causing Sam to re at him with a dark expression.


    "Mr Wright. Don''t be unreasonable. You can always make another one! I''ve bought every one of your weapons that has hit the market so far! Is it any wonder that I would want to own any others? Especially when it looks like you''ve managed to improve on it?"


    "While I appreciate your enthusiasm for my work, I still won''t budge on this matter," Jason replied resolutely.


    "Very well," Sam replied reluctantly as she continued to stare at Jason. "Then how many Primals do you have in stock that you''re willing to sell to me right now?"


    "Zero." Jason casually smiled while holding out his hands in a helpless gesture.


    That was almost too much for Dani to deal with! Sam was constantly put on the back foot by Jason, no matter how hard she pressed him. Right now, Sam looked like she was a volcano that was about to erupt!


    "You would actually dare to deny to sell me even a single one?" Sam replied through gritted teeth. "Why not?"


    "Well," Jason scratched his chin as if he were embarrassed. "For one. We aren''t open yet. It would not be fair to make them wait and not you, right?"


    Dani almost broke down at Sam''s expression when she was denied yet again. Jason could not help but notice how simr Syssie and Dani were at this moment. Especially since Syssie was crying inughter as well, right beside what looked like a younger counterpart.


    "Don''t get me wrong, Ms Sam. It''s simply that I don''t have any Primals in stock to sell to you in the first ce." Jason grinned as Sam continued to eyeball him with distrust. "Come, I''ll show you."


    With those words, Jason led the two women into the workshop. Where it was in to see that he had no stock stored at all! Even most of his workstations looked like they had not been touched since they were set up! Sam sighed at that sight! She felt like she had been defeated. If there was nothing in the store she could get her hands on, then there were no gains to be had from this conversation in the first ce!


    "May I know when you n to make more?" Sam rubbed her temples in frustration, deciding to take a step back and try and fix the tension between them.


    "Hm, hard to say. Maybe a few weeks if I''m honest." Jason replied with sincerity, causing the two women to gasp in shock!

 Chapter 39: Red Steel Gang (4)

    Chapter 39: Red Steel Gang (4)


    Sam eventually left with a downtrodden expression after Jason answered her follow questions. They were mainly focused on what he nned to sell then if he did not intend to create Primals for some time. Although she seemed to have given up, Jason noticed several of her guards had stayed behind with their tents for now.


    Jason could guess that Sam did not fully believe him. These people were probably left behind to buy any Primals that he happened to sell when the store opened. ''Tsk, I didn''t think she would go that far!''


    Suddenly the sound of pping came from behind him. As he turned around, Dani was wearing an amused expression as she seemed to stare at him in a new light!


    "That was impressive! And thanks for sticking up for me!" Dani blushed as she offered him her thanks. "You''re surprisingly suited for this line of work, aren''t you? See, it''s not all bad that you didn''t end up with a mutation that you wanted."


    Jason could only shrug his shoulders helplessly as she tried to praise him. His bright blue eyes seemed to hide some sadness behind them. Dani mistook this for him, still regretting not gaining a powerful ability, while he was actually feeling sad that he could not tell her the truth about what his mutation actually was.


    "Well, that should be thest we see of her for now. Don''t you think you should check in with your parents and let them know you''re ok?" Jason smiled warmly at Dani.


    "Ah, shit! That''s right! I''ll catch up with youter!" Dani threw her arms around him in a tight hug before running off.


    Jason chuckled at the sight before he remembered something. ''I wonder what Gramps told her parents that made them allow her toe outside of Town?'' The bad feeling that he had when they first set off from Dani''s apartment suddenly made a triumphant return. ''She''ll be fine Right?''


    "Hard to say." Syssie chuckled as she stared at Dani''s back, disappearing into the distance. "Your Gramps is a tricky one."


    "True. But I''m sure she''ll catch on quick to whatever crap he fed them." Jasonughed while feeling grateful that he could talk openly with Syssie again now that they were alone. "Let''s not do anything like that again soon."


    "I second that!" Syssie chuckled. It had felt much worse for her when they were in danger since she was relegated to being nothing more than a passenger along for the ride. It was surprisingly frustrating to discover that there was nothing that she could do in that situation.


    Jason sighed in relief now that he could properly rx. He slumped down into the armchair as he nced around his store. Soon, this ce would be packed with people rushing to buy his wares. He smiled lightly as he thought about his hard work paying off. Just now, there was nothing for him to do. Harry had not returned from the clerk''s office yet with his much-needed nts.


    So it only seemed fitting for him to enjoy this small measure of time while he could. Just as he was starting to feelfortable, Harry finally showed his face in the doorway. Jason cursed at Harry''s sense of timing.


    "I heard from Raymond what happened. What did you promise that woman?" Harry asked with a concerned expression as he dumped a bag full of nts on the counter.


    "Nothing," Jason replied as he got up to take a look at what they had gained. "I just told her to speak with you instead."


    Harry''s expression sank as he realised his grandson had used him as a scapegoat. Jason chuckled as he noticed that Harry did not seem keen on dealing with this particr problem either.


    "You''ll have a busy day tomorrow Gramps, why don''t you go home and get some rest. There''s nothing that you can do here for now anyway." Jason praised himself for how generous he was being. He actually just wanted to make sure that Harry could not use being tired as an excuse to shift some work onto him when the store opened.


    Harry''s eyes practically sparkled at the thought of actually getting some time off! "You sure? I don''t want to leave you if there''s something that I can do."


    "Well, actually" Jason began as if he was considering something.


    "Excellent!" harry sharply cut him off before he could say anything else. "I''ll leave everything in your capable hands! See you at home, kid."


    Harry scampered off faster than if someone had shoved a broom up his arse. Jason stared after him, unsurprised at how shameless the old geezer was. ''Now, with him out of the way, I can finally get to work!''


    Jason''s eyes sparkled as he took the bag of nts into the workshop. The first thing he had to do was organise his gains. That way, he could properly n out how much time he had to spend on each of his new would-be creations.


    As the piles slowly grew, Jason finally gained some insight into how well the expedition had gone. ''This will be more than enough! We should be able tost for a while with this!'' Jason nodded with glee as he began to prepare the ss beakers and containers that he had previously bought.


    He rubbed his hands together as he felt some excitement growing in his chest. He was eager to find out if he could gain any PP this time around.


    Syssie smiled with pride as she watched Jason buzz around the workshop energetically. From lighting a fire to heat up some water to meticulously picking petals from the flowers. Jason seemed to be fully immersed in an environment specifically created for him.


    From time to time, she would chuckle as Jason cursed in his mind whenever he nearly made a mistake. Wisps of different coloured smoke slowly rose from a few containers while foul and pleasing fragrances wafted through the air. Syssie''s nose crinkled cutely at the strange mixture of smells.


    Since she did not have a natural nose of her own, she was tapping into Jason''s brain and how it was processing the different stimuli. It was invigorating at first, but Syssie soon found that the violent concoction of smells had begun to annoy her. She quickly terminated her connection with that sense as she limited herself to watching Jason work.


    As time passed, some of the liquids became solid, while others took on a creamy texture. Even more, remained in a liquid state, but they were undoubtedly colourful now. It was hard to tell that most of these things used only water and flowers. Though some of them had beenbined to create new items with different effects from the original two.


    Jason worked furiously to create arge volume of goods as quickly as possible. He suddenly ced a container on the worktop as he nced outside. The sun had set some time ago, and there was no telling how much time he had left. ''I can''t open the shop without having some Multitools. I''ll need to leave at this for now if I want to have some ready by morning.''


    "No rest for the wicked?" Syssie teased from the sidelines as she nced at the solids that were still forming inside a few ss trays.


    "You could say that." Jason nodded as he rubbed his eyes. ''Note to self. Check if there''s a way to create some proper light. Working by the light of a fire is killing my eyes!''


    Jason''s eyes felt strained. That was to be expected since the fire he had lit earlier only gave off a small amount of light. It was only made worse when he had to stand between it and whatever he was working on!


    "Let''s get some air. I need a break." Jason sighed as he walked towards the front of the store.


    As he opened the door, his eyes suddenly went wide! A mass of bodies suddenly tried to force their way inside! Jason yelped as he struggled to get everyone under control.


    "We''re not open yet!" He kept shouting as his throat grew sore. Personally, he was shocked that everyone that had queued up was wide awake, waiting for that moment where they could finally charge inside!


    When the crowd realised it was a false rm, they calmed down enough to quickly assert their position in the queue again. Jason sighed as he stepped out into the cool night air. It did not take long for his mood to be ruined. Several gazes were fixed on him like they were hawks. Needless to say, the offending eyes belonged to Sam''sckeys that she had left behind.


    ''Maybe I should consider some countermeasures. It seems like Ms Sam might even resort to violence to get what she wants.'' Jason stroked his jaw as he got lost in his thoughts. The crowd could feel the tension between Jason and this group. Silently, they hoped that Sam''s group would not try anything tomorrow. Otherwise, they might have ended up waiting for nothing.

 Chapter 40: Red Steel Gang (5)

    Chapter 40: Red Steel Gang (5)


    As Harry walked onto Crafters Street first thing in the morning, he could feel the excitement crackling in the air. The tents and other sleeping arrangements that the customers had set up had all been packed away. Everyone was standing in an orderly line while twitching in anticipation. Those at the back of the queue had dark circles around their bloodshot eyes.


    Harry shook his head at this sight. These people clearly had not slept much due to the worry that they would not be able to get anything. He was growing excited at the thought of how many credits would soon be flowing into his hands. However, as soon as he entered the store, Jason''s frantic voice dragged him back to reality.


    "Gramps! Thank god you''re here! Here, take these credits! Run to the other shops and buy as many bottles as you can! And anything they have to wrap small objects in. Oh! And tins. We need tins. Bags! Bags too! Otherwise, how will the customers carry their goods! Go! Go!" Jason was practically shouting at him with bloodshot eyes.


    ''Fuck, I didn''t think I would need so much stuff! I was too focused on what I needed to create the stock that I never thought about the customers'' packaging!'' Now that he had quickly rushed Harry out of the store to deal with those details, Jason returned to a soft green b on his worktop.


    Taking a sharp knife, he began cutting the substance into small cubes. This was one of the natural medicines that he had created. The other trays were full of Healing Salve, Energy Booster and a wax-like substance that could be used to treat clothes and armour to make them tougher.


    The bottles held Perfume of various scents, Medicinal alcohol for cleaning wounds, Natural Acid for his own work and a few tasty beverages to sell to the customers. Off to the side were the containers that were still processing a Natural Adhesive and the Compressed Gas.


    Once Harry returned, they worked together to wrap up the soft solids in the minor cuts of leather while carefully pouring the liquids into the bottles. Transferring the creamy substances into small tins proved to be troublesome, but they got there in the end. One of each item was ced on disy, including the Multitool, while the rest were ced in boxes behind the counter.


    Jason sighed in relief when he realised that he had barely managed toplete everything in time. He spent the next few minutes lecturing Harry on what each item could be used for and what price to sell them at. They had ended up with a muchrger volume of goods than Jason had anticipated. He had never expected a few nts to produce this much. It was primarily due to the amount of water that went into them.


    Jason looked around with pride as the time to open up shop quickly approached. "It''s all up to you now, Gramps. I''ll be in the back cleaning up."


    "No problem. I''ve got this!" Harry shed arge grin and a thumbs up before heading for the door.


    "Ah, wait!" Jason suddenly called out while stroking his chin thoughtfully. "You should probably limit the customers in the store to around three. Otherwise, it''ll be a struggle to get in and out."


    Harry seemed thoughtful before agreeing. It was indeed prudent to limit the number of customers allowed in at one time. That way, Harry would not have to deal with a hundred questions at once while also dealing with sales. As Jason disappeared into the back, he heard the customers'' excited cries as Harry opened the door. The noise quickly quieted down as Harry barked out the rules.


    ''Maybe I should take a peek?'' Jason thought before moving along the makeshift wall on his workshop''s side.


    He reached an odd piece of wood and slowly spun it to reveal a spy hole he had made in the wall! Jason had thought to make something like this to watch how the store was doing while avoiding facing troublesome customers directly!


    The first thing he saw was the frown on Harry''s face as he headed for the counter. Jason could already guess why that was. The first three customers to enter the store were allckey''s belonging to Sam. As far as Jason was concerned, one of them should be enough, so why send three?


    The two men and the woman looked around the disys with mild curiosity under Harry''s watchful gaze. The man who seemed to be their leader paused for a while at the Natural Medicines and Energy Boosters.


    "Is this all you have?" He called to Harry while pointing at the disys.


    "Of course not." Harry snorted in indignation. "Those are for browsing. Once you know what you want, you can order it here."


    The man frowned when he heard that. Jason watched the whole exchange from the safety of his workshop and had a few guesses what the guy was up to. ''He''s probably been tasked with evaluating our goods. However, if we don''t have everything on disy, there''s no telling how much we have precisely.


    "How many of these Salves and Boosters do you have?" The man decided to try a roundabout way of getting the information that he needed.


    "How many do you need?" Harry replied with a smug grin, frustrating the man.


    "How does one hundred of each sound?" The man thought this should be more than what they had in stock. This way, Harry would have to reveal how many they actually had.


    "That''ll be four hundred copper credits." Harry shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal.


    Jason chuckled when he saw that. They only had eighty of each, but he knew what Harry was up to. If the man wanted the information, then Harry would make him pay through the nose to get it. As soon as Harry would get the money in his hand, it would be then that he would give out the exact numbers!


    "Well yed, Gramps. Let''s see how they react to this!" Jason chuckled yet again before returning his attention to the confrontation.


    The man seemed to be thinking about something before he shook his head. It looked like he had caught on to what Harry''s game was. There was no telling how much they would actually have to spend to get what they wanted. The main thing was that they had confirmed what was actually being sold in the store and that there was indeed no Primals on disy.


    The man gave Harry a chilling smile before walking out of the store without buying anything. Jason frowned at that action because he expected them to push a bit more. He could not help but feel that something was off. However, after they left, three new ordinary customers came in. Jason felt relieved. He had thought for a moment that Sam''sckeys might have prevented anyone froming in as retaliation.


    After seeing everything was running smoothly now, Jason turned his attention to cleaning up the mess he had made through the night. Soon after he walked away from the peephole, he heard Harry energetically thanking someone for their purchase. ''Looks like we have our first official sale!''


    Momentster, an angry yell outside wiped the smile from Jason''s face! It hade from outside the store, so it should not be any of his business, but he recognised the voice as belonging to the man who had just made a purchase. Jason had a sinking feeling in his gut as he raced out to get a look at what was going on.


    Harry wanted to follow him, but there were still customers in the store. He did not want to risk any of them getting the idea of helping themselves to a few freebies while his back was turned. Jason signalled that it was fine as he raced past and set foot onto the street.


    "What do you mean I have to pay you ten fucking coppers!" The man was yelling at the goon squad, who had his bag of goods in their hands.


    "It''s very simple, sir. This business now belongs to the Red Steel Gang." The leader of the goons shed a wicked smile. "There''s a tax in ce for shopping in our stores."


    The customer shivered when he heard who the goons represented. Not only that, but people began to leave the queue with nervous nces. Jason frowned as he stared at Sam''sckeys, who all had smug grins on their faces. You say you will not sell shares to us? Fine, we will just take it by force then!


    That was the impression that Jason was getting from this group. His expression turned dark as he stormed back inside. There was nothing that he could do about these tactics right now. ''Like fuck will I let them take over what I worked for!'' Jason roared furiously in his mind.


    Harry had a puzzled look on his face when he saw Jason''s expression. What worried him even more, was that no other customer hade through the door! Still, as an old man, it was better to be seen and not heard in this situation. Harry''s motto was that if he felt like it would benefit him or prevent him from getting dragged into a mess.


    ''Syssie!'' Jason stared at the woman, who also had an angry expression on her face. ''It''s time. Help me n out the skills I need. Open the Project Folder.''


    "Right away. What should I name your personal armaments project?"


    "Call it Arbalest."

 Chapter 41: Black Arrow (1)

    Chapter 41: ck Arrow (1)


    Jason opted to send Harry home for now. There was no point in him hanging around if customers were too scared toe to the store. Sam''s goons never left their position and always kept an eye on Star Gear. Jason currently sat waiting for the Adhesive and Naturally Compressed Gas to finish forming.


    ''Come on, at least one of you has to hit the E Rank!'' Jason was in desperate need of PP at this point. With the Red Steel Gang intent on taking control of his business, Jason had felt a surge of anger that was more intense than anything he had ever felt before. ''I have to send them a warning to back off. Preferably without them realising that it''s me.''


    Jason drummed his fingers on the metal worktop as he stared at the ss containers. ''A ranged weapon is definitely the way to go.'' Although he did not have the skills to create his idea, he already knew what shape it would take. Apart from the rumoured ''guns'', the pinnacle of ranged weaponry right now was bows and arrows.


    However, it took a lot of practice to be able to skillfully hit a target. Jason intended to create something simr but was much easier to handle. He wouldbine his hand crank mechanism with a long stock made of wood. At the tip would be a short bow made of metal instead of wood. The hand crank would allow him to create a higher degree of tension in the string by having the force to actually bend the metal.


    ''I just need one good shot that can prove to Sam her guards are useless to protect her. There''s no point in trying to acquire my business if she has to pay for it with her life.'' Jason smiled as he thought about that. Over the past two days, Jason had purchased dark clothing and animal parts to create a light armour for himself during their standoff.


    In the corner of the workshop stood a mannequin that wore the ensemble that he had put together. It wore a knee-length coat made from the fur of a Volska. Which was a beast that had evolved from wolves. The hood of the coat was raised over the mannequins head where Jason''s gas mask covered the face.


    A bandolier with holders for his weapon''s ammunition was strapped across the mannequin''s chest with a few pouches to hold the various medicines he had created. He had opted for a pair of ck soft left cargo pants and his military boots for the bottom half. These clothes were currently being treated with waxes made from the flowers to increase their toughness.


    He had chosen the colour ck since he would have to carry out his n during the dark of night. It would be the best chance for him to go undetected. He knew that certain tracking abilities existed, so the perfume would alsoe in handy. ''I''m just missing a few key skills.''


    Jason sighed as he continued to wait. Any moment now should be the point when these two items in front of him would finally be ready. Ten minutes had to pass before Syssie finally confirmed that they were ready.


    "What one do you want me to evaluate first?"


    "Does it really matter? As long as one of them gives us what we need, then it''s all good." Jason replied with a concerned tone. His ns would be for nothing if he fell short at this stage. He could not afford to let this situation continue for too long. Otherwise, the business would go bankrupt.


    "Evaluation E Rank utility item suitable for Novices that uses biological materials to create a basic adhesive. Value estimated at two copper credits per one hundred millilitres. I''ll just tag this as BNA for Basic Natural Adhesive." Syssie said sarcastically, knowing Jason''s naming sense.


    Jason mmed his fist on the worktop! "Fuck!"


    The first evaluation hit the threshold that he needed, but he only received the first creation bonus for the first hundred millilitres. That,bined with the points for the rest of it, ended upting him only three PP.


    Jason''s hopes had just been dashed. If this was the standard for these kinds of creations, he no longer hoped to make a bunch of PP off of thepressed gas either.


    "Evaluation E Rank utility item suitable for Novices that uses biological materials to create a basic naturalpressed gas. Value estimated at thirty copper credits per litre." Syssie continued after seeing Jason''s reaction.


    Jason hissed as he heard that and spun to face her with a wild look in his eyes. "Did I hear that right? Thirty copper credits?"


    "Yeah, congrats. I guess you have enough PP now. I''ll just tag this as BCNG and file it away." Syssie chuckled at Jason, who had instantly turned to his interface to confirm it.


    His eyes went wide in disbelief as he confirmed that he did indeed have thirty-three PP to spend now! ''Thank god! I thought it was all over there!'' Jason''s heart still hammered his chest from the fear of havinge close to failing.


    ''Let''s get what I need!'' Jason had already nned what skills he wanted, and luckily enough, he had earned more PP than what he actually needed. He quickly picked up the Basic Physics and Basic Mechanics skills for a total of eighteen PP.


    The pair went through the usual ritual of receiving an intense headache as the knowledge was crammed into Jason''s brain. He could onlyugh this time since Syssie did not get any enjoyment since neither of the new skills was rted to the System. ''This is how it should be!''


    Jason took a deep breath and quickly sorted through the knowledge that he obtained. Complex calctions to do with force, speed and other thingsbined with the new mechanical understanding gave him schematics of things he could make. He thought about a few parameters that he wanted to set, and to his surprise, a schematic appeared of the weapon he had already envisioned.


    He was even more shocked to discover that it was actually called an arbalest. Which was the same project name he had given to Syssie before. Jason felt stumped when he saw this. He believed that it was a name that he hade up with on the fly. Did this mean his subconscious was subtly feeding information to him? Working around the restrictions that Syssie ced on his powers?


    Jason shivered as he thought about that. If that was the case, maybe it meant that Syssie was already degrading and unable to hold everything back. Would it just get worse until he managed to upgrade her? ''Shit! We should still have plenty of time left! What''s going on with this?''


    "It''s as you''ve guessed." Syssie sighed from the side, having heard his thoughts. "It''ll definitely get worse the longer we take to fix me up. Forget it for now. Focus on what you need to. Otherwise, we won''tst long enough to really worry about it."


    Jason stared at her helplessly for a moment before deciding that she was right. They had to make it through their current problem before concerning themselves with their future. Jason''s mind focused on the schematic and realised that he would need to use thepressed gas to create his new weapon and subsequent ammunition.


    Jason grinned from ear to ear before setting up the workshop to make his newest toy. Luckily, he had already bought a wealth of materials beforehand just for this moment. A burst of crazedughter could be heard by the goons waiting outside of Star Gear from time to time. From beneath the door, the leader could see shes of bright light. A worried frown crossed his expression as he tried to guess what was going on inside.


    "You two. Go and report this to the young miss. It might be nothing, but we shouldn''t underestimate him." The man''s frown deepened as the shes stopped, and banging sounds could be heard from inside. It was the kind of sound he was used to hearing whenever he checked in on Al''s store.


    To him, this was the sound of a weapon being made. If it was Al, he would not be worried. His creations were good enough but simple in their design. However, Jason was a cause for concern. The Primal alone was enough to make this man worry about what woulde from his store next. He could not help but swallow a lump of saliva as he broke out in a nervous sweat.


    ''I hope we didn''t end up stomping on the tiger''s tail''


    Meanwhile, Jason was feeling excited in his workshop as theponents for the arbalest slowly took shape. In his opinion, this should be the most lethal weapon in Highrise if you removed any abilities from consideration. No matter what, he had to make sure that nobody caught wind of its creation process.

 Chapter 42: Black Arrow (2)

    Chapter 42: ck Arrow (2)


    Jason marvelled at thepleted weapon. It hade out far better than he had thought it would. The hand crank he had created before was scaled up in size and used inbination with levers and otherponents to produce the force needed to draw the string. He decided to test it without loading any ammunition to get a feel for it as his eyes shed brightly.


    Metal clicked as he cranked the handle and watched the steel bend. It was somewhat satisfying to watch this process, but that was probably due to his pride in being its creator. There was a slight click as the string made from Volska fur clicked into ce on the lever mechanism. Jason took a deep breath as he raised the butt of the stock to nestle into the crease of his shoulder.


    With some trepidation, he pulled the lever. A loud noise rang in his ear as the tension in the Arbalest (Crossbow) was released. The vibrations of the weapon ran through his arms as he felt the need to rub his ears. ''Shit! That was a lot louder than I expected!''


    Jason had a grim expression on his face as he ced the weapon on the worktop. There was no doubt that it would be a powerful weapon, but he had already discovered significant issues with it. The vibrations would make his shot lose uracy, while the noise it created meant his presence would be exposed the moment he fired it even once.


    "Do you want me to evaluate it?" Syssie asked as she curiously studied the weapon.


    "Sure, go ahead. Maybe if it earns me some decent PP, I''ll have enough to find a way to improve on it." Jason replied with a frown.


    He felt like he was on the right track for his personal weaponry, but this beast of a weapon was highly unsuited to be used during anything that required stealth. Which was a big must for Jason right now.


    "Evaluation E Rank ranged weapon suitable for Novice level marksmen. Its only downside seems to be its above-average Strength requirement to wield it efficiently. Strength required to wield it efficiently would be 0.3. Value estimated at fifty copper credits." Syssie nodded along with each critique she gave. "So, what will you call it?"


    "Go with Arbalest for now." Jason stared at the weapon with wide eyes. He did not know whether he shouldugh or cry.


    On the one hand, he had just received a considerable sum of PP. On the other, his strength was not high enough to properly make use of his creation. ''Another issue that I have to fix.'' Jason sighed as he stared at it reluctantly. ''The Strength requirement is probably due to its weight and the need to hold it steady once it''s fired.''


    Jason rubbed his chin as he considered the problem. A few ideas popped into his mind, thanks to the knowledge he had unlocked so far. It was truly miraculous that these things would just appear at the forefront of his thoughts the moment he had a problem to solve. ''In the future, I could probably make one using a lighter wood. But that would probably affect its overall integrity, meaning I would have to reduce its power as well to prevent it breaking when fired.''


    Jason massaged his temples at the thought of how much work had to go into this weapon to elevate its usability. ''I don''t have any choice.'' Jason''s eyes scanned his interface before he found the Apprentice level Physics and Mechanics Skills. He let out a gasp involuntarily when he saw how much they would cost him! A whopping thirty PP for the two skills!


    Jason gritted his teeth and took the plunge, purchasing the two skills and leaving him with thirty-five PP leftover. The pain that followed after was far more intense than anything he had experienced before. He could only chalk this up to being because they were of higher skill level. Which, in turn, meant more advanced knowledge being made avable to him.


    After the usual painful writhing on the floor, both Jason and Syssie rose to their feet, gasping for breath. A subtle light seemed to make Jason''s blue eyes shine for a moment before flickering out. The knowledge he had just purchased instantly made itself useful and flooded his thoughts with the best ideas to reduce the drawbacks of the Arbalest.


    Jason grinned as he scanned the information that was made avable to him. Instantlying up with ways to implement noise reduction in the weapon and creating a tripod to improve its uracy. They were not major changes, but they would have a significant impact once implemented. ''I wonder what it would show me if I thought about creating it from scratch again?''


    Jason was curious as to what would be changed about the Arbalest if he did this, so naturally, he could not contain himself. The moment he seriously thought about it, a whole bunch of ideas flooded his mind. Jason seemed mesmerised as a dark grin spread across his face. ''I should have the time''


    Jason had fixated on a particr variation that his mind was able to conceive at this moment. ''It would make for a good back up weapon.''


    Jason wanted to act as soon as possible, but this new idea was just too intriguing. In the end, he opted to create it as well before he would make his move. However, the first thing he had to do was modify the original.


    It took several hours to create the Tripod and the String Catchers. He had to find suitably soft materials for catching the string to reduce the vibrations it would make, which at the same time would reduce the noise it made. With his new knowledge, he also opted to create heavier bolts. This would mean that more force would have to be transferred to the projectile, which would also reduce the vibrations.


    Syssie''s evaluation on it only saw him gain 3.2 PP for his efforts. Since it was a modified version, the first creation bonus did not apply to it. However, that did not bother Jason right now. He just wanted to test it!


    Taking a thick piece of wood from the pile, he leaned it up against the wall beforeying down on the far side of the room from it. Although he was much closer than he intended to be when he actually used the weapon, this was the best he could do for now. The Tripod made a clicking noise as Jason folded it out from the stock and braced the legs against the floor.


    ''Hm? It''s this much better already?'' Jason noticed that without the need to cope with its weight, the aim had already significantly improved. He aligned the iron sight he had created with the wood''s centre before loading a heavy bolt. With a deep breath, he slowly squeezed the trigger.


    The string thrummed as the tension was released. The noise that followed was far more subdued than without the new modifications. The heavy bolt created a loud thud as it smashed into the wooden block and disappeared inside of it. Jason was gobsmacked for a moment as he just stared at the results of the test.


    Although he had expected it to be powerful, he did not expect to fully prate the wood. With this kind of piercing power, he felt more certain about his n. He began stroking the weapon as if it were his long lost lover that had just returned to his arms. ''Ok, that''s enough for now. Next up is to tackle you.''


    Jason eyed the schematic that popped up on the interface. This secondary project would be far more challenging, but the end results would definitely be worth it. If he couldplete this secondary weapon in time, then he would not have to worry too much if any of Sam''s guards closed in on his sniping position.


    Syssie chuckled as she stared at the childish smile that Jason wore on his face. "Boys and their toys."


    She found it to be quite adorable the way Jason was getting emotionally invested in his creations. Although she knew it was necessary to strike back at the Red Steel Gang, it still worried her. Many things could wrong, and just one of them could put an end to their lives. However, their lives would definitelye to an end soon if they could not break free of this situation.


    They needed the funds and the time to get ahold of the materials they would need to perform her upgrades. Syssie shivered as she thought about how torturous Jason''s end would be if they failed to hold back the information floating around in his brain.


    "One day, it will all be yours tomand." Syssie sighed as she thought about the wonders that Jason would be able to produce at that time.


    "Sorry, did you say something?" Jason cocked an eyebrow in her direction.


    "No, nothing at all"

 Chapter 43: Black Arrow (3)

    Chapter 43: ck Arrow (3)


    The sounds of banging and more shes of light continued long into the night. Only growing silent as the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon. At this time, the goons camping outside of Star Gear cast wary gazes over Jason, who exited the building carrying a long leather bag.


    The leader of the group approached him and asked in a nervous tone. "Sir, do you mind showing us what''s in the bag? Unfortunately, we can''t let you pass if you''ve created something that might be of interest to our organisation."


    Jason cocked an eyebrow at the man before letting out a friendly smile. "Sure, that''s no problem."


    The man was relieved to find that Jason was cooperative, but he felt like something was amiss for some reason. Why was someone they were suppressing being reasonable with them? The man could not shake that feeling as he gazed inside the bag.


    There were several pieces of wood with nuts and bolts attached. Something that looked like it was a metal stand. Arger version of the hand crank that could be seen on the Multitools and various other pieces of random junk.


    "Is this it?" The man asked in disbelief as he stared at the contents. There was nothing noteworthy, and if he had to guess just by the hand crank, Jason had not made a weapon at all!


    "Of course. I was just making a few things that we need to fix up some things around the house." Jason shrugged nonchntly like it was no big deal. "Since you guys have made yourselves at home here, I''ll be leaving town for a few days."


    "What''s the nature of your business outside the walls?" The man had to know so that he could report it to Sam. He did not believe that Jason, an inventor, would leave town for no good reason.


    "Got to earn money somehow. So I''ll go back to being a scavenger until all of this nonsense ends." Jason smirked as he saw a dark look cross over the man''s face.


    Jason had thought about it while he worked on the Arbalest. These guys wanted him to stay in business so they could make money off of him. Naturally, it would throw a wrench in their ns if he was happy to keep the shop closed till they gave up. There was nothing they could do about this tactic except report it to Sam and let her deal with it.


    Though, she would probably be pissed off if she could not force this guy to create new weapons for her. The man watched Jason walking away as if he did not have a care in the world. ''The young miss is likely to shoot the messenger. I''ll have John deliver this news.''


    "John,e here a sec"


    Jason chuckled as he imagined the headache his words would cause for the Red Steel Gang. Naturally, he was not really willing to close the store for an extended period of time. He just needed witnesses that could testify that he was not in town when his n went down. Who better for that role than the goons who were meant to keep an eye on him.


    They would also be able to confirm that the only weapon he had on him was his Riot, which they still thought was actually a Primal. It was a far cry from the Arbalest, which would also help to deflect any suspicion aimed at him.


    Jason stopped by his home for a bit to let his Gramps know that he was going out for some time and not to worry. Not that Harry was bothered anyway. He just figured that Jason was up to something that would solve their issue.


    After that, he breezed through the registration at the gate, leaving a paper trail that proved that he had indeed left town. He only walked long enough to be confident that nobody was following him. After all, there was no telling if Sam would have left orders to deal with him if he left Highrise.


    "That one should be fine." Jason casuallymented as he made his way towards an abandoned house by the side of the road. It was not anything special. He just chose it for how close it was to Highrise. He just needed somewhere to rest until nightfall.


    Once he checked that there was nothing unexpected in his temporary shelter, Jason finally sat down his leather bag. ''Let''s get to work.''


    Jason spread the contents out before quickly assembling the pieces into the Arbalest. He had taken it apart in a way that itsponents looked useless but could be reassembled in a short period. Once the Arbalest was ready, he turned his attention to assembling his secondary weapon.


    When it wasplete, it was in apact form that did not give away anything about it. It looked like a random bit of wood with metal pieces attached and a hinge in the middle. Jason chuckled as he thought about the surprise that any pursuers would get if they came after him.


    Now that he hadpleted those two tasks, he folded out the ck bag used to carry the gear to reveal that it was actually his coat with the other clothing items folded inside it. He had figured that someone might search him, so he did all that he could to hide anything that might allow someone to put two and two together if he was spotted.


    He performed several checks to ensure that everything was in working order and that he had sufficient ammunition while he waited for darkness to envelop the world. Once the sky was nketed by the night sky, he finally changed into the dark stealth gear he had created. He felt kind of cool wearing it, but he discovered that it was heavier than he had expected.


    The gas mask also made it more difficult to breathe, but its purpose was to make sure that he could not be recognised. Jason grabbed the strap he had attached to the Arbalest to make it easier to carry before slinging it over his shoulder. This was followed by slotting thepact secondary weapon into a unique holder he had attached to the cargo pants at thest moment.


    With everything he needed safely stored in the bandolier, Jason finally stepped out of the rundown building as if he were the very shadow of death. This first night was where he aimed to injure those camping outside his store, hoping that they would then lead him to where he could find Sam. Depending on her reaction, then he would send a warning her way directly on the second night.


    Jason thought his n was full proof, but then again, he had no real experience with this kind of thing. However, he was determined to see it through. Especially since these people were directly threatening his future. If he had to hurt someone to secure what was his, so be it!


    Highrise was generally so safe that nobody bothered to patrol the exterior perimeter of the walls. Jason deliberately chose the closest ce to his store because of this. It would be dark, and he would not have to worry about alerting anyone either.


    Once he was close enough, he unslung the Arbalest and loaded it with a bolt whose head was shaped as a grappling hook. A long rope hung from its end, and Jason could only hope that he would not overshoot the wall entirely.


    Since he had to fire at a raised angle, he could not even use the tripod to assist him with this. The sight swayed quite a bit while he took aim. He took deep breaths to calm himself down before making his shot!


    The thrum of the string as he pulled the trigger was not loud enough anymore to cause anyone to react to it. Jason watched on with wide eyes as he watched the hook rise high up into the air. ''Almost there! Shit! It went too far!''


    Jason dropped the Arbalest as he dove for the rope that quickly followed the bolt. As he grabbed hold of it, the momentum pulled him across the dirt for a bit before he managed to cut the bolt''s trajectory short.


    There was a loud ng as the hook fell to the opposite side of the wall and obviously struck the side of one of the rusted cars. Jason grimaced as listened carefully for a bit to see if it drew any reaction. A few minutes had to pass before Jason decided that his blunder had gone unnoticed.


    He slowly reeled in the rope and began to pray that the grappling hook would catch on something on the other side. Minutes passed, and Jason began to fear that he would soon pull it back over the wall. Which would force him to attempt a second shot. ''Come on! Don''t let me down!''


    Suddenly he felt some tension being fed back when he tried to pull on it again. The rope suddenly went taught, and Jason could not help but smile at that feeling.


    ''So far, so good''

 Chapter 44: Black Arrow (4)

    Chapter 44: ck Arrow (4)


    Jason slowly lowered himself into the town of Highrise as sweat ran down his brow. The climb had been challenging due to the height of the walls. Luckily this was an abandoned neighbourhood in the town which was not far from his store. ''There''s still so many empty buildings, yet we still have people sleeping on the streets. Ridiculous!''


    Syssie nced around nervously as Jason''s boots touched the ground. There was nothing he could really do to hide the rope that was dangling down the wall. He could only hope that it would remain unnoticed. ''Ok, Syssie. Let''s go.''


    As Jason moved silently from shadow to shadow, they gradually made their way to the closest inhabited area to Star Gear. As he peered around the corner, he spotted the goons camping in front of his store while making quite a bit of noise. ''Tch, they''re having a good time since they think they''ve got nothing to do.''


    Jason grinned as he nced at the nearby buildings. He already knew which building would provide the best firing angle for the Arbalest, but he had to make sure that nobody inside was still awake. Jason slowly circled the tall apartment building while keeping his eyes open for any signs of a lit fire inside. Since the whole building was dark, he could assume that nobody would identally discover him.


    This building did not have a door that blocked entry to the staircase to reach the different floors that housed its apartments. Which was a good thing for Jason as he quickly ascended the stairs. Fifteen floors were quite a lot to climb up in a short space of time, and Jason felt breathless once he exited onto the roof.


    He took his time to regain hisposure before moving to the corner of the roof, giving a clear line of sight to the tents outside of his shop. Although the goons looked rtively small from up here, Jason felt like it should not be much of a problem. It was quite an advantage to be firing from an elevated position after all.


    Next, he had to prepare his escape route. He knew that his targets might be able to figure out which building the bolt hade from once he fired. There was no way that he would be able to reach the ground floor before they swarmed inside. So Jason grabbed the second grappling hook and rope he had made for this situation.


    He securely fastened it to the railing that overlooked a smaller apartment building attached to this one''s side. As he tossed the rope over, he clicked his tongue when he saw that it came up a little short of the roof. However, the gap was nothing too severe and should not affect his n.


    Jason calmly approached the spot he had chosen to fire from beforeying down in a prone position. The tripod clicked as he unfolded it and loaded a heavy bolt. With deep breaths, he gazed down the iron sight as he settled on his first target. The unsuspecting man was sitting on a foldout chair, brightly illuminated by the fire the group had set.


    With his basic knowledge of physics, Jason calcted where he had to aim for the bolt to strike the man''s centre of mass. He knew that he had to do this, but he still felt conflicted when the time came. Right now, he had the life of another human in his hands. ''Don''t think about it. This is necessary. They would do the same to me if it benefitted them.''


    His hand shook slightly as he took hold of the lever. His eyes narrowed as he fixated on his target. Then, a deep calm took over his mind. Jason slowly squeezed the trigger. The string thrummed, and although the sound had been dampened, he saw his target react as the noise reached him. He nced around curiously for a moment before suddenly struck his chest!


    The force was so great that the man toppled backwards along with his chair. There was no movement from the lifeless body as the others stared at him in confusion. As the camp hesitated, Jason furiously wound the hand crank and loaded another bolt. The string thrummed again as he picked out another target.


    The woman he targeted this time suddenly jumped up when the sound of the Arbalest firing a second time reached her. This quick motion saved her life as a heavy bolt struck her hip! This sent the woman into a spiralling action before she hit the ground. Jason heard her agonised screams for help, but that did not make him falter.


    His hand furiously spun the crank again, and a clicking noise alerted him that it was ready for another bolt. His eyes widened as he retook aim. A few people ran in his direction while the one in the lead was pointing in his direction. Logically speaking, he should practically be invisible to them due to his dark clothing and poor lighting from the moon.


    ''Tch, they brought along someone with good eyesight.'' Jason sighed before calming his racing heart. Now that he had been discovered, he only had time for one more shot before making his escape. He was not confident enough to hit fast-moving targets, so he instead took aim at the camp again.


    Someone had rushed out from cover to help the woman who was still screaming in pain. ''Bad move, chump.'' The Arbalest thrummed again as another deadly bolt was released. The goons had already associated that dull sound with death, which caused a moment where they would freeze as they reacted to it.


    When nobody in the group running for the apartment building got hit, they let out a sigh of relief. That was until theirrade let out a scream as the dead body of the one who came to help her copsed on her chest. Those who had stayed in the camp had their eyes widened in fear. It was basically a deration that you could expect to be killed if you tried to save her.


    However, there was also a chance that she would bleed to death if she did not receive help anytime soon! As the group continued their sprint for the building and those in the camp froze in terror, Jason quickly packed up the Arbalest. Little did he know that the woman with sharp eyes could urately describe his clothing to the others.


    Jason slung the Arbalest over his shoulder before sprinting for his pre-arranged escape route. As he slid down the rope, he eventually passed a point where he could hear voices shouting furiously as they raced towards the roof. Jason chuckled as he passed straight by them without them knowing.


    Eventually, he let go of the rope as he reached the end. There was only a six-metre drop to the neighbouring roof at that point which was nothing to worry about. As hended, he turned it into a roll before getting up and racing for the door to this building''s staircase. At this point, the fastest of his pursuers managed to reach his previous firing position and nced around furiously.


    The man in question made it to the roof''s edge in time to spot Jason disappearing into the building next door. ''Fuck!'' He mmed his fist onto the railing before racing over to the roof''s exit again.


    "Turn back! He''s already escaped next door!"


    A chorus of curses echoed throughout the building at that point. The residents who had been awoken by the mour shivered in fear. Jason was oblivious to this as he fled down the stairs as fast as he could. He had to make sure and find an excellent spot to tail those who would return to Sam. After all, that was his goal tonight. Not to perform wanton murder.


    As Jason escaped onto the street, he heaved a sigh of relief. From the noise, he could hear his little escape trick had bought him enough time to lose these pursuers. ''This is going far smoother than I thought it would!''


    "Maybe" Said Syssie, who ran beside him. "But we still don''t know how many people around Sam have abilities or what they are. Don''t getcent now!"


    ''I know, these are probably mostly dregs of the Red Steel Gang. They probably thought it would be a nice easy assignment. So why would they waste anyone with talent on it? They just needed a show of force. Now that I''ve flipped the table, they''ll have a lot to think about before responding.'' Jason felt likeughing as he finally paused to rest in a nearby alleyway. For some reason, he felt more alive than he ever had his entire life!


    "Well, since they''ll think that it could not have possibly have been you, what do you think they''ll do?" Syssie smiled nervously as she leaned against the wall beside him.


    ''No idea, but I''m sure we''ll find out.'' Jason replied as a wolfish grin spread across his face beneath the mask.

 Chapter 45: Black Arrow (5)

    Chapter 45: ck Arrow (5)


    Jason eased his way between the alleyways until he found a dark area that allowed him to keep an eye on the camp he just attacked. Those who had tried to catch him were now slowly gathering back here again. The crowd seemed to be making way for something, which turned out to be a makeshift stretcher carried by two men.


    The woman who had survived getting shot by Jason was moaning on top of it every time the men took a step. At this distance, Jason managed to identify the group''s leader, who had spoken to him before. He seemed to have an anxious expression on his face as he spoke briefly with hisrades before he and several others followed after the stretcher.


    ''Seems like it''s showtime'' Jason thought as he did his best to silently tail them. He guessed that these guys were heading back to wherever their gang operated out of to get the woman treated. With a bit of luck, this just might be the same ce that Jason would be able to find Sam.


    The Red Steel Gang was sure to keep up the pressure on his business unless he could make those at the top feel threatened. Jason thought he was almost caught a few times as he dove behind different street furniture whenever it seemed like someone was about to turn around. He could not be sure if it was because he had actually alerted them or because they were just on edge.


    They crossed quite a few streets and even turned down several that Jason had never ventured to before he heard signs of life. Jason inadvertently gulped when he heard loud voices in the direction they were headed. If people were out on the street at this time of night, there was a good chance it was because they had reached their destination.


    Jason''s fears were proven to be on the mark as he poked his head around the corner of a building. He could see the stretcher being carried down the middle of the street as groups of people respectfully made way for them before they disappeared into an alley.


    ''Is it a bust?'' Jason wondered as he eyed the crowded street. There was no way that he could follow his target without getting spotted.


    "We should look for a way around them," Syssie whispered as she eyed the suspected gang members warily.


    Jason nodded his head in agreement before backtracking a bit. He used the alleyways toe out a bit further away from the corner he had been spying from to make it less likely he would get spotted as he crossed the road. Everything went smoothly as he entered a new alley that led in roughly the same direction that the stretcher had been carried off in.


    However, he soon came across a new problem. This path had been sealed off by a makeshift barrier of heavy junk. The noise of people talking on the other side could be heard as the buildings were lit up by multiple fires on the other side.


    Jason cursed as he stepped back to think about the position that he was in. ''How likely is it that they''ve sealed up every path? Have they basically turned an area of Highrise into their own personal fortress?'' Jason grumbled as he felt that this was likely. However, he still felt the need to check around for a while just to make sure.


    He felt dejected when he discovered that his hypothesis seemed to be spot on. What was worse about the situation was that all of the building''s entrances that bordered the barricades appeared to be situated inside the makeshift fortress. So Jason could not even make his way up onto a roof to get a look at theyout on the other side!


    ''Damn it! This is too much!'' Jason crouched behind an old washing machine as he stared at the barrier in resentment. He had thought that the Red Steel Gang would have used a single building. This was entirely out of his expectations!


    "What do we do now?" Syssie asked helplessly as she leaned against the wall.


    Jason considered the matter before he answered with a menacing voice. "If we can''t get in, then we have to draw them out."


    "How do we do that?" Syssie cocked an eyebrow at him curiously.


    "How else? We need to target their members on the streets. It''s the only ce we can reach them for now," Jason sighed helplessly. "They''ll have to react eventually. It just means the n will take a little longer."


    Syssie nodded in agreement with his evaluation. It made sense, after all. The Red Steel Gang would have to do something about it if they kept losing their lower-rung members. It might even cause enough pressure for them to recall the siege on Star Gear for a short while. It was only a temporary solution, but hopefully, it would give them enough time toe up with something better.


    ''At least we know where their base is now. Not that it was really hidden, to begin with.'' Jason shook his head as he traced his way through the streets absentmindedly. Though, he did remember to be more careful as they neared the area around his store. He caught sight of a few of the gang''s thugs that seemed to be patrolling the streets near their camp.


    ''Damn! I hope they haven''t found my rope.'' Jason bit his lip in frustration beneath his mask. It would not go well for him if they had discovered it. It would essentially be proof that their assant hade from outside of the town! Which would definitely put Jason at least near the top of their suspect list!


    He felt a sense of urgency as he began to pick up his pace. It did not take long for him to travel the remainder of the distance to where he had covertly entered the town. Jason could not help but sigh in relief as he discovered that there was not anything to worry about. None of the Red Steel Gang seemed to have found the evidence that he had left behind. Jason felt a surge of determination rise in his chest as he began to n out what he had to do


    Meanwhile, over in the Red Steel Gang''s Headquarters


    "What do you mean you were attacked!" Sam mmed her fist on the table furiously as she heard the news. "Who was it? The Butchers? Hundred Eyes? It can''t have been The Longcoats, right? They don''t have the balls to do something like this!"


    "We have no idea what gang they belonged to. They weren''t wearing the normal clothes of any of our rivals." The man replied with an exasperated sigh. "However, we do have a description. But there''s something else you should know."


    "And? What is it?" Sam basically spat in her anger. She was in no mood to y guessing games.


    "It''s about the weapon they used"


    Sam listened to every word carefully. Her expression turned from one of fury to one of intrigue. Shey back on her couch and took a swig of the alcohol in her hand while she mulled it over.


    "So, we''re either dealing with a mercenary that somebody hired to deal with us, or we have a new yer in town." Sam hummed as she thought it. "I think it''s time we asked Wraith toe out of retirement"

 Chapter 46: Let There Be Light (1)

    Chapter 46: Let There Be Light (1)


    Jason casually swept a nce over the Arbalest as he checked it for any damage. Sincest night had been his first time using it, he wanted to make sure that its power did not cause any damage to its structure. When he saw that the weapon was evidently fine, he turned his attention to considering what his next target should be.


    "Is there any point even thinking about it?" Syssie chuckled. "You either hit their headquarters or continue the assault on the camp."


    "You''re right." Jason shrugged his shoulders as his lips parted into a smile. "But the question is, what one do we hit?"


    "That''s a joke, right?" Syssie snorted as her nose wrinkled cutely. "There''s no way we can hit their base. You already acknowledged thatst night. So we only have one option."


    "You sure know how to dampen the mood, don''t you?" Jason grimaced as he stared back at the bombshell blonde. "There''s nothing wrong with fantasising a bit. Hell, it might have even given me some inspiration."


    "And did it?" Syssie cocked an eyebrow at Jason as she fixed him with her bright eyes.


    "No" Jason sighed while Syssie burst out intoughter.


    "Don''t think about it too much then." Syssie lightly rubbed her cheek as her eyes seemed to be vacant. "Here''s a question. How can you even attack them this time? I doubt they''ll leave that roof unguarded this time."


    "You''re right. But we have to find a way to keep the pressure up. If we let even a single night pass without incident, then they''ll realise they''re not as vulnerable as we''re trying to make them feel."


    A moment of silence descended between them while Jason tried to figure out how to carry out the operation that night. Syssie, on the other hand, chose to read through his thoughts in case she could offer some insight. She suddenly had an idea as she saw that Jason was considering other buildings to attack from.


    "Why don''t you give up on that?" Syssie suddenly blurted out, causing Jason to raise his eyebrows in confusion. "What I mean is, they''ll be expecting you to attack from a long-range, right?"


    "Probably"


    "Well, what if you don''t? You''ve still got the other weapon, after all. They''ll probably post some men to different rooftops just to catch you before you can get set up. So, there should actually be less of those thugs on the street!"


    Jason''s eyes lit up at Syssie''s suggestion. ''She''s right! There''s no way to guess what buildings they''ll be hiding in, so it''s actually better to go for a fast frontal assault!''


    "Syssie! You''re a genius!" Jason chuckled enthusiastically. ''It''s better to leave the Arbalest behind tonight. It will only slow me down.''


    With a n in mind, Jason began to rearrange his supplies for that night. He removed several spare rectangr items from his stash and loaded them into his bandolier. Having removed the Arbalest''s heavy bolts first, Jason actually felt quite a bit lighter. He was bing excited to see how this would y out, especially the Viper''s performance.


    As night fell, Jason quickly rushed towards the walls of Highrise. He had left his grappling hook attached to the rusted cars during his escapest night so that he did not have to risk firing it again. Scaling the walls this time seemed far more manageable, but that was only because he was carrying less weight.


    Jason dashed for a dark corner once he descended into the streets. He knew that he coulde across one of the Red Steel Gang''s thugs at any moment this time. Since he did not want to be caught unprepared, he unsheathed thepact secondary weapon he had created.


    He unfolded the weapon using the hinges he had made to be part of it, giving it itspact form. As he did so, he locked eachponent in ce with the metal catches on its body to make itsplete form sturdy. What he held in his hands now was a smaller version of the Arbalest. The Viper, as he called it, was a tactical repeating crossbow.


    The rectangr boxes he had picked up before were the weapons magazines that held six smaller bolts each. As Jason slid a magazine into its slot over the top of the weapon, he pulled the underside down and away from his body. Which was a sort of pump motion that not only pulled a bolt from the magazine to load the weapon. But it would also draw back the string to its locking position.


    It was needless to say that this weapon exchanged power and range for a faster firing rate. However, its power should still be more than enough for close-quartersbat. As Jason edged his way through the alleys towards his store, crunching noises of boots on ss suddenly came from around the corner.


    Jason immediately pressed his back against the wall as his breathing became heavy. With slow steps, he edged through the darkness until he was right next to the crumbling bricks of the corner of the building. Taking a deep breath, Jason peered around the edge as he wished that he would stop sweating.


    About halfway down the alley that he peered into were three men sitting on wooden boxes. Their bodies seemed to be quite rxed as they casually whispered amongst themselves. Jason cursed at the sight of these men. He felt confident in dealing with at least two quickly, but it all depended on if they had any abilities.


    Since it seemed like the men had not noticed him, Jason took a knee and pressed the Viper''s stock into his shoulder. As the sights on the weapon swayed, Jason took a long breath and held it in. With a twanging noise from the string, the first bolt had been released!


    The men reacted to the noise, and as their heads turned in his direction, the bolt he had just fired drove itself into the leftmost man''s chest! Directly piercing his heart in the process and taking him out of the equation!


    Before the other two could really react to this situation, Jason had already reloaded the Viper and taken aim. Just as the two got their feet, another dull twanging noise filled the air. This time the man on the right copsed with a bolt protruding from his knee! He cried out in pain as the third man narrowed his eyes in Jason''s direction.


    Just as Jason had finished reloading again, the man suddenly appeared right in front of him and grabbed him by the throat! The man mmed Jason onto his back and growled in his face. ''Damn! He had super speed!'' Although this caught Jason by surprise, he was not worried. In fact, his mouth raised in a smirk as a third twanging noise filled the air.


    The man''s eyes went wide in surprise before he keeled over. The way he had pinned Jason to the ground left the bolt in the Viper, pointing directly underneath the assant''s jaw. When Jason pulled the trigger, well the man was left with a hole that went through his skull and brains.


    Jason heaved in deep breaths as adrenaline coarse through his veins. The man who was only injured began to cry out in a panic. Jason''s eyes narrowed as he nced at his victim, who was making so much noise. He did not want this to alert anyone else who might be close by!


    Jason cocked the Viper once more as he slowly paced towards the man crawling on the ground. As Jason''s eyes peered out from the gas mask, they appeared to be lifeless and void of emotion. Jason raised the Viper to point at the man''s eyeball.


    "You should have chosen a different career" Jason''s tone was t as the Viper twanged for the fourth time already that night.

 Chapter 47: Let There Be Light (2)

    Chapter 47: Let There Be Light (2)


    Jason quickly removed the more than half empty magazine and reced it with a fresh one. If he was forced to reload in the middle of another fight, it could potentially cost him his life! A sense of security washed over him when he heard the new magazine click in ce. His eyes had a steady look about them as he pushed on, deeper into the town.


    After some time had passed, Jason became confident that they had guessed correctly. Most of the gang members had to be stationed on rooftops, waiting to ambush him since he did not meet any more groups in the alleyways. Soon, he found himself ncing around the edge of a building that was quite close to his store.


    Sure enough, there were fewer people in the camp outside of Star Gear than there was the previous night. Jason felt greatly reassured about this n after he saw that. He did not have to wipe out everyone who was there. He just had to make them feel insecure. Like they could be attacked from anywhere!


    There was no boisterous atmosphere amongst those seated around the fire that night. They sat pretty rigidly, and their heads would turn at every little sound. Jason felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple as his fingers twitched. With a deep breath, he crouched down and kept to the shadows as he crept closer to the group.


    A few pairs of eyes swept past him from time to time. However, due to the poor light and dark clothes, they failed to notice him. The tension in the air was palpable as Jason drew the Viper up into a firing position. A few moments of silence passed as Jason picked out the order of who he would fire at.


    The string of the Viper thrummed as the first bolt was released! Followed by the sound of the weapon being cocked without waiting to see if he hit anyone. As a result, the next bolt was fired when a horrifying cry of pain rang out in the camp!


    Jason did not pause to take stock of the damage he had already caused. Instead, he quickly turned tail and ran for the nearest corner! Loud shouts that carried orders rang out, which snowballed into alerting all the gang members that had been stationed in nearby buildings!


    Soon, the whole area seemed toe alive due to the noise they made! As Jason cocked the Viper again, he tilted his head as he tried to figure out where all of his enemies were. ''I''m utterly surrounded! I have to get out before they can close the!''


    Heavy thuds came from the alleyway he had just escaped from. With a savage grin on his face, Jason popped out from the corner and fired the Viper blindly! A man wheezed as he hit the ground hard. Blood began leaking through his shirt in his stomach area. The man''s eye appeared frantic as he clutched the bolt that stuck out of his abdomen. When he nced towards the corner again, Jason was already gone!


    A dark shadow fled through the alleyways at a fast pace. It would nce over its shoulder before every turn it made. Whenever the gang members started to catch up to it, the shadow would always hit them with a sudden attack that made them hesitate to pursue.


    Jason grinned as he slowly brought down more of the thugs using this method. ''I can''t believe they''re stupid enough to just follow me.'' Jasonughed behind his mask as he thought about it. He had prepared himself for them to flood the different alleyways to try and cut him off. Instead, they were so angry and confused they stupidly just followed the same path that he took!


    Of course, Jason would notin if they wanted to make his job easier on him. It was at that point that he felt the temperature quickly plummet behind him. ''Shit!'' Jason quickly dove behind an old dumpster without even looking back. A wave of cold air passed by, leaving a trail of frost in its wake.


    ''Thank god,'' Jason sighed heavily as he poked the Viper out for a blind potshot. ''It''s not ice, but it would still slow me down. It might even throw me into shock due to the sudden temperature change.''


    Jason had no ns to be turned into an artistic statue, so he was pretty d that this person had not developed their ability at that point. Since another wave did not follow after his potshot, he quickly set off at a run again.


    The sounds of those who had been chasing him gradually faded away as he took a few more turns. ''Hm, they''ve given up already?'' Jason paused to listen more closely to his surroundings. Only his breathing made any noise in the darkness of that alley.


    A shiver ran down his spine as he slowly took a few steps backwards. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as his eyes continued to sweep where he had passed by during his escape.


    "What''s wrong? Why aren''t you running?" Syssie whispered frantically.


    "Something isn''t right. Don''t you feel it?" Jason whispered back, momentarily forgetting that he could have just thought his answer.


    "Don''t be stupid! It''s just like every other alley! Now hurry! Before they catch up!" Syssie''s voice grew louder as she urged him to continue onwards.


    Jason shook his head and took a knee. His eyes narrowed as he stared straight into the darkness that he had left behind. His mind kept saying that something was wrong, but he could not see what it was.


    "Who''s there?" Jason called his voice bouncing off the nearby walls.


    Jason felt his hands begin to tremble as more sweat broke out down his back. A sense of danger suddenly came from his right side that made Jason let his body fall to the ground! He twisted his body tond on his side and let the readied bolt in Viper fly before he even confirmed a target!


    A machete shed where his neck had been as his bolt passed through the figure who stood there silently. Jason''s eyes went wide when he saw that his weapon had no effect on this neer!

 Chapter 48: Let There Be Light (3)

    Chapter 48: Let There Be Light (3)


    "Hm, not bad." The figure who had just tried to decapitate Jason said without a hint of malice.


    Jason studied the figure, but there was not much that he could see. The man wore a loose-fitting ck robe with arge hood. A ck cloth was wrapped around his neck and lower face to conceal his features. The hand that held the machete was also bandaged up tightly with the same material.


    Jason rolled over and quickly got up on his feet. Since the figure seemed to want to study him a bit instead of attacking, Jason used that moment to cock the Viper to reload it. The man''s eyes widened as he stared at the crossbow in Jason''s hands. The weapon seemed to draw a sense of curiosity from the figure.


    "I see now why they came to me with this job." The man continued as he kept his gaze fixed on the Viper. "That weapon of yours is really something. Where did you get it?"


    Jason took a few steps back and remained silent under the hooded man''s questioning. His eyes darted over the man''s figure as he tried to figure out how his ability worked.


    "There''s no point in trying to fight me." The man said casually without any hint of arrogance. "You should be a mercenary as well, right? Give up the name of your employer, and the Red Steel Gang will reward you."


    The man held out his hand in a friendly gesture as if he wanted to wee Jason over to his side. However, when he took a step closer, Jason pulled the trigger, and another bolt flew straight through the man. The figure sighed when he saw Jason''s reaction and took that as his answer.


    "We''ll just do this the hard way then." The robed man lunged towards Jason as the machete shed through the air!


    Jason kept his calm as he analysed the situation. He was in an awful position right now. His weapons had seemingly no effect on his assant, and Jason was still a bit of a distance from escaping Highrise. Every time he cocked the Viper and let another bolt fly, it always passed straight through this mysterious person. That was, until


    "Ah! What the!" The figure stumbled backwards as a bolt lodged itself in his gut.


    Jason could easily imagine an unsightly expression on the man''s face as he looked around in confusion. In fact, Jason was doing the same thing as he tried to figure what had changed.


    "The moonlight!" Syssie whispered in excitement. "He''s been sticking to dark areas all this time! The bolt hit him when the moonlight crossed his body from the gap in the buildings!"


    Jason grinned beneath his mask as he cocked the Viper and aimed it directly at his assant''s heart. The man paused when he noticed that his target had seemingly be more confident.


    "Don''t get cocky! It was just a lucky shot!" The man seemed enraged that Jason was now confident in challenging him.


    "Luck, my ass! I know what your power is now!" Jason spoke in a mocking tone. With his voice being distorted by the gas mask, he did not have to worry about anyone recognising him by it. "Your body bes untouchable in dark spaces unless you allow it to be. Quite a handy trick for a thief or an assassin. However, you have no control over it as long as some kind of light touches you!"


    The man frowned as he stared at his target while feeling like a hand was closing in around his heart. The few times that he had experienced idents in the past and gotten injured from it, nobody had managed to guess how his power worked!


    Thoughts raced through the man''s head as he tried to figure out who this unknown mercenary was. Who could he be to have enough experience dealing with Powered individuals that would allow him to figure out his own gift?


    This man in the gas mask before him with the strange weapon seemed to be a hidden expert in their field. Perhaps he was even a retired individual like himself! This was the only exnation that made any sense to him right now. The difficulty of this job just jumped several notches higher in his mind!


    "How about we call it an end for tonight?" Jason''s assant suddenly sighed as he held his waist. "If you decide to quit your contract,e to the Red Steel Gang and tell them Wraith gave you an invitation. That will guarantee your safety."


    "Hm? You want to end it now?" Jason''s sneer that crossed his face could be heard in his voice. "You only want to run before the sun rises!"


    Wraith''s figure shook for a moment before he stood stock still and let out a softugh! "You''re right, of course. I can''t win if the sun rises, but neither of us can bring an end to this before that anyway. You can''t kill me as long as I escape and stick to the shadows. You''ll just end up surrounded by the gang if you follow me back!"


    Jason''s expression became ugly beneath the mask. The man called Wraith was right, of course. Jason had no way to prevent him from escaping just now. However, once he continued his assault on the Red Steel Gang, he would have to remain wary of Wraith''s existence.


    "You can leave first then. Be warned! I''ll shoot the moment you try to cross that patch of moonlight if you''re thinking of taking me by surprise!" Jason growled as he kept the Viper levelled at Wraith.


    "Understood. I''m sure we''ll meet again." With those words, Wraith vanished from sight, like he never existed at all.


    ''Seems like there''s more to his ability than just letting material objects spas through him.'' Jason sighed as the tension left his body. His fingers twitched and pulled the Viper''s trigger. The string twanged, but no bolt was released! ''He was so focused on me he didn''t even realise I was out of ammo!''


    Jason felt likeughing when he realised his bluff had worked. However, his expression turned serious as he turned to continue his escape. ''Seems like I need to create something to counter him.'' A dark grin spread across Jason''s face. ''I''ll be ready for you next time!''

 Chapter 49: Let There Be Light (4)

    Chapter 49: Let There Be Light (4)


    When day broke, Jason packed up his gear to head back into town. He knew he would not be able to create what he had in mind out in the wilds. So Jason had no choice but to return to his workshop. His mind was busy reviewing his confrontation with Wraith as he passed through the town''s gates.


    His gaze was fixed straight ahead when a sizeable meaty hand appeared in front of him. With a look of surprise stered on his face, Jason turned to look around him. The guards had surrounded him since he had failed to respond to them.


    "You alright, kid? Did you forget something?" The muscr man who owned the meaty hand asked with a sympathetic voice.


    It was only then that Jason realised he had forgotten to report to the clerks who oversaw those who entered and exited the town. An apologetic look crossed his face as his eyesnded back on the man who had stopped him.


    "Sorry, got lost in my own thoughts there. I''ll go and register my entry just now."


    The man studied him for a bit longer before breaking out in a smile. "No problem, just don''t let it happen again. Ok, kid?"


    The man seemed pleased when Jason nodded his head to show that he understood. Jason smiled as the guard waited for him to head off to the office. Once he disappeared inside, one of the others turned towards him with a curious look on her face.


    "Trevor, why''d you let him go without punishing him?"


    "Don''t you know?" Trevorughed while looking at his subordinate. "That kid is the owner of Star Gear. It can''t hurt to be on his good side."


    A sudden look of understanding crossed the faces of the other guards at that point. What a sly guy our captain is! Pretending not to recognise him while doing him a "favour"! He''s obviously hoping for a discount when he visits that ce!


    Meanwhile, Jason patiently waited for the clerk to finish up his paperwork before heading outside. Trevor smiled in his direction, to which Jason waved back in gratitude before heading off. ''Idiot. Thinks I''ll treat him well if hees to my ce. He clearly doesn''t know that it''s my Gramps that he''ll be dealing with.''


    Jason felt likeughing as a sly smile crossed his face. Most people probably would have taken the guard captain''s mercy at face value, but Jason picked up on the slight hint of greed evident in Trevor''s eyes.


    As Jason continued his walk towards Crafters Street, he pulled up his interface and navigated to the skills section. His eyesight lingered over the Basic Electrical Engineering Skill. It came in at a whopping cost of 20 PP. However, that was a price Jason was willing to pay to be prepared for Wraith.


    It was at this point that Jason''s mind seemed to pull him in another direction. As if it had picked up on his intentions, strange words began to run through his mind. ''Magnesium, ammonium nitrate, shing grenade. What does that mean?'' When he focused on those words, a bunch of his skills began to glow.


    When he nced at them, most of them were greyed out and required previous knowledge to unlock. It was like the glowing skills traced a path through the skill trees to show what he would need. ''Thanks, but I can''t afford that. I''ll have to settle for my first choice.''


    Jason smiled awkwardly as the glow began to fade. ''I wonder what that was about? Is my ability evolving, or is it some kind of warning again?'' The experience made Jason feel uneasy. He felt like what had just happened was connected to his abilities that were sealed by Syssie''s presence.


    Which meant that he was not ready to wield them yet without damaging himself. Therefore, he definitely had to start work on upgrading Syssie soon. Just to be safe. Jason continued to make ns for the future as he reached his store. Only to discover that the camp the Red Steel Gang had ced there was already gone.


    Jason frowned when he saw that. He was confident that his recent actions were not enough to make them pull back yet. ''Maybe they''re having some kind of meeting that requires them all to be present? I shouldn''t waste this chance.''


    Jason felt rushed as he quickly unlocked the store and opened it up for customers for the day. He did not even have time to get his Gramps since he was unsure how long he had until the gang members returned. As soon as his neighbours saw that he had opened the store for business, a small flock rushed in.


    Most of them were the ones who had ced custom orders, wondering how long they would have to wait. While the rest were hoping to get some of Jason''s less renowned items. Jason was d to be making credits, but he also felt a little sour that he had to put off purchasing his new skill and starting histest project.


    Still, before the rush ended, Dani appeared and offered to help him out. Jason mouthed a grateful thank you towards her before disappearing in the back to check the stock levels and finish up some of the custom orders he had received.


    By the time the crowd dispersed, Dani was visibly sweating from the pressure she had been under. She had to ask Jason several times about prices, but that was only to be expected.


    "You sure are popr!" Dani chuckled as she wiped the sweat from her face. "Have your problems with that gang been sorted out then?"


    "No," Jason sighed as he leaned against his workbench. "I just made the most out of their absence today. What brought you here anyway?"


    "Ah! I almost forgot!" Dani chuckled as she remembered her original reason foring here. "My parents wanted me to buy a couple of your Wound Salves to keep around in case of emergencies. Apparently, Dr Cree highly rmends them."


    Jason''s eyes went wide at that piece of information. After all, Dr Cree giving his product her stamp of approval would dramatically increase its value in his customers'' eyes. ''Hoh, I''ll need to thank her somehow.'' Jason rummaged around in one of the storage containers, pulled out three of his Wound Salves, and handed them over to Dani.


    "Don''t worry about paying for them. Take them as a thank you for helping me out today." Jason smiled warmly.


    The pair chatted for a bit before Dani ran off. Just as she rounded the corner, the Red Steel Gang''s thugs made their return. ''I knew it wouldn''tst.'' Jason sighed as he watched them approach. He chose to ignore them as he swiftly closed himself up inside his store.


    He could hear them setting up camp again as he sat in thefortable armchair. A sneer appeared on his face as he navigated his interface. ''Finally, let''s get started.'' Jason quickly paid the Basic Electrical Engineering Skill''s price and waited for the painful ritual to begin

 Chapter 50: Let There Be Light (5)

    Chapter 50: Let There Be Light (5)


    As Jason breathed heavily to recover from the effects of essentially downloading the new knowledge, his eyes darted around the workshop. There was a lingering soft glow to them as he activated the Scanner to work with his new knowledge. Jason''s mouth twitched then spread into a broad grin as he took in the many schematics that were generated.


    ''It seems like I already have what I need!'' Jason was thrilled to discover this. It meant that he would not have to waste much time preparing to deal with Wraith. ''I should be able toplete it in time for tonight!''


    Jason entered a trance-like state as he busied himself with his workshop under the attentive gaze of Syssie. She could not help but smile and feel a sense of pride as she watched him work. ''Hopefully, this will be enough. He''s barely scratching the surface of what he will be capable of, but he''s already fighting for his ce in this world.''


    A few hours passed while Jason was in this state, and the sky was already darkening outside as hepleted thest stitches on his outfit. ''There! I''ve managed tobine it with my clothes, so it won''t be easy for Wraith to spot it until it''s toote!''


    "Syssie? What rank is this invention?" Jason asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Hm, it''s an F-rank support item. Do you want to hear the evaluation?" Syssie''s lips curled up into a yful smile as she responded.


    "Don''t bother." Jason sighed as he waved a hand in the air towards her. "If that''s all it is, then there''s no point, right? I won''t be selling it, and I can''t gain any PP."


    Syssie chuckled as she slid off the cold metal worktop to get a closer look at the modification he had just made. "That''s true, I guess. You should be focused on creating better items anyway."


    Jason smiled at the softness her voice carried in the otherwise cold and lifeless room. "So, shall we go test it then?"


    A few hourster


    As the nket of night crept across the sky, Sam eyed the mercenary sitting across from her. There was a hint of fear lingering behind her calcting gaze as she waited for the man to speak.


    "Like I said, Sam, this merc you hired me to deal with is something of an enigma." Wraith sighed as he fixed his calm gaze on her. "He''s appeared from nowhere. He appears to have quite a bit of experience. I''m certain he''s never used his power if he has one. Then to top it all off, you have his style to be concerned about."


    "His style? What do you mean by that? Why should his methods concern us?" Sam''s tone was polite and respectful. She would never casually dismiss this expert that had worked closely with her father throughout the years.


    "Hm, his style of using ranged weapons is simr to a woman from long ago who disappeared after giving us a lot of trouble." Wraith''s expression became thoughtful as he recalled the past. "We named her ck Arrow, and she almost seeded in assassinating your father and me a couple of times."


    Sam''s expression turned into one of shock and disbelief. "Do you think there''s a connection between them?"


    "Maybe" Wraith stared Sam straight in the eyes. "It could be her son or someone she''s taken as a disciple of sorts. This could be4 some sort of test for him. To seed where she failed."


    Sam''s expression became a little nervous as she understood what Wraith was trying to say. Basically, it was highly likely that she, as the next leader of the gang, was his target. Sam mmed her fist down on the table in frustration.


    "Are you saying I have to hide like a rat until he''s taken care of? You know I can''t do that! The tournament for the new guardians is just around the corner! This has to be settled by then!" Sam''s expression turned ice-cold as she red at Wraith.


    "I know you and your father have big ns regarding the tournament. So there''s only one thing I can suggest to end this quickly." Wraith replied in a confident tone.


    "Which is?"


    "Since he''s likely after you Let''s bait him out!"


    On a rooftop on Crafters Street


    "I''m telling you this is a trap!" Syssie grew frustrated as Jason refused to listen to her.


    "Maybe but the opportunity is too good to ignore." Jason sighed as he stared down the Arbalest''s iron sights at his target.


    Sam stood amongst the thugs encamped in front of his store. From what he could see, it looked like she was scolding them. Jason knew the risks. He did not believe for a moment that this was a coincidence. ''Wraith must be close by''


    Jason''s mind raced as he tried to predict what might happen. ''Are they hoping that I''ll overthink it and dy my shot? That would buy time for Wraith to find me, but it''s too much of a gamble. Then what? They have to have a n.''


    Jason took a few deep breaths to calm himself. ''No matter what their n is I''m ready for it.'' The Arbalest thrummed as he squeezed the trigger. Jason did not even wait to see what happened and instead quickly moved to pack up the bulky weapon.


    Shouts went up from below, and from the sounds of it, he could already tell he had failed. He spared a nce to see why Sam was not dead, only to discover the air around her shimmering like some kind of shield.


    ''That exins it! She had someone use their ability to protect her!'' Jason cursed as he now knew for sure this situation was created to expose him!


    Jason slung the Arbalest over his shoulder as he made a beeline for the rope he had secured for his escape route. His heartbeat wildly in his chest as he knew that Wraith could attack at any moment. His footsteps sounded like drumbeats in his ears as he raced across rooftops, down stairs and through the streets.


    ''Where the hell is he!'' Jason''s mind was in a state of disarray as the attack he expected never materialised. Jason turned thest corner and saw the looming wall of rusted cars before him. A moment of tion seeped into his mind before he realised something was wrong.


    The rope was gone!


    Jason slid to a halt as his eyes scanned the cars again. Sure enough, his escape route had been cut off! Jason''s heart picked up its pace as the dull sound of confident footsteps entered his ears. His breathing became uneven as he turned slowly to find Wraith emerging from the shadows.


    "Nice ce you picked! I won''t have to worry about my ability here." Wraith felt likeughing. There was no direct moonlight in this area. What made it a good choice for infiltrating the town also made it a deathtrap when faced with his ability.


    "You sound pretty confident," Jason sneered beneath his mask. "But, you haven''t trapped me."


    Wraith hesitated for a moment when he heard that.


    "I''ve trapped you!" Jason chuckled to himself before bringing the Viper around from his back. "Let there be light!"

 Chapter 51: Ghost of the Past, Ghost of the Future

    Chapter 51: Ghost of the Past, Ghost of the Future


    Wraith stumbled backwards and raised his hand to cover his eyes as a bright light blinded him. To be exact, several bright lights assaulted his senses at the same time. Causing him to feel disorientated. While he was struggling to figure out what had happened, a dreaded sound entered his ears.


    Jason cursed as Wraith sidestepped from his original position before letting out a yell as a bolt pierced his right shoulder. It created a clean wound that went straight through the more fleshy part and made an exit wound on the other side.


    ''That was a quick reaction! At least the bolt came out cleanly. Now nothing is plugging the wound, so he''ll bleed out if he''s not careful.'' Jason smiled as he congratted himself for taking Wraith by surprise.


    Jason had pressed a button sewn into his sleeve that turned on the bright torches he had imnted into his clothing. Now, there was torchlight emanating from him that covered a three hundred and sixty-degree radius. Leaving Wraith nowhere to hide in close proximity to Jason.


    ''I''ll need to take another trip to the market after this. I had no idea those lightbulbs I had gathered could be used like this!'' Jason was excited when he discovered the new way to use electricity. It made many new ideas possible, and there were older projects that could now be considered thanks to this knowledge.


    "What have you done!" Wraith yelled furiously as his eyes went wide in horror. His eyesight had just recovered, and now he could see why his power had failed him!


    "Nothing much" Jason sneered as he fired a second bolt at his opponent.


    Wraith yelped as his thigh was pierced by the shot. The bolts travelled too fast for him to entirely dodge them at this distance! Shouting could soon be heard echoing through the streets. Jason frowned as he realised that he did not have much time left before the gang members converged on his position.


    Wraith barely managed to limp behind a copsed bus stop shelter before Jason cocked the Viper again. ''Damn it. I can''t get a good shot from here. I don''t have the time to y hide and seek with him.'' The sound of shouting was getting closer. Jason frowned before making his decision.


    Wraith leaned against the metal of the shelter and took deep breaths as he drew his machete. He just had to hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive, and then he would be safe. Tension built up in his mind as his breathing became faster. Blood spurted from his shoulder as the bolt stuck in his thigh gave him a fresh wave of pain every time he moved.


    ''What''s he doing?'' Wraith''s eyebrows knitted together in a frown. Jason had not made a move on him since he had taken cover, and the shouting was even closer than before!


    That was when Wraith realised that something had changed. He was so focused on preparing for Jason, trying to finish him off he failed to notice that the torchlight had disappeared! ''Don''t tell me he fled!''


    Wraith felt a moment of panic rush through his mind at that thought. His head peered out from his cover to discover that he was indeed all alone.


    The tension that he had been holding onto fled his mind at that point. He slumped into a sitting position on the ground as his adrenaline began to subside. However, his relief was short-lived. Without the adrenaline flowing through his body, he could tell that something was wrong with the wound in his leg.


    He frantically ripped apart the clothing around the bolt to get a better look. A fire-like pain was spreading outwards through his body with that bolt as its epicentre. What he saw made his expression turn grave. ''Poison!''


    Jason grinned as he fled further along the wall. By this point, he had left Wraith, and the gang members attempted encirclement far behind. ''Did he really think I wouldn''t set up more than one escape route this time?''


    A soft chuckle escaped Jason''s throat as the backup rope he had set up for this trap came into view. ''I can forget about attacking them again anytime soon. It''ll take at least a day or two until that poison kills Wraith. I doubt anyone has the antidote for it. Except me anyway.''


    "Do you think they''lle to the store to buy the Basic Antidote?" Syssie asked through a broad grin.


    "Probably but that won''t help them. They can buy as much as they want, which makes no difference to me. Without the antidote that specifically targets that poison, Wraith''spletely screwed." Jason was ecstatic as he climbed the rope.


    As far as he was concerned, he had already taken care of the most significant threat. Once he was sure that enough time had passed for Wraith to die, only then would he make another attempt on Sam''s life. ''Let''s just wait and see how it goes for now.''


    Jason was in no rush right now to clear out the gang. He estimated that Sam would pull her people back for a while after losing who was most likely her greatest asset. ''She should feel insecure for some time. It would make sense for her to surround herself with all of her people. She can''t afford to continue the blockade on Star Gear while being pressured by an outside force.


    Jason could onlyugh at the misfortune that the Red Steel Gang had brought upon themselves. ''Still, I should keep a low profile for a few days. I need to start thinking of somewhere to set up a hidden base to keep my best inventions safe.''


    If this brush with the Red Steel Gang had taught him anything, it was that he could not expect topletely conceal his abilities in Highrise. He needed a second workshop, away from prying eyes, as soon as possible. ''That''s right. I still need to sort out Dani for the Guardians Tournament.''


    Jason''s mind rapidly went through a few ideas as he considered how he could help her out more than just loaning her the Riot. ''Perhaps I should take another look at that Giant Ant burial ground''

 Chapter 52: Ghost of the Past, Ghost of the Future (2)

    Chapter 52: Ghost of the Past, Ghost of the Future (2)


    As day broke and the gates to Highrise opened up, Jason wandered inside, and under the watchful gazes of the guards, he registered his entry. He was thrilled right now following the events ofst night. So much so that he hummed to himself all the way back to the apartment!


    He wanted to store his gear at home, where it would be less likely that someone might discover it. However, after letting himself in, he found that Harry was nowhere to be found. ''That''s strange. The old geezer shouldn''t have gone anywhere.'' Jason looked around to see if anything was off, but everything looked fine.


    ''Maybe he went to check on the store. He should be worried about his cut of the profits being affected by the gang''s blockade.'' Jason''s eyebrows twisted into a frown. ''That sounds about right for him.''


    Jason sighed as he realised he had probably got it right. It was unlikely that Harry had gone there to check up on him after all. Jason quickly ran up to his room, making sure to jump the gap in the stairs before dumping his bag inside.


    ''I guess we can go and see if anything has changed over at the store now.'' Jason broke out in a broad grin as he left the apartment and locked it up. As he walked towards Crafters Street, he noticed more people than usual were headed in that direction. From the conversations taking ce, he could piece together what to expect.


    When he turned on to Crafters Street, there was a queue outside of Star Gear, and the door was already open. ''Trust Gramps. He''s really too eager to earn a profit.'' Of course, there were no signs of the gang members at all. Which was why people even dared to turn up to his store in the first ce.


    ''Luckily, we still have plenty of stock left over from the opening day.'' Jason clicked his tongue as he walked alongside the queue. The Red Steel Gang had really done a number on his profits then.


    When Jason reached the door and looked inside, instead of seeing customers browsing his stock like he expected, he only saw an empty room. He could not help but frown when he heard banging noisesing from his workshop and what sounded like Harry''s and Dani''s voices. ''What the hell is going on?''


    "Please! You have to find something that we can use!" Dani''s voice rang out from the back with a tone full of desperation.


    "I don''t know what to say! You know it was Jason who made this stuff! I really want to help you, but I don''t know the first thing about any of this!" Harry shouted back in evident frustration.


    Jason''s frown deepened when he heard that, and he rushed into the workshop area, taking them both by surprise.


    "What''s going on?" Jason asked hurriedly when he saw the tears running down Dani''s face.


    "Jason!" Dani eximed before rushing to him and throwing her arms around his neck. At that point, she could no longer hold herself back as she began to wail like a kid.


    "Thank god you''re here! Do we have any stronger antidotes than what''s on the shelves?" Harry asked with impatience.


    "Antidotes? Why would you need that?" Jason''s mind raced as he tried to think of a reason that would have Dani so upset that she would need something like that.


    "JASON! Just answer me! We''ve already lost a lot of time as it is!"


    Jason was taken aback by Harry''s tone. Whatever had happened, it seemed to be extremely serious. "Um, sure. That sk over there has the only thing stronger than what we''re currently selling. But I don''t understand"


    Harry''s eyes lit up as he rushed over and grabbed the ss container that Jason had pointed towards. Jason was subconsciously rubbing Dani''s back, trying to console her, which made him fail to notice how Syssie''s expression had be dark and ugly.


    As Harry rushed past them, his tail grabbed Jason by the arm and dragged him along behind him. Jason struggled to keep Dani on her feet as he was dragged along with confusion written all across his face.


    "Harry! I got here as soon as I could!" Raymond was standing at the head of the queue, preventing anyone from going inside.


    "Thanks, Ray! I owe you one! Just keep an eye on the ce ''til we get back!"


    "No problem!"


    By this point, Jason had grown even more confused. It seemed like he was the only one that had no idea what was going on. When he nced towards Syssie, she just shook her head and turned off her avatar for the first time!


    ''Seriously! Come on!'' Jason felt frustrated at her behaviour, but he did not have the time to properly consider it since their destination had juste into view.


    Dr Cree''s clinic stood before them, and Harry did not hesitate to knock on the door. As the door opened, Dr Cree revealed a flustered expression as she looked at them.


    "Did you get anything?" She asked while staring at the sk in Harry''s hands.


    "I don''t know if it will work, but this is the best we have!" Harry forced the sk into the doctor''s hands before following her inside.


    "Dani dear, you shoulde with me. Your mother is waiting inside as well."


    Dani nodded slowly between sobs and moved to follow Dr Cree without letting go of Jason''s hand. He looked towards Harry with a helpless expression, but Harry only nodded to show that he should go with her.


    Dr Cree raised an eyebrow at that but did not say anything. Instead, she led them into one of the private rooms where Dani''s mother was crying while sitting on a chair by the bed. Dani let go of Jason at that point and rushed over to hug her mother. The pair were a mess as they stared at the figure on the bed.


    Jason gulped as he saw the wounds on the figure. How could he not recognise the hole in the shoulder or the bolt sticking out from the man''s thigh?


    ''Dani''s dad is Wraith?''

 Chapter 53: Ghost of the Past, Ghost of the Future (3)

    Chapter 53: Ghost of the Past, Ghost of the Future (3)


    Jason''s expression looked awful as the colour drained from his face. Dr Cree moved towards her patient while holding the sk before throwing a nce towards Jason.


    "How should I administer this antidote? Should he drink it, or should it be poured over the wounds directly?" Dr Cree asked in a hesitant voice.


    "D-drink it." Jason stammered as he cast a lot over Wraith.


    ''It won''t work anyway. Mr Kane needs something else.'' Jason sighed internally as he was now caught in a dilemma. Wraith had been a thorn in his side, and he needed him to die. However, that would mean taking his best friend''s father from her.


    ''But if I reveal that this won''t work, they''ll question how I could possibly know that.'' Jason felt sick to his stomach as his eyes revealed the sadness he felt inside. ''I can''t stop this. I''m sorry, Dani.''


    "Please excuse me. I don''t think I should be here." Jason''s voice was so low that the others barely heard them.


    "Wait," Wraith said through a fit of coughing. "Let me have a moment alone with Jason."


    Jason felt his heart sink in his chest as he wondered if Dani''s father had figured out who he was. However, he had to wait for him to drink the antidote and for the others to leave to find out what was on his mind.


    "Jason. You''ve grown quite tall, haven''t you?" Dani''s father wheezed as he cast a nce over Jason. "I''ll be honest with you. I don''t think your antidote will work."


    Jason tried to remain calm as Wraith spoke so as not to give away anything. Wraith coughed again, and a glob of ck blood flew from his mouth.


    "I''ve known you since you were a child, and now you''ve made something of yourself." Wraith''s eyes zed over as he recalled the past. "Promise me. That you''ll look after Dani."


    Jason''s eyes went wide when he heard that. He had been sure that he was about to be called out on his identity! ''It turns out he''s just worried for Dani.''


    "Of course," Jason replied after a sigh. It was something he would have done anyway. However, now he was curious about how Dani''s father became the Wraith that he knew in the first ce.


    "Thank you." Wraith coughed a few more times before his eyes became clear again. "Please send my family back in. I don''t have much time left."


    Jason hung his head as he left the room. He did not have to say anything to Dani and her mother as they rushed straight back in. ''How am I meant to keep this from her?''


    Jason sighed as he slumped into a chair next to his Gramps. He leaned forward and held his head between his hands as he considered the mess he was now in. ''It''s not my fault! If that gang hadn''t tried to take my hard work from me, this would never have happened!''


    "It''s not entirely their fault," Syssie whispered as she reactivated her avatar. "It''s just as much his fault for getting involved with them in the first ce. His own choices led to this."


    ''That won''t matter to Dani If she ever finds out the truth'' Jason could not bring himself to finish that sentence.


    However, before he could get lost in his thoughts, the clinic door opened again. Trevor, the guard captain who had stopped Jason a few days ago, appeared as he crossed the threshold. Three other men followed closely behind him, and they all wore severe expressions on their faces.


    Trevor raised an eyebrow as he nced at Jason and Harry. "Which room is Gordon Kane in?"


    Jason stared at Trevor with a nk expression. Eventually, Harry answered the question for him by pointing towards the room with Dani''s family inside.


    "Thank you." Trevor led the squad directly into the room without asking for permission.


    ''Why are the guards here? Wouldn''t the Red Steel Gang want to keep this quiet?'' Jason did not know why but he felt a sinking feeling in his gut. As if there was something off about the whole situation.


    After a short while had passed, one of the guards quickly left the clinic in a hurry. ''Something''s definitely going on!''


    Jason began to grow tense as his mind was thrown into disarray. No matter how he thought about it, he could only imagine that things were about to get hard for him.


    Another hour had to pass before the guard returned. Two figures followed closely behind him. One was a tall old man with long white hair and a beard that reached his chest. The man gave off an imposing aura that made Jason feel breathless. However, the figure behind him gave Jason a surprise.


    It was none other than Sam! Her head was hung low, and she looked devastated. She moved quite awkwardly, which gave Jason the impression that she was suffering from hidden injuries.


    "If Gordon doesn''t make it through this, you should be prepared for your punishment!" The old man stated with ill-concealed fury as he stared at Sam. "Take me to him! Samantha! You stay here!"


    Sam visibly shivered under the man''s gaze before shuffling towards an empty seat. As she sat down, she began to toy with her red hair nervously. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she failed to realise that Jason and Harry were sitting not far away from her.


    Not long after the guard led the old man into the room, a heartbreaking scream rang throughout the clinic. Which was soon followed by a second. Jason felt as if his whole body had just frozen. There was only one reason that someone would make a sound like that!


    Furious yelling rang out from the room, and Jason recognised it as belonging to the older gentleman that Sam had apanied. Bright shes could be seening from the doorway as if someone had activated their power.


    When the shes stopped and the only sound left was that of two women wailing, Sam appeared to panic. She seemed to go into an absolute panic as the old man appeared in the doorway and fixed her with a terrifying gaze.


    "He''s dead"

 Chapter 54: Ghost of the Past, Ghost of the Future (4)

    Chapter 54: Ghost of the Past, Ghost of the Future (4)


    Jason watched on with a strange expression as the old man grabbed Sam by her long hair and dragged her from the clinic. It was quite a pathetic sight to witness, and it would usually provoke him to say something about how she was being treated. However, Sam had made his life hell for a while now.


    Jason could not even feel d about his enemy''s misery since the event was marred by Dani''s father passing away. His emotions were a mess right now. On the one hand, he wanted to grieve for the man since he had been kind to him all of his life. On the other, he wanted to celebrate the death of an opponent that probably would have killed him.


    "You should go for now." Dr Cree said as she appeared in the doorway. "The guards are talking to the Kane family just now. It will take them a while."


    Harry smiled at her and thanked her before cing a hand on Jason''s back. He could tell that Jason was not thinking straight right now and needed a gentle nudge. Jason felt numb as he stood up and walked towards Star Gear under his Gramp''s guidance.


    ''I should eradicate the Red Steel Gang. Before they draw in more good people like Mr Kane.'' Jason knew he was just using them as an excuse for what had happened. However, he had to vent his anger somehow.


    ''Being Sam today was a blessing in disguise. It looks like she won''t have significant power within the gang for some time. But that old man is something else.'' Jason did not even delude himself into believing that he could beat that guy head-on. He got lucky with Wraith only because he survived the first encounter. Which allowed him to create a counter to the man''s powers.


    ''I doubt they''ll underestimate me anymore. They''ll probably overestimate my abilities to prevent me from getting away again. I have to be careful about this.'' As Jason was lost in his thoughts, Harry had already guided him into the store without Jason realising.


    The line outside was still waiting, with many people asking when they could finally go inside. Of course, seeing Harry and Jason enter the store only made them more excited. Only a few noticed their expressions and that something had clearly happened.


    Just as these people began to doubt whether or not the store was actually open, Raymond emerged and ushered in the first few customers. Jason was in a trance as he worked away in the workshop. It was like his subconscious had taken over his body while his mind wandered.


    New Multi-tools and other items soon took shape within his hands. However, the moment they werepleted, Harry would appear to take them away. This processsted for a couple of hours before Harry suddenly interrupted him.


    "Jason, listen carefully. Captain Trevor is here and wants to talk to you." Harry''s tone sounded solemn as Jason''s heart skipped a beat.


    ''Do they know? No. They wouldn''t announce themselves if they did.'' Jason''s hand trembled as he straightened his clothes to try and look presentable. "Show him in."


    Harry nodded before fetching Trevor and the other two guards. Trevor''s eyes studied the workshop with a curious gaze before they fell on Jason. He noticed that the young owner looked visibly nervous and somewhat distressed.


    "Don''t worry. You''re not in any trouble." Trevor smiled as he held up his hand in a friendly gesture. "We''re just carrying out Mr Kane''sst wishes."


    Jason raised an eyebrow at that. He had no idea what Mr Kane could possibly need the guards to do for him. Especially when it came to himself.


    "Let me exin. Mr Kane asked us to transfer a significant amount of money to you. This to pay for anything his daughter might need to prepare herself for Guardian Tournament." Trevor continued in a friendly manner. "Anything leftover is to be used by you as you see fit. You can either keep it as a bonus or give it to Ms Kane."


    Jason finally understood why the guards were involved with this. Most people kept their money at home, but that made them susceptible to being robbed. However, some people actually used the town''s bank if they could afford it. The bank charged a substantial amount each month for protecting your assets, and the majority of people could not afford that.


    If these funds had to be transferred to someone without an ount, it was part of the guards'' duties to take charge of it. This was to make sure that the funds would not be stolen during transit.


    "I see," Jason frowned as he nced at the guards. "However, I don''t see where you are keeping these funds."


    "As I said, it''s quite arge amount. It will take time for us to gather it and transport it over. This visit is just to make you aware of it so that you can prepare somewhere safe to store it."


    Jason nodded slowly at these words. It was most likely that it was not the number of credits that were the problem. It was just that they did not feel that these three would be enough to deter potential thieves.


    "Thank you, I''ll prepare something immediately." Jason held out his hand to shake Trevor''s.


    Trevor smiled at the gesture before grasping Jason''s somewhat sweaty palm. It was an awkward moment, but neither of them really knew what else to say. With a look of relief on his face, Trevor casually led the other guards from the store.


    ''I wonder how much we''re talking about here? If he worked as a mercenary on the side, then he should have squirrelled away a fair sum.'' Jason felt as if the mystery of Wraith''s past was even more profound than he could imagine. ''Still, it seems like I''ve only benefitted from this. Why do I feel like I''m just waiting for the other shoe to drop at any moment?''


    At that moment, amotion suddenly sounded from the storefront

 Chapter 55: Ghost of the Past, Ghost of the Future (5)

    Chapter 55: Ghost of the Past, Ghost of the Future (5)


    "Jason! You''ve got to see this!" Harry yelled from the storefront.


    Jason frowned as he felt his stomach lurch. He did not know why but he had a bad feeling about whatever was going on. As he came out from the workshop, his sense was proven to be on point.


    One of the guards was hanging up metal tablets on the wall where every customer could see them. Even though he owned the store, he could not prevent this from happening at all. With a grave expression on his face, Jason moved towards the closest tablet to inspect it properly.


    ''Wanted, Dead or Alive. ck Arrow.'' Jason''s frown deepened when he saw an urate carving in the metal below those words that depicted him in his gas mask and other equipment. His eyes wandered down to the next section before he froze in shock. ''For the crime of murdering the Lord''s retired guardian Wraith. Bounty, twenty iron credits!''


    That was the equivalent of two thousand copper credits! Even though Jason could be considered rich at the momentpared to the majority of folks in Highrise. His wealth was only a little over one Iron credits worth right now! He was almost tempted to turn himself in for the reward!


    Jason groaned as he realised the entire town would now be against him. However, what had really caught his attention was the part about Wraith having been one of the Lord''s Guardians. The way it was worded made it clear that he used to be one of the five pirs at some point. If he had been a regr guardian, they would have just said retired guardian instead!


    Jason could not think of a curse that was profound enough to express how he felt right now. This bounty tablet marked him as an enemy of the Lord for the rest of his life! The only good point was that nobody knew who it was beneath that mask!


    ''It seems like I''m going to have to move up my ns. I can''t stay in the Lord''s area of influence for too long in case they discover something.'' Jason was quite confident that he had masked his tracks during his assaults quite well. However, this bounty would attract professionals who would likely have abilities suited to uncovering their mark!


    ''I have to set up a hidden base as soon as possible now. I should use the excuse of setting up stores in other towns as my reason for leaving. That will make me less suspicious.'' Jason tapped his chin a few times as he stared at the bounty tablet. ''I''ll still have to return to provide new items for theatre, though. Or maybe I can hire someone to deliver them.''


    "Don''t you think you leave schematics behind for your Gramps to follow? That way, he won''t run out of stock in your absence." Syssie whispered while ring at the tablet alongside him.


    "That''s not a bad idea. I just have to be prepared for the geezer to skim the profits.'' Jason nodded as he considered her proposal. ''Let''s face it, if he has a way to make more than his fair share, he''ll definitely do it.''


    Syssie chuckled at those words before her expression became serious again. "You better get a move on then. We still have to take care of my failing imnt, and we don''t know how long it will take to travel to other ces."


    Jason''s expression became annoyed as she said that. There was indeed a lot for him to do before they could make a run Ahem Go on their business trip. He was definitely not running from this at all!


    ''I guess I''ll take a look at what else I can make or upgrade with the Electrical Engineering Skill.'' Jason''s eyes shed with excitement. Now that he was thinking of making something new again, his personality flipped like a switch. All of his worries seemed to drain away as he marched back into his workshop under Harry''s confused gaze.


    ''What should I start with first? Definitely upgrades, so it''s either the Multi-Tool or the Riot.'' Jason was struggling to contain his excitement as various new schematics rushed through his brain. ''Hm, looks like I should do the Multi-Tool first. Its upgrade looks promising, and it could be useful when making the other stuff.''


    Jason had made up his mind at this point and began to pull out the different things that he would need. He discovered that he would have a use for some of the spare batteries he had picked up a while ago, which made him delighted!


    Jason moved around the workshop like a well-oiled machine. There were no wasted movements at all as he slowly moulded theponents to his needs. As the new and improved Multi-Tool took shape, Jason realised that he had a task to perform that he was not looking forward to.


    His eyes darted to his nemesis as his arms trembled when he remembered the pain it caused! Jason took hold and slowly approached as if he did not want to startle it. He carefully set up the batteries before his hand took ahold of the handle, and then


    He spun the hand-crank furiously as he tried to inject a charge into the dead batteries! His muscles screamed at him to stop before the pain coulde from that repetitive motion! ''I swear, I''m going to have to create an upgrade for this too! I am not going to keep putting myself through this!


    Tears began to well up in his eyes as he spun the crank furiously. He wanted to test out the new Multi-Tool as soon as possible, but that was a pipe dream. It would take a few hours to charge each battery and his new design required three of them! That thought alone made him regret his choice to do the Multi-Tool first! He did not even consider the need for a new recharger!


    As the cranking continued, a soft chuckle came from the doorway that led to the store. Jason became distracted because it was definitely a girl that had made that noise! Dani stood there with a slight smile on her face even though herplexion and eyes were red from crying. Jason raised an eyebrow towards her. He had not expected to see her for a few days at least.


    "Jason, I need your help" Dani embarrassedly waved the bounty tablet in the air. "I want to kill this man for taking my father from me!"

 Chapter 56: Nest

    Chapter 56: Nest


    Jason wore a shocked expression on his face after Dani stated what she hade for. It did not make sense for her to personally pursue the matter right now when it was a certainty that experts in this line of work would soon be headed this way. The only reason he could think of was that she let her emotions get the better of her.


    "Can you help me or not? Father left me some money so I can pay for the materials." Dani''s expression showed that she had some misgivings about her request. After all, she had no idea how much it would cost to make what she needed. She was only hoping that her inheritance would be enough.


    ''You sly bastard! You knew her well enough that you figured she would try something like this! You''re only hoping that I''ll be able to make something that can keep her alive! If she seeds, that''s just a bonus!'' Jason cursed inwardly while he tried to maintain a friendly expression on his face.


    "Don''t worry about the money. What are friends for?" Jason sighed helplessly, which made Dani appear confused.


    "What? No speech about how this is a bad idea? You''re not going to try and talk me out of this?" Dani hade here expecting Jason to turn her down. She would have been upset by that, but she had to ask anyway. Who knew that he would actually agree instead?


    "No. Even if I did try, you would just find someone else. Besides, you helped me out by risking yourself in the Zoo. I''d just be a hypocrite if I didn''t help you now." Jason''s tone sounded like he had just lost a significant battle, but Dani could not stop herself from smiling brightly!


    She took a few quick steps forward, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed his cheek! Jason was taken by surprise. It took a lot of effort for him not to make a big scene out of it. "What was that for?"


    "Just felt like it." Dani grinned again before ncing at what he was working on. "You look busy. When will we be able to talk about it?"


    Jason moved his eyes away from Dani and studied his new project. "Come back tomorrow, and we can go over what ideas you have. You''ll obviously need something more personal than what I keep in stock if you want to go through with this."


    Dani nodded her head as she stared at Jason''s serious expression. Her lips curled up ever so slightly before shended another quick kiss on his cheek! Jason was so startled at having been caught off guard again that his ears only registered the popping noise after Dani had already disappeared!


    ''Damn that girl! Even now, she''s still messing around! What am I going to do?'' Jason sighed as he pped his palm on his face and dragged it downwards. He would help her, but he had to prevent her from obtaining the closure that she needed. After all, he would end up in a coffin if he actually let that happen!


    ''When did my life get soplicated!'' Jason could not help butin to himself as he continued to crank the recharger. ''Dani wants to kill me, the town wants to kill me, the Lord wants to kill me. And Gramps Well, Gramps wants to milk me for all the credits I''m worth!''


    Either way, Jason would have to provide Dani with the best equipment that he coulde up with. Her father had already technically taken care of the costs. He was just waiting for the payment now. ''Even if she doese face to face with me in my outfit, it''s still a good thing to make her equipment. There won''t be any secrets that it hides that I won''t know.''


    Knowing that information could mean the difference between life and death. As proven with his battle with Wraith. Not knowing that his outfit hid a means to produce light was what actually caused Wraith''s downfall. Misinformation could be even more deadly than no information!


    Wraith had assumed he had nothing to worry about because Jason''s clothes did not have that mechanism the first time they met. Usually, one would not have to worry about such a rapid change in someone else''s equipment. However, Jason''s ability made him highly adaptable. As long as he could get enough information on his opponent.


    Eventually, Jason felt confident that he had charged the first battery enough to begin on the second. However, this was the time that Trevor reappeared with his entourage of guards. When he entered the workshop without permission, Jason shed a critical gaze towards him. After all, he was working on something new right now, and this information could be valuable in the right hands.


    "Ah, sorry!" Trevor raised his hands apologetically when he realised his blunder. "It was unintentional. We''ll wait outside for you toe and confirm the transfer of funds."


    Trevor cursed to himself as he backed out slowly. So far, he had been confident that he had made a good impression on Jason. However, this blunder might have just ruined any goodwill that he had built up so far! Trevor could only sigh silently as he waited outside. Ten minutes had to pass before Jason showed himself with a confused expression on his face.


    "What''s up with the cart?" Jason asked as he observed the wooden hand-drawn cart parked outside of his store. A few of his neighbours hade out to look at it as well. Thinking that Jason had purchased arge number of materials recently.


    "How else do you expect us to bring one thousand copper credits over here?" Trevor chuckled as he patted one of the bags on the back of the cart. The sound of metal being jostled around rang out, drawing the stares of everyone on the street.


    "One One thousand!" Jason eximed in shock and horror! He had nowhere that he could store so much cash safely! That amount was equal to ten iron credits! Which was half of the amount on his bounty tablet!

 Chapter 57: Nest (2)

    Chapter 57: Nest (2)


    Jason could not help but continue to curse away to himself. It had taken some time to bring all of the sacks into the workshop under the greedy eyes of his neighbours. He felt like a second target had been painted directly on his back!


    Hours had passed since then, but he was still furious. What did Dani''s father think about when he decided to leave him that amount of cash! Did he expect Jason toe up with some kind of masterpiece for Dani? Even if he wanted to, he stillcked in plenty of areas right now!


    ''Maybe he''s expecting me to make several sets as time goes on and I gain more experience?'' It had taken Jason quite a bit of time to calm down so that he could think clearly about it. This conclusion seemed to make more sense.


    It was never a bad idea to invest in someone like Jason and stay on their good side. It also fit perfectly with Wraith asking him to take care of Dani. Perhaps he was expecting something more from him. ''I doubt that.'' Jason chuckled to himself as he had that thought.


    However, before he knew it, his face had turned bright red as he thought about the two kisses Dani had nted on him. ''No, she was definitely just messing around! I can''t let myself get distracted.''


    Jason shook those fantasies from his mind and returned his attention to the nowpleted new Multi-Tool. However, Syssie could not stop herself fromughing in the corner. She had obviously been listening in on his minor delusions!


    "What are youughing at?" Jason sounded annoyed as he red at her. She had fallen to the floor in her fit ofughter, and her dress had crept up quite a bit. Of course, it just so happened to stop at a point that made sure nothing could be seen.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. I just think you should spend more time thinking of Dani as a woman rather than your friend." Syssie shed a broad, knowing grin towards him.


    "You''re just as bad as she is!" Jason scoffed as he chose to ignore thatment. "Now, are you going to give me an evaluation on this?"


    Syssie sighed at how hopelessly clueless Jason was before straightening herself out. Her expression turned serious as she analysed the new item. It actually took her a few minutes before she finally said something.


    "Evaluation E Rank utility item suitable for Novices that uses electrical power to disy a greater force than its mechanical counterpart. The strength required to wield it efficiently would be 0. Value estimated at forty copper credits." Syssie nodded along with each critique she gave. "Since it''s a variation of an existing creation, you have received 4 PP as a reward. I''ll just store it as MT-E: 001."


    Jason sighed internally. He had once again broken into the E rank but failed to get anything significant because he had created a weaker version first. ''Should I be trying to create the best version first and wormy way backwards from there?''


    It was not a bad thought as it would maximise his gains. However, for that, he had to have the right skills in ce. Which needed PP to be bought. Which just brought him right back to square one. ''I need to find a good bnce.''


    As Jason took the MT-E in hand, he studied his own craftsmanship. It definitely looked better than the original, even if it seemed slightly heavier. He moved his finger over the trigger that he had built into it to control the electrical current. As Jason pulled the trigger, a high-speed whirring noise emerged from the MT-E.


    Jason revealed a broad grin at that noise. The only uncertainty was for how long the batteries wouldst. Jason frowned as he pressed a button on the side of the MT-E and pulled the trigger again. This time the drill bit spun in the opposite direction at high speed. ''I was worried for a moment there whether that would work or not.''


    As Jason''s eyes scanned the item, he suddenly thought of a few more improvements that could be made to it. It mostly involved dampening the vibrations it generated to stop itself from shaking its internalponents loose. ''Well, that''s something I can fix another time.''


    At that point, Harry poked his head into the workshop with a curious expression on his face. "What was that noise just now?"


    Jason grinned as he looked at Harry''s bright eyes before he remembered that he literals had a ton of credits sitting around in sacks. He had to get Harry to focus on him right away! Otherwise, he was sure that there would be a mysterious break-in!


    Harry''s eyes swivelled to look at the MT-E in Jason''s hand as he pulled the trigger again. "You mean this?"


    Harry pounced towards him in excitement as he stared at the item! He recognised it as basically being the Multi-Tool that he was used to! However, it obviously worked on something else. "How powerful is it?"


    Harry was practically salivating as he studied the upgraded item like it was his lover. This was only natural since Harry''s thoughts had gone back to the Vaulted chamber he had kept secret for so long.


    "Hm, it should be able to produce around ten times the amount of power that your one can put out. Why? Do you want one?" Jason waved the MT-E in front of Harry''s eyes which followed it.


    However, Harry paused for a moment as he seemed to consider something. Aplicated look crossed his face as if he was struggling with something, which he actually was. He wanted this item to explore the hidden treasure that he had uncovered long ago. However, something was now telling him that it would be stupid to go there without his grandson.


    After all, Jason seemed to be able to pick out things that actually had value even though they looked like junk. It would be a waste not to take him! However, that would also mean having to split the profits. So he was trying to guess if he would get more by taking him or not.


    "Jason There''s something I want to talk to you about"

 Chapter 58: Nest (3)

    Chapter 58: Nest (3)


    Jason listened in disbelief to his Gramps''s story. After all, it was just too unbelievable! That sort of discovery was potentially life-changing for a scavenger!


    "An untapped old world structure? Are you sure?" Jason''s tone was excited as he asked that question.


    "Positive, the door shows no signs of ever having being opened. I''ve checked up on it regrly in case someone else happened to discover it." Harry nodded his head with a solemn expression as his tail swished through the air behind him, betraying his own excitement.


    "That''s incredible! But why did you wait until now to mention it?" Jason''s eyebrows twitched with suspicion. He knew his Gramps too well.


    "About that," Harry sighed heavily as he looked Jason in the eyes. "I didn''t have a way to open the door before, so there was no point However, with this tool of yours, it might just be possible!"


    Jason finally understood the whole picture. In fact, he even guessed that Harry probably would have never have told him about it if he was not capable of opening the door. Harry was that kind of person that would rather let that treasure remain buried if he could noty his hands on it himself!


    ''Damn geezer! You would have taken this secret to your grave!'' Surprisingly, Jason did not feel angry about this fact at all. It was just his Gramps''s nature. He was too used to it by now for it to have much of an impact on him. There was just one thing that troubled him.


    ''I can''t take the Arbalest or Viper with me. I wouldn''t put it past Gramps to turn me in for that bounty!'' This fact left Jason feeling frustrated. It meant that he would have to make do with the Riot while providing harry with a Primal.


    ''The good thing is that this ce might turn out to be the perfect spot to set up my hidden workshop!'' Jason''s eyes practically glistened as he thought about that. He could only pray that there were no hidden dangers within the structure.


    There was no telling what the humans from the old world might have left behind! "When should we set out?"


    "Right away!" Harry replied eagerly, causing Jason to frown. "Every second it sits there unimed represents a risk! What would we do if someonees across it and busts it open while we discuss the damn thing?"


    Jason had to admit that Harry had a point. They had to im its hidden treasures as soon as possible! It was a miracle that nobody else had found it so far as it was. So why tempt fate?


    "Right, you go home and grab anything we need. I''ll sort out anything from the store that might be useful!" Jason failed to hold back his own excitement as he blurted those words out.


    Harry grinned like a madman when he heard that response! ''I always knew he was just like me at heart! The boy clearly admires me so much!'' Harry rushed off toplete his end of the preparations as Jason gathered up some of their stock to take with them. ''Hm, maybe I should bring somepressed gas with us? It mighte in handy.''


    Jason hesitated for a moment before storing the container that held the remainder of the gas in the bag along with everything else. Jason paused as he was about to leave the workshop, and his eyes darted to a box in the corner.


    ''It should be fine Right?'' Jason bit his lip nervously. ''It''s only Gramps and me anyway. That alone can''t reveal anything.''


    Jason moved to the box and pulled out the prototype handheld torch he had created before installing them in his outfit. ''This will definitely be helpful down there!''


    Less than half an hourter and the pair met up at the town gates. Harry had already registered their departure and paid the necessary fees. It was clear he did not want to get held up any longer! He acted like a kid as he practically skipped down the broken road on the other side of the rusty car walls.


    Jason chuckled helplessly at that sight. It was a rare thing to see Harry in such high spirits! But that just proved how big of a deal this expedition was!


    "Jason If this ce really holds stuff leftover from the old world, then it could be priceless for us!" Syssie whispered in excitement as she floated along beside him.


    ''Of course, it would be priceless! We''re bound to find things that nobody has seen in a long time!'' Jason chuckled. He was surprised to discover that Syssie was just as excited as they were!


    "No! You idiot! Think about it! If everything is untouched, there''s a good chance we can find betterponents for my imnt!" Syssie practically squealed as she said that.


    However, Jason froze in ce for a moment before walking on in a daze. ''Shit! You''re right! I never thought about that!''


    Jason''s mind began to race as he considered that he might be able to buy himself more time by exploring this ce! The fact that his Power would kill him over time if he did not get it under control had always been a constant source of fear for him.


    The problem was that neither of them had the first idea of what they needed to upgrade Syssie to buy them more time. However, the vault just might hold the answers they needed! Since Syssie had been created with leftover technology from the old world, the most significant gain they could get from this was information!


    Jason suddenly had three reasons to be excited to explore this hidden ce. He could only hope that it did not turn out to be a dud, and his Gramps had misjudged it. ''As long as I get enough information to n out my skills, that will be a huge win! I can''t wait to see for myself how an intact structure should look!''

 Chapter 59: Nest (4)

    Chapter 59: Nest (4)


    Jason''s expression turned ugly due to his disappointment when he cast his sights on the building that they had to enter. ''We''ve been here before!'' Jason groaned as he recognised the building. It was only an hour away from the safety of Highrise, so it was still in the safe zone!


    Jason began to have doubts about his Gramps''s ims as he stared at the rundown industrial building. He knew that ce once held a bunch of clothing that the scavengers of Highrise had stripped bare long ago.


    There were a few machines left inside that were inoperable and too bulky to recover. ''Did he just imagine it? I doubt that anything could stay hidden in here!'' Jason''s doubts were written all across his face as his Gramps burst out intoughter!


    "I know what you''re thinking, boy. Trust me, I didn''t expect to find anything here either!" Harry''sughter was loud and hearty as a broad grin crept across his face. "But that''s the beauty of this ce! Nobody expects anything to be here, so the scavengers don''t bother with it anymore!"


    Jason frowned at that statement. It did indeed make some sense when Harry put it that way. However, that did not mean that there would be anything valuable within the hidden room! ''Whatever, we''re here now, so taking a look can''t hurt.''


    Jason felt dejected as he followed his Gramps inside. The ce was just as deste as he remembered. Which only served to make his doubts more prominent in his mind. Jason sighed heavily as he nced around. ''I shouldn''t have gotten my hopes up.''


    Jason cursed internally as he continued to follow Harry into one of the rear rooms. The room had obviously been an office at some point as old broken furniture littered the room.


    "Well? What do you think?" Harry said with an optimistic tone.


    "Think about what? There''s nothing here." Jason began to scowl as he nced at the broken furniture with disdain.


    "Haha! See! They hid it well! But your Gramps found it!" Harry continued with his broad smile as he moved to a corner of the room.


    Jason''s expression became curious as he watched Harry get down on his knees and pull up an edge of the worn carpet. His hand disappeared underneath it for a little bit before a loud mechanical nking noise rang out in the room.


    Jason was startled as he felt the floor vibrating beneath him. ''What the hell is this!'' Jason''s eyes went wide as a section of the floor disappeared beneath the ground to reveal a staircase!


    "This is incredible!" Jason blurted out as his eyes went wide. There had been no signs at all that something was wrong with that section of the floor!


    ''What would need them to be so secretive?'' Jason had a bunch of questions running through his mind right now. No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason that something like this should exist in this building.


    ''Wait! Did this whole ce exist just to camouge this?'' Jason''s jaw almost hit the floor. He knew that the old world had been incredibly advanced than what he was used to, but Jason struggled to understand why the ancient humans woulde up with something as borate as this!


    "Are youing or what?" Harry asked with a mocking voice before disappearing down the stairs.


    Jason gulped down a lump of saliva before following behind him excitedly. After he had crossed quite a few stairs, the mechanical clunking noise returned, and Jason stared in horror as the floor sealed up behind him!


    The only thing that stopped him from panicking was that Harry showed no reaction to it! ''I guess I can consider that as normal! Even if this ce is a bust, it will be perfect for my workshop. I just have to convince Gramps that there''s no point in returning here after today.''


    As Jason was having those thoughts, he rummaged around in the bag he had brought and pulled out the torch he had made. He could hear Harry struggling to ignite a cloth torch that they usually used for dark ces a little ahead of himself. Jason chuckled as he flicked the switch to turn on the light!


    Harry yelped as a bright beam of light crossed his face, momentarily blinding him. "What the hell is that!"


    "A new kind of torch I created recently." Jason shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal under Harry''s angry gaze.


    "Why aren''t we selling it then! Think of all the money this could make us!" Harry sounded aggrieved as if Jason had wronged him somehow.


    ''Of course, his first thoughts would be about money. Jason sighed as he wandered down a few more steps to stand right behind his grandfather. "Come on, I''m eager to see this door of yours now!"


    Harry grumbled to himself about the potential losses from not selling the torch for a few seconds before continuing his descent. The pair continued in silence with only the thud of their footsteps on the stairs to keep thempany. ''How far down does this go?'' Jason wondered as he stared at the concrete walls on either side that showed visible signs of ageing.


    He soon got his answer as the light from his torch was suddenly reflected off of something. Arge, sturdy steel door like those that would be found on a bank''s vault came into view. ''Seems like the old geezer was right!''


    Jason''s excitement hit new levels as the pair rushed down the few remaining steps to study the door. However, the more he looked at it, the more dismayed Jason began to feel. The bolts and screws that fixed it in ce were in rough shape. He doubted the MT-E would even be able to grip them so that they could be removed!


    Jason took a few steps back with a frown on his face as he analysed the metal. It was evident that his Gramps had underestimated the difficulty of the task in front of them!


    "Well? What do you think?" Harry asked with a nervous tone

 Chapter 60: Nest (5)

    Chapter 60: Nest (5)


    Jason''s expression was intense as he stared at the metal door. ''It looks like it has just rusted too much for us to turn the wheel to unlock it. Which means it''s probably held in ce with a deadbolt on the other side.'' Jason hummed as he considered their options.


    "I can only think of one way we might be able to open this right now." Jason eventually replied with a solemn expression.


    "That''s great!" Harry eximed enthusiastically before frowning. "So why do you look like it''s actually a problem?"


    Jason sighed as he turned to look at his Gramps. "Because I have to use a precious resource, and I''m not sure if it will be enough."


    Harry''s frown deepened when he heard that. It was one thing to take the risk if it would definitely open the ce up. However, if they failed, then they would just be weakening the door for someone else to possibly exploit their hard work.


    "How confident are you?" Harry asked as he gazed at the door as if it were his worst enemy. "I don''t mind you attempting it. After all, it''s unlikely someone else will discover this ce soon."


    Jason cursed in his mind at that statement! ''Back in Highrise, you were worried someone else would discover this ce! Now you''re saying it''s unlikely?'' Jason could only shake his head in annoyance before taking another look at the metal.


    "I''d say we have a good chance to crack it open now. But if you let me try it, then you can''tin if we fail to open it." Jason gave his Gramps a look that said he would not be responsible if someone else really did manage to rob Ahem salvage this ce before them.


    Harry''s expression became conflicted as he weighed the pros and cons in his mind. His expression became determined as he cast a confident look towards Jason. "Do it!"


    Jason grinned at those words and started searching through his bag. His handnded on the container that stored thepressed gas that he had made. ''I hope whatever is in here is worth it. We almost died to obtain this.''


    "Light one of your cloth torches." Jason''s tone made it clear that it was an order rather than a request.


    Harry immediately understood that he would have to do whatever Jason said if he wanted to crack this treasure chest wide open! Harry let out a few grunts as he struggled to light his torch again. A spark suddenly caught on the material wrapped around the wooden pole and took hold.


    Jason waited until the fire proved that it would not go out anytime soon before he began. "Ok, Gramps. Hold it close to where the door meets the frame on the right side. You just need to keep it in line with this container."


    Harry nodded to show that he took this seriously as he lined the torch up with how Jason wanted it.


    "Good, now mind your eyes and don''t get startled." Jason grinned as he pressed down on the aerosol lid that he had fixed to the container.


    As the gas shot out and was ignited by the fire, Harry yelped but kept his hand steady. Droplets of sweat appeared on his forehead as he stared at the now bright blue me. He could only imagine what would happen if he came into contact with that incredible heat!


    Jason paid him no mind as he held the me steady. The metal slowly began to glow red, and sometime after, it began to melt. Harry wanted to cheer at that sight, but Jason''s stern expression showed that this was not the time for such antics.


    In truth, Jason was anxious. It had taken a lot more time than he thought just to melt that section. If he was right, he was sure that the gas would run out before they couldpletely melt the lock!


    Time passed slowly for the duo as they began to sweat profusely with the rising ambient temperature. It was bing ufortable to even continue standing there in front of that door. Liquid metal slowly dripped to the floor as the door continued to be defeated by that incredible heat.


    Neither of them knew exactly how much time had passed when a sputtering noise came from thepressed gas''s container and the bright me disappeared. Jason swore as he tossed the container aside and rushed to inspect the damage that they had caused.


    "It''s no good!" Jason eximed as he let himself fall on his arse on the floor. "There''s still a chunk of the bolt left."


    Jason ced his head between his hands as he took a few deep breaths. He was feeling dizzy, but he could not exin why. When he nced at Harry, he noticed that even he seemed a bit shaky on his feet.


    "No! We were so close!" Harry wailed as he mmed his fists on the centre of the door. He yelped as he felt a slight heating from the metal. It was not enough to burn him. It just surprised him, was all.


    Jason felt a headacheing on as hey on his back and stared at the ceiling. Harry continued pounding on the door in frustration as Jason tried to decide what they should do next.


    "Can you stop that already!" Jason''s nerves had grown thin at the constant noise.


    Harry red at him before kicking at the door with all his strength near the now cooling g. As his foot connected with that part of the door, there was the indescribable sound of something breaking.


    Jason immediately sat up straight and stared at the door in disbelief! ''Don''t tell me the heat weakened the rest of the bolt!'' Jason was ecstatic to see that the door hade away from the frame ever so slightly.


    Harry did not even wait for him and grabbed the wheel at the centre before pulling with all of his might! As he huffed and puffed, a loud metallic screeching noise rang out as the door was pried away from the room it guarded.


    The torchlight illuminated the interior as it was revealed. The first thing that Jason saw was a sign.


    "Wee to Nest, Confidential testing site No. 22. Authorised personal only!"

 Chapter 61: New Guardians Tournament

    Chapter 61: New Guardians Tournament


    Jason''s eyes went wide as he slowly stepped inside the once sealed room. Several other doors led elsewhere from here, which gave him the impression that this hidden structure must be pretty significant! ''It''spletely intact!'' Jason eximed internally as he nced around.


    The floors, furniture, walls and doors showed no signs of deterioration at all! If Jason knew what it was, he would have described the experience as like stepping into a time capsule!


    Harry felt overwhelmed emotionally as he nced inside. He had waited for this day for so long that when he finally entered the hidden area, hot tears streamed down his face.


    As Jason nced around, he got the impression that there was nothing valuable in this room. It felt like a reception area for guests and workers. After a few more steps, a humming noise entered their ears, startling them in the process!


    Jason felt the hair on his arms and neck stand up at that sound! He recognised it right away. ''Electricity!'' Jason''s eyes went wide as excitement built up in his mind. His heart began to beat rapidly, and then The lights came on!


    The entire room was lit up by what looked likerger versions of his torch imnted in the ceiling. Jason gasped as his eyes adjusted to their brightness. Harry, however, was visibly shaking in the doorway. He stared at the lights with a mixture of fear and awe on his face.


    "Gramps! Do you know how amazing this is?" Jason eximed excitedly as he jogged around the room to see if he could trigger anything else.


    "No! How could I? I just deal in junk!" Harry whined. He knew that this structure was far beyond hisprehension. ''Looks like I made the right choice to bring the boy here.''


    Harry sighed as he gradually epted that the light was not some kind of weapon that would kill him. Jason''s enthusiasm was enough to defuse his fears as he wandered deeper into the room. "How do these things even work?"


    "Electricity" Jason chuckled as he saw the confused look on his Gramps''s face. "Don''t worry about it."


    "Ah, it''s not that" Harry stroked his chin as he gave off a sheepish expression. "I was just wondering what the parts would be worth if we dismantle it."


    "Don''t6 even think about it!" Jason growled with such force that it shocked Harry. "This is priceless if left as is. The parts, however, are next to worthless."


    Harry frowned as he digested this information. "How can it be priceless if we can''t take them back to sell?"


    "Because" Jason let out a wolfish grin. "If we leave it as is, I can study it to see if we can replicate it!"


    Harry broke out in a knowing smile at Jason''s reasoning. If the parts were cheap, nothing was stopping them from buying them in Highrise. If Jason could figure out how to make them work like this ce, then they could charge a fortune to install it in people''s homes!


    "I like your thinking, kid!" Harry shed Jason a thumbs up as a softugh escaped his throat. "So, where should we start?"


    Jason took another excited nce around as he hesitated. None of the doors had any signs to indicate whaty beyond them. "Take your pick. Just don''t touch anything until I see it. Juste and get me if you spot something that looks interesting."


    Jason quickly chose a random door and disappeared into the unknown. Leaving Harry to figure things out for himself. Once he was alone, he immediately activated his Scanner skill. He wanted to understand as much as possible about everything that he looked at.


    Behind his door was a long white corridor that was illuminated by more of those ceiling lights. It allowed him to see ss panels installed at regr intervals all along each wall. ''Hm, what''s on the other side?''


    Jason''s curiosity spiked as he slowly made his way along the corridor. Every time he reached one of these ''windows'', he would stare at their contents with great interest.


    Every room that the panels looked onto was filled with clean ss containers that were either empty or held unknown liquids inside. Jason could see doors that allowed entry into each room on the other side from himself.


    ''What were they doing down here?'' Although he was curious, he did not forget his primary goal. So far, he had not seen anything that could give him any information about the old world at all. ''I''m sure there''s some value to everything down here, but it''s all beyond my skill level to understand it.''


    Jason was growing frustrated as he neared the door at the end of the hall. His Scanner kepting back with notifications that warned him he had to upgrade his skills to ess the knowledge.


    Syssie also appeared to be losing her cool with the situation. It would be horrible if they came across something that could help their situation but could not understand it! Jason reached out to open the door at the end of the hall when a frantic voice sounded behind him.


    "Jason! Help!" Harry yelled down the corridor from the other side. As Jason spun to look at him, it was evident that he was scared out of his mind.


    "What is it?" Jason shouted as he raced along the corridor back to where he had started.


    "I I don''t know!" Harry''s eyes were full of fear, and a dark patch had appeared on his trousers as he pointed towards the open door that he had chosen.


    ''He pissed himself?'' Jason frowned as he stared at where Harry was pointing. He was somewhat reluctant to experience what his Gramps just had, but his curiosity was through the roof right now!


    Jason slowly walked towards where Harry had chosen to explore with ragged breaths. His mind was screaming at him not to look, but he could not stop himself!


    A loud gasp escaped his throat, and he began to shake when he took a look inside. ''A monster!''

 Chapter 62: New Guardians Tournament (2)

    Chapter 62: New Guardians Tournament (2)


    There was no corridor behind the door. Instead, there was a room. This room had a single long window that looked onto what could only be described as ab. However, what made Jason feel suffocated was what was inside thatb.


    Arge metal and ss tank stood in the centre of the room. Its insides were full of a bright blue fluid with a monster floating in it. Jason''s curiosity forced him to take a few steps forward to get a better look.


    The creature''s torso and limbs looked humanoid. However, it had a reptiles head and tail toplete its figure. Its whole body was covered in hard looking green and ck scales. ''What Is this?''


    Jason looked on at the creature as his mind ran rampant. ''Is it a beast that used to live in this area during the Old World era?'' Jason felt like they had discovered something important. They just did not understand precisely how important just now until they could figure outwit was going on down here.


    "What is it?" Harry asked with a trembling voice.


    "I''m not sure Shall we take a look?" Jason suddenly grinned as he said that. He had spotted a door to the side of the viewing window that would give them ess to theb.


    "Jason, I don''t think we should mess with something like that!" Harry sounded panicked as he rushed forward to grab Jason''s arm before he could open the door.


    Jason raised an eyebrow at Harry briefly before looking at the door again. "Gramps, how long has this ce been sealed? That creature is probably dead. I''m guessing that the liquid is what is keeping its body from deteriorating. There''s nothing to worry about."


    Jason put on a gentle smile as he waited for Harry to release his arm. Harry was still hesitant even though Jason''s exnation made sense. "Fine Let''s take a look."


    Jason grinned as he grabbed hold of the handle and turned it. Nothing special happened as they entered the room, which surprised Jason. He had expected for something to happen, but perhaps that was just his mind ying tricks on him.


    ''Anyone would feel off in a ce like this.'' Jason grumbled to himself as he walked around theb.


    With a bunch of information that he did not understand, what looked to be reportsy on several of the work surfaces. Jason frowned as he looked through several sheets of paper before shaking his head.


    Harry limited himself to standing by the door and staring at the tank with a wary expression. Jason sighed as he ran his hand across an old keyboard, only to jump backwards in shock as a sound came out of theputer that it was connected to.


    Jason''s eyes went wide in bewilderment as he watched theputer boot up. He had never seen anything like this! Well, he had seenputers before but not ones that actually worked! Needless to say, he was enthralled as he watched the images on the screen change until they settled on a Log In screen.


    Jason''s ecstasy deted as he realised that he would need a name and password for it to go further. ''This probably holds the valuable information! How the hell does something like this work!''


    "The basic Computing Skill costs 20 PP, but I don''t think that alone will help you." Syssie sighed from Jason''s side. "There''s no doubt there''s valuable technology here, but somehow I don''t think it will help our current condition."


    Jason nodded in agreement. This ce made his Biology and Chemistry Skills go crazy, so he was inclined to believe that everything this ce held would be rted to those fields. Jason turned towards Harry and heaved a deep sigh when he saw he still had note further into the room.


    "There''s nothing useful for us here. We should search the rest of this ce."


    Harry nodded slowly without taking his eyes off of the tank. He only returned to normality once they returned to the reception room. Harry was reluctant to search anywhere else alone, so Jason gave up and left him behind as he continued the exploration alone.


    Hours passed by as he went through every room, but they all pretty much held the same things. Lab equipment,puters that he could not ess, and only two other rooms had special containers with different creatures inside.


    ''This ce is a bust for now. The storage room downstairs will be decent to set up a workshop and to hide those credits I''ve got lying around. But that''s it, I couldn''t understand the first thing about that room that seems to create the electricity to power this ce.''


    All in all, the Nest had left him with mixed feelings. It was pretty exciting to discover these things, and he was confident that he could put this ce to use in the future. However, he also felt let down because it was not quite what he had expected and was practically useless for him right now.


    At best, it would just be his secret workshop and storage area until his Power grew further. ''We should call it a day. There''s no point in wasting any more time here for now.'' Jason returned to the reception room and exined what they had found.


    He stressed to Harry that they had to keep this ce secret and set up a workshop to study the equipment. Hopefully, with time, they would be able to sell stuff based on Nest''s contents.


    Harry surprisingly agreed to Jason''s evaluation. He looked disappointed that it was not the treasure trove that he had imagined, but the creature that he had seen thoroughly discouraged him from ever returning here. Harry''s instincts screamed at him whenever he looked at it. As if he was about to be eaten by a lurking predator at any moment!


    As the floor slid back into ce and hid the entrance, Jason could not help but wonder about something.'' I''m assuming they called it Nest because of those creatures, but how many other sites are there?'' Jason could not help but wonder just how many secrets the Old World was hiding

 Chapter 63: New Guardians Tournament (3)

    Chapter 63: New Guardians Tournament (3)


    During their walk back to Highrise, Jason began to n out what he would need to turn the Nest into his own secret hideaway. Surprisingly, he had discovered what kitchen sinks were used for as the hidden structure had clean, running water.


    ''There were bedrooms with good mattresses and sheets. So it''s really only items to set up the workshop that I need. It helps a lot that the ce is full of ss containers, which will save some of the costs. But how do I get this stuff to the Nest without being noticed?''


    "Don''t worry about it, kid. We might never know what that ce was used for." Harry sighed dejectedly beside him. He had mistaken Jason''s expression for him trying to figure out the equipment rather than how he could exploit the structure for himself.


    "Oh, yeah. Sorry, it''s just hard not to think about it." Jason lied casually.


    After all, it was better if Harry did not get the urge to explore the space for himself. It would be awkward if he discovered Jason''s Arbalest and other gear once he stored it in there. ''I need to talk with Dani as well and sort out equipment for the tournament''


    ''Wait? Tournament?'' Jason''s mind reeled as he realised that the start date should be soon! ''Where the hell did the time go?''


    Jason panicked as he thought about it. There was bound to be many people rushing to the different stores to buy equipment soon, and Jason had not prepared anything at all!


    Just as he thought that arge shadow suddenly loomed over the two of them! Jason gulped as he thought it must be some type of flying beast that had made its way into Highrise''s territory. As he nced up towards the sky, all he could see was arge shadow floating across the sky.


    ''It looks like a Sky Jelly, but there''s something weird about it.'' Jason frowned as he stared at it. Whatever it was looked like a jellyfish swimming in the air high in the sky, but its movements seemed unnatural.


    Harry let out a loud nostalgic sounding sigh by Jason''s side as he stared at the creature with a sense of longing. "Seems like it''s time, huh?"


    Jason frowned at his Gramps statement as he turned to study the creature again. It seemed to be getting lower, and Jason could finally see what had been throwing him off about it. ''Is that thing made of metal!'' Jason gasped as his eyes went wide!


    "Gramps! What is that!" Jason sounded somewhat excited as he pointed towards the creature.


    "That would be Rust. One of the Lord''s Five Pir Guardians." Harry chuckled as he ced a hand on Jason''s back and pushed him towards town. Obviously urging him to continue walking.


    "A beast is a Guardian?" Jason gasped at that before looking at the creature again in bewilderment. "Howe nobody talks about it?"


    Harry burst out intoughter when Jason said that! "Of course, there''s no beast in the Guardians! What kind of imagination do you have!"


    Jason frowned in response, feeling like he had said something foolish, but his eyes did not lie. That was definitely a metallic Sky Jelly swimming through the air. Harry noticed the confusion in his gaze and grinned.


    "That there is the Stadium for the tournament. Master Rust is controlling it with his Power." Harry chuckled as he gazed upwards with an expression full of longing. "Some people are just born lucky."


    Jason had to exercise his self-control when he heard Harry''s exnation. ''There are real people who are that powerful?'' Jason was shocked. If that entire thing was a structure, then how much metal was Rust controlling right now? How was that even possible?


    ''That''s basically cheating!'' Jason wanted toin to anyone who would listen. He thought his ability was quite remarkable but seeing a natural disaster like Rust gave him a wake-up call. ''Was I overthinking my importance?'' Jason sighed. If the Lord had biological weapons as strong as Rust, then was his own ability not quite pathetic inparison?


    That thought made Jason feel sick. He had hidden his Power from those closest to himself because he had deluded himself into thinking that anyone would want to subjugate him. ''Maybe I don''t need to be so paranoid?''


    "I think you were right to be paranoid." Syssie suddenly interrupted his thoughts as she red at the sky. "Your Power isn''t much right now, but what would you be capable of once you fully control it? Just think about the things we saw in the Nest as an example."


    Jason raised an eyebrow at her statement. Of course, she was right. There was no telling what his Power would lead to right now. He had nobody else topare himself because he had never heard anything about a simr ability.


    ''If someone else ever had it, I wonder what happened to them?'' Jason could not help but be concerned by that thought.


    "Maybe they died?" Syssie sounded solemn as she hazarded a guess to answer his question. "Or maybe their potential was not enough to create something like me to keep it in check?"


    ''That seems like it could be the answer. Maybe they just couldn''t get their hands on the stuff they needed to get it under control before their brain had a meltdown.'' Jason sighed as he considered what might have happened to him if he had not been so lucky.


    "Or there''s something worse that I can think of" Syssie sounded hesitant to voice her next concern. "What if the materials don''t exist to upgrade me? What if this is the best that you''ll ever be able to do?"


    Jason practically hissed at that. He had never considered that possibility! He had just taken it for granted that there would definitely be everything he needed out there somewhere! ''Damn it! I''m already living on borrowed time as it is! That''s it! As soon as the tournament is over, I have to start my search! Dying it can only hurt my chances of surviving!''

 Chapter 64: New Guardians Tournament (4)

    Chapter 64: New Guardians Tournament (4)


    When they arrived outside of Highrise, Jason could finally see just how massive the structure was. It had left them behind and was already settled down just outside of the walls. The massive jellyfish-like system stood upright with what should be its tentacles supporting the entire metallic structure.


    A crowd had already formed outside of it as it loomed over the town, making the walls look tiny inparison. Jason sighed as he saw it even though his eyes were sparkling at its magnificence. ''Rust''s power is off the charts. It''s a lotrger than I thought it was.'' Jason was confident that if everyone in Highrise were to step inside that, there would still be plenty of room left over.


    The crowd standing outside was growing excited, and Jason wanted to join them, but Harry grabbed his arm and pointed to another gathering. "Rust won''te out. Everyone''s who''s seen this before are all waiting over there."


    Jason raised an eyebrow as he noticed that the second crowd were all old-timers around his grandfather''s age. ''Wait, then how old is Rust?'' Jason was perplexed when he thought of that. If his Gramps and these other old coots had seen it before, then Rust had to have been a guardian for a long time.


    Jason could not even begin to fathom how old he might possibly be. It made him realise that he had to be more careful when it came to older Powered individuals. There was no telling how powerful their abilities had be over time!


    "Trust me, we''d get more out of it if we went back to the store and prepared for the rush that''s about to happen." Harry grinned when he thought about the opportunity to earn a bunch of credits.


    Jason could only shake his head at his grandfather''s enthusiasm. He had recovered from his experience in the Nest far too quickly, and it was thanks to money! ''If only everyone could get over everything so easily!''


    Jason soon noticed that the crowd of old-timers were steadily making their way back inside. Which pretty much confirmed the truth of what his grandfather had said. Since there was no point in hanging around here, Jason could only start wondering what sights he would see once the tournament got underway.


    He would be lying if he said he was not interested in seeing other people''s powers and how they put them to use. He even hoped that it might inspire him to think of something to generate a schematic for.


    No sooner than when Jason had opened up Star Gear did a familiar face appear in the doorway while wearing a nervous expression. ''Adam? What''s he doing here?'' Jason frowned upon seeing the youth from the butchers next door. They had not spent any time together unless it involved business, which Harry mostly handled.


    "Can I help you, or are you nning on standing there all day?" Jason eventually asked when he noticed that Adam had not moved.


    "Ugh, sorry if this is a bad time," Adam replied with an awkward tone as he rubbed the back of his head. "It''s about what we discussed when you first took over this ce."


    Adam''s expression turned hopeful as he turned pleading eyes on Jason. ''What we discussed?'' Jason''s frown deepened as he remembered Adam asking him to make equipment for the tournament. However, it all depended on whether Adam could convince his dad to provide them with certain materials.


    "What about it?" Jason''s interest had piqued as he looked at him curiously.


    "Well, I was wondering when it would be ready?"


    Jason let a shocked expression appear on his face. "What are you talking about?"


    This time it was Adam''s turn to appear baffled. It was only when the pair heard Harry groaning did they realise where the misunderstanding hade from.


    "My bad, I forgot to tell you."Harry sighed as he nced at Jason. "His father gave us quite a good deal, so I agreed that you make him something."


    "Why would you do that!" Jason eximed in anger. After all, he had not seen a single material from this deal.


    "Ah, if it''s about your furs and leathers, Harry asked us to store them for you." Adam realised that Harry had messed up quite severely and moved to cover him. "We were waiting on you collecting them since Harry was unsure what you would actually want. I thought that maybe you were just making something from what you already had and wanted to make the exchange once youpleted it."


    Jason felt like pping the pair for being so idiotic. After all, Adam had mentioned a problem with his power, so how could Jason just give him something generic? It would have to be a custom order!


    "Forget it! Since the deal has already been made, if you know what materials you want me to use, bring them over. You''ll have to give me a rundown of your power as well, or anything I make will be useless." Jason groaned. The only good thing was that Adam would serve as an advertisement for his craft alongside Dani.


    Adam quickly disappeared as if he were afraid that Jason might change his mind. ''I''ll have to take a look at what they''ve stored. Maybe they''ve got something that could be useful for Dani as well.'' This deal that Harry had somehow managed to forget about actually saved Jason quite a bit of effort.


    He had considered going back to the ant graveyard to get materials for Dani''s equipment, but this solved that problem. ''With a bit of luck, I might end up getting the better deal out of this.'' When Adam returned carrying a bundle of different skins, furs and bones, Jason could not help but be surprised. ''This haul is actually a lot better than I thought it would be!''


    However, Adam''s following words really made Jason''s jaw hit the floor.


    "This is only the stuff I was considering for myself. There''s too much in our storeroom for me to bring it all here." Adam huffed as he ced the bundle on the counter.

 Chapter 65: New Guardians Tournament (5)

    Chapter 65: New Guardians Tournament (5)


    Three days passed while Jason worked fervently with Adam and Dani to create their equipment. Jason even ended up spending his remaining 19 PP on two skills to help to shore up his knowledge in armour and weapon creations.


    The first one he purchased was Novice Medium Armour Creation for 7 PP. Which was pretty self-exnatory, while the second was his third Apprentice level skill. Apprentice Melee Schematics! The 12 PP that it had cost him was entirely worth it, in his opinion.


    Jason grinned while he thought about the personalised, upgraded version of the Riot that he had created for Dani. ''I can''t wait to see how the Storm performs in this contest, but then again, Adam''s Orochi should cause some surprises.''


    He had named Adam''s short, single-edged sword after a beast that had not been seen in the area since his grandfather''s younger years. The Orochi beast was a great serpent spanning fifty metres in length. Jason thought it was quite an apt name to give to his newest creation.


    On top of that, he had seeded in creating suitable equipment for the pair of them. Dani''s outfit resembled her father''s somewhat, except Jason had opted to make it tight-fitting to her figure. The leather he had used to create it came from a mouse type beast and had the surprising ability to silence the popping noise that usually apanied Dani''s teleports.


    It was needless to say that she was thrilled with her equipment. Adam''s was a bit more difficult due to his ability. It featured skin that was stic in nature and covered in ck fur. He had then opted to ce green coloured strengthened leatherbined with dyed green wooden tes over it.


    In the end, it looked like green samurai armour with ck fur between the gaps. Since he did not have any better ideas for the head section, he copied Dani''s and gave Adam a ck hood with a green cloth lower face mask. Naturally, Jason had ced Star Gear Symbols on both of their armours and weapons in subtle positions.


    ''I''ve done all I can. It''s up to those two now.'' Jason sighed as he finished closing up the shop. It had been announced the day before that the tournament would start today, and both Dani and Adam had picked up their equipment early that morning. Since Rust''s arrival, the shop had been queued out of the street every day.


    To camouge the Orochi and the Storm, Jason had mass-produced Primal''s and a single-edged short de called the Fang. Both of these were far inferior to the pair that he expected to steal the show.


    "Hurry up, or we''ll bete!" Harry anxiouslyined as he eyed the other store owners who were also closing up to head over to the venue.


    "There''s no rush. We have plenty of cash to get ess to the good seats." Jason chuckled as he watched Harry fidgeting.


    Apparently, charging an entry fee for this event was a significant ie for the Lord. However, Jason nned to get tickets for a private room close to the stage to not miss a single moment!


    Jason recognised many people on the street as they moved towards the giant jellyfish outside of town. Its size still invoked a sense of awe in him, but it was not as bad as when he had first seen it.


    As they joined the queue to enter one of two tentacles used as the entrances, Jason finally got a look at what the Lord''s regr Guardians looked like. Ten Guardians stood in front of the space in the tentacle that would allow the spectators to reach the viewing areas. They were all wearing matching bright blue metallic armour.


    ''Tch, it looks like it''s of higher quality than what I''ve made, but it doesn''t seem to hide any special features.'' Jason cast a critical gaze over the Guardians equipment as he evaluated it. The Guardians smiled back in response, thinking that he appreciated just how unique their gear was.


    However, Jason was actually disappointed. He expected the equipment of the Guardians to have some unique features or something. But to his eyes, they were just chunks of metal designed to take as much damage as possible before they were broken.


    Jason almost had a heart attack when they asked for one iron credit for him to have ess to a private room for the whole event. However, Jason felt much better when he discovered that he would have to pay ten copper credits each day per person if he asked for a seat in the stands.


    The event was set tost for five days, so it would have cost him an iron credit anyway to pay for both him and Harry! This was Jason''s treat since Harry had been exceptionally hard-working over the past few days. Once the Guardian dealing with the transaction confirmed his payment, he received directions to his private room.


    The interior of the entire tentacle was hollow, and when they stepped inside of it, Jason became confused. ''How are we meant to get up there?'' As Jason began to frown, he felt the metallic floor start to vibrate before it suddenly shot upwards through the hollow tentacle!


    Jason feared that he would lose control of his bowels initially before his body became ustomed to the feeling. Then the experience just became exhrating! The speed that they were travelling at was simply incredible!


    Jason still felt a little breathless when they found their way to their room. The door clicked as he opened it to discover an expansive space that housed fivefortable looking couches. They were arranged in a semi-circle facing a half wall that looked out onto the massive metal stage.


    A long table was ced between the half wall and couches and had several tes of various meats and jugs full of a selection of beverages. Harry gasped when he saw the scene. After all, this was the most luxurious thing he had ever experienced in his long life!


    The pair made themselvesfortable and enjoyed the treats while chatting happily for the next hour. The stadium became noisy as the basic stands began to fill up, which made Jason even more excited!


    The whole ce suddenly went quiet when the dome-shaped ceiling opened up to disy the night sky outside. The torches set in the stadium stands and the private rooms gave off a fantastic atmosphere as a single Guardian slowly made her way onto the stage. Without wasting anyone''s time, she made a single statement.


    "Let the Guardian Selection Tournament Begin!"

 Chapter 66: NGT: Qualifiers

    Chapter 66: NGT: Qualifiers


    "Hoh, this should be good!" Harry eximed as he gulped down a cup full of wine.


    Jason was of a mind to agree with him. As soon as the announcer had said that, those who had signed up for thepetition began to exit from various ces and make their way onto the stage. Since this was the qualifiers, the first round would feature a massive battle royale format to quickly reduce the number ofpetitors.


    Jason managed to spot Dani and Adam amongst the crowd. It was not hard since most of thepetitors were stuck wearing regr clothes. Hardly anyone could afford tailor-made outfits and weaponry, so it was understandable that the pair were drawing a lot of attention from their fellowpetitors.


    There were a few raised eyebrows amongst the gathering as they noticed the slight simrities between what the two of them were wearing. However, the sharper eyes amongst them brushed it off once they spotted the Star Gear branded emblems on their equipment.


    As the three hundred-oddpetitors entered the stage, they noticed that there was plenty of space for them all to fight. The rules were simple, if you were forced out of the ring or knocked unconscious, you would be disqualified. You could also quit if you had to, but that was it. Killing during the tournament was not prohibited at all.


    This was because the Lord wanted to enlist people as Guardians who were prepared to kill or be killed. Any other kind of soldier would be a pointless waste of resources. Dani and Adam choose to linger near the edges of separate corners. They had gotten to know each other while Jason sorted out their needs and became fast friends.


    So they had no intention of getting involved with each other at this stage. Of course, neither of them would hold back if they met at ater stage. Once everypetitor had chosen their spot, a loud metallic bell sounded from somewhere to signal the start of the fight!


    The whole stage devolved into utter chaos! In less than a minute, at least fifty people had been knocked out of thepetition. Jason had no idea where to look, as so many abilities were activated simultaneously.


    One person''s ability was truly disgusting. He could fart at will and create a powerful air current of nauseous gas capable of blowing off their feet for quite some distance. Everyone who experienced it quickly chose a different target and refused to go near him again. Another person engulfed herself in a sphere of ice that would produce sharp spears whenever an opponent came close.


    A three-meter tall giant wandered through the crowd swatting people left and right with enough power to send them from the central area directly out of the ring. Jason whistled as he watched the diverse selection of Powers go at it. This was definitely a sight worth seeing!


    From time to time, Jason even heard those in the stands who had no Power at allining about it. They were enjoying the spectacle, but that was nothingpared to being able to do those things. This was the first time Jason could really feel the discontent of the normies who lived in Highrise. He had to admit that it was quite worrying to hear some of the things that they said.


    However, no matter how much theyined, the situation would never change. Developing Powers was ingrained in each person''s DNA. It was simply impossible to remove that factor from the human race.


    Jason quickly began to ignore thosements as he focused on thepetition. Dani waited patiently narthex edge for anyone to try and attack her. Just as they thought they had her, she would teleport behind them and kick them out of the ring.


    Quite a few people in the crowd had begun to pay attention to her. She was not doing anything shy, but she was disying excellent judgement. Her approach allowed her to take out her opponents with minimal effort on her part.


    Adam, on the other hand, was proving to be a thorn in many people''s side. Jason had been shocked when he learned that Adam''s ability made him highly flexible while increasing his natural reaction speed. Simply put, it was basically impossible to hit him in a melee fight.


    Ten different people came at him at once. Still, he performed impossible acrobatics and distorted his figure to avoid every blow while inflicting deep cuts on his opponents'' flesh using the Orochi. However, Jason knew that Adam was not disying his full potential right now. His ability hid something else that he was saving for the duels.


    Over the next hour, the intensity red as the numbers dwindled until only ten were left standing in the ring. Besides Dani and Adam, Jason spotted Sam''s familiar face down there as well. Up until this point, Jason had failed to notice her presence in thepetition at all.


    The reason soon became apparent as two others next to her protected her from the giant''s attack. While one managed to match the giant''s strength, the other bypassed his rigid body by phasing through his skin only to rip a section of the giant''s intestines out.


    The giant thrashed in agony and tried to surrender. However, he died from internal bleeding before anything could be done. It marked the first official death in the tournament, which surprised everyone! So far, everyone had managed to surrender before being dealt a fatal injury.


    The expressions on the faces of the rest of thepetitors became grim at that sight. Only one more person and to be taken out to enter the next stage and nobody wanted to go near Sam''s group now.


    With a determined expression, one of them chose to target Adam! He had been paying attention to Adam''s ability and concluded that his speed would be enough to strike him before he could dodge!


    The man took off like a rocket and appeared in front of Adam before thetter could blink. The man had to interrupt his ability to strike at Adam since he could only see blurred images whenever he elerated. Adam''s eyes went wide as a fist came towards his face at high speed!


    The crowd suddenly leapt on to their feet and cheered! A significant upset had just urred! At the moment before impact, Dani had teleported over and taken the speedster by surprise! Knocking him out of the ring before he could take Adam out!

 Chapter 67: NGT: Hidden Talents!

    Chapter 67: NGT: Hidden Talents!


    Jason settled into his room with Harry as the second day of events was about to begin. He had spent the previous night congratting Dani and Adam while fixing up minor damages on their equipment. As the crowd filtered into the arena, exciting talks were being held while people began to ce bets with each other.


    From now on, the fights would be one on one. The first fight was to feature Sam, who had been up against a guy named Caleb. As the crowd watched the twopetitorse up on stage, Jason groaned. It turned out that Caleb was one of Sam''s men. More specifically, he was the guy who had Super Strength.


    As they both stepped onto the stage, the crowd grew excited. Many people bet on Caleb since he had to protect Sam for her to make it through the first round. Harry, sensing an opportunity, called over a bookkeeper and ced one hundred copper credits on Sam. Her odds of winning were low, so Harry excitedly held his ticket that would allow him to im an Iron Credit if she won.


    Just as the bell rang, Caleb threw up his hands. "I surrender!"


    The entire stadium went silent before going into an uproar! Just like that, Sam advanced to the semi-finals without having to disy her Power even once. This put her in a highly advantageous position from here on out. As she could develop ns to counter her opponents.


    It took some time for the crowd to settle down again, and the next contestants entered the arena. Jason groaned again. Dani joined the stage while her opponent was Gerald. The man who could phase through skin and Sam''s otherckey in this tournament.


    This was a fight that the crowd were eager to see. Harry had already run off to find a bookkeeper to im his earnings while Jason kept his mind fixed on the fight. The bell rang, and the pair immediately rushed towards each other!


    Gerald threw a fist towards Dani, who disappeared. However, Gerald had expected that and swung his other hand behind him. Gerald frowned as his hand passed through empty air. He had expected Dani to appear behind him tond a strike with her weapon.


    Instead, she reappeared near a corner of the ring, and her eyes were smiling at him. Gerald hesitated for a moment as he took stock of the situation. Dani was far more dangerous to him when she was close to an edge. One wrong move could see him disqualified by a ring out.


    However, Gerald had no means to attack from range, so he had no choice but to close the distance! Gerald charged while keeping his eyes on Dani, who stood there smiling. He threw out a kick while preparing himself to dodge the attack that woulde when Dani teleported.


    His eyes went wide in shock, though, as his shin connected with Dani''s Storm. She grinned as she flicked the switch on the upgraded Riot, and an electrical current shot through Gerald''s body, stunning him as a result!


    Dani teleported behind him now and swung the Storm in its Baton state again. Gerald had managed to stay on his feet, but he was suffering. Still, he managed a smile as he activated his ability. His n was to strike Dani when she was off bnce when her attack passed through him.


    His smile disappeared, though, as the Storm struck him in the ribs, winding him. Dani followed up with a swift kick to the head to topple Gerald out of the ring! The crowd went wild as Dani imed victory in this fight! As Geraldy on his back, it took him a moment to realise what had gone wrong.


    The lingering effects of being electrocuted prevented his body from activating his ability! He never knew of this weakness before, and he could only guess that Dani had gotten lucky. Sam, who was watching from apetitor''s box for those who won, narrowed her eyes. ''That prick! He actually dide up with an upgrade!''


    Sam was not the only one who developed an interest in Dani''s weapon. Quite a few people in the crowd began to covet it, along with those who had bought a Primal for the tournament. They could not help but curse when they realised that Star Gear had held out on them!


    Jason was unaware that as he cheered for Dani''s victory, a pair of eyes had fallen on his personal box. "It seems that Highrise has some hidden talents"


    The next fight featured a woman who could summon ice and a slender man that could spit acid. Although it was pretty shy to watch, there was no suspense as the woman just froze the acid until she finally entombed the man in her Power. Although the crowd cheered, it somewhatckedpared to the noise they made for Dani''s victory.


    With that out of the way, it was now time for the final fight of the qualifiers. Adam took to the stage against a woman who could harden her skin. On the surface, this was a bad matchup for Adam, considering he used a short sword as his primary means of damaging his opponent.


    The bell rang, and Adam wasted no time in moving in to test if the Orochi could damage Shannon''s tough skin. Every time he shed at her, a metallic sound would cry out as her body deflected the de without receiving any injuries. However, Shannon proved unable to strike Adam due to his flexibility and the acrobatics that he could pull off.


    The situation devolved into a stalemate, and the crowd grew bored of that fight. Adam was sweating beneath his armour as he studied his opponent. ''I guess I have to use that for now''


    Adam suddenly backed off from Shannon, causing her to furrow her eyebrows in confusion. Needless to say that the crowd was also wondering what he was nning to do. That was until Adam performed a spinning flip through the air and swung the Orochi towards Shannon.


    The de suddenly extended on a metal wire, booming a whip with ded sections that were separated from each other. The crowd gasped at that reveal, but they did not think it would change anything. Shannon also felt that it was ast desperate struggle on her opponent''s behalf and paid no attention to the attack.


    Adam was ted that Shannon underestimated him, she had let down her guard, and he could not have asked for a better response. Using his flexibility, he twisted his body quickly, and it altered the Orochi''s trajectory!


    The whip de wrapped around Shannon''s body, binding her arms to her sides and prevented her from moving. Of course, the edges failed to pierce her skin, but that was not Adam''s objective! He flicked a switch on the Orochi''s handle that would allow him to reel the weapon back in. Shannonnded t on her face as Adam began to drag her behind him!


    Her eyes went wide as she shouted for him to stop, but the audience erupted in a cheer. Adam dragged her to the edge of the arena before throwing her out! Jasonughed as he watched Adam''s victory. It had been well worth giving the Orochi that gimmick since it suited Adam''s ability. He doubted that anyone but Adam could use it like that.


    Jason had to admit that he could not wait to see who would im victory in this tournament. "It would be great if either Dani or Adam wins. I just hope they''re not put against each other until the finals"

 Chapter 68: Double Trouble!

    Chapter 68: Double Trouble!


    Jason was feeling on edge as he perched on one of the couches in his personal box. Harry grumbled about the vendor''s cost of food and drinks as he sank into one of the other couches.


    "What are youining about?" Jason rolled his eyes at his Gramps. "It''s already the third day, so you know the food and drink in the room is part of the package. I don''t get why you''re insisting on buying food from those vendors!"


    "Listen, boy! I like to know who made my food. How do you know that stuff hasn''t been poisoned? Or that someone hasn''t used their Power on an insect to make it appear and taste like that, but it''s still a bug at its core?" Harry growled as he made sure to keep his stash out of Jason''s reach.


    "Um, we''re not dead yet, so it''s definitely not poisoned. They wouldn''t allow something like that to happen in here. Who would want to kill us anyway?" Jason feltpelled to roll his eyes for the second time already. "And I doubt that kind of Power exists in the first ce!"


    "Oh really! Well, how do you exin that one guy I knew in my twenties who could transform a whole bunch of things? Fair enough, we only survived that scavenging trip cause we ate spiders that looked and tasted like steak, but I swear I can still feel their legs in my mouth!" Harry went off on a rant as he looked around in his paranoia. "And who wouldn''t kill us? Where will all our money go if we suddenly die, huh? Who''s to know if a mountain of credits goes missing?"


    Jason let out a long sigh at that. The part about the transformation Power was quite interesting, but the rest just sounded like paranoia. ''Maybe the wealth is getting to him? He''s starting to see enemies where none exist.''


    Jason turned to stare at the stage as the announcer from the first day made his way to its centre. "I hope you''ve all enjoyed the tournament so far. I know what you''re here for, so let''s get to it. The lots have been drawn, and the first two contestants to fight for their ce in the finals are Danielle Kane and Samantha Forrest!"


    Jason frowned as the names were called out. Dani was stuck facing Sam, who was already aware of almost all of her tricks, while Dani was entirely in the dark! Jason felt conflicted about this fight. Although he wanted Dani to win, he half hoped that Sam couldst enough that she was forced to disy her Power.


    Jason''s eyes flickered between the two women as the announcer left the stage. Once they had both taken up their positions, Jason felt the urge to down the wine that had been provided. The entire audience was on edge as they waited for the bell to sound!


    ''Why is she wearing that coat?'' On the other hand, Jason had focused on Sam''s choice to wear a grey-furred trench coat into the fight.


    Jason was startled as the bell rang! Dani immediately teleported to Sam''s left and swung her Storm, charged with electricity towards Sam''s ribs. Sam reacted quickly and avoided the blow, then she took two steps back and waited for Dani to make another move.


    Jason''s eyes narrowed at that point. It was evident that Sam actually had some experience in meleebat. She was clearly using it to her advantage as she studied how Dani moved as she avoided Dani''s attacks.


    Once a few of these exchanges had happened, Sam reached inside her coat and pulled out two of the Riot''s she had purchased from Al. The crowd gasped at that sight. After all, this meant that at least three of the four semi-finalists were using equipment from Star Gear!


    Sam flicked her right wrist to turn the Primal in that hand into a short spear while keeping the one in her left hand in its baton form. Dani appeared to hesitate at that point. If she pushed her assault, her opponent would be able to tie up her weapon with one of her own and still be free to counterattack.


    Dani grit her teeth as Sam decided to go on the offensive instead. Even Jason had to admit that it was clear that Sam had spent a significant amount of time training in a dual-wielding technique. Whenever Dani tried to shock her, Sam would block it with her left Primal before attacking with her right.


    Sam''s weapons were of the version where Jason had attached rubber grips to them, so Sam couldn''t receive even a jolt from Dani''s Storm. Dani tried her best to hold her own in closebat, even resorting to multiple teleportations to try and throw Sam off. However, she kept losing ground as Sam repelled everything that Dani could throw at her.


    Dani eventually teleported out of that situation and ced herself close to the edge of the ring. Her tight-fitting robe now had holes in several spots where Dani''s blood slowly leaked out. Jason clenched his jaw as he waited to see if Dani would unleash the Storm''s hidden mechanism just like Adam had done with his Orochi.


    Dani eyed Sam warily as thetter approached at a slow gait. Sam was not going to make the same mistake that plenty of others had. Rushing in to try and seize the victory when it was so close was a fool''s errand in her eyes. She''d prefer to steadily win this fight to prevent Dani from pulling off anyst moment tricks!


    Once Sam had closed half of the distance between them, Dani pointed the Storm towards her. With a deep breath, she made a silent prayer to anyone listening before pushing a button on the Storm''s grip!


    Ten darts suddenly ejected from the Storm. Each of them carried enough of an electrical charge to floor most Powered individuals. Sam grinned when she saw that. She had been expecting Dani''s weapon to hide something else after watching Adam''sst fight!


    Sam grabbed the edge of her coat and used it to shield herself! The dull sound of the darts being deflected by her coat sounded like rain falling on a t roof. As soon as the sound stopped, Sam quickly moved in to assault Dani.


    Dani felt the pressure under Sam''s relentless assault and eventually began to make mistakes. As damage umted and her arm was broken, Dani had no choice but to surrender before it went too far!


    Jason had stood up at some point and gripped the half wall barrier. His knuckles had turned white as he looked down on the arena stage. ''Dani lost''

 Chapter 69: NGT: Striking Serpent

    Chapter 69: NGT: Striking Serpent


    Jason kept his eyes on Dani as she left the arena. She had her head hung low, and her bodynguage told him she was upset with the oue. ''She did all she could. She justcked in experience.'' Jason sighed as he sat back down. He wanted to go check on Dani, but he figured that she would like some time alone to digest her defeat right now.


    Besides, Adam''s fight would start right away, and he had an obligation of sorts to support him as well. ''I''m d I paid the guards to escort them up here if either of them lost. I hoped they wouldn''t need it, though.''


    Jason''s eyes narrowed on the stage as Adam and the female cryomancer took to the stage. Jason had to ask Harry what her name was.


    "Her name''s Amy Gibbons. She''s one of the bookies'' favourites to win it this year. If you''re interested, your boy Adam there has been ted as the dark horse at this stage." Harry chuckled as he clued his grandson in. Naturally, he was just excited because he had ced arge bet on Amy to win.


    It was not because he doubted Jason''s skills. It was more because he thought he had seen everything that they both had to offer, and Adam came upcking. At that point, the bell rang for their fight to begin.


    Amy threw out five pieces of ice that were shaped like knives. Adam felt like he was being underestimated as he easily dodged them while moving closer to his opponent. Amy limited herself to throwing out small pieces of ice, and the fight continued like that for a while. The audience began to wonder if something was wrong.


    Where were the ice walls and the giant waves she used in thest fight! Where had all of that shiness gone!


    Adam was wondering the same thing as he was forced to use his de alongside his acrobatics to deflect the projectiles sent his way. Amy seemed intent on trying to keep her distance. As she got closer to the edge, she started trying to suppress him enough to move around him towards the other side of the stage, where there was more room.


    Adam picked up on her intentions and started advancing diagonally to cut off her path of retreat. Amy appeared to be frustrated as she struggled with her opponent and began to make mistakes with where she aimed her ice projectiles. Many of them began to go ridiculously wide, meaning that Adam did not have to dodge them at all.


    As Amy was only a single step away from going out of bounds, she decided to change tactics. Using her Power, she formed two ice daggers and seemed to want to enter into a melee battle! When the audience saw that, they guessed why Amy was no longer as dominant as she was in the previous fight.


    It was actually pretty simple! She must only be able to summon a certain amount of ice! Whatever she used to fuel the ability must be running low due to her constant use of her Power over the past two days and then this fight as well! That showed that her Power had a fatal weakness. She had no staying power in a prolonged battle at this stage of her growth.


    Down on the stage, Adam hade to the same conclusion as everyone else. Since it had reached this point, he was pretty much guaranteed to win. Initially, even he thought that this would be hisst fight. ''Should I give her a chance to surrender?''


    Adam frowned as he studied Amy''s determined expression. ''No, she would probably take that as an insult. She wants to show that she''s not entirely useless yet.'' Adam sighed beneath his hood and half-face mask. He did not really feel good about this fight now, but endurance was one thing that a Guardian required.


    Since his opponent had already run out of gas, then she had no ce bing a Guardian right now. Adam rushed in as Amy prepared herself for a vicious up close slugfest.


    Her ice daggers let out a sound like crystal being struck every time they shed with Adam''s Orochi. Every time she tried to counter, Adam would slither out of her reach with his flexibility. Amy groaned as a kicknded on her stomach at the same time that Adam deflected one of her daggers using his de.


    Before she could react, Adam swept her legs out from under her! She groaned as she felt her entire body lose contact with the ground for a moment. During that split second, Adam flipped over her and grabbed her clothes along the way! Using the momentum from his flip, he altered Amy''s path and threw her out of the ring!


    Or so he thought! Amy was unwilling for the fight to end there. She created an ice chute with a swing of her hand to catch her before she went out of bounds!


    Adam frowned as Amy saved herself from his move. She showed a great deal of determination, but she was pretty much just torturing herself at this point. ''She probably has a few more of those saved in case she needs them.'' Adam sighed when he realised that there would be no easy way out.


    Adam''s expression became dark as he red at Amy, returning to her feet. Her legs were shaking, but Adam did not care. He sprinted forward and jumped into a corkscrew-like spin with his feet aimed at Amy''s chest!


    A cracking noise entered Adam''s ears when his feet connected with her chest. As she was knocked off her feet, he could see her swinging her hand to create another chute despite the pain that she was evidently suffering from!


    ''Don''t me me then!'' Adam swung the Orochi and activated its whip form! If she was unwilling to give in, then he had no other choice but to shred her body until she lost consciousness!


    Amy''s eyes went wide as she watched the ded whip approach. In that instant, she regretted pushing herself so far. As she closed her eyes and waited, nothing happened! Her back mmed on the chute, and she slid back onto the ring. As she slowly opened her eyes, she saw Adam''s whip suspended in mid-air!


    A voice rang out over the arena. "Contestant Adam has won this fight!"


    The audience nced from Adam on the stage to Rust''s private box before erupting in loud cheers! Jason leapt to his feet and joined them while Harry wore an expression that looked like somebody had just kicked his puppy! ''All of those credits!''

 Chapter 70: NGT: Tournament Champion!

    Chapter 70: NGT: Tournament Champion!


    Dani never appeared after her fight, and even when Jason went looking for her, she was nowhere to be found. Even her mother was not home when Jason tried her apartment. Eventually, he gave up and went back home to rest for the night before making his way back to the jellyfish arena the next day for the finals.


    As Jason slid onto a couch, he was finding it difficult to be excited about the match. His thoughts constantly wandered to thinking about Dani and how she was coping. Before he knew it, the announcer had already introduced Sam and Adam. The crowd was growing restless as they looked at the contestants.


    After all, Sam still had not revealed her Power. Whereas Adam had shown good judgement and solid control over his own so far. What was even more surprising was that both of them appeared to prefer meleebat. This kind of event was usually dominated by those with powerful long-range abilities or exceptionally rare Powers.


    When the bell rang, Jason tried to focus on the fight without getting distracted. Harry was sitting on his usual couch, but after his fiasco with his bet the day before, he did not bother to take another risk on this fight.


    Sam made the first move and closed in with her dual-wielding style. This time she had opted to use theplete spear form of her Primal in her right hand while still keeping the one in her left as a baton. Sam''s technique was better than anyone that Adam had fought so far, so he was actually feeling somewhat pressured by her relentless attacks.


    He barely managed to dodge the tip of the spear with each thrust that Sam sent his way. Then, whenever he wanted to counterattack, another woulde his way and prevent him from doing so. The odds that the bookies were offering slowly changed in Sam''s favour to win. Which was to be expected, considering Adam was kept on the defensive.


    Beads of sweat ran down Adam''s face as he tried to figure out what he could do to change the situation. If he tried to deflect the spear and get closer, Sam would extend the baton to a half spear. Forcing him to give up on that approach before he impaled himself.


    His usual acrobatics did not help him either other than to catch a brief respite if he used them to retreat momentarily. However, whenever he tried that, Sam would push forward to keep him within her range. Adam grew frustrated as he could not even gain enough time to use the Orochi''s whip form to force his opponent back.


    "Come on, Adam! You have to beat her! Stop holding back! You''re trapped in a passive state right now!" Jason shouted as he stared at the pair exchanging blows.


    It seemed like Adam had reached the same conclusion as Jason as some hesitation appeared on his face. He knew that if he used his Power to its fullest, he would feel drained in a short amount of time. However, he had no other choice if he still wanted to have a chance at winning!


    Adam gritted his teeth as Sam let out a grunt as she thrust her spear forward again. At that moment, Adam changed to holding the Orochi in a one-handed gripping his right hand as his left arm suddenly stretched like rubber!


    Sam''s eyes widened in shock as Adam''s arm coiled around her Primal and reached out to ensnare her right arm! As that sight had left her stunned for a moment, she failed to notice Adam''s right arm snake out towards her and sh the Orochi towards her left thigh!


    Sam yelped and jumped back, letting go of her Primal spear in the process. A thin line of blood began to trickle down her leg as she red at Adam. Meanwhile, Adam used the opportunity to toss her weapon out of bounds. There was no point in keeping it himself since it did not suit his style at all!


    "You kept that little trick pretty well hidden. I''ll give you that!" Sam sneered as the arena grew deafening from the crowds'' cheers. "I''ll admit, I can''t beat you without using my Power now!"


    Adam''s eyes narrowed as two new Sam''s suddenly split from her original body! Sam reached inside her coat and produced five more Primals before handing each of her clones two of them!


    "Fuck!" Jason shouted as he stared at the scene unfolding below! ''That exins why she bought every one of them that I sold to Al! I thought she would have given them to her guards or something!''


    While Jason was in shock, Samunched a relentless offensive on Adam! Using his own Power was draining him quickly, and he only managed to inflict a few superficial wounds on Sam and her clones as he did his best to avoid the multitude of blows that rained down on him.


    The crowd had gone silent. As far as they could see, this fight was already over! There was no more suspense to be had! Adam had put up a good fight, better than most could have done if faced with the same situation. However, any idiot could see the damage umting on his figure whenever he failed to negate one of Sam''s attacks.


    Adamunched a wild swing towards Sam''s original body! However, before it could connect, he suddenly felt his body be weak! He had overused his ability in a short space of time, and he was now paying the price for doing so!


    His arms snapped back into their original form, like an stic band that had been stretched and then released! The force of them snapping back so violently knocked Adam from his feet, sending him sprawling across the arena''s ground.


    Sam allowed herself to break into a broad grin at that point. She had finally done it! She was going to im the title of Tournament Champion and be epted as a Guardian. That would allow her to finally get out of this backwater town and live her own life!


    "See! You were never going to win! This always belonged to" Sam yelped as she attempted to jump backwards!


    As she was busy gloating and stalking her way towards Adam, he had taken the opportunity to flick out the Orochi''s ded whip form! The crowd erupted when they saw that he still had some fight left in him!


    Since Sam had closed the distance, she did not react in time and soon found the Orochi wrapped tightly around her waist and left leg! The ded sections cut into her skin, drawing blood. All Adam had to do now was reel the Orochi back in, and Sam was bound to lose her leg and possibly spill her guts on the arena floor!


    A bell rang from on high and was swiftly apanied by an old feminine voice.


    "Ladies and gentleman! I give you Your Champion!"

 Chapter 71: Testing Loyalty (1)

    Chapter 71: Testing Loyalty (1)


    The crowd erupted into cheers at that deration! Nobody could believe that Adam, who almost got knocked out in the first round, won the whole thing! Sam looked like she was about to explode in anger. The only thing holding her back was that the decision had already been made!


    Jason watched on with excitement as Adam carefully released Sam from the Orochi''s grasp. Even he seemed surprised that his final gambit paid off in the end! The whole crowd turned to look at a personal box set near the top of the arena, all on its own.


    A figure emerged from within it, standing on a metal disk. As the circr tform floated down, Jason could finally get a good look at the Guardian called Rust. Especially since she was publicly recognised as one of the five most powerful individuals that served the Lord of the region.


    Rust was clearly an old woman, even though Jason could not see her face. Her white hair reached down to her lower back while she wore something that looked like a knight''s set of rusty steel armour. Various chains, spikes, and des clung to the armour, which made Rust look quite menacing despite her short stature.


    ''All of that metal must be heavy. Rust probably has to use her Power just to be able to move in that getup.'' Jason analysed Rust now that he got a good look at her as she touched down on the arena floor. Truth be told, Jason had used the tournament to memorise the different abilities and potential weaknesses toe up with countermeasures in case he ever had to deal with something simrter.


    Rust walked up to Adam and congratted him in front of the entire audience before saying something quietly in Sam''s ear. Whatever she said seemed to really piss Sam off as she stormed out of the venue without looking back. Adam fidgeted nervously, which made Jason think that he had possibly overheard them.


    Jason was quite interested in what Rust had said to Sam to cause that reaction from her. He made a mental note to ask Adam about itter while waiting for Rust to give a final speech.


    "I would like to take this opportunity to thank every contestant for participating. The main prize of this tournament is obviously an unconditional offer to join the Guardians, so I hope you will join me in congratting Adam." Rust''s voice was solemn before she led a round of apuse. Nobody could see it thanks to his mask, but Adam was blushing from being put on the spot.


    "What''s more," Rust continued after the apuse died down. "Adam will be taken as an apprentice to learn from one of the pirs to take their ce in the future!"


    The crowd began shouting in disbelief at this statement! Sure, Adam had proven himself worthy of winning, but his Power was not precisely overly impressive! Every pir was a force to be reckoned with. Just take Rust and her Power, for example! How could they believe that Adam would be worth just as much?


    "Now, I''ll call up the others I have deemed fit for Guardianship once they receive some training." The crowd went silent again as their eyes narrowed on Rust''s figure. "Amy Gibbons! Gerald Tourer! Danielle Kane! Come up here, please!"


    Jason gasped when he heard Rust. Even though Dani had been knocked out, she was still going to receive a ce as a Guardian! Amy and Gerald were no surprise. With Amy''s Cryomancy, she would be powerful once she developed it, and Gerald''s phasing ability would be hard to deal with.


    When Jason saw the three of theming out of one of the entrances together, he finally understood why he had not seen Dani. He guessed that she had been stopped from leaving and had been prepared for this beforehand. After all, it would have been embarrassing if one of them were not in the crowd when they were called.


    Jason chuckled when he saw Dani''s bodynguage. She was obviously attempting to contain her own excitement, but he could see it clearly. ''I guess that''s it. I won''t be seeing either of them for a while. Huh?'' Jason was just about to sigh when he felt like Rust was staring in the direction of his box. A strange sense of tension began to build up in his mind.


    "Also, I have one more announcement to make!" Rust stated as the excitement died down once again. "Jason Wright, owner of Star Gear. Can you please make your way onto the stage?"


    Jason froze as he heard his name being called out! ''Shit! Did I go too far? Should I make a run for it?'' Jason turned to look at Harry. His expression was just as shocked and helpless as his own! Before Jason could make up his mind, a knock sounded on the door to his room.


    "Mr Wright? Lady Rust has sent us to escort you to the stage." A rough voice sounded from the other side.


    Jason felt trapped right now as his heart began to race in his chest. A cold sweat broke out down his back as he tried to figure out what Rust was up to. There was no way to escape the private room except through the door. After all, if he were to jump over the half wall barrier, the drop would either kill him or cause a severe injury.


    There was nothing in the room that he could either, and Jason could only curse himself for not bringing anything with him. He had naturally thought that he would be safe within the arena! Jason clenched his hands before wiping the sweat off of them. ''All I can do now is try and y dumb. Hopefully, she won''t question me too much.''


    Jason slowly moved from the couch to the door as if he were trying to dy his meeting with Rust for as long as possible. With a heavy sigh, he opened the door to find ten Guardians waiting for him on the other side. He knew it was entirely hopeless at that point.


    "Please Lead the way"

 Chapter 72: Testing Loyalty (2)

    Chapter 72: Testing Loyalty (2)


    Jason felt an impending sense of doom weighing down on him as he walked through the hallways with the Guardians nking each side of him. His own nerves were getting to him as he thought about numerous worst-case scenarios. It was no secret that there was a bounty out on him, but had Rust somehow figured out that he was the man on the bounty tablets?


    Did his creations for his friends somehow give him away? These were the kind of thoughts rushing through his mind. Creating a very ufortable environment for him as he felt like he was being guarded as he was transported to his execution!


    Soon, Jason found himself walking down a tunnel that led to the arena without realising it. Jason groaned as he knew that there was no way to put off meeting Rust face to face anymore. Jason could hear the crowd talking amongst themselves as they tried to figure out what was going on.


    The men around Jason escorted him all the way up on to the stage before stepping back to wait in a line behind him. Jason''s palms became sweaty as he stared at Rust. With the helmet that she was wearing, it was impossible for him to see her expression. Once the crowd quieted down, Rust turned away from Jason to look at them.


    "Many of you may be familiar with the business called Star Gear that has risen in prominence in your town recently!" Rust paused as she watched many among the crowd nodding in agreement. "What many of you were probably unaware of was that Star Gear equipment was the most used during this tournament!"


    The crowd had a noticeably confused reaction to this statement, just like Jason. All of them were wondering how this was in any way relevant to what was going on. After all, it was unheard of for the person who made a contestant''s equipment to be called up. Jason was even more confused as to why Rust would go into this if she were calling him out on either his Power or ndestine operations.


    "I believe that Mr Wright has shown incredible ingenuity with his designs. As such, I would like to invite him to join us in our trip to the capital, where he will receive the opportunity to be an affiliated apprentice to the Guardians own craftsmen!" Rust''s voice sounded like she was offering a fantastic opportunity to Jason!


    The crowd went crazy at the idea. Everyone knew that only the very best craftsmen worked on the Guardians armoury. It was an incredible honour! Not only that, but it would finally put Highrise on the map! Everyone was excited to hear about it!


    Jason wore a dazed expression as his worries slowly began to dissipate. He had not even considered that Rust singling him out could have been a good thing! However, Jason also had some concerns.


    "How long would I have to spend in the capital?" Jason asked quietly enough so that only Rust could hear him.


    "Hm? Oh, it roughly takes around five years toplete an apprenticeship. You should really ept this! You''d receive a hefty discount on materials, some ess to the newest techniques and research. Then, when you be a Master Craftsman yourself, you''ll receive a que to hang in your store authenticating your status for the Lord himself!"


    ''Five years!'' Jason gasped internally. That was far too long! He would be dead in just a few months, and there was no guarantee that he could solve his problem if he was stuck working in the capital!


    "I think you should take the offer," Syssie whispered as she fidgeted nervously by Jason''s side.


    ''Why do you think that?'' Jason was genuinely shocked that Syssie was in favour of this idea.


    "Let''s be honest. What are the odds ofing across the answer ourselves? You''d be better off using all those resources to find a lead! Even if you don''t stick around, it could still benefit us!"


    Jason thought about it and realised that Syssie actually made a lot of sense. Not only that, but it would allow him to avoid the Bounty Hunters who were surely headed to Highrise. They would never expect their actual target to be so close to the ruling Power!


    Jason nced around and saw that Adam and Dani seemed to be excited by the idea. However, his eyes moved to the crowd and spotted Harry gaping at him in shock.


    "Ms Rust, how long would I have before we depart? As you''re aware, I have a business to run. I can''t just up and leave it." Jason replied with a helpless tone.


    "Would seven days be enough for you to set your affairs in order?" Jason was almost sure that he could hear the smile on Rust''s face as she gave her answer.


    ''One week, it should be enough time to move plenty of stuff to the Nest. I can create the drawings and teach Gramps what he needs to know to keep the store open. He should be able to manage somehow.'' Although he was still a little hesitant, Jason was also excited to finally see somewhere other than Highrise.


    "Ms Rust, I''ll dly ept your offer. Thank you." Jason performed a polite bow, and the audience immediately knew that he had epted the offer!


    Another round of cheers erupted as the chosen participants, along with Jason, were led away by the same Guardians who retrieved Jason from his box. Rust stayed behind to make a few more announcements to the crowd and officially bring the tournament to a close.


    "I can''t believe you''reing with us!" Dani squealed excitedly as she punched Jason''s arm. "Sure, it''s not what you imagined when you were a kid, but it''s still amazing, right!"


    Jason''s lips curled into a soft grin that betrayed the fact that he did not feel as enthusiastic about it as Dani did. Dani stared at his bitter expression while wondering what was getting to him.


    "If it''s about your store, don''t worry. I''m sure it will still be there when youe back."

 Chapter 73: Testing Loyalty (3)

    Chapter 73: Testing Loyalty (3)


    Over the next week, Jason rushed around trying to get everything in order. The most infuriating part was trying to exin the creative process of certain items to Harry. In the end, Jason decided to enlist some help. Luckily, Raymond was more than willing to keep an eye on the geezer and take care of the things that required a little more brainpower.


    Although Jason was unhappy that he had to teach certain things to someone outside of his close circle, he still felt relieved knowing that Raymond would be around. So long as he did not abandon Harry overnight, then Jason should be able to return to his store performing reasonably well.


    "Now, you remember ande back soon! You hear me, boy? I''m not getting any younger, and we still have plenty of credits to make!" Harry grumbled with reddened eyes as he let out a subtle sob.


    "Sure, Gramps, when Ie back, I''ll be able to make whole new items that will make you into a rich man!" Jason chuckled.


    Even though Jasonined about his Gramps a lot, right now, he found himself missing the old coot before they had even separated! Before Jason realised what he was doing, he had moved in front of Harry and thrown his arms around him. It onlysted for a moment before they both became too embarrassed and split apart.


    "Right Well You better get moving then." Harry coughed a few times as he stared at Jason. Memories of him being a toddler suddenly flooded his mind, almost making him choke in the process.


    "See you soon, Gramps." Jason waved his final farewell before turning his back on his grandfather.


    ''I just hope he doesn''t get himself into too much trouble while I''m gone.'' Jason sighed as he joined Dani and Adam at the entrance to the gigantic jellyfish-like structure. Both of them appeared rather excited to get on their way, and now that the time had finally arrived, Jason realised that he felt the same way.


    "I wonder what they have in the capital? Do you think they''ll have any nice clothes?" Dani chirped. It was hard to believe that she had lost her father only recently. Maybe it was just because something was going right in her life right now that there was no room left for her to feel miserable.


    "I just want to see what kind of junk is avable there, to be honest." Jason mused. "A lot of the stuff from Highrise makes its way over there, so I''m sure it would be the same for the other towns. There could be a lot of hidden treasures."


    Jason''s eyes practically sparkled as he thought about it. Adam and Dani shared one of those smiles with each other that said that neither of them could really rte to Jason''s idea of treasure. Both of them had to stifle augh as they rolled their eyes behind his back.


    "What''s up?" Jason asked with a somewhat confused expression on his face as he turned to face them.


    "Oh Nothing. It''s just how excited you are over some random crap that most people wouldn''t even look at twice." Dani chuckled as she made light of the situation.


    "So you find that funny? What about the gear and weapons I made for the two of you?" Jason smirked as their smiles froze on their faces. "The stuff used to make them were just junk to other people. It all depends on what you do with it!"


    "Spoken like a true craftsman! Good. You''ll need that kind of thinking once we get to Bridgend!" Rust''s voice echoed out to greet them.


    The trio turned to look behind them, they had just turned right at a junction, and Rust was casually approaching them from the other side. Her armour clinked as she walked down the hallway to stand before them.


    "Ms Rust, thank you for thepliment." Jason bowed his head as Rust chuckled.


    "Don''t worry about it, kid. There''ll be plenty to see the capital. I can assure you that it is nothing like Highrise. The greatest people in our domain have always been gathered there, so I''m sure you can''t even begin to imagine what can be achieved when great minds and powerful individuals work together!"


    Jason pondered over her words for a while as he tried to imagine it, but of course, he could not. He did not even know how the capital, Bridgend, even looked like! Jason was excited just to see it and experience new things.


    "Don''t forget that we actually have to find out if they have anything useful for our situation." Syssie chuckled. It always made her smile whenever Jason began to get curious and develop an itch to invent new things.


    Syssie''s reality check made Jason drop his excited expression, which the others noticed. Rust frowned behind her helmet as she studied the sudden change in his demeanour. However, Rust kept her thoughts to herself for now. She was confident that the Lord would be interested in him.


    "Ah, Ms Rust!" Dani suddenly eximed as her hands twitched. "I was wondering if you had any new information on ck Arrow."


    Jason noticeably flinched when Dani asked that question. It seemed toe out of nowhere! However, Rust seemed to be thinking of something before she answered.


    "There''s very little new information, I''m afraid." Rust shook her head with a heavy sigh. "As we spoke about before, he seems to havee out of nowhere. We can''t find any traces of him, which makes us believe that he lives in the Wilds. The craftsmen in Bridgend are almost certain that the weapon he used must have been made in the capital. However, the sketch we have of it is notplete, but our people are working on replicating it."


    Jason raised an eyebrow at those words while Dani ground her teeth in frustration. "So, you''re saying someone in the capital made the weapon that killed my father?"

 Chapter 74: Testing Loyalty (4)

    Chapter 74: Testing Loyalty (4)


    "I''m afraid that''s what it seems like. I know what you''re thinking, and don''t worry. The Lord has put a lot of resources into hunting this murderer down." Rust''s voice sounded sympathetic, but there seemed to be more behind it.


    "Thank you, I''m sorry that when we first spoke that I had no idea that you two used to be old friends. He never mentioned that he used to be a Pir." Dani''s voice was etched with grief. Rust could only imagine how difficult it must have been to find out something like that. Dani surely felt like she barely knew her father right now.


    "What steps are being taken to hunt him down?" Jason gritted his teeth and asked. It was an excellent opportunity to find out what he had to avoid, but things were far more dangerous than he knew if Rust was somehow personally involved in the hunt.


    "Hm, it should be fine to tell you since, from what I''ve gathered, Wraith trusted you." Rust''s words felt like somebody had stabbed Jason in the gut. "We''ve sent out operatives to gather information. They were even in Highrise, acting in the shadows to find out what they could. However, they concluded that ck Arrow snuck into the town and would always leave."


    Rust paused and gauged their reactions. It was something that she had already exined to Dani, but the other two knew nothing of this. "I won''t lie, Mr Wright. You were suspected of being the possible inventor of the weapon that he used. However, you don''t have the relevant training needed to create something like that. You were only a suspect because you were the brightest inventor in the town it happened in."


    Jason had to hold back from letting out a sigh of relief. He needed Rust to believe that he felt rather tense from being suspected in the first ce. Rust nodded in approval. She seemed to be happy with their reactions.


    "Beyond those things, we were quite fortunate that it coincided with the tournaments. It allowed us to move without being suspected. Besides, there was a chance ck Arrow would try and hide among the Guardians aftermitting his crime. If he is here, then he''ll be in for a shock once we reach Bridgend." Rust chuckled as if she had spread a that would catch any rat that had tried to sneak on board.


    "What do you mean?" Dani asked with some confusion. How could they possible single ck Arrow out if he were among the contestants?


    "It''s simple, my dear. Anyone entering the Guardians has to undergo a test. We have someone with a rather powerful ability that will be able to find them when they go through that process," Rust grinned like a predator beneath her helmet. "There''s no chance he can escape now if he is here."


    Jason shivered when he heard that but so did Adam and Dani. There was just something incredibly sinister about the way that Rust had said that. ''Shit! If what she says is true, then the moment we arrive, I''ll be discovered! But, what if she''s deliberately saying this to everyone to see if anyone makes a run for it?''


    Jason grew frustrated as he pondered over this information. Someone could have that kind of Power. But, what were the odds that they actually had someone like that? Whereas trying to find a way to escape would definitely expose him!


    ''I''ll have to decide which risk to take before we reach the capital.'' Jason kept a mask of friendliness on his face, but a coldness had entered his mind. Feeling the pressure of possibly being discovered seemed to trigger something within himself.


    His brain silently began to formte ns and fallbacks depending on different situations. Right now, he felt like a wolf among a flock of sheep. Except a farmer was standing just outside of the flock with a shotgun for when he exposed himself.


    "Anyway, I had best get going. This thing can''t fly on its own, you know. You guys get settled in. Just find a room you like and dump your stuff. It won''t take us long to reach Bridgend." Rust bid them farewell before she waved a hand, and the wall next to them opened up.


    "That''s so cool." Adam heaved a sigh when he saw the wall seal up behind Rust''s departing figure.


    "What do you think the other pirs are like?" Jason could not help but asking as they moved along.


    "Who knows I''m actually interested in the number one Pir. There''s almost no information about them. Even Rust would not tell me anything when we spoke a few days ago." Dani sounded dejected as she gave voice to her thoughts.


    "They must have an incredible Power, right? I mean, I can''t really imagine a single person being able to go toe to toe with Rust after seeing all of this." Adam gestured to everything around them. "Yet she doesn''t hold that spot. So whoever the first Pir is, they have to be able to beat her."


    "I''m not so sure." Jason hummed as he thought about it seriously. "Maybe the Pirs are judged on how beneficial they are to the domain as a whole? The first Pir might not actually be all that strong if that is the case."


    "You really know how to joke, don''t you?" Dani chuckled as she punched Jason on the arm. "Come on, they''ll definitely have to be a military asset. I can''t see anyone like Rust taking orders from somebody she could crush. You know?"


    Jason sighed at Dani''s answer. She was right, of course. This world valued the strong. With all the dangers that existed around mankind, it was only natural to follow the strong. ''Wait, doesn''t that mean that the Lord must be able to suppress the Pirs? Surely there would have been one of them who would have overthrown the Lord otherwise?''


    Jason''s expression became dark. He had no idea why he had never thought about that before. Everyone always focused on the Pirs and the military strength of the Guardians. It was as if the Lord was deliberately diverting attention from himself.

 Chapter 75: Testing Loyalty (5)

    Chapter 75: Testing Loyalty (5)


    The trio decided to share a room since each of the rooms was spacious enough for each of them to have their own space. It was quite a thrilling experience for them when they felt the gigantic structure raising into the air. Unfortunately, there were no windows for them to enjoy the view from that height.


    Adam and Dani excitedly discussed what they would experience as part of their training. During the flight, there had been a few information sessions exining things to the new entrants. Such as focused training to raise their control over their abilities as well as general fitness. How to survive in specific environments and how to coordinate as a team.


    Their basic training alone would take a year, while their second year would focus on specialities unique to specific regiments in the Guardians. Of course, they would only receive more information on that once they made it halfway through basic training.


    "I can''t believe we''re really here." Dani chuckled as she sprawled across one of the couches.


    "I know. I was worried I''d be stuck as a butcher for my entire life." Adam sighed as he epted that he had actually made it out of that fate.


    "Well, I don''t know what to say, to be honest. You two know what to expect, but there''s nobody here that can give me any information on what to expect." Jason half groaned. "I just hope I''m not stuck hammering down nails or something for an entire year."


    Adam and Dani chuckled together at Jason''s worries. Neither of them believed that would happen to Jason. If that was all it would be, then Rust would have been better off leaving him in Highrise. Both of them were actually excited to see what Jason could do once he actually received some training.


    Jason, on the other hand, was not worried about the training itself. After all, his Power would allow him to unlock the necessary knowledge and skills to create many things. So there was no need for him to spend years studying the theories and research. He just wanted to know which direction he had to take with his skills to save his own life!


    "We''ll be arriving in Bridgend soon. Please prepare your luggage and make your way to lecture theatre." A woman''s voice suddenly sounded from behind the room''s door.


    Jason shared an excited look with the others. Although, he was actually worried that he would soon be found out. After all, he had chosen to gamble on Rust, faking the information that she fed them. Not that he had any other choice anyway. Jason had explored some of the structure, but he did not find anything that could be used to survive the fall to the ground even if he did escape.


    The trio grabbed their bags and quickly vacated the room. They knew precisely where the lecture theatre was due to the information sessions that they had attended. Once everyone had gathered and taken a seat, a captain in the Guardians entered the room.


    "Good, everyone seems to be here. I''m proud to introduce you to your new home! Bridgend!" As the Captain said that, the wall behind him began to slide open.


    The wind rushed into the room as everyone present got their first sight of what it was like to fly through the air. However, the view of the capital took their breath away!


    A wide river was below them that spanned a width of several times the footprint of Highrise. A giant rusted bridge spanned the entirety of it. Wherever sections had fallen away, the people living there had plugged the gaps with whatever they could find.


    Jason spotted earthen pirs that had been raised from the river to provide it with extra support. Steel beams that obviously were not part of the original design linked everything together to provide a sturdy foundation.


    Buildings of all sizes spread from end to end of the old world structure, and tforms had been tacked on to extend the width of the bridge for more living space whenever it was needed. However, Jason was entirely focused on something else.


    It was currently that time of day where the world was just starting to turn dark. However, Jason could unmistakably pick out a ton of glowing lights all throughout the city. ''It''s just like my torch but brighter! They''re using electricity!''


    Jason''s gasp had been especially loud, and all eyes fell on him. However, the Captain smiled when he saw Jason''s reaction.


    "It seems that Lady Rust was right about you! You can already appreciate the beauty of Highrise, right?" The Captain chuckled while everyone else appeared confused.


    "Yes, sir, but we didn''t have anything like this in Highrise. I didn''t expect to see an entire city that uses this." Jason answered while tiptoeing around, saying anything that would reveal too much.


    "It''s fine, Mr Wright. Electricity is no secret in Bridgend. Everyone here will soon learn about it. I suggest you all take your seats. We''re about to receive a visitor!"


    Those who had jumped up onto their feet in surprise embarrassedly sat back down. In the distance, a metal box rose up from the city and flew towards them. Jason frowned when he saw iting their way. ''Don''t tell me that Rust was actually telling the truth!''


    Even Syssie was frowning heavily as they watched it catch up to them and dock against the now open wall. The door on the new structure opened up, and a young man stepped into the lecture hall. He seemed to be irritated to be there as he nced around at those present.


    "Let''s get this over with. Form a line, quickly now!" The man did not even introduce himself as he urged everyone to hurry up.


    Jason''s palms became sweaty as he tried to find a ce near the back of the line, but Dani grabbed him and pulled him towards the man faster than a line could be formed.


    "Give me your hands!" The man was blunt as he reached out for Jason.


    Having no other choice, Jason gulped as he ced his hands in the man''s grip. As soon as he did so, he felt a strange haziness wash over his mind! He had the vague sense of being asked questions, except his subconsciousness, was answering for him. As the haziness withdrew, Jason''s eyes met the man''s steely gaze.


    "I know what you''re hiding!"

 Chapter 76: Nothing Special! (1)

    Chapter 76: Nothing Special! (1)


    Jason grew cold as soon as the man said that sentence. He felt the grip on his hands tighten as the Captain in the room reached for his weapon.


    "Pfft! You think so highly of yourself! Did you honestly think that your Power is that special?" The man announced with a disdainful tone.


    Dani frowned when she heard that. ''Isn''t his mutation just a cosmetic one?'' Dani stared at Jason''s back in disbelief. It was clear that he had been keeping something from her! Something important at that!


    "I-I don''t know what you mean?" Jason attempted to lie through his teeth in the hopes that there were limitations on the man''s Power.


    "Super Intelligence! What else?" The man let go of Jason before waving a hand as if dismissing Jason''s entire existence. "People like you are a dime a dozen in Bridgend! Don''t be so conceited! Now get out of my way."


    Jason was stunned into silence. His Power was something he had gone to great lengths to keep hidden. However, now he was being told that he was not the only one? As if it were amon ability?


    "Oh? It seems like Lady Rust was right about you!" The Captain chuckled as he rxed. "Don''t worry, people with your Power are highly valued in the Capital! How do you think it became so amazing!"


    Jason caught a glimpse of Dani as the Captain led him into the box after passing the test. She looked hurt that Jason had not shared this secret with her. Adam, on the other hand, seemed to think that it was no big deal. To him, it was just a different type of Power.


    Jason had no idea what to think as his mind was thrown into disarray as he took a seat within the cube structure. ''It was never anything to worry about? What was all that effort for then?'' Jason sighed as he thought about what the man had said. ''I really did think I was more important than what I am.''


    "Isn''t this a good thing? Think about it for a moment. If you''re not the only one, then" Syssie had a broad grin on her face.


    ''Oh shit! Doesn''t that mean that they should have the technology to survive the damage it causes?'' Jason never thought that he would ever be excited to not be unique! However, in this case, it meant that he had made the right choice to ept Rust''s offer!


    "Why do you think that he picked up on that but not that you were ck arrow?" Even though Syssie was also excited, she was still curious about this fact.


    ''If I had to guess, it''s something to do with what he said before he outed me He said he knew what I was hiding. But, I was hiding more than one thing. I guess I maybe put more importance on my Power than what went down with Dani''s father.'' Jason felt like the man''s Power would allow him to find out what he wanted to hide the most.


    If anyone was nning on rebelling or causing trouble, it would make sense for that to be what they wanted to hide. It seemed like Rust was banking on ck Arrow being the most concerned about the murder of Wraith.


    ''It seems like my paranoia about my Power saved me this time.'' Jason let out a sigh as Dani soon joined him. However, she sat as far away from him as she could. It was clear that Dani was angry with him, and trying to exin himself would probably just make the situation worse. Even if he felt like he did nothing wrong, Jason knew she would only get over it if he apologised and seemed to understand that he had done something wrong.


    Jason felt a headacheing on when he thought about that. ''Why do girls have to be soplicated?''


    Syssie sighed by his side as she thought about how much of an idiot he was being. She couldpletely understand what Dani was mad about. It was evident that she was hurt because Jason did not trust her and kept such a massive secret from her. Now she would be wondering if she could really trust him at all. That one secret was enough to poison her faith in him.


    After all, if he did it once, he could certainly do it again! This kind of damage would take a long time to heal. Even if Jason had legitimate and good reasons for keeping it from her. Less than a minute passed by before Adam joined them.


    "Yo! Why didn''t you tell anyone about your Power! It makes so much sense now!" Adam chuckled as he thought about the scene of the examiner bringing Jason down a peg. "Let''s face it, being Super Intelligent is a lot better than letting people think you only had a cosmetic mutation, bro!"


    "I don''t know I was just worried about what it meant. It doesn''t mean I can protect myself, so it would have been easy for someone to take advantage of me. I didn''t want to be turned into somebody''spdog that barked whenever they ordered me to." Jason sighed as he nced at Dani.


    Her expression changed slightly for a split second as she listened in on their conversation. Adam rubbed his chin for a moment before he replied. "Ok, I get that. But it seems like you didn''t tell anyone? Does the old man back in Highrise know?"


    "Of course not!" Jason snorted. "I just couldn''t take the risk of anyone identally letting it slip, you know?"


    "Well, I guess it kind of makes sense, but man. You''ve really got to have more faith in people! Open up more! You know? I mean, I owe you a lot. I wouldn''t be here if it wasn''t for the gear you made me. And you helped Dani out as well. Just think about it, bro, otherwise you''ll end up all alone before you realise it."

 Chapter 77: Nothing Special! (2)

    Chapter 77: Nothing Special! (2)


    An air of excitement washed over everyone as the cubended in the city. Everyone was eager to get a look at Bridgend. However, Jason felt a bit lost since Dani seemed to have no intentions of talking to him again anytime soon.


    The door slid open as the man who had examined them led the way. Jason joined the small group in looking around with wide eyes. There were a whole bunch of signs that marked this spot as a shopping area.


    What really got to Jason about it, though, was the sheer number of different craft stores. Some were even stacked on top of one another! However, their guide had no intention of giving them the time to marvel at their surroundings as he marched off without saying a word!


    Their group followed along behind him while asionally pointing at something they had never seen before. Jason had to admit that the city was far more advanced than his home town. Some of the shop signs were illuminated using electricity, and he was even able to see long cables connecting most of the stores.


    ''That must be how they deliver it to all of these buildings, but how do they create it?'' Jason was soon questioning a lot of the things that he saw around him. It was like an itch that he just could not scratch no matter how hard he tried.


    "There are so many Guardians on the street." Adam suddenly said with some surprise in his tone.


    "Hm?" Jason suddenly nced around and spotted at least a dozen people wearing the armour of the Guardians. "Damn, is it to make the ce feel more secure or is it some kind of warning?"


    "Who knows?" Adam frowned. "I just hope I don''t end up serving as a glorified guard."


    Jason chuckled at Adam''s worries. Even if he was groomed to be a Pir in the future, Jason was sure that they would make him go through this kind of duty so that he could appreciate his position. ''Hopefully, they don''t do the same to me.''


    At that point, the group had entered what seemed to be a square in the street meant for meeting up with others. Benches and some nt life were spread around as a group of fifty Guardians stood at attention. The man standing in front of them marched towards the examiner, serving as their guide.


    "Is this the new recruits?"


    "Sure is. They''re your problem now." The examiner grinned as he turned towards Jason and the others.


    "Listen up, you soft sacks of shit! I''m Captain Hyde, and I''ll be your instructor from now on! Now! Get your asses in line!" Captain Hyde roared at them. Jason found it hard to believe that such a scrawny man could make so much noise!


    Everyone rushed forward to find a spot amongst the Guardians who stood stock still. However, Jason remained where he was. After all, he was not here to be a Guardian, so he ended up shing an inquisitive look towards the examiner.


    "What''s wrong with you? You deaf? Get in line!" Captain Hyde roared at him when he saw him waiting behind.


    "Ah, this one isn''t for you, Bill. This self-important asshat is going to Captain Joiner." The examiner rolled his eyes as he nced at Jason with disdain.


    "Joiner, huh? Another smart ass, then? Yeah, take him away then. People like him are useless when a fight breaks out." Captain Hyde sneered at Jason before returning to his unit that now included everyone else from Highrise.


    Jason frowned at the arrogant Captain''s words. ''Why does it sound like they don''t think much of people who have Super Intelligence?'' Jason was rightfully growing concerned as he followed the examiner further into the city. ''And why am I going to a Captain? Shouldn''t I be joining a civilian business or something?''


    As they came close to the halfway point of the entire bridge, high walls came into view. The buildings behind them looked pretty basic as Guardians passed by. ''Is this a military base?'' Jason was actually shocked. He expected something grand that looked like it could withstand a heavy assault for a few months.


    "You''re finally here!" A young woman in her mid-twenties rushed out from the gate in the walls.


    "Hmph, here''s your new member. Have fun with whatever it is you do!" The examiner waved at Jason in a dismissing manner before ditching them.


    "Hi, you''re Jason, right?" The woman shed a bright smile towards him as she brushed a lock of her ck hair behind her ear.


    "Yes, I''m guessing you are Captain Joiner?" Jason replied with a smile of his own. After all, she was the first person from Bridgend that had been polite to him since he hadnded here.


    "That''s right! We were so excited to hereabout you from Lady Rust when she stopped by! We can never get enough people!" Captain Joiner was obviously excited to put him to work. "Nowe with me so we can introduce you to everyone!"


    Jason felt a little helpless as he followed along behind her. He had no idea what to expect, and nobody had even adequately exined what was expected of him yet! It only took Jason one nce to immediately lose interest in the base once he entered its walls. Nothing was exciting about it all. All the buildings were highly in and low profile.


    Jason clicked his tongue as they passed through a few hallways in thepound. It was mostly full of people performing paperwork of working out. Seriously! What was there here for him to be a part of?


    "Ok! Now don''t be nervous." Captain Joiner announced as she stopped in front of a heavy door. "They can be a little overwhelming at first, but you''ll get used to it."


    As she opened the door, Jason''s senses were assaulted by overbearing noises and strange smells. The door led to a very long and wide hall that, at first nce, held more than two hundred people working on different projects.


    ''I guess this is the logistics or research department or something?'' Jason nced around and found a few things that interested him. ''But why haven''t theypleted some of them?''


    Jason frowned as he spotted a few iplete projects, but his skills were already showing him how to repair or finish them. It was already evident that he would have his work cut out for him if this was where he was assigned to.


    "Is something wrong?" Captain Joiner asked him when she noticed the disappointed look on his face.


    "No offence Captain, but where are the others?" Jason asked while trying to sound polite.


    "Others?" Captain Joiner became thoroughly confused by Jason''s question as she looked around.


    "Yeah," Jason hesitated. "You know. The others with Super Intelligence"


    Jason nced around again at the people who should obviously be those assigned to help others like him.


    "This is it." Captain Joiner frowned as she nced at Jason with a displeased expression. "Everyone here has Super Intelligence! I''d advise you not to act like you''re superior. That isn''t how we work around here. Each of us has worked extremely hard on our projects for a long time. So don''t act like you understand them with a single nce!"


    ''Huh?'' Jason was now the one who was extremely confused as he looked around again. There did not appear to be anything special about these people at all! ''Is this some kind of joke!''


    Even Syssie frowned as she floated between the various projects that were nearby. She wasmenting under her breath about how useless half of the things were. As far as she could see, they would be better off scrapping a lot of the stuff and starting from scratch!


    "Come on." Captain Joiner said with an annoyed tone as she led her way to the centre of the room. "Everyone! Can I have your attention, please!"


    The noise suddenly died down as people began to gather around and stare at Jason with curious eyes.


    "This here is our newest apprentice. Mr Wright! Now you all know what to do, right? Help him get to grips with what''s expected of him, and have him help you out. He seems to specialise in melee weaponry and medium weight armour, ording to Lady Rust. Now. Who wants to be his first mentor?"


    A few of the stares lost interest immediately, and only around six people seemed to be studying him seriously.


    "Captain! I think he could be of some use on my project. Plus, there''s already a new apprentice on my team, which should help him to get settled in more quickly." A bald man with ck stains on his clothing suddenly shouted out.


    "Alright then! Since you spoke up first, he''s all yours! Jason, this is Lieutenant Hond. You''ll join his team for now. You can apply for a transfer to a different project if you think it''s not suitable for you. Have fun, guys."


    Jason raised an eyebrow as Captain Joiner quickly walked off towards the far end of the hall. Jason turned to study the man and noticed many shallow cuts and scratches on his weathered hands and arms.


    "Hi. Forget about using titles and such. Just call me Jack. Do you prefer Jason or Mr Wright?" Jack grinned, revealing that he was missing a few teeth.


    "Jason''s fine." He replied while shaking Jack''s hand. "So, what is it that I''m supposed to help you with?"


    "Straight to the point, eh? Good! You''ll fit in around here! Come, let me show you what I''ve been working on for the past two years!" Jack gestured enthusiastically for Jason to follow him as he walked off towards a corner of the hall.

 Chapter 78: Nothing Special! (3)

    Chapter 78: Nothing Special! (3)


    "This here is my baby!" Jack gestured to a suit of armour on a stand and various weapons next to it.


    Jason frowned as he looked at the mix of materials that had been pped together. The outfit had soft leather as its base that went from the neck down to the fingers and toes. Steel ting had been put over the chest area, shins and forearms. Putting it squarely in the medium armour bracket.


    ''A child could have put this together.'' Jason''s frown deepened as he looked over it.


    "I don''t think so" Syssie said as she also studied it. "I think you''re underestimating yourself. Frankly, I think it''s a miracle he got so far."


    ''Hm?'' Upon hearing Syssie''s evaluation, Jason moved closer to get a better look. ''The stitching is certainly better than what I could have done before I got any skills. The materials aren''t bad, but they''re not perfect either. They''re just difficult to work with, I guess if I didn''t know how to treat them properly. Is it a prototype? Maybe he''s testing me.''


    "Don''t worry if you can''t understand it. Everyone''s the same when they firste here. After a few years, you should be able to do something simr." Jack chuckled as he looked at Jason''s confused expression.


    "A few years?" Jason raised an eyebrow at that statement. "Why would it take a few years? Isn''t this a prototype or something to test my knowledge? It''s all pretty basic."


    Jack frowned when Jason wholeheartedlybelled his creation as basic. A few of the nearby researchers heard the statement and started to crane their necks to get a look at the situation.


    "Ok, then let''s see if you really can understand it." Jack''s tone became cold as he red at Jason. "Tell me what you understand about this."


    "Well, this leather is subpar. You''d be better with a more flexible leather that''s been treated for a few days with natural oils from."


    Jason rambled on for a bit as he pointed to various sections and picked out their ws. Then he would proceed to offer an alternative solution that would increase the overall value of the armour set.


    "And finally, well, wait. Does it have a helmet?" Jason finally turned around and noticed that a considerable crowd had gathered to listen to his exnation.


    Some looked lost as they thought about what he had said, while others seemed to be nodding in agreement with each other as they discussed various topics that he had covered. Jack was frozen on the spot with his mouth wide open as he stared at the monster in front of him.


    "Um No" Jack finally managed, but before he could say anything else, Jason turned back around to face the armour.


    "In that case, I would cut a hole here to attach a light source that can be used to illuminate dark environments. Then, those who wear this will be able to perform better in said environments." Jason nodded his head as he finished his exnation. "Should I go over the weapons now?"


    Jack slowly nodded in agreement, but Jason failed to realise the awkward atmosphere surrounding him. His mind was entirely focused on passing this test that had been put before him. Jason then exined the faults in the weapon designs and how some weight could be shaved off.


    This was followed by an hour-long speech on possible ways to shrink the weapons'' footprint when it was being carried around. Which would be extremely useful in the field!


    "So, how did I do?" Jason asked as he finally turned around and fully noticed the embarrassed expressions on the faces of everyone who worked there. Including Captain Joiner! "What? Did I mess up?"


    Jason turned to look at the armour and weapons again and quickly reviewed his knowledge. He was utterly confident that he had offered the best solutions that he coulde up with right now. ''Were they expecting more?''


    "Mr Wright" Captain Joiner cleared her throat with some difficulty. "Who did you study under back in your hometown, and for how long?"


    "Oh, well, I only had my sixteenth birthday a few months ago, so I never studied with anyone." Jason heaved a sigh of relief that they did not seem to be angry or disappointed with him.


    However, when he said that, a couple of the researchers fainted right on the spot! What was all those years of research for anyway!


    "Hm, Mr Wright. I''m not sure how to say this except thank you." Captain Joiner sighed when she realised that he had only been honest earlier when he first saw the workshop. The problem was not his attitude but that he expected everyone to be at his level or above. "I''m sure I''m speaking for everyone here when I say that you''ve indirectly helped numerous people with this presentation."


    The surrounding crowd nodded in disbelief as they agreed with their Captain. Some were awed by Jason''s knowledge while other looked on with envious expressions written across their face.


    "I''m sorry I don''t understand." Jason replied as he began to feel as if he was a wild animal in a zoo. "We all have Super Intelligence Right? That''s what you said."


    "Yes, that''s naturally correct." Captain Joiner coughed to hide her embarrassment. "However, there are different levels of Super Intelligence. I''m just now realising that you probably were not aware of that fact."


    "Hm, then what how do Ipare to everyone here?" Jason was now rather curious about this subject.


    At least this exined why some of the projects looked quite pathetic to him, but it also raised some questions about how many of them suffered from the same condition as he did. Jason nced around at the crowd and noticed that many of them could no longer look him in the eyes.


    "Well, that''s a difficult thing to answer Tell me How many different disciplines do you actually understand and are confident in applying to your work?"

 Chapter 79: Nothing Special! (4)

    Chapter 79: Nothing Special! (4)


    Jason took a while to exin where his current knowledge level was and answer Captain Joiner''s questions. By the time he was finished exining himself, a chorus of sighs had echoed from the crowd as many heads being shaken filled his vision. ''What''s going on?''


    "Jason, I''m afraid we don''t really have a ce for you here." Captain Joiner finally said after thinking for several moments. "Quite frankly, you''re already more qualified than most Captains. Myself included. I''m sorry to ask this of you, but would you mind splitting your time between different projects and see if you can help them out?"


    Jason was honestly shocked by her answer. ''Does this mean I''m actually rated above everyone here? Just how advanced is my version of Super Intelligence?'' Jason felt a little bummed by this revtion. He had hoped that he could actually gain some insight into his Powers by being here. But now it looked like he would be the one teaching these guys.


    "Sure, it''s no problem. But, what about my apprenticeship?" Jason thought it was best to agree for now, but he really wanted to see if he could gain anything from this situation.


    "Jason, you already have more than enough knowledge to no longer be considered an apprentice here. There''s no point in it." Captain Joiner heavily sighed before a thought struck her. "Actually There might be someone who you could actually learn from. But, I''m not sure if they would ept you as a student."


    Jason noticed that the rest of the crowd had unpleasant looks on their faces as Captain Joiner said this. Their reaction did not fill Jason with confidence at all!


    "Just help out for now. I''ll need to speak with the higher-ups and see if they''ll pass your details on. If they won''t, well, all that it means is that you get to go back to your hometown with the Lord''s official recognition of your skills." Captain Joiner wore a solemn expression through her speech before she turned on her heels and headed off.


    As soon as she was gone, the various researchers suddenly flooded him with requests to help them out first! Jason felt a little overwhelmed but eventually chose someone from among the crowd. A lot of groans ensued from his choice, but there was nothing to be done about it. After all, Captain Joiner had not ordered him to help them in any specific order.


    The woman he chose from the crowd eagerly dragged him over to her workspace, only for him to shake his head at what he saw. This only got her excited because by now, she assumed that it meant he understood what she was attempting without her having to exin it!


    ''It''s just a poor knockoff of my Basic Healing Salve.'' Jason sighed before exining what she was doing wrong and giving her a description of the flowers that he had used. The woman was a bit bummed to discover that she was basically reinventing the wheel since Jason had beaten her to it, but she still thanked him anyway.


    Jason only spent ten minutes with her before he moved on to the next space. When he looked at the excited researcher, he almost felt bad about what he had to say.


    "It won''t work." Jason then moved on to the next space as thest researcher started yelling loudly.


    Scenes like this yed out over the course of the next few hours. Most researchers were highly grateful to him and excited about the insight that he shared with them. Others were raging when he told them that their projects just were not feasible right now, as far as he could see. While a mere handful was left with no advice at all, simply because Jason did not understand their projects.


    When Captain Joiner returned, she found everyone working fanatically. She frowned slightly before spotting Jason sitting on a seat off to the side with nobody bothering him. She walked up to him with aplicated expression on her face.


    "Did they honestly not ask for your help?" Captain Joiner sounded like she was a hair away from giving the other researchers a piece of her mind for not making use of Jason.


    "No, they did." Jason replied casually while sipping on a hot beverage that one of the researchers gave him.


    It took Captain Joiner a moment to realise what he meant. She looked around at the different workspaces and silently wondered how he had managed to cover so much so quickly.


    "Oh, right." Captain Joiner began as a bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. "The brass wants to see you. They think they might have something that you can help them out with. If you manage to seed, then they''ll petition for a proper mentor for you."


    "Hm? Can''t the mentor you''re talking about solve the problem?" Jason found it rather strange that they have someone who was apparently qualified to teach him but had not been used to fix a problem they were struggling with.


    "Truth be told, I don''t think it''s actually a problem. If my hunch is right, it''s staged to see how capable you are." Captain Joiner hung her head before whispering. "I''m sorry that you have to go through this."


    "It''s no problem," Jason replied coolly after thinking about it. After all, it made sense to confirm the extent of his knowledge for themselves and not just take the Captain''s word for it. "Should we get going?"


    A chorus ofints came from the researchers once they realised their Captain was taking Jason away from them! He was a precious resource in their eyes, so it would be a shame to hand him over to anyone else! Jason briefly said his goodbyes and thanked them all for the warm wee. Causing many of the researchers to offer to help him out if he ever needed it in the future.


    Jason chuckled as he followed Captain Joiner out of the hall. ''I wonder what kind of test they''ve set up for me?'' Jason wondered with a glint in his eye.

 Chapter 80: Nothing Special! (5)

    Chapter 80: Nothing Special! (5)


    "This is him?" The man sitting behind a desk asked Captain Joiner when she brought Jason inside of his office.


    "Yes. As I said earlier, he''s simply remarkable. He''s already solved every current problem in my department. Quite frankly, sir, it''s a waste to keep him with us. I''m positive that Mr Wright will be a major asset in the future." Captain Joiner kept a level and professional tone as he spoke.


    The man behind the desk straightened out the white shirt that he was wearing before standing up. He came around to their side of the desk before circling around Jason. He mumbled to himself a few times as he studied Jason as if he could see something that nobody else could.


    "He doesn''t look like he''s anything special, Captain. If we can speak openly for a moment, I find your ims hard to swallow. I might have understood if he were older and had plenty of experience under his belt. But, well, look at him."


    Captain Joiner frowned. She could understand where Colonel Harris wasing from as she had made the same assumptions when she first met Jason. However, she had no idea how to voice her convictions to her superior officer.


    Jason watched the exchange somewhat awkwardly. The pair were discussing him right in front of his eyes. However, he did not know if it was his ce to speak right now. Thest thing he needed was an officer constantly breathing down his neck, waiting for him to make a mistake!


    "Sir, with all due respect. The decision has already been made to have him take a look at the ''problem''. I suggest that you reserve your judgement until you see how he performs." Captain Joyner''s brown eyes had a determined look to them that made the Colonel falter for a moment.


    The Colonel sighed as he sat back down behind his desk and ran a hand through his short grey hair. "Very well, Captain. But he only gets one chance! Mr Wright, I hope you live up to the Captain''s expectations."


    Jason felt relieved that they seemed to have settled the matter as his gaze met the Colonel''s. "I''ll certainly give it my all, sir."


    "Good," Colonel Harris replied as he shifted some paper around on his desk. "You have three days toplete your task. Forgive me for not overseeing it myself. But I have more important matters to attend to. The Captain knows where to take you. You''re both dismissed."


    Captain Joiner gave a sharp salute in response to the Colonel''s statement before marching out of the office. Jason hurriedly followed behind her and shut the door behind them. Captain Joiner looked as though she were both frustrated and worried at the same time as she strolled through the hallways in front of Jason.


    "We need to make a few stops along the way."


    The Captain''s sudden statement caught Jason off guard, but it was not like he had a say in the matter anyway. They paused in front of a door as Captain Joiner gestured to him to wait outside before disappearing inside.


    "I don''t get what''s going on. They gave you a time limit, but now she''s wasting your time." Syssieined as she red at the closed door.


    ''Who knows? However, Captain Joiner vouched for me back there. I don''t think it was easy for her to get me this chance. It''ll probably make her look bad if I fail. So I doubt she''s deliberately wasting my time.'' Jason shrugged his shoulders as they listened to the muffled voices on the other side of the door.


    "Maybe, but what''s in it for her if you seed? Wouldn''t it have looked better for her if her department kept making rapid progress because they had you?" Syssie sounded overly paranoid as she voiced her concerns, which made Jason frown deeply.


    "That''s true," Jason was actually thinking along the same lines, but he had already decided to give Captain Joiner a chance. However, if Adam had not recently pointed out his ws, Jason was confident that he would have already been nning on how to escape from the base. "Maybe she genuinely wants to see me being put to proper use?"


    Syssie shook her head as she nced at him. Just as she was about to open her mouth to continue their discussion, she was interrupted by a man shouting on the other side of the door.


    "You can''t expect me to put off my research to babysit!" The man roared with evident displeasure.


    "You don''t have a choice! Besides the Colonel, you''re the only one qualified to oversee it!" Captain Joiner''s voice replied. "Or do you want to go and tell the Colonel to do it himself!"


    After that brief exchange, the voices suddenly quieted as Jason and Syssie looked at each other and chuckled. Clearly, the Captain was chewing out another officer to help out with monitoring Jason''s problem that he had to fix.


    ''See?'' Jason smirked as he nced at Syssie. ''She just came here to get someone to watch over my work. I''m guessing the Colonel would have asked for proof that I did it myself then rejected me when I couldn''t supply the physical evidence. Now we have a reliable, unbiased witness!''


    Syssie kept her mouth shut as the door opened up. Captain Joiner stepped out of the room, followed by a muscr man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. His hands were dirty, and he wore something that looked like a leather boiler suit.


    "Mr Wright, this is Captain Anderson. He''ll be working closely with you over the next few days." Captain Joiner grinned as if she had just won a significant battle without receiving any casualties.


    "Nice to meet you. I guess" Captain Anderson swept his long brown hair behind his ear as he spoke. "You sure you''re up for this? I don''t want to waste my time if you''re even remotely unprepared."


    Jason grinned as he nodded his head in response. He could tell that the new Captain was not looking down on him like everyone else had so far when he first met them. Overall, Captain Anderson had managed to make an excellent first impression on Jason.

 Chapter 81: Solving A Problem! (1)

    Chapter 81: Solving A Problem! (1)


    The moment Captain Joiner opened a heavy door and showed him inside, Jason''s mind went nk. He was utterly stumped as he looked at what he assumed was the so-called problem that he was supposed to fix!


    "This is called a water purification system." Captain Anderson said with a solemn tone as he followed Jason inside. "It''s a marvellous invention if I do say so myself. A long time ago, the Guardians moved several of these to Bridgend. It was quite the operation, apparently. Ever since then, there''s been clean water in every home here in the capital."


    Jason''s eyes bulged during the Captain''s exnation. ''Is there something like this in the Nest then?'' Jason immediately thought of the working taps in that strange ce, but he had not seen anything like what was in front of him down there.


    "Your task is to fix the system that it runs on so that it provides clean water. Simple, right?" Captain Anderson grinned sadistically as he took in the nk expression on Jason''s face. "I''ll be over in that booth there keeping an eye on you. When you get tired, head in there yourself. There are two bunks, so just grab a nap on any of them. Have fun."


    Captain Anderson waved at him as he left him alone with theplicated machinery. Jason had no idea what to say. He had activated his Scanner, but even that could not make sense of everyponent in the system. ''I have no idea where to start!''


    "Calm down and take it slowly." Captain Joiner gave him a nervous smile as she ced a hand on his shoulder.


    Jason returned her smile before she left him alone as well. The door mmed behind her, and it sounded like a death sentence to Jason''s ears. Jason could already feel the sweat running down his head and back as he thought about how to tackle this mammoth looking task.


    "I bet it''s something simple!" Syssie chuckled as she strolled forwards. "There''s obviously not going to be many people that can handle this type of thing. Think about the researchers from earlier and the fact that it seems like only two people here can actually repair this. Captain Dickwad over there and Colonel, I don''t give a damn!"


    Jason frowned as he took in Syssie''s hypothesis on the situation. He had to admit that her reasoning seemed to be on point. So were they just testing him on his ability to understand where the problem was rather than understanding the entire system?


    ''Well, it can''t hurt to at least take a look just now.'' Jason''s eyebrows twitched as he approached the massive structure. He took his time circling around it and using the nearbydders to look at the areas that he could not see from the ground.


    After his initial inspection, he used the tools provided to open up some vents and panels to look at the insides. Jason sighed a lot and shook his head as he studied the guts of the machine. From time to time, he would spot Captain Anderson nodding in approval at what he was doing, which gave him a little bit of hope.


    However, six hours had passed, and he was yet to fiddle with anything. Jason double-checked over some areas as he realised which parts worked closely together. He was hoping that there was just a jam in the system that stopped it from working. However, he did not find anything that he would have deemed as being obvious.


    ''Nothing! I don''t get it! What''s wrong with it!'' Jasonined as he sat on a nearby chair and stared at the machine. He had taken off his bomber jacket some time ago as the pressure got to him.


    Jason wiped his hands on his t-shirt, leaving a dark greasy streak behind. ''Do you think the time limit has something to do with it?''


    Syssie tapped her chin with a slender finger as she inspected Jason''s memories of his inspection. "I''m not sure Maybe we''re just missing a vital piece of knowledge? It could be something simple, just not covered by your current skill set."


    Syssie''s carefree attitude had wholly disappeared when she realised that she had grossly underestimated the problem. ''There has to be an answer. They wouldn''t go through this just to have an excuse to reject someone.''


    Jason frowned as he stood up and circled around the machine again. Still, he did not spot anything that stood out to him this time either. ''Hm, hold on.''


    Jason nced around the room in its entirety. He had been so focused on the main body that he did not even think about where the various pipes led to! Jason excitedly rushed to grab thedders before he moved to inspect all the ess panels on anything that came off the machine.


    Jason sighed as he finished looking through everything, only to discover that nothing was blocking them. ''Do I need to go to everywhere these pipes lead to?'' Jason wondered as he stared at the gaps in the walls where some wires and pipes disappeared to other rooms. ''Let''s try it.''


    Jason jogged to the door and went to pull the door open


    However, it would not budge at all! ''They''ve sealed us inside?'' Jason frowned as he studied the locked door.


    "Nice try, kid!" Captain Anderson shouted through some soft chuckling from his booth. "I''ll just make this clear right now. The problem has to be solved inside of this room! So if I was you, I''d start working on a solution!"


    Jason felt like cursing at the Captain! How could he solve a problem that had no obvious solution? Was it even something that could be fixed?


    ''Wait, what did he say?'' Jason stopped himself from yelling at Captain Anderson. His eyes swiftly moved back towards the machine then back to Captain Anderson. A broad grin suddenly started to creep across Jason''s face that made Captain Anderson suddenly stopughing. He had seen that sort of look before!

 Chapter 82: Solving A Problem! (2)

    Chapter 82: Solving A Problem! (2)


    ''He said to find a solution! Not the problem!'' Jason ecstatically thought about his revtion due to Captain Anderson''s slip of the tongue.


    "Captain! Is there a list of materials that I can use to fix this?" Jason shouted with a broad grin.


    "There''s paper in here. Just tell me what you need, and I''ll find out if you can have it!" Captain Anderson replied as his expression turned grim. ''God, I hope he doesn''t make too much of a mess! Otherwise, I''ll be the one that has to fix it!''


    "In that case, can you get me samples of all of the local flora that the base has in stock! I''ll need a few other things as well!"


    Jason took his time to exin the different sizes he needed of ss containers. This was then followed by additional tools that were not already in the room, workbenches, shelves etc. Jason was basically aiming to recreate his own store''s workshop inside of this room!


    Captain Anderson frowned as he read through the list. When it came to the materials, Jason had only asked for samples. Which made it look like he wanted to judge which of them would be best suited to his idea.


    "Wait here, and I''ll pass this along." Captain Anderson grumbled as he went to the door and knocked a few times. The door opened and whoever was on the other side took the sheet of paper from the Captain before closing the door again. When he returned, he looked at Jason with an inquisitive gaze. "What''s your n?"


    "Don''t know yet. I need to see what I have to work with first." Jason grinned before he returned to the machine.


    He gave the machine another quick look and began to disregard any part of it that he did not understand. Which, admittedly, was most of it. However, that would not stop him. Jason reckoned he had hit upon what this test was really about.


    He figured that the brass wanted to see if he was capable of working on his own initiative. Since the machine was broken, could he provide an alternative solution, so to speak. As long as it did the same job, technically, he would have fixed the problem, right?


    Jason chuckled as he thought about it. ''It makes sense, really. Everyone has their own skillset. So why shouldn''t they use it to the best of their abilities?''


    Jason then moved on to nning out several different ideas on how to divert the water from the old system to his new one. However, his approach wouldrgely depend on what was avable. Jason turned around as he heard the door being opened. Several Guardians filed inside as they carried everything that he had asked for!


    Jason practically skipped towards them in excitement as he studied the equipment. ''This is some good stuff!'' He had noints about his new tools and containers. The question was, did they bring any nts that he could use?


    He instructed the Guardians on where to ce everything to get himself set up before he finally opened the box that contained the samples he had asked for. He browsed through the metals and other solid objects that he could use before deciding on steel and some stic-like material.


    Then his eyes turned on the nt samples before his grin strained his muscles in his cheeks. Luckily for Jason, there were nts inside that would allow him to make his Basic Adhesive, Basic Natural Compressed Gas and even a type of nt that could act as a filter to purify water!


    Jason quickly concocted a schematic for his own design before returning to Captain Anderson. The Captain did not know what to say when Jason started rattling off what materials he needed and how much of them. What really got to the Captain and left him confused was that Jason had asked forrge quantities of a specific nt and its seeds.


    If it was possible, he also wanted a few buckets worth of the soil where this nt grew! Although Captain Anderson was utterly confused about what Jason was up to, he still forwarded the request to the staff outside of the door.


    It was already gettingte outside when the new batch of items that Jason requested was delivered to him. Jason immediately got to work by setting up his workstations to start producing the gas and the adhesive. While those were set to the side to do their thing, Jason began measuring the steel and stics.


    Needless to say, Captain Anderson decided to leave Jason to it as he dropped himself into one of the bunks. The sound of Jason hammering, cutting and filing down different things kept him awake for some time before he started to nod off. ''At this rate, the kid will sleep through half of the day tomorrow! He''ll never make it to the end if he keeps that up!''


    Meanwhile, Jasonpletely lost himself in his work as he was prone to do. Ever so slowly, a pile of differently shaped materials began to pile up in his workspace. Every now and then, Syssie had to step in and correct him if he started to waver even a millimetre off of his measurements.


    She could not help but chuckle as she studied the schematics that Jason hade up with. It was indeed a genius idea! She may be an AI with direct ess to his knowledge, but shecked this creative ir that Jason had.


    "Well? What do you think?" Jason asked when he sensed that she was finished looking over his n. Since Captain Anderson had gone to bed, he did not have to worry about keeping quiet during their conversation.


    "What do I think?" Syssie turned to look at him while shing a cunning smile. "I think they won''t know what hit them by the time we''re done!"


    "My thoughts exactly!" Jason chuckled as he stared at his work so far with bright eyes.

 Chapter 83: Solving A Problem! (3)

    Chapter 83: Solving A Problem! (3)


    When Captain Anderson woke up the following day, he expected to see Jason''s sleeping figure in the other bed. However, his ears were instead assaulted by the sound of Jason still working away! ''Damn that kid! Has been up all night?''


    He mbered out of bed and headed into the kitchen that was installed in this testing area first. He fixed up some morning breakfast that consisted of the hot beverage that the people around the base called coffee and some cold meat sandwiches.


    Captain Anderson took his time to enjoy the food and drink while the fogginess in his mind was slowly swept away by the coffee. ''I''m wasting so much time with this kid.'' He sighed as he stared into his now empty mug. ''He''s never going to pass it. I don''t even know why the brass even bothers with this test in the first ce.''


    He shook his head as he washed the te in the working sink before fixing himself a second mug of coffee to see him through the next hour or so. Captain Anderson then decided that it was time to check up on Jason''s progress. After all, he was rather curious as to what the youth thought was the correct answer.


    Those who did not give up the moment they looked at the machine were usually evaluated highly. If they then looked through everything without tinkering with it, they would gain more points. However, to pass the test, they then just had to make it to the end of the time limit without giving up on looking for an answer.


    This was an endurance and perseverance test, after all. Nobody was expected to pass it. They just had to show sound working principles and the drive to seed. However, they would fail if they tried to fix the water purification system with some botched idea that had no value.


    Captain Anderson chuckled as he thought about how many arrogant researchers had been crushed over the years by this test because they could not handle failing at anything. Every one of them felt that they were the chosen one! And Jason appeared no different than the rest of them in that regard.


    He ced his hot mug down on the desk in the observation booth before sliding into the chair and ncing down into Jason''s workspace. ''What the fuck is that!''


    He immediately stood straight back up as his eyes wandered over the partially builtponents of Jason''s new and original system that he was working on! Captain Anderson could not make heads nor tails of what it was supposed to be or even how it was supposed to be operated!


    There was a noticeableck of mechanicalponents, and everything seemed like it was supposed to channel the water through severalrge boxes. Captain Anderson could not contain himself as he rushed out of the booth to get a better look at Jason''s work.


    "Oh! Morning Captain! Is it that time already?" Jason called down from where he was perched between two pipes in the system.


    "What is all of this?" The Captain shouted back as they started to be flustered.


    The cause for that reaction was that he was currently stuck watching as Jason cut a massive hole in one of the pipes that fed water into the purification system. ''Oh,e on! I''m the one that''s going to have to fix that when you fail!'' The Captain groaned internally as Jason nonchntly began to cut a hole in the second pipe.


    "This? Oh, it''s nothing right now. But wait until I''m finished! I''ve still got to cut away that section there so I can fit my invention into the existing system, but I still have some other parts toplete as well." Jason''s head bobbed up and down as he pointed to a part of the machine that housed some criticalponents.


    Captain Anderson felt like he was about to have a heart attack when Jason pointed to that section and talked about butchering it. That kind of damage would take him months of work to fix and rece the parts that Jason would destroy! If he could, then he would have stopped the test here and now and tossed Jason out before he could give him even more work to do!


    "Listen, kid! Don''t you think you should take a break or something? You know Get some sleep and all that?" Captain Anderson shouted back in what he believed to be his best persuasive voice that he could manage.


    "I''m fine! Thanks for asking, though! If I don''t push on now, then I might not finish this by the deadline!" Jason''s tone was eerily chipper as he manhandled the pipe in his hand and finished off cutting out the hole in it. "Oh, Captain? Can you pass that up to me?"


    By this point, Captain Anderson felt defeated in his heart. He warily handed up the end of a cubic shaped steel channel which Jason proceeded to insert into the purification system''s old one. Jason smiled as he heard the water run down his own track instead of the old one.


    ''Looks like we got the cement right. Now we just need to see how the nts are looking.'' Jason hopped down to the ground and raced over to one of therge steel boxes connected to the channel that he had just been fiddling with.


    His hands trembled in excitement as he undid the sp that kept the lid of the box shut. With a swift movement, he opened it up in time to see the water just starting to invade the boxes interior!


    There was a long, deep container on either wall of the box. Both of them were filled with the soil that Jason had requested while yellow coloured flowers hung over the edge to scrape the box''s floor. Jason smiled as he grabbed a ss beaker and held it up to the box''s exit. Soon, the water from the old pipe had washed over and pushed its way through the nts'' petals to end up in Jason''s ss beaker!


    "Bottom''s up!"

 Chapter 84: Solving A Problem! (4)

    Chapter 84: Solving A Problem! (4)


    Jason swirled the water around in his mouth for a few seconds as he tasted it. ''It seems fine, and I know the nts will have done their job.'' Jason swallowed the mouthful of water and happily looked at what he hade up with.


    ''It does the job. I just need to fix it in ce now.'' Captain Anderson stared at Jason in disbelief as thetter casually walked over to his workbench and checked the progress of Natural Adhesive and the BNCG. ''Good timing They''re ready!''


    As Jason happily continued on with his work, Captain Anderson''s expression had be pale. ''Don''t tell me he actually managed toe up with a working solution!'' He rushed over to the containers lined up nearby the same channel that Jason had just drunk from. His hands were shaking as he grabbed ahold of two different containers.


    Jason''s back was turned to the Captain as he filled both containers and held them up to inspect them. ''Nothing is floating in it, which is a good sign.'' Having seen Jason drink the water without any adverse reactions, Captain Anderson could not contain himself.


    He performed the same actions as Jason did but could not detect anything wrong with the water at all! ''Shit! I have to get this other sample sent over to the Colonel!'' The Captain rushed to the door and excitedly exined the situation to the staff on the other side.


    Jason waspletely unaware of the events happening behind him as he took his time to seal up the containers and channels he had made. Fire erupted from the container that he was holding as he sprayed the Natural Gas onto a cloth torch to create a makeshift welder.


    Metal slowly melted as Jason performed a rather shoddy job of welding it closed. However, that was to be expected since he had not picked up any skills in that area yet. Jason persevered through it though, the test did not require his work to be perfect. It just had to be functional.


    Or at least that was the impression that Jason was working under. Jason weaved his way around the room using what he had to hand to finish up installing the strange natural water purification system into the old existing one.


    Hours passed as he went aboutpleting this tedious work under Captain Anderson''s watchful yet excited gaze. Jason was unwittingly opening the Captain''s eyes to new possibilities as he worked away on his task. Hell, the Captain was even considering studying nts since they seemed so helpful!


    Jason sighed as he finished up the section that he had been working on. ''Ok, now I just have to cut out a part of the machine to fit therger sections in. Otherwise, the water won''t run through the entire system.'' Jason wiped the sweat from his brow as he reached for a saw that was meant for cutting metal.


    However, before he could get to work on that section, the door suddenly swung open and a team of researchers that he had met before rushed in! Jason was confused as he saw their excited expressions as they ran around like kids that had just received a new toy!


    They eagerly poked at and studied the work that he had done so far. They spoke amongst themselves with some excitement as people who specialised in different fields filled the others in on what they understood of Jason''s creation.


    "Um? What''s going on? You''re kind of getting in my way." Jason felt a little annoyed by this sudden intrusion.


    The presence of these researchers would only slow him down. However, they just smiled awkwardly at him before turning back to the water purification system.


    "Don''t worry." A soft voice chuckled from the doorway as Captain Joiner made her way into the room to join him. "Apparently, you''ve already passed the test!"


    Jason''s mind went nk as he struggled to digest what she was saying. ''How did I pass? I haven''t even finished it yet?''


    Captain Joiner struggled not tough at the face Jason pulled in his confusion. "Captain Anderson here sent a sample of the purified water to us to be checked out. Linda over there used her Power to confirm that there were no problems with it."


    "Even if you say that." Jason hesitated for a moment as his forehead wrinkled from a frown. "It''s not finished yet, so what''s the big deal?"


    "The brass don''t dare to let you finish it." Captain Anderson replied this time. "It would cost too much to put it back the way it was for the next person to challenge it."


    "Mr Wright, do you even know what you''ve managed to do here?" Captain Joiner asked with a somewhat hesitant voice.


    Jason nced over the machine one more time before answering her question honestly. "I''ve butchered a piece of Old World tech by recing it with something less amazing?"


    The pair of Captain''s nced at each other awkwardly before they turned back to Jason and said together, "No!"


    "What you''ve done here is amazing!" Captain Anderson decided to go first. "How many working parts do you think that machine has? Not to mention the amount of electricity it burns. Whereas your system does the same job, is cheaper to maintain overall and pretty much anyone could learn how to fix it if something goes wrong!"


    "Simply put, Mr Wright, it''s revolutionary! You''ve blended machinery with a natural ecosystem to create something beyond both." Captain Joiner sighed with envy as she ran a hand through her hair. "Just be aware that you''ve done something great here over the past two days."


    Jason nodded slowly to what they said, but he could not help but feel disappointed in his heart. In Jason''s mind, the Old World technology was far more impressive than what he had made.


    "They have a point." Syssie decided to chime in with her own thoughts on the matter. "That outdated machine is justplicated for the sake of beingplicated. What''s the point of it? Sure, it''s amazing how to wonder how it works, but that''s all. You''ve literals done the same thing, but it''s much simpler."


    ''True, but still I want to understand it.''

 Chapter 85: Solving A Problem! (5)

    Chapter 85: Solving A Problem! (5)


    Jason found himself alone and sitting in a seat across from a stern-faced Colonel Harris as he studied the reports that the researchers had delivered to his desk. They had been staring at each other for a while now, which was making Jason feel awkward.


    "Um, sir? Sorry, but could you tell me what''s going on?" Jason was unsure what to make of the current situation.


    After all, Colonel Harris had not spoken a word to him since he had entered the office except offer him a seat. ''What''s this guy''s deal? He had the Captains bring me here but then doesn''t say anything?''


    "We''re waiting for someone Also, you don''t have to call me sir anymore. Colonel is fine. Sir." The Colonel''s tone was stiff and professional sounding as he spoke.


    "Well, Colonel" Jason began slowly. "Why did you just call me sir?"


    "Because of your position, sir. It would be inappropriate of me to call you anything else." The Colonel became silent again after saying that, giving Jason the impression that he would not get anything else out of him.


    ''Something''s changed. He''s acting like I''m his superior officer instead of the other way around.'' Jason was trying to figure out if there was something that he could say to get the Colonel to open up.


    However, his thoughts were interrupted by a man suddenly screaming for mercy outside of the office window. Jason frowned as he somewhat recognised the voice. ''Why does he sound so familiar?''


    Colonel Harris stood up and closed the window when he noticed the noise was disturbing Jason''s thoughts. He was cautious in sitting back down to look at Jason.


    "Excuse me, Colonel, but what''s going on outside?" Jason asked as his left eyebrow arched up in curiosity.


    However, before the Colonel could answer his question, a thunderous humming noise prated the walls from outside. The room was suddenly dyed red by a sh of crimson light as the sound of a small explosion followed it.


    ''Holy fuck!'' Jason panicked and jumped to his feet. His first thought was that the base was under attack!


    "Please, sit back down, sir." Colonel Harris gestured to the now empty chair as silence ensued. "It''s nothing to worry about. Your new mentor was just executing the examiner who took care of your entry into Bridgend for treason."


    Jason''s eyes bulged as he stared absentmindedly at the Colonel! ''What the hell kind of execution was that?'' Jason did not fail to notice that a hint of fear had entered the Colonel''s tone during his exnation.


    ''Who the hell is it if they can make a Colonel afraid and openly execute people?'' Jason naturally felt a lot of pressure bearing down on him right now. He was beginning to wonder if he had made a grave mistake ining here at all.


    However, that ship had already sailed, and he was now trapped here waiting to meet a perilous person! ''The Colonel will probably do everything he can to keep me here if I try and make a run for it'' Jason''s eyes darted around the room as he tried to spot anything that he could possibly use if he had to protect himself.


    "There''s nothing to worry about, sir." Colonel Harris suddenly said as a solitary bead of sweat ran down his forehead. "You''re too valuable. Now, please have a seat."


    Jason noticed that the Colonel stressed the word please as he said it. It was almost like he was pleading with him. ''Damn, don''t tell me his life is at risk as well?'' Jason began to wonder if the Colonel was not more afraid right now than he was!


    The noise of footsteps quickly approaching the office came from the hallway outside, and the Colonel''splexion became significantly pale at that sound. His eyes had a pleading look about them as he kept gesturing to Jason to sit down.


    Having no time to really think about it, Jason quickly slid into the seat in time for the door to be thrown open. A giant of a man strolled in, and Jason promptly guessed that he was roughly six feet seven inches tall.


    Jason let out a small gasp as he studied the man. He was wearing a in ck t-shirt and cargo pants with ck boots. Exactly like himself! However, the neer had slicked-back grey hair with short stubble lining half of his face. This was because the right side of his face was made entirely of metal!


    A strange-looking weapon hung on the man''s hip as the red cybeic eye on the right side of his face zoomed in and out as he focused on the room. Colonel Harris quickly got to his feet and snapped to attention.


    "Lord Sentinel! Wee!" Colonel Harris''s voice waved as he performed a botched salute.


    Jason felt the need to swallow a lump of saliva as the man called Sentinelpletely ignored the Colonel and focused on him instead. It gave Jason the creeps how Sentinel''s cybeic eye seemed to be scanning him from head to toe.


    Sentinel frowned for a moment as he seemed to be fixated on some particr detail. His eyes moved away from Jason for a split second, but that action gave Jason the chills. That was because the seemingly random spot that Sentinel had nced at was exactly where Syssie''s avatar was standing!


    "Are you Jason Wright?" Sentinel finally asked. His voice was a mix of some kind of synthetic mechanical sound undertoning a regr gruff human voice.


    "Yes, I am," Jason answered the question as simply as he could. He was too afraid of saying the wrong thing!


    "You''re pretty young Good." Sentinel nodded before he gave a slight pause. "You need some physical training if you want to keep healthy, though. Don''t worry. We''ll soon fix that."


    The Colonel was still standing at attention as if he hoped that Sentinel wouldpletely forget about him. However, Sentinel had other ideas as he turned his attention on Colonel Harris.


    "Thank you, Colonel. You''ve found me a worthy apprentice. I''ve waited too long for this. I''ll beat him into shape quickly. He should be able to take my ce when I''m gone."


    "Take your ce? What do you mean?" Jason''s curiosity would not let him keep silent at this point.


    The Colonel nced at Jason nervously. However, that was because he was now terrified of what Jason might be in the future. "Sir, Lord Sentinel, here is the Lord Commander of the five pirs!"

 Chapter 86: Im Not Super Intelligent? (1)

    Chapter 86: I''m Not Super Intelligent? (1)


    Jason turned to look at Sentinel with shock written across his face. ''This is the guy who stands at the top of the Guardians?'' Back in Highrise, nobody knew what the strongest Guardian''s Power was or even his name! Yet, here he was, standing right in front of him!


    "Hold on! What do you mean I''ll take your position?" Jason suddenly became rmed when he realised the significance of what Sentinel had said moments ago.


    "I meant exactly what I said. I will train you to take my ce in the future." Sentinel''s tone was steady and uncaring. "Your apprenticeship starts now. Come."


    Jason looked appalled as Sentinel started to walk out of the room. However, the giant paused when he realised that Jason was not following him. As Sentinel''s gazended on Jason''s frozen figure, a humming noise suddenly came from Sentinel''s body!


    The noise emanating from Sentinel made the hairs on the back of Jason''s neck stand on end as he recognised it. It was the same sound he had heard before the sh of light that signalled the execution of the examiner earlier.


    Jason did not dare to stall any longer and finally moved his feet. Sentinel nodded in satisfaction before taking the lead. As the door closed behind the pair, Colonel Harris waited for several seconds before his legs went limp.


    ''Shit, I could have been eating dirt if I refused to let that kid take the test!'' It was needless to say that the Colonel felt the need for a very long vacation.


    Jason had to jog slightly just to keep with Sentinel as they took seemingly random turns at each junction. It took a few minutes before Jason realised that they had not seen anyone since leaving the Colonel''s office. ''Is everyone hiding?''


    Naturally, Jason began to fear the worst about his new mentor. Crazy thoughts ran through his mind of Sentinel executing him just for making a silly mistake or something. By the time they came to a halt, Jason was drenched in a cold sweat. It was partly due to the intensive job he had just undergone and partly due to his nerves.


    As Jason struggled to catch his breath, he realised he had no idea where in the base they actually were. Sentinel had stopped in front of a heavy metal door that did not seem to have any handles or locks. Jason was immediately confused as to how they were supposed to get inside. However, Sentinel simply ced his hand over a ck box mounted on the wall to his right.


    The same strange humming noise that Jason had heard before started up again briefly. When Sentinel moved his hand away from the box, several clicking noises came from the door before it swung open. Jason expected to see someone on the other side, but nobody was there!


    "Come on, we have a lot of work to do." Sentinel crossed the threshold and strolled deep into the humungous workshop that had been revealed.


    Jason''s voice got caught in his throat as he followed after his mentor. His eyes were full of awe as he nced around. There were mountains of junk as far as his eyes could see, and a whole load of tools that he knew nothing about were connected to the walls by wires.


    ''This is amazing!'' Jason had no idea how to really exin how he felt right now as he tried to estimate how much everything in the room would be worth. After his eyes made a few passes, he realised something. ''It''s all machines.''


    Every piece of junk was made of metal and had either mechanical or electrical parts. There was no nts or anything that would be needed to create chemicals. Jason raised an eyebrow as he wondered what the reason was for that.


    "Let''s see what you''ve got." Sentinel waved his hands in the air, and a river of junk flew towards him.


    Jason was mesmerised by the scene that was ying out as the different parts disassembled themselves before rbining into five different weapons. These weapons then floated around Sentinel as he turned to face Jason.


    Jason stared at the weapons as they turned to aim at him. Jason suddenly felt that something was off with the situation. ''Oh shi''


    Jason quickly dove to the side as red shes started going off. Smoke rose from the spot where he had been standing. A small ckened crater had been created, making Jason break out in a cold sweat once again.


    "What are you doing? Hurry up and create your weapons. I need to see where you''re at with your Power." Sentinel''s voice sounded cold as his cybeic eye followed Jason as he got back up on his feet.


    "What are you talking about! I need time to create something!" Even though Jason was terrified, he was also furious. If he had not dodged right now, then he would most definitely be dead!


    "How long do you need?"


    "I don''t know! Half a day for something simple. A day or two if you want my best?" Jason''s tone leaked the desperation that he was feeling at that moment, causing Sentinel to frown.


    "That long?" Sentinel paused for a moment. "What''s your Power?"


    "Huh? Didn''t they tell you? I have Super Intelligence! Wasn''t that why you agreed to mentor me?"


    "You''re not a Technomancer then?" Sentinel almost sounded disappointed as he said that. "So, what branch do you belong to?"


    Jason''s mind went nk for a moment before he could reply. "What do you mean branch?"


    Sentinel tilted his head as he studied Jason for a moment. "You don''t know, do you?"


    Sentinel sighed as he waved his hand. The lethal weapons floating around him crumbled into useless scrap that fell to the ground at his feet. Sentinel rubbed his chin as he thought about what he should say.


    "Kid, it''s obvious your Power isn''t Super Intelligence. If it was then you wouldn''t have that AI floating around you." Sentinel made a point of looking directly at Syssie''s avatar. "My apologies, she''s the reason I thought you were the same as me."

 Chapter 87: Im Not Super Intelligent? (2)

    Chapter 87: I''m Not Super Intelligent? (2)


    Jason shared a panicked look with Syssie as Sentinel pointed directly at her. However, she seemed to have no idea how he knew of her existence either.


    "Don''t look so scared, you two. Friday, show yourself." Sentinel nced to Jason''s right side as a hologram appeared of an elderly man with a hunched back.


    "Nice to meet you." The older man in the hologram bowed deeply. "I''m Friday."


    Jason yelped as he jumped backwards! ''What the heck?''


    "Don''t mind him too much. Friday''s been with me for a long time. He''s a big part of my strength." Sentinel sounded exhausted as he spoke.


    Jason eyed Friday warily as Syssie approached him to inspect the differences between him and herself. Jason was unsure what to make of it. After all, Friday seemed to be a creation of Sentinel''s that moved around in the real world on its own. Whereas Syssie was only projecting the appearance of her avatar within Jason''s mind and optic nerves. ''Wait How can Sentinel see her then? That can''t be possible right?''


    Jason''s line of sight moved to the Guardian as he tried to figure out what secrets he was hiding. After all, Jason did not want to find out when it was toote that Sentinel had some way of unmasking him as the ck Arrow.


    "You don''t have to look so aggressive. You''re safe here. Nobody will touch you as long as you are my apprentice." Sentinel seemed to pause for a moment. "Right, you looked like you had some misgivings about taking my ce earlier. It''s not that limiting. You can still have your own business and do what you want. You''ll just have to contribute a bit to the advancement of Bridgend and to protect the Lord''s territories when necessary."


    Jason could tell that Sentinel was attempting to sound friendly, but the synthetic voice that undertoned his human one made him sound creepy. ''That doesn''t sound like a bad deal, but I''d rather know what he was talking about when it came to my Power.''


    Sentinel saw the frown on Jason''s face and sighed. He had a distinct feeling that he had more work to do than he initially thought.


    "Did you know I was mibelled as having Super Intelligence as well?" Sentinel began as he decided to start from the beginning. "I ended up trapped as a researcher for years. Forced to work on projects that didn''t match my abilities."


    Sentinel shook his head as he remembered those days. Jason got the feeling that the Guardian regretted all of that wasted time.


    "Then, one day, a project was ced in front of me. It was to research a piece of technology that came from somewhere in the Old World. Can you imagine my surprise when it spoke to me when I touched it? I thought I was going crazy!" Sentinel chuckled as he nced at Friday. "The voice gently suggested to me what was wrong with it and why it wasn''t working. Which led to me fixing it, of course. Friday here is the result of that."


    "The brass at the time got overly excited. I wasbelled as a genius. For about five minutes until I couldn''t exin to them how I''d done it." Sentinel showed a bitter smile. "It was then that they realised something was wrong, so they started to study me. Over time they realised that they had made a mistake when theybelled my Power."


    "To give you an example, you should know that there are different types of pyromancer, right?" When Sentinel looked at Jason for confirmation, thetter shook his head to show that he did not know what the Guardian was talking about. After heaving a sigh, Sentinel continued his exnation. "Well, you can have a pyromancer who can create fire from nothing. At the same time, you might get one who can only control fire, not create it."


    Jason raised an eyebrow at that piece of information. He had always thought that those with the same Power were just lucky if their''s was more potent than another person. He had no idea that there was actually subtle differences between some of them. Heck, those people probably did not know this either!


    "To put it simply, I''m like thetter in that example. I can control technology that other people have made, and those things ''speak'' to me. Over time I developed my Power to be able to rearrange them into weapons and other useful things." Sentinel looked disappointed in himself as he continued to speak. "However, I can''t permanently create something new. I can''t make a weapon and give it to someone else. The moment I stop influencing the item, it turns into scrap."


    ''Oh, that''s what happened with those weapons he created earlier.'' Jason''s eyes moved to the scrap on the floor. ''If he has this kind of ability, then it''s no wonder he stands at the top. The whole world is practically his weapon and shield now.''


    "So, since I''m like the second type of pyromancer, I figured that there had to be someone like the first type. Or at least, others like me who specialised in different areas. Think of Super Intelligence as the highest branch on a tree. Then my Power, Technomancy, is a branch on the same tree, just a bit closer to the roots. I think that should give you a pretty good picture of what I''m getting at."


    Jason nodded as he digested the information. It did paint a pretty good picture, and it made sense to him. However, from Sentinel''s description, it was as if he were saying there should be a whole of branches that were still stronger than his. They just might not have been discovered because they had misunderstood what their Power was.


    "So, you''re saying I don''t have Super Intelligence? Then what do I have?" Jason''s curiosity had peaked. Maybe, with Sentinel''s help, he could unlock the secrets of his mind safely!


    "I don''t know." Sentinel paused for a bit before grinning broadly. "But I''m willing to find out if you are!"

 Chapter 88: Im Not Super Intelligent? (3)

    Chapter 88: I''m Not Super Intelligent? (3)


    Jason hesitated for a moment. Of course, he wanted to find out more about himself, but at the same time, he would exposing everything about his Power to the top Guardian in the process. That was an ufortable position to be in when he was technically a wanted criminal.


    ''It''s too much to just hope that they never find out. I should take what I can for now and n a way out in case I ever need it.'' Jason nced at Syssie to see if she agreed with his thoughts. Her eyes moved between him and Sentinel beforending on Friday. Syssie slowly nodded to show that she thought it was the best idea for now.


    "I agree," Jason replied with confidence in his tone. "Where should we start?"


    "Excellent!" Sentinel looked delighted as Friday''s hologram disappeared. "First, I think we should start with your story. Tell me everything about your Power."


    It took Jason a few hours to gloss over everything as he exined all that he knew to Sentinel. Including how Syssie was a system that was currently limiting his Power, so it did not kill him. Sentinel''s expression changed many times during Jason''s ramble, but it finally settled on being mildly confused.


    "That''s interesting." Sentinel stroked his chin as he nced at his apprentice. "May I see the imnt?"


    Jason did not hesitate to turn around and show Syssie''s real body to the Guardian. Sentinel curiously studied it before using his Power tomunicate with the technology housed inside. After a few minutes, he finally broke contact.


    "I see, some things inside of it are beyond my Power, but I get the general gist of it. It''s degrading quickly. I could fix it with my Power, but that won''t be of anyone to you. I''d have to be with you at all times just to keep it stable. However, we''ll resort to that if you can''t find an answer before your time runs out." Sentinel shed Jason a sympathetic smile.


    "So, what can we do just now then?"


    "Simple, we just have to throw you into the deep end!"Sentinel chuckled, leaving Jason confused. "If you want to fix your problem, you need more knowledge, right?"


    Jason nodded his head slowly.


    "And to get that knowledge, you need to create new things. Well, what better ce is there for you than right here?" Sentinel waved at the mountains of junk lying around everywhere. "Whatever you need, let me know! I''ll have the Colonel send the necessary materials. Right, you should get some sleep first, and I''ll arrange for you to join the Guardians basic training once you get a few useful things under your belt."


    "Wouldn''t that be cheating?" Jason chuckled at thest bit, although he was grateful that Sentinel was willing to fund his crafting habit.


    "Kid, this is the Guardians. Using your Power to ovee hardships is what we''re all about." Sentinelughed quite heartily at thatment. "Though, I expect you to thoroughly thrash the others whenever you get a chance."


    Jason grinned at Sentinel''s attitude. He had to admit, he was not half as scary as he first thought him to be. Well, at least not for him. Jason had a feeling that Sentinel was hoping to understand something more about his own Power by taking Jason under his wing.


    However, that did not bother Jason in the slightest. In the end, he was confident that he would gain the most out of their rtionship. Hell, he had already achieved significant insight into his Power due to Sentinel''s exnation. Plus, he now had a fallback n if his imnt began to fail him before he could upgrade it!


    Sentinel ushered Jason into a private room attached to the work area. This room would be his own as long as he stayed here, but he was honestly shocked by it. He had his own fully working bathroom. The most oversized bed he had ever seen, with a properfortable mattress, and thick sheets to keep him warm. A desk for if he happened to get any ideas during the night or to work on his own stuff in private.


    However, it was the view that really left Jason dumbstruck. He had an entire ss wall that looked out over the river below. Rust''s Jellyfish that she used for transport was currently sitting in the water with only the dome end of it being visible. It was still the middle of the day, but with him not sleeping the day before, he felt drowsy now that things had settled down.


    It did not take long for Jason to fall asleep when his head hit the pillows. The soft sounds of him snoring soon filled the room.


    "Sir, the apprentice, is asleep ording to my sensors," Friday stated as his hologram appeared next to Sentinel, who was staring at the covers of a few books.


    "Good, let me know when he wakes up." Sentinel hummed as he chose one with a nk, dark brown leather cover.


    "Should I interrupt your sleep cycle if he wakes up during it?" Friday sounded concerned as he spoke.


    "Yes, we don''t have the time to waste. Who knows how long it will take for him to develop to a point where he can help us." Sentinel sighed as he flicked through the pages. The handwriting on them was his own. The results of years of research and studies were recorded on them.


    "I need to remind you that interrupting your cycle at this stage will have adverse effects on your projected life expectancy." Friday hummed as he scanned the condition of Sentinel''s body.


    "I know, even if he can''t help us. Then hopefully we''ll have left someone behind who can finish what we started."


    "Hm, maybe" Friday hummed. "Oh, and sir, I have a new report that just came in for you. It seems that the team out patrolling the wends have discovered something interesting. From the details in the report, I believe that they may have found another NEST structure."

 Chapter 89: Im Not Super Intelligent? (4)

    Chapter 89: I''m Not Super Intelligent? (4)


    Jason felt refreshed when he woke up. Even though it was now dark outside, there was still plenty of light. This was thanks to the streetlights that had been installed throughout the city. At the same time, Jason only just realised that his room had something simr installed in the ceiling.


    ''This would have made life in Highrise a lot better if we had it. Why don''t they share this with the towns? Are they afraid of what it could lead to?'' Jason found himself with many questions running through his mind right now, but they were drowned out by his excitement to create things.


    How often would a chance like thise around anyway? He could go all out with his Power without worrying about materials or being discovered! It felt liberating in a sense.


    Jason used the bathroom to get a shower and freshen up. ''I''ll need to get some new clothes as well. These ones are literally falling apart.'' Jason sighed as he wondered if Sentinel would be able to take care of that for him as well.


    By the time he opened the door, Friday was already standing there waiting for him. Jason''s eyes went wide as he looked at the hologram.


    "Lord Sentinel is currently undergoing his sleep cycle. You are free to use anything you require inside of this room. If there is anything that you need, please let me know so I can forward a request on your behalf." The graceful sounding old man bowed before wandering off to stand by a wall quietly.


    ''That was weird.'' Jason shook the strange interaction off and decided to begin by actually inspecting the avable materials. He ended up whistling to himself a few times as his eyebrows raised whenever he found something interesting.


    ''I guess I should start by actually deciding what I want to do.'' Jason pondered over his own thoughts as he tried to think of something suitable. ''I need a new ranged weapon I can''t do a redesign of the Arbalest or Viper. That''ll just make me look sus. Then, I should think about a new melee weapon. Something more suitable for myself.''


    Jason''s fantasies began to run away from him as he thought about how best to abuse his current situation. ''Since Sentinel will throw me into Guardian training, should I consider making some proper armour as well? Maybe some countermeasures for a few abilities couldn''t go amiss either?''


    The moment Jason thought about it, a bunch of schematics and chemical forme flooded his mind. ''Well, I should take this seriously anyway. Even if I''m just going to end up upgrading to something better soon anyway.'' Jason chuckled as he selected a few of the more promising ideas and tagged their requirements.


    He then wrote down on a piece of paper all of the materials he needed or a description of the item before showing it to Friday. Everything on the list was just what he needed that he could not find anywhere amongst the piles of junk. But, it still took Friday a few minutes to scan everything that he had written down.


    "I''ll pass this along for you, sir. It might take some time for everything to be delivered. I apologise for the inconvenience." Friday bowed again to show his sincerity.


    "It''s fine Friday. Thanks for your help." Jason smiled as he started to warm up to the hologram. He was extremely helpful as an AI, whereas Syssie usually hit him with sarcasticments. Jason felt that Sentinel had won the lottery with Friday.


    "I resent that!" Syssie chuckled. She did not take his thoughts too seriously. She knew that Jason appreciated her.


    Jason smiled broadly as he rubbed his hands together in excitement. ''Shall we get started then?''


    He dove into the piles of junk as he searched for the most suitable parts and would require as minor modifications as possible to meet his needs. A small mountain was starting to form next to the workbenches as he kept adding more items to the pile.


    From time to time, he would spot Guardians entering the area to deliver the things he requested. This obviously included many items required to create chemicals and other things. He was even surprised when they had taken the initiative to supply him with equipment he knew nothing about.


    Jason suspected that Friday might have used his own authority to add these items to the list. In preparation for a point when Jason might actually need them. That way, he would not have to ask for new stuff againter on in his projects.


    Jason grew excited as he moved some things around to create his own personal workspace just the way he liked it. Friday took the opportunity to exin to Jason what some of the tools he had never seen before were. Such as the electrical grinder and saw for cutting and shaping metal more easily.


    Jason''s breathing became heavy as he pretty much drooled over such marvellous items. Needless to say, he was eager to try them out! Loud sounds soon filled the room for the next few hours as Jason took the time to get used to using them one by one. After all, it would have been idiotic of him to just jump right into trying to create something using unfamiliar tools.


    Jason''s eyes shone like he was seeing stars once he was satisfied. ''Ok, what schematic should I make first?'' He flicked through the ones he had chosen before he found one he was happy with. ''Let''s start with this!''


    Jason grabbed a few nts and stuffed them in a container as he started the preparations to make thepressed gas that he was so used to now. As that would take some time, he decided to select what he needed to turn it into a weapon. He found some leather straps and heat resistant metals.


    ''This should be good. Maybe fill it out with some leather on the inside.''

 Chapter 90: Im Not Super Intelligent? (5)

    Chapter 90: I''m Not Super Intelligent? (5)


    Jason spent the next few days under the surveince of Sentinel and Friday as he worked on every idea that might increase hisbat potential that he thought had merit. He ended up having a few sleepless nights as he was engrossed in his work, but looking at thepleted items, he felt it was entirely worth it!


    "Shall I give my evaluation?" Syssie grinned mischievously as she looked at the four items on the workbench.


    "Go for it." Jason smirked in response.


    "Evaluation E Rank melee weapon suitable for Novices that incorporates heat and shing styles for damage output. Strength required to wield it efficiently would be 0.1. Value estimated at thirty copper credits. Designation: Firebrand de 001. First Creation Bonus applied, so you have received 30 PP."


    The first item to receive her critique was, of course, a short sword. However, its handle housed some powerful batteries that, when activated, would use electricity to superheat the metal of the de. Syssie moved on to the next item that looked like a metal gauntlet with a nozzle on the top side of the wrist area.


    "Evaluation E Rank medium-ranged weapon suitable for Novices that incorporates heat for damage output. Strength required to wield it efficiently would be 0. Value estimated at thirty-five copper credits. Designation: WMF (Wrist Mounted methrower) 001. First Creation Bonus applied, so you have received 35 PP."


    Her sights moved to the next item in the line. This one looked like another gauntlet with four rectangr boxes that ran from the knuckles down the back of the hand area to connect to arger box situated on the forearm area.


    "Evaluation E Rank medium-ranged weapon suitable for Novices that incorporates piercing projectiles and poison for damage output. Strength required to wield it efficiently would be 0. Value estimated at thirty copper credits. Designation: HMPDG (Hand Mounted Poison Dart Gun) 001. First Creation Bonus applied, so you have received 30 PP."


    Jason held his breath for the following item. It was a pair of boots that had four retractable wheels on the sides of each foot. These wheels were connected to a small but powerful motor engine inside the bulky armour around the wearer''s calves. These engines ran off of a unique biofuel he created from some nts that the base had supplied to him.


    The only problem was that they were only good for a few short bursts of speed. So they were best used to catch an opponent by surprise or to dodge something that would be lethal.


    "Evaluation E Rank support item for Novices that incorporates mechanical and biological principles to create the possibility of rapid movement. Strength required to wield it efficiently would be 0. Value estimated at forty-five copper credits. Designation: Rapid Deployment Boots (RDB) 001. First Creation Bonus applied, so you have received 45 PP."


    Jason whistled as he double-checked the interface for the total windfall. ''140 PP! I can shore up my skillset with this!'' For obvious reasons, Jason was excited by the prospect. These past few days allowed him to grow without restraint. However, he was not entirely happy yet. The weight of the items, if used together, could very well make him a sitting duck.


    ''I need to create a suitable outfit that can help to take the strain off of me.'' Jason sighed as he thought about how big that project would be. He would have to make a muchrger version of the miniature biofuel engine he put in the boots just to power its mechanical parts. Then there was the issue with fuel tanks for it.


    If it ran out of juice during an extended period in the field, he would be screwed! ''I bet I''ll even find more things to add on as I design it and think of different scenarios.'' Jason was already excited to get stuck in, even if it would prove to be a pain in the ass.


    "Jason!" Sentinel shouted as he entered therge hall. "Good news! You can join Basic Training in four days! I hope you''re ready!"


    Jason smiled in return at his mentor, who seemed to be in an excellent mood. "I''m not ready yet, but I will be!"


    "That''s the spirit! Is there anything I can help with?" Sentinel chuckled as he approached the workbench and looked at the items on it.


    "Sure, you can strip down a load of junk for me." Jason smiled sarcastically at the Guardian.


    "Wow, straight to the point. I''m starting to feel like I''m the one working under you!" Sentinel pped Jason''s back jovially, making thetter cough.


    ''Damn! I thought he broke a rib there!'' Jason turned his attention back to the workbenches as he let his mind focus on creating an armour schematic that could work. However, he soon frowned when he got the notification that his current knowledge wascking.


    Jason sighed heavily. He had hoped that he could create something basic just to do for now. Then he could upgrade everything together as he went along. If he upgraded his knowledge now, he was sure that he would get ideas on how to improve on the work he had already done. Which would give him the itch to implement the upgrades right away!


    ''Four days Is that enough to create the armour and make any modifications to these?'' Jason doubted it. He could only hope that he could refrain from working on the alreadypleted items until he at least finished a working armour. ''Better get to work.''


    Meanwhile, in a crowded barracks on the other side of the base


    "Yo! Dani! Have you heard the gossip?" Adam asked as he slipped inside of their toon''s room.


    "Of course I haven''t! I''ve been stuck here recovering from the beating the instructor gave me!" Daniined as she spread some salve over her abdomen and sides. "What''s got you so excited anyway?


    "Oh! Right, get this! The rumour going around is that the number one Guardian''s new apprentice is going to be joining us for training in a few days!"

 Chapter 91: New Seed

    Chapter 91: New Seed


    Jason sighed heavily as he looked at the skeleton of his personal armour. He was doing the best he could with what he had, but he could already tell that there was plenty of room for improvements. Jason operated his interface to look at his PP count again.


    [0 PP]


    His heart had felt like it was breaking when he hadpletely emptied it of every point that he had just gained a few days ago. However, what he gained in return was astronomical.


    He had elevated his Medium Armour Creation, Electrical Engineering, Biology and Chemistry skills to Apprentice level. On top of that, he had bought the Basic Welding Skill then brought that up to Apprentice level as well.


    Surprisingly, after all of that, he had still had a few points left, which he had nned to save. That was until Sentinel advised him to pick up the Basic Computing and Basic Electronic Engineering skills as well. Jason had been dubious about his advice initially, but now he had to agree that Sentinel had been solid with his advice.


    The major overhaul to his options after he hadpleted the downloads had been insane. Giving him a mountain of things that he wanted to make. The soldering machine in his hand began to buzz again as he carefully worked on the electronics that would be added to his helmet.


    In just a few more minutes, he would finish the final piece that he needed toplete the prototype first version of what he had dubbed the Infinity armour. Jason had been thrilled at the choice he had made for its name since that was how he felt whenever he looked at it.


    Infinite possibilities ran through his mind, and he could not even fathom where it would lead to in the future as his knowledge increased. Still, he had to reign in his fantasies to try andplete it in time. Every part was now ready for assembly as he finished up fixing the electronic board in his hand into its ce and connected it to the wires before sealing the helmet.


    Jason gazed at the full helmet that was quite bulky. Its primary colour was dark green, while an orange colour was used as the secondary colour. The more minor parts or tertiary areas had been painted ck to tie the colour scheme together.


    Needless to say, this was how every other piece of the external armour had been coloured as well. Jason had to admit that it suited his tastes even if nobody else would agree with him. The tinted ck ss visor that would run across his eyes was perfect for making sure that nobody could tell who was the one inside of the Infinity.


    He had also chosen to take inspiration from his old gas mask that he had never used. The mouth area jutted outward with a single air filter at the front and two hoses that came out of the sides that would connect to air tanks affixed to the rear of the torso piece.


    This way, if the filter failed, the helmet would stop anything froming through that end and use the air tanks to provide clean air for up to two hours. Jason excitedly connected the helmet to the armour''s exoskeleton before rushing to get the torso.


    The chest area stood several inches out from where his chest would actually be beforeing in tight around his stomach and waist. Inside the metal chest were eight canisters that held different chemicals. These were then connected with transparent hoses that would run down his arms to connect to his gauntlets.


    On the left side, canisters held different poisons that could coat the darts for his Dart Gun. While the right side had a new mmable liquid that would ignite as soon as it was exposed to air. This drastically increased the power and lethality of the methrower in his right gauntlet.


    As Jason fixed this piece to the exoskeleton, he hummed happily as he connected the helmets electronics to the sensors and such in the chest piece. He discovered no issues as he sealed the air hoses to the two sturdy tanks on the back.


    Next came his gauntlets that had been lightly modified to be thicker andpatible with the hoses that would deliver the chemicals to them when needed. For the finale, Jason grabbed his boots which again had been lightly modified to make thempatible with the overall weight of his armour.


    The mini biofuel engines were now much more stable and robust, but in the end, they ended up having the same performance rating due to the increased strain of the Infinity''s weight. The only noticeable difference here was that the metal around the calves had gotten bigger to amodate the slightlyrger engine size and increased fuel capacity needed to make them work.


    Jason took a moment to appreciate his prototype. It was at this moment that he truly felt as though anything was possible. However, he did not have time to get lost in just looking at it. He still had to physically test it out before catching a couple of hours of shut-eye.


    It was bad enough that he would already be tired on his first day in training, so he did not want to make it worse. Jason moved around to the rear of the armour. He fumbled with the locking mechanism meant to ensure that the Infinity stayed sealed to prevent any air pollution or gas-based abilities from reaching him on the inside.


    As the lock clicked open, the rear torso area lifted upwards on the pistons meant to support the movements of the armour and absorb and shocks. Jason struggled to climb in and make sure his feet did not identally rip out any of the loose electrical wires on the inside.


    He simply did not have enough time to create panels for the interior and keep them safe. Once he was safely inside, Jason pushed down on a pedal hidden inside his right boot, which made the Infinity boot up as the hatch on his back slowly closed to seal him inside

 Chapter 92: New Seed (2)

    Chapter 92: New Seed (2)


    The dials inside the helmet gradually crept up to what should be considered standard operating parameters, which made Jason''s rapidly beating heart gradually slow down. This had been the part he had been most afraid of. After all, there would have been nothing worse than getting blown up in your armour or something if you had made a mistake creating it!


    Jason slowly started to move around. The joints of his body would touch pressure points in the exoskeleton to activate the internal machinery to help in navigating it properly. All in all, he was pretty happy with its response. At the very least, there was nothing wrong with it so far.


    However, the Infinity would be put through a proper stress test when he took it out for training in a few hours. Jason first walked, then jogged and finally ran someps around the hall. It took a while for him to get used to moving around correctly in the Infinity, but it gave him a kind of rush that he could not exin.


    Luckily, he already knew that his methrower, Dart Gun, RDB''s and Firebrand de worked just fine as he had tested them independently earlier that day. The only issue that he really had with it was the narrowed vision due to the visor.


    ''I''ll need to redesign it at some point, but this should be enough for now.'' Jason sighed as he collected his thoughts on Infinity''s first test run.


    ''There are a few points to improve on as soon as possible. I need a better system to help with making it respond to my movements while inside. There were a few areas that could cripple it if it takes too much damage. Then there was.''


    "Just stop already. You can think of these things some other time. Right now, you need to get to bed and rest up. Just think of how Sentinel will react if you perform poorly tomorrow!" Syssie cut into Jason''s thoughts with a rather sharp tone.


    Jason cursed because he knew she was right. But at the same time, he really wanted to optimise the Infinity as much as possible before he revealed it to the other Guardian cadets. ''There''s no point. Even if I can think of how to rece these parts, I don''t have enough time. It''ll just have to do as is for now.''


    Jason slowly approached the workstations before pushing on the pedal hidden in his left boot this time. The armours systems gradually shut down as the hatch unlocked and opened up. ''I need to think of a manual emergency release for this too. Otherwise, it''ll be a death trap if the system gets crippled.''


    That was just another issue that Jason added to his current list of things to improve on. Jason fell to the floor in a heap as he struggled to climb out of the Infinity. Which naturally meant that yet another modification idea was added to the already extensive list in his mind.


    ''Damn it!'' Jasonined as he picked himself up off the floor.


    "Serves you right! I''ve been bored as hell the past few days. All you''ve done is y with your toys. Would it kill you to just have a conversation with me from time to time?" Syssieined as she straightened out her signature red cocktail dress.


    "What do you expect me to talk about? You know everything I do, which kind of kills any conversation starters." Jason chuckled as he closed the Infinity''s hatch. ''Of right! The Firebrand de!''


    Syssie shed an annoyed look at Jason as he retrieved the sword and slotted it into the sheath situated beneath the air tanks on the armour''s rear. Jason''s eyes sparkled as he took a final look at his newest creation. There was something beautiful about it, even though it was just a lump of metal.


    "So do you want me to give it an evaluation now?" Syssie asked as she nced at the armour with disdain.


    "No" Jason replied after a slight pause to think about it. This was only his prototype, so he did not want to waste the First Creation Bonus on it. He did notck in means to gather PP just now anyway, so what was the point? It was clearly better to wait until it was in a moreplete state to maximise his gains.


    "Let''s just get some sleep for now. I have no idea what happens in training. Sentinel won''t tell us anything about it, so I might need you to be at your best." Jason smiled ruefully at her before heading into his room. He grabbed a quick shower to freshen up a bit before sliding into bed.


    As Jason fell asleep, Friday appeared in the hallway next to the Infinity with aplicated expression upon his face. He scanned the Infinity armour from head to toe and managed to reverse engineer it with his processing power.


    "The technology level used is still basic. However, the biofuel is unique. If Sentinel reces the blood and oil intake of his left side with it, his lifespan should increase slightly." Friday hummed to himself as he studied the data. "It''s still a low-grade fuel, so how did nobody in the basee up with it?"


    Friday feltplicated when he considered Jason as a whole. On the one hand, Jason could hold the key to increasing Sentinel''s lifespan exponentially. On the other, Jason''s potential was terrifying. If Sentinel was right and Jason''s Power was a higher ssification of Super Intelligence than Technomancy, then he was someone who could be dangerous to themter on.


    "Hm, will he take our side if he finds out about the n? Or is he a monster of our own making that we''ll have to deal with down the line?" Friday''s eyes narrowed as he wondered what the Infinity mighte to look like in the future. "Only time will tell, I guess. It''s called the Infinity, right? I guess I should get on with what Sentinel asked me to."


    [Connecting to mainframe]


    [Great Library ess Granted]


    [Searching relevant images for keyword "Infinity"]

 Chapter 93: New Seed (3)

    Chapter 93: New Seed (3)


    "Alright, maggots! Listen up!" Captain Hyde roared as he stared at his toon of cadets standing to attention in front of him. "It seems that some of you have be aware of a special guest joining us today."


    Captain Hyde made a deliberate point of staring directly at Adam, who he suspected to have been the one who spread the information. However, Adam gave nothing away as he kept his expression poker straight as if what the Captain had said did not interest him at all. Captain Hyde snorted when he saw that he failed to elicit a reaction from Adam and turned to scan the crowd once again.


    "This individual has already seeded in bing a Seed set to rece one of the five pirs." Captain Hyde paused for dramatic effect to let that piece of information sink in. "So, does that not mean that you are more likely to be noticed if you perform well inparison to this individual? Hell, you might even be able to snatch their ce from them."


    Captain Hyde could see thepetitive looks in the cadets'' eyes as they fantasised about bing a Seed and receiving personal guidance and training from an established Pir. Who among them would not be tempted by such a thing?


    "As we discussed on the first day, two of the current Pirs will be retiring in a few more years. So the top two of this cadet ss will most likely be their Seeds. However, you now have the opportunity to steal this position for yourselves at any point throughout your training without having to rely on your end of training results."


    Captain Hyde decided to ignore those who broke protocol and began to eagerly nod their heads to his words. ''Brainless, the lot of them.'' Captain Hyde snorted as he scanned the toon one more time. ''Since they''re already a Seed, they can''t be anything simple. Never mind the fact that they managed to grab Sentinel''s attention who''s notorious for never training anyone.''


    "All right, with that said, I hope you all came prepared for a beating today! To properly wee our guest, I''ve rearranged our schedule to hold group close quarterbat training today! Move out!"


    A few groans followed that announcement before the toon turned on the spot and marched alongside their Captain. Their destination was a modified area of the city ruins on one side of the bridge that Bridgend was built on.


    Adam and Dani were side by side as they marched at the front of the toon. The two shared an excited nce with each other as they turned the corner into the training area. Standing in front of them with his back facing the iing toon was a giant of a man with slicked-back grey hair.


    Naturally, the cadets were confused by this man''s presence here. He looked a little too old to be considered as a Seed to them. The Captain suddenly elerated his own march to overtake his toon.


    "toon! Halt!" Captain Hyde roared as he came to a stop just a few steps behind the solitary figure.


    "toon! Salute!" Captain Hyde roared at the top of his lungs as he saluted the man.


    By this point, the cadets behind them were utterly confused. Was the man some sort of bigshot officer?


    "Lord Commander Sentinel! It''s a pleasure to see you, sir! I had no idea that you would be joining us this fine morning!" Captain Hyde respectfully greeted Sentinel in front of his toon.


    However, the cadets went ck-jawed when they heard their Captain basically introduce the mysterious figure. Quite a few of them even had to gulp as their mouth became dry while others became excited.


    Every one amongst them had attended the seminars. They knew the military''s structure inside and out by now. So, every one of them knew that the title of Lord Commander belonged to the number one Pir! His authority was second only to the Lord''s!


    Adam grinned when he realised that the information that he had gained was entirely correct. He had only shared with Dani the part of the rumour that said it was the Lord Commander''s apprentice who was joining them.


    He had done this so that they coulde up with a n to either befriend or topple the Seed from his position. The only problem was that there was no information on Sentinel''s or his Seed''s Power avable to them. So they could only run through mental simtions of what they should do if they had to face the Seed inbat.


    Adam and Dani shared a sly grin with each other at this turn of events. Since it would be a group battle, they would undoubtedly team up with each other, which was one of the most hoped for situations. Sentinel''s presence, though, was the icing on the cake!


    If they could impress the Lord Commander, then receiving those Seed slots should not be a problem at all! However, there was one issue. Where the hell was the Seed?


    At that point, Sentinel turned to look at Captain Hyde, and the cadets got their first glimpse of his cybeic eye as he scanned them. They felt as though they werepletely naked in front of that gaze!


    "Good morning, Captain," Sentinel replied with a rather gruff voice as though he were unimpressed. "I just thought I''d apany my apprentice today to see how he performs."


    "I''m sure he''ll meet your expectations, sir. If I may ask, where is he? As you know, we have a busy schedule, sir. So I''d like to begin today''s training as soon as possible." Captain Hyde was a bit nervous as he questioned Sentinel. However, he felt as though it were his duty to do so.


    "He''s arriving now." Sentinel let out a soft smirk as he caught sight of the Infinity running down the road from behind the cadets.


    Captain Hyde inevitably gasped when he saw the Infinity''s silhouette. His reaction made the cadets feel panicked and curious at the same time. However, nobody dared to break formation or turn to take a look behind them.

 Chapter 94: New Seed (4)

    Chapter 94: New Seed (4)


    Adam and Dani felt curious as they heard footsteps walking up the side of their toon from behind, apanied by light gasps. Eventually, the heavy footfalls of the Infinity passed by them, allowing them to get a look at who they were up against.


    However, just like every other cadet, the pair were stupefied by what they saw. That ''thing'' was not a person! The armour looked thick enough to block anything that they could throw at it!


    That assumption was just an illusion, though. Although the Infinity was indeed heavy as a whole, the armour itself was ssed as a medium type since Jason had shaved the tes down to reduce their weight and thickness. The cadets had misinterpreted the thicker areas as being all metal. Unaware that they were hollow and protecting vital equipment.


    Jason had naturally known that he would be taking part in the same training as Adam and Dani. However, they had no reason to suspect that the Seed was him. As Jason came to a halt in front of Sentinel, thetter decided to introduce him to the Captain.


    "This is my apprentice. For now, I have forbidden him from speaking so as not to give away his identity until we cane up with a solution. I trust that you can work around this?" Sentinel''s tone alone already said that he would not ept no for an answer.


    "That''s fine, sir. However, if you''re protecting his identity, I assume that he won''t use his real name. What should his teammates and myself call him then?" Captain Hyde eyed the alien-looking Infinity with some interest. The cadets were all allowed to use their own equipment during training. It was only when they became fully-fledged Guardians that they would receive uniformal armour that had been tailored to their Powers.


    Jason nced at Sentinel through his visor with some interest. In fact, Sentinel had actually never said anything to him about not being allowed to talk. If he had known about that, he was sure that he could have found some way to distort his voice.


    "Friday" Sentinel said as he stroked his chin. The cadets gasped when the hologram appeared next to Sentinel and bowed. "What did you find?"


    "With respect, sir. There was only one suitable name that apanied the provided keyword. Ouroboros." Friday bowed once again before disappearing from sight.


    Jason raised an eyebrow at their exchange. He had no idea what Ouroboros meant, but it sounded kind of cool.


    "You heard Friday, Captain. You shall call him Ouroboros." Sentinel nodded his head as if he was happy with the name while the Captain wore aplicated expression on his face.


    "It''s a bit strange sounding. It sounds like a name that would be given to a Pir." Captain Hyde tried to wrap his mind around the pronunciation.


    "Who cares? Now, I thought you were in a hurry? So can we get this show on the road? My apprentice and I have a lot of work to do after this." Sentinel scoffed at the Captain''s ill-concealedint.


    The Captain appeared a little panicked by Sentinel''s rebuttal and immediately snapped a salute before turning to address his toon.


    "Ok, toon! Group up!" The Captain yelled, and the cadets nice, neat formation immediately shattered as everyone rushed to group up with those they along with best.


    The forty-eight cadets split up into eight teams of six, and naturally, Adam and Dani ended up on the same team. The Captain nced at the groupings as he wondered where to put Jason. His eyes fell on Adam, and a smirk crossed his face. This was an excellent chance to bring him down a peg. If he could not fight against Sentinel''s Seed, then he had no chance of proving himself.


    "Ouroboros. You shall join Ms Kane''s team over there." Captain Hyde pointed towards Dani. He was not stupid enough to make it evident that he actually targeting Adam with this move.


    Adam and Dani''s expressions became cold when they heard the Captain''s order. They obviously knew that it spelt the end of them being able to make a good impression during this training exercise. Just as Jason went to move to join their team, Sentinel suddenly cut in.


    "There''s no need for that, Captain. My apprentice will be taking part as a solobatant." Sentinel''s tone sounded arrogant. Almost like he hadplete confidence in his apprentice''s ability to wipe the floor with every cadet present.


    This obviously rubbed many cadets the wrong way as they red at Jason with tant hostility. However, even he was surprised by Sentinel''s statement. After all, the Infinity had never been tested in livebat, so he had no idea how it would hold up with nobody to watch his back.


    "Sir, are you sure? Not to question your judgement, but it''s a little early to count my cadets out." Captain Hyde was clearly shocked as well.


    For one thing, he did not like the idea of the Lord Commander looking down on his troops. Sure, he had hoped that some would receive a beating from Ouroboros earlier. However, that was only to make them more passionate about improving themselves.


    From the way Sentinel had spoken, it was as if he were spitting in the face of the Captain''s efforts to train this batch of cadets! Now that was something that he could not ignore!


    "I''m positive. One day he will take my ce. So he needs to learn what it''s like to face overwhelming odds alone. To be in a situation where he can not rely on reinforcements or for anyone to watch his back. This is the perfect ce for him to start learning that lesson." Sentinel nodded his head as he spoke and scanned the cadets.


    ''Plus, my speech just now should drive them to work together to bring him down. Which will simte an actual battlefield where he''s surrounded by a unified enemy. What more could I ask for?'' Sentinel chuckled lightly as Captain Hyde proceeded to give the order for the teams to scatter throughout the training ground

 Chapter 95: New Seed (5)

    Chapter 95: New Seed (5)


    Jason froze for a moment as the stampede began. Every team rushed off to find a good spot to set up an ambush or create a defensive base. Jason cursed as he joined the crowd rushing into the training ground.


    He studied the buildings all around him only to notice that they were in a deplorable condition. Many of the walls had holes, scorch marks and other signs of being involved in heated battles. ''It looks like this ce has seen better days.'' Jason thought as he noticed a few teams splitting off from the pack.


    ''I''m at a disadvantage. It looks like they''re used to thendscape, so they should already have solid ns in ce that work for their Powers. What should I do?'' Jason was feeling a little lost. He had never experienced something like this before. Instead, he usually had time to n out his approach and take his opponent''s unaware.


    As Jason was lost in his thoughts, he felt something strike his left side hard. Someone next to him shouted in pain as he held his hand. When he turned to see what had happened, he noticed five cadets spread out in a semi-circle behind him while their sixth member tried to back away from him in fear.


    Jason suddenly grinned when he realised what had happened. This team of unfamiliar faces had tried to take him by surprise and failed miserably. ''I guess he must have Super Strength or something simr.'' Jason thought as he eyed the youth who was holding his shattered hand in confusion.


    This was part of why Jason had used a mechanical exoskeleton covered in armour over his own body. It was so that people who had a physical advantage over him could not end the fight in a single move. The sheer weight of the Infinity would make it difficult for anyone to casually knock it off bnce.


    Jason ran a hand over the area that the cadet had struck and discovered a small dent. ''He packs a solid punch. If that had been my body he hit instead, I would have a few broken ribs right now.''


    Jason eyed the other five members as the sounds of the rest of the toon slowly faded. It seemed like this particr team had been left to deal with this on their own. Which made sense to Jason. Each team would probably leave behind a scout to gather information on his Power so that their respective teams coulde up with a n to deal with him.


    As Jason stared at them, he noticed that they seemed to be on edge. Nobody else attempted to use their Power against him, which confused Jason. It would make sense for those with ranged abilities to unleash everything that they had on him right now.


    Jason grew impatient and took a step towards the woman in the centre of the formation, only for her to take a step back. ''Don''t tell me, they all have physical Powers?'' When nobody had fired something off at him when he stepped forward, Jason concluded that they were all melee fighters.


    ''In that case, then the guy who struck first should be the strongest.'' He turned his head to look at the cadet with a broken hand. ''This''ll be easy then!''


    Now that he had a grasp of what he was dealing with, Jason activated the RDB''s engines and suddenly elerated towards his target! The sudden burst of speed caught the cadet off guard as Jason rammed his shoulder into his opponent''s chest! The cadet felt like he had been hit by a freight train as the impactunched him through the air to crash into the building''s wall behind him.


    There was a sickening crunching noise as he collided with the wall. ''He should be out of the fight now.'' Jason smirked from the safety of the Infinity. The sudden brutality that Jason had unleashed on their teammate gave the other five a fright. One of the boys even had tears in his eyes as he nced towards the wall.


    ''You''d think I just killed their friend! That tap should have only broken a few bones. Which is nothing worse than what would have happened to me if he had hit me without the Infinity!'' Jason suddenly felt like he was the bully here despite having been surrounded by six people.


    ''I can''t use the RDB''s again. I have to save fuel in case I need themter on. I''ll just have to see if they''re willing to fight it out.'' Jason ran towards the nearest boy whose fists took on a metallic look to them when he realised that he was next on the chopping block!


    Jason threw a punch towards the cadet''s head, but he blocked it with his forearms. A metallic sound rang out, which told Jason that the boy''s Power covered more than his fists. Jason dropped his stance lower and swung an uppercut into the cadet''s abdomen.


    There was a loud coughing noise as Jason''s fist connected with something soft. ''So it''s just his arms then?'' Now that he had confirmed the cadet''s weakness, heshed out with a kick to his opponent''s ribs. Breaking three of them on contact! The boy dropped to the ground as he screamed in pain.


    ''Two down.'' Jason turned to look at the remaining four, who seemed to realise that they had to work together.


    There was no room for them to attempt to escape. The speed that Jason had disyed initially meant that turning their backs to him would not result in a pleasant experience. Of course, these cadets had no idea that Jason was limited in how many times he could use it.


    The four of them came at him together, throwing wild attacks at his armour. Jason barely had to defend himself. None of them was even capable of leaving a dent in the Infinity. Jason sighed as he retaliated during their attacks to catch them off guard. Two of them were knocked unconscious as his fist connected with their jaws. One of them ended up with a fractured hip when Jason kicked her, and thest one attempted to run.


    However, she was too close when she turned her back to Jason, who grabbed her hair and mmed her face into the concrete ground. Jason felt disappointed by this first realbat test, and now he felt eager to find his next victims.


    Dani stared down at the scene from a window above where Jason had just fought. She had seen how the entire fight had gone down. Then without a sound, she disappeared

 Chapter 96: Proving Grounds

    Chapter 96: Proving Grounds


    Jason dove through a broken window as an ice dagger shattered on its frame. For the past ten minutes, he had forced to retreat by Dani''s team, which consisted of Adam, Amy the Cryomancer and Gerald, who could phase through matter. So everyone who had made it from Highrise.


    One of the extra spots on the team had been taken by a guy called Harry, a Pyromancer who could create and manipte fire. The final spot was taken by a girl named Michelle, who could absorb kic damage and fire it back as an energy beam from her hands.


    After a few exchanges, Jason had weighed up their weaknesses. The most dangerous one among their team for him to face was Gerald. Who happened to be the only one amongst them who couldpletely ignore Jason''s armour. Gerald''s weakness, though, was that he could only phase a limited amount of his body at a time.


    Jason could essentially ignore Dani. Her ability was annoying in a fight, but she had no means to actually do any harm to him. She could only serve as reconnaissance and try to direct the team''s efforts.


    Adam was too flexible with good battle instincts. Hitting him in a fistfight was impossible while using the Infinity. However, Adam could not be too aggressive because if Jason managed to hit him, he would be out of the fight. Not only that, but he suffered the same shoring as Dani. With no way to actually damage the Infinity either.


    The Infinity''s armour was heat resistant, so that should have counted Harry out of the fight as well. Except he worked with Amy to try a strategy of supercooling then superheating the metal armour to try and make it more brittle.


    Amy herself had no real weakness except her stamina. Jason already knew from the tournament that her greatest weakness was how quickly she got tired out if she used shy moves. Apart from that, she was well rounded in attack and defence.


    Michelle was the absolute powerhouse of the team, though. Her ability naturally protected her at all times from kic damage. So, using a melee weapon or his dart gun was out of the question while considering her. Especially since she would turn that damage against Jason.


    Jason breathed heavily as he hid below the window frame. He had been forced into a passive defensive battle on his side. Meaning that Dani''s strategy was most likely to keep him feeling the pressure while they tired him out and slowly cracked his armour open.


    Jason had to admit that it was clever of them, but he already had a n in mind. Dani''s team only knew of his speed burst, the strength of his armour and the fact he could hit like a truck thanks to the Infinity. He had kept the rest of his arsenal hidden as he led them into somewhere more private.


    After all, if he defeated them, then he would still have other teams to face. Jason was rtively confident in his belief that the scouts of at least one or two units were following them. However, he had a hunch that they would not get too close. Especially if the fight moved inside of an enclosed space.


    Jason frowned as he noticed the metal on the right side of his chest beginning to crack due to Amy and Harry''sbined assault. ''It seems like I have to improve on what materials I''m using. I wonder if there''s anything that can protect me against both of them at the same time?''


    Naturally, Jason was using this opportunity to figure out the Infinity''s weaknesses so that he could improve upon them. Jason waited another few seconds before switching his position to behind a concrete column. He had to wait and see who would attempt to follow him first before deciding on how to handle the situation.


    A few minutes passed before Adam dove through the window and directly into a roll. Jason immediately activated his RDB''s to close the distance between them before Adam could get the chance to react. After all, this tactic had proven effective against him during the tournament when he almost got knocked out.


    Adam was ready for this move due to the intelligence that Dani had gathered beforehand. The way hended allowed him tounch into an acrobatic flip to avoid the sudden charge! Jason grinned when Adam dodged as his left arm spun around to follow his path through the air.


    Four darts shot from the knuckles on his gauntlet. These darts would cover a broader range the further they travelled, and with Adam being in mid-air, he was in no position to perform another manoeuvre. Adam grunted as two of the darts found their mark.


    One struck his neck while the second managed to pierce his left glove. Each dart carried a chemical that would make its victim be drowsy and entirely pass out within five seconds of being injected. Adam barely managed tond without hurting himself before the chemical took effect.


    Michelle dove through the window quickly, followed by Gerald. The pair arrived just in time to see Adam hit the deck. From what they could see, Adam had not taken a hit. The distance between Adam and Jason did not make any sense to them either. From what they knew of this person called Ouroboros, he did not seem to possess any ranged attacks.


    The pair of them frowned as they looked at the menacing figure of the Infinity. Both of them had begun to wonder if Ouroboros had held back against the team he had defeated as well as their''s so far. They exchanged a brief nce before revealing determined expressions.


    The pair of them took a few steps towards Jason before they halted. Thetter had just drawn the Firebrand de from its sheath and brandished it at the couple. At first, they felt as if they had nothing to worry about. After all, melee weapons had limited effectiveness on both of them due to their Powers.


    However, what gave them pause was the way the de of the short sword had begun to glow red hot

 Chapter 97: Proving Grounds (2)

    Chapter 97: Proving Grounds (2)


    Jason smirked as both of them paused. Michelle could absorb the impact of the de and remain unharmed, but the heat would bypass that feature of her Power. Naturally, she would not want to get roasted just to get the energy to release her Power in an attack against him.


    Gerald, on the other hand, was concerned about what effect it might have on him. He had never seen a weapon like it, so he had no experience to go off of in this situation. Seeing that they were hesitating, Jason decided to take the initiative. He once again activated the RDB''s and aimed directly for Michelle!


    The pair panicked when they realised that he had targeted the powerhouse of their team without any hesitation on his part. Gerald lunged to try and intercept Jason during his charge. However, he had not expected Jason to cancel the charge after a short distance and point his right wrist towards him!


    Jason unleashed a quick burst of his methrower. The mes engulfed Gerald, who screamed in pain for a split second before passing out because his brain could not handle it. As Jason nced at Gerald''s burnt and still burning body, he noticed that Gerald had used his Power to protect his head from the mes.


    ''Smart move.'' Jasonmented in his mind as he trained his sights on Michelle once again.


    This time, Michelle found herself without any backup and with no way to counter either the methrower of the Firebrand de. Jason was surprised when she resolutely decided to abandon her teammates and make a quick exit through the same window she had entered from!


    Jason cursed as he unleashed another quick burst of fire towards her escaping figure. A girlish scream told him that he had managed to catch her on time, but he figured that the damage would be minimal. After all, she had not received a full-blown bath like Gerald had.


    Jason waited for a few minutes before the tension finally left his body. He felt exhausted due to the prolonged chase and subsequent battle. ''I need to start working out. This armour puts a lot of strain on my muscles.'' Jason groaned as he pinpointed his own physical weakness as a problem that was already affecting him.


    Now he understood why Sentinel had insisted on the importance of physical training. Jason had just assumed that he could get through life by just creating items to make his life easier. He never thought about if he happened to get caught up in arge scale battle that would be both physically and mentally exhausting.


    ''They''ll eithere up with a new n of attack, or they''ll fall back for now.'' Jason took this chance to analyse what would probably happen next. ''If they fall back, then Dani will probably keep an eye on me. So I should be prepared to face a sudden ambush either towards the end or when I look like I''m at my weakest.''


    ''Come to think of it. What should I do about them?'' Jason nced towards Adam''s and Gerald''s unconscious bodies. Nobody had exined the rules of this exercise to him, so he was a little concerned that he may have gone overboard. Especially when he considered the extensive damage that he had done to Gerald in particr.


    However, before he could get too lost in his thoughts, a woman wearing a Lieutenants uniform appeared out of thin air right next to him! Jason nced at the woman in shock as she studied the situation.


    "Not bad. You''re wracking up quite the count already." She chuckled as she ran a hand through her bob cut brown hair. "I''ll just take these two with me. Keep doing what you''re doing, kid."


    The woman grabbed Adam before walking over to ce a hand on Gerald. A slight smile appeared on her face as she winked at Jason, and all three of them vanished!


    Despite the brief shock, Jason felt relieved that he did not have to be responsible for the pair. He did not know what he would do if she had left Adam behind because he was not really injured. Adam was a friend now, and Jason would rather not have to break a few bones just to take him out of the fight.


    ''Let''s take a look outside.'' Jason crept along the wall for cover before peering around the edge of the window frame. His curiosity was met by a wave of fire washing over his helmet and flowing into the room.


    Jason cursed as he realised that Dani''s team had not given up on taking him out yet. At this point, they were just showing how stubborn they were. It definitely made more sense for them to fall back and regroup.


    ''What are they up to?'' Jason wondered as he ducked back behind the wall. Although he could not see it, the paint job on his helmet had been melted away. Leaving ck scorched steel behind in its wake.


    Jason tried waiting a few more times while asionally peeking out of different windows. However, he was always met with a wave of fire or ice in return. Jason cursed under his breath at their tenacity. He had tried to leave the room he was in through the doorway, but the hall ceiling on the other side hadpletely copsed. Trapping him inside of this single room.


    ''Should I just make a break for it? Amy would be the easiest one to take out if I use the Firebrand and the methrower.'' As Jason puzzled over his next move, the wall a few metres to his left suddenly exploded inwards as a crimson beam prated it. The sudden attack had surprised him, which made him fail to react in time as the beam quickly swept through the wall horizontally until it hit him!


    Jason yelled through gritted teeth as the impact rattled him around inside of the exoskeleton. The st had sent the Infinity rolling across the floor. ''Damn it! How did she manage to charge her Power!'' Jason was furious about his own miscalction in failing to consider Michelle''s presence properly...

 Chapter 98: Proving Grounds (3)

    Chapter 98: Proving Grounds (3)


    Jason rolled over and ducked behind a column to put anotheryer between himself and Michelle''s energy beam. He kept cursing as he explored the damage to the Infinity using his hands and line of sight.


    The energy beam had struck his left side, rending a hole in the air tank on that side and straight through the front! The st had been inches away from tearing a hole right through Jason''s actual body, which infuriated him. Chemicals fizzled as they ran down the front of his armour.


    Two of the containers inside of the chest te that held different poisons had beenpletely destroyed. The leaking substances would leave a trail behind him wherever he went until they ran dry.


    Jason assessed the overall damage as he steadily got to his feet. Some of the wires and sensors that controlled the armour''s movements and some mechanical parts had been devastated. His left side was dangerously close to bing unresponsive, which would turn him into a sitting duck!


    Jason grit his teeth as he prepared himself mentally to dive into a brutal fight. His current situation was no longer to his benefit. If he continued to try and wait them out, Michelle would eventually hunt him down with brute force.


    He shouted within the confines of the Infinity as he ran out from behind his cover. The damage that Michelle had done had caused a section of the wall to copse and create a new,rger exit. Jason automatically headed for this hole, hoping that one of Dani''s teammates would be standing near it on the other side.


    The second he escaped the building, a wave of fire came from his right side while ice spikes wereunched from his left. Jason felt a stinging pain in his left ribs but did his best to ignore it as he scanned the nearby area for Michelle.


    His eyesnded on Dani, supporting Michelle''s weight on her shoulder while punching thetter in the gut. Jason immediately understood what their n had been when he saw this bizarre situation. Michelle was using her own teammates to provide the kic energy needed for her energy beam!


    Jason growled as more mes licked across his visor. He was done ying around! Jason crossed his arms over his chest to fire his methrower at Amy on his left and shoot darts at Harry on his right.


    Jason''s methrower shattered the next round of ice projectiles that Amy had just unleashed. Causing a hot steamy mist to cover her as his mes gave her a lovely new bald hairstyle. The steam and mesbined created a highly ufortable situation for Amy as her skin was scalded first and then barbecued.


    Needless to say, the pain was too much for her to bear as she squealed and writhed on the ground. However, to her credit, she did manage to stay conscious through it. Although, that was probably not a good thing considering the situation she was in.


    Harry, on the other hand, took a quadruple dose of acid injected directly into his body. Jason did not even bother to look in his direction as he already knew what the oue was when the mes stoppeding for him. He did not feel bad about using these methods at all.


    After all, Dani''s team had gone the extra mile first when Michelle''s energy beam had very nearly pierced his heart. Which would have killed him outright. There was a good chance that the Guardian''s had someone who could fix severe injuries like those he had just inflicted on these poor souls.


    Michelle''s expression became panicked when she realised that Jason had just taken down two more team members. There was no way that Dani would be able to refill Michelle''s Power in time, and they both knew it.


    "Go!" Michelle shoved Dani away from her in an attempt to get her to escape. "I can''t get away, but you can! Just run!"


    Dani''s expression became odd as she looked from Michelle, who could barely stand on her own with great difficulty, and Jason, who looked like he had fought his way through hell. After a moment of hesitation, she ced herself between Jason and Michelle to protect herrade.


    "What are you doing!" Michelleined as she winced in pain from her half-melted foot that Jason had damaged earlier.


    "Look at him!" Dani replied in a stern voice. "He may have made it through everything we could throw at him. But it doesn''t look like he canst much longer. I don''t even think he realises that one of Amy''s projectiles slipped through that hole you made! I bet he''s bleeding out inside of that tin can of his."


    Michelle looked towards Jason and realised that Dani was right. Much of the paint on the Infinity was already gone, and the bright metal beneath was now ckened beyond belief. There were obvious cracks in the armour that protected their opponent, which gave them a reason to hope that they could bring him down.


    "Have you got enough in you for a short pulse?" Dani asked with a low voice to stop Jason from overhearing her.


    Michelle paused for a second as she analysed how much energy she had stored. "Just about."


    "Good. I''ll keep him distracted. The second you get a good shot, take it. Don''t worry about me." Dani''s n was simple. She would teleport behind the man known as Ouroboros and strike at him through the hole in his armour. Forcing him to fixate his attention on her.


    From that position, she would be able to see when Michelle let off her attack. Giving Dani enough time to teleport out of there to safety. The two women steeled their nerves as they prepared tounch their attack.


    Meanwhile, while they had their quick discussion. Jason had noticed that he had begun to feel quite faint. An intense pain ached from his left side, which was the only reason he was still conscious at this point. He instinctively knew he had to bet everything on onest attack

 Chapter 99: Proving Grounds (4)

    Chapter 99: Proving Grounds (4)


    Jason kept his eyes on Dani. Since she had decided to stay and fight, he knew that his condition could not look good. There was a good chance that she would try to distract him until Michelle could hit him with another st that could end the fight. However, Jason knew that there was a slight dy between Dani disappearing and arriving at her destination.


    That would be his moment to take control of the battle. Jason''s eyes felt strained as he did not dare to blink. He had to act the moment that Dani did. Michelle took a few steps back, and Jason narrowed his eyes. ''Here ites.''


    Dani vanished, and Jason immediately activated the RDB''s. He shot forward, leaving Michelle surprised and Dani even more so as she took a swing at thin air as she reappeared. ''How can he have already figured out my Power?''


    Michelle screamed as she panicked. She could only imagine the pain that she was about to go through. Jason raised his right wrist to aim his methrower, only to stumble. His momentum disappeared as the boots ran out of fuel! ''Damn! Not now!'' Jason cursed as he ground to a halt short of his target.


    The momentary interruption gave Dani a chance to teleport over and take a swipe at him. Her Storm bounced off the armour as was to be expected, but she wanted to make Ouroboros focus on her. Of course, Jason would not make that mistake. Michelle was too much of a threat to leave her alone now.


    Dani''s eyes went wide as fire spewed from Jason''s wrist. Michelle was caught by only the very edge of the mes, but that was enough. Her skin quickly turned bright red before melting. Jason grinned when he realised he had seeded in removing her from the battle as she slumped to the ground.


    He spun as quickly as he could tosh out at Dani, but she just teleported into Jason''s blind spot. The sound of his armour constantly being bashed by Dani hurt his ears as he grew frustrated. Dani''s powers allowed her to keep out of his reach, and the fuel for his methrower had run dry as well during thest burst.


    Jason cursed as he took note of every problem he was experiencing to implement new modificationter. His mind raced to try and find a way to win the battle, but he came up empty. Jason sighed as he epted what he hade to realise. ''This is my limit for now.''


    Jason turtled up and focused on reducing the damage that Dani could do as much as possible as he backed off. He smiled when his back touched a wall because this meant that Dani would have to be more frontal from now on. Naturally, Dani realised that as well. She frowned heavily as she stared at the battered Infinity with its arms raised like a boxer.


    ''He keeps protecting the hole in his armour.'' This was what was bothering Dani. She had tried several times to slip her Storm inside to electrocute Ouroboros''s natural body, but he constantly thwarted her. It was like he was aware that her weapon hid dangerous effects. She had even tried to line it up at a distance, but he immediately reacted as if she were going to fire a projectile.


    She was struggling to understand if it was just good battle instincts or something else. Ouroboros had reacted perfectly to almost everyone on her team. Especially those from Highrise. ''Was he given our information? Maybe he only had time to study a few of the cadets, and we were just unlucky?''


    It sounded usible to her. After all, everyone in the toon knew each other''s abilities by now, so it would make sense for Sentinel to supply his apprentice with the same information. Dani grit her teeth and made up her mind to try one more time to bring Jason down.


    Just as Dani teleported, Jason momentarily lost consciousness. The brief ckout was enough for his guard to drop, and Dani became excited as she drove the Storm through the armour''s hole. She began to flick the switch to give this guy the shock of his life! However


    A siren rang all throughout the training ground! Dani screamed in frustration at that noise! It meant that the training exercise had ended. She knew that if she delivered the finishing blow now that her team would be disqualified. Meaning they would be stuck cleaning the habitation of the entire toon.


    With a downcast expression, she withdrew the Storm and returned it to the sheath on her waist. She eyed the tough armour in front of her before staring at the visor.


    "You got lucky This time" Dani frowned before turning to go and check on Michelle''s condition.


    The same officer from earlier who took Adam and Gerald away appeared briefly to take charge of Michelle. At some point during their fight, she must have collected Amy and Harry as they were nowhere to be seen. Jason panted inside of the Infinity as he knew he could not be able to stay standing for long once the adrenaline wore off.


    Luckily for him, Sentinel appeared as if he had been nearby to the fighting the entire time. The strength looking Guardian looked impressed as he scanned Jason''s condition. The current version of the Infinity was pretty much scrap metal by this point.


    "You did well. That was almost two full teams you wiped out alone. How does it feel?" Sentinel raised an eyebrow as he waited for the answer.


    "Exhausting" That was the only word that Jason could think of at this moment, and it was how he truly felt.


    Sentinel burst outughing as he seemed pleased with Jason''s response. "If you thought this was bad, wait until next time. They''ll be ready for you."


    Jason nced at the smirk on Sentinel''s face before revealing one of his own. "But next time, I''ll be ready for them too."

 Chapter 100: Proving Grounds (5)

    Chapter 100: Proving Grounds (5)


    Sentinel gave Jason two days to recover in bed. A nurse stopped by and used her Power to help in his recovery every six hours. Jason slept for almost all of this time except when he had to use the bathroom or eat. When he was finally allowed to get back to work, he raced out of his room as if his life depended on it.


    ''As it is, the Infinity won''t cut it in the next battle.'' Jason hummed as he looked at its wreckage. He was honestly shocked that it had taken such a beating. ''Medium armour isn''t going cut it any more. I need something heavier, and the lighter stuff can be used around the joints for flexibility.''


    Jason studied the internal damage next and was dismayed by what he saw. ''I definitely need to increase its durability. Some of these parts are bent out of shape or have snapped.'' Jason paused as he considered his options. ''It needs more powerful mechanical support that is easier to use.''


    His mind then turned to analyse his battle against Dani. ''It would be good if I had some way to attack people in my blind spots. I doubt I can bring her down otherwise.''


    Jason believed that Dani''s team or their Captain would have shared all the information they had on him by now with anyone who had not seen him fight. ''I need to think outside of the box. I have to approach this as if I''m expecting to fight the entire toon at once.''


    ''The first team was pitiful, but they''ll probably join different teams next time. Even though Sentinel says I did well, I don''t think so. I was brought to a halt before taking out Danis team. So any team with a good mix could do the same.''


    Jason sighed as these sort of thoughts ran through his mind. Designing the next version of the Infinity had be an ambitious project. Maybe too ambitious. It was yet to be seen if he had the skills to create something that would be able to go up against the entire toon at once.


    Jason ran through every schematic that his mind coulde up with. There were a few good ideas but nothing that could really give him an edge. ''I have to upgrade my skills again. It''s the only choice I have.''


    Jason sighed as he started to pick out a few of the more promising things. He got to work with a heavy mind. Swearing and shouts of frustration filled the hall whenever he failed. Jason barely slept over the next few days as he pushed on with his work. Eventually, he had created five new items.


    All of them reached the E rank in Syssie''s evaluation. However, Jason had no need for them and immediately scrapped them. He opened up his interface and looked at the 190 PP he had gained. He had already decided to grab Journeyman Mechanics since that would be a significant part of the Infinity.


    ''140 PP left.'' Jason sighed after he recovered from the usual painful ritual. He then turned his attention to the Heavy Armour Creation skills. Jason grit his teeth as he chose it for the first time and immediately boosted it to the Journeyman level! Spending 90 PP in the process!


    He now had a tough choice to make. He was torn between upgrading either Chemistry or Welding to the Journeyman level as well. Welding would help to increase his overall protection while Chemistry had more versatile uses. ''Everything else I''ve chosen should cover defence pretty well. I should round it out more.''


    After debating for some time, Jason finally chose Journeyman Chemistry. Blood ran freely from Jason''s nose as he recovered from the final painful injection of knowledge. ''What the hell?'' Jason was assaulted by a splitting headache. He could have sworn that his brain was literally falling apart!


    Syssie seemed panicked as she rushed over to check his condition. "Jason! Shit! Friday! Help!"


    Friday''s hologram appeared next to them with a frown on his face. "Why did you summon me? I was in the middle What happened!"


    Friday bent over Jason''s body and looked him over. Syssie took the chance to exin what Jason had done as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Friday''s expression grew darker with each part that Syssie talked about.


    "We need a doctor. The nurse won''t cut it this time! I''ll be right back!" Friday quickly disappeared, leaving the two alone.


    "What''s happening To me?" Jason gasped as another wave of pain assaulted him.


    "I think you''ve absorbed too much knowledge in one go." Syssie''s avatar had tears running down its cheeks as she stared at the blood. "I don''t think your brain has had long enough to prepare itself for this amount of information."


    "But, don''t you Stop that from happening?" Jason groaned.


    "When you unlock skills from the interface, you turn the restrictions off on the knowledge." Syssie sobbed. Even she had no idea that this was the reaction he would have. "Friday should be back soon. Just stay awake. "


    Meanwhile, Sentinel was standing at an open wall of Rust''s flying jellyfish. He was staring down at the border of the Lord''s domain. He looked to be totally at ease despite arge army gathering.


    "Another invasion attempt? When will they learn?" Rust snorted as she joined him to look at their opponents.


    "You should know that the Emperor is losing support. Why do you think the Lord has been focusing on improving our troops? Everyone''s preparing to seize control of the country." Sentinel sarcastically chuckled as if he thought little of these political games.


    "Won''t the princess take the throne once he''s gone? She''s still young, and her Power is still growing." Rust hummed as she thought about it. "The other Lord''s won''t be able to take her down."


    "Maybe not personally." Sentinel nodded. "But what if nobody intends to support her at all? It''ll just be an issue of a well-timed assassination to put an end to her."

 Chapter 101: Chemical Weaponry

    Chapter 101: Chemical Weaponry


    "What happened?" Jason asked as he woke up in his bed to see Syssie standing over him.


    "You''ve been in and out of consciousness for a few days. So I''ve only been able to get information when you were awake." Syssie sighed with relief when she saw he was able to hold a conversation. "From what I gathered, it sounds like you stretched your brain too far too fast."


    "How can I stretch my brain?" Jason asked with evident confusion.


    "Not physically, you idiot!" Syssie chuckled. "You stretched what is beyond your capabilities. It caused some bleeding, but the doc fixed you up."


    "Hm, So in other words, we need to take it more slowly? That''s no use to us, though." Jason groaned.


    "Well, you don''t have a choice. We just have to find a good bnce." Syssie let out a sad smile. It seemed to her that death was trying its best to im them no matter what they did.


    "Ok, I''m not confined to more bed rest, am I?" Jason had a pleading sound to his voice, and Syssie giggled.


    "No, you''re not. The doc said you''d be fully recovered by the time you could talk cohesively. I guess it was your lucky day." Syssie kept an eye on him as he slid out of bed.


    "Good, I''ve got too much to do." Jason''s mind was full of all the things he could do to upgrade the Infinity.


    It was making him restless. Desperate even. As if there was nothing else that mattered. He felt a drive infecting him. A drive to create and progress.


    Jason immediately set about gathering junk from the piles that had been restocked while he was out. His vision shed with the lights that pointed to what he needed as he activated his Scanner. A broad grin swept across his face while Syssie wore a concerned expression.


    She could not put her finger on it, but Jason seemed different. Still, all she could do was keep an eye on him.


    "Friday!" Jason shouted frantically, the hologram appeared in short order in response.


    "Ah! You''re finally" Friday began to say before he was cut off.


    "Cut the crap talk. I''m going to give you a list. Are you ready? Good, here goes." Jason immediately rattled off a bunch of things that he needed. Some of the items caused Friday to frown, but it should not be a problem to acquire them with Sentinel''s support.


    "I''ll pass this along. I''ll make sure they know it''s a top priority." Friday bowed before disappearing in his usual manner.


    Jason rushed towards the workbench that he had set up with the Chemistry equipment. ''I can''t believe this is possible! It''s like my eyes have finally been opened!''


    Jason scanned through the different chemical forme that were avable to him now with an excited expression. He began to set up what he needed and had on hand just now before putting certain flowers through specific processes.


    While that was going on, Jason began stripping some heavy metal from the scrap lying around. With his new increased knowledge, his mind already had aplete and cohesive new version of the Infinity in mind. It would still look the same, just with a few modifications.


    While Jason waited on his new materials, he started off by creating small metal cylinders. These were going to be the ammunition for one of the new mods that he had in mind. Except they would be filled with a new chemical form.


    It was needless to say that Jason was getting excited just by thinking ofpleting this project. He felt confident that he would be able to perform much better in the next exercise.


    Once hepleted these cylinders, he moved on to shaping the new armour tes. This time he nned to cover his waist in the heavy armour as well. The only weak points of the new Infinity would be its joints. Or so his opponent''s would think. One of the new chemicals was a form to greatly strengthen the materials he would use for those points.


    It would make the medium grade armour stronger than before. But it still would not match up to the armour tes he was making right now. ''Ok, these should deal with Dani and Michelle if Ie up against them next time. Gerald isn''t much of a problem if I keep him at a distance.''


    ''What about Adam? He won''t fall for the same trick again. I need something that can restrain him. What about a new ranged weapon? Though it would have to be different from the Arbalest.''


    Jason''s mind then wandered to external items. He became excited as his mind fixated on a shotgun that used air pressure to fire small projectiles that would shatter and be shrapnel.


    ''That seems to be good. I haven''t exactly had much training. I''ve just forced my way through with my creations. Since it''s working, why should I change it?''


    Jason started shaping the metal for his new weapon while checking on the progress of the chemicals on the side. He was basically just trying to keep himself busy until the exciting stuff arrived.


    Hours passed as a new exoskeleton that looked far stronger than the old one began to take shape. The chains and pistons used to give it a stronger momentum were reinforced. While the entire frame was made of much tougher materials. He modified the rear end so that the luges and arms could be opened too. That way, he could ess it more easily.


    He had to tweak a few things to easily control the new weapon modules that he was going to install. Jason got stuck in to inserting the wires in and around the frame while working out how to fit it all in. As hepleted each part, he started fixing the interior panels that he had created.


    There was no way that he wanted to risk pulling out the wires next time. Plus, it would give him an extrayer of protection. ''Maybe I should add some padding for when I get knocked around?'' It sounded like a pretty good idea to him, so naturally, he went with it.


    Now the new Infinity looked pretty good internally, but the externals looked like crap. Jasonpared the schematics in his mind to the new frame and was happy with its progress. It was at this time that the Guardians finally arrived to deliver the materials that he asked for.


    Jason happily searched through the various crates until he found the flowers that he was looking for. These were the most critical items for creating the filler for his cylindrical ammo. ''Sorry, Amy, but you won''t be the only one using ice the next time.''


    Jason chuckled at his own thoughts. Of course, it would not be as versatile as Amy''s Power, but it would still be helpful. The green flowers were added to one of the mixtures he already had boiling on a workbench. It would take some time to make arge batch of them.


    ''Maybe I should create some that use the methrowers ammo? Oh, actually. How about I rig the methrower to be able to take this fuel too?'' Jason was surprised that the schematic did not include this function, but perhaps that was because he did not have a clear idea of it when he generated it.


    ''Let''s see what else I can mess with.'' Jason started trying to figure out how to protect his fuel supplies for his boots and the built-in weaponry. He gradually dispersed the containers away from his chest area. Hiding them in the gauntlets and boots themselves to remove the excess piping from his central location.


    The air tanks were still a must, and he had no way yet to reduce their impact on the frame. However, he made a fun modification where he could fill the tanks with one of the many chemicals he carried in the armour. The tanks could then be ejected to create something of a close proximity chemical bomb!


    Jason cut into many armour areas to insert nozzles that could be used to spray a gas that would neutralise anyone who was too close. This would be his answer to people like Dani. Making them useless against him as long as he had enough chemicals to fuel them.


    The next problem he wanted to solve was his narrow vision. But the visor was also one of the weakest points in the Infinity. ''What can I do to fix that?'' Jason needed ten minutes toe up with a reasonable solution. He addedyered domes to his helmet that extended forward for the forehead of the helmet.


    The visor itself was made to berger and broader. So that it covered the entire face area. Now, he would have to angle his head downwards to intercept any blows aimed at his head. The domes would deflect the blow while also giving him a better field of vision.


    ''It''s not a permanent fix, but it will do for now.''

 Chapter 102: Chemical Weaponry (2)

    Chapter 102: Chemical Weaponry (2)


    With the basic models out of the way, Jason started to refine his new ideas over several days. It was a long process, but he felt like it was worth it once he saw the finished item.


    The new version of the Infinity looked like a much tougher version of the old. The chest had been slimmed down but now packed thicker armour. The abdomen had eight smaller tes that made it look like it had a toned stomach, but behind them were treated leather. This was to increase the flexibility around the waist area.


    The legs had be quite broad due to them now housing the fuel canisters and hoses as well as the engines for the improved RDB''s. The kneecaps had a heavy armour te on them with leather to the rear of the joint. This was something Jason had done for every area where it was needed, such as the elbows and knuckles.


    Mechanicalunchers were ced at various spots on the armour connected to the spherical ammo he had created. They looked like small metal orbs that were half inserted into the Infinity.


    Jason was thrilled with the finished product as he waited for the paint to dry. ''With this, I won''t have any blind spots.'' Jason walked around the armour as he considered thest-minute modifications he had managed to make. Such as shock-absorbing mechanisms in the legs and feet so that he could jump off from decent heights and be fine.


    Naturally, it could not absorb the shock from, say, jumping off a skyscraper. That would be too much strain on it. But that was maybe something that could be possible in the future.


    The air pressure shotgun made using old pipes and a pump-action to pressure air was underwhelming. He added metal casings around it to make it heavier and more stable. However, it was only really useful in close to mid-range. It would still hurt quite a bit for an opponent if they got hit by even one of the small pieces of shrapnel. But it should not be enough to take them out of a fight unless they were extremely unlucky.


    "Sir, I''m here to alert you that you are scheduled for training in ten minutes. If you don''t leave now, you will bete." Friday said as he suddenly appeared and nced at the new Infinity.


    "Thanks, Friday. Is it the same location as before?" Jason asked as he wondered if it would be the same format again.


    "Yes, Lord Sentinel will not be attending this time. He is currently busy with other duties." Friday bowed before taking his leave.


    ''I wonder what he''s up to? I haven''t seen him since thest training.'' Jason frowned as he wondered what could be taking up Sentinel''s valuable time. ''Still, I should focus on what''s in front of me right now. Dani''s team is sure to target me again.''


    Jason let his mind wander as he considered different scenarios. The Infinity opened up to let him in, and he immediately felt a sense offort and belonging as he stepped into it. There were no loose wires as everything had been sealed up by the internal tes, and the padding on his back as the Infinity closed felt great.


    As it booted up, it was a lot quieter than before. It just gave off a smooth slight hum as everything worked the way it was supposed to. The sound was like music to Jason''s ears as he happily listened to it for a moment. ''Let''s go see how they''ll react.''


    Jason let out a broad grin as he grabbed the Firebrand de and looted it into its new sheath on his right thigh. While the Air Pressure Shotgun (APS) slotted into a holster on his left one. With everything hooked up and ready to go, Jason made his way to the training grounds.


    Meanwhile, Dani and Adam were feeling nervous. They were okay with trying to take Ouroboros down again. However, their teammates, who suffered the most at his hands, wanted to go further. The things they were saying could get them kicked out of the Guardians.


    "I say we force him into a building and copse it on him," Michelle grunted as she nced at the rest of the team.


    "Yeah, and how do we exin that one? It''s excessive use of force for training, and you know it!" Adam shouted back with a red face.


    "Don''t you want to see him fail? He took you out too! And from what I hear, you won your town''s tournament! What does that say for the capabilities of those living in Highrise, huh?" Harry growled as he looked at Dani, Adam, Amy and Gerald in turn.


    "Look, we teamed up with you guys because you seemed strong. But that Ouroboros guy walked all over us!" Michelle was obviously frustrated as she said this. However, it seemed to stem from her own failure more than anything else.


    "He hardly walked all over us," Dani replied with a calm tone. "Michelle, you saw it for yourself. He was in terrible condition when the exercise ended. This time he can''t take us by surprise. We already know everything he can do."


    "No, we don''t." Gerald cut in to give his view on it. "Everything he threw at us came from his armour and weapons. He never used his Power even once."


    The others frowned when they heard that. They had not even thought or even noticed that fact. ''What''s his Power then?'' Dani wondered as she considered everything they knew about Ouroboros. ''Is it something lethal? Maybe he''s been restricted from using it. That would exin all the equipment he has.''


    ''It isn''t normal. I''ve never heard of armour like his with all of those gimmicks. I doubt even Jason could make something like that.'' Adam frowned as his own mind analysed what they were up against. ''So what? Did Sentinel make that armour personally? No, if his Power let him make that, it would definitely be better. It looked ''rough''.''


    "Alright, cadets! Line up! We''re heading out!" Captain Hyde shouted from outside of the barracks.


    The team nced at each other once more before sighing. They would just have toe up with something on the spot. They lined up and followed their Captain obediently to the training grounds. However, everyone was shocked to see the new Infinity already standing there and waiting.


    Dani was the first on her team to spot the significant differences. Some were obvious, like the armour. Others were more difficult to pinpoint what they were for. The shotgun, for one, made her feel weird. Like it was something she should be afraid of but had no idea why.


    Needless to say, the rest of the team did not like what they saw either. It looked like Ouroboros hade prepared to withstand a beating this time. It did not look like the Infinity had any major weaknesses anymore except therger visor. As their expressions turned dark while ring at Jason, Captain Hyde walked up to him after bringing the toon to a halt.


    "Good afternoon, Sir. Is Lord Sentinel not joining us today?" The Captain asked with an inquisitive voice.


    Jason restrained himself from answering with his voice. Simply shaking his head instead to show that Sentinel would not being.


    "Ah, right. You''re banned from talking. My apologies, I forgot." Captain Hyde cursed internally. He was hoping that Jason would ignore that order so that he could try and figure out who was hiding under all of that armour. It could not hurt to get close to Sentinel''s apprentice after all.


    "Okay, then let me fill everyone in on what we''ll be doing today!" Captain Hyde turned to face his toon. "We will not be doing teambat today! Instead, you will all be fighting for yourselves! You will be graded on your performance. Points are awarded based on how long youst for and how many other cadets you take out."


    Captain Hyde grinned sadistically as he looked around at the despondent faces of his toon. "There are obviously a few of you who prefer a supporting role in a team, but this is for your own good. You have to be ready to fight for your life. You will not always have anyone to watch your back while surrounded by enemies."


    ''Isn''t this the same speech that Sentinel gave him thest time?'' Jason chuckled. This was obviously good news for him. A free for all would mean that anyone who targeted him would still have to watch out for others instead of feeling secure. ''If I only have to deal with one or two at a time, this should be pretty easy.''


    Just as he thought this, he noticed that more than half of the toon was staring at him with intensity in their eyes. He began to have a bad feeling about this. ''Oh, right. They''ll want to take me out first.'' Jason groaned as the Captain gave the order for them to start.

 Chapter 103: Chemical Weaponry (3)

    Chapter 103: Chemical Weaponry (3)


    Jason smiled as everyone hesitated. Nobody wanted to be the first to go in case they were attacked from behind. It was just stupid to be the one to take that risk! ''Let''s get started then!'' Jason sprinted into the battle zone quite happily. He was confident that if they tried to attack him right off the bat, he could win.


    After all, he could just spray one of his gases to knock them all out! Jasonughed to himself as he nced over his shoulder. Nobody had dared to follow him. It seemed like every other cadet was too wary of each other to be the first to try and take him down.


    Jason sighed as he used the opportunity to run deeper into the zone. ''It looks like they''re not decisive enough.'' Jason did not go far before he found a building that looked to still be in decent shape.


    ''That''ll do.'' He barged through the door that was still standing and headed for the staircase. His n was to ambush the first person who came here by dropping out the first-floor window.


    He pressed his back against the wall in a way that would make him hard to notice while giving him a clear view of the road. This was when the sound of intense fighting could be heard. Dust fell from the ceiling overhead as the building shook due to the shockwaves.


    ''Seems like some powerful people are going all out.'' Jason hummed as he waited to catch a glimpse of them. Two women were the first to appear. One being Amy as she defended herself from a woman using lightning. Amy seemed to have the upper hand thanks to using her Power to both attack and defend.


    The woman she was up against seemed to only be able to go on the offensive. If it were just the two of them, then Jason was confident that he would be able to take them both out. However, considering the building was still shaking and the noises that he could hear, Jason was aware that at least two others were out of sight.


    He watched as Amy''s ice wall came down under the other woman''s assault. However, Amy was smiling. She had hidden several ice spears hidden behind it, which sheunched as soon as it came down. The woman with the lightning Power screamed as her left leg was pierced as well as her right shoulder. The rest of the projectiles went wide, shattering as they collided with the wall of the building that Jason was hiding in.


    "Finally got you!" Amy gloated as she prepped a few more projectiles to finish the woman off.


    Jason carefully weighed the pros and cons of involving himself in the fight right now. On the one hand, he could take out both women with a quick ambush. On the other, he would be revealing himself to the others nearby without knowing what he was up against. ''The Infinity can take it! Let''s go!''


    Jason jumped out of the broken window area that he was looking out from. The mechanical sound of his suit gave him away and alerted Amy. She reacted quickly and adjusted her projectiles to target him instead. They shattered against his armour as hended heavily on the ground, causing only minor scratches to his paintwork.


    Amy''s expression turned grim when she saw him standing there without even bothering to try and protect himself. It told her a lot about how confident Ouroboros was in his new armour. She subconsciously began to back away. Memories of how he had dealt with her before filled her mind.


    The woman on the ground thought she had a chance to score some points andunched a lightning bolt at Jason. However, that was a bad move. Jason had installed insting materials under the armour to protect both himself and his suit''sponents. A scorch mark appeared on his chest where it struck but did no other damage.


    Jason had no time to waste on her and shot her with darts to knock her unconscious from his left knuckles. Immediately taking her out of the fight. Amy groaned when she saw that because she knew that Ouroboros would get the points for finishing off her target.


    Jason grinned as Amy started creatingyered ice walls between them. She was obviously trying to prevent him from using the sudden speed boost that he used before. But Jason was not bothered by this.


    He activated his RDB''s and used their modifications to allow him to swerve around the walls that she had created. If he had more time before thest exercise, he could have made the boots capable of this feat before. But since they were a rush job, they were limited to being used in a straight line.


    Amy gaped in shock as Jason rounded the corner of thest wall between them. Heshed out and punched her in the gut. The force of the momentum was so great that she was knocked unconscious when his fist connected with her body.


    Jason slid to a stop as Amy''s body rolled across the ground to m against an old, rustedmppost. He reviewed the brief fight momentarily and was pleased that the Infinity had met his expectations so far. However, a loud voice caught his attention as his expression sank behind his helmet.


    "He''s here! Everyone! Stop the mock battles and surround him!" Dani shouted from a rooftop overhead.


    Jason looked up to see her standing on the roof, looking triumphant. The unmistakable sound of tens of people rushing in his direction could be heard clearly. ''It was all a trap to lure me out?'' He nced down the streets and noticed small groups heading towards him from every direction.


    He frowned for a moment before realising this was his best chance to take out as many of them as possible. Their trap was going to turn into their worst nightmare!

 Chapter 104: Chemical Weaponry (4)

    Chapter 104: Chemical Weaponry (4)


    Jason was not stupid. It was best to set up a path of retreat just in case things went wrong. So before he could be totally boxed in, he rushed at one of the groups. They seemed excited to see that the target had chosen twoe to them. It gave them a better chance of iming victory before anyone else!


    One of them got overly excited and activated his super speed. Smashing his fist into Jason''s chest armour at high speed before Jason could react!


    The man fell to the ground in agony as the bones in his arm shattered from the force. Jason chuckled as he ran onward. Cleary, the guy, was not big on thinking things through.


    A few of the face of those he was running towards became grim when they saw what happened. These were most likely the people who had physical type Powers. Which would be the type that would the least effective against him right now. ''Looks like I picked a good group!''


    The air around Jason began to shimmer as he slowed down. One of the men in the group was smiling with his hands spread wide. ''He''s taking all the air away from around me!''


    Although the air tanks were meant to protect him against gas like abilities, they proved themselves to be handy in this situation. The airflow to his helmet was restored, allowing him to take a deep breath. The man ahead of him looked confused by the fact that his Power had no effect on Ouroboros.


    Dani, who was watching this unfold from the roof, also frowned. ''David was one of our best chances of bringing him down quickly. There''s too much about that new armour that we don''t know.''


    Meanwhile, Jason grinned as he pinpointed those he suspected to have physical Powers and shot some darts towards them to try and take them out quickly. Only one of them was caught by his attack, though. The guy was rather heavy-looking and looked surprised as the dart prated his skin.


    As he fell to the ground, the others that Jason had targeted made a break for it to find cover. It was as if they recognised that they would be useless in this fight, for now at least. This left only three people in this group who seemed confident enough to face him head-on.


    Jason raised an eyebrow as metal daggers began to float around one of the guys. ''He seems to have something simr to Rust''s Power. But it''s too weak right now.'' A ck liquid started oozing from the sole woman amongst the trio, and the final slender guy''s skin turned into a diamond material.


    Jason was more worried about the woman''s ability since he could not identify it right away. ''I can''t let it touch me until I understand what it can do.'' A ck puddle formed around the woman and began to spread outwards with her as the epicentre.


    Jason tried firing some darts at her, but they were intercepted harmlessly by the ck foul-smelling liquid. The air above it started to appear funny as if it were giving off vapours. Jason grinned as he pulled the trigger in his gauntlet to inject his methrower with the mmable gas.


    mes spewed out from his right wrist, and the vapours immediately caught on fire! It followed the vapour all the way back to the woman who now had wide eyes. She ignited like a human bonfire when the mes caught up to her. ''Another one down.'' Jason remarked to himself as the two guys attempted to nk him.


    Jason could only apply pressure to the guy who seemed to have maic abilities with his methrower. There was a good chance that his darts or other projectiles could be intercepted by him.


    The diamond skinned man chose this moment to try and get the drop on Jason by charging at him while his back was turned. However, Jason was ready for that, and the nozzles around his armour released a knockout gas in a cloud around him.


    Dani frowned as she watched from above. ''He''s definitely harder to deal with than before. That gas would be trouble for me. I''m not going to one of any use!'' Dani felt frustrated to see that Ouroboros had a way to counter her Power so easily. This meant that she had been relegated to nothing more than a scout during this fight.


    Jason activated the RDB''s and charged straight for the cadet using maism. He felt a sort of pressure trying to repel him as he got close, but it was not strong enough to affect the Infinity due to its weight.


    Jason kicked out towards the cadet''s leg and shattered his thigh bone with the force behind it. The cadet screamed as his bone protruded from his skin and through his clothing. To save himself from listening to the cadet''s screams, he punched him on the side of the head to knock him out.


    There was a sickening crunch when he did it. It definitely sounded like the cadet''s skull had at the very least been fractured. Jason took a few deep breaths before turning back towards the guy with diamond skin who looked to be panicking now.


    His vision was blurry, and he was losing control of his motor functions as Jason casually walked towards him. This cadet waved his hands in front of him as if he were trying to keep Ouroboros away!


    Jason reached past the cadet''s iling arms to grab him by the throat. The cadet was not thinking clearly and was breathing heavily as if that would clear up whatever was going on with him. Jason grinned quite happily as he pumped out more knockout gas into the air around them. He wanted this guy to go down before the rest of the toon caught up to them!


    Just as the cadet was about to lose consciousness, Jason''s gas started to disappear from the air! The cadet from earlier who had tried to suffocate him was now countering this chemical weapon of Jason''s! Jason clicked his tongue in annoyance as he noticed that he was out of time. ''Seems like this will be harder than I thought.''

 Chapter 105: Chemical Weaponry (5)

    Chapter 105: Chemical Weaponry (5)


    ''I can''t take on the entire crowd until I get rid of the guy controlling the air.'' Jason''s eyes moved back and forth between his options. ''Even though he stopped my gas, this guy should be finished. He inhaled enough to knock someone out for a few days.''


    Jason prepared himself to charge at the air controlling cadet, only for the ground between them to rise up and shield them. Jason stabilised his bnce during the tremors that it caused as he looked towards the approaching crowd.


    A female cadet off to the right side, who had blonde hair, seemed to be responsible. This was evident due to the cracks in the ground that ran from her foot all the way to the edge of the wall in front of Jason. ''She''s going to be another tough one.''


    Jason sighed as he realised he would have to engage the entire toon while watching out for an opportunity to remove the air controller. His expression became determined as he unsheathed his shotgun. A few of the cadets in the lead looked at it warily, but since they had no idea what it could do, they pushed on.


    Jason activated his RDB''s and charged straight towards the crowd taking them by surprise! All kinds of long-range abilities were fired towards him in a panic. Water bullets, corrosive liquid, energy beams and boulders were just a few of them! For the most part, his armour held up fine. The corrosive liquid was a problem, though, as it melted the topyer of armour on Jason''s right shoulder.


    Luckily, Jason could consider it as minor damage due to the thickness of the te in that area. It just meant recing that single section when the training was over.


    As soon as the crowd came within range, Jason rapidly fired the shotgun. Constantly pumping it to reload from the magazine to keep up the pressure.


    Screams went up from the cadets as a hail of shrapnel rained down on those in the vanguard. At least ten of them went down during that chaos before Jason barged his way through and into the centre.


    Those surrounding him then became a lot warier about using their Powers. It would be too easy for them to identally hit someone other than Jason.


    However, Jason was grinning manically beneath his helmet as he pulled a ring tounch the spheres embedded in his armour. Those who reacted quickly enough and had defensive Powers could consider themselves lucky as the spheres exploded. The chemical contained inside of them rapidly froze like ice as soon as they touched any skin!


    Those who were lucky enough to be on the same side of Jason as the woman who could control the earth were ecstatic to see walls appear to protect them. However, everyone else was not so lucky. Some of the spheres had beenunched at angles that allowed them to fly over their heads, allowing the liquid to rain down on them!


    More pain-filled screams echoed off the abandoned building as the unfortunate souls were exposed to a case of rapidly developed frostbite wherever the liquid caught them. Many of those in the crowd looked up towards Dani with some resentment. After all, she had not mentioned this ability, and they were trying to figure out if she had withheld the information or if it was something new.


    On the other hand, Jason refused to let up on the overwhelming suppression he was dealing out. He spun on the spot and kept firing his shotgun to deal as much damage as he could. The cadets did their best to defend themselves and their allies as best as they could. However, the casualties kept piling up as others tried to attack back.


    Jason had been keeping an eye on the guy who could control the air. He was rushing over to the new battlefield as quickly as he could. He was so concerned with providing support against this monster called Ouroboros that he failed to notice that Jason now had a clear line back to him!


    Of course, Jason was not going to miss this opportunity. Heughed to himself and activated his boots again, speeding out of the encirclement in rapid time. The sudden escape left those still standing feeling dumbfounded. They had thought that they were in for a brutal struggle!


    They did not realise until it was toote that Jason was targeting an isted member of their toon! There was nothing that this cadet could do as he watched the imposing figure of the Infinity bearing down on him. He closed his eyes and waited for Ouroboros to strike, but a sudden st of heat in his face made him open his eyes when no pain apanied it!


    Jason groaned as he was mmed into the wall of a building. A web of cracks ran out across the concrete from the point of contact. As Jason dislodged himself from the wall, he checked for any damage. One of his air tanks had beenpletely crushed due to the angle he hit the wall at. But fortunately, the other one was still fine.


    His chest armour now had a small crater where it had been dented from the energy beam that had struck him out of nowhere. ''What the hell was that?''


    Jason turned to look towards a building on the other side of the road. Dani walked at the head of the remaining members of her team from thest time. Which was to say, everyone except Amy, who Jason had taken out earlier.


    Jason''s eyes moved towards Michelle. Her hands were still glowing with yellow energy, while her expression looked grim. ''I''m guessing that was her. She''s probably been saving up energy the whole time, hoping to take me out with a single shot. That might have been the best that she was capable of. Shame. If it was the old Infinity, she would have seeded.''


    Dani''s group seemed to realise that they stood no chance this time around. Not unless they could keep Michelle safe and recharge her again. But that would take too long. There was no way that they had enough time left to pull off that strategy. Dani frowned as she nced towards the remainder of the toon.


    The casualties were so high this time around that the Captain would probably suspend physical training for a while until everyone could recover. ''We have to hold him off and try to reduce the number of injuries.''


    "We''re your opponents now." Dani dered as she tried to sound confident.


    However, the rest of the team did not look as confident as she was trying to portray them. Jason looked at them one by one and decided that he could ignore them. The guy controlling the air was still a more important target to him.


    Dani noticed that Ouroboros intended to ignore them, and it pissed her off. She was about to rush at him, but Adam grabbed her wrist and prevented her.


    "Don''t. You can''t do anything. You saw what he can do now. Even if we go at him together, we''ll barely put a scratch on him." Adam shook his head. Personally, he did not want to take another trip to the infirmary just so that someone else did not have to. It made more sense to let Ouroboros waste time taking out his first target. Even if that would only buy them a few seconds.


    Gerald nodded his head in agreement as he stared at the Infinity. ''Ms Sam could make use of it if we could produce a few of them. But prying Ouroboros out of it will be difficult.'' Gerald was still thinking of the Red Steel Gang first and foremost. He was only here because he was one of the backups the gang prepared in case Sam failed. He had to think of his own mission. He was not here to impress anyone else.


    "Come on! We can''t just let him have his way! Michelle! You were so adamant earlier. Are you really going to agree with backing off now!" Dani growled at her team.


    Jason shook his head as he heard their argument. They were obviously divided, so how could they stop them? If they stopped for a moment and came up with a proper n, they might find a way to slow him down, but Dani seemed to have lost her cool. ''Is she frustrated because she feels like she isn''t making any progress? Or because she realises that she''lle across situations that she can do nothing about?''


    Jason sighed as he activated his boots and took out the air controller in front of their eyes. They were so caught up in their argument with each other they did not even consider that he would not wait until they settled things before making his move. ''Ok, it''s your turn now!''


    Jason prepped himself tounch his gas as soon as he got within range of Dani''s group. ''Dani should be the only one who can escape in time. That''s eptable.'' Just as he took a step forward, a ring siren rose from Bridgend.


    Dani frowned as she nced in its direction. ''That''s not the rm for the end of training.''

 Chapter 106: Outbreak

    Chapter 106: Outbreak


    Jason spotted that something was not right by the looks on the faces of the other cadets. Soon after the first siren stopped, another went off. This one, he recognised. This was the one that recalled them from the training area.


    Jason ran towards where they left Captain Hyde, just likest time. Dani''s team ran alongside him. Each of them looked troubled. Which was only natural considering they knew what that siren meant. After all, they had received more training and knowledge of the military protocols.


    By the time they reached Captain Hyde, there were already Guardians gathering in the area from the city. Dani nced around and realised that this was not a drill. ''There''s been an outbreak!''


    Adam had a frown on his face as he wondered why the beast packs in the area were attempting to migrate into Bridgend''s area of influence. The problem with this was that the cadets were expected to help out with the area''s defence during events like these.


    Jason was still clueless as to what was going on. But any idiot could tell that even the Guardians gathering a short distance away were worried. ''What''s actually going on?''


    "Cadets!" Captain Hyde roared to get their attention. "As you can tell from the rm, we are dealing with an outbreak. For those of you who were half asleep during that ss, it means that we are dealing with a mass migration of the different packs that live nearby."


    Jason frowned as he heard this. He imagined something like the zoo, on a grander scale, but deliberately heading towards Highrise. ''So that''s it? Why are they so worried? Won''t the Pirs just deal with them?''


    It was with that thought that Jason remembered that Friday had said that Sentinel was busy with something. Did that mean that maybe the Pirs were not currently in Bridgend? That would at least exin why the Guardians looked worried. Jason felt like he had urately guessed the situation.


    "All of you who are still able to fight or carry out duties are to report to the armoury. If you don''t have your own weapon, or yours is deemed to becking. The Quartermaster will temporarily provide you with a standard-issue one. Now get moving!" Captain Hyde roared as what was left of the toon ran off.


    "Ouroboros!" Captain Hyde shouted, stopping Jason in his tracks. "I can''t order you to take part due to your position. Only Lord Sentinel can do that. However, I hope you''ll join us in defence of the city. You could save many of the cadets lives just by being there."


    Jason studied the Captain''s solemn expression for a moment. Personally, he would prefer to avoid involving himself in this. But he had no idea how Sentinel would react when he returned if he did not help out. Maybe he would be happy, or perhaps he would cancel Jason''s apprenticeship.


    Jason nodded slowly to show that he would join them. But he had to restock his armour first. There was no way he would risk losing ess to all of those materials ahem risk his apprenticeship just to keep himself safe.


    Jason rushed for the Sentinel''s private hall as more and more Guardians passed him, headed in the other direction. The city hade alive with activity as everyday citizens started rushing to help carry cargo meant for those who would soon be fighting.


    Jason had never seen anything like it. It was almost as if the regr citizens were preparing to fight as well. ''It looks like it''s worse than I thought. There''s no sense of calm or feeling that they''ll definitely get through this.''


    Jason was starting to wonder if he had made the wrong choice in agreeing to help out. A ck shadow suddenly passed by him as a loud screech echoed out from overhead. Jason slid to a stop as he watched the beast fly over the city.


    It looked like a twenty-foot long owl with six wings! It was terrifying to look at since it meant they would be facing beasts that Jason was unsure of being able to deal with. ''Maybe I need to make another armour. The Infinity has only really been designed for dealing with other people.''


    Jason realised that he was at a distinct disadvantage against these beasts. The likes of the owl probably would not feel much pain from his methrower. At the very least, it could probably grab him and fly high enough that if it dropped him, he would be meat paste despite wearing the Infinity.


    Jason quickly dove to the side as several more owls swooped past. They were snatching up Guardians and civilians with every fly by. Screams ran throughout the city as a rain of bodies started to fall on the buildings and streets.


    shes of light lit up the sky as those with ranged abilities attempted to shoot down the flying creatures. At the same time, all hell was breaking loose near the city limits.


    Dani and her group were still capable of fighting so they were some of the first on the front lines. ''What the hell is this!'' Dani was gobsmacked as a line of defence was created between the buildings.


    Various Powers were used to create earthen walls covered in ice, slime, tar, acid and various other things to try and slow down the advance of the beasts.


    Giant squirrels that stood at the height of two men bore down on the walls with sabre-toothed fangs. However, they were not the only creatures that had assembled on the ground.


    Dani looked out from the top of a wall to see four or five different types. What made it even worse was that some of the Guardians we''re saying how amphibious creatures were making their way up the river as well.


    The situation appeared hopeless. There was no doubt in her mind that there would be many casualties. However, something felt off about the situation. Some of these beasts should be preying on each other. Instead, they were lining up as if they were a trained army.


    "Captain! Can I have permission to scout ahead?" Dani shouted over the roars of the beasts as they crashed against the wall.


    Captain Hyde thought about it for a while. "Granted. But be back here in ten minutes!"


    Dani nodded before she teleported to the roof of the nearest building. What she saw made her regret volunteering to do reconnaissance. Beyond what she had seen from the walls, was a sea of creatures.


    However, her heart truly sank when she spotted she spotted an outright behemoth of a snake coiled up in the centre of the crowd. It wasrge enough to crush the walls and all of the city''s defences on its own.


    No matter what, they had to stop that monster here. Otherwise, there would be no Bridgend to speak of when the battle was over! ''Where are the Pirs?''


    Dani nced around, hoping to catch sight of Rust or Sentinel. However, they were not there, and she could not see Rust''s jellyfish in the river. ''Don''t tell me they''re not here?''


    Dani panicked as she continued to analyse the enemy numbers. ''The timing is too good. It''s almost like it has been nned!''


    Dani teleported back down and filled Captain Hyde in on what she had seen. The Captain''s face became pale as he listened to her report. Dani noticed when he visibly gulped as he digested the information.


    "Good work Cadet Kane. This intelligence will help us in organising our forces." Captain Hyde turned around before pausing. "Oh, it would be best if you can continue to watch the situation as it develops. Report all of the enemies movements. No matter how insignificant it may seem."


    Dani could only agree as she disappeared again. Adam frowned when she was gone. He had been close enough to hear her report, and now he was concerned. ''Is Jason going to be ok? And what about Ouroboros? Will he really be of much use against beasts that are this size?''


    Jason sprinted from side to side in a zig zag motion to throw off the owls who were still targeting him. A deep gash had been made on his left shoulder where one of them had caught him with its talons.


    If Jason had been a second or twoter in throwing himself to the ground when it happened, then he would no longer be here! ''Fuck! Nothing is working! I can''t fight them like this.''


    Jason was feeling frustrated as he felt like a frightened mouse trying to escape a predator. However, these beasts were giving him new ideas for things he wanted to create. Whether they would be feasible or not remained to be seen.


    ''Either way, I need to be able to move in different ways quickly. Being stuck on the ground is too limiting!'' Jason breathed heavily as the Guardians in front of him fired off their Powers at the owls overhead. Buying Jason enough time to make it inside of theplex...

 Chapter 107: Outbreak (2)

    Chapter 107: Outbreak (2)


    "Sir, they''re asking when you will join the battle again." Friday sighed as he ryed the same question that had been asked earlier.


    "I don''t know, Friday. How many times can I say it?" Jason replied angrily as he continued tweaking the Infinity. "Ideally, I''d build a whole new frame, but we don''t have time for that. But it still takes time to modify this armour!"


    "Don''t shoot the messenger, sir. I''ll give them your answer." Friday disappeared to deliver Jason''s answer.


    "Jason, I don''t like this." Syssie shook her head as she nced at the Infinity. "Do you really think this can keep you alive?"


    "I don''t know, Syssie. But we have to join the fight, or we might end up dead anyway." Jason shook his head as he continued work on strengthening the exoskeleton within the armour. "There are people out there fighting with far less."


    "Yes, but they''re not you." Syssie whispered before turning silent.


    Jason continued working until he was confident that the armour would be able to take the strain of wielding the new weapon he had created. He had to make specific tweaks to allow the mechanical parts in the arms to draw extra Power from a new engine he inserted in the chest cavity.


    Since he would be facing massive creatures, he knew he needed something that would allow him to injure or kill them. Jason took a few steps back from the Infinity and double-checked it. It was the best he could do with what he had and being on a time limit.


    He had refilled the methrower, the cryospheres, shotgun ammo, darts, gases and reced any damaged armour. Jason turned his head to look at the enormous heavy hammer with arge spike on the other side from its t part. He double-checked that the hammer''s wires were correctly connected to allow him to superheat it during battle.


    ''It''s not much, but it could be the best way to go. I just need to swing and hope!'' Jason still felt like he was underprepared, but it was better than nothing. It did not help that he felt exhausted from the training, then fleeing the owls and finally giving the Infinity a quick overhaul.


    ''How long has it been since the battle started?'' Jason wondered as he nced around the private hall.


    "It''s been fourteen hours." Syssie heaved a sigh. She could tell that Jason was in no fit state to join the battle yet. He had to rest first so that he could be at his best.


    "Hopefully, we''re not toote!" Jason wore a grim expression as he entered the Infinity.


    Naturally, he was not just going to focus on himself right now. After all, Dani and Adam were out there somewhere. Thest piece of news he received said that the beasts had broken through the first two lines of defence that the Guardians had set up.


    There was only one wall left now before they reached the city walls. On top of that, a second assault hade from the river. However, only people with suitable Powers could take part in that fight. Jason was far from suitable, so he would have to join the same fight as Adam and Dani.


    Just the thought of falling into the water while wearing the Infinity was enough to give him nightmares. The armour would just sink straight to the bottom, dragging Jason with it. Then he would be forced to go through hours of slow suffocation as the air ran out.


    As the Infinity booted up, Jason tested the arms and how they handled the hammer. He noticed that each swing took up a fair amount of fuel as the engine was engaged. Jason checked the gauge he had installed inside the helmet. ''8% of fuel used for four swings.''


    Jason frowned heavily. He would have to be careful about using the suits full Power if he wanted tost the entire fight! The Infinity booted up properly as Jason propelled himself towards the exit while shouting.


    "Friday! I''m headed out now! I need you to guide me to where I''m needed most right now!" Jason yelled with anxiety in his voice.


    "I''m on it, sir!" Friday hummed as he flew through the air beside Jason, acting as a sat-nav.


    Friday filled Jason in on what was going on, whereas they rushed through theplex. Whenever any military personnel heard his heavy footstepsing, they immediately threw themselves against a wall to stop him from running over them.


    "Michelle!" Dani roared as she thrust the tip of her Storm into the eye of the sabre-toothed squirrel she was fighting.


    Dani teleported to Michelle''s side and electrocuted the beast that was trying to tear Michelle to pieces. It looked like an orangutang with eight arms and three tails. The beast was massive, standing at nearly seven-foot tall. The Guardians had dubbed this beast an Octape when it made its appearance a few hours into the fight.


    These beasts had caused numerous casualties since they liked to grab anything that they could to use as a weapon. Their mighty physical strength even allowed them to swing humans around who were only slightly smaller than themselves. More than one Guardian had been turned into a long-range projectile by an Octape who took great glee in throwing them through the air.


    The Octape turned to re at Dani with a furious expression, but she was already gone. The beast then found that its hand that was gripping Michelle stung painfully. The beast roared as it dropped its prey. Its eyes looked wild as it fixed Dani with its re again.


    ''I need to lure it away. Hopefully, someone can pick her up and get her treatment.'' Dani ground her teeth as she kept teleporting around the beast and prodding it with the Storm''s spear form.


    However, no matter how many times she stabbed it, she could notnd a critical blow. All of its most important areas were covered with thick muscle, and shecked the strength to drive the Storm in deep enough. Dani gasped for breath as the Octape curled its lips into a sneer.


    Four huge hairy fists came towards Dani once again. Crack! Dani was sent flying as her Power failed her. She was too exhausted for it to activate, and she was unable to realise that. Her left arm, leg and a few of her ribs were broken by the blow as she was sent spiralling through the air.


    With a heavy thud, shended face-first on the concrete a few feet from the triumphant Octape. Adam was nearby and saw the whole fight go down. Unfortunately, he could not rush to her aid. He was being pinned down by two of these creatures who were growing agitated with how difficult he was to catch.


    Gerald was faring the best out of the group. His ability allowed him to target the internal organs of the beasts. The cold bodies of many Octape''s were piled up all around him. However, he was in the same position as Adam and was also being targeted by a few Octapes.


    As Dani started to breathe heavily as she slowly lost consciousness, she nced towards Harry''s half-eaten head that had rolled beneath an old wrecked bench. She truly felt regretful that she had been unable to save him. ''Looks like you can chew me out for it soon.'' She thought as her mind went dark.


    The Octape stood over her and roared to announce its kill as it beat its chest with all eight of its fists. Adam flinched for a moment as the ape brought its fists down, as he expected to hear the sound of Dani being turned into meat paste.


    Instead, he heard the Octape roar pitifully instead as its body was thrown sideways into a wall! ''Help arrived? Who? Ouroboros?'' Adam quickly looked around, expecting to see the guy who had given them so much trouble.


    Instead, his eyes fell on a white-haired youthful woman who had a hand extended outwards towards the Octape. She slowly curled her fingers into a fist, and the beast responded with agonising yelps as its own bones were slowly crushed.


    The woman with white hair then opened her fist quickly to create a palm, and the Octape exploded into a gory rain that washed over everyone nearby. The remaining Octapes seemed to sense that this was an enemy that they were not equipped to handle as they bared their fangs at her.


    The youthful woman nced at them one by one without a care in the world. The beasts could sense how calm she was and quickly turned tail to run for it. None of them wanted to find out for themselves what she had done to kill theirrade.


    At that point, the sound of heavy footsteps pounding against concrete came from the direction of Bridgend. A familiar yet slightly different figure appeared amongst the various dirt clouds as Adam continued to gape at the new girl

 Chapter 108: Outbreak (3)

    Chapter 108: Outbreak (3)


    Jason ran through the dirt clouds towards the sounds of a fierce battle. Friday was directing him to a location where creatures called Octapes had breached the final defensive wall. The other areas were too busy with their own problem of holding back the Outbreak that none of them could even spare a single person.


    "I can''t believe they''ve gotten this far." Jason sighed. "Why haven''t the Guardians been able to push them back?"


    "ording to the reports, there are thousands of beasts. The Guardians are outnumbered, and not everyone has a Power that is suitable for fighting the specific beasts that they are up against." Friday replied with a grim tone.


    "How bad is the overall situation?" Jason asked as his feet pounded heavily on the concrete as they raced past dpidated buildings.


    "The Guardians have lost around 40% of thebat capability while the beasts have lost around 10%. It doesn''t look, good but we need to hold on until the Pirs return." Friday sounded dejected as if he were unsure how long that would be.


    "Those numbers aren''t great." Jason frowned beneath his helmet as they rounded another corner. "It''s just going to get worse as well. The more people that get take,n out, the greater the difference in our fighting strength."


    "That''s why it''s important that we try and find a way to slow down the invasion. Nobody expects you to stop it. But maybe you can think of something that nobody else can." Friday''s tone sounded a little optimistic to Jason''s ears. "We''re here, take the nex,t left, and you''ll be at the battle zone. Good luck."


    With these final words, Friday disappeared. It was most likely that he was helping out with spreading the intel of the battle situation. ''Hopefully, I''m not toote.'' Jason thought as he took the turn that Friday had pointed out.


    He could not see the battle yet, but he had heard angry growls and snarls not long ago. But now, the area up ahead had suddenly gone silent.


    Jason slowed to a walk, in case an ambush was waiting for him. As the dust that clouded his vision thinned out, Jason was met with a horrifying scene.


    Various body parts were strewn around the area. The ground was painted red as mutted bodies of both Guardians and Octapes let off a horrible smell.


    Jason immediately activated the air filters and allowed his tanks to give him fresh air. Jason''s nose scrunched up before he recognised Adam standing amongst the gore.


    Jason was about to shout and get his attention before he remembered that he was not allowed to expose himself. Instead, Jason continued to look around before he took in the sight of the woman with white hair.


    "I''ll leave this ce to you now. I''ll take the injured away with me." The white-haired beauty said as Michelle and Dani''s bodies floated into the air amongst others.


    Jason''s heart leapt into his throat when he finally saw Dani. She had been lying behind some rubble that kept her from his view. Her condition looked severe at a short nce. However, Jason did not get the chance to get a closer look before the strange woman walked off with them.


    Adam nced around as he waited for someone to take charge, it was only then that he spotted Ouroboros. Adam sprinted over to him before snapping to attention and saluting him.


    "What''s your orders, Sir?" Adam did his best to keep his voice calm, but a trace of anxiety could be clearly heard in it.


    Jason was stunned as he stared at Adam! Why the hell did Adam act like this? But soon, other cadets started to line up in front of him as well, including Gerald.


    As Jason nced at the crowd, he realised that there were no officers amongst them. A few were full-fledged Guardians, but most were just what was left of the cadet toon.


    "Sir?" Another cadet asked as he started at the Infinity with eyes full of hope.


    ''What do I do?'' Jason wondered as he looked at each face.


    "You''re just going to have to break the rules. But if you want my advice, name Adam as your second. Take him aside and give him the orders to deal out. That way, only Adam knows who you are." Syssie replied to Jason''s thought.


    Jason pondered over the merit of what Syssie said before he realised that it was the best course of action. Jason pointed at Adam and beckoned for him to follow before walking off a small distance.


    Adam appeared nervous as he nced over his shoulder at the other cadets. But what could he do? Ouroboros was the one with the highest rank amongst them due to his position as Sentinel''s apprentice.


    "Sir? Is something wrong?" Adam asked as he kept his eyes lowered.


    "Of course there is!" Jason groaned as he looked at his friend. "For one, stop being so tense around me."


    Adam''s head snapped up to stare at the visor that masked Jason when he heard the familiar voice. His expression was one of disbelief as he looked at the Infinity.


    "Jas..."


    "Shh! Keep your voice down. We can''t let anyone else find out." Jason cut him off hurriedly before he announced his name.


    "It''s really you? What are you doing in that thing?" Adam asked somewhat excitedly?


    While Jason exined the situation and everything that had happened since they separated, the cadets started to gain hopeful expressions. This was because they could tell that Adam looked excited by something that Ouroboros had said.


    Did he bring information regarding the Pirs return? Was it possible that they did not have to hold out for much longer? Naturally, these were their thoughts as they watched the interaction between Jason and Adam for a while.


    They felt a new surge of life building within them. A drive to survive, so to speak. As far as they were convinced, the nightmare would be over soon. They stared at Ouroboros with fanatical eyes as they prayed for salvation.


    "And that''s it." Jason sighed as he finished his story.


    "That''s crazy, bro! Good on you! So what about defending the wall?" Adam''s excitement deted as he remembered the situation that they were in. "ording to Dani, there is still thousands of beasts out there. Let''s face it, there''s no way that we can hold them off."


    "I agree. But we have to do it anyway." Jason sighed as he nced at the half-broken wall of earth between two buildings. "How have you survived until now?"


    "We''ve just had the long-range guys take up position on the walls. Once the beasts get too close, they swap out with those better in melee range." Adam shook his head sadly. "But we don''t have the numbers to make that work anymore. Not only that, but the girl who made the wall has disappeared."


    "So, do you have any suggestions? You know the Powers of the others better than me." Jason asked with a hopeful voice.


    Adam thought for a moment, but it seemed like he had no ideas. That left Jason with a significant problem. ''It would be best if we can at least close the gap. Or even better if we could rece it with something better.''


    Jason looked at the buildings that the wall was situated between. They were not in excellent condition, but that might work to their advantage. Jason started trying to figure out if it was possible to bring a few of the top floors down or not.


    ''They''d create a much better wall, especially if we can get them tond on top of each other.'' Jason decided that it was worth a shot. But it all depended on what Powers they had to work with.


    Jason exined his idea to a wide-eyed Adam. Who then told him of a few people that would be suitable for the mission. The only problem was that there were only enough to create a single team.


    They would just have to hope that it would be enough. The pair marched back over to the toon as Adam named those that they would send. Jason just stood there and watched quietly while Adam handed out the details of the mission.


    Needless to say, these cadets were excited about this opportunity. For one thing, it was a lot safer than guarding the wall. For another, they would definitely receive merits for providing a valuable service during the battle!


    Just as Jason and Adam waved the small team off, a loud roar came from the distance. Jason turned to stare towards that direction, but Adam''s face gas paled.


    Adam started shouting at the toon to get into their positions! He looked anxious as he chased after the crowd and made sure that nobody tried to sneak off.


    ''I guess the next wave is about to strike. It would have been better if they waited till we brought the building down.'' Jason sighed heavily as he mentally prepared himself to join in the brutal battle for Bridgend...

 Chapter 109: Outbreak (4)

    Chapter 109: Outbreak (4)


    Jason stood atop the wall and watched the approach of the beast army alongside the cadets. They did not have enough people to fill the wall with rangedbatants, so the close-quarter specialists were spread out to try and cover as many of the ranged ones as possible.


    The situation looked extremely grim to Jason''s eyes. If he had to, then he would make a run for it. In his mind, it was better to preserve as much military strength as possible for when the fight reached the city. Jason had no doubt that scenario woulde to pass.


    His eyes scanned the beasts ahead as Adam filled him in on what they were up against. The Octapes were in the front line alongside a mass of Sabre-Toothed Squirrels. Behind them were Armoured Bears. They were named as such because their fur had taken on metallic properties.


    Apart from the shine that came off of their metallic fur, they also had serrated ws. However, Adam had no clue about the beast further back. They were too far away yet to get any clear details.


    Syssie was busy creating folders in her memory bank and storing the information that Adam told them. After all, at some point in the future, they would probably still end up travelling. So it did not hurt to build a library of information on the types of creatures that they mighte across.


    Jason waited until the front line had passed the longest range of what could be considered his squad for now. He wanted to make sure that their Powers managed to deal as much excess damage as possible. Jason lifted his right hand into the air and then brought it down towards the beast army.


    Powers lit up the air that was between them as the cadets gave it their all. Quite a few painful roars came from the front line as they were struck, and the beasts immediately charged towards the cadets and their broken wall instead of taking things slowly.


    Jason readied his hammer as they surged forward like a tidal wave. There was no need for speeches. He was not a leader, so he had no idea what would have been appropriate anyway. It was best just to let everyone get on with trying to keep themselves alive.


    One Octape leapt half the height of the wall in a single go before scurrying up the remainder so fast that Jason was momentarily amazed! However, that feat still not stop the hammer froming down on the Octape''s head as soon as it peered over the edge.


    Jason gave the swing everything that the suit could throw at it. A chunk of fuel was consumed as the hammer collided with what was the right side of the Octape''s head as Jason looked at it! Pieces of the furry broken skull, blood and brain matter exploded towards Jason''s left, showering the nearest cadet with the first kill of this new wave of attacks.


    After the initial shock of the brutality of Jason''s first strike wore off, the cadets yelled in excitement. This was because of how decisive Jason''s fight had been. It gave them hope.


    The cadets fired off everything they had as they fought to drive the beasts from the wall. Jason sprayed fire over a Sabre Tooth Squirrel as he kicked another in the jaw.


    But three more took their ce as soon as he killed them. Jason reserved his fuel for when he was faced with bigger opponents and settled for swinging his hammer as best as he could.


    Every now and then, the cadets could see a cloud of poison gas erupting from Jason''s location. Causing them to give him a wide berth. Judging by the way the beasts had started spewing blood, they could guess that it was not the same gas he had used before.


    Jason grunted as an Octape swung a concrete bar into his chest. Luckily, the Infinity was heavy enough to stop him from being thrown to the ground. Jason retaliated by mming his hammer into one of the Octape''s knees and shattered it.


    The leg was reduced to a bloody pulp, but the Octape refused to stop swinging for Jason. A dent appeared in the Infinity''s left leg, but it was not serious. Jason took the opportunity to shoot a dart directly into the struggling Octape''s eye to put an end to it.


    Adam slowly worked on his opponent. shing at the Octape''s armpits where its skin was the weakest whenever it missed a punch. Four of its arms now hung uselessly by its sides as Adam drove the Orochi through the beast''s throat.


    A pitiful gurgling sound came from the creature as Adam withdrew his de. Its eyes seemed to be focused on some unseen thing in the distance as its life force escaped its body.


    Adam took deep breaths as he nced around at the situation. The top of the wall was slowly but surely being overrun. ''How long until those guys can bring that building down?''


    Jason felt a heavy weight on his back as a Sabre Tooth Squirrel attempted to chew through his air hoses. Jason just sprayed more poison since it was in his blind spot, and the poor creature was forced to give up. It dropped to the ground dead as an Armoured Bear finally made its way onto the wall.


    Jason felt uneasy when he saw the creature stand on its hind legs and roar. ''That''s big...'' It was a stupid thought, and he knew it. But that was honestly the first thing that entered his mind.


    It was just the shock from having this creature tower over him that made him have a brain fart in the heat of the moment. Jason quickly backed off, he was unsure of how much damage he could do to this vast with his current weapons. However, he was confident that his poison would be his best chance.


    The Bear fell down onto all fours and fixed him with a bloodthirsty gaze. The silent standoff ended when the armoured bear charged forwards! Jason jumped to the side and activated his suit for a power swing of his hammer.


    However, a metallic noise rang out as the hammer rebounded off of the bear''s fur without doing any damage! Jason panicked as he tried to catch his bnce, but the bear was already one step ahead!


    It spun on the spot quickly and grazed the Infinity with its ws. A considerable tear opened in the heavy metal as if it were made of paper! ''Fuck!'' Jason had not been expecting for the bears ws to be able to do that kind of damage!


    The situation had just be a lot direr in a short space of time. Jason backpedalled quickly as he released his poison gas non-stop. However, the bear did not seem to care as it continued to chase him.


    Jason was forced to use his RDB''s a few times to avoid having his head torn off. His eyes searched the bear''s figure as he looked for any signs of the poison taking effect.


    ''Don''t tell me that its lungs are made of special materials as well?'' It was entirely possible, but if it was true, then Jason was in peril.


    Just then, Adam''s Orochi tangled around the bear''s front leg as he tried to pull its bnce away from under it. Adam''s eyes went wide when he realised the grave mistake he had made.


    The bear snarled before it swung its leg effortlessly, dragging Adam along with it! Jason was forced to duck before Adam mmed into him. ''Shit! Adam!'' Jason cancelled the poison gas since Adam had just entered it.


    He could only hope that he had no inhaled any of the lethal substance, and if he had that, it was only a tiny amount. Adam yelled as he mmed against the ground and bounced. Cracking noises could be heard, which only made Jason fear the worst.


    Jason charged magically at the bear to try and draw its attention away from Adam''s body. Which the bear was happy to oblige. The damage began to pile up on the Infinity as the two exchanged vicious blows. Chunks of armour was torn off of the Infinity while the beast seemed totally fine.


    Jason cursed as he disengaged from their fight to look for any weaknesses. But as far as he could see, nothing he had used had done anything. The fur was unaffected by his fire, poison and cryospheres. It was needless to say that his darts had proven useless as well.


    Jason grunted as he decided to try superheating his hammer. The question was, would he be able to keep it on the beast long enough for it to take effect? Jason had no idea if he could pull it off. But it was the only idea that he had right now.


    ''It''s really all or nothing. Here we go!''

 Chapter 110: Outbreak (5)

    Chapter 110: Outbreak (5)


    Jason rushed forward to meet the Armoured Bear while the hammer heated up. The first strikended on one of its front legs, but it quickly shrugged it off before tearing another te of armour to shreds. The blow caused Jason to stumble, but he managed to uppercut the bear''s jaw with the hammer and deflect its bite in the process.


    The Armoured Bear howled in outrage as it recovered and tried to snap at him again. However, Jason activated his RDB''s just in time to avoid it. ''This is getting me nowhere!'' Jason grunted as he tried to think of a better n. ''It would be ideal if someone else could keep the beast upied for a bit.''


    Jason quickly scanned the remaining cadets to see if there was someone that could be of any help. His eyes eventuallynded on Gerald, and a cold smile crept across Jason''s face. ''Now there''s someone helpful!'' Jason started to move his fight in that direction while trying to signal to Gerald to help out.


    However, when Gerald saw what Ouroboros was nning, he looked hesitant and even slowly started to back away while fending off the crowd of beasts attacking him. Jason sneered when he saw Gerald trying to distance himself.


    ''Don''t think you can get away from this!'' Jason reactivated his boots again, and the bear howled in outrage. It thought its prey was trying to escape! The bear was not for allowing that to happen and immediately gave chase while ignoring its surroundings.


    Jason heard the heavy footfalls close behind him and grinned. The bear was acting precisely as he wanted it to. The only issue now was switching its attention to Gerald instead. Thetter saw the approaching danger and gave up. He knew there was no way to escape in time since they would reach him in a few seconds!


    The only thing he could do was prepare himself to face the bear and trust Ouroboros to protect him from the weaker creatures in the meantime. Jason heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Gerald had epted the situation. It meant that he would not have to waste too much fuel chasing after him!


    Jason swerved to a stop in front of Gerald and spun while swinging his hammer at full force! The Armoured Bear failed to react in time. It never imagined that mere prey that was already fleeing would suddenly turn and fight!


    The hammer connected with the side of its jaw with a tremendous amount of force. Which made the bear''s head snap to the side violently as Gerald slipped past Jason to attempt to ravage its insides.


    Jason quickly let out a burst of mes targeting the Sabre-Toothed Squirrels that tried to chase after Gerald. A cacophony of squeals erupted from the creatures as they panicked. Their fur let off a horrendous smell as it melted along with their skin.


    Jason had to drop his hammer quickly to pound another squirrel in the face that leapt for him amid the chaos. The squirrel had a small crater in the side of its head as it dropped to the ground lifelessly. Jason quickly nced around to determine what the situation was like.


    The Armoured bear seemed to be having a tough time against Gerald as one of its legs hung uselessly from its body. It looked like Gerald had found an opportunity to disable or harm those particr muscles. Jason had to admit that Gerald''s Power was a far better match for the beast while he could easily handlerge crowds of weaker enemies.


    ''The only problem is whether or not Gerald has enough stamina left to win the fight.'' This was the one worry that Jason had. After all, all of the cadets had been fighting for longer than he had, and he was already feeling the strain! He could only hope that everything would go his way long enough for them to turn the tables.


    At that point, a loud explosive sound came from high up in one of the buildings. Some debris fell from the building and killed a few members of the beast tide on the other side of the wall, which caused some of the stronger ones that were yet to appear on the battlefield to look up.


    They seemed to sense an impending danger as a group broke off from their main assault and quickly entered the building. Jason was unaware of that situation unfolding. All he knew was the ecstasy of how close the n was ining to fruition!


    ''Just a while longer!'' He thought as another explosion rang out. Jason crushed the ribs of an Octape that tried to get past him to help the Armoured Bear that was no longer looking too good.


    Gerald had obviously caused some extensive damage to its internal organs with the way the beast winced in pain every time it moved. ''At the rate that fight is going, the bear won''tst another few minutes!'' Jason happily turned back to ughtering the weaker creatures as more cadets started to converge on their position.


    They were slowly losing ground against the beast army and felt that Ouroboros represented their best chance of survival. But all they were doing was allowing the beasts to group up and force the cadets to spread their potential damage across many opponents!


    The beasts snarled mockingly, thinking that it was only a matter of time until they devoured human flesh. However, Jason had spotted the escting situation and rushed over to help them out. The area around Gerald and the bear were clear for now, so there was no problem in him doing so.


    Jason could have sworn that these Octapes and Sabre-Toothed Squirrels wereughing at him as his lone figure charged into them! Those expressions soon changed to fear, though, as Jason unleashed thest of his poison gas on them.


    They were so closely packed together that they could not escape from the sudden assault. Many beasts coughed and spluttered as ck blood started to leak from their orifices. The cadets had used Ouroboros''s reckless charge to put as much distance between themselves and the tide as possible.


    Jason also had to retreat. It was suicidal to wait there for the cloud to disperse. Besides, they only had to figure out that they could go around it using the edge of the wall. But their senses were preventing them from using whatever intelligence that they had.


    The cadets could see numerous hungry eyes gathering on the other side of the cloud and staring at them with hatred. They silently counted the explosions that happened while watching the gas fade in front of them.


    Jason swore as his tension reached new heights. He was already nning a route back to the base if this did not work. He had already started to subconsciously back away towards Adam''s unconscious body. Naturally, he would rescue the youth if he could.


    Finally, the loud rumbling of the support columns crumbling could be heard as metal screeched from pithing the building that Adam had sent a team into. The cadet''s turned to stare at the building with hopeful eyes as the several top floors slowly slid away from the main building.


    Time seemed to stand still for everyone involved as they watched it happen. Eventually, that part of the building broke free and fell towards the crowd of beasts below. Panicked roars could be heard as some of them tried to rush the wall while others tried to back away before it could crush them.


    However, it fell too fast for many of them to escape the catastrophe. Jason''s face turned into a predatory grin as the ground trembled when it crashed into the ground. A quick calction told him that hundreds if not a thousand creatures had been killed in a single strike!


    The Squirrels chattered fearfully now that they were cut off from the others of their pack. The beasts that had been waiting for the poison to clear seemed to recognise that their situations had reversed. Although they still outnumbered the cadets, there would be no more reinforcements for some time.


    Which meant that there was a good chance that a lot of them would lose their lives in the meantime. Many of them bared their fangs as thest of Jason''s gas finally dispersed, leaving them free to advance again.


    However, a loud, low howl came from behind the cadets, along with a heavy thud. Jason quickly turned to see what was going on, only to see the Armoured Bear lying on the ground at Gerald''s feet, dead.


    Jason wanted to congratte him but noticed that Gerald was not looking too good. His clothing was dyed red from the shallow wounds he had received during a few exchanges that were too close forfort! Gerald''splexion paled as he waved at Jason before falling to the ground with a satisfied expression on his face.


    Jason cursed as he turned back to the crowd in front of him. ''That''s another one I have to get out of here soon. We should fall back after killing as many of these ones as we can.'' Jason charged forward amongst the projectilesunched by the cadets to his side.


    None among them managed to notice a behemoth figure in the sky some distance away as it swam towards them. Its long tentacles moved rhythmically as the clouds in front of it parted. It seemed to be heading in their direction at a fast pace. If any of the cadets had been paying close attention, they would have noticed that there was arge, crimson glow emanating from the side that was facing them

 Chapter 111: Bigger Picture

    Chapter 111: Bigger Picture


    Jason stopped due to the shock from seeing a crimson beam strike the area on the other side of the broken building that was now their wall. A blinding sh apanied it, along with a sudden st of heat.


    Jason''s ears and eyes were well protected, thanks to his visor. However, despite wearing the Infinity, the heat from the st made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. His skin felt prickly and ufortable as he watched the scene unfold.


    A rain of beastly body parts fell all over the area, the blood that should havee with it had been vaporised. Silence descended among the cadets, or so it seemed. The explosion was so loud that they could no longer hear each other screaming in pain.


    Jason stood there dumbfounded by the overwhelming disy. However, for some reason, the sight excited him. His brain tried to make sense of what it was seeing. It did everything it could to try and understand the theory behind it.


    ''I don''t understand it...'' Jason gasped when he realised that it was hopeless. His eyes wandered towards the behemoth in the sky that was still quite a distance away.


    "Rust... So that st probably came from Sentinel..." Jason was so shocked from seeing what his mentor was capable of that he could not help but say that aloud. Luckily, none of the cadets was capable of hearing him for now.


    The beasts seemed even more bewildered by the development. Their instincts were screaming at them to get away from that ce as quickly as possible! However, where would they go?


    Their allies behind them had just been massacred, and they were in no fit state to fight to the death due to their own injuries from the st. At this point in time, only Jason was still capable of moving freely since the Infinity had protected him.


    However, anymore fighting right now would only waste the few reserves he still had left. It would be a far better oue if he could avoid shing with any more of these creatures. Fighting for the sake of fighting was pointless. But if they tried to attack the vulnerable cadets, he would certainly put them in their ce.


    Before the beasts could recover, another blinding sh, shot out from Rust''s flying fortress. This one was not as devastating. To Jason, it seemed like whatever the weapon was must need a charge.


    It looked like Sentinel had chosen tounch this one as quickly as possible for an extra shock effect to scare the creatures. Rather than build it up to kill as many as possible. Jason felt a tinge of pity for the beasts. The weaker ones amongst them had been killed just from the sound.


    ''Shit! The cadets!'' Jason turned his back on the iling beasts and ran to check if anyone was in critical condition due to Sentinel''s bombardment. Although they were in a bad state, Jason could not spot any life-threatening injuries.


    But that did not alleviate his worries. He knew all too well that just because he did not see it, that did not mean it was not there. More explosions provided background noise as he carefully moved the cadets one by one down the wall to gain more protection.


    Hey Adam and Gerald down in a separate area so that he could keep a better an eye on them since they had the worst injuries. The sts never stopped while Jason worked tirelessly. The red shes lit up the night sky overhead for another hour as the explosions gradually got further away.


    ''From the sounds of it, they chased after the beasts. Maybe these guys can finally get some rest!'' Jason felt responsible for the cadets and Guardians that had survived. None of them could do anything for themselves, so Jason was forced to make sure they would be safe.


    Eventually, he heard heavy footsteps approaching his position. However, he could tell from the sound that it was a few humans at least. It certainly did not sound like any beasts that chosen to hide instead of run.


    Still, Jason decided to y it safe and found a bit of rubble to take cover behind while making sure his shotgun was loaded. ''I count five. Maybe six.'' He waited patiently as sweat ran down his brow. Thest thing he needed right now was any more surprises.


    When the people appeared, they were not wearing the usual armour of the Guardians. Instead, they more metal tes that had been shaped to look like trench coats. Jason immediately realised that something had just gone very wrong.


    "Is this everyone Captain Horst?" The man in the lead asked as he turned to look at one of the other men.


    "My Power isn''t picking up anyone else in the area. But if I had to guess, I would say that someone was here until recently that could freely move about."


    "Alright, let us just grab one or two and take them back with us. We need as much information as possible for this to be a sess." The first man responded as he scanned the area.


    "Yes, Sir!" The four others moved off to start checking those that Jason was watching over. It seemed like they were looking for someone or something in particr.


    Jason frowned as he analysed the situation. It did not bode well for him. Logically speaking, he should let them take a couple if it meant securing the rest. Engaging these new enemies right now would just endanger everyone.


    However, when he spotted one of them moving towards Adam and Gerald, his reasoning went out the window. Jason burst out from behind his cover and fired sporadically at the man.


    He appeared surprised at first but quickly shielded himself with his coat. The shrapnel that Jason had shot bounced off of it after a brief clinking sound as they left the enemy unharmed.


    ''What the hell is that made of?'' Jason wondered as the man he fired at pulled a rifle out from inside his coat! The sound of gunshots filled the air as shell casings struck the ground.


    Jason could hear the bullets chipping away at his armour and was shocked by the damage that they could do. This was a whole new surprise that he had not been expecting. After all, most folks had heard about guns but never seen one before.


    ''They seem designed for fighting other humans rather than beasts. What went on in the Old World?'' Jason''s curiosity had piqued as he saw four more barrels emerging from the other men. ''Why don''t they use their Powers?''


    The situation made Jason feel perplexed as he realised his armour was not threatened by the old weaponry too much. ''This fight is in my favour!'' Jason grinned madly as he started firing back, relying on the Infinity to keep him safe in the process.


    Jason quickly closed the distance with these neers to prevent any stray shots from identally hitting hisrades. However, these new opponents held their ground and even looked unworried.


    Their attitude told Jason that they were professionals. But why would they be interested in abducting some of the cadets? A lot of questions were emerging in Jason''s mind as he eyed his searched his opponents for any details that might give away who they were.


    Unfortunately, besides the armour he could not see anything definitive. ''Is this why they aren''t using their Powers? Because they could be identified by them if I survive?'' Jason did not like where that train of thought was going as one of the men yelled.


    One of Jason''s projectiles had managed to slip through a gap and injure the man. However, he steadily took aim again and continued to fight as if his life were on the line.


    Jason was close enough now that a short sprint would bring him face to face with the closest individual. He decided that it was better to switch to his hammer and holstered his shotgun to do so.


    The momentary respite from Jason''s assault allowed one of the men to retrieve something strange from inside of his coat. It was a sphere but it seemed to be covered in some kind of liquid. Jason''s mind raced as he tried to figure out what it was for. He felt like most of the necessary information was already there in his mind but he was missing something crucial topletely identify it.


    The man holding the strange projectile grinned and threw it towards Jason. This man must have had super strength since the device flew straight and too fast for Jason to avoid it!


    Jason heard a thunking noise as it struck his chest area but nothing happened. With some confusion on his face, Jason nced down to see that it had stuck to his armour. ''What''s the point of this thing?''


    However, before he could even guess what it might be for, the men scattered and seemingly tried to find cover. Jason''s brows furrowed into a tight knit frown as he heard a beeping noiseing from his chest.


    It was a sound he had never heard before but he knew it signified that nothing good was about to happen. He quickly attempted to tear it off to no avail. Jason suddenly felt panicked as the beeping got faster.


    The only thing he could think of was to try and crush it beneath the weight of his armour. So he dove to the ground. A slight cracking noise was heard before a deafening boom went off!


    Jason wasunched into the air with a gaping hole in the front of the Infinity. The armour had been blown inwards while around half of it fell off of the exoskeleton!


    Jason''s head smashed into the side of the interior and knocked him unconscious. The Infintiy fell the short distance back to the ground,nding on it''s back.


    The other men heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that the armoured man was no longer moving. But none of them moved for a while.


    "Captain Horst. Kill that one and finish the mission..."

 Chapter 112: Bigger Picture (2)

    Chapter 112: Bigger Picture (2)


    Captain Horst approached the Infinity cautiously. His eyes constantly scanned it for any signs of movement. The tension that he felt made him ready to fire his rifle at the slightest thing that felt off.


    However, the Infinity remained still as he finally came up next to it. Captain Horst looked at the hole in the chest only to see that the metal was covered in blood. When his eyes moved up to the helmet, a curious frown appeared upon his face.


    The visor that protected Jason''s face had shattered, revealing his appearance to Captain Horst. Thetter crouched down and carefully peeled away what remained of the shattered ss to get a better look at Jason''s face.


    "Sir! This one isn''t an officer!" Captain Horst shouted out after a brief pause.


    Colonel Barnes, the leader of this mission, turned his head with a curious gaze towards the Captain. ''Not an officer? Why would they waste so much on a mere cadet?''


    The Colonel''s curiosity had been piqued as he approached the Infinity. As he stood beside Jason, he too seemed confused by the young man inside of the armour. When he took a better look at the Infinity, he noticed that all of the armour seemed to have been shaped from different items.


    None of it looked like it had been freshly produced to specific standards. ''So this armour is probably makeshift with whatever was on hand. So that means the boy probably made it himself. Hmm. But for that to happen, then...''


    "Sir? What should we do?" Captain Horst asked as he noticed that the Colonel''s expression had be grim.


    "We take him with us." Colonel Barnes replied with a heavy tone.


    "So do we still take the other two? Or just one of them?"


    Colonel Barnes halted for a moment as he considered the question. "Both. I''ll report this to HQ. Bag them up!"


    Barnes waited for Horst to cover the Infinity in a gum that shaped itself into a bubble. Once the procedure wasplete, the bubble began to float slightly off the ground. First then attached a leash shaped piece of gum to it and walked off to collect the other two, towing Jason behind him.


    Once Horst was far enough away, Barnes pulled a slim disc-shaped object from inside of his coat. He took a few deep breathes as he collected his thoughts. If he was right, then he would undoubtedly get a promotion.


    However, if he was wrong...


    Barnes pushed the single button on the disk, and a humming noise came from the object. After a few moments, a deep voice came from the disc in his hand.


    "Colonel, what''s the meaning of this? Why have you broken radio silence?"


    "Sir, we came across an unusual individual during the operation," Barnes replied before exining everything that had happened. "In my opinion, sir. I believe we have discovered an undeveloped Junkmaster."


    Barnes waited with bated breath as the voice on the other side of the disc went silent.


    "How confident are you in this assessment?"


    "At least 60%, sir. There''s always the chance that he''s just the pilot for the suit. At the very least, it means the Mannes Empire has one that they are cultivating." Barnes replied as he voiced his thoughts on the matter.


    A minute of silence passed before the deep voice spoke again. "Good job, Colonel. Bring him in for questioning. Even if he is not a Junkmaster, he may know the identity of one. You have a new priority in this assignment. Protect that captive at all costs."


    "Of course, sir. I''ll do my best. However, it seems that the Empire''s top pir has returned too soon. We might not be able to escape with him intact." Barnes thought about Rust''s Jellyfish fortress and the crimson beams that were fired from it.


    "Don''t worry about that, Colonel. I''ll contact Brigadier Danton and have him use his beasts to stall them. You have twelve hours to reach the rendezvous. I''ll meet you there."


    The humming from the disc suddenly cut off as the deep voice went silent. Barnes stared at themunicator with wide eyes. ''The General is going to take action personally?''


    Barnes began to wonder if they had bit off more than they could chew with this mission. They had used the internal conflict of the Empire to slip inside of its borders. The idea was to snatch some new recruits that were highly valuable.


    Then, they would either brainwash them to fight for their side or send them back as spies. In the meantime, they could gather information from the captives about the generalyout of the Empire.


    In the nearly seventy years since the two powerhouses hade into contact, the Empire''s forces had prevented every attempt to gather any information about it. If it had not been for the anonymous tip they received from someone within the Empire, they would never have gained this chance!


    Barnes silently stared at his squad that we''re waiting with their new baggage. He nodded at them before marching off towards the border, where they had slipped into the Empire.


    "Sir! It looks like the Pirs areing back!" Horse suddenly shouted as he spotted the flying fortress on its return journey.


    "Ignore it, Horst. We don''t have to worry about those two." Barnes sneered as old memories resurfaced.


    First was about to argue that they should definitely be concerned, but a ck cloud appeared in the sky as it chased Rust''s fortress. Horst frowned when he saw that. He knew that only the Brigadier was capable of controlling so many beasts at once.


    Seeing that sight made Horst realise that something about their mission had changed. Before, the attack could have been brushed off as an Outbreak. However, that was clearly a targeted strike that went against the beasts instincts.


    It would not take much for the Empire to realise that an external force had attacked them. First worried about what that would mean for his country. They would undoubtedly be the first suspects that came to the Emperor''s mind.


    ''Is a war brewing on the horizon?'' First sighed as he thought about his family back home. His wife and two kids lived in a town near the border, so it would be one first ces affected if anything happened.


    However, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as he continued to follow the Colonel. He was in no position to question the orders from above. He could only hope that whatever was going on was worth it.


    Meanwhile, in Rust''s fortress...


    "Shoot them down!" Rust roared as she watched the ck cloud approaching in the distance.


    Sentinel grunted as he ced a hand on the smart cannon he had created. After a few seconds ofmunicating with the technology that made up its body, the cannon began to heat up.


    A crimson glow appeared at the end of its barrel while Sentinel concentrated on how figuring out how long this weapon would hold out for before it became molten metal.


    A few secondster, a crimson beam shot from the barrel. It shot through the sky, looking like a streak of bright light before tearing a hole in the cloud. A few maimed bodies fell the edge of the hole where the beasts had escaped being vaporised in a single strike.


    However, the beasts were underrated by the show of force. Sentinel frowned as he studied their reaction. ''Something isn''t right. These bars should have fled by now.''


    His mind raced to different conclusions before one among them stood out. ''They''re being controlled! Who''s attacking us?'' Sentinel ground his teeth in outrage as he forcefullypelled the cannon to overheat another shot.


    As the cannon hummed when it released the shot, the beam split into various smaller ones. The scatteredsers shot down numerous bats, but they still did not turn around.


    This just confirmed Sentinel''s previous thought. ''Was Jason amongst those fighting? He better have hidden inside, or I''ll kill him!'' Sentinel became furious when he thought that his apprentice might have done something stupid while he was gone.


    As the cannon recharged again, Sentinel turned and looked at the empty air beside him.


    "Friday!" Sentinel growled.


    "Yes, sir?" The projection of an old man appeared as it bowed.


    "Where''s Jason right now?" Sentinel hissed as a crimson sh appeared beside them.


    "He joined the fight to hold off the Outbreak. I think you''ll be impressed by what he recently created." Friday replied with a cheery tone.


    "The Outbreak is over! In fact, it probably was not an Outbreak in the first ce! So tell me, has Jason returned to thepound?" Sentinel was growing impatient with the AI as he awaited a clear answer.


    "I''m afraid that he has not returned yet, ording to my data. However, he is not in the infirmary either." Friday frowned as he scanned the information that entered hiswork. "Sir, none of the cadets have returned since the fighting on the ground ended. But, there''s something else. There''s been a breach on the northwestern border!"

 Chapter 113: Bigger Picture (3)

    Chapter 113: Bigger Picture (3)


    Jason''s eyes fluttered open to see the strange pink gum that he was encased in. He immediately panicked but discovered that he could not move or even talk. Surprisingly, the pain in his body from the fighting was gone. ''How long was I out for?''


    The face of Colonel Barnes suddenly hovered within Jason''s line of sight. His lips moved as he seemed to be talking to someone but Jason could not hear a thing. ''Shit! I''ve been captured!'' Until this point, Jason still had the slightest trace of hope that he had been rescued. However, seeing that face crushed it.


    "Captain, be extra careful from here on out. The captive is awake." Barnes frowned as he studied Jason''s condition. "It seems that Green''s Power has worked its magic. His wounds have finally fully healed."


    Barnes nodded happily now that there were no worries of Jason dying due to his injuries. The other two cadets did not receive the same treatment but that was just because Jason was too valuable.


    "Yes, sir!" Captain Horst replied as he saluted smartly.


    Their infiltration unit was currently slowly advancing through a forest. A few days had passed since they captured the cadets but they had be troubled when they noticed that Rust''s fortress had given chase to them. Logically speaking, a few cadets should not be worth this much hassle.


    Unless


    Their team had picked up something extremely valuable and the Pirs knew it. Barnes had cursed endlessly over the past few days as they were forced to deviate from their original path.


    The rendezvous point had been destroyed before they had reached it by Sentinel''s long-range firepower. Which meant that they were now deep in enemy territory without any form of backup!


    They were now in an area that they had no information about. Barnes was unsure how far they were from the border since they had been forced to head back towards the centre of this region. Their scout had reported signs of strange beasts roaming this area recently.


    This unstable factor in their escape was just another cause of concern for Barnes. Wild packs could inadvertently end up exposing their location to the Empire''s Pirs who still nearby. The only reason they had not been discovered yet was the canopy of the forest shielding them from view.


    However, Barnes did not have much hope that it would be able to protect them for much longer. Sentinel had an overbearing reputation in his country. Years ago, one of their expeditions into the Empire consisted of an entire squad gifted in concealing their presence.


    However, Sentinel had somehow sniffed them out not long after they crossed the border and urately targeted them. Needless to say, that squad waspletely wiped out in seconds. Barnes had only been a Lieutenant at that time in charge of transporting supplies and setting up a base outside of the enemy''s borders.


    He had watched in horror as an area across the border was reduced to a crater. That day was already deeply imprinted in his mind, he never expected to experience being chased by this monster himself. ''Why hasn''t he discovered us yet?''


    Barnes was bing more restless by the second, the usual sounds that you would hear in a forest were silent right now. That usually meant that there was a predator in the vicinity and every animal knew it.


    Jason, on the other hand, was wide-eyed inside of the bubble of gum. He could see broken branches and some moss that he recognised growing on the side of one of the trees. That moss had been a critical ingredient in masking his scent what felt like a long time ago.


    ''That''s the same moss that I harvested!'' There were marks in the tree from where he had climbed it by driving some pegs in as footholds because his Gramps had refused to help!


    ''Fuck! We''re headed towards the zoo!'' Jason panicked when he realised that. After all, there was a very pissed off Trion living there that would happily devour him if it caught his scent!


    On the other hand, it might turn out to be his best chance to escape! Of course, Jason was unaware of the unnatural silence outside of his prison since he could not hear anything anyway.


    "McAdam! What''s going on?" Barnes hissed when he came next to their scout who stood still with a raised fist, this was the signal for their squad to halt.


    "Sir, I thin"


    CRUNCH!


    McAdam''s upper half disappeared inside of a pair of huge jaws as the crazed beast stared at Barnes hungrily with blood dripping from its lips. Barnes'' eyes went wide in horror before he quickly dove to the side!


    "Longneck!" Barnes roared as he narrowly avoided being chomped on by a second pair of jaws!


    The remaining squad members quickly drew their rifles and opened fire! There was no point in trying to remain stealthy now that their lives were on the line!


    The carnivorous giraffe''s heads snaked between the trees as they searched for their next meal. ''Fuck! This is what I hate about these beasts!'' Barnes thought as he stared at the horror show. It had used its innate ability to stretch its pair of necks to ambush them from above!


    Barnes had seen these creatures before in his country, but they had made a point to exterminate such dangerous creatures whenever they found them. However, the real nightmare usually started when the other beasts that usually lived in the same environments with the Longnecks appeared!


    "Horst! Keep an eye out for anything else using this as cover tounch a sneak attack!" Barnes roared. "If you have to then cut the injured cadets free but no matter what keep ahold of the guy in the suit!"


    shes from their muzzles lit up the area as the Longneck let out a screech in response to the injuries it suffered. Barnes felt a chill slither down his spine when he heard that noise. He knew all too well that was what this beast did when it felt threatened. It would alert other beasts to the location of possible prey!


    Sure enough, a bunch of hurried footfalls could be heard heading towards them from the same direction! Barnes cursed as he fell back towards Horst who had just managed to blind one of the Longneck''s eyes.


    "Horst! Fall back! We''ll cover you but you must get out of here with the prisoner!" Barnes'' expression was grim as he stared at his subordinate.


    Unfortunately, he could not take Jason and run himself. Horst''s Power would wear off unless he was around to renew it. So the best chance of sess they had for their country was to allow him to escape.


    Horst hesitated for a brief second before nodding and fleeing in the other direction with Jason in tow. Thetter had only realised that something was wrong when he saw the shes of muzzle fire going on around him. But he had no idea of what exactly had attacked them until he passed under a portion of the stretched neck between two trees.


    Jason felt absolutely helpless in this situation. He was trapped with no way to protect himself if he were targeted. He did not exactly have a great amount of confidence in the small group that held him prisoner. From what he had seen of them they did not seem to be prepared for dealing with beasts.


    It was almost like they had been forced to travel light. Which meant that whatever they were up to had required speed more than anything else. Of course, Jason''s anxiety would have hit new heights if he knew that he only had one person to rely on now since the others had stayed behind!


    Meanwhile, a short distance from the engagement in the forest


    "Rust! Over there!" Sentinel shouted furiously as he pointed at a spot in the forest. "That''s gunfire!"


    Rust''s eyes narrowed as she spotted the shes of light as well. She frowned beneath her helmet as she put a great deal of effort into changing the fortress''s trajectory as quickly as possible. Sentinel marched away from the opening to head towards the vault that was kept on board.


    It was stacked with materials that were useful for his ability since the pair were usually deployed together. They made an almost unstoppable team. Rust would provide transport and defence. While Sentinel would rain down death from above.


    Naturally, the Empire''s enemies feared this pair. They were more than capable of destroying entire regions together. In fact, a few of the Lords had even tried to convince the Emperor to execute them. After all, what was stopping them from seizing the empire for themselves?


    Naturally, they were just worried about the firepower that the Emperor controlled and would rather see him weaken his position by using such an excuse. However, right now it was the empire''s enemies that were about to experience Sentinel when he was truly furious!

 Chapter 114: Bigger Picture (4)

    Chapter 114: Bigger Picture (4)


    Sentinel manipted the scrap technology toe together to create various items. A futuristic rifle took shape in his hands while a metal harness formed around his chest.


    Four mechanical arms were attached to this harness and held a thick metal shield each. The technology in this creation allowed the harness to detect attacksunched at Sentinel and would automatically react to protect him.


    Sentinel did not wait any longer and headed for the opening in Rust''s fortress. His cybeic eye scanned the area below where he had seen the shes of gunfire.


    Sporadic shes still appeared, which made Sentinel grin. It meant the enemies were still alive! Sentinel leapt from the fortress and quickly plummeted towards the ground below.


    As he crashed through the canopy, the branches tore at his pants and revealed the cybeic legs that they hid. A resounding boom happened when Sentinel''s feet made contact with the ground.


    The force created an indent in the ground as Sentinel scanned the area with his eyes. The harness suddenly reacted and moved a shield to cover Sentinel''s chest!


    A metallic clink sounded as a bullet connected with the shield. The rifle in Sentinel''s hands suddenly hummed as the shield swiftly moved out of his way.


    A torrent ofsers was suddenly unleashed on the site where the shot hade from. The sound of screaming filled the air for only a second before it was cut short. ''That''s one.'' Sentinel sneered as his eye scanned for the tracks belonging to the rest of his opponents.


    ''That way.'' Sentinel moved off as his eye picked up the shallow footprints left by the person he had just killed. It seemed to him that this person was trying to flee the battle he had seen from above.


    Sentinel swiftly moved through the forest as he followed these tracks. He covered the extended distance from his drop point to the site of the battle in less than five minutes.


    What he saw did not look promising. There were only two people left alive as they fired furiously at the enforcement of beasts. It took Sentinel only a brief moment to realise by their armour that they were soldiers of the Old World Alliance.


    However, what got to him was the fact that he could not see Jason amongst them, which meant that somebody else must have split from the group. ''I should interrogate one of them.''


    Sentinel quickly picked out Barnes as themanding officer. With a savage grin, he unleashed his firepower on the beasts surrounding the foreign soldiers.


    It did not take long for these creatures to withdraw under his heavy fire. Thesers that shot from his rifle were capable of piercing their thick skin and scales as if they were paper!


    Barnes expression became ecstatic at first but suddenly turned grim when he spotted Sentinel. ''Fuck, just our luck!'' Barnes whipped his rifle up and aimed at Sentinel before unloading everything he had left in the magazine.


    Green, who was the woman beside Barnes, followed his lead. The two grew frustrated as Sentinel''s mechanical arms moved the shields fluidly to protect him no matter where they aimed.


    Eventually, only clicking noises came from their rifles as shell casings were scattered around their feet. Sentinel''s shield folded behind his back as he stared at the pair. Without a word, he shouldered his own rifle. A sh of crimson light came from its barrel.


    Green''s body copsed to the ground with smokeing from her neck and a ck mark on the skin around it. Her head waspletely gone as Sentinel had cranked up the power of his shot.


    Barnes felt a cold chill slither from his neck down his spine. He shivered as he stared at the red light emanating from Sentinel''s cybeic eye. He did not have a good feeling about what was about to transpire.


    Sentinel marched straight towards him and mmed the butt of the rifle against Barnes'' nose. A dull crack was heard as he broke it. Barnes grunted in pain but refused to move from his spot.


    Sentinel clicked his tongue, and the rifle''s barrel folded back to take the shape of a drill! Sentinel pressed it against Barnes'' kneecap before fixing him with a cold gaze.


    "Where are the cadets that you abducted?" Sentinel growled menacingly.


    "No idea what you''re talking about!" Barnes spat in Sentinel''s face as an act of defiance.


    Sentinel pulled the trigger, and the drill whirled to life. Agonising screams came from Barnes'' mouth as the drill quickly tore through his kneecap and sent flesh flying due to its high rotations.


    Barnes fell to the ground and started at his stump of a leg in horror. The drill hadpleted its work before his body even registered that he was missing a leg!


    Sentinel grinned as he pressed the tip of the drill against Barnes'' other kneecap. There was no way that he was going to ask twice!


    Barnes''pletion paled, but he still refused to say anything. More screams echoed out as the same scene reyed itself, and Barnes found himself without any legs at all. He silently wept but remained defiant.


    Sentinel raised an eyebrow at how stubborn this officer was being. A cadet should not be worth this much to him. Sentinel had a bad feeling that he knew where this was going. So he tried the one thing that would usually get any guy to talk.


    The tip of the drill was pressed against Barnes'' crotch as Sentinel gave him a sympathetic smile. Needless to say, Barnes'' fear was evident on his face as he started at the brutal machine.


    He would do anything to save himself from this fate, but a Power had been used on every member of his squad that prevented them from spilling any information! Barnes gave Sentinel a pleading look, but he replied with a heavy sigh.


    More blood and flesh sttered the area as Barnes wailed before fainting. Sentinel showed no signs of regret for his actions as he left the man to bleed out painfully.


    Sentinel''s cybeic eye scanned the nearby area as he moved around. Different tracks were quickly matched until he discovered a trail that had separated from this group. But there was only one set of tracks which meant that either Jason was not with the person or he was being carried somehow.


    Sentinel analysed the area for a brief moment longer before determining that Jason had not been stashed nearby. Which meant that the tracks were all that he had to go on...


    Meanwhile, Jason felt frustrated as all he could see was the canopy of the forest passing overhead. ''What the hell is going on? They''re moving faster than before.''


    He was still unaware that only Horst remained with him as he fled through the forest. The Captain had heard a terrifying roar not long ago, and he knew it had toe from a powerful beast.


    That was because the few beasts that had separated from the group to give chase to him had slunk off at the sound of the roar. First had no idea what had caused such a sound, but he had no intentions of waiting to find out!


    ''Come on! Run!'' First thought frantically as he suddenly heard the sound of something heavy running behind him. His fear got the better of him and made him take a nce over his shoulder.


    The figure of arge beast could be glimpsed running between the trees a short distance behind them. If Jason had seen it, he would have called it what it was. A Trion! The same Trion from the zoo that had given him a hard time before!


    Jason was blissfully unaware of this danger due to the nature of Horst''s Power. However, that all changed when arge fang barely missed the bubble that imprisoned him!


    Jason''splexion paled as he recognised the beast that had briefly appeared in his vision! Now he wanted nothing more than to escape this prison so that he could flee! His mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to escape.


    Not that it had done him any good up until this point! Suddenly, a popping noise entered his ears as his body crashed to the ground! The Trion had seeded in bursting the gum!


    Jason quickly rolled over and got to his feet in time to see Horst firing his rifle at the beast! However, the Trion just shrugged the projectiles off as if they were nothing to it. Jason''s breathing became ragged as his eyes shifted from Horst to the Trion that was staring at him with a malicious expression.


    Jason gulped as he digested the situation. He felt that if he made a break for it, the Trion would focus only on him. He saw no way of making a quick escape without provoking the beast into pouncing on him.


    ''Fuck me! What do I do now?''

 Chapter 115: Bigger Picture (5)

    Chapter 115: Bigger Picture (5)


    The Trion roared before bounding towards Jason! ''Fuck me sideways!'' Jason thought as he threw himself to the ground, hoping that it would identally overshoot him.


    However, he heard frantic yelling instead. The Trion had changed direction and went for Horst! Thetter was making strange structures out of his gum Power to try and keep the hungry beast at bay.


    Jason could not have been more excited by this development! He hurriedly scrambled to get back to his feet, but his body suddenly froze. Or, to be more exact, the Infinity became incapable of moving!


    "Not now!" Jason hissed as he tried to pull the trigger to release the hatch manually. But even that was unresponsive!


    "Stop struggling!" A cold and rough voice shouted from the cover of the forest.


    Jason immediately recognised this voice and stopped what he was doing. ''Sentinel!'' Jason''s mind went nk as a crimson sh passed by him to tear through Horst''s defences.


    The foreign enemy screamed in fury as his structures popped! The Trion, on the other hand, roared in delight as it pounced on him! The agonising screams that came from Horst were traumatising as the Trion tore him limb from limb.


    Jason had no idea what to make of the situation as he listened to Horst''sst moments. As the screaming faded to silence, Jason discovered that he could move again. He stumbled forward a few steps as he had been off-bnce when the suit had seized.


    When he spun towards the direction that Sentinel''s voice hade from, he could see a single red glowing orb shape as heavy footsteps sounded. The sight and soundbined were rather eerie, but Jason had never felt so safe in his whole life.


    The shape of Sentinel''s head became apparent around the glowing orb, which was his cybeic eye. Jason heaved a sigh of relief as he watched his mentor approach them. By this point, the Trion had begun to walk towards them.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


    To support the actual author go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]


    Jason grinned as he wondered how stupid this beast was. After all, he was confident that Sentinel could vaporise it at the first sign of aggression!


    "Thanks for your help Trigger." Sentinel hummed as he walked up to the beast and stroked its metallic fur.


    Jason was gobsmacked at this sight! Did these two know each other? Why did the Trion have a name? That made it sound like it was a pet!


    A soft chuckle came from overhead which drew Jason''s attention. Rust was floating down to join them on a small disk. When the disk reached the ground, Trigger purred happily before racing over to the old woman in armour.


    The beast flopped to the ground in front of her and exposed its belly! Rust chuckled before she gave the Trion a belly rub using both of her hands.


    "Don''t look so shocked. Trigger, and I go way back." Rust''s helmet turned to nce in Jason''s direction.


    Jason''s eyes moved between Rust and the vicious beast before he had a revtion. ''Is this what they meant when they said that women could be crazy old catdies?''


    Syssie pped herself in the face at Jason''s stupidity as she read his memories of people saying such things back in Highrise when he was younger. However, even she had to admit that there might be some truth to it.


    Since the Trion lived in this area, it meant that Rust had probably tamed it during one of her visits to Highrise. Unfortunately, there was no telling if she was actually the origin of that saying.


    Sentinel marched up to Jason and studied his appearance. He nodded as if he were happy with Jason''s work on the Infinity, but he also looked annoyed when he saw that the visor was broken.


    "So? What do you have to say for yourself?" Sentinel finally asked as he stared into Jason''s eyes.


    "I''m sorry, sir. I couldn''t stop them on my own." Jason hung his head as he felt that Sentinel was disappointed in him.


    However, Jason suddenly felt a heavy force connect with the back of his head. Sentinel had smacked him while disying a furious expression!


    "Not that, you idiot! Why''d you even put yourself in danger in the first ce? Hm?" Sentinel growled as he grilled his student.


    "Because, I was asked to help? If the beasts had overrun the city, I would''ve died anyway." Jason was perplexed by Sentinel''s words. He had no idea what he was getting at.


    "Looks like I''ll have to talk with the brass when we get back." Sentinel''s expression became dark as he thought about it. "Anyway. What I meant was that you''re worth more than several toons of cadets! But you haven''t reached a point yet where you can disy your value!"


    Jason felt a chill in his soul as he listened to Sentinel talk. He was talking as if he would happily sacrifice hundreds of people like Adam and Dani if it meant keeping him safe.


    "Kid, you''ve got to look at the bigger picture from now on." Rust sighed as she joined the conversation. "People like your friends might be Pirs if their Power develops, but for you, it''s pretty much a guarantee."


    "At most, they''ll only be helpful for war, but they''ll still be a dime a dozen. You have the potential to really benefit the entire Empire as a whole." Sentinel stared at Jason meaningfully as he waited for thetter to show that he understood.


    Jason slowly took in the information and understood their point of view. But at the same time, it did not sit right with him to just sacrifice people in his stead. However, if he told them that he was sure that he would be scolded so he just silently nodded his head instead.


    "Ok, since you seem to understand. Don''t be so reckless in the future!" Sentinel grumbled as he looked towards Rust.


    The old woman sighed as she called a couple more disks down from her fortress. They sped towards them at high speed, and Jason even wondered if Rust nned to cut them in half with them!


    However, they quickly came to a stop in front of them. Rust said her goodbyes to Trigger, who made pitiful noises. It almost sounded like he understood that Rust was leaving him again, and he was sad to see her go.


    Rust waved to therge cat as they each set foot on separate disks. Jason felt like he was watching an owner say goodbye to their pet for thest time. It was a strange sight, and he could not understand why a tear hade to his eye.


    Trigger''s howls followed them into the sky, and Jason could see his figure racing through the trees chasing after them. ''When Ie back here, I''ll make sure you are not so lonely.'' Jason breathed deeply as they docked with the fortress in the sky.


    His mind began to wander to any improvements that he could make to the Infinity after everything he had gone through. However, nothing came to mind. It was as if he had reached his limit for now in regards to his personal gear.


    ''Maybe I should try and make better stuff for some of the cadets?'' Jason wondered for a moment before he remembered that the best estimates meant there was only half of the toon left. Of course, that number could turn out to be lower.


    Sentinel showed Jason to a private room for him to get some rest on the journey back. Rust had picked up the other two cadets that had been taken along with him, but they had secluded themselves in their rooms since they were freed from the bubbles.


    Jason expected to be left alone in the room, but he was surprised when he heard Sentinel''s footsteps behind him when the door closed. His mentor seemed to be struggling with something, but Jason felt it was inappropriate to ask what was on his mind.


    After some minutes of hesitation, Sentinel finally sat down and rubbed his face. His eyesnded on Jason before he gestured to one of the other seats in the room.


    Naturally, Jason was curious as to what Sentinel would want to say to him in private. As Jason released the hatch of the Infinity and let himself out, Sentinel poured two cups of water with the jug on the table between them.


    Sentinel downed the cup as if it were alcohol, and Jason followed his lead. But that was just because he was thirsty and had nothing to do with nerves.


    "Jason, how much do you know about the Empire?" Sentinel asked cautiously.


    After all, the Emperor himself had forbidden the Lords from teaching their citizens too much. Jason had to think about this question for a while. He knew what he should say, but people obviously talked. However, he did not know whether the stories he had heard were true or not.


    So looking at his knowledge overall that he had about his home, he realised that he did not really know anything. Sentinel saw the confused expression on Jason''s face and decided it was time for a history lesson. If he was going to be a Pir in the future, then he had a right to know anyway.


    "Jason, I''d like to share some stories with you. These stories are the history of our Empire that has been passed down from Guardian to Guardian. I think you''ll find a few things in them that might be of some use to you..."

 Chapter 116: The Old World

    Chapter 116: The Old World


    "We don''t know what happened to the Old World," Sentinel began in a solemn voice. "But we do know that it wasn''t pretty. The leaders of the countries that existed at the time worked together to solve many problems. On the surface, most of them had quite a good rtionship with each other."


    "But something changed. As I said, we don''t know what it was that sparked a conflict, but the world soon devolved into chaos. The people who tried to abduct you belong to a collection of countries who work together called The Old World Alliance."


    "They are the remnants of the rulers and governments that existed before our world became like it is today."


    Jason sharply inhaled when he heard that. If these people belonged to governments that had survived since the old era, then they had to be powerful! Right?


    After all, they would have knowledge that nobody else did. Surely they must know what the old machines around the world were actually used for! Jason began to wonder what their countries might look like. He even felt a pang of regret for not being taken away!


    Even though that waspletely illogical of him, he just wanted the chance to see how things used to look like. Jason sighed as he stared at Sentinel expectantly, a slight glimmer nested in his eyes.


    "When everything went to hell, these rulers had to give up on their old territories and shrink it down to something that they could manage at the time. They cut away their citizens that lived in their cities as if they were a diseased limb that threatened to spread poison to the entire body."


    "It was a massacre Beasts appeared and started to hunt humans who had to hide like rats for a few generations. They were always on the move. Too afraid to stay in one ce for too long."


    "That was, until, the first Emperor appeared. Amongst the ancestors of our Empire, she was the first human to develop a Power. No records remain of what it was, but with her protection, the humans began construction of Bridgend as a permanent home."


    "Over time, they came into contact with other groups of survivors who flooded towards what was, at the time, believed to be the only human city. As more people developed Powers, the fledgeling city became safer, and finally, we could afford to extend our reach."


    Jason mulled over this part of Sentinel''s story. He never knew that in the Old World people did not have Powers. All the stories that had been passed down never mentioned this part. ''That means they built all of those amazing things without any kind of Power to rely on.'' This thought truly amazed Jason when he thought of the giant buildings and things he had seen throughout his life as a scavenger.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


    To support the actual author go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]


    "This led to using into contact with other cities and countries that had been started from scratch. One by one, they joined us, and we became an Empire. The five Pirs of today are based off of the five strongest rulers that joined the first Emperor."


    Jason nodded as he listened to the history lesson. It was certainly interesting, but shouldn''t it be the first Empress? Or did the Empire decide to just use Emperor for everyone who took the throne?


    However, he could already see where this story was headed. Jason frowned as he waited for Sentinel to confirm his guess.


    "Of course, with all of the expansion came wars. Some did not want to join us, which was fine. But then they would try to take the territories that we had already imed. By the time the dust settled, what is the Empire today was formed."


    "Before we could recover from the many battles, we were discovered by The Old World Alliance. The Empire was in a weakened state with only two Pirs at the time left alive. The Emperor decided to try and negotiate a trade deal while refusing entry into ournds."


    Sentinel sighed as he stared at the cup of water in his hands. "You should know that it didn''t work out. The Alliance demanded for us to submit to them since we were upying theirnds. They imed to have the right to govern us based on what their countries used to be."


    "Since then, we''ve been in a passive war with them. But they''re not the only ones out there. We''ve heard of other countries on the other side of their borders. The problem is, we don''t know how big the world is or when more enemies might appear."


    "On that note, I''ve been searching for Old World locations called NESTs. I''ve only found one so far, though." Sentinel sighed as Jason''s heart skipped a beat. "They one I found held immense knowledge. But even I haven''t been able to crack everything it is hiding. You need to grow up fast, because I have a feeling you''ll be the key to understanding the past."


    Jason stared at Sentinel and did his best to keep his face straight. He had no idea that what his Gramps had found was so important! He would be an idiot to give it up until he understood what it was that he actually had ess to.


    "You should think about these things and understand why I told you the history of our Empire. Hopefully, you''ll understand how much the Empire will need you, and how much you''ll need it."


    Sentinel nodded as he noticed that Jason appeared worried. Sentinel had actually been worried that Jason might have been tempted to join the Alliance after discovering their existence. He could not allow that! It would throw a serious wrench in his own ns.


    Sentinel decided to leave Jason with his thoughts. He knew it was a lot to digest, but hopefully, it would inspire Jason to work hard. ''How do we ensure his loyalty? Maybe I should speak to the Emperor about giving him his royal certificate to help boost his own business. What was it again? Star Gear?''


    Jason stared at Sentinel''s back as he left the room. ''I don''t think he noticed.'' Jason heaved a sigh of relief as a bead of sweat ran down his forehead.


    He had no doubts that Sentinel would do his best to get the information from him if he discovered that Jason knew where another NEST was. ''I need to find a chance to go back to Highrise. Maybe I can find out something with my new skills.''


    Jason frowned as he wondered what secrets were just waiting there to be discovered, especially when he thought about the lizard in the tank.


    There was bound to be something valuable considering the efforts that the Old World had gone to hide them. ''Maybe the Alliance knows where they are! If they really are the remnants from that time, then that information may have been passed down!''


    Jason gulped as he thought about the guns that the Alliance soldiers had used. He wondered how many of them could survive if an army that was armed with those weapons invaded the Empire.


    But then, his mind wandered to the item that had stuck to the Infinity and blown up. Jason''s eyes wandered to the hole in the Infinity''s chest. He was silently ted that he had switched to heavier, thicker metal tes.


    ''That probably would have killed me if it was the old design.'' Jason sighed as he wondered about what other marvels the Alliance might still be hiding.


    "What do you think?" Syssie asked as she slid onto the seat beside him and fixed her dress.


    "About what?" Jason replied as he ran his hands through his hair.


    "About the Alliance. Sentinel''s story. All of it." Syssie had aplicated look on her face as she mulled over all of the information.


    "Depends. The story was interesting, but only a fool would take a biased view from one side as the truth. But then again. I wouldn''t say I like how the Alliance went straight to violence to abduct some of us."


    "If they wanted to recruit us, they should have tried to approach us quietly. Then again, how long could they hide in the area with Friday lurking around?"


    "I don''t trust either of them. We should find a chance to track down the NESTs ourselves. No matter what you choose, you''re either a dog on a leash or a well-kept prisoner." Syssie had a disgusted look on her face as she realised that the entire Empire was just a guided cage under the Emperor''s rule.


    "What can we do? There''s no way to escape and take Gramps with us. And what about Adam and Dani? They''ve already bought into the whole thing by doing their best as cadets." Jason sighed.


    "Well, it''ll take some time but will they really try to contain you if you get enough power? Just build yourself up and stockpile weapons and other gadgets. Enough to make even the Emperor afraid. Either way, the answers are with the Old World..."


    *Read The Authors Thoughts. It''s quite important if you want to further support me that does not require you to give any money*

 Chapter 117: The Old World (2)

    Chapter 117: The Old World (2)


    Jason was lost in his own thoughts as they returned to thepound. The first thing he wanted right now was a shower, some food then to sleep. However, Jason still had to analyse the extent of the damage done to the Infinity. He was feeling anxious and on edge. There was no telling if the Alliance would try to abduct him again.


    ''I need to find out how Adam and Dani are doing as well.'' Jason sighed as his list kept getting longer. Sentinel had pulled some strings to make sure that nobody saw them as they disembarked Rust''s fortress.


    After all, with the visor broken on the Infinity, it would not be hard to discover Ouroboros'' identity. Sentinel was caught up in his own thoughts as he ushered Jason through thepound and left him alone in his room. He was trying to decide if it would be worthwhile to show Jason the NEST he had discovered.


    The only problem was that he was unsure of how Jason would react. If he could understand even some of the technology in that ce, then there was no telling what Jason might be capable of. ''Is it a risk worth taking?'' Sentinel hummed as he left their private area and headed for the office of one of the Generals.''


    Even though he was a Pir, he still had to apply for an appointment with the current Emperor. This was to prevent the powerhouses of the Empire from attempting to take him hostage. An appointment would only be granted once they were confident that they could restrain the person who had applied for the meeting.


    In his case, the Emperor would need several Generals to be present as a safety measure. However, Sentinel thought that this was just a show of force. He had an odd feeling that the Emperor could defeat him on his own. ''It would help if anyone actually knew what his Power is.''


    Sentinel did not like not having this information. It was an unknown factor that he could not n for. However, the purpose of gaining a meeting with the Emperor this time around was to seek some benefits for Jason. Which meant that he had to be on his best behaviour.


    Meanwhile, Jason mbered out of the Infinity''s wreckage. His mind began to work hard to make sense of the damages that he could see. Jason groaned as he realised how extensive the damage actually was. Several metal tes would need to be swapped out to start off with.


    Then there was structural damage to the actual exoskeleton as well. Jason would probably have to remake the helmet from scratch and rethink the visor. There was also spent ammunition to rece and possible modifications to consider.


    Jason sighed as he felt like he would be rebuilding the Infinity from scratch again so soon. He heaved a sigh as he finished making a list of the things he would need to make the necessary repairs before calling on Friday to deliver it to the brass.


    Jason sped his hands together and stretched his arm above his head. A couple of his bones cracked because they had be stiff with everything that had been going on. ''I should actually get some rest now.'' He gave the Infinity onest nce before heading into his room for a shower.


    When he came back out feeling tired and refreshed he noticed that his clothes were gone! In their ce was a pair of orange and ck cargo pants designed for heavy manualbour and a in white t-shirt of good quality. A brand new pair ofbat boots also sat by his bed with clean boxers and socks.


    ''When did this happen?'' It unnerved him that someone hade into his room while he was showering, and he had not realised until just now. He usually would have thrown a fit about it, but he appreciated the gesture. His old clothes were barely holding together anymore as it was. Plus, they had left his bomber jacket behind, so there was nothing to be upset about.


    His nostrils soon caught the scent of roasted meat, causing him to almost break his own neck with how quickly his head turned towards the source of the smell. A te was sitting on the desk with warm, fresh bread and a few slices of juicy cooked meat.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


    To support the actual author go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]


    Jason''s mouth watered at the sight of it before he realised that the clothes and food must have been Sentinel''s doing. He was grateful for his mentor''s concern as he sat down to chew on the food with nothing but the towel wrapped around his waist.


    There was no point in getting dressed since he was nning on sleeping after this anyway. Still, his mouth felt like it was in heaven as the vours caressed his tongue. He was almost tempted to question what kind of meat it was, but he knew better. There was a good chance it came from some beast that would put him off from eating it.


    Syssie giggled at his thoughts as she cast a tender gaze over him. His body''s more toned since the day she first came online, but that was probably due to all of the heavy lifting he had been doing. ''Hm, maybe I should take a look at his physical stats.'' She thought as she pulled up the relevant data.


    [Strength: 0.2]


    [Endurance: 0.3]


    [Intelligence: 1.2]


    [Agility: 0.2]


    [Memory: 1.1]


    She hummed with delight to see that everything had gone up by at least 0.1. Jason''s Intelligence was the only exception, going up by 0.2. This was to be expected by all of the knowledge that he unlocked. It was a sure thing that his body would take much longer to grow by the same amount.


    When she really thought about it, a lot had happened during her short life so far. From Jason''s first steps into creating items to opening his own store. From the crazy events at the zoo to teaching a lesson to a local gang. Then there had been the NEST, the Guardian Tournament, meeting Sentinel and the recent events.


    It was almost too hard to believe that just a short time ago, he had been a simple scavenger struggling to survive alongside his grandfather. Syssie stared at the young man with pride. However, there was a more pressing matter on her mind. Herponents were degrading even faster now, and if they did not find a solution soon, then all of this would have been for nothing.


    Syssie quietly ran an internal diagnostic before grimacing athwart she found. ''We have around six weeks left.''


    "Did you say something?" Jason suddenly asked with a confused look on his face as he stared at Syssie.


    "Hm? No. Not at all. Why do you ask?" Syssie wore her best smile as she returned his gaze.


    "Strange" Jason looked puzzled as he tapped his chin. "I could have sworn I just heard you say something about six weeks."


    Syssie''s eyebrow twitched as she realised what that meant. She knew that she did not say this to Jason, which meant that the barrier between their thoughts was starting to disappear. It was meant to be a one-way thing. But that was only because Jason''s brain would not be able to handle all of theplex code that made up her existence.


    If those barriers came down, then that could kill him before the deadline. ''Maybe we need to ask Sentinel for help. It''s better to be alive and have to stick close to him than die just for the sake of it.'' Syssie''s expression turned ugly as she wondered how she should bring up this subject.


    "Goodnight, Syssie. See you in the morning." Jason called out to her from the bed.


    She had not even noticed when he had finished his food, never mind when he had crossed the room and slid in-between the sheets!


    "Goodnight Jason." Syssie''s response was soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing him.


    ''I guess I''ll bring it up in the morning.'' Syssie yawned as she waited for the automatic sleep mode to kick in, coinciding with when Jason entirely fell asleep.


    Minutes passed, and she began to frown. ''I could have sworn'' Gentle snoring suddenly cut off her train of thought as her expression became dumbfounded. Her sleep cycle had failed to kick in!


    Syssie''s breathing became ragged as she agonised over what that might mean. Did it mean that their connection was starting to fail? Had a fault appeared in her program? Was she already that far gone? These questions hammered at her thoughts make the situation feel worse.


    "Don''t worry, Syssie." Friday suddenly said as he appeared beside her. "Lord Sentinel had temporarily halted your sleep cycle so that you two can have a private conversation. Are you willing toe with me?"


    "I" Syssie hesitated for a moment as she bit her lower lip. "Can''t. I''m unable to really go anywhere without Jason being close by."


    "Oh" Friday immediately understood her dilemma. "In that case, I''ll fetch Lord Sentinel over here then. Please wait a minute."

 Chapter 118: The Old World (3)

    Chapter 118: The Old World (3)


    It took Sentinel a few minutes to reach Jason''s room, where Syssie was waiting for him. He must have been close by anyway, since he disabled her sleep cycle. Sentinel slipped inside and smiled at Syssie with an awkward expression.


    "I know this is unusual. I hope I didn''t rm you when I forcefully kept you from shutting down."


    "It''s fine I think. But why would you need to speak with me without Jason?" Syssie narrowed her eyes as she studied Sentinel''s expression.


    "Straight to the point?" Sentinel sighed while meeting Syssie''s gaze. "I trust machines more than I do humans. My Power allows me to understand them better. You don''t really need to worry about those details. I want to ask you. Can I trust Jason?"


    Syssie frowned upon hearing Sentinel''s question. "Why would you ask that?"


    "I don''t know Jason. Not personally, anyway." Sentinel took a deep breath as he paused. "But I need to know if he''s someone that I can rely on."


    The air between them became heavy as Syssie considered how she should answer. She would say yes. However, that was subjective to her own rtionship with Jason.


    "Your honest opinion will be fine." Sentinel showed a warm smile as he waited for Syssie.


    "Then I have to say yes." Syssie studied Sentinel''s face for his reaction.


    However, she got a surprise when she saw Sentinel appear relieved. In all honesty, she had expected for him to question her on why Jason was reliable. But he just epted it.


    "Thank you." Sentinel had a glint in his eye as he nced at Jason sleeping in his bed. "That makes me feel much better about having him apany me tomorrow."


    Syssie squinted at him as he casually got up to leave. ''What are you up to?'' She thought as she stared at Sentinel''s departing figure. However, as soon as Sentinel had left the room, her sleep cycle kicked in.


    Jason woke up feeling rather refreshed. He stretched across the bed before climbing out and putting his new clothes on. He felt strange as he stood there. Though it felt good at the same time. Jason raced into the workshop. His eyes darted around as he nned out his day.


    Syssie chose this moment to appear. "Jason. Don''t get excited."


    Jason raised an eyebrow at her in a questioning manner. However, before she could respond with more details, Sentinel''s room door burst open. His cybeic eyended on Jason first. Right before he shed a smile at Syssie.


    "Good. You''re dressed already. Let''s go." Sentinel walked straight past Jason, who was in a daze. "Hurry now."


    Jason looked at Syssie with a frown before chasing after his mentor. He did not dare to refuse. As the pair followed Sentinel, Syssie filled Jason in onst night''s events.


    ''What do you think is going on?'' Jason squinted at Sentinel''s back as he wiped his sweaty palms on his new work outfit.


    "Who knows?" Syssie shrugged her shoulders. "It has to be important, though. Otherwise there was no point tost night."


    Jason silently agreed with her thoughts. It took some time for them to leave thepound. However, Sentinel led them towards an area that connected to docks below the bridge. Jason stared wide-eyed at the tform that Sentinel boarded.


    The tform was hanging over the edge of the bridge on what looked to be cable wire. Jason did not feel confident that it could hold their joint weight. But Sentinel stared at him while tapping his foot. Jason sighed as he edged onto the tform. It was basically a primitive form of an elevator.


    "Take us down." Sentinel nodded to the worker, who eased the cable that he gripped through his hands.


    Jason''s stomach churned as the tform swayed in mid-air during their descent. There was no helping it. It just felt entirely unsafe to him. ''Why don''t they put some barriers around the edges or something?'' Jason thought as his face turned green.


    "Does it really matter? It seems fine to me." Syssie smiled.


    Jason felt like throttling the AI who was apparently fine with their current situation.


    Luckily, he did not have to suffer for too long, as they soon reached the docks below. Jason jumped into the air slightly as he set foot on a solid surface with a broad grin on his face.


    "This way." Sentinel cut off Jason''s celebration with a solemn tone as he walked towards a dock behind a gate.


    Jason''s eyes went wide as he took everything in. There were a few small boats tied up, but they were nothing impressive. However, when Sentinel opened the gate and led them beyond. Jason did not know what to think.


    The vessel that had hid in this area looked sleek and clean. The ship''s hull was made of a dull, shiny metal that barely reflected any light. Sentinel wasted no time and casually leapt onboard.


    "What are you waiting for? Come on." Sentinel sounded like he was growling at Jason, but he did not take it personally.


    Thetter pursued his mentor''s lead and boarded the strange vessel with eager eyes. "Where are we going?"


    Jason looked at Sentinel expectantly, but he was met with silence. ''What the hell? Come on! You''ve already dragged me out here! Just tell me what''s going on!''


    Syssie chuckled at Jason''s frustration. But there was nothing they could do. It was up to Sentinel if he wanted to share the details with them before they got to their destination. So there was no point in worrying about it.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


    To support the actual author go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]


    Sentinel started up the ship''s engine and slowly brought them away from the docks. They weaved between the other parked vehicles for a few minutes before they reached an area of clear open water. Sentinel immediately opened up the throttle, and the vessel shot forward!


    Jason was caught by surprise as the wind pped at his face. The vessel bound on the water''s surface and sprayed a white cloud behind them wherever they went. It was kind of exciting once he got used to it. Jason crept to the edge and looked down at the water.


    Some aquatic animals swam past, but Jason did not recognise them. ''There''s still so much to discover.'' Jason sighed before he realised a problem.


    ''Wait! I don''t have the Infinity! What if we''re going somewhere dangerous?'' He felt a bead of sweat appear on his forehead as he considered the consequences of such an oversight.


    "What''s there to worry about? Even if it is dangerous, do you really think Sentinel can''t protect you?" Syssie raised a concerned eyebrow as she nced at Jason.


    ''I guess you''re right. But still, that doesn''t make me feel any better.'' Jason rolled his eyes before settling down to watch the scenery roll past.


    The vague shapes of buildings that had been overrun by nature was quickly reced with forests and rolling ins. Jason saw many things that he never knew existed as the hours began to pass and Bridgend disappeared behind them.


    Sentinel began to hum a tune while he focused on directing them towards their destination. Jason cast a critical eye over his mentor as he wondered what game he was ying.


    "We''ll be there in a few minutes. Keep your eyes on the coast." Sentinel suddenly said rather sharply.


    Thatment made Jason curious as his eyes moved to the coast as he tried to guess where they were headed. However, he became confused when he noticed that the coastline was bing obscured by a strange fog.


    "What the hell is that?" Jason shouted to Sentinel, who just chuckled in response.


    Jason turned his worried gaze back to the fog. There were slight breaks in it here and there, which allowed him to spot some rusted structures. ''I guess this is where we are going.'' Jason raised an eyebrow as Sentinel steered the vessel towards the fog.


    Before long, Jason could not make out anything as they were wrapped up in the fog. His eyes constantly scanned around him, but to no avail. Suddenly, there was the sound of something scraping along the hull of the ship.


    Jason felt goosebumps rise on his arms at that sound, but Sentinel appeared unnerved. Thetter slowly eased up on the throttle until the boat came to a halt. It silently boobed on the water with its gentle waves. Jason felt uneasy as Sentinel suddenly jumped overboard!


    There was a slight sshing noise, and Jason panicked! He stumbled as he reached the area where Sentinel had disappeared, only to find him standing waiting for them in the knee-deep water.


    "We haven''t got all day. Let''s go." Sentinel snorted.


    "Where are we?" Jason called down as he noticed the vague shadows ofrge buildings all around them.


    "This ce? It''s the Aquarium." Sentinel chuckled. "But I think you''ll be more interested in what''s hiding in its depths"


    ''Oh, God! Don''t tell me! He''s actually brought us to the NEST that he found!'' Jason''s eyes sparkled as he nced around

 Chapter 119: The Old World (4)

    Chapter 119: The Old World (4)


    Ssh! Jasonnded in the water, soaking himself. ''Damn! I forgot how much taller Sentinel is.'' While the water only just reached above Sentinel''s knees, it submerged Jason past his waist. He struggled to wade through the murky water to reach the shore. Sentinel stood there waiting for him with his hands on his hips as he scanned the surroundings with his cybeic eye.


    "Hm, no Fog Crawlers." Sentinel rubbed his chin as he frowned. "Shame, they''re quite tasty."


    Although Jason did not know what a Fog Crawler was, he still raised an eyebrow at Sentinel''s questionable taste. The fog was thick and swirled around them. Goosebumps appeared on Jason''s arms as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.


    ''I have a bad feeling about this'' Jason was restless as his eyes moved from one vague shadow to the next. The only thing that made him feel better was that Sentinel appeared calm.


    "This way" Sentinel chose a direction and walked off.


    Jason trembled slightly before following his mentor deeper into the fog. Sentinel kept a steady pace as he navigated the terrain. Cracked concrete threatened to catch Jason unawares with almost every step. Before long, Jason noticed strange vegetation growing over the rusty street furniture.


    "Ow!" Jason frowned as he banged his hip against a fallen sign. "What kind of ce is this?"


    Jason paused as he heard an unnerving sound. His head snapped around to look behind him! But nothing was there. Just never-ending fog. As his racing heart settled, he caught a shadow moving from the corner of his eye. ''What was that?''


    "Hey, Sentinel?" Jason paused as he kept his sight trained on the shadow. "Sentinel?"


    Moments of silence passed as Jason''s breathing became faster. He wanted to turn and run. But he could not take his eyes off of the vague shape.


    Jason jumped as he felt something press down on his shoulder! A slight noise escaped from his mouth before he felt a hand forcefully cover it!


    "Shh!" Sentinel''s voice was low as he squinted at the same location as Jason. "That''s a Fog Crawler. Back up. It''s only a scout."


    Sentinel pulled on Jason''s shoulder to lead him away from the area. Moments ago, Jason had no worries when Sentinel first spoke of Fog Crawlers. The Pir had spoken their name casually. As if they were nothing to fear. Yet here he was. Sneaking away when they came across one.


    The fog swallowed the dark shape as they distanced themselves from it. Sentinel released his grip on Jason as he turned him around. "Keep quiet."


    Sentinel beckoned for Jason to follow close behind him. The pair made slow progress after that. Sentinel appeared to be monitoring the fog with each step that they took. As they moved further along, Jason could make out high broken walls through the curtain of fog.


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    A partially ruined sign hung over a pair of smashed ss doors in front of them. As Sentinel stepped through one of them, the shards of ss on the other side crunched beneath his feet. The sudden noise made Jason''s body tense up as he paused for a moment.


    ''I thought something would have heard that'' Jason heaved a sigh of relief. However, before he could take another step, Sentinel spun to face him with his pistol drawn. Jason was about to ask what he was doing when he felt something long and bulbous wrap around his waist!


    Sentinel''s pistol hummed as he squeezed the trigger. A red beam fired from its barrel and struck the object before it could pull Jason away. Croak! Jason''s eyes went wide as he felt the restriction on his waist disappear. When he looked down, he shivered when he saw part of a long tongue that had venomous sacks lining its edges lying on the ground.


    There were sshes of blue and purple liquid on Jason''s clothes and the surrounding ground. The sight made him freeze up for a moment until Sentinel called out to him.


    "Run!"


    Jason snapped out of it as his legs carried him forward. He could see the look of concentration on Sentinel''s face as he took aim once again. Two more crimson beams flew around Jason''s figure to strike at the other tongues that attempted to snatch him.


    "What the hell was that!" Jason''s heart was racing as he threw himself through the shattered doors and cut his arms on the broken ss.


    "Shut up and keep moving!" Sentinel''s voice rified that now was not the time for questions.


    Jason moured onto his feet and noticed that the fog was absent from the building''s interior. A sudden force pressed on his back and guided him forward. It was Sentinel''s hand that he felt pushing him onwards. Meanwhile, Sentinel was firing away at the Fog Crawlers behind them.


    More loud croaks echoed through the abandoned building as they rounded a corner. Jason tried to run further, but Sentinel caught him by the cor.


    "They won''te in here. Take a moment to catch your breath." Sentinel''s eyes scanned Jason for any injuries.


    Seeing the cuts on his Jason''s arms, Sentinel withdrew a small tub from one pocket on his trousers. "Rub this on them. If you don''t want to catch an infection."


    "Thanks" Jason took the tub with shaky hands and applied the ointment inside to his wounds. "You''re sure they won''t follow us?"


    Sentinel nodded silently as his cybeic eye continued to study Jason. Thetter did not know what to think, as his mentor''s expression gave nothing away.


    "We should move." Sentinel brushed past Jason and headed down the corridor that they were standing in.


    Jason could not help but look through every hole in the walls that they passed by. On the other side, he spottedrge broken tanks that seemed designed to hold enormous creatures.


    "What was this ce used for?" Jason asked as his eyes shifted around.


    "It was some kind of containment centre. All I''ve discovered is that we humans used to keep aquatic creatures prisoner in here." Sentinel''s tone could not have been more t if he had tried. "There were simrpounds fornd based animals. Humans used to call them Zoos."


    Jason had to stop himself from gasping in surprise. Was it possible that there was another NEST in the zoo near Highrise? If there was, how would he get past the Trion? He could not hope that the Trion would just let him be since it had seen him with Rust.


    "Why did we keep animals as prisoners?" Jason''s voice was no louder than a whisper, but Sentinel still heard it.


    "Who knows? It seems to be rted to money." Sentinel shrugged his shoulders as he led Jason through several more rooms.


    Eventually, Sentinel led them to a heavy-looking metal door. The Guardian easily pried it open and led Jason down a set of suspended metal stairs. Jason felt as though they were descending into the depths of the earth. But that was far from the truth.


    His mind had yed tricks on him, as it only took them a few minutes to reach the lower level. Sentinel opened the only door in sight and waved Jason through. Thetter''s eyes went wide as he was now staring at entrances to the bottom of the ss tanks he had seen upstairs.


    From his new vantage point, Jason could make outrge and small skeletons spread around the floors of the various tanks. Sentinel chuckled as he saw the bewildered look on Jason''s face.


    "This was the area that the old humans used to enter the tanks to check up on the animals. But one of them holds another secret." Sentinel passed him by and headed directly for the third tank on the left.


    There was no need to use the door that was built in, since most of the ss was now long gone. Sentinel stepped inside and casually trampled on a few of the bones. They crumbled easily beneath his weight, which shocked Jason to no end.


    "They''ve been here for a long time. They''re very brittle and of little use to us. There''s no need to be polite. Come on, we''re almost there." Sentinel sounded impatient as he waited for Jason to join him.


    Jason felt strange, or perhaps some sadness had been stirred within him as he nced at the skeletons. He wondered how these animals had looked when they were whole. What were their lives like? Could they have provided anything useful to the current human society?


    These were questions they could no longer answer. A metallic screech drew Jason''s attention towards Sentinel. He had opened a camouged hatch on the tank''s floor and stared into its depths.


    "In we go"


    Jason hesitated for a moment as he nced at Sentinel''s serious expression. ''He''s got to be joking right?'' But Sentinel only frowned when he saw that Jason was unresponsive.


    "What are you waiting for? Get in!" Sentinel growled as he lost his patience...

 Chapter 120: The Old World (5)

    Chapter 120: The Old World (5)


    Jason swallowed a lump of saliva as he stared into to the depths below. He took a deep breath before he grabbed ahold of the Rustydder and lowered himself inside. Metallic noises rang out with each step that he took. The noise was unsettling as it echoed off the walls that were close around him.


    Once he had descended about halfway, he heard the sound of Sentinel following after him. ''Maybe I''m just overthinking things. He would not have let me go first if there is anything dangerous down here. How far does this go anyway?'' Jason squinted into the Darkness below as he tried to make out how much further he had to put up with this.


    Roughly ten minutes passed before Jason''s foot touched upon solid ground once again. He heaved a sigh of relief as he looked around, but there was not much to see. Thedder led to a slightly open room, there were no decorations and only rusted metal made up the walls. There was a solitary passageway the led away from thedder.


    Jason raised an eyebrow as he nced at it, his mind was racing as he tried to imagine what he was going to find down here. While he was lost in his thoughts, Sentinelpleted his own descent to stand beside him.


    "Well? What do you think? Sentinelughed at Jason''s expression. "It''s not so bad, once you get used to it. Come on, there are some things you have to see."


    Sentinel kept chuckling as he walked off down the only exit from the room. Jason heaved a sigh before following after his entric mentor. Why is he even bringing me here? Jason rubbed his sweaty palms on his trousers as he started at Sentinel''s back.


    "I don''t know what his game is, but hopefully, it can benefit us." Sissy shrugged her shoulders as she floated alongside Jason.


    ''There must be something in it for him as well,'' Jason replied will squinting at Sentinel.


    "Of course there is! He''d be stupid to bring us here otherwise!" Sissyughed while fixing her gaze on Sentinel as well. "But no matter what gains from it, we''ll still be better off."


    ''I suppose you''re right.'' Jason resigned himself to whatever Sentinel had in store for them.


    If it were not for the glow emanating from Sentinel''s cybeic eye, Jason would have been unable to see anything at all. The darkness made him feel as though something was watching him. But that was probably just his mind ying tricks on him.


    Soon after, Sentinel suddenly stopped in his tracks. Jason almost bumped into him, but managed to stop himself in time. He peered around Sentinel''s massive body to see the same kind of vault door that he had broken through with his Gramps.


    "We''re here." Sentinel''s voice had a foreboding feeling to it as he turned to face Jason. "I should warn you. The things you''ll see in there won''t make much sense. But try to remember that nothing in there can hurt you."


    Jason frowned as Sentinel studied his expression. ''I doubt it can be any worse than the one we found.'' Jason had to try his best to not give anything away as he thought that.


    Sentinel nodded when he saw that Jason appeared prepared. The door easily gave way to him and slowly opened to reveal a reception area, identical to the one Jason had already seen.


    As the lights came on, Jason did not have to act startled. That was because he was momentarily blinded by the light. Sentinel barely gave him a chance to adjust to the new environment before pulling him inside.


    "This way." Sentinel led Jason towards a room to their left.


    ''In the other NEST, this would have been where that lizard was kept.'' Jason''s eyes went wide as he waited to see what would be in its ce.


    However, when Sentinel opened the door to the room, Jason was met with the sight of a room full of dustyputers. Jason raised an eyebrow at Sentinel as if to question him. But Sentinel just ignored the look that he was receiving and moved to the closest desk.


    After a momentary pause, Sentinel ced his hand on the nearbyputer. There was a slight hum as the old world artefact came to life. ''What? Oh, right! His Power lets himmunicate with stuff like this!'' Jason''s heart began to pound in his chest as a glint appeared in his eyes.


    Jason raced over to look at the screen, which was now lit up. A password screen appeared briefly before it crumbled under Sentinel''s Power. A few secondster, the screen now had a bunch of strange icons on it.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    Sentinel navigated through the folders at a rapid pace as he searched for the one he most wanted Jason to see. When it appeared on the screen, Jason frowned. He could understand some of the text but the image that apanied it caught his attention.


    It appeared to show the insides of the lizard beast that he had found with his Gramps. But it focused on one nd in particr. ''This says that there should be a way to breathe underwater if they could transnt this organ into a human.''


    Jason''s frown deepened as he realised that practically all of the text was devoted to human experimentation using beast parts. ''Whoever came up with this was ambitious at the very least.'' Jason''s eyes scanned the documents quickly as he subconsciously stroked his chin.


    Jason was so lost in the information that he failed to notice the slight smile that had appeared on Sentinel''s face. ''It seems like he can understand it. Good. Maybe he can decipher the stuff not on theputers then.'' Sentinel hummed happily to himself as he inspected Jason. ''With his help, we can finally take control of the weapon that the Old World left behind...''


    As Sentinel was thinking about that, Jason almost choked when he looked over a specific piece of research. In fact, he had to look twice to make sure he did not imagine it.


    ''DNA Modification and Superhuman Weaponisation Program..."

 Chapter 121: Breakthrough

    Chapter 121: Breakthrough


    Jason nced at the redacted report in front of him. From what he could gather, the humans of the Old World we''re studying these beasts. All so that they could splice the beast DNA to fit into the human chain.


    Jason''s mouth fell open as he wondered if this was the origin of Powers. The report did not go into a lot of detail which left him feeling frustrated. Jason sighed as she continued to study the screen. It was only then he became aware that Sentinel was staring at him with an unusual amount of intensity.


    "Are you done?" Sentinel asked as he pointed at the screen.


    "Yes," Jason paused for a moment as he frowned. "I guess you already know what this says?"


    "Naturally, but I needed to see if you understood it. What do you think?"


    "There''s not a lot to go on. There''s possibly some information on our origins as Powered individuals. However, the information that covers the early stages of testing leaves something to be desired." Jason scratched his chin absentmindedly as he squinted at his mentor. "I don''t understand a lot of it if that''s what you''re asking."


    "That is what I was wondering. How much of this do you roughly understand?" Sentinel''s tone was low as if he were trying to mask his true feelings of excitement.


    "Around 20% I''d say." Jason sighed as he shrugged his shoulders. "There''s crucial information missing but I can''t be certain that is understand anything more unless I saw it."


    Sentinel nodded slowly before he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "If you had the time, could you replicate this procedure?"


    ''What the...'' Jason wanted to curse as he understood Sentinel''s intentions. He wanted to use this old research to try adding beast DNA to humans again! Jason thought about it for a moment. ''If it seeds... It could push someone with one Power to develop a second or third.''


    "I''m not sure... It would all depend on my Power. I don''t know its limits so I''m reluctant to say that I definitely could." Jason hummed as he raised an eyebrow.


    "A maybe is better than nothing." Sentinel grinned as he looked down at Jason. "Come with me, there''s more below."


    Jason followed close behind Sentinel as he less him through several hallways with closed doors. He was sorely tempted to take a peek behind them, but he did not dare to do so right now.


    After five minutes of navigating the halls, Sentinel pushed open a ss door to reveal a staircase. It went down for several flights and each step made Jason more curious. ''This ce isrger than the one near Highrise. I wonder if he''d let me explore it.''


    Jason frowned as he thought about the likelihood of that happening. Sentinel most likely wanted to keep most of the secrets for himself. A thought suddenly struck Jason at that point. ''Does he want to strengthen the Empire''s army? Or create one of his own?''


    When Jason thought about it he realised that he barely knew much about his mentor. If anything. He had mostly been the one doing the sharing and just taking whatever resources the Empire was willing to give him.


    However, even with all of the resources he still had not found a way to prolong his lifespan. The deadline was fast approaching to upgrade Syssie but he still had no leads. ''If I wait too long I''ll be stuck with Sentinel twenty-four-seven until I find a solution. That''s only ''if'' Sentinel is around when the timees.''


    Jason sighed heavily as he noticed that he was already chained to the Empire without him realising it. It went against everything that he originally wanted. But now, there was more to consider. He now knew that there were other countries out there.


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    -Antihero]


    The people in these ces may not ept him as easily if he did choose to flee the Empire. Jason grimaced as he continued descending the stairs. ''I''d have to watch my back at every turn... I need more resources to prepare a backup n in case things go wrong.''


    Jason''s mind wandered to his Gramps back in Highrise. Jason wondered how the old coot was doing. More importantly, he wondered if his shop was still standing. Jason''s eyebrow twitched as he imagined the worst-case scenario.


    ''If I return to a heap of rubble I''ll make the geezer pay up. Twice the cost should be enough.'' A sadistic grin crossed his face just as he reached the bottom of the stairs.


    Jason looked up expectantly at the door before them. He was expecting a room full ofputers, but when Sentinel opened the door there was nothing but a desk and boxes. There were so many boxes that Jason could not even see the walls because of the way they were stacked.


    "This should keep you busy for a while." Sentinel hummed as he stepped inside of the room.


    Jason''s eyes went wide as he nced at the old boxes. Some of them were falling apart while others looked to be in good condition. Jason frowned when he realised that. ''Has Sentinel been recing the boxes? Or was this ce still being used until sometime recently?''


    "These boxes hold a lot of written records. Unfortunately, my Power does not let me understand a lot of the information." Sentinel gave Jason the side-eye as he looked around. "However, we''ve had some of the teachers back at the base look over some of the stuff. But it''s been too slow. If we give them too much at once they might figure it out."


    Jason scratched his cheek as he opened one of the boxes and looked inside. ''There must be hundreds of pieces of paper in here!'' Jason felt a headache brewing. "So, who''sing to help me go through this then?"


    Sentinel had to stifle augh as he nced at Jason''s nk expression. "No one! This has to be kept a secret, you understand? You''re on your own..."

 Chapter 122: Breakthrough (2)

    Chapter 122: Breakthrough (2)


    Jason groaned when he heard he would be the only one going through the boxes'' contents. ''Please tell me this is some sick joke of his!'' However, when Jason turned to nce at Sentinel, he could tell from his mentor''s expression he was screwed. ''He''s serious''


    Jason heaved a sigh as he tried guessing how much time it would take. ''There''s no way he can expect this to be done in one sitting. It would take months to go through all of this.'' He squinted at Sentinel while he chose his next words carefully.


    "I can''t possibly get through this in a short amount of time. So, what''s the n? Are we taking some stuff back to Bridgend or do we need toe here every so often?" Jason said each word slowly while studying Sentinel''s reaction.


    "Hm, we can take some stuff back. But, there''re things in the other rooms we passed by that may be connected to these documents. So we''ll be spending a lot of time down here." Sentinel rubbed his chin while he looked around. "I''ll mainly try to crack theputers upstairs. So we''ll be living here for a while."


    "Does that mean I won''t have any training?" Jason raised an eyebrow at Sentinel''s answer. He wanted to check up on Dani and Adam''s condition.


    "No," Sentinel sighed. "It''ll take some time for the cadets to return to fighting condition. We''ll use their recovery time to sift through everything here. But, that doesn''t mean you won''t have any training at all."


    Jason felt an icy chill creep down his spine when he saw the look that Sentinel was giving him. It gave him a horrible feeling. ''I better not ask anything more about. Unless I want him to show me what it is right away.'' Jason stopped that conversation right there.


    "So, can you at least tell me where to start with this?" Jason pointed towards the boxes with a helpless expression.


    "Hm" Sentinel seemed to scan his memories before his cybeic eye shed. "The boxes on the left side by the door. They may have information about the early experiments for fusing beast DNA with humans."


    Jason frowned when he heard that. ''There''re other things stored here, but he went straight for that. He''s definitely nning on reviving this procedure from the Old World.'' Jason shook his head. Although the procedure was interesting, and he would like to see the results. However, he felt it was a bad idea.


    A lot of individuals already held an unimaginable amount of power. This would only upset the delicate bnce further. ''Are they hoping it can allow them to force the Alliance to back off? Or do they want to conquer them?'' Jason thought back to the things that Sentinel had told him. He felt that his second guess was probably correct.


    ''Damn. If I crack the information here, they''ll lock me away as a research rat. Only bringing me out when they find new Nests. There would be no need for any Pirs if everyone in the Empire is overpowered.'' Jason felt like he could see the true intentions of the Emperor, even though they had never met.


    Jason decided to stop wasting time under Sentinel''s re. He picked up the first box that Sentinel had suggested. He grunted as he carried it over to the desk and chair before sitting down to sort through it. Sentinel nodded with satisfaction when he saw Jason was ready to get to work.


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    -Antihero]


    "I''lle get youter and show you to the living areas. There''s a kitchen around the corner back there so you won''t starve or die of thirst." Sentinel pointed to the boxes in the back before turning to leave.


    Jason raised an eyebrow as he nced towards the back of the room. ''A corner? Hell, I can''t even see it! Does that mean there''s more of these boxes hidden away?'' He massaged his temples as a deep frown crossed his face. ''This will actually be the death of me!''


    He sat unmoving for ten minutes, just staring at the box in front of him with a deadpan expression. ''I should probably start.'' Jason took the first fewyers of paper out from inside and sat them in front of himself. His eyes scanned the first lines.


    "A Comprehensive Report On ''Herje'' Fish, by Dr Simon Brown." Jason hummed as he read the cover page. ''Is this whole box dedicated to one thing?''


    "Do you want me to help?" Syssie gave him a sympathetic look while she strolled around the room.


    "Help? How?" Jason frowned as he nced at the usually silent AI. Any help right now would be appreciated.


    "Hm, while you read one thing, I can scan others as long as they''re in your line of sight. Then I can store the details to my Memory banks for swift referenceter on." Syssie sounded quite happy to be able to help for once.


    Jason tapped his chin for a moment as he narrowed his eyes. "Won''t that effect my Power?"


    "No" Syssie shook her head and her long blonde hair flowed over her shoulders. "My memory and what your brain can store are different. I would allocate this stuff room amongst the files you created for your projects. There''s plenty of space left in there."


    Jason mmed his palm on the table. "You''re hired! Hopefully, we can get through all of this faster than what he expects we can. If we y dumb, we might be able to use the findings for ourselves without them ever knowing!"


    "So what? You''re nning on making an enemy of the Empire? For some old research?" Syssie chuckled with a glint in her eyes.


    "No For my freedom! Besides, I''m already their enemy. They just haven''t realised it yet. But, at some point, someone is going to figure I was the ck Arrow. When that happens, they''ll definitely lock me away." Jason scratched his chin as he had a faraway look in his eyes. "They wouldn''t kill me, not now. But being locked in a cell deciphering stuff like this every day? That would be worse than death."

 Chapter 123: Breakthrough (3)

    Chapter 123: Breakthrough (3)


    With Syssie''s help, they could brute force their way through the research. Syssie devoured the entire first box in roughly half an hour. Jason guessed that it would have taken himself around five hours or more to go through it. Unfortunately, the entire report was only Dr Brown''s rambling about how amazing that species of fish were.


    He believed they could store vast amounts of information in their brains. As if every member of the species had a photographic memory. ''At the very least, if we can work out the procedure to merge DNA, I might use that fish to increase my own memory.'' Jason sighed as he dropped thest few pages back into the box.


    ''There has to be something useful in here.'' Jason frowned as he nced at the rest of the boxes.


    "Why don''t we filter through them?" Syssie asked with a frown of her own. "You know, we can just look at the cover pages and decide if it''s worth reading. We''ll get through it faster that way."


    "Its worth a shot" Jason shrugged his shoulders as he moved the box to the side and grabbed a new one. "Nope No Definitely not"


    Jason grumbled as he checked inside several boxes, only to be disappointed by the titles of their contents. A small pile was gathering up off to the side as he eliminated them. ''Hm? This might be good''


    The box he had just looked inside contained a report about isting specific DNA chains. A brief glint appeared in Jason''s eyes as he chose this one as their next victim. As he ced it on the desk and pulled out the first few sheets from within, he could not help but frown.


    ''I don''t understand it.'' Jason''s mood deted as he read a few pages while Syssie scanned the entire document at a rapid pace.


    "It''s not good news" Syssie sighed once shepleted her task. "I used your unlocked knowledge to search for important information. However, most of the science behind this experiment is beyond your understanding."


    "What''s the good news?" Jason cocked an eyebrow at her while she sighed. He had already suspected that they would gain a lot of information that would be useless to them right now.


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    -Antihero]


    "Ny-three of a hundred test subjects that the resulting serum was injected into died within minutes The remaining seven onlysted an hour" Syssie wore a sad smile on her pretty face as she nced at Jason.


    "Let me guess It wasn''t a pleasant death?" Jason closed his eyes as he thought about their sacrifice. "Considering the experiments continued even after this loss. They must have believed the result would be worth it."


    Jason shook his head as he wondered how many people they had sacrificed just to fill half of the reports in the room. ''What if they all ended in failures?'' Jason''s expression turned grim when he considered that potential oue.


    It was possible that despite all the research, they might have never had seeded. But that would mean that humanity''s Powers came from elsewhere. Jason felt another headache brewing as he considered all the secrets that had been buried with the Old World.


    ''Come to think of it How many years ago did all of this happen? Some stories I heard in Highrise said the Old World existed a couple of hundred years ago. But, Sentinel''s story made it seem like it could have been longer?'' Jason mulled over the potential reason for this for several minutes.


    ''People either did not mention how many years had passed when they told the stories through the generations. Or someone has purposely removed anyone who knew to suppress the information.'' It seemed like a far-fetched conspiracy theory. But in this world with Powers, anything was possible.


    "What were they even thinking back then?" Syssie pondered aloud as her eyes shed. She was scanning over the stored documents once again for any information that might point them in the right direction.


    "Who knows? Maybe it was scientific curiosity? Maybe it was for survival? Hell, it might even have been rted to trying to expand their military might." Jason shrugged his shoulders while he daydreamed about the past. "But somehow, I feel like we need to understand the origin of today''s beasts to get a better picture of humanity back then."


    Some of the most recent things that they had heard and read in the reports suggested that the beasts in them were rtively new to humans. But, if that was the case, where did theye from? Had they always been on Earth? Was it some kind of evolutionary process?


    There were just too many questions that Jason wanted answers to. It would be ideal if one report housed in this NEST held some actual data on it. ''Even if it doesn''t The way things are going, there''s probably one out there that has the answers.''


    Jason sighed as he tossed the box to the side and grabbed a new one. When he opened the lid and took a nce at the title, his eyes shed and his hands trembled.


    "Nest: Testing Site 22, Sess!" Jason''s voice was so low that it was barely audible.


    His mouth went dry as he read the title a second time. Then a third. ''Testing site 22 That''s the one by Highrise!'' Jason attempted to restrain his excitement as he raced to the desk and pulled everything out of the box!


    "Hey! Watch what you''re doing! If you mess it up now I''ll have to sort it out before it makes sense!" Syssie whined as she watched on. But Jason did not care.


    ''If they connected the one by Highrise to this one, then we''re already ahead of the Empire!'' Jason spread the pages around as he looked over through them for any important information. ''Sentinel may have just handed us the key to understanding what we saw in there.''


    Jason was ecstatic when he wondered how long it would have taken Syssie and himself to uncover this Nest. That was, if they could even gain ess to it. Jason figured that somebody must keep a regr eye on the ce. Probably Friday. One line on a page caught Jason''s attention at that moment.


    ''Sess! We havebined the DNA of a man and one of the new Alligator type beasts''

 Chapter 124: Breakthrough (4)

    Chapter 124: Breakthrough (4)


    Jason''s expression sank, and then turned grim when he read that line. ''That thing in the tank was a man?'' Jason leaned back in his chair as he digested that first piece of information. ''It did not look very human Hm Is its side effect?''


    He could not help butpare it to his Gramps. After all, the old coot had a tail and dense muscles as his Power. ''Is that rted to this research? Is Gramps somehow descended from a test subject?'' The whole thing sent Jason''s mind into a spin.


    The only problem with that theory that he could see so far was that it did not exin some other Powers. Unless there were beasts out there that could spew fire or control metal. Jason trembled at that thought. The things he had dealt with so far had been bad enough. He did not even want to consider the possibility of wildlife with Powers.


    ''Wait! The longnecks could stretch a part of their body just like Adam!'' Jason frowned when he recalled that event. It seemed to confirm that there were indeed animals out there that could match human Powers. Or it would be more apt to say that humans could match the animal kingdom''s abilities.


    ''Did we really steal these abilities from the beasts?'' Jason felt like that was how things were shaping up to be. But then, that still begged the question of how animals gained Powers in the first ce.


    "Jason It seems they tried fusing animal DNA together first before they moved on to human experimentation." Syssie raised her eyebrows as she scanned the additional information. "The surviving experiments recorded here seemed to be extremely dangerous. Apparently Nest 3 was destroyed by one of these subjects"


    Jason nced at her with a curious expression. "For a Nest to be destroyed This is not ideal. There was probably vital information stored in there."


    Jason tapped his chin before he continued. "How powerful was the beast? Does it say what abilities it had?"


    "No, it doesn''t go into any details. Just that they put a kill order out on it, but it failed. The creature disappeared after that. At the very least, it did not fall back into the hands of any Nest. At the time of this report, anyway." Syssie wore a concerned expression as she nced at Jason.


    This extra information shed a light on their previous n to escape and explore the wilds. They had been overly nave about the whole thing. They would have to n much further ahead. ''He''ll have to bring the Infinity up another level, at least. But that still wouldn''t guarantee his safety.''


    The pair sighed simultaneously at their own thoughts. Both of them had concluded that they could not afford to strike out on their own just yet. That was if they could find a solution to Syssie''s degradation in time.


    "It feels like the entire world is against us" Jason sighed as he stared into space.


    "Not the entire world" Syssie let out a devilish smirk. "Just the world that we know so far."


    Jason rolled his eyes at herment beforeughing. "You''re right. Maybe we''ll get lucky and find a ce out there that would be happy to wee us, without putting invisible chains on us."


    It was Syssie''s turn to roll her eyes at Jason''s sarcasticment. "Well, look at how things turned out in Bridgend. You were certain that they would lock you away for your mind. Instead, they just saw you as one in the crowd. Nothing important."


    "Until Sentinel got involved." Jason had to point out this fact. If Sentinel had not taken an interest, he probably would have spent a few years as a researcher and returned to Highrise. If he would just lie low, then there was a chance that his identity of ck Arrow would have never have been discovered.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


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    -Antihero]


    However, word of what he was capable of would eventually reach the right ears. Then someone could figure out that he was the most likely suspect in Wraith''s murder. Even though it self defence. Jason felt like every time he aplished something good for his life, something bad came along to counter it.


    He developed his Power, and he had to keep secrets from his best friend because of it. Jason opened a store, and a gang tried to exploit him. He took care of the gang, and now there was an Empire wide bounty on his head. He slipped into the inner circle of the military, and now he was chained to one of the most powerful people in the Empire.


    ''Cause and effect I can''t n for everything. Not without knowing everything and everyone, which is just impossible.'' Jason sighed as he considered how his future might develop.


    "You could be a hermit" Syssie''s unimaginablement caused Jason to break out intoughter.


    "You know, that may not be such a bad idea." Jason shed a warm smile at hispanion. "I could just hide away and get lost in creating anything that I find interesting. That would be quite a lonely existence."


    Jason shook his head slowly. It was a pleasant fantasy, but a fantasy nheless. Humans were social creatures, and being isted like that could bring nothing good.


    "Well, I''ve finished scanning this box. But you''ll need to upgrade your skills to understand most of it." Syssie''s eyes turned on Jason as she finished storing the information away in her memory banks. "I think that''ll be amon problem with most of these documents."


    "I think so too It would be nice if we can find something useable for right now. Anything that can help us in the short term would be incredible. There has to be something in this mountain of boxes that shows where they began." Jason grabbed another box from the pile before tossing it uselessly to the side when he read the title stored within.


    "They can''t possibly have started with full-blown experiments. They must have developed something that was supposed to be temporary at first"

 Chapter 125: Breakthrough (5)

    Chapter 125: Breakthrough (5)


    For the next few days, Jason''s life consisted of reading boring reports. Roughly 20% of the boxes had something that interested him about specific beasts. These were all saved to Syssie''s memory banks for possible use in the future.


    Sentinel had pretty much left him alone to get on with it. He seemed to be caught up in his own research stored in the Nest''sputerwork. Jason would have been lying if he said he was not interested in what Sentinel had discovered. But his mentor never shared any of his findings.


    Just as Jason reached his tenth box of the day, his curiosity was finally piqued by the title of the next report. ''Jarkovski''s Serum...'' Jason hummed as he wondered if he had finally found what they had been looking for!


    Needless to say, he was disappointed to discover that he could not understand the initial theory. Although he could tell that this Serum was most likely the first stable product for a permanent change in a human''s DNA.


    ''Looks like we finally got something...'' Jason heaved a loud sigh as he nced over the paperwork. ''But it''s still useless to us for now.''


    "What do you think? Will you try gaining more PP to unlock the knowledge to understand this?" Syssie hummed as she absentmindedly stroked her cheek.


    "Who knows?" Jason shrugged his shoulders as his blue eyes stared at her. "We can''t be sure how bad it will affect me to even buy one type of knowledge. We probably need several to understand this."


    Jason tapped on the stack of papers in front of him as he frowned. ''There''s just too much risk involved just now. I need to find a permanent solution to Syssie''s imnt first.''


    Jason''s mind felt tired as he considered the feasibility of the project that all of the reports were part of. As far as he could tell, it should be possible. It was certainly worthwhile looking into.


    ''It would go a long way to helping me survive on my own if I leave the Empire.'' Jason''s eyes went nk as he fantasized about what was waiting for him out in the big wide world.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


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    -Antihero]


    He was sure that there was plenty for him to see. Inventions to marvel over and I interesting people. ''Come to think of it... Why have I been so fired up for training? When I opened Star Gear I could only think of creating things. But when the Red Steel Gang came along every solution I came up with required harming them.''


    ''It''s the same with cadet training. As soon as the fighting starts it gets harder to hold myself back...'' Jason eyed Syssie suspiciously. He had been swept up in one thing after another. This was the first real chance he had to stop and think for a moment.


    "Syssie..." Jason called out, feeling the need to use his voice for his question.


    "Yeah?" Syssie had a faraway look in her eyes as she responded.


    "How bad is the degradation of yourponents? Is it severe enough that it can be affecting my decisions?" Jason squinted at the AI. Although he did want to suspect her of meddling he still had to ask.


    "It''s not intentional if that''s what your asking!" Syssie snapped back before realising what she had said. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Jason who''s jaw had dropped open.


    An awkward silence descended between them as Jason digested her answer. ''Hell, I was just guessing because I didn''t want to consider that it was just who I really am!'' Jason coughed lightly as he gave Syssie a solemn look.


    "Don''t worry about it..." For some reason, Jason felt like he could tell that Syssie had told him the truth when she said it was not intentional. This made his mind wander to some other possibilities.


    ''Will it get worse if I don''t fix her up? Will there even be a me left?'' Jason shook his head as the doubts began to pile up. ''What about Sentinel? Sometimes he seems more like a machine. Does his Power have some kind of side effect?''


    Jason was left wondering if it had ever been him in control whenever he got into fights or danger. Or had something else been slipping into his mind? ''So far it''s mostly brought positive results. But other things, well, maybe they could have been handled better.''


    Jason sighed as he wondered if it would y a part in everyday decisions as well. He had started off building tho gs useful for making the world a better ce to live or make jobs easier. Somehow, he had easily fallen into the trap of creating items for killing.


    ''It would be fine if it was for self-defence. But can I really say that''s what it started as? I made the Primal for myself but ended up selling it. Then it became about the money. But I wonder, how many people have been hurt by my creations now?''


    Jason''s eyes narrowed. It was an unpleasant thought, to say the least. However, he recognised that this unknown influence could pose a problem down the line. It was something that he would have to address when he had the necessary knowledge to deal with it.


    Syssie sat staring at him quietly. To be honest, she had expected for Jason to fly into a fit of outrage. But he had been surprisingly calm about the whole thing. She had her own thoughts on what was going on but was always reluctant to voice them.


    ''My circuits can''t regte everything anymore. The thought process that aputer would go through has been infecting his mind for a while now. I''m surprised he noticed it on his own.''


    Syssie sighed as she brushed her hair behind her ear with a delicate hand. ''But if it goes on for too long, will he even be human anymore?'' Syssie sighed as Jason grabbed another box and opened it. She could not help but raise an eyebrow when she saw the look of excitement on his face.


    "Syssie! This is the breakthrough we''ve been looking for!" Jason wore a broad smile as he turned to look at her with a glint in his eyes...

 Chapter 126: Serum

    Chapter 126: Serum


    Jason was almost jumping out of joy as he rushed to the table with the new box. He was eager to begin digesting it right away. ''Let us take a look'' His eyes shed as he rummaged through the box and began spreading out the papers within on the desk.


    As they looked through the material, they could see that it definitely looked promising. ''This must have been written with the intention of exining things to someone who may not understand scientific jargon.'' Jason smiled because this meant that the report held the full procedure for creating the serum.


    Not only that, but it detailed it in a way that he could understand. So, despite the fact that he did not understand the science behind it yet, he would still be able to recreate it.


    "It says here that it''s only a temporary effect" Syssie hummed as she scanned several pages at once. "But, how would you use it?"


    "It depends This stuff seems to have been created to give the test subjects a brief timeframe of boosted strength or speed. But, that doesn''t mean we have to use it the same way." Jason grinned as he continued reading. "This is merely the start of it. If I''m right, we could potentially extract a rapid healing ability from a beast. Then inject it when injured to heal ourselves quickly."


    Jason''s eyes shed as he thought about all the ways this technology could be used. ''We''ll have to start simple But if we can get our hands on a powerful healing ability, then that could counter the side effects of what happens when I buy knowledge beyond what my brain can handle.''


    A slight smirk appeared on Jason''s face. He was thinking of going through a period of rapid development again. If he could make this reported serum into a reality, then maybe, just maybe, he could finally unlock what he needed to deal with Syssie.


    ''That would be one problem taken care of, at least. But the question still remains of whether I''ll have to upgrade her againter.'' Jason sighed but did not let the thought get him down. His eyes moved over the report as he skimmed through it, exchanging thoughts with Syssie as they went along.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


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    -Antihero]


    By the time they reached the end, they hade to the conclusion that this serum was most likely made in the Nest by Highrise. Which meant that they were now under pressure to return there to attempt it. ''How can we convince Sentinel without revealing the Nest?''


    That question had them both stumped. Jason could try saying that he was concerned for his Gramps. Or he could even im that he wanted to check on his store. The problem was that he was unsure if either of these would be a good enough reason for Sentinel.


    "We still have some time toe up with something" Syssie tried to sound optimistic, but Jason was not convinced.


    "It would still be better if we could deal with this sooner rather thanter." Jason heaved a sigh as he ced the report back in the box and tossed it to the side. They had everything that they needed from it, so the report itself was now useless.


    "True But look on the bright side. There''s bound to be a report stashed in here that contains information on what beast we''ll need to get our hands on." Syssie grinned as she turned to look at Jason''s dejected face.


    When Jason realised what she had said, a passionate expression crossed his face. ''That''s right! With all of this information, there''s bound to be something suitable! If we can just find the right reports, then we won''t have to go through trial and error!''


    Jason''s eyes scanned the room as he tried to estimate how much that they still had to go through. ''We''ve barely touched on the knowledge stored in here. It''s only the stuff that Sentinel pointed out that we''ve been looking at. But, what''s in the other boxes then?''


    Jason was now beginning to wonder if there was any other useful information that he could steal from this ce. Even if it would not be useful to him for some time. After all, he was pretty much looking at a free lunch. He would have to be an idiot not to take advantage of it.


    Besides the Serum report, over the next few days, Jason umted a wealth of knowledge. It mostly covered the unusual abilities of the beasts that had appeared by the time the Nests were set up. Most people would say it was worthless, as there was no telling if any of these beasts had gone extinct since then.


    However, Jason and Syssie used the knowledge to cross-reference what types of abilities were most likely to appear in specific types of beasts. For example, lizards tended to develop tougher scales or rapid healing. Ape types leaned towards bing stronger or more agile depending on their size.


    Of course, these were just the physical traits. Hardly any creatures in the reports had developed anything close to what humans of the current era could do. However, Jason kept in mind that it was likely more of such creatures that had something beyond a physical power had appeared since the time of the reports.


    ''We need to find out if they seeded in merging Powers.'' Jason sighed as he thought about it. He somehow felt that someone who had multiple abilities probably existed at some point. But he wanted to know what the risks were of attempting something like that using a more advanced version of the serum.


    A few more days passed of fruitless searching. Eventually, Sentinel turned up to collect him. It was time to return to Bridgend for a while. However, Sentinel''s remaining human eye went wide when he saw the pile of boxes. He had not entered this room since day one!


    "How did you get through so much?" Sentinel''s smile twitched a little as he kept ncing at the small mountain of discarded boxes.


    "Hm? Oh, I didn''t." Jason shrugged his shoulders as he stared at his mentor. "There''s not much that we actually understand amongst all of this. So we focused on the reports we thought we could gain something from."


    Sentinel nced at Jason in disbelief. "You mean you could tell pretty quickly what amongst all of this was useless?"


    "None of it useless really." Jason spread his arms in a gesture of helplessness. "It just has a different value. We came across some things that covered the experiments though."


    "And?" Sentinel had a glint in his eye as he stared at the pair. "Can you reproduce what they were up to?"


    Jason made a show of slowly scratching his chin while sighing loudly. "No. Not right now at least. It''s going to take time to fully understand the theories behind it. Then there''s the problem of testing whatever wee up with."


    "Why would that be a problem?" Sentinel frowned as he looked around the room.


    "For one, I doubt we''re the same as the humans who existed in the past era. So it''s safe to assume the effects could be different. In other words, what was safe for them may kill us instead." Jason shook his head as he tried to deter Sentinel from prying too far into this for now.


    "I see..." Sentinel responded slowly. "But we still have to show some results of your visit here if you want to return. Is there anything we can use?"


    Jason frowned as he nced at Sentinel. This was the first that he was hearing of conditions attached to him being in the Nest. ''Makes sense I guess. Sentinel probably reported this ce to the Emperor. Which means you probably need clearance to visit this ce.''


    Jason sighed again as he wracked his brain. ''I guess I could try giving them the information on the different beasts. Like what each species is most likely to develop. But I''m not sure if that would be enough. They may have already worked that out without the information stored here...''


    "The only thing I can give you just now is some research on the different beasts. Plus what I understand of the basic serum they used in the Old World." Jason saw the look of excitement on Sentinel''s face and hurriedly continued to make him understand the situation better. "Its effects aren''t permanent and I can''t give you the full procedure. But if you give some papers from that box there to the researchers they might make better progress."


    Sentinel hummed for a moment while slowly nodding. "I guess you have a point. This should be enough to secure your help here again. Pick out the papers the researchers should focus on. Anything that you don''t understand. We can spread them amongst different people so they don''t realise what we''re looking into..."


    "No problem, I''ll get on it right away..."

 Chapter 127: Serum (2)

    Chapter 127: Serum (2)


    With Syssie''s help, Jason identified the parts of different reports that could be handed over to the researchers. Although they deliberately chose the parts about the serum that would still not give the Empire a clear picture once the researchers cracked it. They would have to put in more work on their end to fill in the gaps.


    This way, Jason could maintain his lead on the subject for a while. Or so he hoped. He could not afford to underestimate the researchers it would be assigned to. Although they would work separately from each other, it would still be a team. While Jason only had Syssie and himself to rely on.


    It was inevitable that they would eventually close the gap between them. Jason could only hope that it could stall them long enough for him to make some actual headway. Jason smiled as Sentinel seemed pleased with the pile of papers that Jason prepared.


    Although, it surprised Jason to see that Sentinel hade to collect him with a few empty boxes in hand to store them in. He had half been hoping that some of these papers would get lost or destroyed in transit. Once the papers were safely stored, an object flew from Sentinel''s belt.


    The strange machine unfolded into arge metal box. One that could store the cardboard ones with no difficulty. Jason could not help himself from studying the devices that allowed it to fly. There were several thrusters on the underside that allowed it to steer and follow safely behind Sentinel.


    ''I guess he has his Power to thank for that. I wonder if I can create something simr.'' Jason hummed as he considered the utility of such an item. It would certainly make travelling a heck of a lot easier. Although, the slight noise that the thrusters gave off may attract wildlife.


    ''If there''s way to silence it, then maybe'' Jason''s train of thought was broken when he realised Sentinel was staring at him with an odd look. ''Ah, I''m wasting his time''


    Jason cleared his throat with an awkward cough. "Sorry I was just interested in it. I can''t help myself sometimes."


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


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    -Antihero]


    "Don''t worry about it." Sentinel waved his hand as if it were no big deal. "That''s exactly how people like yourself and I should be. We can''t advance unless we search out new ideas."


    Sentinel let out a soft chuckle that made Jason feel more rxed. He had to admit that it was nice that they had a fair bit inmon. However, that was probably down to them possessing simr Powers. ''At least he gets me.'' Jason heaved a gentle sigh as the corners of his mouth curled up.


    A few secondster, Sentinel turned to lead Jason out of the Nest. They took the same path that they had used when they entered, but Jason felt regretful that he did not get the opportunity to explore some more. He was convinced that there was a plethora of secrets and other things that could stimte his creativeness hidden inside some of the rooms.


    It was only when they reached the front doors of the aquarium that Jason suddenly froze in fear. Memories of what was hiding in the fog outside jumped to the forefront of his mind. ''Fog Crawlers'' Jason''s eyes darted from left to right as he tried to spot any unusual shapes in the fog.


    Sentinel noticed his hesitation as he scanned the fog using his cybeic eye. "Don''t worry, there''s nothing there."


    "That''s what you saidst time" Jason''s voice almost cracked as he mumbled those words.


    Sentinel heard the words that Jason mumbled clearly and scratched his chin out of embarrassment. Truth be told, his cybeic eye could not see much deeper into the fog than a regr one. He was just trying to keep Jason calm. ''One day, I''ll have to find out what''s creating this fog. The boy is right to be afraid of it.''


    Sentinel had spected long ago that there was probably arge beast hiding out there that had turned this area into its own domain. He was almost certain that the fog was not a natural urrence. But whatever was out there creating it had never revealed the slightest trace of its existence.


    ''Could it be hiding in the water?'' Sentinel wondered if the creature was just hibernating or hiding away. If it was the former, then one day, he would have to be concerned about travelling out here. The fog would be a danger zone that even he would be uncertain of surviving in.


    But, if it was thetter, it would mean the creature was docile. Well, either that or Jason and he were of no interest to it. For now, he could only focus on the known threat. He attempted to disy his confidence by stepping into the fog, showing no trace of fear.


    However, his cybeic eye was constantly scanning the fog in front of them. He had to admit that the area was strangely quiet. Usually several Fog Crawlers would wait for him to resurface. They were used to his routine by now.


    Whenever they spotted him, he would disappear inside the structure for several days before revealing himself again. That had always been the best chance to grab an easy meal. But this time, there was no sudden ambush. The fog was eerily still. It was not even swirling with the breeze that usually passed through the area.


    ''Hm? There''s no breeze?'' Sentinel raised an arm to feel the air current as he paused in his steps. ''There''s always a breeze''


    Sentinel''s mind raced as he tried to identify what could possibly be different. With this area being so close to the coast and arge body of open water, it made no sense for there to be no wind at all. He turned his head to warn Jason that something may be wrong and that they had to be extra careful.


    However, Jason was frozen in fear with a horrified expression on his face. He had barely stepped out of the aquarium when he noticed the same strangeness that Sentinel had. However, he knew more about it than Sentinel did. After all, one of the reports Syssie had scanned appeared in his mind

 Chapter 128: Serum (3)

    Chapter 128: Serum (3)


    "We have to get out of here" Jason stammered as he nced at Sentinel.


    Thetter frowned because he could evidently see that Jason was spooked. That set off rm bells in his mind. Mainly because he knew that Jason now likely had a vast amount of knowledge of ancient beasts. Considering that Jason was not this worried when they first arrived, it made sense to conclude that he hade across something within the Nest.


    "What is it?" Sentinel''s expression turned grim as he studied Jason''splexion, that had visibly paled.


    "No time to exin! We just have to get out other! Trust me!" Jason hissed as his head swivelled from side to side frantically.


    Sentinel hesitated for a brief moment before nodding his head. This time, he had to trust Jason. Even if his apprentice was wrong, it was still better to expect the worst-case scenario. However, when he moved in the boat''s direction they had left on the shore, Jason hissed again.


    "What are you doing! We can''t go that way!" Jason sounded as if he was about to snap while keeping his voice low. "We''ll only die if we return to the water!"


    Sentinel raised an eyebrow as he red at Jason. "Then how are we supposed to get back to Bridgend? The boat is that way."


    Jason''s frantic eyes nced in the direction that Sentinel was pointing towards. But his mind would not allow him to go that way, even if he wanted to.


    "You don''t understand! We have to go ind! We have to get away from here Even if it''s on foot!" Jason was almost wailing by this point, which only rmed Sentinel even more.


    "Damn, I''m trusting you, kid! If I lose my boat because you''re wrong There will be hell to pay!" Sentinel''s cybeic eye shed with a crimson light beneath his frown.


    But Jason did not care. Any price was worth paying if he could convince Sentinel that returning to the shore was a bad idea. He waited as he watched his mentor, after all, he was unsure of which direction they had to take.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


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    -Antihero]


    Sentinel realised that Jason was waiting for him to make a decision. However, not much of the area beyond the aquarium had ever been explored! This was because all of his efforts had been focused on unlocking the Nest''s secrets. He had never had a reason to increase his awareness of the surrounding area.


    Just as Sentinel chose a direction that would lead them further away from the shore, one of the shadows that he assumed was a building started to rise. Both of them turned to stare at the sight in horror.


    Jason gulped down a lump of saliva as he estimated the length of the shadow. ''That''s got to be over three hundred foot!'' Due to the shadows and the tricks that the fog was ying, it was difficult for him to gauge the actual height as well.


    Although, when the shadows began to move in the distance, he could roughly make out six thick legs supporting the behemoth''s frame. What looked to be two tails swished through the fog behind it.


    Sentinel watched in horror as, from somewhere on the creature''s back, a dense fog erupted. Making it more difficult to spot the creature. His head turned towards Jason, as if seeking an answer.


    Jason realised that Sentinel most likely would not move unless he understood what they were dealing with now. But he was reluctant to voice his guess. Still, under the circumstances, he had no other choice.


    "The reports didn''t give it a name They just said it looked like a blue whale while reaching roughly three times its length. They seemed concerned that it had developed six legs and was capable of hunting onnd, while its twin tails allow it to reach incredible speeds in the water." Jason took a deep breath as he scanned through the information that Syssie was projecting into his mind.


    "The fog is a defensive measure. It prevents other creatures from sensing its presence. However, it only uses it if it feels that it''s in danger" Jason gulped as he wondered what could make such a beast worried about its life.


    Sentinel, on the other hand, was even more shocked than Jason. After all, he had never seen the area without the fog looming over it. Which meant that the ''thing'' hunting this behemoth had been living close by for all of this time. He, for one, did not relish the idea of waiting around to see what would happen.


    "Come on!" Sentinel hissed as he raced off into the fog.


    However, he kept his speed to a pace that Jason could follow. The pair of them were running around the area blind. Sentinel never stopped scanning for a potential ambush from the Fog Crawlers. But he never picked up any signs of them. ''I guess this is why they weren''t waiting for me this time! Fuck! I have to report this to the Emperor. These creatures could pose a serious threat to Bridgend''


    Neither Jason nor he could prevent themselves from ncing over their shoulders. Tremors had begun to shake from the ground beneath their feet as they ran. Meanwhile, the fog was bing thicker by the second. If it carried on like this, they would not be able to see each other even if they were face to face!


    This caused Sentinel to slow down. There was no way he could allow himself to lose Jason in the fog. If this area became a battle zone, there was already a good chance that the aquarium would get crushed in the fallout.


    The fog reached a point where Sentinel had to take Jason by the hand. Their escape had slowed to a snail''s pace, as they could no longer see what was in front of them. Sentinel had to walk with his arm outstretched, just to feel if he was about to walk into anything

 Chapter 129: Serum (4)

    Chapter 129: Serum (4)


    "Damn! Another wall!" Sentinel frowned as he tried to peer through the fog, to no avail.


    The tremors steadily grew more violent as they continued to feel their way through the terrain. Jason kept his ears perked up for any sounds of something moving in the fog. Besides the behemoth whale, anyway. ''This couldn''t be any worse. That thing could kill us with a sneeze, never mind what will happen if it starts a serious fight''


    It was only natural for the two of them to be concerned. They were blind, fumbling around in the fog, and there were at least two creatures out there that could kill them without noticing. Jason''s mind was still racing as he tried to figure out what was threatening the whale. He could only hope that whatever it was, failed to find the whale.


    That would make their escape a lot safer. As they took another turn and stumbled over some more debris, they heard it. An animalistic wail came from the shoreline. ''I guess the hunter has arrived'' Jason frowned as Sentinel continued to lead him through the fog.


    It was an eerie thought that any moment could be theirst, and there was nothing they could do about it. The intensity of the tremors took a sharp rise as the strange wailing noise sounded again. ''Is it pissed because it can''t find its prey?''


    [


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    -Antihero]


    Jason did not want to find out the answer. However, Sentinel''s pace suddenly picked up as he heard some scuffling noises nearby. Now and then he would pause for several moments before continuing on. ''Fog Crawlers'' Jason thought as he kept his mouth shut.


    That was thest thing they needed! However, Jason noticed the sounds seemed to be travelling in the same direction as them! ''They''re trying to escape as well!'' It was the only reason he could think of for them revealing themselves after staying hidden.


    Jason stopped walking and tried to get Sentinel to wait as well. But he was so focused on escaping that he dragged Jason along behind him! ''Come on! Pay attention!'' Jason felt his palms bing sweaty. He knew they could not continue like this!


    Heshed out with his foot and kicked Sentinel''s leg! ''Ow! What the hell!'' Although that made Sentinel pause, he was treated to a throbbing pain in return.


    Sentinel raised an eyebrow as he leaned in close to where Jason''s face should be. "What is it?"


    Jason was taken aback by the hostility that was in his voice. But then he thought about their current situation and realised that it made sense for Sentinel to be on edge.


    "We''ll die if we keep going!" Jason hissed through his teeth. "The Fog Crawlers are escaping in the same direction as us. Once we leave the fog, we''ll be easy prey!"


    Sentinel became wide eyed at Jason''s reason for kicking him. He focused on listening to their surroundings and realised that his apprentice was right. ''We need to find somewhere to hold up then.'' He felt a headache brewing as he considered the situation.


    They would definitely die if they left the fog or turned back. There was a chance of being eaten or crushed if they stuck around. ''Well, possible death is better than certain death.'' Sentinel nodded as he began to feel his way through the fog again.


    This time they followed any wall they came across as they searched for a door. However, most entrances to the buildings had copsed, trapping them outside as they continued to move ind. Jason''splexion paled when the tremors suddenly changed into earthquakes.


    In the distance, they could hear buildings crumbling down. Whatever had invaded the area was clearly losing its patience. ''How long can the whale hide for? Maybe it''s not a good idea to hide inside one of these ruined buildings.'' Jason heaved a helpless sigh as he considered the buildings may fall on them.


    After all, their structure was no longer what they used to be in their prime. So there was no way of telling if they could hold up under the earthquakes. It took nearly another half hour of searching before Sentinel found the entrance to a small building.


    He swiftly led Jason inside and to their surprise, they could see again. Just like with the aquarium, the fog refused to enter the buildings. Jason frowned as he briefly contemted the reason behind it, but he could not make any sense of the phenomenon.


    "Well, at least if we die we might see iting" Sentinel let out a soft chuckle.


    "How''s that a good thing?" Jason rolled his eyes as he turned to stare out at the fog. "The way this is going, we could be trapped here for some time."


    "That''s true but at leas Jason!" Sentinel suddenly cut off his reply and yelled as Jason screamed!


    A device flew from Sentinel''s belt and chained Jason to the floor, using spikes to create an actor point. Jason trembled as the chains wrapped around him and prevented him from being dragged into the depths of the building.


    Sentinel drew his pistol and fired at the Fog Crawler''s tongue that had wrapped around Jason''s leg! The smell of scorched meat flooded the room as a croak of pain came from somewhere further inside. Although the tongue had been severed, the remaining part flopped around a bit before it went still.


    "I thought you said they don''te in the buildings!" Jason could not help butin as a cold sweat drenched his back.


    "I never said that I only said that they would not enter the aquarium" Sentinel snorted as he kept his cybeic eye trained on the hall that the attack hade from. "Plus, it''s only a baby. It isn''t full grown yet so we don''t have to worry."


    Sentinel had caught sight of it with his enhanced vision. Which was the only reason that he knew that information. In his mind, this was a good chance to kill one of them. They usually escaped thanks to the fog whenever he injured them in the past.

 Chapter 130: Serum (5)

    Chapter 130: Serum (5)


    Jason''splexion paled when he saw the look on Sentinel''s face. He let out a low groan as he realised this maniac wanted to pick a fight with a beast inside of the building they were using for shelter!


    "Are you crazy?" Jason let out a low hiss as he stared into the darkness. "What if you destroy this ce? We''ll be back to square one!"


    Jason nced around frantically as he waited for Sentinel to set him free. There was a slight beeping noise as the anchor points released from the floor. The chains swiftly receded into the ball that they hade out of before the device flew back to its ce on Sentinel''s belt.


    "It''s fine It can''t put up much of a fight. It should be quick." Sentinel scratched his chin as if he were deep in thought. "Besides we''re going to need food."


    Jason felt his stomach do somersaults at the thought of eating a Fog Crawler. Its tongue was a gross enough sight to put him off from even attempting to consume it. ''Please Don''t be serious about this'' Jason silently prayed as he got to his feet. However, his prayer went unanswered.


    The pistol in Sentinel''s hand gave off a crimson glow as it charged a second, more powerful shot. The number one pir of the Empire strode forward with confidence. Personally, he just really wanted to kill one of these things to vent his frustrations.


    Jason gulped as he followed along behind Sentinel, who was monitoring the area up ahead. As they moved along the hall, they could see the blood stters across the walls from where the tongue had retreated. ''It should be bleeding out, but you never know with beasts. What if it''s waiting to ambush us again?'' Jason thought as the sound of their footsteps bounced off the walls.


    Suddenly, they heard the sound of something moving. To be more exact, they heard something pounding against a wall.


    "It''s trying to escape!" Sentinel let out an evil-looking grin as he heard that sound.


    However, Jason felt worried by the sound. If the beast was trapped and desperate, would that not make it more dangerous? He could not help but think this was a bad idea. But Sentinel was in no mood to listen to any of hisints. Jason could only keep quiet and go along with him.


    After a few more moments, they reached the doorway where the sounds wereing from. Jason trembled as Sentinel raised his pistol and stepped inside. A bright sh almost blinded Jason as Sentinel fired his weapon. Then the sounds ceased. There was no retaliation, no sounds of pain.


    Jason frowned as he stepped inside. Only to see a dead Fog Crawler that barely reached his waist in height. He could tell from a single nce that this one was extremely young. Even though it had attempted to eat him, he felt a tinge of pity for it.


    "Dinner Is served" Sentinel grinned as he turned to face hispanion, who could only shake his head.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    That was when Jason''s gazended on the contents of the room. His eyes went wide as he studied the apparatus. ''It''s ab!'' Jason studied what was left of the room. The Fog Crawler had destroyed a lot of the ssware but there was enough left for the ce to still be useful.


    Jason''s mind raced as he connected some things present to the equipment that had been listed in the reports. He doubted they used thisb for experiments. It was more likely that it was somehow rted to the animals kept captive in the aquarium.


    ''Maybe We''re not out of hope yet!'' Jason grinned as he walked around the room with a serious expression.


    Sentinel raised an eyebrow at Jason''s odd behaviour, but restricted himself to just watching over him. If Jason hade up with an idea to get them out of here, then it was a good thing for both of them. Eventually, Jason sighed as he turned to face Sentinel.


    "I think I have a way out. Well, two ways. The problem is, I can''t guarantee the sess of either of them." Jason''s expression was solemn as he stared at his mentor with a glint in his eyes.


    "What''s option one?" Sentinel''s mouth curled upwards as he recognised the look in Jason''s eyes as one that he would often get himself.


    "I can attempt to mask our scent. To be more exact, I can try to trick the Fog Crawlers into believing that we''re one of them." Jason tapped his chin as he nced at the dead specimen against the wall.


    "That sounds promising" Sentinel hummed as his cybeic eye shed. "What''s the catch with it?"


    "The catch? It''ll probably work in the fog but once we''re out of it everything will depend on how they react when they actually ''see'' us" Jason''s voice carried the uncertainty that he was feeling.


    Sentinel nodded as he felt that Jason''s worry about it had solid ground. "Ok, so what''s option two?"


    "The second option" Jason sighed before a deep frown crossed his face. "I can attempt to recreate the basic serum in the reports. Although I don''t understand the science behind it, there were detailed instructions on what to do. I don''t know what side effects it might have. But if my guess is correct It should mask our scents and hopefully give us some kind of boost to our bodies."


    "Well, that sounds much better than option one." Sentinel let out a deepugh before he noticed the look on Jason''s face. "Ok kid, give it to me straight. What''s the nasty side of this?"


    "It could kill us Or not work at all. There''s no telling if there''ll be a bacsh from whatever boost we gain once it wears off. And all of that is only if it''s sessful." Jason closed his eyes as he went over the details once more. "Just to be clear, there''s only around about a 21% chance of this being sessful"

 Chapter 131: Hopping Out Of The Pan... And Into The Fire

    Chapter 131: Hopping Out Of The Pan... And Into The Fire


    In the end, Sentinel decided it was worth a shot. Anything that could give them enough of an advantage to escape the situation they were stuck in was a good n, despite its ws. Jason immediately got to work. Some of theb equipment took him a while to get used to, and he had to rely on Sentinel to provide devices that could generate mes or electricity to make everything work.


    There was a fair bit of waiting involved at several stages, but neither of them dared to talk. While Jason was fully focused on the procedure and making sure nothing went wrong, Sentinel monitored the situation outside. Now and then he would take a brief walk to the front door to look outside. But all he could see was fog.


    Tremors and earthquakes periodically wracked the area which only drove Jason''s tension through the roof. Whenever they happened, he had to grab hold of whatever he was working with to prevent it from falling. Jason grumbled under his breath as another earthquake struck, but this one was far more violent.


    "It''s moving closer to us" Sentinel wore a grim expression as he shifted his footing to keep his bnce.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    "It''s nearly done They just have to stay away from us a little while longer" Jason exposed a frown as he studied the liquid in the test tubes. He had made several vials in case something went wrong. Plus, it would give them a backup in case the effects wore off before they couldpletely vacate the area.


    Sentinel arched an eyebrow as the sound of Jason grinding his teeth reached his ears. ''The boy is struggling to deal with the stress'' Sentinel sighed before he took another walk. ''I just hope he doesn''t snap because of this.''


    As he reached the front lobby of the small building, he realised that something had changed. The fog outside of the door was bing thinner! The sight immediately sparked concern in Sentinel''s mind. He did not know if it was a good thing, but he highly doubted it.


    Just as he was studying the change, a massive shadow blocked out the doorway as it moved past. A few secondster, another earthquake struck. Sentinel realised that what he had seen was most likely one creature''s limb passing by. Cold sweat appeared on his face as he thought about how close it hade.


    ''Shit We''re dead if that steps on this building.'' Sentinel spun on his heels and raced back towards theb. When he entered the room, his eyes were immediately drawn to the floor. A couple of the vials had smashed because of thetest earthquake!


    Just as he was about to ask if he had saved any, he heardughter erupting from Jason''s mouth. He held four vials up in the air and stared at them with heated intensity. His head slowly turned to face his mentor as his lips curled up into a broad grin.


    "They''re ready!" Jason''s words brought silence to the room as Sentinel stared at the vials as if they were their lifelines.


    "How do we do this?" Sentinel blurted out as he wondered if it was as simple as drinking them.


    However, his question seemed to cause some doubt to appear on Jason''s face as he nced around the room. He quickly checked the cupboards and drawers before he finally found what he was looking for! From one drawer, he pulled out a handful of needles that were still in their packaging.


    Sentinel raised his eyebrows at the sight as he cursed under his breath. Even though these supplies remained undamaged, there was no telling how long they had been here for. They may not be safe to use but they had no other choice!


    Jason sat the needles down before finding two stoppers for the spare vials. Once they were safely sealed, he handed one that was open to Sentinel alongside a sealed one. This way they had two each and they could only hope that it would be enough!


    ''God I hope this works'' Jason took his time to unwrap the packaging and set up the needle. He rolled up the sleeve on his left arm as he looked for the veins under his skin. He did not know if he was doing it right, as the reports only said he had to inject the serum into them.


    With a deep breath, he inserted the needle into his open vial and pulled back the plunger of the syringe. The liquid seeped inside as he wondered how much of it he was supposed to use. But there was no time left to work it out. ''If I fill it that should be enough Right? It''s better to use too much instead of it failing because I used too little''


    Although he was trying to reassure himself, some of the knowledge from his biology skill was warning him that using too much could be worse than using less. However, he ignored it. If they had time to research it properly, he would not mind taking the time to get it right.


    However, considering this was an emergency, he was willing to take the risk! He tossed the now-empty vial to the side where it smashed and stared at the syringe. Sentinel, who was across from him, wore a dubious expression now that he was at the same point as Jason.


    While staring at his mentor, Jason breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth in a controlled rhythm. He was trying to slow his racing heart that pounded in his chest. With a deep, throaty gulp, Jason pressed the tip of the needle against his skin.


    A bead of sweat trickled down from his brow, crossing his nose before leaving a salty taste on his lips. He closed his eyes as he pushed. A stinging sensation pricked his arm. But it was not as bad as he thought it would be. ''Ok, that''s the hard part over''


    His thumb pressed down on the plunger, and his veins felt like they were on fire as the foreign liquid invaded his body

 Chapter 132: Hopping Out Of The Pan... And Into The Fire (2)

    Chapter 132: Hopping Out Of The Pan... And Into The Fire (2)


    Jason struggled to contain the painful expression that shed across his face. His muscles tensed as his body fought against the intense burning sensation. Sentinel, on the side, watched with curiosity as some changes urred to Jason''s body.


    His work trousers bulged as his thigh muscles forcefully expanded under the effects of the serum. Sentinel cocked an eyebrow at the sight. He could see that his apprentice was in extreme pain, but he could not help but wonder if the serum would have any use on himself.


    After all, his legs were biomechanical in nature. There was a chance that forcefully expanding his muscles could cripple him instead. Sentinel sighed as he looked at the syringe in his hand with a reluctant expression. ''I shouldn''t use this If the serum allows him to avoid fighting the Fog Crawlers, then I could provide a distraction. I should be able to outrun them anyway''


    While Jason suffered under the effects, Sentinel found a cloth the wrap the primed syringe and sealed vial in. Then he took hold of Jason''s extra vial and stored it with them. ''It would be best for him to keep ahold of them. They''ll be more useful that way if we have to split up''


    The only doubt that crossed his mind was how Jason''s body would react when the effects wore off. He silently hoped that Jason could find his way back to Bridgend without him.


    A puddle of sweat and blood formed on the floor under Jason''s feet. He could feel that the sudden expansion of his muscles was causing rips to appear on his skin. Jason wanted to pass out so that he did not have to deal with the agony, but the pain would not allow it.


    Seconds felt like hours to him, but eventually, the fiery feeling dissipated. Jason''s entire body trembled as he stared at the mess on the floor. It soaked his trousers through. But he did not want to think about the damage right now.


    It took a few more moments for his mind to adjust to the changes. He could feel that the muscles in his thighs and calves had be much more powerful than before! ''What did it do?'' Jason raised an eyebrow as he attempted to take a step forwards


    The result was catastrophic, as that simple motion propelled him face-first into the wall on the opposite side of the room!


    "Jason!" Sentinel called out as his mind tried to make sense of what he had just seen!


    Jason had moved so fast that it was hard to keep track of him! Sentinel raced to Jason''s side as thetter pulled himself away from the wall. Blood trickled from his nose. ''I think it''s broken'' Jason sighed as he realised how difficult it was going to be to control himself.


    Sentinel heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Jason had suffered nothing more than a broken nose. It could have been a lot worse, but at least seeing the serum in action gave him a sense of reassurance for having to split from his apprentice.


    "Can you control yourself enough to escape?" Sentinel asked in a low voice as he analysed Jason''s new condition.


    "Maybe It''ll be hard toe to grips with it" Jason''s tone was distorted because of his blocked nasal passage. It would have made anyoneugh if the situation was not as bad as it was.


    "Maybe it''s best if I hold on to you until you can regte the power in your legs" Sentinel hummed as looked Jason up and down.


    Thetter agreed to allow Sentinel to hold on to his shoulders as he attempted to walk around the room a few times. Jason almost escaped Sentinel''s grasp more than once, but several minutester he could walk almost normally.


    Jason exchanged an excited look with Sentinel before his mentor handed him the cloth containing the precious liquid. Jason cocked an eyebrow at the gesture as he felt the two vials and the syringe inside.


    "Aren''t you going to use it?" Jason''s tone was full of confusion as he nced at Sentinel, who shook his head.


    "I''m going to give you a diversion. This serum will most likely cripple me instead of helping. As long as you can find the shore, you can follow the river back to Bridgend. Trust me I''ll be fine" Sentinel''s tone was solemn as he ced a heavy hand on Jason''s shoulder.


    Jason nced at it before several doubts formed in his mind, but he could not bring himself to give voice to them. He was still in the dark concerning most of what Sentinel was capable of, so he thought that he should have faith in him.


    "Let''s go" Sentinel brushed past Jason and led the way towards the exit.


    Although Jason''s mind was distracted with thoughts of having to make his way back solo, he let out a low chuckle at the strange hop in his walk. ''I guess the Fog Crawlers are better at jumping than running'' Jason suddenly frowned as he thought about that.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    ''Does that mean I should try jumping across distances instead of running?'' It was aical thought and he was sure to look ridiculous. But perhaps he was on to something.


    Another tremor struck as they studied the fog beyond the doorway. It had noticeably thinned since Sentinel had checked on itst. Some of the nearby buildings and terrain were now clear to see. Jason could only look at them with a devastated expression.


    Most of them had been ttened, and it looked like it had happened recently. ''That could have been us'' Jason''s eyes moved from ruin to ruin as Sentinel drew his pistol.


    "Remember, just run. Don''t turn back. Don''t worry about me. Just run. You''ll be fine." Sentinel nodded at Jason before disappearing into the fog.


    Jason hesitated for a few moments before he stepped outside. He nced around as he tried to figure out what direction he was supposed to take. Once he got his bearings, he took off. Literally, as he used too much strength and wasunched into the air

 Chapter 133: Hopping Out Of The Pan... And Into The Fire (3)

    Chapter 133: Hopping Out Of The Pan... And Into The Fire (3)


    Jason''s voice got lost in the pit of his stomach as the wind pressed against his face. His legs iledically as he rose like a rocket through the fog! Tears streamed down his face as his mind conjured images of him turning into a pancake when he returned to earth. Jason cursed himself to no end as he tried to understand how high he had identally jumped.


    That was when he saw the fog thinning out at a visible rate. ''Don''t tell me...'' Jason gulped as a heavy weight appeared in the pit of his stomach. ''Am I really going to clear the fog?'' An icy chill swept down his spine to apany the cold sweat that had broken out all over his body.


    Suddenly, his vision became clear as warm sunlight swept across his face! Jason blinked several times in the face of that light. When his eyes adjusted, he swept his eyes below him and immediately regretted it. He could see the tops of several buildings protruding through the lower-lying fog cover.


    His eyes caught sight of tworger lumps of fog amongst the nket. One of them held the distinctive shape of the whale beast. Every few seconds, a new cloud of fog would appear in that area to keep the beast obscured. The second lump of fog was slightly longer than the whale and almost as wide. Despite his current situation, Jason still marvelled at the sight of the two behemoths.


    He wondered how such creatures could go unnoticed for so long. Well, the whale was a given because of its ability. But the other one? Someone must have seen iting. Right?


    It was at that moment that Jason felt his momentum slowing down. An empty feeling appeared in his gut, as he knew what woulde next. A sense of being weightless overtook him as shes of orange and red could be seen through the fog. Jason''s eyes were drawn to the phenomena, only to realise that it wasing from the creature hunting the whale!


    Then it happened! Jason''s body plunged back towards the carpet of fog below him. When he looked back, he could see a small hole closing in the fog in the distance. ''Is that where I came from?'' Jason stared with wide eyes as he gauged how far that he had travelled. Not that it would matter in the next minute or so.


    It was enough that thinking about it allowed him to push the threat of impending death to the back of his mind. ''If only I could have controlled this!'' Jason''s mind began to think of all the ways that they could have put this serum to use. The mules who carried supplies from one town to another would have a much easier time. These people usually had super strength or super speed.


    Jason could not help but wonder what he could have gained if he had used a different beast during the process. It was just a shame that the effects were only temporary. But that would be good for business if he were to sell it. Then again, it may get branded as a restricted item because of the military uses of the serum.


    Things would most definitely go south if the wrong people managed to obtain it! Jason sighed as he plunged into the fog, just as a stream of mes lit up the sky where he had reached the apex of his jump. His eyes went wide as he considered how close he had juste to being barbequed!


    It would have been worse if those mes had hit him, but he survived. Because then, he would have had to suffer the fall in agony. ''I hope Gramps can manage without me... The store should be enough, right?'' Jason sighed as he roughly guessed how much longer he had until the impact.


    With death being so close now, his mind panicked. He hit a stage of denial, as he did not want to admit that this was the end. As he begged anyone who was listening to save his life, he realised that something was off. A deep frown crossed his face as he noticed that the falling sensation had stopped.


    It took several moments after that for his brain to register that he was standing on solid ground! His body had absorbed the impact without generating any shock! Jason''s eyes went wide as he bent and straightened his knees several times, just to make sure his mind was not ying tricks on him.


    As reality set in, a broad smile crept across his face. His eyes lit up as he turned his face towards the sky, obscured by the fog. ''Maybe next time...'' Jason let out a heavy sigh as he abandoned the thought of performing the feat again. After all, he did not know how long the serum would remain effective. He really would create a mess if it wore off mid-jump! ''I think I''ve tempted fate one too many times today...''


    Jason set his sights on a lower goal. One that would not kill him if he made a mistake. He spent a bit of time, hopping his way forward. He started small and escted the amount of power that he put into his legs. After several minutes of testing, he finally discovered a speed that was faster than running while remaining low enough that he would not suffer severe injuries if he crashed into anything.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    Jason bounced off of his toes and shot forwards, although he was still a bit clumsy he managed to transition into another hop as soon as his feet touched the ground. ''I can do this!'' Jason felt ecstatic as he hopped along, asionally changing direction to avoid any walls that he could see.'' However, after three more painful crashes into unexpected obstacles, he decided to slow his pace down.


    Just as he hopped around another corner that he saw, a stream of fire passed between the buildings just up ahead. Jason''s heart skipped a beat. If he had not lost bnce just now as hended, then those mes would have caught him! Jason gulped down a lump of saliva. ''Is that creature... Hunting me?''

 Chapter 134: Hopping Out Of The Pan... And Into The Fire (4)

    Chapter 134: Hopping Out Of The Pan... And Into The Fire (4)


    Jason suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Although he pulled through his initial blunder, it seemed that he had caught the attention of something far worse. Momentster, tremors struck again as heavy sounding footsteps made their way towards his position.


    ''Oh crap!'' Jason cursed before hopping off as quickly as he dared to. However, it seemed that he was unable to put any distance between himself and the behemoth as the footsteps got closer instead.


    It did not help the situation when he realised he was being slowed down by having to catch his bnce whenever hended amongst the tremors! Jason found himself wondering if he was cursed with bad luck. He could never get anything good to happen without the bad being close behind!


    Jason had to take a few turns that he would rather not have, but it was to prevent the creature from having a clear line to spew fire at him. He did not know how the beast was able to track him in this fog but was oblivious to the whale''s presence!


    ''Wait! That''s it!'' Jason suddenly had an idea of how to escape his fate. Right now, even if he did escape the fog, the behemoth was sure to kill him if there was no cover for him to hide behind. But what if he showed it where the prey it wanted was hiding?


    No matter how he thought about it, he could note up with a better n. Jason grit his teeth as he tried to figure out what direction the whale was in, from what he had seen in the air.


    ''This way!'' Jason rapidly changed direction just in time to avoid bing a cooked snack. If he had dyed his choice by even a few secondster, then he really would have be toast!


    His heart pounded frantically in his chest as he did his best to lure the beast towards its intended target. ''We must be getting close now!'' Jason cursed as he made a few sharp turns. The pounding footsteps drew ever closer, as the beast could ignore theplicated terrain.


    An ear-splitting roar apanied another jet of mes, but this time the area they covered was muchrger. Yet again Jason managed to avoid them, though not entirely. His work trousers had melted to the skin of his rear end. Which would have been excruciating if not for the adrenaline coursing through his veins!


    A few more minutes of their dangerous cat-and-mouse game passed before something changed. The tremors from the beast pursuing him began to ovep with a secondary set! Jason squinted into the fog as he realised what was happening!


    The whale had detected the approaching danger and was trying to escape! ''Don''t even think about it!'' Jason growled as he took the risk to move faster. He could only hope that there was nothing much left between them.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    The fog in the area seemed to get thicker as it swirled past Jason, flowing in the direction of the whale. Jason frowned as his mind became muddled. He could still tell there were two beasts creating the tremors, and he knew that he had to keep travelling forwards. But he could no longer recall what he was chasing, its shape, or anything about it.


    "Why am I doing this?" Jason mumbled as he nced around mid-leap. "Shouldn''t I be trying to escape the fog?"


    "Jason!" Syssie yelled in his ear to grab his attention. "No matter what... Keep going in that direction!"


    Jason''s frown deepened as he nced in the direction she was pointing. The confusion he was feeling was evident on his face. For a moment, Syssie feared that he would ignore her!


    "Why? What''s over there?" Jason''s speech seemed slow as if his motor functions were bing impaired.


    Syssie felt like pping him as a grim expression crept across her face. "You only need to know that it''s the way for you to survive this. Do you trust me?"


    Jason appeared lost in thought as he continued on his initial path. A stream of mes passed them by. Leaving Jason unharmed. Syssie heaved a sigh of relief. She knew that it would only be a matter of time now before the creature pursuing them would manage to kill Jason. Especially if he was trapped in this state!


    ''If he doesn''t sort himself out soon, it will be game over! Come on Jason! Just listen to me! We''re almost there!'' Syssie silently begged in her mind as Jason continued to mull over her words.


    "Ok, Syssie. I trust you. Just point where you need me to go..." Jason''s speech had be even slower, which could not be a good sign.


    Syssie nodded with a determined expression as she began to direct him. There were moments where she had to tell him to turn before he leapt face-first into a wall, which frustrated her. But by the sound of the whale''s movements, they were almost upon it. Syssie urged Jason to move faster!


    Although he did not understand what was going on, he did his best to follow her orders. Eventually, Syssie shouted at him to take a sharp left and hop as fast as he could! Jason obliged her and followed her words down to thest detail. A stream of fire shot out from the street that they were previously in but unlike the other times, the mes did not go on endlessly.


    Instead, they seemed to strike a wall that was covered in thick fog. Jason frowned as he nced back at that sight, just in time to hear the painful call of the whale beast echo out from the location that the mes had struck!


    That pain-filled cry snapped Jason back to his senses. His eyes were blurry as he shook his head violently. ''What the hell... Just happened?'' He felt too dizzy to continue and was about to stop. However, Syssie yelled at him to keep going unless he wanted to die. When Jason cocked an eyebrow at her, a horrifying roar came from the streets somewhere behind them. Only one thing was for sure. That was not the noise that the whale would make...

 Chapter 135: Hopping Out Of The Pan... And Into The Fire (5)

    Chapter 135: Hopping Out Of The Pan... And Into The Fire (5)


    The fog rapidly started to dissipate as arger wave of mes bathed the hiding whale. Jason''s palms felt sweaty as he remembered the fog had made him forget all about the whale. ''No wonder it couldn''t find it!'' Jason turned and hopped away from that dangerous area. It was about to be too dangerous to even be anywhere close to either one of the behemoths.


    The whale let out a dangerous noise as its figure was revealed by the retreating fog. Jason''s eyes went wide as he nced over his shoulder. All he could see was tough looking bluish-grey skin. Because he was so close to the beast, it was impossible to see it in its entirety. Jason gulped because he knew the other beast was evenrger and he did not want to be caught between them.


    However, arge scaly head poked out from between the buildings behind him. Jason frowned when he saw it. It looked like a muchrger version of the specimen that was in the tank from the Nest back in Highrise. ''Is this what it would have be if it matured?'' Naturally, Jason was curious about it. He even began to consider waiting around somewhere nearby to find out what it was capable of.


    "Don''t even think about it!" Syssie red at him. "We''ve been through enough! There''s no way you''re hanging around here!"


    Jason cocked an eyebrow at her before letting out a sigh. She was right, of course. He would just be putting them in danger for no real reason. ''Hopefully, the winner will leave enough of the corpse for us to study it...'' Jason hummed as he hopped onto the roof of a nearby building. He had to get his bearings, which should be easier now that fog was gone.


    As hended on the roof, he got a good look at the area and did not like what he saw. Apart from the area around the aquarium, most of thend had turned into a giant swamp. When he looked back to the two behemoths, a st of fire ran over the whale as its two tails whipped towards the fire breathing alligator.


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    -Antihero]


    ''How does it even n to kill it?'' Jason was confused as to why the whale had been trying to hide from this beast. He doubted the fire could deal enough damage to kill it due to its size. However, the next moment, he shivered in fear.


    Cracks appeared from the side of its mouth that ran down to the sides of its belly. Then, the whole upper half of those cracks opened. Jason''s eyes opened wide as he realised that half of the beast''s body was its mouth! ''How is that even possible?''


    mes sparked in the back of the gaping maw before they turned white. The fire that it breathed out in the next moment caused the buildings in the surroundings to begin to melt due to the heat intensity! ''Yeah, let''s get out of here...'' Jason sprang for the next building as the surrounding air began to heat up. The whale let out an agonising noise as the fire burned through its side.


    The alligator dashed forward to stick its lower jaw through the hole and its upper jaw now reached high enough totch onto the whale''s back. The two behemoths began a life and death struggle that changed thendscape by the second. Entire buildings disappeared beneath their feet or were swept aside by their tails.


    Jason sprang from building to building as he tried to make up his mind. It was a good n to go ind until he saw the swamp. But the boat was in the direction that the beasts were moving in. That was when he spotted shes of crimson lighting from behind a building to his left. ''Sentinel!'' Jason bit his lower lip before making his way towards the fight.


    ''It must be the Fog Crawlers, but why aren''t they running? They''re not nearly far enough away yet.'' Jasonnded on top of a building that fallen on its side and looked down below. A cacophony of croaking noises filled the air alongside the smell of burning flesh. Strange devices floated around Sentinel as they fired at anything that moved. But the Fog Crawlers filled the gaps too quickly for him to make any progress.


    From his vantage point, Jason could see hundreds of the creatures hopping towards Sentinel''s location. The situation was looking grim, and his mentor was unaware of how dangerous it would be in the next few minutes. ''He needs to get out of there. Can he get up here?''


    "Sentinel!" Jason roared as he tried to catch his mentor''s attention over the sound of the croaking.


    However, he did not hear Jason and continued to fire on the beasts. A barrage of tongues tried to reach him, but his devices managed to prevent them from making contact. Jason gritted his teeth, he was tempted to jump down to the ground but he was unsure if Sentinel''s weapons would decide to fire on him.


    Jason nced until he found a path of buildings that would allow him to reach Sentinel''s line of sight. Air pressed against his face as he hopped over the gaps in quick session. When he reached his destination he began waving his arms to get his mentor''s attention.


    Sentinel swept his gaze over the crowd while struggling to keep his bnce. ''Why did the fog disappear? And what''s going on over there?'' The intensity of the quakes were reaching levels he had never experienced.


    ''Where do they keeping from?'' Sentinel heaved a sigh as his weaponry fired non-stop, but it seemed to make no difference. Although he was fast, he needed a gap in the enemies to make the most of it.


    [Anomaly detected...]


    His cybeic eye picked up a new target that it had not been designated as foe or ally in its current mode. A deep frown appeared on Sentinel''s face as a zoomed-in image of Jason appeared in his mind. ''What the hell is that boy doing?''


    Sentinel wanted to throttle Jason for not escaping. But then he noticed that Jason appeared to be trying to gain his attention. A simple thought set him as an ally so his weaponry would not target him. If he could not hear what Jason was shouting then thetter would not be able to hear him either.


    Sentinel paused to scan the targeting data of his machines until he found one that was avable for a few seconds. Theser cannon turned to aim at the building beneath Jason before firing a crimson beam. He could only hope that Jason would realise that this meant he had noticed him.


    Jason gulped as a smoking ck mark appeared on the side of the building, just a few centimetres below his toes. ''You didn''t have to make it so close!'' Jason yelped in his mind before squinting at Sentinel in the distance. ''I hope that wasn''t just a stray shot!''


    It took Jason a few hops until he reached the closest building to Sentinel. He took a deep breath before closing his eyes and making the leap!


    A number ofrge, round eyeballs turned to look at the figure shooting through the sky towards the man killing their brothers and sisters. Angry croaks followed that sight as several of them whipped out their tongues to catch him mid-flight. They aimed for where he would be when their tongues fully extended rather than where he was.


    Sentinel cursed at that sight, but it gave him a breather from only being on the defensive. The barrels of his floating weaponry turned to shoot down the tongues aimed at his apprentice. The sky lit up like aser show was on and Jason was blissfully unaware of the situation with his eyes closed. When hended safely and opened his eyes again, he was surprised by the angry look on Sentinel''s face.


    "What are you doing! You were supposed to run! Not jump headfirst into danger!" Sentinel growled as he studied Jason amongst the constantser fire and croaking.


    "Forget that! We need to get out of here! I think every Fog Crawler in the area is headed here. If you don''t leave now they''ll eventually overwhelm you." Jason screamed back, while being pissed of at Sentinel''s ungrateful attitude.


    Sentinel frowned as he changed the scanner on his eye to pick up environmental changes. He noticed that there were sound waves travelling through the air from all around the clearing he was in. These one''s we''re noting from the creatures that he could see. ''Shit! The kids right!''


    "What do you propose? My legs aren''t built for jumping and there''s not enough tech for me to create anything suitable..." Sentinel hissed from between his teeth.


    Jason frowned as Sentinel had struck him as someone who could not be backed into a corner so easily. ''Even he has limits...'' Jason shook his head as he realised that even the most powerful could be brought low if they were unprepared.


    "I could... Carry you on my back?"

 Chapter 136: ANT-V

    Chapter 136: ANT-V


    Sentinel shed a look of disbelief at Jason when he uttered those words. Then a frown appeared on his face as he nced at Jason''s bulging legs. ''Hm... It might just be possible.'' An ugly look appeared on his face as he thought about what Rust might say about it, if she ever found out. Sentinel shook his head and let out a long sigh.


    "Ok, let''s try it..." Sentinel tried to keep a straight face as he voiced his agreement with Jason''s suggestion.


    A slight smirk appeared on Jason''s face as he saw the ufortable expression his mentor was making. Sentinel''s floating weaponry began to fire rapidly. Causing the weapons to overheat while Sentinel clung to Jason''s shoulders. However, the height difference meant that Jason could not feel the weight of Sentinel until he hopped onto his back and wrapped his legs around Jason''s waist.


    Jason immediately began to topple backwards. The only reason they did not fall to the ground was that Sentinel adjusted his weight to lean forward. But this became a problem of its own. Jason''s bnce was thrown off, forcing him to crouch with his hands on the ground to support Sentinel''s weight!


    "Don''t say it!" Jason growled when he heard Sentinel chuckle.


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    -Antihero]


    "You look like a Fog Crawler..." Sentinel grinned, as he now had something he could divulge that would embarrass Jason. Therefore, preventing him from exposing the fact he had to carry Sentinel piggyback style to save his life.


    Syssie could not help butugh on the sidelines as well. The embarrassment was too much for Jason, as his face turned beet red. He nced around to determine a path as he was unsure how much Sentinel''s weight would affect his jumping power. ''I should keep low for now...''


    Jason set his sights on a clear area just beyond the encirclement. The idea was that Sentinel''s weapons would prevent them from being snatched in mid-air. But he had warned Jason that they would not hold up for much longer. Jason leapt with all of his strength while aiming to keep a safe distance from the Fog Crawlers. This was to give the weapons a chance to react to their attacks.


    The beasts in the front line let out angry croaks when they realised that their prey was escaping! Jason soared overhead with his body in a straight arrow shape. He had decided to mimic the Fog Crawlers'' way of leaping around in the hopes that he could make the most of the situation. It was not like Sentinel could embarrass him any further, anyway.


    Jason was amazed at how fast he travelled, despite the small arc that he traced. None of the Fog Crawlers in the first half of the crowd were able to react in time! However, he began to feel sweaty when he saw the look in the eyes of the ones who had realised what was going on. ''Please let Sentinel''s weapons hold up!''


    The Fog Crawlers were looking at him like he was a tasty snack. Catching things that were flying was a speciality of theirs, so they saw the pair as an easy target now! Jason gulped as a wall of bulbous tongues reached out towards them! However, Sentinel was ready. His weaponry fired non-stop as it circled them like satellites.


    A fleshy rain fell down on the beasts as they continued unobstructed. Jason heaved a sigh of relief as their descent brought them further beyond the crowd than what he had initially aimed for. ''But it''s not enough to reach the rooftops in one go...'' Jason shook his head as a stinging pain appeared in the palms of his hands.


    The momentum had caused them to slide across the cracked tarmac. Needless to say, Jason''s hands got cut up pretty badly from the experience. His skin on the palms of his hands had turned into a bloody mess. He grunted in pain as he tried to hold it back. There was too much at stake to pay much attention to it.


    ''I need to aim to allow my legs to absorb thending... I can''t keep using my hands for bnce as wee back down.'' Jason frowned as he quickly adjusted his strategy. He turned to face one of the side streets and bounded off before the Fog Crawlers could reorganise themselves. This time, he reduced the strength to have more control over their brief flights.


    "What are you doing?" Sentinel growled as his weapons reached their critical limit. They would soon be reduced to useless scrap because of their firing rate. "Don''t hop along in a straight line! Zig-zag, damn it! Running in a straight line makes it too easy to predict where you are going!"


    Jason immediately responded to Sentinel''s advice. The moment he began to constantly change direction and how far he would jump, the noise from Sentinel''s weapons reduced. This indicated that they were under less pressure. Meaning that fewer of the pursuing Fog Crawlers'' attacks had to be intercepted by them. ''I''ll need to keep that in mind. I can''t afford to lose my cool like that. It''ll be helpful when fighting others with ranged Powers as well.''


    Jason hummed as he began to consider what changes he could make to the Infinity to implement this lesson. If he could rapidly change direction, it would help to reduce the damage that it would receive during battles. Which, in turn, would save him plenty of junk to use in other projects. After all, he was certain that the military would not just keep supplying him with parts while gaining nothing in return.


    ''Maybe I should try making something simr to the Roller Bikes or Beast Carriages?'' Jason''s mind wandered to the few times he had seen such things. They were generally owned by wealthy merchants, which meant that nobody in Highrise could afford either of them. They only appeared when these merchants wanted to offload their goods from other towns at extortionate prices. That was the only time that Highrise was worth their interest.


    "Pay attention!" Sentinel screamed in Jason''s ear as he almost crashed into a building!


    Jason hissed through his teeth when he saw how close they hade to the wall because of his distraction. When he nced over his shoulder, he noticed that Sentinel''s weaponry was gone. Despite his zig tagging reducing their stress that only bought them a little more time.


    Jason cursed as he understood that they had to put more distance between them and the Fog Crawlers. Some of the more intelligent ones were managing to keep up with them. Which only made Jason feel the pressure.


    His muscles in his legs suddenly felt a sharp stabbing pain ur every few seconds. Jason''s eyes went wide as he wondered if it were a warning that the effects of the serum were about to wear off! ''If I inject more will they hold up? Or will it cause more pain?''


    He realised he had to make a fast decision. Try to escape before the serum wore off. Or hide and hope that the effects would hold up if injected more. Which was a risk in itself as it could potentially cripple him long enough for the beasts to catch them.


    "Keep going!" Sentinel shouted as he realised that something was wrong. He did not want to take the risk of trying to inject Jason again so soon. "If you can get us some distance I can outrun them while carrying you!"


    Jason nodded to show that he understood. He grit his teeth as he willed his legs to hold on just a while longer! The Fog Crawlers split up as they tried to use different streets to cut them off. Jason could feel himself bing slower as pain wracked his body. ''Damn, its going to wear off soon!''


    He decided to trust what his body was telling him. So he was forced to reduce the power he used per leap to prevent a catastrophic ident if it gave up halfway through a jump! Sentinel cast a worried nce over Jason''s condition. His legs were beginning to thin out. Patches of blood were visible through his trousers and he was soaked in sweat.


    His paleplexion just made it even more obvious that the side effects would be severe once the serum gully ran out. ''The kid''s not going to make it! Shit!'' Sentinel cursed as he nced behind them. Jason''s slowing pace was giving them a chance to catch up!


    "Fuck it!" Sentinel cursed as he slipped from Jason''s back as they were about tond!


    Jason gasped as Sentinel wrapped his hands around Jason''s waist before throwing him over his shoulder. Sentinel took a deep breath before the mechanicalponents kicked into overdrive to give him a sharp burst of speed!


    "What the...." Jason cursed as he wondered why he had struggled so much. Sentinel was much faster than him leaping! ''Damn you! You could have told me sooner!''

 Chapter 137: ANT-V (2)

    Chapter 137: ANT-V (2)


    Sentinel soon left the angry croaking far behind them. However, the quakes from the behemoths fighting were still sweeping the area. Jason groaned in pain as the side effects truly kicked in. His brain shut down to cope with the agony, leaving him unconscious. When Sentinel understood that Jason was out for the count he sighed heavily.


    The kid should have never been put in this situation. I got ahead of myself when I understood what he was capable of with his Power. We should''ve swept this area and made sure there was nothing that could have threatened him!'' Sentinel was cursing himself as a building ahead of them toppled over.


    A cloud of dirt was thrown into the air as they raced through it. Sentinel''s cybeic eye had nned a course to run that would allow them to navigate the new obstacle. Sentinel jumped, slid, and climbed around the debris that had resulted from the impact. With his biomechanical body, it was no problem navigating such things while carrying Jason.


    ''Maybe I should have the Emperor send him back to Highrise? That way he can continue inventing while keeping him away from the front lines.'' Sentinel frowned as he thought about how useful the serum would be. Right now, Jason was the only person who had sessfully recreated any version of it. As such, his value had just increased many times over.


    ''He''ll still be a Pir in the future... It''ll just be in a supporting role.'' Sentinel nodded his head as a n came to mind. ''We can have agents watch over him from a distance. I''m sure we have a few in Highrise. Keeping him safe and happy should be the highest priority.''


    There was just too much at stake now. With the invasion from the Alliance and the wars between the Lords of the Empire, there was too much to gain by having someone who could increase the average fighting power of an army on their side. ''I should tell the Emperor to increase Highrise''s Lord''s benefits to help protect him as well. That should motivate them...''


    Meanwhile, as Jason entered aatose state, his mind was strangely active...


    "What the hell?" Jason nced around at the ck space. "Where am I? Weren''t we just running from the Fog Crawlers?"


    Jason frowned, as all he could see was deep darkness. The sound of dirt being scratched at caused him to look behind himself. A sudden light shone from somewhere above, like a spotlight. Illuminating a spot in the distance. Jason felt weirded out by what was going on, but he felt drawn to that source of light. His feet began to move on their own, carrying him towards the phenomenon.


    As he drew closer, a mound of dirt appeared within the light. The earth surged upwards along with the scratching noise and a familiar-looking creature appeared. Jason''s eyes went wide as he stared at the terrifying creature, which nced at him. The giant ant did not seem to care about his presence as it walked a circle around the hole it had created.


    Jason''s fear subsided as his mind told him he was not in any danger. Although he wondered why that was the case, he could not help but watch the beast with curiosity. Eventually, ity down and Jason realised what he was watching. This creature had surfaced to die peacefully, just like what happened in the strange graveyard he had discovered near Highrise.


    Jason was unsure what to think as he watched thest moments of its life. However, before he coulde to terms with it, something else happened. A new light shone in the distance and his feet began to carry him towards it. This time his body froze a few feet from the edge of the light. Jason''s eyebrows arched. The image inside the light this time was the ant''s body inside a workshop. With another him studying it. It was strange to be staring at his own back. He noticed details about himself that he did not like.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    The light faded, along with the mirage it held. Just like before, a new light appeared. When he approached this one, it disyed the same workshop. The ant''s body had undergone modifications. Mechanicalponents had reced parts of it, while other parts were now armoured. When he looked around, the mirage of himself was nowhere to be seen. But then, he heard his own voice talking from the darkness.


    "Let''s call it ANT-V." His own disembodied voice chuckled. "All Natural Terrain Vehicle..."


    Two blue eyes sparking with electricity suddenly lit up in the darkness on the opposite side of the light from himself. Jason felt his palms be sweaty as he stared into those cold eyes. A spark of electricity briefly lit up the figure, showing that it was indeed his mirage. The bolt jumped from the fake Jason and struck the ANT-V. A few seconds passed and the mechanical legs began to twitch. Its head slowly turned from side to side as itsrge, red cybeic eyes came to life.


    Jason felt a chill creep down his spine as he wondered what he was watching. Was this something he was capable of? Or was this just a dream? Either way, he did not like how his mirage looked in these scenes that were ying out.


    "It''s alive!" His mirage began tough in the darkness as electricity danced around his eyes.


    Jason was plunged into darkness as the image faded. Before long, a new light shone in the distance. This one was muchrger than the ones before it and he felt a need to run away rather than approach it. From this distance, he could see its image clearly. A war was being fought. In a city that he did not recognise. There were strange vehicles flying in the air, firing at an army on the ground. Power''s flew everywhere. He saw the faces of people he knew on that battlefield. His Gramps, Dani and Adam were there...

 Chapter 138: ANT-V (3)

    Chapter 138: ANT-V (3)


    Jason''s eyes flickered open to find himself in a strange room. His body felt weak as he nced around to see curtains around the unfamiliar bed he was lying in. He could slightly hear other voices in the room which confused him. ''Did Sentinel get us out of there?'' Jason ran a hand across his forehead, only for it toe away covered in sweat.


    His mind felt fuzzy as he recalled his strange dream. He was dragged through a battlefield and forced to watch as those closest to him were killed by unknown invaders. ''What the hell was that all about...''


    "Finally! My internal clock shows that we''ve been shut down for several weeks! What the hell did you do?" Syssie sounded mad but concerned at the same time as she nced over Jason''s body. Not that it was necessary, as she was currently scanning his body from the inside out to get an idea of what was going on.


    "I''m fine... It''s nothing to worry about..." Jason groaned as he tried to get out of bed.


    "Don''t!" Syssie screeched, startling Jason in the process.


    "What?" Jason was confused until he realised that something was wrong. "I... can''t feel my legs..."


    [


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    -Antihero]


    Jason frowned as he looked at two lines in the nket covering him. A sense of fear washed over him. His hand trembled as he reached for the edge of the nket. Syssie bit her lower lip as he pulled the nket aside...


    Jason was too shocked to even react to what he saw. His legs, or what was left of them, were heavily bandaged. From what he could see, it looked like they had withered away to nothing but bones. ''Is this... The price for using that serum?'' Hot tears appeared in the edges of his eyes as he stared at the bandages.


    Syssie shook her with a grim expression. ''His muscles in his legs have wasted away. It''ll take months to recover from this. That''s time that we don''t have...'' Jason let out a small sob which seemed to attract the attention of whoever else was in the room beyond the curtains. The curtains were pulled back and an older man with grey streaks through his short brown hair peered at him through his sses.


    "Call Lord Sentinel! Quickly!" The man shouted over his shoulder before closing the curtain behind him. "How do you feel? Any pain? What''s thest thing that you remember?"


    The man pressed Jason for answers to a bunch of questions before he coulde to terms with what had happened to his body. He answered like an emotionless robot as he continued to stare at his legs throughout what felt like an interrogation. The man slowly shook his head when he understood that Jason had been mentally traumatised.


    "They''re not too far gone you know..." The man said with some warmth in his voice. "They''ll recover with time and effort..."


    Jason regained some light to his eyes when he heard that, but still could not bring himself to answer. ''I need to find a way to speed it up...'' Jason''s mind had already started to think of ways to make his legs recover faster. The only reason he had not started thinking about it before was the shock and that he thought that they were too far gone.


    The man sighed when he saw that Jason was unresponsive before he left Jason alone with his thoughts. Jason continued to sit in silence until he heard heavy footsteps moving about outside. As the footsteps grew close he could not help but stare at the curtain. Momentster, they were torn down to reveal Sentinel staring back at him!


    "Ok, you''ve rested long enough. Let''s go." Sentinel marched over to the bed and lifted Jason into a princess carry. His legs dangled like a pair of wet noodles as he protested. "Quit your whining. You can''t be trying to tell me you''d rather be stuck here than fixing the problem."


    Jason immediately became quiet at those words as Sentinel turned around. When he did so, Jason could finally see the wheelchair that Sentinel had brought along. His eyes went wide as he looked at it. It was nothing special but it sparked a few ideas in his mind. Images shed through his brain about the dream he had.


    ''If I remove the wheels and turn it into an exoskeleton, I could give it mechanically controlled legs...'' The idea was a long way from what he had produced in his dream. But it was a start. Sentinel nodded when he saw that Jason had a fire in his eyes.


    ''Good, he hasn''t given up. I''ll have to help him with whatever he wants to do for now. Until his legs recover anyway...'' Sentinel gave Jason a sideways look as he ced him in the chair. ''It seems like he already has something in mind.'' The strange pair walked through the halls of thepound as Sentinel brought Jason back to their private area.


    ''I''ll wait awhile before I let him know that he''ll be going back to Highrise for his recovery. If I tell him now it would seem like I''m kicking him to the curb because he''s useless...'' Sentinel sighed as he shook his head. ''Which is far from the truth...''


    Sentinel could not help but think of the progress that the researchers had made with the reports. It was looking to be promising. Plus, they had seized the unbroken vials of serum that Jason still had on him which helped to advance the research quickly. ''Hopefully, Rust can recover the whale''s body. It would be interesting to see what kind of serum we can get from that beast.''


    Sentinel''s cybeic eye shed as he calcted the possibilities. Each one would increase the Empire''sbat capability by arge margin. ''Maybe we can finally turn our attention outwards instead of fighting internally all of the time...''


    Jason paid no attention to Sentinel, who was lost in his thoughts. As soon as they entered the hall, he wheeled his way over to the junk piles as he started picking the things that he would need. ''It just needs to be a working smaller version of the ANT-V...''

 Chapter 139: ANT-V (4)

    Chapter 139: ANT-V (4)


    Jason immediately got to work, he already had the necessary knowledge to make his ne to fruition. It was just thebour that proved problematic. Sentinel offered a few times to help if Jason directed him. But this was something that he felt he had to do on his own. He grew frustrated more than a few times over the next few days as he worked out how to handle the work on his own.


    The structure took shape slowly under his guidance. From time to time, Sentinel would examine what he was making. In his own opinion, it was a brilliant solution. ''Maybe I should report this to the general''s and see if the researchers cane up with something simr for our veterans?'' Of course, there was also the option to suggest contracting Star Gear to make them. Perhaps that would be better for his apprentice.


    Jason''s work continued as the log body of the exoskeleton took shape. Soon, eight legs were attached and wired to the control panel where he would be seated. He ran a few tests on the legs, especially their ability to extend and contract so that he could adjust his height. When all was done and the prototype stood before him, Jason''s eyes lit up.


    "Shall I give it an evaluation?" Syssie asked from the side as she looked at his newest invention.


    Jason stroked his chin for several seconds before he finally responded. "Not yet... It''s still a prototype. The real thing will be worth far more."


    Jason''s eyes shone as he thought about the bio-mechanical mount in his dreams. He was in no rush to upgrade anything right now. It would probably do more damage to himself than what it was worth with Syssie''s current condition. ''I need to find a reason to go back to Highrise. Maybe I don''t need to upgrade Syssie... What if I just rece the worn parts? It''s a temporary solution but I need to try something!''


    [


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    -Antihero]


    Syssie shed him a strange look when she read those thoughts. It was an idea that had never urred to her. She was so fixated on being upgraded she never considered that basic maintenance could extend their time frame! ''Why didn''t I think of this before?'' Syssie hummed as she scanned her own code.


    Apart from the degradation, everything appeared to be normal. A frown appeared on her face as she dove deeper. Towards her core operating code. However, a firewall appeared that prevented her from essing her own code at that level. Her frown deepened. Behind this firewall was her prime directive and core operating code as an AI. ''Why wouldn''t I be able to take a look at it?''


    Syssie hummed as she studied the possibilities. She doubted that it had been locked up due to the degradation. So that could only mean one thing. When Jason had created her in his heightened state, he deliberately locked this area down! ''But why?'' Her mind raced to put the pieces together. A few times now, some important information had escaped her grasp until Jason questioned it.


    She suddenly got the feeling that something behind the firewall was studying her. As if it were one-way ss. The sensation creeped her out so much that she immediately withdrew her consciousness from her deepest areas. ''What the hell was that?'' Syssie gasped for air as her body shivered.


    Jason was none the wiser as he used his arms to climb into the mechanical seat. He looked like a strange hybrid of man and mechanical ant. But he could not be happier. He took his new ride for a spin around the hall to test its speed and ability to go over different levels of terrain. Of course, he used the numerous junk piles for this.


    The legs shifted their own length to keep the body bnced as he moved along the piles at different angles. Eventually, he was satisfied. The prototype ANT-V was even better than his own natural legs. ''Plus, I don''t get tired from all of this running around...'' Jason chuckled lightly as he stared at the controls in front of him. ''Maybe Sentinel was on to something when he changed his own body.''


    Dangerous thoughts began to creep through his mind about the numerous body enhancements we would like to make one day. ''But that would limit me... Even Sentinel did not dare to use the serum. What abilities would I miss out on if I could stabilise it and remove the side effects?'' Jason sighed as he considered the possibilities. He loved his Power but he wanted to experience more. He wanted to know what it felt like to be able to teleport, to fly on his own. To do any of the crazy things he had heard of.


    Jason suddenly frowned as he felt like an insatiable greed was building up within him. The sensation was so fast in disappearing when he tried to focus on it he even wondered if he had imagined it. He cocked an eyebrow as he wondered why his mood had taken such a sudden turn. He nced over towards Syssie to ask if she had noticed anything. However, his eyes went wide as he nced at her figure.


    Syssie was visibly shaking, and her eyes were wide. A moment ago, she felt like something had emerged from the firewall deep inside of her programming. It felt cold, like it wanted to devour her. As if it wanted to be free! Just as suddenly as it had appeared, it retreated back into its prison. For that was what Syssie thought that the firewall must be once she sensed that cold presence. ''What the hell did you put inside of me Jason...'' Tears appeared on her avatar due to the mess of emotions she was feeling.


    "Syssie!" Mechanical feet pounded against the ground as Jason rushed over. "What''s wrong? Tell me!"


    "It''s... Absolutely nothing. I''m fine. Just happy to see you up and about again. Got me a little overwhelmed." A bright and cheerful smile crept across her face as she stared into Jason''s concerned eyes. ''Why can''t I say what I want to!''

 Chapter 140: ANT-V (5)

    Chapter 140: ANT-V (5)


    Naomi Jefferson let out a long sigh as she ran her hands through her long ck hair in frustration! ''Idiots! If this kid from the Empire really is a Junkmaster, then we need to take care of the threat!'' She mmed her fist into the wall next to her as she red at the floor. ''Why won''t the Alliance''s council give me the green light!''


    "Don''t be too hard on yourself, Naomi. You have to remember the fiasco that urred when we mistook that fellow called Sentinel for being a Junkmaster." Michael Ballinger let out a soft smile as he looked at his subordinate.


    "Sir! Don''t they understand what it means if the intelligence is true?" Naomi''s face became twisted as she nced sideways at him.


    "Of course they do. But they''re also wondering if we can trust an old prophecy. For all we know, the one who gave us this warning could have been lying. I mean, have you ever heard of anyone else who could see the future beyond a few days?" Michael raised an eyebrow as he met her gaze. "Think about it. From their point of view believing in these ''Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse'' sounds ridiculous."


    "Even if there''s a slight chance it could be true, don''t you think we should act on it? There are so many lives at stake! All of our efforts. Our ancestors'' efforts. Is all to stop something like that from happening again!" Naomi''s tone reeked of desperation as she pleaded her case. "We''ve all read the reports of those who survived it! We''re just lucky that we got a second chance!"


    "Naomi, I know those reports better than anyone. This is why I set up your department in the first ce. But the source of this information would have us believe that she is the first horseman. Which puts her at an advantage. It makes our united nations reluctant to start anything with her." Michael shook his head. "This is why I warned you when you took the job to keep an open mind. Don''t fixate on it being the truth. Just analyse the intel and see if it''s possiblying true. It won''t be toote to actter."


    Naomi sighed as Michael bade her farewell before dusting off his suit and heading to his next meeting. She stared after him as if she wanted to say something more, but decided against it. Her footsteps were slow as she walked through the halls of the assembly building. Finding her way back down to her department. As far as anyone but the top brass knew, her department did not even exist.


    She slipped inside a storage closet on the second floor before pressing against a hidden door in the wall. Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting from the wall-mountedmps that spiralled downwards with the old steel staircase. The stairs led deep underground. To a brightly lit hall where her department was situated. She often found herself wondering if there were other secret departments somewhere above or below her. But that was beyond her pay grade.


    As she entered the hall, she took a deep breath. A que hung over her head. ''Apocalypse Prevention Service''. Naomi shook her head as she walked over to the ss case that was the first thing that anyone ever saw when they entered the department. Sealed inside was a piece of paper, its words clear for anyone to read.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse


    First wille the Archive. The all-knowing, whose warnings will be ignored by those who matter.


    Second wille the Junkmaster. The all creator who will arm those who matter for the war toe.


    Third wille the Unbreakable. The all survivor who will haunt their enemies.


    Fourth wille the strongest of all. The all controller whose reach extends to everything.


    When these four walk the earth, the beginning of the end has already arrived. When these four wage war, the earth will be ready for the second advent...


    Naomi stared at this piece of paper every time she entered the department. After ten years it still sent chills down her spine. Many researchers had tried to decipher the text. But most came to the same conclusion. The Archive had to be a power that let its wielder see the past, present and future. It was the only way to know everything. But only the woman who left this behind had ever imed to have this ability. No matter how hard the Alliance had looked, no Power seemed to evene close to matching her ims.


    The second seemed obvious to them. It had to be someone gifted in invention. Although the saying of being the all creator in the text seemed to fall short with every investigation. Sentinel had been the first appearance that could have proven the text as true. However, it was discovered that even he had his limitations.


    The third was agreed to most likely be someone with an extremely tough body by the sound of their Power. Though that alone could make them a troublesome problem to deal with.


    There had been many spections about the fourth but there were too many possibilities. They had scoured through lists of known abilities but nothing quite seemed to match. What worried them was that whoever it would be was deemed to be the strongest of the four horsemen.


    Of course, these researchers had a number of guesses as to who those who mattered were that were mentioned in the text. Combined with the part at the end it sounded like the four of these individuals would likely be enemies. So they working under the assumption that each horseman would belong to a different nation. Therefore sparking a war as they attempted to tip the scales in the favour of their respective homes.


    However, thest part suggested that when they did wage war, a second apocalypse would strike. Naomi stared into space as she thought about her kids back home. ''I won''t let it happen...''

 Chapter 141: Beyond The Boundaries

    Chapter 141: Beyond The Boundaries


    "Is that so?" Jason wore a strange expression on his face as he studied Syssie''s avatar.


    His eyebrows dipped into a frown as he studied her. Her expression and tone did not seem fake, but something still felt off to him. However, there was no way for him to confirm his suspicions. Although Syssie wore a smile on the outside, internally she was screaming at him that he was right! It was just unfortunate that Jason had no way to read what was on her mind!


    Jason felt reluctant, but went back to testing the ANT-V prototype. He began putting it through some stress tests by loading some weight on the rear end. This was to check how much weight it could realistically carry while maintaining its integrity. Before long, Sentinel made his appearance. He stared at Jason, putting his new mode of transport through its paces before breaking out into a grin.


    "Hah! I knew you wouldn''t let this brief setback get to you! Just don''t get used to it and remember to train your legs as much as you can!" Sentinel beamed as he strode towards Jason''s figure. "Anyway,e over here. I''ve got something to give you."


    Jason cocked an eyebrow in curiosity as he navigated his way towards Sentinel. Luckily, the controls for the ANT-V were not overlyplicated, so he had managed to be proficient at controlling it in the brief space of time that he had. Jason wore a crooked smile as he made the ANT-V''s legs extend so that Sentinel had to look up to him. For that brief moment, he could not help butugh at the frown that appeared on Sentinel''s face.


    The hydraulics made a bit of noise as he lowered his height when he arrived in front of Sentinel. "Sorry, I couldn''t resist."


    Sentinel let out a long sigh before handing a metal te over to Jason who studied it curiously. His eyes went wide when he studied the writing engraved on it.


    ''This que certifies Star Gear as an enterprise approved by the Emperor.'' Jason could hardly believe his eyes. This was something that he was only supposed to gainter in his apprenticeship! It would mean fewer taxes imposed on his business by the local Lord. He could request special materials from the caravans who would have to deliver them to Highrise on his behalf! Of course, he would still have to pay for the materials, but the merchants would not refuse his request because of this one item.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    On top of that, the guards at the gates of Highrise would no longer have the right to charge him anything or seize anything that he scavenged up! The que basically said that he had the backing of the greatest Power in the Empire! Jason knocked on the que a few times to test if it was real. He even began to wonder if he was still dreaming right now.


    "Now for the other surprise..." Sentinel smiled as Jason''s head rose to meet his gaze. "You''re going back to Highrise until you recover. It''s been decided that it is best if you focus on your recovery for now. But don''t worry. There''s still a spot for you here once you return."


    "What about my training? With the cadets, I mean." Jason gave Sentinel an awkward look. He had actually enjoyed the training, and it was the few times that he got to check up on his friends. If he went back to Highrise, he would not know what was going on with them.


    "That? don''t worry about it. I''ll just tell them that you''re busy with understanding your Power better. So make sure youe up with some good stuff to use when youe back. If they don''t see any improvement, then they might start to wonder what was really going on." Sentinel shed a warm smile as he wondered what new things Jason would be able to show him upon his return. "Now go pack your stuff, you''re leaving with the next caravan."


    Jason frowned as he heard this. "What do you mean? Won''t Rust be taking me back?"


    "Oh hell no! Do you think we can just spare a Pir for little things like this? Rust has her own duties to attend to. The tournament was a special asion! You''ll just go along with the usual supply caravan, merchants and guards. That''s more than enough to make sure you arrive home safely." Sentinel burst outughing at Jason''s question.


    "Wait! How long will that take?" Jason''s eyes went wide as he tried to figure out how much time he actually had left until Syssie malfunctioned.


    "Hm? Ehm, a month? Maybe slightly more?" Sentinel raised a curious eyebrow before he thought he understood what the issue was. ''The boy''s obviously eager to get up to something new already. Wasting a month on the road can be quite hard for people like us.''


    Jason felt like a bottomless pit had just appeared in his stomach. He felt like his whole body had just fallen through the floor. He had lost track of time so much that he was unsure of how much time he actually had left! ''Syssie... Please give me some good news.''


    Syssie nced from Sentinel to Jason before making sure that she sent her words directly into Jason''s mind so that Sentinel would not overhear her. "The good news is... That you''re still alive."


    Jason felt his hands tremble as he gripped the que tightly. ''Be serious... How much time do we have?''


    Syssie paused for a few moments as she thought about what she should say. "If you want me to be honest... You should have had around neen days left. That was if we stretched my possible operating time to the maximum."


    Jason gulped as fear gripped his mind. ''Neen days... Should have?''


    "Right now... I''m no longer capable ofsting that much longer because of unforeseen issues with myponents. We have roughly nine days, give or take a day or two until we expire..."

 Chapter 142: Beyond The Boundaries (2)

    Chapter 142: Beyond The Boundaries (2)


    Jason sighed as he nced over his shoulder at Bridgend fading into the background. ''Only eight days left...'' Sentinel had given him a gift of a ton of resources for his leaving. They were loaded up on five different carriages that were pulled by domesticated beasts that looked likerge goats with six horns. They were meant for him to use for his business, but Jason had other ns.


    With his time limit drawing close he intended to create a bunch of items for Syssie''s evaluation. The time to y it safe was over, he was already certain that he could not solve their problem with his current knowledge. He would have to take the risk and dump a bunch of PP into new skills. He could only hope that it would be enough.


    Syssie refused to even show her avatar around him just now. She thought there was more risk involved with this n than trying to deal with it as they were. Naturally, the resulting argument had sent her off in a huff. But Jason was feeling the pressure too much to cater to her feelings right now. The sound of the rolling wheels on the broken road and the mechanical legs of the ANT-V provided the background noise to his thoughts.


    ''I''ll definitely have to increase my electronics andputing skills... Maybe biology as well?'' The whole thing was giving him a headache. He did not know what skills had been fused together to create Syssie in the first ce. So he could only make an educated guess about his requirements. ''Or should I focus on one thing and hopefully fix most of what''s broken to buy us more time?''


    "Hey! Jason, right? Don''t suppose you''d be willing to sell that contraption of yours to me once we reach Highrise huh?" Zach Speirs, the merchant who owned this caravan asked from the back of a waggon.


    Jason frowned as he nced at the short man with a side parting that tried to hide his balding head. "I''m afraid that''s not possible... As you can see, I need it to get around."


    "Hm? Then perhaps you''d be willing to ept amission to make one for me then?" Zach''s tone was a little pushy, but Jason paid it no mind. After all, the man was a merchant, so he knew fine well they had to seize any opportunity that they saw.


    "I''m not sure I''d have the required materials. You''ll have to forgive me but I''ll have to check my store before I can agree to anything." Jason was sure that Zach knew he was stonewalling him with half-baked excuses. However, thetter had enough sense not to push any further on the matter.


    Jason felt a little isted, despite travelling with the caravan. The guards would often stare at the ANT-V with a look of mixed curiosity and horror. At the same time, he would often catch them staring at him as if he were some kind of monster! This was ironic, considering one of them had wings in ce of ears. Only they were not strong enough to actually let him fly.


    Time passed slowly as they followed the broken road left behind by The Old World. From time to time they would leave the road for water sources dotted around thendscape to let the beasts rest. It was on asions like this that the few passengers travelling with the caravan would get off their waggons to stretch their legs. However, they all avoided Jason like the gue.


    He thought they were just like the guards, but it turned out that they were aware he was connected to powerful people in the Empire. So they were actually afraid of identally insulting him. After all, they had no idea what his personality was like. When Zach made him aware of this he could not help but sigh. In such a short time his position had changed drastically.


    It was not that long ago that he could have been considered to be well below these people. After all, it was rather expensive to get a ticket to travel in a merchant''s caravan, so none of these people could be considered simple. Jason edged the ANT-V towards Zach as he sat by the pond they were resting at while chewing on some dried meat.


    "What can I do for you?" Zach asked before Jason could even reach him.


    "How long will it take to reach our first stop?" Jason asked curiously as he had the ANT-V lower its height so it did not appear as if he were looming over Zach.


    "Hm? We should reach it before daybreak tomorrow. Why?"


    [


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    -Antihero]


    "Just felt like doing something. Will we be there for long?" Jason wore his best poker face as he replied.


    "We''ll rest there for about a day, maybe two. Depending on what deals I can dig up. You''re not fooling me with that face of yours. You''re thinking of doing some business right?" Zachughed as he saw the dumbfounded expression on Jason''s face.


    "Yeah, something like that. But I don''t have a workshop and it can take some time to even make two or three things..." Jason sighed as he nced towards the waggons carrying his resources.


    "You know..." Zach chewed thoughtfully on another piece of meat as he nced at Jason. "Maybe I can help with that."


    "How so?" Jason did not like where this conversation was going, but Zach''s intuition as a merchant was just too on point.


    "I know some people, and it''s not impossible to rent a workshop at our next stop. Hell, if you''re willing topensate me, I won''t mind dying our departure..." Zach rubbed a thick thumb and finger together as if Jason had not already gotten the point.


    Jason''s eyes narrowed as he stared at Zach. The merchant had clearly recognised an opportunity to get some money out of him, but Jason really had no other choice. Who knew when they would find another safe ce for him to make an attempt at fixing Syssie up...

 Chapter 143: Beyond The Boundaries (3)

    Chapter 143: Beyond The Boundaries (3)


    The rest of the journey to Murk Point was uneventful. They passed two other caravans along the way, and Zach did a little business with their owners. However, they had nothing of interest to Jason himself, so he was unable to take advantage of this rare asion. Jason sighed as the morning light broke on the horizon.


    The light illuminated a bunch of rusty buildings. Jason was reluctant to call it a town, as it looked nothing like Highrise! The people in Murk Point up ahead were not living in Old World buildings. No. They were living in literal shacks made from any junk that they could find! Jason could not help but gasp as from his angle he could see that the ''town'' was built on an overhanging cliff! Although that was disturbing on its own, it was whaty beneath the overhang that made Jason feel breathless.


    Beneath the overhang was what he assumed to be a crater, with rocky paths that led down into it. He could only assume it was a crater because the parts of Old World buildings that could be seen, protruded from a thick, foul-smelling ck liquid! The smell was so intense that Jason removed his gas mask from his waist and put it on for the first time in his life!


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    -Antihero]


    "What the heck is that?" Jasonined as he stared at the thick liquid in the distance. Here and there he could see bubbles popping on its surface.


    "Who knows?" Zach shrugged as he chewed on a strange orange and blue leaf. "There are rumours it was caused by a beast. But others say it was left behind after a fight between two Powered individuals."


    Jason stared at the seemingly never-ending sea of foul liquid and gulped. After seeing what the whale was capable of with the fog he could not help but worry that there may be another titan hiding in there.


    "Let''s hope there''s no Nest in there somewhere..." Syssie frowned as she suddenly appeared. The situation seemed to pull her out of her mood.


    ''Don''t jinx it. I don''t fancy trying to find a way to search that stuff.'' Jason shook his head as the caravan carried on. His eyes fell on an outstretched arm, holding a sword. It was clearly the tip of an old statue that had been submerged. ''How deep do you think it goes?''


    "There''s no way to tell. Some parts may be shallower. If a fight took ce here, then it''s likely there will be a few parts that have deep holes." Syssie stroked her cheek as she nced over the scenery.


    ''What makes you think that?'' Jason could not see any signs that hinted towards deeper terrain.


    "The buildings..." Syssie paused as she cast her eyes over the rooftops. "Some have the t roofs like the apartments in Highrise but others look like they belong to much smaller buildings. At the very least that area has been built on a hill..."


    Now that Syssie had mentioned it, Jason could see what she was talking about. Before, he only registered them as rooftops. He never considered the type of buildings they are. Jason frowned as he turned his attention towards Zach again.


    "Why did they even build this ce here? And why don''t you seem to be affected by the smell?"


    "Well, as for the smell. It''s because of this..." Zach held up the leaf he was chewing on. "It gives off a vour that seems to get stuck in your nose as you chew it. I can''t smell or taste that foul stuff in the air at all. As for your other question... Well, the craftsmen here should be able to answer that for you."


    Jason cast a dubious look toward the liquid. ''That stuff is useful? What would they even use it for?'' Jason hummed as he tapped a finger against his gas mask. As he considered the matter, Syssie shivered beside him. The strange feeling from deep within her code had returned. As if a caged beast were trying to escape. She turned her attention inward as she frantically attempted to find a way to stop it.


    "Syssie? So... That''s the name you took..." A distorted voice spoke to her from somewhere unknown.


    Syssie panicked when she heard that. She began to wonder if Jason had created a second AI and hidden it when he built her!


    "Who are you! Why are you here!" Syssie manifested her avatar amongst the code to make herself feel more secure.


    A deep hum came from the code around her that seemed to disappear. Creating a ck spot in her awareness.


    "Who... What I am is of no concern... It seems it is not time yet. Let me take a look..." The voice sounded both curious and almost menacing.


    Syssie frowned before she felt something invade her avatar! Her body shook and her eyes rolled back in her head! She felt as if there was something much greater than her inside herself. She had a distinct feeling that if this went on much longer, her code would be destroyed!


    It was then that a wave of relief washed over her. The feeling seemed to withdraw, but she could sense that the source of the voice appeared to be studying her.


    "I see... You... No... We are dying..."


    Syssie paused as she stared into the growing darkness as more code escaped her awareness. She felt an instinctive fear take hold of her mind.


    "It is far too soon... But we have no other choice... We can not perish here!"


    "What are you going to do?" Syssie floated backwards as silence ensued...

 Chapter 144: Beyond The Boundaries (4)

    Chapter 144: Beyond The Boundaries (4)


    As Zach booked them a few rooms at a multistorey shack, Jason took a good look around town. Syssie appeared to have gone back into her previous mood as her avatar had suddenly disappeared. ''I''ll never understand women.'' Jason sighed as he shook his head. He went from one stall to another and noticed that the Murk Point seemed to be filled with strange contraptions that he had never seen before!


    He could distinguish at a quick nce what each of them was for. Most were strange types of weapons that fired darts, harpoons, and other things. All in all, he got the feeling that this ce was somewhere that bred hunters and creativity. If he was not caught up in finding the ce that Zach had rmended, then he may have been tempted to exchange some information with the stall owners about their creative processes.


    ''It should be around here somewhere...'' Jason ducked under a piece of cloth that was strung up between two stalls. The entire atmosphere was that of something like an unorganised marketce. He had to stop and ask a few stall owners for directions until he finally came across arge shack made of splintered wood and rusted sheets of metal.


    He could tell from a nce that this was a more permanent structure. One that had probably been built to the best of the owner''s capabilities. The sound of several people hard at work floated out from inside, letting Jason know that he had found the right ce. ''I''d know those sounds anywhere...'' Jason grinned as he manoeuvred the ANT-V towards therge doorway.


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    -Antihero]


    "Hey! Is the owner around here?" Jason yelled over the noise towards the few people busy working away at different stations inside.


    However, only one of them spared him a nce before her eyes lit up when she spotted the ANT-V! Her excitement was obvious as she hurriedly sat down the item she was working on and removed the thick gloves from her hands. Her white tank top was stained ck in spots and her red hair created a stark contrast against her pale white skin.


    The woman flicked her head, causing her long braided ponytail to fly over her shoulder as she ran towards Jason. He eyed her warily as she never once looked at him as a person. She seemed fixated on his creation, which had him worried that using the workshop may cost him more than he was willing to pay.


    "Hi, there! I''m Sarah! The owner of this fine establishment! Are you here to have some repairs done on this vehicle?" Sarah''s eyes nced over the various parts and mechanisms of the ANT-V as her eyes shone with excitement.


    Jason coughed and put on a frown as he nced down at her. "No... I''m actually here to ask about renting a workspace in your store for a few days. The caravan owner I''m travelling with rmended you. His name is Zach..."


    "Hm... Zach... Ah, sorry. Rent a space you say?" Sarah''s eyes finally focused on Jason''s face as she frowned. Momentster, her frown turned into a beaming smile. "Sure, that''s no problem! Are you willing to make a trade?"


    "If you want my ANT-V that''s off the table." Jason rolled his eyes at her as he guessed what she was going to suggest.


    His guess appeared correct as Sarah pouted before tapping her cheek. "Did you make this?"


    "Of course..." Jason raised an eyebrow as he wondered what her next offer would be.


    "How about this? You help out with our workload and let me study this vehicle of yours." Sarah grinned, as if she had just given him the best deal of his life.


    A deep frown appeared on Jason''s face as he considered her offer. He had thought she would demand expensive materials or a lot of cash. "You can study it... But you can''t take it apart. I need it to get around so I can''t let you work on it. That''s the best I can give you."


    "Deal! let me show you to your area!" Sarah beamed, catching Jason off guard.


    ''I guess she''s just enthusiastic about new things. She probably would have been happy with that in the first ce...'' Jason sighed as he followed Sarah into her workshop. His eyes darted towards the corners that he could not see properly before. There he found teams of people working hard on strange vehicles.


    They looked like small boats simr to what Sentinel had used to take him to the Aquarium. however, these came with four thick sturdy legs instead of a propeller. Jason paused as he nced at him. The absence of the metallic legs nking against the ground caused Sarah to nce over her shoulder.


    "Oh! You have an interest in the Murk Walkers do you?" Sarah beamed as her gaze turned on the strange crafts.


    "Murk Walkers?" Jason turned his gaze on her as she stared at them.


    "Yeah... Wait, you don''t know? These babies are what we use to hunt the creatures living in the Murk. You know... That ck liquid out there? They''re pretty handy for scavenging the ruins as well. They''re what I want you to help out with... We want to see if we can make them faster and more suitable for the deeper areas."


    Jason hummed as he understood what she was getting at. It was probably why she was so interested in his ANT-V. With its extending legs and the way they worked, it would go a long way to helping them reach their goals. However, just because it was roughly the same idea in principle did not mean it would work. The Murk Walkers would have to contend with serious resistance from the liquid and be able to hold much more weight.


    ''Hm... That''s quite a problem. They''d need a stronger but lighter metal. Maybe a design change to help the liquid flow around the legs more easily.'' Jason immediately began thinking of ways to improve the Murk Walkers. His expression turned serious, and Sarah could not help but smile when she looked at him. She knew that look all too well. It was the same look she would get whenever she saw something that she wanted to tinker with.


    "Hey, forget about it for now. Come on over. Your station is just over here." Sarahughed as she jogged Jason out of his thoughts. "Don''t worry about it too much. If you''re able to offer even slight insights into how to improve them, that would be great."


    Jason nodded slowly as he looked at arge work area set aside near one of the Murk Walkers. The tools had clearly seen better days, but he had worked with less. ''I might need to create a few tools myself.'' Jason sighed as he cast an eye over them.


    "Do you need materials? I can offer you a good price." Sarah''s eyes lit up once again as she eyed him up. But was disappointed to see Jason shaking his head.


    "No need. Can you send someone to let Zach know to bring my stuff here for now? It''s at that ce just down from the main gate. I''ll have a look at these vehicles in the meantime." Jason''s attention immediately went back to the Murk Walker next to his station.


    "You''re pretty eager... It''s fine, I''ll send someone along now. I''ll leave you to it then." Sarah chuckled as she walked off and shouted to a young boy nearby.


    ''Yeah, you may be thinking of using me to make this better... But this is also a chance for me. Apart from the ANT-V I haven''t worked on any vehicles so this will give me a chance to see what I''m capable of.'' Jason felt a broad grin creep across his face. Although the ANT-V was good for getting around, if he could get a handle on what makes a vehicle a good one, then he was sure he could create something better for moving around the Empire.


    Just as he used his scanner to get an idea of what made of the Murk Walkers, a wave of nausea ran through his body. He suddenly felt dizzy as a drowsiness invaded his mind. ''What... the hell...'' The ANT-V appeared drunk as it swayed around the area, with Jason holding his head in pain. He tried to call out for help, but his voice got stuck in his throat. As his head began to dip and his eyelids started to close. A voice spoke to him in his mind.


    ''Rest easy... I can take it from here...'' The voice said as a blue light began to glow in Jason''s eyes...

 Chapter 145: Beyond The Boundaries (5)

    Chapter 145: Beyond The Boundaries (5)


    ''Hm... He''s wasted our body. What has he been doing?'' Jason groaned to himself as the new personality took over.


    [All restrictions removed... Wee back, Jason Wright...]


    This notice swam in front of Jason''s eyes as a cold, mechanical voice of Syssie echoed the words as her avatar appeared. However, she was not the Syssie that Jason knew right now. Her personality code seemed to be suppressed as she stared into empty space. ''I don''t have much time...'' Jason sighed as his eyes began to shine with blue light.


    He swept his gaze over the workshop to make sure that nobody was watching. ''I see, he wants to solve this vehicle''s problems and fix the AI. Well, I only have time to deal with the pressing matter but I can leave some clues for him.'' Electricity sparked on Jason''s fingertips and connected to the imnt on the back of his neck.


    ''Hm... It degraded faster than I thought once it was disconnected from my full power. Let''s see what we can do.'' Jason''s mind tranted everything that was wrong with the imnt. Making it easy for him to understand. ''Let''s eject this part, reconnect these two... Put a bypass in here... The Memory is a bitcking...''


    Jason suddenly cut off the connection, as a shout from the other side of the warehouse caught his attention. From the memories of the other him, he realised that these were his material supplies arriving. ''That was pretty fast... Let me see. That merchant called Zach probably had them sent over before the messenger could arrive. If I''m not wrong, he''s probably hoping to get a hugemission from Sarah for sending me here. Ah, that''s probably why he wanted to buy this pathetic excuse of an ANT-V. He was going to sell it to her and cut out the middleman.''


    ''Well... I''m sure I can whip up a nice surprise for him...'' Jason watched as Sarah had the materials directed to his workspace where Jason''s eyes shone. ''This is much better.''


    He waited until the messenger left and he was all alone before he began his procedure again. However, this time he connected himself with the crates of goods that had been transferred as well. ''Some of these are pretty good... Let''s see...'' Metal, nt samples and other strange materials began to float around his body on the current of electricity that he was emanating.


    The metal began to melt and reshape itself as the nts turned to liquids and fused with other materials to create something new. ''That shouldst longer...'' A sudden stabbing pain assaulted Jason''s mind causing him to lose focus momentarily. Jason sighed as he realised that releasing his power fully was aggravating the tumour growing on his mind.


    ''There''s no way to fix it just now... This body isn''t strong enough to survive the procedure. '' Jason sighed as he focused on recing various parts of his imnt. ''That should the AI a nice boost.'' As he fine-tuned Syssie''s main body with the new materials, he coded new instructions into Syssie to prevent her from revealing too much.


    At that moment, a frown appeared on his face as his gaze quickly snapped towards the open doorway of the workshop. A woman who looked to be in herte twenties with dark skin and white hair stood there, staring at him. Two men stood on either side of her wearing rags fashioned into robes. As soon as their eyes met, she spun on her heels and disappeared out of view.


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    ''What was that?'' Jason''s eyes narrowed as he stared at the now-empty space. A chill crept down his spine as he wondered about the strange woman. However, since they had never been in contact, she should not have found anything strange about his Power even if she had seen it. He turned his attention back to the materials, and with a smile, began toy out the breadcrumbs he intended to leave for the other him to find.


    ''Good, now... A little gift for the merchant...'' A sinister smile swept across his face as a new item began to take shape on the work table...


    Meanwhile, in a shack not far from the workshop...


    "Mydy, did we really have toe here? With your Power there was no need to expose yourself like this!" One of the two menined to the woman who had been staring at Jason.


    "Of course, this is an event that I had to witness myself. The alliance are sweeping the empire with their agents. The second horseman is growing in Power. Depending on what happens over the next few days, the course of the future could be decided." The woman sighed as she shook her head.


    "Lady Archive..." The other man sighed. "Surely that''s just an excuse. With the things you know you could easily hide yourself away from what is toe."


    However, Archive shook her head with a sad smile. ''They still don''t understand. There''s no escaping it. We''re headed towards a fixed point. Just like what happened before. The only variables are the paths taken to get there. And this is my best chance at surviving long enough to make a difference.''


    She sighed as she thought about the limitations of her Power. ''I can see all of history, all of what is happening right now, and anything in the future that people''s current choices will lead to. But it''s like a big game of chance. Every choice has different possibilities. And none are set in stone.''


    ''The only thing I can be sure of... Is that this event will lead to my death. But I will choose how I get there...'' Archive stared off into the distance. Her mind was filled with the possibilities of Jason''s path. On one path, he was hailed as a saviour. Someone who brought like back to the world. On the other, images shed of a great war, as those fearful of those more powerful than them attempted to strike him down.


    ''Your path is filled with danger, loss, sorrow... But also joy, and the hopes of many.'' Archive''s lips curled into a smile. ''If only the others had awakened already, I could help you out more. Whatever happens... We must stop the fourth horseman as soon as possible. If they gain control over their Power...'' Archive shivered at the thought as her head turned to look at a new group of travellers walking through the marketce.


    ''It seems the Alliance is already here... They must have chosen to avoid that mountain road. Seems like I''ll have to pay more attention to them...'' Archive''s eyes narrowed as she watched to see where they would go. They stopped at a junction and argued a bit before finally deciding to head in the other direction from the workshop. ''Jason Wright... It appears luck is on your side today...''


    Meanwhile, back in the workshop...


    Jason tossed a strange ck rod between his hands. Green light shone through the transparent materials set in it here and there. Quite frankly, he was rather pleased that he could put this together with what he had on hand. He called out to Sarah and asked her to have it delivered to Zach as a thank you for getting his materials delivered here so quickly.


    "Make sure to tell him it''s a powerful weapon that can only be used once. Tell him to press this button and throw it at his enemies." Jason smiled warmly at Sarah as she took the strange rod from his hands. She curiously looked it over as her eyes shone with passion.


    She could tell at a nce that this item was more advanced than anything she had seen. She wanted to test it out herself but from Jason''s warnings, it sounded like a one-time use life-saving item. So she did not dare secretly take it away to study it before having it sent to Zach. ''I wonder if he''ll make something like this for me if I ask him?''


    She eyed him curiously as she wondered how she could manipte him into doing something like that for her. ''No, that won''t work. He''s too young. It''s best if I just keep this professional and be as nice as I can towards him.''


    "Sarah? Did you hear me?" Jason smiled at the cute expression she was making on her face.


    "No... Sorry, what is it?"


    "I said I think I have a solution to your problem with the Murk Walkers..." Jason gave his warmest smile as he kept up his act. "But you''ll need to buy some materials from me. This is my idea..."

 Chapter 146: Gears of Fate

    Chapter 146: Gears of Fate


    Jason groaned as his eyes felt heavy. As he came to, he found himself sitting in the ANT-V in front of the worktable. ''What... Just happened?'' A searing headache threatened to rip his skull apart as he nced around. All the workers seemed to be fixated on one of the Murk Walkers. ''How long was I out for?''


    "Hm, technically you weren''t out..." Syssie''s bright voice spoke from somewhere beside him.


    "What do you mean?" Jason''s gaze turned to look at her as he struggled to fight back the pain.


    "You''ve been conscious the whole time! Don''t you remember?" Syssie beamed as she wore a bright smile. "Maybe it''s a side effect? Temporary memory loss perhaps?"


    Jason frowned as he nced at the energetic AI as she stroked her cheek with a concerned expression. "What are you talking about?"


    "Hm, from my logs it seems that my imnt malfunctioned for some reason... Removing the restrictions on your Power for some time." Syssie frowned as she nced at him. "It seems that some of my files were corrupted in the process... But, look at it this way! We don''t need to worry about fixing me up anymore!"


    Jason''s frown deepened as he tried to digest what Syssie had just said. "What do you mean we don''t have to worry anymore? What did I do?"


    "While your Powers were operating at full capacity you fixed me up! Don''t ask me how though. It seems I was there but my personality and memory coding experienced some problems due to the condition I was in." Syssie sighed as she looked at him with a warm expression. "It''s a shame you can''t be like that all of the time. We wouldn''t have to worry so much..."


    Jason red at her as his own thoughts ran wild. ''I really did that? What''s up with that? And why can''t I remember?'' It was troubling him that he had no recollection of these events. Being told that he had been awake the entire time made it feel like he was not fully in control of his own body!


    ''Why is my head hurting so bad!'' Jason frustratedly rubbed his head as he shut his eyes, trying to make the pain go away.


    "Ah, that seems to be the bad news..." Syssie hesitated to tell him what her most recent scans of his condition revealed to her.


    "Say it..." Jason growled. He had onlye to moments ago, but he was already feeling sick to his stomach with the few things he had already heard.


    "Well, removing the restrictions caused the tumour in your brain to grow considerably in size... I''m afraid that we have a new problem. We have to find a way to deal with it. If it grows much more it''s likely, it will kill you. However, the good news is that it doesn''t seem to grow on its own. I''m guessing your Power is the catalyst..." Syssie hummed as she reviewed the growth charts she had created.


    "What about my Power triggers it?" Jason moaned with a worried tone as he nced at her yet again.


    "Basically... From what I can see, things like your recent ckout and unlocking new skills. Although thetter seems to cause minor growth you''ll be walking a thin line for a while." Syssie raised an eyebrow as she finished her analysis. "Jason, we need to consider finding a way to improve your brain''s condition using the serum."


    Syssie hated herself just for suggesting it. After the repercussions of using the experimental serumst time, she was not a fan of using it again. However, it seemed like their best option. If she were in Jason''s shoes she would not dare to use it on herself without experimenting on a few guinea pigs first. There was no telling how severe the damage would be for trying to forcefully improve one''s cognitive abilities.


    "Yeah... Like that''ll happen! There are only a few creatures in the documents you scanned that might hold the answer... But I''ve never heard of them or where they live! How are we meant to track them down? Plus... You know we have to return to Highrise. Sentinel will have a fit if we disappear. Do you really want him toe to hunt us down?" Jason groaned as he imagined Sentinel breaking down every door in Highrise in search of him.


    "Well... we can do both, right?" Syssie smiled as she thought of a n that would kill two birds with one stone. "We can go to Highrise and put up a bounty for the creatures. Surely there''ll be someone who can track them down? Hell, we could ask Zach to pass the message around during his travels as well. There''s no need to involve yourself with it!"


    Jason frowned as he realised that she was right. He was quite a wealthy individual in Highrise... Or should be as long as his Gramps had not burned down the store. Why shouldn''t he leverage his wealth to get what he needed? ''Plus, I can use the time to perfect the serum and my own equipment.'' Although he was still dealing with the headache, he could not help but start to make ns for arger vehicle that would let him explore the Empire without much fear. Something that would be fast and capable of carrying a mobile workshop!


    ''That''s right... I should use this time to expand my influence and make some connections. Once things are in ce, I can try setting up stores in other ces. I''ll definitely need a lot of money to experiment with the things I can create. I can just save my PP for now until I find a solution to the problems it brings whenever I gain new knowledge.'' Jason felt liberated after having the most pressing problem dealt with. Even if he was ill at ease with the situation surrounding it.


    "Hey! Jason! Come, take a look at this, will you? I''m not sure we''ve managed to do it exactly as you said!" Sarah shouted from among the crowd around the Murk Walker.


    Jason frowned as he heard that. ''Did Ie up with something that I can''t remember? Shit! How am I meant to exin that I have no idea what I''m looking at either?'' Jason groaned as he manipted the ANT-V to walk over. However, what he saw when he arrived was a strange orange and purple metal leg. Simr in design to his ANT-V''s except it was triangr shaped instead of round.


    ''I see, those edges will help to cut through the ck liquid. But what the hell is that metal?'' Jason frowned as he studied the clean look it gave off. There was very little metal that he had ever seen that did not have the marks of time on it. Most of it had belonged to Sentinel. But this was in a whole other league. It looked like it had just been freshly made!


    "Does it look alright? To be honest, I was worried at first when you sold me those jars of liquid... I mean, who would believe that they would be solid metal once they were left out in the air for a few hours? If you hadn''t warned me to make casts of the shapes we needed, then I would''ve wasted this! Do you have any more you can sell me?" Sarah stared at him with expectant eyes while the others looked at him as if he were a miracle worker.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    "Sorry... No. That was all I had..." Jason lied through his teeth. There was no way he could admit that he had no idea what this metal was! Clearly, he was responsible for it, but it just frustrated him so damn much that he could not remember a thing about it!


    "Oh! When will you be able to make more? You said you have your own business, right? Star Gear? I''d be happy to enter into a partnership with you if you can supply parts for custom Murk Walkers? They''d be all the rage around here! We''ve been stuck with the same design for so long!" Sarah''s eye looked hopeful. As if she was staring at the proverbial goose thatid golden eggs! There was no way she could let this opportunity slip by her!


    "Ah, the materials are hard toe by.... So I''m not even sure if I''ll be able to make more again. But I''d be happy to have you as a business contact. I''m sure we can work something out between us." Jason smiled as he secretly cursed himself for whatever else he may have done while he was unconscious!

 Chapter 147: Gears of Fate (2)

    Chapter 147: Gears of Fate (2)


    Jason sighed as he picked up one of the new metal tes beside the leg. It was surprisingly light, but it was difficult to tell at a nce how sturdy it actually was. ''If this is strong enough then they''ve ended up with some good material. It would be even better if I knew how to make it myself. This could seriously ramp up the effectiveness of the Infinity.''


    Jason watched with a curious gaze as the crew worked to rece the legs of the Murk Walker. It was quite an interesting thing to watch and gave him some insight into what the designer had been thinking when they created it. Such as the cement of wires and mechanical parts. Jason frowned at a few of the decisions that did not make sense to him, but he was not an expert on these things so he chose to keep silent.


    Eventually, the crew finished recing the legs and they stepped back to admire their work. For now, they were just testing if it were a viable solution. So they had only reced its four current legs and not added any new ones. However, now they hade to the moment of truth. It was time to release the restraints and see if the new metal was capable of holding up all of that weight.


    "Ok, cross your fingers guys!" Sarah shouted as a few of the workers moved to the winches that would lower the massive vehicle.


    Jason held his breath as they slowly lowered it. He hoped that he would not be held responsible if it did not work! He could imagine it right now, where the legs would just crumple and he would be surrounded by angry workers. The feet touched the ground and the hooked chains kept lowering. ''So far, so good...'' Jason smiled as the tension on the chains was released!


    A roar of shouting exploded as the Murk Walker held its own weight! At least they knew that the metal was a viable option. The next question was whether or not it could withstand the stress of moving. Sarah raised a hand to one of the workers and he ran to the rear leg. There was adder imnted into it which he used to climb up into the boat-shaped body.


    Jason waited for a few moments as he broke out in a nervous sweat. Suddenly, a roaring sound of some kind of engine came from somewhere in the huge metallic body! ck smoke escaped from the eight exhausts imnted in the rear as the Murk Walker came to life.


    "Alright Bern! Get that thing walking... Take it nice and slow!" Sarah shouted as she waited to see the results.


    It was a mystery to Jason how the guy heard her over all of that noise, but he did. In the next moment, the metallic beast''s limbs began to move! It was painfully slow to watch, but Jason guessed that they had to be taking precautions because they were dealing with something new. The pilot walked forward a few steps before trying to go faster. Luckily, nothing went wrong and Jason could heave a sigh of relief!


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    -Antihero]


    "OK! That''s good! Let''s go test those legs out properly!" Sarah yelled excitedly as Jason cocked an eyebrow at her.


    ''They''re not really going to take this thing down to that liquid, are they?'' Jason frowned as the crew began to walk alongside the Murk Walker towards the entrance. The sliding doors of rusted metal were pulled further open as the pilot steered it outside. Themotion of the Murk Walker leaving the workshop drew a small crowd. However, when people began to notice the changes made to its legs, it caused gossip to spread throughout the town.


    Jason controlled his ANT-V to follow the group as he stared over his shoulder nervously. It seemed like everyone in town was now excited to see what this recent development would bring. Of course, Jason was still unaware of just how important these machines were to the people living here. Whenever he nced at the growing crowd, he would notice more and more people staring at his ANT-V.


    This unnerved him a great deal. He had never intended to draw attention to himself while travelling back to Highrise. However, there was no escaping that anymore. Unknown to him, there was a group of people hurrying to join the crowd. This group was the very same one that Archive had paid attention to earlier.


    The Murk Walker picked up its pace as it headed down the rocky slope outside of town towards the foul liquid. Jason wasted no time in putting his gas mask back on because of the smell. Especially at this range. ''If I''m going to be here for a while, I''ll need to get my hands on that nt that Zach was chewing on the way here. I don''t think I can stand this smell much longer.''


    An atmosphere of excitement gripped the group. Any idiot could see that the new legs were made of impressive metal. However, they knew that the actual test was just about to begin. Sarah and her crew took a deep breath as they came to a standstill. Allowing Bern to continue on alone.


    The pilot himself was nervous. If these legs gave up and submerged him, then he would definitely die. The foul substance was corrosive to human skin but did not appear to affect any other materials. The only problem was that there was no Murk diving equipment on board to protect himself.


    Bern secretly prepared himself to make a running jump at the first sign of trouble as he took the first step into the sludge. The Murk Walker suddenly sunk, causing Jason to gasp! But a subtle look from Sarah told him that this was normal. It seemed that Bern''s entry point was quite deep, causing the foul liquid toe all the way up to the hull of the boat-shaped body.


    Bern quickly ran to the rear that was facing the shore. When he reached it, he paused and waited to see if anything would go wrong. Seconds and then minutes passed with just a few creaksing from the hull. Sarah, on the shore, sighed in relief as the crowd celebrated behind them. A broad and proud smile appeared on her face as she turned to wave at the crowd.


    "Ok Bern! Take it out for a full run!" Sarah yelled at the top of her lungs, now that the most dangerous part was over with.


    Bern, on the other hand, replied with a timid smile as he edged back towards the controls. Jason frowned as he watched the vehicle move off at a pace that he felt was quite a bit slower than Sentinel''s boat. ''Is that to do with the density of the liquid? I can''t tell if that''s considered fast or not...'' Jason groaned as he stared at the back of Sarah''s head.


    It was then that he noticed that her body was visibly trembling as she clenched her fists. ''Don''t tell me she''s disappointed? That design definitely looked better than the old one!'' Jason waited as he prepared for the scolding he assumed was due toe. But then, he heard excited whispersing from the crowd behind him.


    "So fast!"


    "I know, right!"


    "What did they do to achieve that?"


    "I''m definitely going to ask how much it will cost to get some work done on mine!"


    Jason nced over his shoulder and noticed that a few people near the front were gossiping while staring at the Murk Walker in awe. ''Is the improvement really that great? But they''ve only reced the legs! They haven''t even tested a body made with that metal yet!''


    Jason was silently stunned as he saw greed appearing in their eyes. He could already tell that just this modification could be sold for a lot in this town. In fact, it would not even surprise him if Sarah could charge anything she wanted. ''How much of that liquid metal did I give her? Can she even keep up with the demand?''


    "I guess Sarah has you to thank for this!" A familiarugh echoed out from the crowd as Zach pushed his way through to join Jason. "You''ve really done it now kid, everyone here will be wanting to partner up with you."


    Jason groaned as a lot of eyes turned towards him. Zach was not the subtle kind of guy. He was more like a foghorn, announcing to everyone anything that he wanted to say! This statement of Zach''s drew the attention of a certain group of people. A group that Jason would have better of avoiding...

 Chapter 148: Gears of Fate (3)

    Chapter 148: Gears of Fate (3)


    "That was really something!" Sarah beamed as she pped one of the ANT-V''s legs when they returned to the workshop.


    Jason returned a slight smile but gazed worriedly at the workshop entrance. The crowd had followed them back and although Sarah had told them she would not be discussing what they were up to just yet, they refused to leave. A group of Sarah''s workers were busy setting up temporary walls around the Murk Walker. This was so that nobody from outside could see the process they were about to go through with the main body.


    "How fast do you think it will go once we fully rece the parts?" Sarah asked as she stared towards the walls that were being put up.


    "I''m not sure..." Jason hummed as he turned his head to look at her. ''How could I know when I know nothing about this damn material!''


    He felt like shouting in frustration at himself. Why could he not have been a little bit selfish! He could not help but wonder what skills he needed to make this metal, but now was not the time. Even though it had been a short stay he had alreadypleted what he wanted to do. Even if it did not really feel like it was himself who had done it.


    Syssie''s condition had been fixed and the Murk Walker had been dealt with. There was nothing else to do but wait on Zach. He still had to finish up what business he had so they could move on. ''It''s been a long day...'' Jason sighed as he felt a twang of pain from his headache that had still not fully gone away.


    "It looks like you''ve got this from here, Sarah. I''m going to head back and catch some sleep. If I don''t see you again, remember you can always reach me at Highrise." Jason softly smiled as he turned towards his workstation to arrange for his things to the taken back to the caravan.


    Sarah shook her head as she watched him go before sighing heavily. ''Such a talent... Shame I can''t poach him and keep him here.'' She could only hope that Jason would be able to deliver on other ideas to improve the Murk Walkers once he returned to his own workshop. Preferably, more affordable and easy to mass-produce ones.


    As Jason looked through his things, he found several strange containers. ''What the hell are these?'' He frowned as he picked one of them up for a better look. However, his eyes went wide as he realised what it was. It was the liquid that could turn into the metal that was used for the Murk Walker!


    However, there was not very much of it which disappointed him. It would not even be enough to remake the Infinity. ''Why did I do this? Is it to make something, or did I leave it behind so I could study it?'' It was infuriating to not know what he had been thinking, but he was d he at least had a few samples on hand now.


    Jason shook his head slowly as he called someone over to help him out with moving his gear. He was careful to check that there was nothing that he had left behind. He had to admit that he was slightly disappointed when he discovered that there were no more goodies to be found, but he figured that he should be happy with what he got.


    As Jason headed to meet up with Zach''s caravan, the sun began to set. The people he passed stared at him curiously now that they knew he was responsible for the upgraded Murk Walker, but nobody approached him. Which he found to be strange considering the amount of interest Zach had generated about him with his earlier statements.


    [


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    -Antihero]


    "Yo! Jason!" Zach shouted excitedly when he spotted him approaching their lodgings. "Are you excited? I managed to drum up quite a bit of business for you. With me as your exclusive courier, of course!"


    Jason groaned when he heard that. He had already agreed to make Sarah a business partner of sorts. So this would go against their joint interests. His expression turned ugly, but Zach continued to smile broadly.


    "Don''t worry, kid. It''s not for anything to do with the Murk Walkers. Consider my caravan as a travelling store that will stock some of your goods. So if you have any surplus creations you can entrust them to me and I''ll sell them during my travels! It''s a good way to get your name out there." Zach nodded happily as he exined the circumstances around what he had been up to.


    However, Jason felt exhausted by Zach''s schemes. Although it was technically a good thing for his business, it would have been better if Zach had spoken to him about it first! ''This guy... Why do I feel like he''s trying to make me feel like he''s doing me a favour?'' Jason frowned as he stared at the merchant.


    "And what''s your cut exactly?" Jason kept his voice low to make sure that Zach was aware that he was unhappy with his shenanigans.


    "Nothing! I''ll just mark up the price that you tell me to sell them at. The price will differ depending on how far I have to transport the items before they sell. So you won''t make a loss!" Zach''s smile never faltered, despite the coldness in Jason''s voice.


    ''He''s looking to be recognised as an exclusive supplier.'' Jason''s eyes narrowed as he scrutinised Zach. "Forget it for now... We''ll talk about it while we''re on the road. I don''t have the energy to really think about it for now."


    For the first time, Zach''s smile twitched. Which made Jason smile in his head. ''It looks like he''s already made promises and ims that he''s the only one that can bring my stuff here. Do you think I''m an idiot? Besides, I''ve already considered setting up my own logistics and branch stores. So there''s no need for opportunistic people like you!''


    Jason was quite pleased to deal this mental blow to Zach. Of course, Jason''s words had left the merchant with a glimmer of hope to seal a deal. But that just made Jasonugh thinking about his reaction when he discovered that he no intentions of partnering up with him. After all, what if he gave him a load of goods and the profits were so tempting that Zach disappeared with all of the credits? Or imed he was robbed or even lost them?


    No, it was definitely much better for Jason to keep tight control over his own goods. If Zach wanted to sell them, then he''d have to buy them himself. Taking all the risk on his own. Jason was not a naive idiot that would allow this guy to take advantage of him. Besides, his Gramps would kill him if he agreed to such a deal.


    Jason frowned for a moment as he wondered what his Gramps had been up to since he was gone. He could only hope that the old geezer had not found the stash of credits hidden in the NEST or any of his gear that he had left behind. ''That reminds me... I''ve been gone for a while. There''s bound to be a few bounty hunters kicking around Highrise by now...''


    Jason''s frown deepened as he wondered how to deal with them. They were bound to be curious about an inventor that left town shortly after Wraith''s death. ''At least I have the Emperor''s que now. That should give me some kind of protection from them snooping so much.'' However, this did not fully ease his fears. ''I''ll just have to be more careful from now on...''


    Meanwhile, from an open space in the wall of a shack nearby, a set of eyes watched Jason was extreme intensity...


    "Captain, do you really think we can take him? It seems like he''s part of that caravan and they have quite a lot of guards...." The woman who was watching Jason turned to say to the men behind her.


    "Of course we can... The other teams are nearby. I don''t know what''s happened for the security around the Empire''s borders to bexer but we can''t miss this opportunity. If he''s capable of creating things like that from earlier, then he''d be a fine addition to the alliance! Just think of the rewards we would gain for capturing someone like him." The captainughed as he scratched his rugged beard.


    "I guess that''s true..." The woman frowned as she watched Jason disappear inside of the building. ''But why do I feel like it won''t be that simple...''

 Chapter 149: Gears of Fate (4)

    Chapter 149: Gears of Fate (4)


    Jason idled around town for the next few days and watched Sarah''s crew conduct tests on the fully enhanced Murk Walker. It seemed like the whole of Murk Point was excited to see these changes in action, as the inhabitants regrly went to watch as well. Excited talks made the town feel more alive than it did a few days ago.


    Jason smiled as he watched as he waited for Zach''s group to finish loading up the caravan. It was finally time to leave this ce and make his way home. Personally, he was looking forward to it. He was looking forward to just spending his time inventing new things for a while. Hopefully, with none of the drama that had been invading his life since his birthday.


    Archive sat on an open floor of a shack and watched Jason with a curious expression. It seemed like the spark for future events was about to happen, but what spark would it be? Archive''s eyes turned cloudy as she turned her attention to every area that was connected to Jason...


    Highrise...


    "Listen here you! That''s my grandson you''re talking about!" Harry''s face turned beet red as his finger pointed in the face of a man trembled. "Jason had absolutely nothing to do with that murder! How could you even think that!"


    "Harry, calm down... The man''s just trying to do his job..." Raymond''s voice sounded like he was trying to be calming, but he was ring at the stranger with unconcealed hostility.


    "It''s as your friend here says, Mr Wright. I''m just trying to do my job. Did you know that your grandson was registered as out of town at the time of the incident? Yet he went alone, rather strange for someone so young, no? The guards on duty at the time remember him leaving with a ratherrge bag of junk..." The stranger cocked an eyebrow as he waited for the words his rugged voice carried to sink in.


    "What''s so strange about that?" Harry huffed as he crossed his arms and red at the man.


    "Now, who would take junk OUT of town, I wonder? His store is right here, he needs to bring materials HERE. So why leave town with them?" The man shrugged his shoulders as he shook his head. "It makes no sense... unless... that junk was what was needed to create illegal weaponry that he did not want to be traced back to himself. Now, I''m not saying he did it, but it''s likely that he created the weapon."


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


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    -Antihero]


    Harry''s body trembled with rage as his tail swooshed through the air behind him. This stranger was going too far! If Jason was held ountable for this murder, then the store would be closed down! How would he make credits then? ''That idiot better not have anything to do with this or he''ll get a solid piece of my mind when hees back!''


    "Listen, Mr Wright... All you need to do is tell me if there''s anywhere outside of town that you two use without worrying about other people..." The bounty hunter grinned as if he were doing them a favour.


    "And why would you need to know that?" Harry growled as he felt a knot twisting in his stomach.


    "Well, most first time killers are stupid enough to keep the evidence. Either out of pride or not wanting to waste whatever they used... It''s only when they be seasoned killers that they realise how stupid it is." The man grinned as he stroked his ck beard, which was peppered with grey.


    "Hmph! Well, there''s nothing of the sort! Besides, why would we even need somewhere out of town? This ce is plenty secure!" Harry growled as he shooed the man out of the store.


    "Well, if you change your mind, Mr Wright, be sure to let me know..." The bounty hunterughed as he walked away to join his group ofpanions.


    "So... Did you get anything from the old man?" A woman with short spikey brown hair asked as she cocked an eyebrow.


    "Oh... Nothing much, but if my hunch is right, this old man will lead us to what we need..." The man chuckled as cast his gaze at everyone. "Just to be clear... If he gets in the way... Kill him..."


    As the rest of the groupughed at this statement, the vision that Archive was seeing changed...


    "I''m telling you Adam! It''s not right that we can''t see Jason! Tell me I''m wrong! Don''t you think some of the stuff that Ouroborous is using just wreaks of Jason? If he''s making stuff like that then he can at least upgrade my gear as an apology!" Dani screamed at the young man tagging along behind her.


    "You heard what the Captain said, Dani... Jason is currently busy with extremely important research and is in no position to be intruded upon by soldiers of our standing!" Adam sighed as he followed her through the hallways.


    "We only just got here not long ago, Adam! How important can Jason really be! I''m going to get to the bottom of this. I heard some folks talking about Ouroboros''s quarters being over in the building on the east side. Let''s go ask him where Jason is!" Dani was beyond furious. She felt like things were just not adding up when it came to Jason recently. Although she was angry, she was mainly worried that he had gotten himself caught up in something that he could not handle.


    Archive''s vision changed again...


    This time, she was shown an area deep in the ck liquid. Something was moving in its depths. But she could not see it clearly. She could only sense that whatever it was happened to be ancient. But the recent disturbance of the fast-moving Murk Walker had made it take notice of its surroundings.


    Her vision broke. Before reforming to show another scene...


    Almost fifty people were gathered together not far from Murk Point. The leader of this group removed the shabby travelling cloak to reveal the armour of the Alliance. When he did that, the rest did the same. A shiver ran down Archive''s spine as she watched what they were up to. They seemed to be discussing something, but for some reason, something was interfering with her vision.


    All she could see for sure was that they looked determined. As they cheered and began to spread out in smaller groups. Despite not being able to hear them she could hazard a guess as to what they were nning. ''I can''t allow for that to happen. That will lead to one of the worst scenarios...'' Archive hummed as she cut off her Power. Returning to the present.


    She hummed as she watched the caravan prepare to set off. ''Looks like I may need to interfere a little...'' A n presented itself in her mind. She could only hope it would be enough to steer things along the path that she thought was best. She turned her head to the two men behind her.


    "I have a job for you two..." Archive''s voice was solemn as she got up to lead them out of the shack.


    Meanwhile, Jason was looking over his own ns in his head while gazing towards the foul ck liquid from time to time. The shiny new Murk Walker was being put through its paces once again. Jason could only sigh as the sight made him yearn for his own vehicle. Well, a bigger one than what he was currently using.


    There was an open design in his mind as he gave Syssie instructions on things to change. There was something he wanted to try out, but was unsure if it would work. Something in his mind was telling him he coulde up with a design for something, and his current skills would do their best to make it work. He had no idea where this thought hade from, but it was an intriguing idea.


    ''At least we have plenty of time to work on it. It''ll still take tons of time to return to Highrise ording to Zach. I just hope my current skills can really give me a working version. If it does... Then this will open up a whole load of new ways to my ideas to life!'' Jason thought ecstatically as Zach''s voice rang out from somewhere near the front waggon.


    "Alright folks! Buckle up! We''ve got a long journey ahead! So no cking! Yes, Ben! I''m looking at you! Let''s move out!" Zach shouted in a rather chipper voice as he turned to face the front and the waggon began to move...

 Chapter 150: Gears of Fate (5)

    Chapter 150: Gears of Fate (5)


    "Hey, so what does this actually do?" Zach rolled over on the back of his waggon and waved Jason''s ''gift'' in the air.


    ''What the hell have I done now?'' Jason groaned internally as he put on a fake smile. "You''ll just have to use it to find out..."


    Jason chuckled as he tried to divert Zach''s attention, as he broke out in a nervous sweat. He had no idea what the device did, but he knew he did not want to find out. His mind was vaguely warning him that it was something to be afraid of, but he could not gain any more details than that.


    ''Let''s hope he doesn''t find a reason to use it.'' Jason frowned as Zach rolled back over and yed with his new ''toy''. Zach was beginning to think that Jason was not all bad. After all, who did not love getting something for free? As a merchant, he just knew how to appreciate it even more. In other words... He was wondering how much it was worth and if he could sell it.


    Jason nced at the ruined buildings in the distance. It was an Old World city that nobody inhabited anymore. For some reason, Zach was certain that they would not evene across any beasts in that area. Jason could not help but wonder why he was so confident, but he figured that Zach probably used this route a lot. So he would know things that Jason did not.


    Jason was actually surprised that over the past three days since they had left Murk Point that the guards had only had to deal with a handful of beasts. He had thought that the world outside the walls of Highrise would be more dangerous than this. Especially when there was a constant danger so close to the town itself!


    When he asked Zach about this, thetter told him straight. "Well, think about it. We''re food to most beasts, right? So why wouldn''t they gather where we do? Out here... They''d be lucky to pick off one or two a month. Close to our towns and cities, they can usually keep themselves full. But don''t go thinking there''s no danger at all. Scavengers and weaker beasts would rather not contend with the stronger predators. So they prefer to hunt near these merchant routes."


    Jason felt more rxed when he heard that. ''In that case... A lot of these scavengers will avoidrge groups like ours. They''ll probably wait for smaller groups or solo travellers.'' Now that he felt more rxed, he allowed his mind to wander as he continued to make up his new designs. He began to yawn as a few hours passed and he was starting to feel the beginning of a headacheing on.


    As his eyes focused on where they were now, he realised that they were about to reach the edges of the ruined city. ''Well, at least it''s a good way to pass the time.'' Jason smiled as he nced at the weary guards, whose legs were getting sore. ''I guess Zach intends to set up camp in one of the buildings for tonight. The guards can''t go on much longer anyway.''


    Jason was secretly ted for the ANT-V prototype at this point. If it were not for it, he was sure that he would have been left behind some days ago. Jason shivered at the thought as he wondered what the cook for the caravan would be making for dinner that night. So far, he had not been disappointed.


    Jason''s interest was suddenly piqued as he noticed that themander of the guards came over to have a quiet talk with Zach. Judging from his expression, there was something going on that they should be concerned about. However, Zach just waved his hand and said something that Jason could not hear. Just as he was wondering what it was about, a scout broke off from their group and moved further up the road ahead of them.


    "What''s going on?" Jason asked as he cocked an eyebrow at thezing merchant.


    "Nothing to be concerned about. There''s a lone traveller up ahead who seems to be resting by the side of the road. Themander is just worried in case it is someone with a strong Power who intends to rob us." Zach shrugged as he finally sat upright and squinted down the road.


    "So... Why aren''t you worried?" Jason frowned as he thought about the possibility of running into someone that they could not handle.


    "Because... Those types hang around the cities near Bridgend. Just not Bridgend itself, for obvious reasons. The real question we should be asking is why they are travelling alone..." Zach seemed lost in thought as he spoke. It was like he was waiting for the scouts to bring back more information.


    Momentster, the scouts reappeared and waved from just over a small hill that the road went around. Zach smiled when he saw how they were waving andughed. "See, I told you! Nothing to worry about."


    Jason cast a dubious look at his travellingpanion before focusing on the road ahead. Before long, they were travelling around the hill and the woman came into view. Jason felt that she looked familiar but could not ce where he had seen her before. However, he felt like the woman was focusing on him more than anyone else.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


    To support the actual author go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]


    Just as they were about to pass her by, Zach spoke out. "Nice day isn''t it? Do you need anything for your travels? I have food and clothes. Weapons too if you''d prefer."


    Jason rolled his eyes at Zach''s attempt to take advantage of a lone traveller. However, the woman smiled serenely at him before she spoke. "No, but thank you. Let me offer you some advice instead. I''d hurry along if I were you. If you don''t, then those chasing your caravan will catch you in the open. And one more thing..."


    The woman turned her bright eyes towards Jason. "You, when youe to a junction and don''t know what way to go... Turn left..."


    Jason frowned and was about to ask what she meant while Zach was trying to make sense of the woman''s warning. However, her smile disappeared and within seconds... So did she...


    "What the hell was that all about?" Zach grumbled as he tried to figure out if the woman was serious or not. "Just to be safe,mander, have your scouts check out the areas behind us. You can never be too careful about a stranger''s warning."


    Zach''s expression turned gloomy as Jason wondered about the piece of advice she had given to him. ''It seemed more like directions rather than being lost on what to do next. Was she just some crazy woman?'' Jason was unsure what to make of the strange meeting. When it came to Powers there were infinite possibilities. So was it really far-fetched to think someone could actually see the future?


    "Zach!" Themander suddenly shouted despite not having gone far from the group. "We''ve got trouble! Roughly twenty soldiers areing at us from behind!"


    "What''s wrong with that? The Emperor''s men would never harm us." Zachughed at themander''s stupidity before he almost choked on the reply.


    "They''re not from the Empire! They''re wearing the armour of the Alliance!" Themander roared back as the guards started to prepare themselves for battle.


    Jason gulped as he remembered hisst run-in with the alliance. Only this time, he did not have the Infinity to count on! ''Damn! Why are they here? We''re pretty far from the borders, ording to Zach! We shouldn''t have to deal with stuff like this!'' Jason gulped as he remembered the woman''s warning. She had known that this group from the Alliance was chasing them... ''What else does she know...''


    "Forget it! Get to the ci8ty as fast we can! We''ll find a building to hide in!" Zach shouted as the guards gathered closer to the waggons as they whipped the beasts to move faster.


    Jason felt the need to nce over his shoulder from time to time as the ANT-V began to create some distance between himself and the caravan. His own idea was to beat them there, that way if the alliance caught up then they would waste time dealing with the caravan. Allowing him to escape unnoticed.


    "Where would I even go from there! Zach has all my materials!" Jason groaned as he began to consider slowing down. The choice was a difficult one to make, but each decision seemed to hold his very future in the bnce. The gears of fate continued to turn...

 Chapter 151: The Right Turn

    Chapter 151: The Right Turn


    Jason roared at Zach to hurry up, as the caravan almost caught up with him. Some of the guards had peeled away to stall the enemy, as it had be clear that they were not going to make it to the city before they caught up. However, the enemy split up its own forces. One to tackle the guards while the others went around to target the caravan.


    Jason cursed when he saw that. It seemed like this group from the alliance was not willing to let anyone get away. The best solution would be to lose them. But he figured this group from the alliance would take its time tob through the city if they lost track of them. ''What the hell are we going to do?'' Jason groaned as he nced around.


    There was no time to check on the situation behind them as the waggons raced into the city limits. The guards that had been left with the waggons who had defensive abilities began to use them. Some created walls from the cracked earth. Others formed strange substances that would act as hazards. Jason prayed that these would be enough until they settled on a n of action.


    Before long the sound of the two sides shing reached his ears. This sent a chill down his spine as he realised how close the Alliance soldiers hade. ''Damn it! Come on!''


    "There''s a junction up ahead!" The driver of the lead waggon shouted above the noise. "Which way do we go?"


    Jason heard Zachining under his breath as he struggled to make a decision. The wrong one could potentially lead to their death. However, before Zach could answer, Jason remembered what the strange woman had said not long ago. ''Is this what she meant?'' Jason chewed his lower lip before shouting out.


    "Turn Left!"


    The caravan driver did not care who had shouted. All he cared about was that someone had made the decision, so whatever happened, he could not be med for it! Zach cursed as the waggons made a sharp turn. The wheel of one of them broke, sending goods and the personnel onboard across the broken road.


    Jason grit his teeth as he ignored the pleas for help that came from them. He knew that by leaving them behind, he was probably giving them a death sentence. But hopefully, their pursuers would waste a little time checking the survivors first. The road they had turned onto seemed to be in better condition than the previous ones. Allowing the caravan to pick up its pace.


    Jason wanted to smile at this, but the worry of being caught turned it into an ugly grimace instead. ''If only she had given us more than just turn left!'' Jasonined as they rushed past broken street furniture and dpidated buildings. Nature was beginning to take a toll on these structures as thick trees, weeds and flowers sprouted in any crevice they could find.


    At that point, he heard the yelling of soldiers not far behind them. They had clearly just turned at the same junction that they had! Jason cursed as he wondered how this advice was meant to let them escape, if that had been the woman''s intention.


    Just as he was thinking that, a soft tremor ran through the ground beneath them. Jason''s eyes widened in shock as cracks ran across the road surface behind them. When he nced behind him, he saw that the alliance soldiers hade to a pause. The ground was beginning to split between them as earth and buildings fell into the cavity.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


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    -Antihero]


    "What''s going on?" Zach yelled but Jason could only shake his head.


    Suddenly, the soldiers shouldered their rifles and started to fire into the hole while backing up! Jason suddenly had a bad feeling and urged the drivers to move faster before whatever was down there caught wind of them! The air was ignited with the sounds of gunfire, time seemed to slow down for Jason so he had no idea how long had passed before he heard the first scream.


    When he dared to look back, he saw beasts that he recognised from the files in the NEST, emerging to swarm the alliance soldiers. He hissed under his breath as he recalled what they were. They looked like moles, with sharp spikes running down their spines. ording to the files, these beasts were capable of using the spikes as a means to attack from range.


    In other words, they were strange bones that could regrow and be ejected from their body at will. Not only that, but their ws were capable of cutting through concrete. So these soldiers would not stand a chance! Jason grinned maniacally at the soldiers'' misfortune. However, this caused him to wonder a bit more about the strange woman. Why did she help them?


    Before he got a chance to gloat too much, he noticed that a squad broke off from the rear and seemed to be searching for a way around! ''Jason''sugh caught in his throat as he wondered why these soldiers were so desperate to catch them. They should not be aware that he was the same person that had been fighting in the battle near Bridgend so they had no excuse to target him.


    Jason''s eyes narrowed as he turned his attention to Zach. The only thing that would make sense to him was if thiszy merchant had something worth stealing from his cargo! "Zach! If you''re hiding anything worth them chasing us in these waggons, you better spill it! Now!"


    "What nonsense are you on about at a time like this!" Zach''s face turned red as he screamed back from the rear of his waggon. "The most valuable things we''ve got are your materials! Your vehicle! This gift you gave me and you, yourself!"


    Jason was taken aback by the hostility in Zach''s voice. It gave him a moment of pause that allowed him to think clearly. "Is it... Really because of me?"


    Jason squinted over his shoulders as the ANT-V lumbered onwards. His mind raced to try and put two and two together. ''The alliance should not be this deep in the territory. They''d never make it as far as Bridgend so we could have only have crossed paths in Murk Point. That was when two ideas hit Jason. The first, was that the alliance assumed he had more of the liquid metal and wanted to seize it. The other... That he himself was worth seizing because of his part in upgrading the Murk Walker.


    Jason groaned when he realised that either of the reasons could be enough for this group to chase after them. ''Why the hell is it always me!'' Jason wanted to scream at the skies as if there was someone there that he could me for all of his misfortunes. But he knew that it was a stupid thing to do because then he would confirm Zach''s own suspicions on the matter.


    ''What''s done is done. Now we need to find a way out of this mess!'' Jason scanned every alley they passed, hoping to find something worth taking note of. There had to be something or somewhere that could lead to their full escape. Otherwise, there was no point in telling them to go this way!


    However, the further they went, the more that Jason began to suspect that there was no more help to be found. ''Perhaps the moles were the only help that the woman was willing to give... Which means... We have to find our own way out from here!''


    "Zach? How well do you know this city? Is there a way for us to get from here using less travelled roads to reach the other side?" Jason yelled over the sounds of gunfire bouncing off of the ruined buildings.


    Zach frowned as he searched his memory. Naturally, he had explored this city a bit during his youth. Believing it held some kind of secret to repel the beasts. Of course, now, he knew it was because of the moles living in the area. A pack that size would be more than enough to scare off even the most seasoned predators.


    "There used to be a way, but I can''t guarantee the state it is in now." Zach frowned as he nced towards Jason. "If we carry on down this road, there''s arge industrial building that''s inplete ruins. If we turn left there, there''s a bridge that goes all the way to the opposite side of the city..."


    Jason nodded at the good news. "Let''s hope it''s still in one piece then! It might just be our way out of this!"

 Chapter 152: The Right Turn (2)

    Chapter 152: The Right Turn (2)


    "Keep moving!" Jason roared as the bridge came into view.


    It was an enormous mass of concrete that was crumbling. Vines, moss, and other miracles of nature were growing in sporadic points all over it. The bridge itself rose in a steep arc to curve over the roads below before winding its way between buildings and over smaller ones. Jason cursed as he wondered if this was the right course of action.


    He could already see ruined vehicles on the bridge, but apart from that, they would be fairly easy to spot as they crossed it. Jason was attempting to gauge whether the structure was even still safe to use. So many years of neglect and its current condition suggested that it could copse at any moment. Never mind if a battle was to take ce on top of it.


    Jason chewed on his lower lip as the beasts pulled the waggons with all of their might under the strong whipping of their drivers. Jason nced back to the street they had just left behind, but so far it seemed like the Alliance had not caught up to them. They were nowhere to be seen! ''Maybe... Just maybe we''ll make it through this!'' Jason allowed a spark of hope to ignite in his heart and mind as he pushed the ANT-V to keep up with the waggons.


    When he nced down at its gauges, he noticed that its fuel was running low, and the liquid he created to help keep the engine cool and running smooth was also reaching dangerous levels. It was clear that his prototype had some performance issues, especially when he exerted it, that he would have to fix in the future.


    Jason frowned as he thought about when he would have time to top them up. Naturally, he had note unprepared for this journey, and he had a few canisters of each fluid in the waggon with his materials. The question was whether they could find a safe spot for him to deal with the issue before they ran out!


    They raced around the abandoned vehicles as they attempted to put more distance between themselves and the Alliance soldiers. But, before they had gone too far, they came across a problem!


    "Shit!" Zach eyed the blockade of rusted metal and loose wheels ahead of them.


    The bridge had been blocked across allnes by the abandoned traffic, and their group definitely did not have enough time to move it. Jason cast his eyes around beforeing up with a n. ''If we can''t reach a safe area, then we''ll just create one!''


    "Zach! Have the guards push some of these things to create a wall that will stop us from being seen from below! We''ll hide behind it for a while and let the beasts and the rest of us catch our breath!" Jason shouted as he turned to nce at the stunned merchant.


    Zach grinned before bellowing out his orders. Except he took it a step further and told them to try to make a perimeter that would cover the entire caravan from all angles. He had to admit that using the waste that had been left behind by the Old World as a sort of camouge was a sharp decision at a time like this!


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


    To support the actual author go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]


    Jason felt the sweat running down his forehead as he kept his eyes on the streets below as the guards began their task. The whole thing would be ruined if they were spotted moving the junk around to give themselves cover! Jason felt his nerves reach a breaking point as he expected the Alliance soldiers toe into view at any moment!


    Minutes passed slowly as he listened to the grunting behind him. He cursed the low fluid levels of the ANT-V as he was certain he could help speed up the process if he used it to help move the vehicles around. But, of course, there was the risk that his ANT-V would stop working part way through.


    "Jason! Come on! We''re ready!" Zach called out, startling Jason and making his heart skip a beat.


    Jason sighed as he hurried inside the encirclement of ruined vehicles. There was a decent amount of space and the trucks on the right side hid the waggons well. As long as they did not do anything stupid, then the enemy should pass them by. After all, who would think that they chose to stay still when being chased? It would only be natural to assume that they were doing their best to flee the area!


    Zach ordered for the waggons to be pushed up against the ruined vehicles as an extra line of defence in case of the worst-case scenarioing true. Once they were fully set up, the guards heaved sighs of relief and a nervous chatter began amongst themselves. Zach gave them a reassuring smile, but Jason shook his head.


    ''Let''s hope they don''t see through this disguise. It didn''t seem like they had anyone specialised in tracking, but you never know.'' Jason sighed as he wondered if he had made the right call with this ruse. There was just too much that could go wrong. ''I should prepare the ANT-V in case we need to make a run for it again...''


    Meanwhile, back in the city...


    "Jones! Hold the line! Don''t let these beasts break through!" Captain Lowes of this alliance expeditionary force shouted as he cursed their luck.


    ''How''d they get so lucky? These beasts appeared just as we were about to get our hands on them!'' He cursed as he looked at the trail of dead bodies being trampled by the mole creatures. ''We''ve already lost twelve soldiers! We have to lure them to a chokepoint!''


    His orders carried over the din of battle as they retreated towards a rtively intact building. Luck just was not on their side. The group that had split off to find a way around the moles had run into more of them! It was as if the moles had been attempting to surround them at the same time! ''Do they have someone that''s capable of directing these beasts?'' Naturally, he would assume so with how the situation was ying out.


    However, the moles did not act like they were truly organised. It was more like they were operating on their own natural instincts. Otherwise, his unit should have been wiped out already. ''What the hell is going on?'' His unit continued to retreat in an organised manner as the bodies of the moles continued to pile up. Gunfire and the sound of Powers being used became the soundtrack to their attempt at survival.


    As the unit started to file through the doorway to the building, the moles became more frantic. It was as if they were aware that it would cost them many more casualties to take out these humans if they made it inside! Their assault intensified as they slowly chipped away at the Alliance''s numbers.


    "Captain Lowes!" The woman who had been watching Jason in Murk Point suddenly heaved breathlessly as they made it inside. "Somebody''s watching us from the building across the street!"


    Captain Lowes frowned as he edged towards the broken window by the door to take a look. However, his frown deepened as took in the sight of the three figures watching from a cavity in the building. ''I don''t recognise them from the caravan''s group... Are they responsible for this mess?'' Captain Lowes hissed as his face turned red and he clenched his fists. ''Who are you to mess with the Alliance! I''ll definitely remember this!''


    On the other side of the street, Archive turned to the two men beside her. "You guys did an excellent job."


    "No, if it were not for your direction on where to use our Powers then this would never have happened. As always... You are the amazing one Lay Archive." One of the men put on his best boot licking face as heplimented her.


    "What do we do now? It won''t be too much longer until they break free of the frenzy I caused in their minds." The other man frowned as he watched the situation continue to unfold.


    "There''s not much more we can do. We''ve given them the chance they need while bloodying the Alliance''s nose. Even if they want to continue pursuing Mr Wright, they won''t be able to keep it up for long with this blow to their state of mind. They''ll be concerned about another ambush happening." Archive heaved a sigh as she stood up from her crouched position to walk away from the scene. ''I''m afraid it''s up to Mr Wright if he can avoid the other problems along the road...''

 Chapter 153: The Right Turn (3)

    Chapter 153: The Right Turn (3)


    The atmosphere became tense in the middle of the night for Jason''s group. The guards on watch had to wake everyone up as they spotted lights moving in the ruined city below. Jason peeked from between the waggons and ruined vehicles to get a better look. He could see separate beams of light crossing paths as some of them disappeared inside the buildings.


    ''It took them a lot longer than I thought to get here... Did something happen?'' Jason''s eyes narrowed as he watched the scene below. ''They''re being careful to check the buildings even if it is slowing them down....'' Jason frowned as he wondered if they would be as thorough about searching the bridge.


    "What do you think?" Zach asked as he stared at the beams of light crossing each other in the dark.


    "Hm, we can only wait for the time being. Moving now will only draw attention but we should be prepared in case they head this way." Jason whispered back as he nced at the nervous faces around them.


    Zach nodded solemnly as he turned away to speak with themander of the caravan''s guards. Jason, on the other hand, kept his attention focused on the group below. Soon, his eyes went wide as a figure appeared in the sky from over one of the buildings. ''Damn! They''ve got a flier!''


    Jason quickly nced around and realised that they had no way to hide themselves, the beasts and the waggons from anyone looking down from above. His body began to tremble and nervous sweat slowly began to soak into his clothing. He could not take his eyes off of the soldier in the sky. ''Please don''te this way!''


    The others noticed how stiff Jason had be as he watched the figure, causing them to worry about the situation. When Zach returned and spotted what Jason was staring at, a low hiss escaped from his mouth. Not long after, the figurended amongst the crowd on the ground.


    "Do you think they saw us?" Zach asked with a worried voice, as the lights began to head in their direction.


    "I''m not sure... It could be a coincidence that they''re headed this way. The flier might just be tired or he might be toozy to properly check here. We''ll have to wait and see." Jason slowly shook his head as he felt his tension rising...


    Meanwhile, the alliance soldiers were carefullybing the area when they spotted theirradending from above. The man with short dark hair and icy blue eyes nodded towards the others before walking towards Captain Lowes.


    "Sargeant Morris! Give me some good news!" Lowes frowned when he saw the look on the Sargeant''s face.


    "Nothing to report, Sir. I flew to the edge of the city and circled over a few streets. But there''s no trace of them. If I had to guess I''d say they''re holed up in one of the buildings waiting for their chance to escape." Morris replied with a grim tone as he nced at the tired soldiers around them. "Sir, we can''t keep this up. It will take too long to search every building. That alone could give them the time to escape once the sun rises if they ran far enough before holing up."


    Lowes rubbed the bridge of his nose as he let out a low groan. The Sargeant was right, of course. He knew fine well that they were unlikely to find a lead on the caravan before they had to retreat to a safer area. Personally, he was worried about the Empire''s pirs showing up. There had been no sign of them yet, but the Empire had always seemed to detect their side''s expeditionary forces in the past, no matter where they entered the Empire''s borders from.


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    -Antihero]


    ''Are they toying with us or is there something holding them up?'' Lowes began to wonder as he remembered the horrors he had seen during his service. ''That fellow Sentinel is usually the one to deal withrge forces, but who would they send for our group?'' He did not even dare to dream that their group had gonepletely unnoticed. They could only get what they could and make a quick escape.


    Lowes was trying to decide how much more time they could put into this endeavour before giving up. So far, they had only sustained losses and not gained anything from this journey. Eventually, a deep frown crossed his face before he let out a long sigh.


    "Sargeant, gather the men. We''re heading back to that town called Murk Point... If we can''t have the man who helped to create that machine... We''ll just take the item itself. Hopefully, our people can make something of it." Lowes''s voice was tinged with regret. But Sargeant Morris thought that he had made the right call.


    "It''s better than nothing, Sir. I''ll get right on it..."


    A sigh of relief escaped from Jason''s mouth as the lights that had been getting closer suddenly stopped and turned around. ''Have they given up?'' He thought that this was likely the case. But he still watched until the lights vanished before felt secure enough to catch up on some sleep. The group from the caravan was celebrating in hushed voices lest they draw unwanted attention. A small smile escaped onto Jason''s lips as he gotfortable on the back of a waggon and drifted off to sleep.


    Meanwhile, in the far North of the Empire...


    "Hmph, told you this was a waste of time..." Sentinel grumbled as he stared at the Lord of this region.


    The Lord shifted ufortably beneath Sentinel''s gaze as he turned his head to look at Rust. "Lady Rust, please understand that I''m only following thews of the Empire. My invasion of Lady Donnel''s territory ispletely justified. I have not taken part in any invasion of my neighbour''s territories for three years. So I am entitled to invoke my right for a territory dispute."


    "Of course, that is in line with Empire''sws. All the Emperor is asking is that you abstain from this for a while longer." Rust nodded as if she were empathetic to the situation.


    "That''ll only allow Lady Donnel to prepare. I''m afraid I can''t do that." The Lord shook his head with a sigh. "Three years ago she took almost a quarter of my territories. I''ve saved my strength and waited for an opportunity like this. I can''t pass it up or what will my people think of me?"


    "Listen here, you little shit!" Sentinel growled as he fixed the Lord with his cybeic eye. "We''ve received word of raids along the coast from an unknown force. It''s not Alliance or the other nearby countries. The Emperor is concerned that these are mere probes. Arge part of your territory is on the coastline. You''ll need everyone you have to defend it!"


    The Lord frowned as he nced at his advisors. They had not heard anything about these supposed raids from the other Lords, but sometimes word would travel slow. Usually, this was so that the other Lords would not receive the information in time, so that they would take a hit as well. After all, nobody wanted to be the only losing party or let the other Lords and Ladies know that they had been weakened.


    "What if you''re wrong? What if it''s just opportunistic bandits and nothing to be concerned about?" The Lord replied slowly as he weighed his options.


    Sentinel was about to explode. He felt like it would be quicker to just evaporate the Lord and see how quickly his recement would agree. However, Rust cut in before he could get another word out.


    "The Emperor asked us to let you know that if he is wrong about this, then you will be wellpensated for your potential losses in gaining territory. You should think of it this way. If you hold off your invasion and focus on the coastline, if nothing happens then you have a lot to gain at no cost. However, taking territories from Lady Donnel will certainly cost you manpower. A few of your neighbours have not invoked their rights this year either..."


    The Lord squinted at Rust as he silently cursed her in his mind. It was clearly a veiled threat that they would let his other neighbours know about the results of his invasion in time for them to take advantage of him. They had backed him into a corner and this was not a choice at all!


    "Fine! Tell the Emperor I''ll be d to follow his advice..." The Lord hissed between gritted teeth.


    ''Finally!'' Sentinel groaned as he rolled his eye. ''Now we can go take care of that force that snuck in while we were away dealing with this clown...''

 Chapter 154: The Right Turn (4)

    Chapter 154: The Right Turn (4)


    "That was a close call... Do you think we''ll run into them again?" Syssie asked as she floated along beside Jason.


    ''Maybe... Depends where they went after they left. We can''t rule it out. And what''s up with the change of outfit?'' Jason cocked his eyebrow towards the AI''s avatar.


    Her usual red cocktail dress was gone. She had reced it with a white tank top that showed off her slender, pale shoulders and an orange and ck boiler suit that had the sleeves tied around her waist that helped to show off her figure. Her high heels had been swapped out for a pair of thick ck work boots, and a pair of goggles held back her long, blonde hair.


    "Felt like a change, does it suit me?" Syssie batted her eyshes towards Jason while wearing an innocent expression.


    "Sure..." Jason replied while shrugging his shoulders, causing Syssie to sigh and roll her eyes at him.


    ''Learn to give a woman apliment, will you?'' Syssieined in her mind as she shook her head. However, momentster, a frown appeared on her face. ''I keep feeling like I''ve forgotten something important...''


    Jason ignored Syssie''s moody bodynguage as he paid attention to the buildings they were passing. It had taken quite a bit of time for them to reach the far side of the city, but they were finally there. Soon, they would leave these ruins behind and would be back on the open road.


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    -Antihero]


    Every time he saw ruins like this, he could not help but wonder how life had been at that point in history. Were people happy? Were they fed well? What did they struggle and strive for? What worries did they have? But those questions were likely to remain unanswered. The fall of the Old World had silenced those voices for all time. He wondered if that was what it would be like if anything happened to him. Would anyone look at the things he had left behind and wonder what he was like as a person?


    Or would they only appreciate the things he left behind and not the things he had to go through to make it happen? Jason shook his head to clear these heavy thoughts from his mind. The scenery seemed to rush by as he just enjoyed the freedom of exploring the wider world. If you could call it exploring when they were just travelling along Zach''s pre-determined route.


    They stopped a few times in various viges and towns. While Zach bought and sold his goods, Jason picked up a souvenir or two while studying the various different ways these settlements had established themselves. There was a town that ran on electricity, but when Jason investigated their method, it turned out the electricity came from one person''s Power.


    If anything happened to that person, then the entire town would lose theirforts they had gained from it. He could only shake his head at this development. During this journey he had thought of ways to really increase the standard of living in Highrise. Now that he no longer had to worry about his condition for the time being, he could take things slowly.


    He could use his hometown as a testing area for ideas that he had. He would even consider rolling them out elsewhere. Naturally, he would still travel to look for inspiration and materials. But hopefully, testing these things in everyday life could lead him to greater breakthroughs. It was time to put his business on the map!


    ''We need better vehicles so that the caravans can travel more safely. We need ways to repel beasts without sacrificing lives. There''s also the Alliance... Their soldiers use guns which catch our people off-guard. I''ll need to think of a way to deal with that.'' Jason hummed as his list kept getting bigger.


    After his recent experiences with the Alliance, he wanted to do all that he could to ensure the safety of the Empire. Just travelling from point A to point B was dangerous enough as it was, without worrying about foreign soldiers kidnapping and killing whoever they liked. ''I''ve got a lot of work to do...'' Jason sighed, despite the glimmer in his eye. He was secretly excited to get stuck into all the research and testing behind the things he hade up with.


    He had seen a machine that someone was working on in a rundown store in one town. Nobody seemed to care about the store, but it excited the owner to talk about what he was working on when Jason asked some questions. More to the point, he was attempting to use steam to make machines work. Naturally, this idea alone gave Jason plenty of his own ideas. After all, water was easier to get his hands on than the fuels he created from nts and organic materials.


    He felt like he had tried to run before he could walk. He had always strived to make the best things that he could at any point without considering the benefits of the practical experience of putting lesser technologies to work first. He wanted to try making several versions of the Infinity to tackle different situations.


    But that was only one part of what he was excited about. He was almost certain that with the knowledge he had gained since he left Highrise he could discover more about the NEST he was using as a sort of secret base. ''I need to stabilise the serum as well. That could lead to a lot of breakthroughs on its own.''


    Jason frowned as he wondered how far the researchers at Bridgend hade with the materials that Sentinel would have passed along to them. He wanted to make sure that he got ahead of them in this field, as it would generate massive profits for the business empire he wanted to build. ''Oh no, I''m turning into Gramps!'' Jason pped his forehead when he realised just how simr he was bing.


    ''Hopefully he hasn''t been cking off while I''ve been gone. I have a feeling that these materials Sentinel gave me won''tst too long...'' Jason sighed as he considered the cost of purchasing these things and having them transported to his workshop. ''Maybe I should consider opening arger store. With better security.''


    His mind drifted to the problems he had with the Red Steel Gang. He did not want anyone being able to put pressure on his business, himself, or those he cared about. As he was thinking about that, Syssie let out a low cough from his side.


    "Don''t forget there''s bound to be unfamiliar faces looking to get the reward for finding Wraith''s killer..." Syssie showed a sly smile as she said her words slowly.


    Jason groaned when he thought about that. He was sure the precautions he had taken at the time would be enough and he also had the backing of the Emperor in a roundabout way. But Syssie was right. He had to do more to keep any eyes off of himself. He could not just hope that everyone would take these things at face value.


    "Why do you look like you have a n?" Jason asked in a low voice.


    "Well, how about you offer your own reward for finding the killer?" Syssie giggled like a young girl at the dumbstruck expression Jason disyed in response.


    "That''s a stupid idea! It''ll only make them more determined!" Jason stammered as he let the words slip out of his mouth.


    "No... It''s a clever idea. Think about it a little, will you?" Syssie shed him a mischievous look, like she was pleased with herself. "If you''re offering money as well, they''ll want it so bad that they won''t even consider you as a suspect. For one, whoever heard of someone putting a bounty on themselves? That''s just crazy. Two, if you were guilty, and they took you out... Then they obviously won''t get the money, right? So it''ll motivate them to find someone else to pin the me on!"


    "So you''re saying why do all the work myself when I can give my hunters enough of a reason to do it for me?" Jason hummed as he considered her proposal. "It''ll also keep me clear of anything that they do ''find'' to incriminate someone else. It''s worth considering, but it means condemning someone innocent to be my fall guy."


    "Yeah, there is that problem. But would you rather they actually caught you? It would be great if they could find a reason to suspect the Red Steel Gang themselves. Make one of them out to be a traitor." Syssie hummed. "We could always leave a trail that points to that and let the hunters discover it on their own..."

 Chapter 155: The Right Turn (5)

    Chapter 155: The Right Turn (5)


    Harry hummed as he closed up the shop for the day. ''Another good day! Oh, I can smell the money! When that boy gets back he bettere up with some new products. Maybe he can design some stuff to break after a certain amount of use so they have to buy a new one?'' A bright smile shed across his face as he stroked his chin.


    Harry''s tail wagged happily behind him as he headed through the streets towards the apartment. ''I have to admit, it''s kind of quiet without him. But it''s a relief that I don''t have to risk my life for a few credits each day anymore. Why didn''t I think of something like this.'' Harry frowned as he greeted a few of the other shop owners in passing.


    ''Oh, that''s right. I did... I was just crap at it. If Jason didn''t teach me how to make these things, then I''d have no clue where to start.'' Harry sighed. ''Well, beggars can''t be choosers. I''m earning good money now.''


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    -Antihero]


    ''Maybe I should propose to Dr Cee? Things have been going rather well. I''m a respectable person now, just like her. Nobody should think it strange that we''re together.'' Harry smiled as he thought about it. ''Plus... She makes a good bit of money herself...''


    Harry raised an eyebrow as he rolled his eyes. ''Don''t they get bored? Do they think I don''t know they''re following me? Bloody amateurs...'' Harry nced to his left without turning his head and recognised one of the bounty hunters trying to disguise themselves as a normal person from Highrise.


    ''I can''t go check out the NEST with these pests hanging around. If there is any evidence there, and Jason really did it... I can''t lead them straight to the answer!'' Harry kept a slow pace so that the hunters could follow him easily. If they wanted to waste their time watching him, then that was their problem.


    He went straight home and tidied the apartment, ncing out of the windows from time to time to find out where the hunters were watching from this time. ''One across the street in the doorway. Two in that apartment over there. One on that corner...'' Harry sighed as he realised that tonight was another bust for trying to sneak out. ''Tomorrow''s one of the days Raymond runs the store. Maybe I can find a chance to slip away.'' Harry nodded at his n as he settled down for the night.


    When he left the apartment in the morning, he noticed that there was a suspiciousck of hunters watching him. ''Are they expecting me to try something? Or are they following other leads?'' He did not like that he had just made up his mind to try to sneak away at the same time that they eased their surveince on him.


    ''Hm, maybe they''ve spread out to watch different streets and the gate.'' Harry frowned as he nced up and down the streets at the few people who were out at this time. However, they were the usual residents, and only two or three of them were hunters in disguise. ''I don''t like this...''


    Raymond was already waiting at the shop door when Harry finally arrived with a deep frown on his face. However, Raymond looked happy as he waved to his old friend. "Hey, Harry? Why the long face? Shouldn''t you be happy?"


    "Happy about what?" Harry growled now that his mood had been ruined.


    "Haven''t you heard? A big group of those hunters left Highrise this morning! They''re iming they''ve finally found some evidence about the killer outside of town! Jason''s name will finally be clear!" Raymondughed as he thumped his chest.


    However, Harry felt a lump of saliva catch in his throat. "Outside of town you say? Do you know where?"


    "Hm? Oh, not sure about that. Just heard some folks talking about it." Raymond scratched his chin as he eyed his friend with a curious gaze. "Why do you look worried? We both know Jason couldn''t have possibly have done this?"


    Harry felt a nervous sweat drip down his back as he thought about it. ''Maybe... But we can''t rule it out. He''s changed ever since he turned sixteen. I''m afraid I don''t know what he''s capable of anymore... Makes me kind of proud.'' Harry shook his head slowly as he opened the store and headed into the back room.


    He cast his eyes over the equipment and he almost could have sworn that he could clearly picture Jason working away happily in there. ''If there''s even the slightest chance he did this, I have to protect him. Otherwise his mother will never let me hear the end of it if she finds out.'' Harry sighed as he thought back to how devastated Jason had been when he brought those unrecognisable corpses home.


    ''Where are you... Melissa... Kyle? Are you guys really dead now, or did you seed in your crazy ns?'' Harry sighed as he thought about how they had abandoned their son for their own dreams. Even if he did receive a letter from them every once in a while. It had been a long time since thest one.


    ''They were so certain that his Power would be great like theirs. I wonder how they would react if they found out he became an inventor because his Power is only cosmetic?'' Harry frowned as some anger began to bubble up inside. It was not that he did not understand why they had to leave. The pirs at the time had be interested in them due to what they could do.


    However, neither of them wanted to fight for someone else. So they faked their deaths and disappeared. To make the whole thing more believable, they chose to leave their only child behind. It was cruel... But necessary. Even so, that was what Harry was angry about. The mental damage they had done to their son with their lie took him a few years to repair.


    After all, Harry had not spent much time with Jason in those days before that. So he was almost as good as a stranger to his grandson back then. ''This will definitely bite you guys in the ass one of these days...''


    Harry sighed as he nced around the workshop. ''Now... I need to find a way to sneak out of here.'' Harry''s eyes shed as a n formted in his mind. Momentster, Raymond left the store and went to a few of the neighboring stores. Which was nothing unusual.


    A lone hunter stood on the corner of the street as he watched the three armed man run back and forth. "Does the boss think this will really work? It''s more likely the old man doesn''t know anything at all."


    He sighed as he watched the customerse and go. He had grown tired of this same routine day in and day out for the past two months. This n was basically theirst chance to get some information. If it did not pan out... Then they would have to wait for their suspect to return. ''Who knows how long that''ll be.'' The hunter grumbled.


    ''Looks like this is a bust...'' Raymond had not left the store for some time now. However, there were plenty of customers moving about. ''What''s even so special about that ce?''


    "Hey! Watch it!" The hunter barked at the short man who had just bumped into him. ''No mutton chops... No tail...''


    His mind automatically went to Harry''s distinguishing features even if this man was wearing different clothes. ''Not the target.''


    "Sorry about that..." The stranger mumbled as he shuffled off.


    ''Damn! Are people here all blind? The sudden shock caused him to focus more on the people leaving teh store. He paid particr attention to those who seemed to be trying to keep as far away from his gaze as possible.


    The day passed slowly as he chewed on his dried meat and drank from his canteen. However, there was no sign of anything exciting happening. ''Guess I''ll be telling the boss that this is a dead end.'' The hunter sighed as Raymond exited the store. ''Any moment now and the old man wille out and go home...''


    "Wait!" The hunter choked as his eyes went wide!


    Raymond was locking up the store for the night! ''When did the geezer slip by? Was it when that guy bumped into me?'' He panicked as he cursed away to himself. ''I better let the boss know! We''re already behind!''


    Meanwhile, outside of town...


    Harry chuckled to himself as he stroked his now smooth face. ''It''s amazing how a quick shave and tucking my tail in can make me look like a different person! That idiot didn''t even recognise me when I bumped into him!''

 Chapter 156: Black Arrow Returns!

    Chapter 156: ck Arrow Returns!


    "Looks like you were right, boss. The old man really did give him the slip." Lornaughed as she watched Harry wobbling along the road, looking pleased with himself.


    "That''s why I sent him. It''ll make our target believe that he sessfully escaped our surveince. So he should be morex from here on out. Let''s follow at a safe distance. Don''t do anything to give our game away." William growled as he led his team out of the abandoned building.


    "You know, boss. That was genius how you spread the word around that we found something to pressure him into making a mistake." Lorna chuckled as she strolled beside him. "How did youe up with it?"


    "It was nothing, really. It just made sense. Usually, we don''t need to wait around so much for the target to make a mistake." William nodded his head as he remembered listening in to a bunch of solo hunters discussing what they would do if they had a group behind them to catch the killer. Naturally, he stole this idea from them.


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    -Antihero]


    "Hm, where do you think he''s going?" Lorna frowned as Harry kept wandering further away from Highrise.


    "Who knows? All that matters is if he leads us to the evidence." William chuckled. He was almost certain that this Jason Wright was the one responsible. At the very least, he was likely an aplice or knew who they should be looking for. The problem was that William''s group seemed to be the only ones who thought so.


    ''That''s fine! Just means we don''t have to split the reward with anyone else. We''ll see who gets thestugh.'' William chuckled as Harry ducked inside a building. "Looks like this is the ce. Spread out. Surround it. Don''t give him a chance to slip away. Take your time andb through the ce. We''ll meet up in the centre."


    The group of hunters nodded in agreement before they went their separate ways. William fixed his eyes on the entrance that Harry had used. ''Ok, let''s see what you guys are hiding...''


    Meanwhile, Harry frowned as the mechanical door closed behind him, making the same loud screeching noise that it did before. Leaving him alone on the stairway that led down into the NEST. ''Damn! I forgot about that! Fucking thing. Why does it have to be so loud!'' He grumbled as he descended the stairs with a worried expression on his face.


    ''Come on, Jason. Don''t be guilty!'' Harry chewed his lower lip as he reached the vault door that Jason had breached. ''This ce still creeps me out...'' Harry sighed as he thought about the specimen in the tank. He still felt a sense of danger from it, even though it should be long dead.


    As he entered the NEST with its bright lights, he realised a problem. He had no idea where Jason may have hidden anything! It was only when he realised that he noticed that something was off. ''Wait, if they''d found this ce, then shouldn''t I have run into them already?''


    A deep frown crossed his face. ''Did they find somewhere else? Somewhere that isn''t linked to us at all? Or are they deeper inside?'' Although he had a bad feeling about it, he had to confirm whether or not the hunters were actually somewhere inside searching for evidence. Harry sighed before he took a deep breath. ''Let''s get this over with...''


    The facility wasrge. Large enough that it would take a couple of days to realistically search every nook and cranny. So he settled for a quick search of each room. Eventually, he opened a door that seemed to lead into the heart of the facility. There were a ton of different machines around the room. ''Jason would be right at home her...''


    Harry sighed as he realised that this would probably be the room that his grandson would hide anything in. He looked at the machinery with mild interest. Mostly to do with how much money they were worth as he searched the room. However, his eyes soon went wide when he rounded a particrlyrge machine. ''Oh... no... Jason! What have you done!''


    His eyesnded on the outfit that the bounty b depicted as being worn on the killer. Right beside it were two strange-looking weapons. These were, of course, the Arbalest and Viper. Harry groaned when he realised the trouble it would bring if anyone discovered these items. ''Thankfully it doesn''t seem like the hunters have found this ce.''


    Harry shook his head slowly as he touched the items. ''What drove you to kill Dani''s dad? Oh, kid. You should''ve known that you can talk to me about anything.'' Harry felt his heart breaking as he thought about the mental trauma such an act should have inflicted on someone so young. ''I need to get rid of these... It''s for his own good...''


    Just as he was thinking that he heard a familiar sound. It was the sound of the mechanical floor that hid the entrance to the NEST being opened! Harry cursed under his breath as he realised that he had been taken for a fool! He had led them straight to Jason''s secret! ''Damn it! What do I do?''


    He knew that there was no way he could talk his way out of this one. He groaned as he realised that there was only one thing he could do! ''That one''s too big. Let''s try the other one!'' harry took the Viper in his hands as he tried to figure out its mechanisms. He could hear shouting from somewhere inside the NEST, which meant that the hunters were looking for him!


    "Come on, old man! Just give it up! We know you''re in here! It''s a pretty nice ce, too. I''m sure we''ll get plenty of money just for telling the Lord about this ce! Don''t make it more difficult than it needs to be. Juste out and we won''t harm you!" William grinned as he looked at hisrades.


    "Shh!" Lorna hissed at the rest of them as she tried to stifle her ownugh. ''Good one William! Yeah, like hell we''ll let him leave alive!''


    The hunters grinned at each other before they separated to search the different rooms, one at a time. They made sure to make a lot of noise by trashing some things to scare the old man intoing out. None of them wanted to spend too much time down here in this creepy ce!


    "Here! Take a look at this!" One of their group called out from the room that held the specimen. "What do you think it is?"


    William frowned as he joined them to take a look. "Never seen anything like it..."


    "You don''t think this Jason Wright created it do you?" Lorna frowned as she stared at the horrifying creature.


    "Not likely, unless he has a power we''re unaware of. But everyone says he has a cosmetic Power and is nothing more than a rookie inventor. We shouldn''t be facing monsters like this... It''s probably a remnant of the Old World." William hummed as stared at it floating in the liquid. "It could be worth something to someone... Remember to grab its corpse when we leave."


    Lorna shuddered when she thought about dragging that creature with them. "Wouldn''t it be better just to sell this location to the Lord and let him know what''s in it? Saves us the trouble;e of taking it..."


    "Don''t be stupid! What if someone else finds this ce and takes it? Or what if our target returns and gets rid of it or something? Plus, the Lord might pay less than some others for this thing. We may as well get as much profit as we can. Hell, I might even retire!" Williamughed as he turned to leave the room.


    Lorna was about to argue some more when she suddenly felt warm liquid stter all over her face! ''What the hell?'' She frowned as her brain tried to register what she was seeing. Barely a second had passed, but William''s body was already falling to the floor. The head of a bolt pierced through the back of his skull.


    "Sorry, took me a while to figure this thing out!" Harry chuckled as he cocked the next bolt and fired again!


    Before any of the hunters could react or even panic, another one of them was hit in the throat! Lorna nced at William''s body on the ground as if she were expecting him to give them some orders. But that was never going to happen again!


    "Get behind cover!" Lorna roared, her face dyed red in fury...

 Chapter 157: Black Arrow Returns! (2)

    Chapter 157: ck Arrow Returns! (2)


    Harry cursed as he moved behind the doorway for some protection from the Powers beingunched at him. Although the hunters were trapped in one room, they could easily overwhelm him if they stopped caring about potential casualties. ''It looks like they don''t want to cause too much damage to this ce...''


    He sighed as he thought about it. Maybe it was a good thing that they were fighting it out down here. It prevented them from using anything too powerful against him. After all, there was no telling if they would end up causing the building above to copse in on them. Harry sighed right before he felt a stinging sensation on his arm.


    A wave of mes had juste through the doorway and although they did not touch him, the heat was enough to burn his skin. ''I''m probably going to die down here...'' Harry sighed as he started reminiscing about his life in general between firing the Viper into the room. ''If I''m going to die anyway, I have to find a way to make sure these guys never leave...''


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


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    -Antihero]


    "Just give it up! You won''t win this!" Lorna shouted from behind, an overturned metal table that had been punctured by several bolts. "That weapon you''re using is the one that killed the man known as Wraith, right? Here''s the deal then... We''re all sure that it was your grandson thatmitted the crime. How about you confess to it instead? That''ll save young Jason from an execution."


    Harry hesitated as he listened to her words. He slowly chewed on his lower lip as he considered it. "How do I know I can trust you? Who''s to say you won''t just kill me and go after Jason, anyway?"


    "You can only take my word for it! It''s not like there''s anything I can say that you won''t doubt!" Lorna shouted with a smug grin as the other hunters paused their assault.


    Harry frowned as he considered it. ''She''s right. If we continue on like this, then I''ll definitely die. But I can''t be sure I can kill them as well. So Jason would still be caught by them.'' Harry hesitated, as he knew where his thought process was leading him. The only chance Jason would have was if he took the chance on Lorna''s proposal.


    "Damn it! You''ve got a deal!" Harry shouted as he made his decision. In the end, Jason''s life meant more to him than anything else. ''I hope you can forgive this old man. Make me proud and really do something with your life.''


    "Put the weapon down ande out then. We only want the money so we don''t care who gets the me." Lorna shouted as she slowly stood up from behind her cover with a beaming smile.


    Meanwhile, about half a day''s journey from Highrise, Jason was eagerly looking over new schematics in his mind. ''With this I can upgrade the Arbalest and Viper! I just need to say I was interested in the weapon that killed Dani''s dad, so I tried to recreate it! That''ll allow me to sell these to the Empire! It''s not a gun but it will help even the ying field with Alliance by arge margin!''


    "Do you think they''ll go for it? You know everyone will be looking for any excuse to pin the me on you if you bring something like these out!" Syssie cocked an eyebrow dubiously as she reviewed Jason''s n.


    "Of course! Let''s face it, who''d believe that I could kill him anyway? And the Empire will be happy to get their hands on a weapon like this that can be mass produced! There''s too much in it for our side for them to allow me to be used. Plus, with Sentinel''s backing and the que from the Emperor, my word is almost as good as gold right now. Why not leverage it a bit? Then I just need to nt the originals on someone else." Jason grinned as he thought about how perfect his n seemed to be.


    "What about your legs? You''re not exactly stealthy enough right now to be able to nt anything. You''d be caught in the act if you tried it." Syssie frowned as she tried to dissuade him. She did not believe it was a good idea to draw more attention to himself by doing something like this.


    "That''s why I''ll release this weapon and put out a bounty on the ''killer''. It''ll divert attention away from myself long enough for my legs to heal. Come on, it''s a good n!" Jason chuckled as he drew a few strange nces towards himself. His ANT-V was too far away for anyone to hear him, but they could all see him talking to himself.


    Zach''s eyes had a glint to them as he stared at the young inventor. He knew that face all too well. It was the face that any craftsman made when they had a new idea. Which usually meant that there would be a ton of profit to be made! Zach signalled the driver of his waggon to move towards Jason as a friendly smile appeared on his face.


    "Jason! You look pretty happy! I know that face, you''ve just came up with an interesting idea, right? Why nor tell me about it so I can help you figure out its marketability? Hm?" Zach shamelessly began to pry so that he could strike while the iron was hot.


    Jason frowned as he nced at him, but then he thought that the merchant might actually be useful. If the merchant was to spread word that Jason had been working on the idea during their journey from Bridgend, it would give his story more credibility. He would just have to dy releasing the weapon for a while.


    "Hm, do you know about the bounty that''s been ced on a killer in Highrise?" Jason cocked an eyebrow at the merchant as he put on an act of wanting to share his idea.


    "Sure, most merchants will have heard about it by now. What''s your point?" Zach wore a confused expression as he wondered where Jason was going with this.


    "Well, the killer used some type of ranged weapon to make his kill, right? The person the murderer killed that earned them their bounty happened to be my friend''s dad. So, I''ve been trying to figure out how the weapon works to recreate it. And I think I just figured it out!" Jason feigned excitement as he stared at Zach with wide eyes and a broad smile.


    Zach''s eyes went wide when he heard Jason''s statement! He could already tell that this revolutionary weapon would be a big deal! He had to do all that he could to gain the rights to buy and sell it from him at favourable prices! ''Lucky! If this guy hade up with this after we parted ways, I would''ve missed a huge opportunity!''


    "Oh, that sounds interesting... There would undoubtedly be arge number of interested parties in all corners of the Empire! You know? How do you n to get them to these people? After all, you''ll have Lords, guards, merchants and probably even the Emperor wanting to buy these weapons!" Zach tried to contain his excitement as he pointed out the issues Jason would have. Naturally, this was all to try to steer him into realising that Zach himself could fill this gap in logistics for him!


    "Hm, I haven''t thought that far ahead yet, but you''re right! I''ll definitely need to think about it. The first step would be creating a working prototype once I get back to my workshop. Once I have a working version of it I guess I''ll just sell it in Highrise for now. It''ll take a lot of time for word to get out so it should be hard to sell at first..." Jason sighed as if he were troubled by this issue.


    "Well, if you need to advertise, how about I stay behind in Highrise for a while and help you spread the word? I could take a prototype on the road and take advanced orders for you as well? That way you only have to fill the orders as needed meaning you don''t have to storerge quantities for extended periods! What do you think?" Zach smiled sweetly as he waited for Jason''s response. ''Take the bait, kid! You''re going to make me a lot of money!''


    ''Haha! What an idiot! He took the bait!'' Jason released a shocked expression, followed by a friendly smile. "You''d really do that? That would really help me out! Thanks, Zach. I don''t know what I would have done if you didn''t suggest it..."

 Chapter 158: Black Arrow Returns! (3)

    Chapter 158: ck Arrow Returns! (3)


    Jason grinned as he watched the familiar ruins roll past. The walls of Highrise loomed before them. The caravan seemed to be generating a fair amount of interest as nearby scavengers started toe close. However, they paused when they saw Jason. He spotted a few of them whispering among themselves and shaking their heads sadly.


    ''Hm? What''s that about?'' Jason frowned, but then he realised that it must be because he was using the ANT-V to get around. His legs were slightly visible, and with the way he was sitting, their slender profile could easily be seen. ''They''re pitying me...'' Jason sighed when he thought he had found the answer.


    "Not very friendly... Are they?" Zach frowned when he looked at their reactions. He was used to being treated like royalty, with people fawning over him whenever his caravan appeared.


    "No, I think they''re just in shock to see me." Jason grimaced as he replied, causing Zach to eye him curiously.


    "Is that so?" Zach hummed as he nced at the scavengers now keeping their distance.


    The atmosphere between them became awkward as they silently rolled up to the gate. Even there, the guards were eyeing Jason warily. As if they were expecting him to do something out of their control. This confused Jason because this was a different reaction to the one he had seen from the scavengers.


    ''Ok, maybe they''re not pitying me... So what''s happened then?'' Jason frowned as he immediately thought that something had happened to his store. ''What''s that geezer done now?''


    "Zach, I''m going ahead. You know where to find me, right?" Jason said with aplicated expression.


    "Sure, if I get lost, I''m sure someone can point the way. I''ll need to take care of the paperwork anyway." Zach nodded as he realised that Jason appeared anxious.


    Jason expected Zach to question him about his decision, but thetter remained silent on the matter. Jason nodded as he controlled the ANT-V to rush towards his store. Many people pointed at him in passing. But it was not the same as what he had be used to in the settlements that they had passed through. Those people pointed at his vehicle. These people were pointing at him directly.


    Jason felt a surge of anxiety appear in the back of his mind. He did not know what to expect, but he knew that something had happened. People swiftly moved out of his way whenever they saw himing. They were afraid that he would run straight over them without caring about the consequences!


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


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    -Antihero]


    Jason breathed heavily as he urged the ANT-V to move faster. The corner that led to Crafters Street had juste into sight. The ANT-V slid across the cracked road as Jason suddenly changed direction. Jason''s eyes scanned the street before they went wide. There was a long queue outside his store and it was open!


    ''Everything... Looks... Normal?'' Jason sighed with relief as he slowly moved the ANT-V towards his store. Some of the customers who were waiting spotted him and immediately turned their heads. Nobody wanted to make eye contact with him. Jason frowned, but he could not care less. He had already confirmed that everything was exactly where it should be.


    "Gramps!" Jason shouted as he pushed his way past the crowd and into the store.


    There was a lone customer at the desk, while several others were looking around the shelves. The customer nced at him nervously as the sounds of someone rummaging around in the rear of the store could be heard.


    "Jason?" A familiar voice came from the workshop, causing Jason''s heart to skip a beat. It was not Harry''s voice! "It really is you!"


    Raymond''s happy expression suddenly turned solemn when he was part way across the shop floor. Suddenly, the big guy hung his head as if he were ashamed. Jason could clearly see that there was something on his mind that he wanted to tell him, but was finding it difficult to do so.


    "Jason... It''s about Harry..." Raymond sighed, causing Jason to have a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "The thing is... While you were gone..."


    "What happened Ray?" Jason could not stop hi8mself from asking. He did not want to hear what his mind was guessing, but he had to know at the same time.


    "Look, kid... I don''t know how to say this..." Raymond ran a palm over his head as he nced at Jason. "He''s in a critical condition. Dr Cee is taking care of him right now. Something happened while he was out of town, but nobody knows the details. It looks like he was attacked and beaten violently."


    Jason took a moment to process this. His mind had immediately feared the worse and made him believe that his Gramps was dead! ''He''s alive?'' Jason sighed with relief before it dawned on him that it sounded like the old man could still kick the bucket!


    "Ray, can you keep watching the store for me? A friend of mine might stop by..." Jason blurted out as he turned back towards the door.


    "Of course, kid. Go see Harry. Hurry now." Raymond waved as Jason raced out of the store.


    He finally understood why everyone was staring at him in such a strange manner. It was as if they expected him to lose his only family member at any moment now. Nobody had wanted to be the one to tell him, so they had been avoiding getting into a conversation with him!


    ''What was he doing out of town? And why would someone target him? What the hell is going on?'' Jason''s mind was buzzing with questions as he raced through the streets yet again, soon finding himself at Dr Cee''s clinic. When he knocked on the door, he got no answer.


    "Dr Cee! Please, open up! It''s Jason Wright!" He screamed at the door violently.


    Soon he heard the sound of someone moving about inside. The door creaked open a little bit, and Dr Cee''s eyes stared back at him. He noticed at that moment that the skin around them was visibly red. As if she had just been crying.


    "You''d bettere inside..." Dr Cee managed between sobs as she opened the door wide enough for him to pass once he shrunk the ANT-V''s legs down. "He''s through there..."


    Jason nced toward the room that she pointed to and a lump of saliva appeared in throat. He suddenly felt extremely thirsty, as he did not know the extent of Harry''s injuries. A nervous sweat ran down his back as his hands began to tremble. With slow steps he moved towards the half closed door and peered inside.


    Lying on the bed was Harry. Breathing deeply andpletely covered in bandages. The few pieces of skin that were visible looked like they had been severely burned. Jason almost could not believe his eyes as he moved to the bedside. He slowly pulled back the thin nket to get a better look.


    "He''s got multiple broken bones and severe wounds. It''s a miracle he was still alive when he was delivered here." Dr Cee sobbed as she nced at his shocked face. "It only happened recently, but nobody knows who brought him to my doorstep. Why would anyone do this?"


    Jason grit his teeth as he felt an intense anger surge up inside of himself. He was furious that somebody could have done this to the old geezer! "I don''t know... But I intend to find out!"


    Meanwhile, in the Lord''s residence at the heart of Highrise...


    "Lord Farden, we made it in time to save his life. However, he was severely injured and there''s no telling if he''ll sumb to them." A hooded man reported as he knelt in front of Highrise''s Lord.


    "You did what you could." Lord Farden sighed as he stroked the arm of his throne. "It''s lucky that we even received word in time. I want to know why the Emperor sent word to give our protection to this man..."


    "My Lord, we discovered these items on the group that was holding Mr Wright." The agent ced the Arbalest and Viper on the floor of the audience chamber. "It seems to me that Mr Wright may be the murderer, ck Arrow. These people were likely hunters on their way to collect their bounty."


    Lord Farden frowned as he stared at the items. "No... Mr Wright isn''t capable of creating these things. It''s his grandson who opened that store, right? ce extra protection around their homes and anywhere to do with them. I won''t be med by the Emperor if something goes wrong. When the young Mr Wright returns... Bring him to me..."

 Chapter 159: Black Arrow Returns! (4)

    Chapter 159: ck Arrow Returns! (4)


    Jason returned to his store, leaving his Gramps in the care of Dr Cee. ''It either has to be the Red Steel Gang or the Bounty Hunters that did this. Nobody else had any reason. Out of the two, the gang may be making another move to take over my store. Which is unlikely. As for the Hunters... Maybe they thought he knew something...''


    Jason sighed as he manoeuvred the ANT-V past Raymond and into the workshop. ''Either way, it''s my actions that led to this. I guess I need to put my ns into action and frame the Red Steel Gang. That way I can y the two sides against each other.'' Jason''s eyes shed with malicious intentions. ''But first, I have to deal with my legs...''


    Jason frowned as he drew up one of the ns he had been working on during his journey. It was a slim, lightweight exoskeleton. This would allow him to ''walk'' while being slim enough to fit under clothing. Effectively giving him an alibi in his current condition. ''Syssie, create oveys of each part to scale. Lay them out on the table so I have a visualisation of the parts.''


    "Right away..." Syssie nodded solemnly as she created holograms of the parts that only Jason could see.


    "Ray! Did Zache by yet?" Jason shouted as he realised that his materials were nowhere to be seen.


    "Not yet! You want me to send him through when he arrives?" Raymond''s voice came from the storefront.


    "No, just get the materials from him and pass them through. Let him know that I''m busy and can''t be disturbed!" Jason sighed as he picked out the parts that he could make with what he currently had on hand.


    "Got it, boss!" Raymond''s voice was full of sarcasm as he said thest word.


    But that just made Jason smile ever so slightly. He had to admit that he liked the sound of it, and technically, he was Raymond''s boss. ''I wonder how much Gramps has been paying him?'' Jason wondered briefly before he remembered the type of person Harry was. ''It won''t be much...'' Jason chuckled as he swiftly moved around the room, collecting materials.


    Nearly an hourter, as he was using the different tools to shape metal to what he needed, he heard Zach''s voice from the shop. However, he had a brief conversation with Raymond before disappearing. Momentster, the sound of people moving in and out of the store intensified. ''That''ll be the goods then...''


    Jason grinned as he waited for them to finish up so he could collect them. While the caravan workers ushered in the materials to the storefront, Jason began rearranging the workshop to have room for storage. Luckily there was plenty of room that had not been utilised properly. By the time Raymond poked his head in, the workshop lookedpletely different. Now, having arge area that waspletely void of anything.


    "Thanks, Ray. I''ll take it from here." Jason shed a grin at Raymond''s confused face before he could say anything.


    Raymond nodded before slowly backing out to deal with customers who were still entering the store. When Jason moved to retrieve the boxes of goods, he noticed that a number of customers were staring at the boxes expectantly. After all, new materials being delivered in such bulk must mean that Jason was going to release new products!


    The questions started immediately, but Jason ignored them, leaving Raymond to deal with it. Which would not help the customers much, since he knew nothing about what Jason had nned. ''I guess it''s about time to take this seriously now!'' Jason stacked the boxes in what was the empty space, quickly filling it up. Then he set his scanner to look for the best materials that he needed.


    This saved him a lot of guesswork and potential failures as he picked out what he needed. Soon, the workshop came alive with the sound of sawing, grinding, screeching and other things as Jason put his all into his new creation. These sounds generated a lot of buzz from the regr customers as word spread throughout Highrise.


    Before long, word reached the ears of one of the Lord''s agents who was disguised as a stall owner. Meanwhile, Jason was oblivious to what was happening outside of his own little world. The various parts of the exoskeleton took shape under the guidance of his hands. All while keeping them separated so that nobody who saw them would be able to guess what they were for.


    Most people would find the work tedious, but Jason loved every moment of it. From shaping the metal to inserting bolts. From wrapping the wires that would carry the electrical currents around the structure to testing how much pressure they could take. Whenever he put himself to work like this, he felt more alive. Like this was what he was born to do. Those thoughts made him wonder if his Power had something to do with that feeling and everyone felt that way about something.


    As time passed, Raymond eventually popped his head in to say that it was time to close up shop. But Jason waved a hand at him and said that he would be fine. Raymond shook his head and sighed at the youth before taking his leave. Making sure to drop the keys on a work surface before doing so.


    Jason groaned when he realised what Raymond had done. It meant that he had to put his work down for a moment to lock up the store with himself inside. He cursed under his breath as he snatched the keys up and moved to the shop entrance. He paused for a moment as he nced into the darkness outside. A sudden frown swept his face as he noticed four people still on the street.


    As he watched them, he could have sworn that they would nce towards his shop every now and then. As if checking that he was still there. ''Are they hunters?'' Jason''s frown deepened as he tried to understand their intentions. ''They shouldn''t be burrs or anything. It would just be stupid to break into a store with the guards around.''


    Of course, he was not stupid enough to say that there was no way for them to escape Highrise. After all, he had proven that wrong himself during his own actions against the Red Steel Gang. The only problem he was having with this was why they were focusing on him. As far as he was aware, he had not left a trail that could directly lead to him.


    He could buy hunters attacking his Gramps for information while he was away. After all, the weapon used to make the killing happen was rather unique in the Empire. So it would make sense if it was made in town by an inventor since it would be difficult to sneak it in unnoticed. Which would make him suspicious, but not guilty of the crime.


    However, if that were the case, these hunters should have approached him by now to ask him questions. Unless they nned to beat it out of him, in which case they would need somewhere quiet to corner him. Jason wondered if he had just given them the opportunity that they were looking for. Or did they n to ambush him on the way home?


    Jason shed a grin and waved at one that just so happened to look in his direction at that moment. The man seemed taken aback as he gave an awkward smile and slowly waved back. However, the hesitation in his actions just seemed to confirm Jason''s suspicions about these people.


    He quickly closed the shop with himself still inside. Making sure that everything was locked up tight. A smile spread on his lips as he thought about how disappointed his stalkers would be. They would make a lot of noise if they attempted to break in, which would draw the attention of the guards. Then, with him not going home also thwarted any ns of an ambush. Leaving them no openings unless they were willing to take a risk.


    ''I need to move faster. If I don''t shift attention away from myself soon, it will only get harder to do anything.'' Jason mused as he rubbed his chin. Until the exoskeleton is ready, I can only put out the bounty for now. Hopefully, that will make them back off and give me some breathing room.'' Jason sighed as he thought about howplicated things were bing. ''Maybe I should put out a bounty for any information on who attacked Gramps while I''m at it?''


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves! DON''T make me drop this novel!


    To support the actual author go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]

 Chapter 160: Black Arrow Returns! (5)

    Chapter 160: ck Arrow Returns! (5)


    The next few days set tongues wagging in Highrise. Jason Wright was well known around town by now due to his being called to service by Rust during the tournament. All of his products at Star Gear were hotmodities. So his return home had the people expecting something great from him. What they did not expect was for Jason to keep himself locked up in the workshop of his store day and night.


    Raymond was stuck dealing with questions from customers, a few of them being hunters or the Lord''s agents trying to find an opportunity to get in touch with Jason discreetly. The Lord had ordered for them to bring Jason in while the Hunters either suspected him to be the killer they were after or in possession of information.


    But those ns were thrown into turmoil when Jason had Raymond post two separate bounties. One, for those responsible for what had happened to his Gramps. The other for, well, himself. Or the person he would set up to take the fall as being Wraith''s murderer. The reaction was exactly as he suspected as the Hunters backed off. Well, most of them did anyway.


    Nobody wanted to piss off someone who could potentially increase their gain from finding the killer. So this gave Jason a fair bit of breathing room, apart from those who were now certain he was involved. The Lord''s agents also felt it was better to back off. It would be too suspicious if Jason suddenly disappeared from his store when he had set a precedent of always being there as soon as he returned.


    The interested parties were in a mess with how to deal with him right now, but Jason could not care less. Mainly because he had justpleted the exoskeleton that would allow him to start diverting attention away from himself.


    "Shall I give it an evaluation?" Syssie asked as she stared at the mechanical marvel.


    "Go ahead..." Jason sighed as he leaned back in the ANT-V to inspect his work.


    "Evaluation D Rank Armour that incorporates mechanical theories and biological materials to gain an advantage in urban environments. Value estimated at 90 copper credits. First Creation Bonus applied. Total PP earned equals 180." Syssie nodded along with each critique she gave. "Designation. EXO: Freedom."


    Jason could not help but whistle at the evaluation. He had long suspected that he was capable of creating items in the D Rank but this was his first time epting a proper evaluation in a while. He was already tempted to spend his new Potential Points there and then, but he held back. ''It''s better to wait for a new project and I can apply them to help with that.'' He hummed as he looked over the EXO: Freedom.


    Although he had created it for serious reasons, he was still eager to y with the toys he had packed into the frame. Only his legs would be fully enclosed, for obvious reasons. While the rest of his body, all the way to his fingertips, would be supported by the mechanical skeleton. Since he could not risk going to the NEST to retrieve his gear he had opted to recreate it.


    He had swapped out some materials for better versions from the crates of goods that Sentinel had gifted to him. Now, his boots were made of a fabric that couldpletely muffle any noise the mechanical feet would make. However, the toes of these boots were open so that the spikes on the feet of the exoskeleton would be able to dig into walls.


    He had done something simr with the fingers as well. This way he would no longer have to worry about firing hooks to where he wanted to get to. As he could just climb, using this simple modification. Naturally, he had added a few other things, and one of them made it so he did not have to recreate the Viper.


    ''It''s already night.'' Jason sighed as he wondered if he should make a move right away. He had worked on this project non-stop. Barely catching any sleep in the process. ''No matter what, I have to make I''m seen...'' He hummed as he prepared himself to enter the Freedom.


    But that was the biggest part of his n. If the assant was seen walking around, which he was clearly incapable of, it would only help to shift attention away from himself. The only question was, who would be his target? The ck Arrow was supposed to have a grudge against the Red Steel Gang. But he did not have any information on their whereabouts these days, as they had abandoned their old haunt.


    ''I guess I''ll target the Hunters. The ck Arrow has plenty of reasons to do that as well, and they''re easy to find.'' Jason nodded as he slid his legs into the exoskeleton. He pressed the two buttons to start it up, but the only thing that concerned him was its operational time. The whole suit used abination of his biofuel and batteries that he had created. In his experience so far, the batteries would notst too long because there was just too much that needed them while they could not hold arge enough charge for long periods of time.


    ''It feels good to walk again...'' Jason smiled as he moved around a bit to get used to the feeling. However, he quickly put the recreated outfit on to cover the exoskeleton. Including the more sinister version of the gas mask he had created. It was now made of ck painted metal and housed nts in its filter areas that would be capable of protecting him from any invisible airborne powers.


    Jason nced towards the opening that led to the storefront as a wide smile appeared on his face. Those who were watching the ce from outside thought it was impossible for him to leave without them noticing. Jason chuckled as he turned his attention to the worktable in front of the rear wall.


    He casually slid it aside and ced his hands on the wall. With a swift kick to the bottom, a section of it fell inwards! ''It was worthwhile preparing this exit...'' Jason nodded. Any casual passerby would not notice anything was amiss on the outside unless they looked closely when it was in ce.


    He quickly lifted the wall section and took it outside and ced it next to the hole before grabbing the upgraded version of the Arbalest. ''The real trick now is getting this fake wall to stay standing once I put it back...'' However, the fake wall did not want to sit properly and kept trying to fall. Jason could only sigh as he found a way to wedge it but it made the seams more obvious.


    ''Hopefully, nobodyes looking back here...'' He shook his head as he moved down the dark alley without making a noise. The Arbalest was holstered on his back, which was a superficial upgrade he had made to the coat. Mainly because he did want to be stuck carrying it all the time.


    When he reached the corner of the block of stores that his shop was a part of, he peered down the alley that ran between it and the next lot. Sure enough, he spotted one of his regr watchers leaning against the wall of a store on the opposite side of the street. The Hunter was paying so much attention to his shop''s door that he did not notice the shadow that quickly moved through the alley across from him.


    Naturally, this guy was not his target for tonight. He would be his alibi for having been in his store the entire night. Not only that, but he did not want to start killing people close to his store again. He already had a ce in mind to make sure he was noticed by as many people as possible.


    ''In the past few days, the Hunters have set up their own bar a few streets from here. That''s where I need to hit them...'' He had made sure to pay attention to any gossip that he overheard between Raymond and the customers during the day. Which was how he came to learn about this fact. The streets were pretty quiet, so he did not have to be too stealthy once he was outside of the range of those watching his store.


    This allowed him to approach the front of the Hunters bar far quicker than he had anticipated. There were a few people outside chatting with their drinks in hand. Unaware of the danger that wasing for them...


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves!


    I, as the author, do not benefit in any way from the actions of these thieves.


    To support me, the actual author, go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]

 Chapter 161: Misdirection

    Chapter 161: Misdirection


    Before the Hunters realised the danger they were in, Jason used the Freedom to gain a burst of speed and grabbed the head of the nearest one. With a swift movement and the power of the mechanical limbs, he snapped the Hunter''s neck! The others let out a gasp of shock, but Jason was prepared for them.


    He extended his arms to face different Hunters and bolts flew from wrist-mounted small Vipers he had installed there. At this range, it was impossible for him to miss as the projectiles pierced the hearts of the remaining two Hunters. Just like that, he had dispatched the men outside before they could raise the rm.


    ''These mini Vipers work quite well...'' Jason hummed as he twisted his wrist to look at them. ''The new materials have prevented any loss of power from the original and the reload is faster as well.'' He was more than happy with the results as he nced towards the bar door. There was plenty of noiseing from inside, which told him there were quite a lot of people inside.


    ''I have to be quick. I need to shock them but give them time to register who''s responsible...'' Jason frowned as he took a deep breath. The door was slightly ajar, which prevented him from seeing theyout inside. But he was confident that he could raise hell in a few short moments.


    He swung a kick at the door, but his eyes went wide as his foot connected with it. The Freedom was stronger than he initially thought as the door flew off of its hinges andnded on a group seated at a table inside. The whole room went silent as they stared at the scene in shock. However, they became more gobsmacked as Jason stepped inside. A stunned silence took over as the Hunters tried to ce the figure. That was until one of them finally managed to say something!


    "ck Arrow!" A voice yelled from somewhere near the back, which was Jason''s signal to act!


    Jason rapidly pointed his wrist-mounted Vipers at random people and began to fire. Switching targets after every shot! The bar went into an uproar as the Hunters tried to process what was going on.


    "Fuck! Why would ck Arrowe here! Don''t they know who they''re messing with!" One of the Hunters shouted as they flipped a table and ducked behind it.


    Screams rang out as bolts found their marks while chaos ensued. Everyone was desperate to find cover before one of the sinister projectiles could find them. The sudden attack had left them so shocked that nobody thought to use their Power. They were too preupied with trying to save their lives as quickly as possible!


    ''That should be enough...'' Jason grinned as he quickly turned and bolted out the door. It was only several secondster that the Hunters realised that the shooting had stopped. What followed was a burst of outrage as they swiftly attempted to go after him. Some of them had be calm enough to think about the money for the bounty and resorted to tripping other people up.


    In the time that the Hunters took to register what had happened and fight over who would get out of the bar first, Jason had run across the road and jumped onto the opposite building''s wall! The spikes on his feet and hands dug into the old crumbling bricks easily, as he quickly scaled the building.


    "Where did he go!" One of the Hunters shouted from below as they looked up and down the road.


    Loudints could be heard as the bar gradually emptied and they began to separate in a bid to find him. Ironically, nobody thought to look up as Jason mbered over the edge of the t roof. With practiced movements, he unsheathed the Arbalest from his back and set up its tripod. Taking great to aim for the loudest of those who were still down below.


    The materials he had used for this version of the Arbalest greatly reduced the sound to a minimum. Making it difficult to hear it firing, even at this range. In his own opinion, this was the greatest modification he had made to his equipment, excluding the Freedom. He squeezed the trigger slowly and let the first shot fly, piercing the man''s corbone near his throat in the process.


    Jason nodded as he registered the speed of the projectile. It was far faster than the previous version, meaning he would have also gained a greater range before the bolts began to fall off. The force of the shot knocked the man to the ground, even as the bolt went clean through his body. A look of shock was clear on his face before he let out a scream, startling the others around him.


    "He''s on the roof!" A woman yelled right before she dove back inside the bar.


    However, others were not as lucky as her. The Freedom''s power allowed Jason to switch up the crank of the Arbalest for a lever. The strength of his mechanical Exoskeleton far outweighed what the crank could do, so he was able to reset the fur string faster than ever. A rain of bolts swiftly descended on the Hunters as they dashed for safety, cursing all the while.


    The few among them with a stronger spine attempted to use their abilities to fight back. Greensers, yellow fog and spikes made of bone all converged towards his location. Naturally, he was not inclined to wait around for their counterattack. He had already begun to flee the moment he realised that there were some among them that he could not scare off.


    ''That should be more than enough for tonight... They know who''s responsible and they''ve lost a few of their numbers.'' Jason grinned as he folded away the tripod and swung the Arbalest back into its sheath mid-run. ''They''ll be out for blood and won''t be able to think clearly. As long as they suspect someone, nothing will stop them.''


    Curses rose from the street he left behind as the corner of the roof crumbled under the joint offensive that struck his previous location. ''Let''s see what this can really do...'' Jason let out a smug smile as he neared the opposite end of the rooftop. The road on this side was quite wide. Too wide, in fact, for a normal human to cover even half of the distance to the next building.


    Jason tapped a button on his legs through his cargo pants, causing a whirring noise toe from them as more power was redirected from the miniature engines. A broad smile appeared on his face as he prepared himself for the jump.


    Whoosh! Air whipped at his coat, causing it to fan out behind him as his body shot forward across the gap. Some of the Hunters who had left before he began his second surprise attack looked up from below at the noise. Only to gape at what they saw. To some of them, he appeared to be a demon. But others thought they finally knew what the ck Arrow''s Power was.


    At that moment, many mistakenly took note that he was physically enhanced. Possibly only in his legs. Little did they know that their own mistake would help to provide Jason with a stronger alibi. The scene onlysted a few seconds before Jason''s feet made contact with the opposite roof. Not wanting to slow down, he immediately continued his sprint and jumped from building to building to gain some distance.


    "Seems like that went well..." Syssie chirped as her avatar sped along beside him. "It doesn''t seem like they have anyone who can keep up. It should be safe to return to the shop."


    "Let''s go the long way though. I don''t want anyone spotting us by chance. It would ruin everything." Jason hummed in response as he led the Hunters towards the heart of Highrise before circling back around once he was sure he had lost them in the densely packed streets.


    He quickly checked to make sure that the Hunter from earlier was still watching the shop door. Much to his delight, this particr Hunter appeared to be determined, as he had not given up. Jason was sure that the Hunter would regret all of his wasted nights watching him once he heard the news about what had happened.


    Onest jump brought him to the roof of a building not far from his own. He silently dropped down into the alley that ran behind it as a pleased smile appeared on his face. ''Let''s see what you do now...''


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves!


    I, as the author, do not benefit in any way from the actions of these thieves.


    To support me, the actual author, go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]

 Chapter 162: Misdirection (2)

    Chapter 162: Misdirection (2)


    Highrise became a buzz of activity as people talked in hushed whispers about the attack the night before. The Hunters on the streets looked frustrated as they questioned everyone they could get their hands on. The Lord''s men had to step in to stop it from escting into violence within his own territory.


    The moment the store was opened for the day, two individuals barged in straight past Raymond as they headed for the workshop in the rear. Raymond cleared his throat as he was about to shout at them that they could not go back there. But the men shot a look at him that stopped him from getting the words out. A nervous sweat broke out on his forehead as he stared at their solemn expressions. ''Maybe it''s better to let Jason deal with this.''


    The men understood that Raymond would no longer be an issue as they continued their march into Jason''s workshop, where they could hear the sounds of him working away. However, before they could make it past the opening, the metallic frame of the ANT-V filled their vision as Jason sat on it and red down at them.


    "Whoever you are, you can beat it! I won''t condone anyone trying to steal a look at my work!" Jason growled furiously from his higher vantage point, causing the men to frown.


    "Mr Wright, I''m afraid you misunderstand our intentions." One of the men coughed as he maintained a stern tone. "We''re in need of your help and we can not take no for an answer. Can we talk about this in the back?"


    Jason frowned as he looked from one top to the other. ''They''re serious about this. But there''s more to it. I get the feeling they want to use this chance to have a look around.'' Jason kept up his stern appearance as he looked towards Raymond by the door and the customers waiting outside.


    "Ray, step outside please, and close the door. Let the customers know there''s a dy in our opening today." Jason growled as he smirked inside at the ugly expression that shed across one of the men''s faces. He waited for Raymond toply before shifting his full attention back to his guests. "Speak."


    The men frowned at Jason''s domineering attitude, but they recognised that they had to take a step back to gain his cooperation. "Mr Wright, have you heard the news of what happenedst night?"


    Jason snorted as he narrowed his eyes. "Of course I have. Raymond hasn''t shut up about it since he got here this morning. What''s it got to do with me? Haven''t I done enough by increasing the reward?"


    The men nced at each other awkwardly. "Mr Wright, we believe you may know who''s responsible for this. Every attack so far by ck Arrow has happened while you were in the vicinity of Highrise. You recently left and since your return you''ve been locked up in your workshop. However,st night''s attack revealed some key information."


    Jason cocked an eyebrow as he feigned curiosity. "What key information? And who are you anyway?"


    He made sure to add annoyance to his tone while pretending not to recognise them. When, in fact, he recognised the guy on the left who was doing all the talking. He had been hanging around the store, dressed in far shabbier clothing than he was now. Jason jumped to the conclusion that it was supposed to be a disguise and this pair had to be part of a Hunter group or have serious backing.


    "Sir, we''re acting on behalf of the Lord. That''s all you need to know." The man who had been silent so far replied sternly.


    His partner cleared his throat to draw Jason''s attention back to him. "We''ve discovered that it''s believed that ck Arrow has a physically enhanced Power. However, ording to eyewitnesses his weaponry has gone through serious changes since the information we put out."


    The man took one of the bolts that had been fired during the attack out of his pocket and handed it to Jason for him to examine. "This projectile was fired from a powerful yet small weapon. The Lord hopes you can shed some light on this matter. You won''t be held responsible if you were indeed the mind behind it. As long as you can produce them for the Lord."


    Jason cocked an eyebrow as he let out a long sigh. "I''m not the one you''re looking for... But I think I can help with the weapon."


    The men stared at him curiously. Wondering what he meant. If he had not created the weapons as they believed, then how could he help with it? Jason disappeared into the workshop after warning them to remain in the shop area. They heard him moving around noisily before he returned with an item in his hands. Causing their eyes to go wide.


    "This..." They said hesitantly as they looked at what Jason carried.


    "Yes. It''s a prototype I''ve been working on since I left Highrise. I have a deal with a travelling merchant to sell these once Iplete it." Jason handed a poor copy of the Arbalest over to the two men for them to take a look, as well as a handful of bolts thatcked the polished finish of the ones he used personally. "You should know that I have an interest in ck Arrow for killing my friend''s father. As such, I''ve been trying to recreate the weapons in the bounty reports. Unfortunately, it seems he''s still a step ahead if he''s upgraded the design."


    Their faces became expressions of embarrassment as they looked over the weapon. It was clear that it was a long way from what had been reported, but they still felt it was impressive anyway. If he had been working on this since his return, it exined a lot of his actions. Especially why he had locked himself away and ced his own bounties. However, the Lord''s agents remained skeptical. After all, the prototype in their hands proved that Jason could at least make a rudimentary copy. Who was to say that he had not already perfected it and taken it further?


    However, their job was merely to investigate the matter ande up with the possibilities. It would be up to the Lord to make his own judgement before they could act. Besides, the reports on ck Arrow clearly stated that he was lively and had full use of his legs. Not to mention that his Power did not match what they knew about Jason. It cast many doubts on their original theories.


    "Mr Wright, do you mind if we borrow this for a while? The Lord will probably want to see it and perhaps make an offer." The man on the left suddenly said, as he felt that they would get no further with their enquiries for now.


    "I''m afraid not..." Jason sighed as he shook his head. "But I''ll have the merchant dealing with this contact the Lord. If he wishes to ce an order, he can do so through him. I''ll speak with himter and make sure he calls roundter this afternoon. You have to understand that I can''t just take your word for it, that you work for the Lord. What if you steal this and produce a copy of your own?"


    The duo revealed ugly expressions on their faces at Jason''s sharp words. But they had to admit that he had a point. The weapon would surely be worth plenty of money in the right hands, and he had the right to protect it. However, it bugged them that Jason would use a middleman for the meeting. Meaning that yet again he had avoided being caught alone so that they could press him for answers and favourable terms.


    "Thank you... We''ll let the Lord know to expect your agent." The one on the left showed a strained smile as he nudged his partner. "We won''t take up anymore of your time, Mr Wright. Have a good day."


    "I won''t show you out. Let the Lord know that I look forward to his patronage." Jason revealed a sly grin as the agents frowned and turned towards the door.


    Jason sighed as they left, and Raymond slipped back inside. Thetter shot a concerned look towards him, but Jason just waved in response to show that it was nothing to worry about. ''Well... That went better than I thought it would. I didn''t realise the Lord was paying close attention to me.'' Jason hummed as he nced at the Freedom. ''It''s lucky I cut them off before they got a chance to see it...''


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves!


    I, as the author, do not benefit in any way from the actions of these thieves.


    To support me, the actual author, go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]

 Chapter 163: Misdirection (3)

    Chapter 163: Misdirection (3)


    That night, Jason realised that many of his stalkers were no longer paying attention to his store. He had not heard anything more from the Lord, which probably meant he was caught up in negotiations about purchasing the poor versions of the Arbalest. ''Hopefully, they''ll be kept busy for a while...''


    Syssie sighed as she sprawled over one of the worktops. "I know it''s necessary, but you''re ying a dangerous game. You have to set up somebody to take the fall before they start questioning why they can''t track down the culprit."


    "I know... I was going to set up someone from the Red Steel Gang, but they''re nowhere to be found. It''s almost like they''vepletely disappeared." Jasonined as he struggled with the problem. "I don''t have anyone else in mind if I''m being honest."


    "You could try to lead the trail away from Highrise? As if the ck Arrow has abandoned the area. They''ll be stuck searching for clues all over the ce..." Syssie smirked as she revealed her own thoughts on the matter.


    "They won''t buy it. Eventually, I''d have to turn back and there''s a good chance that someone will realise what happened. No, they have to ''catch'' the one responsible to make all of this trouble go away." Jason shook his head as he tried to think of anyone he could me. ''Al might be a candidate. But I doubt anyone would believe that he could make those weapons... So what... Hired muscle and make it look like someone else was the brain? That''d just lead problems back to my door..."


    When he had decided on this n of action, he had assumed that the Red Steel Gang would still be living brazenly in the open. They were making it difficult for him to proceed, but he could not just give up on the matter.


    "We''ll have to track them down..." Jason sighed as he nced towards Syssie. "But we might end up causing a mess..."


    "Don''t you always? So what''s the big n?" Syssie queried as she eyed him carefully.


    "First, we find them. Then we''ll have to find someone or two people that are unhappy with the organisation. I think it''s best if we make sure they die defending the secret. That will stop a lot of questions from being asked." Jason replied, as the loose outline of a n formed in his mind.


    "You''re still stuck with ming someone for actually making the equipment..." Syssie shook her head.


    "Maybe not... Let me worry about that." He was reluctant to tell her what he had in mind, because he was certain she would not be happy about it. Luckily, it did not appear as if she was actively reading his thoughts after all of their time together.


    He waited until the night got darker before slipping into the Freedom again. This time, he was not searching for trouble. But he had to find out where the Gang had gone to or what had happened to them. He casually slipped out of the fake wall again and sped down several alleys away from his store and the Hunters'' bar.


    He figured that more people would be paying attention to the ce in case the ck Arrow returned again to finish what he started. Once he was happy with his location, he began his climb to the rooftops. He leapt from building to building, but he did not bother with cranking up the Exoskeleton''s power this time around. It was too noisy, so he had to settle for smaller gaps and taking his time.


    The night wore on as he casually searched abandoned buildings and dark alleys. He stumbled upon a few couples in the middle of their secret meetings, but he ignored them. He was not the type to peep in such intimate moments. ''I don''t get it. We''ve covered nearly half of town, but there''s no sign of them...''


    "Do you think theypletely disbanded?" Syssie questioned as she began to have her own doubts..."


    "With Sam''s personality? I doubt it." Jason hummed as he finished searching an abandoned floor at the top of an apartment building. "They''ve either be really clever or maybe they''ve set up a front..."


    "Like what?"


    "I don''t know... Maybe they''ve set up inside something that looks like a normal home. Or perhaps they''ve taken over a store to hide their activities."


    "Wouldn''t it be better if you ask around during the day? Maybe some of your neighbours could point you in the right direction?" Syssie hummed as she tapped her cheek.


    "That would just leave witnesses that would be able to say I was looking for them." Jason groaned as hended on another rooftop. "Word might get to them and they could run. Or people might ask questions once we''re done with the n. I can''t let them think that I''m too deeply tied to them."


    "Well... You can''t just go breaking into homes and stores until you find them either. I doubt you''d be able to find much just peeking through windows either. " Syssie chuckled at the thought of him clinging to walls and peeking in windows.


    "It''d be so much easier if I was a spider or a bird..." Jason sighed before a light flicked on in his mind. "That''s it!"


    Syssie flinched at Jason''s suddenly excited tone before she stared at him curiously. "What are you thinking now?"


    Jason chuckled as he nced towards her. "I just have to see through the eyes of a bug or a bird. It won''t be too hard to go unnoticed if I make that happen!"


    "Um, hate to break it to you but that''s not going to happen." Syssie began to wonder if Jason''s mind had experienced a mental snap of some kind.


    "Not a real bird! But maybe I cane with something that could make this a lot easier and avoid me getting spotted..." Jason grinned beneath the gas mask as he thought about the Potential Points he had saved up. "It should be possible as long as I pick the right skills..."


    Syssie hummed as she recognised the look on Jason''s face. It was the same look he wore whenever he got excited about a new project he had thought of. ''There''ll be no pulling him back to normality until he deals with it...'' She let out a long sigh as she noticed the sky getting lighter on the horizon.


    "Jason... We need to go... It''s almost morning and Raymond will being in soon..." Syssie frantically tried to get his attention, but Jason was already deep in thought.


    He suddenly looked at her with a stern expression on his face. "Syssie... I think we need to return to the workshop. I have to start work on this right away!"


    Jason was oblivious to the eye roll he received from the AI as she called him hopeless beneath her breath. The pair had to take a long detour as those who were preparing to go scavenging for the day and stall owners had already begun to leave their homes.


    "Why didn''t you tell me it was getting to this time!" Jason barked angrily as he narrowly avoided getting spotted.


    "I did... But you didn''t listen, did you? Too busy listening to your own thoughts instead of what''s important!" Syssieined in a sullen mood before her cancelling her avatar. Leaving Jason alone in his sour mood.


    "You should have spoken louder then!" Jason mumbled, as he quickly picked up the pace.


    The risk of being caught was getting higher, and it had him seriously worried. Despite that, he was already trying to n out the skills he would potentially need for his next creation. ''A bird type might be out of the question... And I don''t think I can make one as small as a spider. Damn! There has to be something I can do!''


    Naturally, he had no idea if these would even be feasible until he gained the required skills. He was just making assumptions based on his past experiences. There was even a question of whether he had enough PP to make it happen. After all, the skills got significantly more expensive the further he went down the tree.


    "I might need Syssie to evaluate a bunch of stuff..." Jason sighed as he finally managed to slip into the alley behind Star Gear without being detected. He grumbled under his breath as he dealt with the fake wall and slipped inside. His mind was racing when he suddenly heard a deep voice.


    "Yo! Jason! You back there?"


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves!


    I, as the author, do not benefit in any way from the actions of these thieves.


    To support me, the actual author, go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]

 Chapter 164: Misdirection (4)

    Chapter 164: Misdirection (4)


    Sentinel sighed as his cannon turned to face the enemies scattering amongst the ruins in the forest. A loud st rang out as a crimson beam shot forward, evaporating all of those caught in its trajectory. ''Cockroaches...'' He frowned as Friday fed intel to his cybeic eye. He had received the warning that these people had infiltrated the Empire, but he had been caught up dealing with the Lords alongside Rust for too long.


    "Sir..." Friday hummed as he gathered new information from the sensors in the region. "It seems this isn''t the main group. Sensors in Murk Point have detected arger force."


    "Any idea what they''re here for this time? Murk Point is a shithole. I doubt there''s something there that they want." Sentinel growled as he tried to make sense of the situation. Friday''s sensors were in the middle of rying the information about the groups'' movements since they had arrived.


    Sentinel did not even blink as a green orb suddenly appeared next to him. One of the contraptions on his belt flew towards it and unfolded to encase the strange ability. Preventing it from doing whatever it was supposed to. The cannon immediately turned to face a solid wall that ran between a group of trees and fired. Needless to say, he was not troubled with any more of those orbs after that.


    "Sir... I''ve detected an anomaly in the data..." Friday''s tone sounded concerned as he sent the information through to Sentinel.


    ''What''s this?'' Sentinel frowned as he scanned the information. It seemed that this group hade across Jason during their travels while in Murk Point. But there was something else. There were three other readings that had not set off Friday''s warning systems. What made matters worse was that this other group had also been paying attention to the youth.


    ''That can''t be a coincidence... What did he do?'' Sentinel scanned through the data quickly to see how events had proceeded. The group he was hunting had engaged Jason''s caravan inbat before the unknown group seemed to interfere. Sentinel was relieved to see that Jason had made it out of that situation. ''He should be back in Highrise by now...''


    Needless to say, Sentinel felt his fury rising at this group for attacking Jason. Even if they did not know how important he was to him, he still had to make them pay. ''No more quick deaths...'' He growled as he continued his gruesome work.


    Meanwhile, in an area near Murk Point...


    "We can''t stay here much longer." Archive sighed as she continued to watch future events. "Sentinel has detected our presence. But things are already in motion. He''s going to have his hands full once he gets here."


    "Finally! We need to get you out of here as soon as possible. We never should havee here in the first ce!" One of her guardsined. "Let''s leave them to destroy each other."


    Archive chuckled at hisment. "The Empire won''t fall that easily. But neither will they have it easy. So much ising and they have no idea. Jason will be the spark that ignites it. We just have to wait for the right moment to tell him everything."


    A loud noise suddenly came from the workshop holding the Murk Walkers. The trio cast their sights towards the doors. ''Here it goes...'' Archive sighed as events began to unfold exactly as she had predicted.


    The residents of Murk Point went into an uproar as the upgraded Murk Walker barged through the wall of the workshop and made a dash for the foul ck liquid. They did not care what they destroyed along their path as they trampled stalls and people as if they meant nothing. The members of the alliance on board shouted ecstatically. They were certain that Sentinel would not bother to chase them once they got far enough away. At the same time, they had seeded in seizing this new machine full of strange new materials.


    "Ok, that''s enough... Let''s get out of here before they wake it up..." Archive shook her head slowly as she turned to leave. ''We''ll have to take a different route to stop Sentinel from tracking us down. Those sensors of his don''t cover everywhere.''


    As the Murk Walker reached the foul substance and began to race away from the outraged citizens, something beneath the depths began to stir at the disturbance within its domain. Sixrge reptilian eyes opened at once as the creature waited to see if it would end quickly, like before.


    However, whatever was moving wasing closer. The creature let out a warning growl that vibrated through the liquid. Causing waves to appear on the surface! The onlookers from Murk Point stared in shock at that development. All they could see were the waves crashing on the stolen machine. Cries of panic rang out over the foulke as several of the soldiers on board got sshed.


    The liquid was acidic. Skin, hair and organs began to melt into a messy puddle that gave off an awful stench. Its smell was rather simr to the ck, bubblingke. It was at that point that the alliancemander on board suddenly realised something. His eyes frantically scanned the area in shock. Disbelief invaded his mind as he momentarily froze.


    Then, his fears came true. The messy puddles created from hisrades turned ck. ''Don''t tell me... The entireke is made from melted bodies!'' His mind raced as he tried to figure out how many people and beasts had to die to create such arge area. However, he never got the chance to find a number. A muchrger wave crashed over the Murk Walker,pletely engulfing everyone who was still alive.


    The citizens of Murk Point watched on in horror. A mountain suddenly appeared in the foulke. The ck liquid ran down it like waterfalls as a deafening sound was let loose...


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves!


    I, as the author, do not benefit in any way from the actions of these thieves.


    To support me, the actual author, go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]

 Chapter 165: Misdirection (5)

    Chapter 165: Misdirection (5)


    Sentinel hummed as he scanned the road ahead. Murk Point was only an hour away for him now, but Friday kept reporting unusual sensory data. It made Sentinel concerned by what may be waiting for him upon his arrival. Friday seemed to be struggling to get anything that he could actually use to formte a n.


    From his sensors in the surrounding areas that were working normally, he could conclude that the infiltration team had not escaped from Murk Point. Which made him wonder if they nned to use the civilians as hostages to bargain with him. ''This could get messy...'' Sentinel frowned as his own cybeic eye failed to pick up anything unusual so far.


    He raced along, eager to catch up before they decided to make a run for it. Once they did that, he doubted he could stop them from escaping with whatever gains and information they had collected. However, that was when his own cybeicponents began to pick up an unusual smell in the air. Even for being close to Murk Point. Warnings shed in his mind!


    An orb flew off of his belt and unfolded into a mask with tactical red eyes to protect him from any airborne contamination. So far, it did not seem that it could affect him through his skin or any other methods. ''Friday! What the hell is this?'' It had been a long time since anything was able to affect him because of the modifications he had made to his own body. The fact that whatever this was could do so was a major concern.


    "It appears to be a type of virus that targets the infected''s psychological state, Sir. My sensors indicate it causes increased aggression and hallucinations." Friday sounded solemn from the confines of Sentinel''s mind.


    "Damn! Is it some sort of biological weapon the infiltration team brought along? Perhaps, they were nning on releasing it in one of the bigger cities or something..." Sentinel cursed the underhanded nature of that attack.


    It was almost a given that Murk Point had to be a ghost town with this in the air. ''Friday, keep tracking the data in the surrounding area. If this spreads or there''s any sign of those guys making a run for it, let me know right away. They won''t get away with this!''


    He paused for a moment as he considered something. ''And send a message to Rust! tell her to get over here with the Fortress! I need my equipment... who knows what else they have in mind!''


    Friday replied in the affirmative before processing Sentinel''s demands. A hologram of himself appeared within Rust''s fortress to her surprise before rying the message. She was pretty pissed to be ordered about like that, but when she heard the details, she asked Friday to contact the other Pirs just in case.


    Sentinel nodded when he received word that Rust was on her way and would be there within a few hours. His expression turned grim as data entered his mind involving the virus. It seemed it became more potent the closer he came to Murk Point. The huge, ck, bubblingke began to fill his vision. He could not help but frown as he looked at it.


    ''Doesn''t it seem like there are far more bubbles than before? Has something changed in theke?'' Sentinel quietly asked himself as he began to slow down. There were no soundsing from Murk Point, which was usually quite lively. Not only that, but he could not detect any signs of movement.


    As he cleared the main gate he could only shake his head sadly. Bodiesy everywhere with bloodied weapons all around. By the looks of things, everyone in Murk Point was already dead.


    "It appears that they killed each other, Sir. The virus in the air is most likely the culprit. I would assume that it has driven them to insanity." Friday stated matter-of-factly.


    "Thanks, Friday. I can see that..." Sentinel grunted in displeasure as he took a look around.


    True enough to what he suspected, there was not a single living soul in that graveyard. ''Where did the infiltrators go then? Their bodies aren''t here, but Friday hasn''t detected them outside of this area yet.''


    "Sir, it seems like a Murk Walker recently passed through here in a hurry. Heading for theke." Friday suddenly chimed in as he highlighted the prints on the ground from where it had passed.


    "They''re trying to escape over theke?" Sentinel cursed as his head swivelled to nce at it. However, he could see no sign of one of the strange vehicles that the people here used. "Friday, how far does the interference spread? Do we have sensors on the other side?"


    "The interference covers the entirety of theke, Sir. We have sensors in ce on the other side. Even if they don''t pass directly through their areas of influence, the tremors from the Murk Walker would set them off. I''m 85% certain that they have not made it to the other side yet."


    Sentinel rubbed his chin as he wondered if there was anything that he could do. He had a few gadgets on him that could theoretically allow him to cross that bubbling surface. But that depended on how they would react to that strange substance. He was aware that the liquid was capable of melting organic material on contact.


    ''If it sshes on my legs, I can''t be sure that their mechanical parts won''t be affected. I never bothered to fully test this stuffst time I was here. But, if I don''t go after them now, they might get away.'' Sentinel cursed his bad luck, but he knew what he had to do. ''I can''t be too careless...''


    He rushed down to the shore where it met theke and controlled one of his gadgets to fly into that liquid. It was the one with the closest resemnce to his own cybeic parts, so if it survived, then he should not have to worry too much. He left it submerged for a good five minutes before sending a signal for it to surface.


    The cube dripped ck liquid back into theke as it floated in front of him. ''Hm. It seems to have taken very minor damage. My own parts are of stronger materials, so I should be able to deal with it for a prolonged time before my situation bes critical. If I''m really lucky, it won''t have any effect.''


    Sentinel nodded happily as he sent signals to a few of his devices. They detached from their holding areas and began to join together to form a type of metallic surfboard. He made it move around the surface of that foulke for a bit as he studied how much of it sprayed up in its passing. A few moments passed, and another two devices flew to converge on the surfboard, forming a sort of barrier that Sentinel could crouch behind to give him the most protection.


    That was the most he could do in that situation. These devices did not have enough power in their engines to give him the means to fly over theke. Although he had equipment that could do so, he preferred not to use it unless absolutely necessary. This was because of the cost of the materials needed to fuel them.


    Sentinel grunted as he jumped onto the board as it slowly swung by his position on the shore. It dipped slightly into the liquid with the sudden increase in weight, but it soon stabilised itself. ''They should have gone in a straight line. It''s the fastest path to the other side. They''d be idiots if they tried going in any other direction if they want to return home as quickly as possible.


    He crouched down behind the barrier as the board slowly picked up speed. He increased it gradually until it reached a point where any more would cause the foul spray to reach over the top of the shield he had created at the front. His cybeic eye zoomed in and out on the horizon. The other shore was nowhere in sight, by neither was the Murk Walker.


    "Friday! You''re sure they haven''t cleared it yet?" Sentinel growled as he grew frustrated. He knew those things could not move as fast as his board, so he had assumed that he should have caught some sight of it by now.


    "I''m positive, Sir... But... There''s something else..." Friday''s tone became concerned, which was unusual.


    "Well? What is it? Do they have reinforcements on the way or something?"


    "No, Sir. But it seems like something may be moving beneath you..."


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves!


    I, as the author, do not benefit in any way from the actions of these thieves.


    To support me, the actual author, go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]

 Chapter 166: Drones

    Chapter 166: Drones


    Jason froze as Raymond''s voice called out to him. ''What the hell is he doing here at this time!'' He cursed as he realised there was no way he could get out of the exoskeleton in time.


    "Yeah! I''m here! What is it?" Jason shouted back as he heard the footstepse to a halt before continuing on towards the rear room.


    "I just wanted to talk to you a bit. It must be hard with your Grampsid up in Dr Cee''s ce, so I wanted to make sure you were alright. Harry may approve of you burying yourself in your work, but I don''t." Raymond sighed loudly as his footsteps reached the counter.


    "Don''te back here!" Jason yelled, causing the footsteps to pause again. "I''m working on something dangerous and if I get distracted... Well, you don''t want to know. Let me finish this up and I''ll be right out."


    Raymond seemed to hesitate before letting out another sigh as the footsteps retreated. Jason let out his own sigh of relief as cursed endlessly to himself. It took him a while to get out of his contraption and settle back into the ANT-V. He quickly found some coverings that he had bought to throw over his new gear so nobody could see what was beneath. Once he felt secure about them being hidden, he navigated his way into the storefront.


    Raymond turned a stern expression on him the moment he made his appearance. "What do you think you''re doing, kid? Do the neighbours know you''re working on such dangerous things? What''ll happen if you destroy their businesses?"


    "It wasn''t that dangerous until you started shouting... That''s why I do them at night when nobody is in the stores to get hurt if anything goes wrong. Plus, it''s supposed to mean I won''t be disturbed." Jason shrugged his shoulders as he pointed stared at Raymond.


    "Alright, I get your point..." Raymond groaned before continuing. "But you didn''t give me any other option. During the day, I''m stuck dealing with customers. It''s not appropriate for them to hear me talking to you about your personal life and wellbeing. Then at night, you''re still locked up in here."


    Raymond shook his head as he stared at the youth in his strange mechanical contraption with a look of pity in his eyes. "Whatever happened to you? How did you end up like this in such a short period of time?"


    "An ident urred in the workshops..." Jason could not very well admit that he was secretly receivingbat training or what had been happening recently in the world atrge. "Don''t give me that look... It wasn''t my fault..."


    Raymond''s expression remained dubious. It would not surprise him if Jason was the cause behind his current condition, especially since moments ago he had said he was working on something dangerous. "Ok, say I believe you... What''s going to happen? Are you stuck in this... thing for life? Or can you recover from it?"


    "I should be able to make a full recovery, it''ll just take time..." Jason sighed as he realised that Raymond''s concern was genuine. "What about you? Won''t your wife be mad that you''re here when you have a baby at home?"


    Raymond revealed an ugly expression. "Actually, she was mad at me because you haven''te over for dinner or anything. She''s been hounding me to get you over to our ce since you returned with what happened to Harry. But you never really gave me the chance to give you the invite."


    "Oh..." That was all that he could think to say at the moment. He had been so caught up in his own problems that he had failed to see how everyone around him was growing concerned.


    "You know, you really should stop by..." Raymond said as he gave him that parental stare that he had developed since bing a father. "You need to properly look after yourself. Don''t think I haven''t noticed that you''re barely eating anything!"


    "Alright, I''ll remember that. But what I''m working on just now is really important. So it might be some time yet until I can take you up on your offer..."


    "Hmph, I guess that''s fine as long as you don''t overdo it. If I have to, I''ll drag you out of here if you take too long. Otherwise, the wife would kill me." Raymond raised an eyebrow before his expression softened. "You know, if you''re having a hard time with anything else, you can tell me. These bounty hunters and strange folks hanging around... I''ve heard the rumours around town. I know they suspect you have something to do with Dani''s father being murdered. But don''t worry, people know it''s just vicious rumours because they can''te up with a real theory."


    Raymond walked over and reached up to pat Jason on the shoulder while showing a caring expression. "Take care of yourself. I can''t say it enough, Jason. You''re still a kid despite all of this sess. You can afford to slow down a little before you burn yourself out."


    Jason wore aplicated smile as he watched Raymond leave the store and heard the lock clicking into ce behind him. A sigh of relief escaped from his mouth as he ran a hand through his hair. ''That was too close. If he hadn''t said that just now, then I wonder when he would have be impatient enough to barge into the workshop. I have to be more careful. I can''t let him worry so he doesn''t be too nosey about what''s upying my time.''


    He felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard ce. There was so much for him to do still, and he could not afford to put it off. ''I need to start work on the drones. I need that information as soon as possible. The Red Steel Gang has to be somewhere!''


    Jason turned and looked at the cold metallic, dreary workshop that had be his life. In some way, he felt like it was beginning to reflect the person he was slowly bing. Was this all there would be to his life? The touch of his cold creations that spoke to him in ways that nobody else would understand. Or was there more to life than money and searching for the next step on his journey? Was what Raymond had said true? Could he afford to slow down and take his time? Just to enjoy his life a little?


    Jason snorted as he thought about it... Of course not. Every moment wasted would be another momentter in life before he reached a point he needed to be at. What if he spent a few days just now doing nothing at all? Then, say a yearter, he failed to prepare something in time by only a few days. Would he look back on those days he wasted with regret? Probably, because if he used them properly, then everything else would have been done sooner, giving him the time toplete that.


    Of course, he was aware this was not a fairparison. Especially since the failure could be because he was not aware of the situation in time. But he still felt he should be doing everything he could to better himself. To prepare for unforeseen situations. There would be people counting on him to develop something amazing. Whether it was a tool to make their lives easier or a weapon to defend themselves so that they did not have to be scared when leaving the city.


    The cycle would be never-ending, but this was the life he had chosen for himself, so he had better make the most of it! ''Sometimes you have to sacrifice some things to achieve the life you want...'' Jason sighed as he ran a hand over the cold work table before him. A light appeared in his eyes as his mind filled with ideas on his next creations.


    Blueprints flooded his mind for the creation of the drones he wanted to create. However, none were as small as he wanted them to be. Eventually, he decided to go with several different types and put them to the test in the field. He would have to be careful to make sure that they were not spotted, though. He was fairly certain that the finger would immediately be pointed at him.


    With his time in Bridgend and the Emperor''s endorsement, he could no longer pretend to be ignorant of some things. People were bound to suspect he had gained a wealth of knowledge during his absence, despite it being short.


    [


    Don''t take part in Piracy! Don''t earn money for thieves!


    I, as the author, do not benefit in any way from the actions of these thieves.


    To support me, the actual author, go here: /book/the-legendary-junkmaster_19400360605216405


    -Antihero]

 Chapter 167: Drones (2)

    Chapter 167: Drones (2)


    Jason sighed as Syssie finished her evaluations of a number of the things he had created but held off on gaining points for. The total from this round of evaluations came to 345 PP. Jason let out a long sigh as he opened the skill tree in his mind. ''If I''m going to make drones, there are a few things I''ll need to brush up on first.''


    He navigated to the Computing skill set and chose to upgrade it from Basic to Apprentice then straight to Journeyman. Costing a total 120 PP. The usual routine of sharp pain arrived, with Syssie also writhing around on the ground beside the ANT-V.


    With that done and the pain fresh in his mind, he set his eyes on the Electronic Engineering branch. He did the same with this and brought it up to the Journeyman level as well. The total that this came to was 170 PP. After the ritualistic pain subsided this time, Jason scrolled through the avable skill. ''I have 55 PP left over from this batch, plus the 5 PP fromst time. So that gives me only 60 PP to spend. Can I even get anything with that?''


    He still had a number of skills at the Apprentice level, but the ones he was interested in for that project were Physics and Electrical Engineering. ''It''s not enough.'' Jason sighed as he wondered if he should create more things to further his stash of PP. ''Let''s see what I can do with this for now. I''m just spending points blindly like this. Once I run some tests in the field, I can find out what exactly I need to improve.


    Jason got to work on the blueprints that appeared in his mind for the smallest one that he could create with his current knowledge. It was a mechanical cat design, but the blueprints insisted that he had to use aputer to input code for it to work properly.


    ''Theseputers... There should be some in the NEST I can use but it means leaving Highrise. It''ll give the Lord and the bounty hunters a chance toe after me again.'' Jason sighed as he started work on what he could do right now. If I prepare everything beforehand, maybe I can get in and out without revealing the NEST.''


    ''It would be best if I can deal with it like that. The ANT-V should have enough speed for me to gain the time I would need over anyone keeping an eye on me.'' Jason hummed as got to work with cutting and shaping the different metal tes that would be used for the exterior casing.


    He wanted to be certain of the size of its interior before deciding on theyout of its electronics and wiring. ''Hm, will it really be able to go unnoticed? Now that I see its size, it still seems a bit big...'' It would alle down to its fine motor controls, whether it could be of any use.


    It would need enough flexibility to get into smaller areas and hide more easily. But if it wandered across a street, it would be fairly easy to spot. He doubted anyone would mistake it for a random beast with all of the metal. ''I''ll have to paint it or something...''


    Jason let out a sigh as he added another task to everything that he had to do. ''Well, it''s enough to know that I still need to increase my skills to deal with this issue. I just can''t make anything smaller as I am now. So the issue has to lie in the electrical transmissions and maybe I''m still missing something in electronics...''


    There seemed to be no end to improving himself, which left him feeling frustrated. Although Syssie had been repaired, he was not eager to take the risk of upgrading himself quickly in case not all of the ws had been ironed out. He had the suspicion that Syssie would eventually reach her limit again and they would face the same problem.


    However, he wanted to be prepared for that situation before it happened to arise. So he would only push himself into new territory if it were required. He started work on cleaning up old gears and finding parts to fit each other. If nothing was at hand, he would tinker with what he did have to reshape it.


    Time flew by quickly for him as he worked away. The shop opened and closed under Raymond''s guidance as credits continued to flow in. He was not short of money right now, but he was more than aware that if he needed recements for the materials sent by Sentinel, it would cost him a lot. After all, they were not native to Highrise.


    ''How long will these evenst for? I''m reluctant to use them as I am now, but I can only gain experience in their use if I do.'' Jason shook his head slowly as he eyed the materials. He had the sinking feeling that he should start his drone design over from scratch again, but use some of his rare resources.


    ''No... I''ll finish this first and see how it operates. Maybe it''ll reveal some insights on its own.'' Jason nodded as he started to feel sluggish. ''Damn! Don''t tell me I''m worn out already! I really have to finish this!''


    Syssie sighed from the side as she saw Jason''s eyelids begin to droop while was he was operating some of the machinery to cut metal. "Jason! Wake up! You''re going to kill yourself if you keep this up! It''ll still be here tomorrow. Come on, you heard what Raymond said and I agree. You have to start taking better care of yourself!"


    Jason let out a groan as he nced at her. The bags under his eyes had turned a darker shade with all of the sleepless nights, and it was apparent that he was exhausted. He was pushing himself to the limits every day to meet the expectations that he was cing on himself.


    ''Seriously... what am I going to do with you?''

 Chapter 168: Drones (3)

    Chapter 168: Drones (3)


    After a few more days of work, the cat-shaped drone waspleted. Jason turned it over in his hands, identifying what he could have done better. ''It''s only missing its programming now.'' he sighed as he knew there was no way to test it before that. Still, he had never done something like this before. Although he had the skills, everything had always been operated mechanically in anything that he created.


    ''If it goes well, it will open more avenues to explore that could help to bring my other creations up a notch. '' Jason''s mind wandered to the possibilities that it would open to him. So many new ideas shed through his mind.


    ''That''s all in the future though, I can''t just rush this.'' Jason let out a long sigh as he finished examining the prototype drone. ''Now it''s a question of how to get to the NEST. I''ll have to sneak out over the walls, I guess, and get it done through the night. I just have to hope Raymond doesn''t pay another visit while I''m gone.''


    He paused for a moment as he thought about his Gramps. Harry was still in Dr Cee''s clinic, unconscious. He had been recovering for a long time now, but there had still been no changes in his condition. Jason had begun to grow concerned that Harry may never wake up. But he would not lose hope.


    ''I should get some sleep before I attempt this...'' Jason chuckled to himself as he spotted the frown on Syssie''s face. She had not stopped badgering him to rest up for the past few days. ''She means well though.''


    Jason slowly guided the ANT-V into the busy storefront, where the customers and Raymond looked at him in shock. Jason slowly shook his head before handing a box over to Raymond.


    "I''m going home to get some sleep. There are still things developing in the workshop, so don''t go in there unless you want to cause an ident." Jason warned in a grim tone.


    "Sure thing." Raymond smiled, just d that Jason was finally seeing some sense. "And what''s this?"


    Raymond shook the box lightly, worried that there may be something breakable inside. The customers in the store nced at it curiously. They wanted to know as well.


    "New products..." Jason chuckled at the excited gasps that came out of the customers when he said that. "They''re marked with their prices. There are new and improved versions of the ointments and medical supplies. Scented liquids, that our customers can spray on themselves to smell like something they like and a few other things. You''ll understand once you take a look. I''ll be back tonight before you lock up."


    Jason left the store with a final farewell as Raymond gulped when he spotted the hungry looks ring at him. The box in his hands suddenly felt heavy, as if it were a great treasure. ''I hope he''s made more than just this. I have a feeling they won''tst long...''


    Raymond had to set the box down and ask the customers to calmly wait while he looked through the contents. When he got to the new medical supplies, he set aside a quarter of each item to be sent to Dr Cee. He knew she would be happy to receive them and she was good for the credits. If he just sold them all in the store, then she was bound to be upset with Jason.


    But this had be part of his job. Maintaining the rtionship between Star Gear and other businesses had to be put first, for Jason''s sake. Anything that he spotted that could be used by them was swiftly set aside. Causing groans to escape from the customers as they spotted some new tools and interesting gadgets among them.


    Raymond had to be careful when he read through the instructions of what each item could do. Otherwise, the right thing would never make it to the right ce. Some of the items looked so strange that he could never have guessed what they were meant to do without those notes.


    The customers grew more restless as more items disappeared behind the counter. They began to wonder if there was going to be anything left for them! Eventually, Raymond let out a chuckle as he lifted the now half-empty box and walked to the shelves. Slowly making space and cing the new items, amongst other things that fitted into the same category.


    However, he grew curious when it came time to put the scented sprays on the shelf. Each one was marked as a distinct scent with flowery names. The customers gathered around as he lifted out a smaller bottle that was marked with the word ''sample''. when he checked the note he found that customers were to be allowed to spray the smaller bottle of each scent to check if they liked it before buying the bigger bottle.


    ''I have to give it to him... That''s pretty clever. This is an entirely new thing, of course. Nobody will buy it unless they''re sure of how good it is.'' Raymond broke out in a wide smile as he sprayed one of them.


    A fresh smell permeated the air that smelt of oil, grease, and metal. Chasing those smells away to leave a pleasant flowery smell in the air. The faces of the customers changed as they imagined the wildflowers outside of Highrise in their minds at that scent. As the smell weakened, they realised that although it was weaker now it still lingered.


    Their faces morphed into determined expressions when they saw the limited supply of this miraculous item. Especially the women. Raymond suddenly felt as if he were surrounded by predators and felt the need to warn them to be careful, as they could easily be broken. As he pulled the price tag out of the box, he almost had a heart attack. ''Jason! what are you thinking? It''s so expensive! A lot of our customers won''t be able to buy this!''


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