Shattered Republic ( Part 7 )
Jack darted to the side, his enhanced speed barely saving him from the Dread Ghost's thrashing claws. His vision momentarily blurred, seeing double images of the hound before he regained focus—just in time to dodge another deadly swipe from its elongated claws.
[
System Notification
Stamina Residue - 60%
]
Jack's stamina was waning, but he couldn't fault the System. He was pushing his body to the limit, maintaining an offensive while dodging the beast's relentless strikes.
He lunged forward just as the creature crashed onto the ground where he'd been standing, its jaws snapping open with a menacing snarl.
In that instant, an opening appeared as the monster's back turned toward him. With his enhanced speed, he maneuvered around the tiger-sized Wailing Hound and grabbed hold of the spike he'd embedded in its shoulder.
The Hound shrieked in pain, slashing wildly at him. Jack flipped over the clawed swipe and landed directly beneath the beast's head, where he could see that its skin was more hide than scale—a perfect weakness to exploit for a quick kill.
Without hesitation, he seized the moment and drove his weapon into its throat. Blood surged out, some spilling into his mouth, its bitter taste nearly choking him.
As he wiped the blood from his face, the Wailing Hound collapsed, its body convulsing violently. With a final, defiant wail, it succumbed to its wounds.
[
System Notification ,
Killed Wailing Hound x1
Rewards ; Wailing Hound bones x2, Wailing Hound scales x4 , Points x 150,
Summoning Tickets x3.
]
When Hamilton fell, Cynthia lost her balance mid-air and crashed down hard. Her injured shoulder took the brunt of the fall, and the wound that Linzy had painstakingly closed tore open anew. She screamed, unable to contain the agony as hot blood seeped through her bandaged bindings, staining her blouse.
Linzy looked over at her in frustration. She was too weak to stand on her own, and Hamilton lay unconscious beside her.
Though Jack had defeated the Wailing Hound, the Dread Ghost was adapting to the nuisance of water splashing against its skeletal frame. With a furious roar, it sent a wave of flame through the sprinklers, igniting them one by one.
Jack knelt, his muscles still trembling with the residue of adrenaline coursing through him after the hound's defeat. He glanced at his stamina levels—without it, he would only grow weaker, risking collapse.
[
System Notification
Stamina Residue : 30 %
]
His head throbbed from the blow he'd taken earlier. Desperately, he wanted to activate Rejuvenation to heal himself, but he had only one bar left.
If he suffered more severe injuries from the Dread Ghost looming before him, he'd be left without a way to recover, trapped in a desperate situation he couldn't afford. But he remembered—he'd just earned points from the System for killing the hound. Enough, maybe, to level up his Rejuvenation talent. It would cost 100 points, steep but potentially life-saving.
"Might I suggest a different approach, Bossman? Use the summoning tickets. They can unlock useful talents," Aiko's voice echoed in his mind, startling him.
"The summoning tickets?" he asked, a rush of relief at her return. Aiko knew more than anyone about the System, and her advice could mean the difference between survival and death.
"Yes, Bossman—now hurry before the Dread Ghost falls upon you," she urged.
The last sprinkler flickered and died in the blaze, freeing the colossus at last. Now unhindered, it turned toward Jack, glaring at the man who had defeated its beast. Unlike the Wailing Hounds, which only saw the souls of living beings, the Dread Ghost saw Jack in vivid color, its hollow eyes tracking his every move.
As the Dread Ghost advanced, a trail of flames surged at its side, racing around Jack in a tightening U-curve until it rose into a towering, searing wall. Jack was trapped with the monster.
Taking advantage of the ghost's focus on Jack, Linzy scrambled to reach Cynthia, who lay defenseless and dangerously close to the growing flames. Blood was pouring from her torn wound, soaking her clothes and draining what little strength she had left.
Ripping off her trench coat, Linzy began swatting at the flames in a frantic attempt to buy time. "The fire isn't dying out!" she gasped, panic setting in as the heat intensified.
Jack watched as the Dread Ghost drew closer, his heart pounding. His Rejuvenation talent, even if leveled up, wouldn't be enough to turn the tide.
His eyes flicked to the summoning tickets on the blue screen. Taking a deep breath, he willed them to disintegrate, hoping Aiko was right—because if she wasn't, they were all doomed.
[
System Notification
New Artefacts :
1)Bag of Domicile - store anything in virtual space.
Installing new artefacts…
Artefact installed.
New Talent unlocked -
1)Constricted Surface - mark an area on the surface that attacks any occupants upon movement.
Installing new talent…
]
"Damn," Jack cursed, his heart sinking as he saw the countdown: twenty seconds until the new talent installed. Twenty seconds was more than enough time for the Dread Ghost to roast him alive.
The ghost raised its right arm, and a torrent of fire poured from the ceiling above Jack. He dodged, landing just within the ring of towering flames that encircled him. The fire bit into his shoulders, burning straight through to the bone. Third-degree burns tore into his flesh, forcing him to activate Rejuvenation to save his arm from complete ruin.
The healing worked, but it drained his last rejuvenation bar. If he took any more damage, he'd have nothing left to save him.
As if the nightmare couldn't get worse, the first Wailing Hound—the one that had ambushed him in the washrooms—crashed through the hole in the ceiling, landing heavily on all fours. Blood seeped from a gash on its shoulder, courtesy of Hamilton's attack, but the beast seemed unfazed.
Jack now found himself facing down two apex predators, both radiating lethal intent. And yet, an unexpected thrill coursed through him, a rush of exhilaration at the razor's edge he balanced on. The surge sharpened his senses, heightening his Perception to reveal something he'd missed before.
It was fleeting, but Jack caught it. Just as the Dread Ghost shifted from light to its fiery form of flames and bones, a glint of ruby appeared, swinging on a chain at its waist.
"The bond of Stipulatio, where beast meets master," Aiko's voice echoed in his mind, syncing with what he'd seen.
That ruby was the key, the symbol of control the Dread Ghost used to command the Wailing Hound.
"If I destroy that stone, the Hound will turn on the Dread Ghost," Jack reasoned, his mind racing.
The hound lunged, but its wounded forelimb threw it off balance, and it missed. Meanwhile, Jack's newly leveled speed had him moving with a precision he hadn't felt before. The tables could still turn.
[
System Notification :
Constricted Surface installed.
]
"Bossman, we're really going to win this! Put all your points into leveling up that talent!" Aiko cheered in his mind, bubbling with joy like a bashful cheerleader. Her enthusiasm made Jack smile—and he paid for that lapse in attention.
The Dread Ghost had been waiting, timing its attack to perfection. Just as Jack dodged, a massive eruption of molten earth and fire blasted up from the ground where he was set to land. His shoes melted instantly, and his bare feet seared with pain before he could leap to safety.
"Shit!" he grunted, his face twisted in agony as the Dread Ghost closed in to finish him.
"RAGING FURNACE!" Hamilton's voice cut through the heat, blood pouring from his nose and eyes as he unleashed a torrent of energy. The impact hit the ghost precisely as the ruby stone Jack had spotted swung into view. Hamilton's attack landed true, shattering the stone in a burst of light and energy, though it left him staggering, his arm all but ruined from the strain.
The Dread Ghost only staggered back a few steps, but the damage was done—the control stone had shattered. Jack could only watch as the Wailing Hound turned on its master, slashing at the ghost with its deadly claws.
Roaring with fury, the Dread Ghost retaliated, grabbing the hound's massive paw and snapping its long claws in two. The hound wailed in agony as the ghost tore it apart, tossing the wounded beast aside.
"Bossman, did you see it?" Aiko's voice was sharper, more focused.
"I did. The Dread Ghost's weakness is being burned by fire other than its own when it's in the chained form," Jack replied, stunned that Aiko's insight matched his Perception talent's revelation.
Hamilton fell to his knees, coughing up blood as his pulse spiked wildly. His body was failing under the strain of his attack, and within moments, he collapsed entirely, leaving Linzy scrambling frantically over her two dying friends.
The Dread Ghost grabbed the whimpering Wailing Hound by the neck, lifting the beast into the air as it thrashed and scratched helplessly.
Without wasting another second, Jack poured all 200 of his remaining points into leveling up his new talent to the second tier. He felt his stamina drain as he activated it, the power surging within him even as his energy waned.
This was the make-or-break moment.
[
System Warning
Stamina Residue ; < 5%
]
" It's an all or nothing Aiko ," he said , watching the ghost light up the hound to ashes.
The moon came out of the clouds , shining its light through the large windows and illuminating the ghost. The shattered remains of the ruby stone came into view , the mysterious concealing property having been destroyed by Hamilton's attack.
" Don't fret Bossman , this ghost was dead the moment you initialised the new talent ," Aiko manifested at Jack's right hand side with an arrogant condescending grin.
The moment the ghost took the first step forward towards Jack , the ground beneath it fractured in the pattern of a distorted spider web and a vent of high powered blue flames erupted and engulfed the Dread Ghost .
This powerful attack brought everything to a close.
[
System Notification
Killed Dread Ghost x1
Rewards ; points x400 , summoning tickets x2 , Dread Ghost Chain x 1 , Dread Ghost Bones x4
Personal Attributes Level Up ;
Durability 1 -> 2
Talent Alert ;
Constricted Surface cooldown duration - 4:00:00:00
]