Jacob felt his internal wounds throbbing while running. It was the first time since he had been back that he was truly running.
He pumped his legs while using the slightest hint of Qi to give him an edge without activating any actual Martial Technique.
He was doing a lap of the perimeter of St. Peter, and he would end his tour at the Quintus Horatius Flaccus High School, the Horatius for short.
His body was not in shape, nor was his talent great. However, he did not mind as much as anyone else would have. He had experience, he had Martial Techniques, he had what was possibly the strongest Cultivation Technique in existence, or at least one of the strongest ever. Jacob would be a miser if he started complaining just of a little lack of talent.
Scouring the woods back and forth gave him some time to think.
We are in the dark. We don't have walls nor protection against each other. If anyone else goes mad like the janitor, other people are going to die. The fact that we are moving them toward the Horatius will become another problem if we don't put someone to guard over them.
I mean, we could give them something to do. But I can't see all the adults starting to cultivate just because. Maybe the old people will, given that they have nothing more to lose. Either their bodies get better, or they will have a tough time as soon as they run out of drugs.
He jumped on top of a low branch and started jumping higher and higher until he reached the top of the tree. He knew that wasting even a minute could cost lives, but he sorely needed some respite.
Jacob had never signed up for all this. He wasn't ready to lead a small town, nor humanity. He had always preferred to fight alone. But he also knew that if he managed to keep Juliet and Helena by his side, their chances to win the war would be much higher. Even that piece of crap, Frederick, could maybe be molded into something more. His talent was sky-high, and having him not at the service of humanity just because Jacob was petty would be pure folly.
He grabbed the top of the pine tree with his leg, balancing his weight and staring toward the horizon.
Far away from St. Peter, he could already see some smoke columns around the capital city of their region, L'Aquila.
Thankfully, the region, Abruzzo, was pretty much deserted. It was similar to some Midwest states in this regard. Their population was barely a million people, just one-third compared to a big city like Rome, Milan, or Naples.
The biggest cities in Abruzzo were just several tens of thousands, meaning that no terrible monster had appeared over there. Of course, there were still monsters he could not face yet, but nothing like the big cities that had just become impassable death zones.
He could see the white mountaintops all around St. Peter from his tree, and he stared at them with longing. He had missed this place.
Travel had become extremely difficult in his past life, but Jacob had traveled all around the globe. He had found allies, killed off enemies, and forged alliances.
But he had always acted as a lone diplomat more than a leader. He would fight along with others, but he had had no one to call family anymore since he had lost Francis and Helena. In his past life, his roots had died quickly.
Now, he had a chance to get those same roots back.
He smiled with melancholy toward the mountains' setting sun and jumped down from the tree, grabbing a branch midway to slow his descent.
Something is waiting for us.
The future.
He had quickly taught a simple Martial Technique to Joseph, but now he started wondering whether or not he should teach something to the other humans.
Some Cultivation Techniques would benefit the elders greatly. But they would also put an insane amount of power in the hands of those who could wield it against the same people I'm trying to protect.
Jacob kept searching and searching, but he found no monsters.
Well, one good news, at least.
He started heading for the Horatius on the main street.
He did not see many people walking toward the school.
As soon as he got in front of the entrance, he found a small crowd yelling at the principal.
"Luis Albert, who the hell do you think you are?! We need to find the Mayor and the Military!"
There was no mayor in St. Peter. Technically, they were under the name of another city, of which they constituted only a fraction.
"Tina, please calm down. We need everyone to gather in the school," Luis Albert pleaded.
At least he's trying.
Jacob saw that there was no Juliet there. That was probably the reason why all these people were rampaging again.
"There is a conspiracy! We need to save ourselves!"
The conspiracy theory had been ignited once again, it seemed.
"There is no conspiracy, sir. No one knows what's happening, and you do not know anything better than us!" Luis Albert retorted.
"Oh, you think so! Do you want to know what I was just reading on Facebook right before the internet crashed! I was reading about a conspiracy to do exactly what they are doing to us!"
Jacob scratched his hairless chin, and for the slightest second, he wished he hadn't caught the Demonic Wolves.
"Sir, either you start gathering together and bringing your families here, or we will drag you," Frederick appeared from behind his father.
"And who are you to say that?" the middle-aged man with a beer belly had just moved a few steps in front. "I've become stronger, and I can defend myself!"
Is that the butcher?
Jacob signed off a mental note to keep an eye on him.
Frederick, however, simply opened a palm, and a faint note of power reverberated through the crowd.
He still cannot control his element, but he can wield pure Mana as a weapon already. What a freak. At least, it seems that there are no significant differences from my previous life.
Frederick closed his fist, and Jacob ducked immediately, knowing what was going to happen next.
A shockwave caught everyone by surprise and threw every member of the crowd on their asses.
"We need to band together. We cannot be weak and run. But we need to survive the unknown together," Frederick said.
Well, someone wants to be the Golden boy once again.
Jacob exhaled and turned his back. He didn't have time for this right now. he would let him play his game if he wanted.
However, as soon as he turned, he found Helena blocking his path, and, a second after, Frederick called his name.
"Jake! What a pleasure seeing you here! I hope that your wounds healed. Would you mind helping me gather the people?"
The perfect smile on Frederick's handsome face made Jacob's guts twist even more than his own disease.
"Sure," Jacob forced a smile. He could not refuse and appear suspicious.