Fading World ( Part 5 )
Jack was led out of the Parliament building in handcuffs, the survivors present regarding him with a mix of fear, apprehension, and disdain.
Each whisper that reached his ears felt like a dagger, but he steeled himself against their baseless murmurs. His gaze locked onto his three friends, who stood by the open military van awaiting him.
For a fleeting moment, panic surged within him—were they also being arrested? If so, he would have no choice but to confront the military and mages in a desperate fight to save them, regardless of the limited power he wielded within the System.
"I told you to fucking play along!" Hamilton stormed toward him, frustration etched across his features. "The government doesn't have to obey international law like the Mage Association does!"
"I know," Jack replied, a mixture of defiance and regret lacing his tone.
"Then why the hell would you… urrghh! You're driving me insane, Jack!" Hamilton's voice rose, his temper fraying as he struggled to contain his mounting exasperation.
Jack scanned the scene and caught sight of a hefty man standing nearby, a double-headed axe slung over his shoulder. The axe glowed with a fierce red light, unmistakable evidence that he was the warrior mage summoned to deal with him.
Jack's Perception talent sprang into action. Unlike with Caesar, where he'd been blindsided, he could now discern that the mage's abilities came at a steep cost, significantly hampering his speed and reflexes. This was a crucial advantage Jack could exploit when he set his escape plan into motion.
"I still didn't get to learn about his abilities. Information on First Classes is highly classified," Hamilton noted, frustration seeping into his voice as he caught Jack's focused expression.
"Worry about taking care of the girls. I might be gone for a long time," Jack said, his voice calm and reassuring, though he was unaware that he had just foreshadowed his uncertain future.
He stole a glance at Linzy, her eyes shimmering with barely contained tears. Beside her, Cynthia's expression mirrored the sorrow, though their bond had never been as close. The sight twisted in Jack's chest, intensifying the weight of impending separation.
"We don't have all day, Hamilton. Let the man pass," Henry emerged from the Parliament building, now clad in full military uniform, his chest adorned with the badges earned from years of service. The authority in his demeanor was palpable.
"I give you my word, Linzy will not come to any harm while I'm still here," Hamilton swore to Jack as he obeyed his superior, the intensity of his gaze a promise forged in loyalty.
With those words, Jack felt a heavy burden lift from his shoulders. Despite Hamilton's many shortcomings, one thing was certain: his word was his bond.
The warrior mage had arrived in a massive, heavily modified Jeep Wrangler that exuded as much menace as its driver. With a casual yet powerful motion, he tossed his enormous axe into the boot and secured it with leather straps integrated into the vehicle before sliding into the driver's seat and starting the engine.
"Didn't you hear the commander? Move!" barked a muscular female officer with short hair and a prominent scar cutting across her face. She took command from the mages handling Jack, gripping his arm as she led him to the back of the van.
Jack caught her taking a lengthy stare at Hamilton. Though Hamilton didn't notice, Jack sensed a history between them.
As the vehicle lurched forward, a group of five soldiers joined them in the cramped back space, the air thick with tension. Outside, the warrior mage followed closely behind, his Jeep's monstrous engine roaring to life, drowning out the sound of the van even for those inside.
"Step on it! We need to get him to headquarters before sundown!" the female officer shouted through the small opening to the driver's cabin.
"Yes, ma'am!" the driver responded, flooring the accelerator as the van surged onto the road.
The farther they drove from the city center, the more frequent the anguished cries of the Wailing Hounds became, their eerie howls slicing through the air like a knife.
The motorcade swerved and adjusted course, struggling to navigate around traffic blocks caused by panicked civilians crashing their cars in desperate attempts to escape the chaos. New portals had opened, spilling forth monstrous creatures and rendering previously marked routes impassable.
Jack's mind raced, contemplating the Dread Ghost. During the day, it would be an easy foe to defeat, but in the dark? He wondered if there were other monsters lurking in the shadows with similar traits. What kind of climate and ecosystem in Praiyas fostered such nightmarish adaptations? He resolved to bring it up with Aiko later.
"Can you believe they're dragging us through the mud for an ordinary civilian?" The muscular woman's voice broke through his thoughts, directed at the soldier beside her.
"Let's just get this done with, Carol. I've got two days of leave, and I plan to use them to get my son somewhere safe," the soldier replied tersely, a mixture of fatigue and frustration in his tone.
Carol sighed heavily, turning her sharp gaze on Jack. "You've been awfully quiet this whole time. Tell me, how do you and Hamilton Brook know each other?"
"Co-workers," he replied curtly, his mind still racing.
Without warning, the van jolted violently as Marcus, the driver, swerved to avoid something, throwing those without seatbelts hard against the metal sides.
"Dammit, Marcus!" Carol shouted, bracing herself against the wall.
"We're under attack by some wolf-like monsters! They're gaining on us and can move pretty fast!" Marcus shouted, his voice tinged with panic as he gripped the wheel tighter.
The air filled with gunfire as the soldier next to Carol opened the side window and aimed his rifle at the pursuing Wailing Hounds. The bullets ricocheted off the beasts, the sounds of metal striking flesh only serving to agitate them further.
"They're coming at us from the buildings!" Marcus shouted, veering left to avoid a hound that had leaped through a first-floor window, landing furiously on the tarmac, its howl echoing in frustration at missing its prey.
Suddenly, the warrior mage surged forward from behind, ramming into the hound with his monstrous Jeep. The impact sent the creature flying, where it was quickly trampled by the stampede of its brethren.
"Take the left! It leads to the tunnel!" Carol barked, her voice a commanding shout above the chaos. It was a sound judgment, a decision that could mean the difference between life and death.
Marcus obeyed, navigating the turns until they plunged into the darkness of the tunnel.
"What the hell? Are these monsters coordinating or something?" Carol cursed, fastening her seatbelt with urgency.
Jack's mind raced back to the ruby the Dread Ghost had wielded to command the hounds. He pushed that thought aside, recalling Aiko's mention of the bond of Stipulatio—its limitation to a maximum of three subjects. If they were being controlled, it had to be by something that didn't require the bond at all.
"Bossman, I think we're in terrible danger," Aiko's voice cut in, sharp and urgent.
"Yes, I can hear the Wailing Hounds all around us," he replied, his heart pounding in response to the rising tension.
"Who are you talking to?" Carol shot a bewildered glance at Jack, but his focus remained on Aiko.
"The hounds aren't the real threat, Bossman. If they're acting with this level of intelligence and coordination, then a Soul Reaper may be involved," Aiko continued, her tone grave.
Jack's stomach dropped as dread settled in. The shadows of the tunnel felt heavier now, and the low growls of the hounds echoed ominously, promising a confrontation that could spell disaster.
The blue screen appeared ,
[
System Notification
New Talent installed; Flowing Paradise
]
"What's a Soul Reaper?" Jack asked Aiko, deliberately ignoring both Carol and the System, his focus narrowing to the impending danger.
Before she could respond, Marcus slammed on the brakes, swerving the van hard against the left wall of the tunnel, bringing it to a screeching halt.
"What the hell, Marcus?" Carol shot up from her seat, frustration etched across her face.
"We're surrounded, Ma'am. And it's worse—there are people too," Marcus stammered, his voice betraying his fear.
"What do you mean, people? Civilians?"
"Ma'am, I think they're zombies," he whispered, horror creeping into his tone.
Fate seemed to conspire against them as a Wailing Hound tore off one of the van's back doors. As the warrior mage pulled out and engaged this beast, a zombie leaped over his head, crashing into the van's interior.
Jack barely caught a glimpse of the hound, but its emaciated, skeletal frame was unmistakable, a far cry from the muscular forms he had faced before. The creature's bones jutted beneath its scaly skin, giving it a grotesque appearance.
The zombie was just as disturbing: humanoid, with empty eye sockets and shriveled, wart-covered skin. Jack's stomach churned as he realized that its eyes were still present, but had shrunk into desiccated husks, eerily resembling the Wailing Hound's hideous visage.
Carol sprang into action, unleashing a hail of bullets that ripped through the zombie's frail body. Unlike the hounds, it had little durability; it crumpled to the ground ,giving out a cloud of grey dust where blood should have flowed.
The warrior mage laughed as the remaining Wailing Hounds closed in around him, their ghostly mist swirling ominously in the air. He had initially hesitated to take on the task of overseeing Jack, believing it beneath his capabilities. Now, with powerful beasts circling him, he felt a rush of exhilaration at the chance to unleash his war axe.
"Come at me!" he bellowed, swinging a thundering uppercut that caved in the skull of one ambitious hound that leaped forward.
Jack watched in shock and awe as the mage dispatched the creature with a single blow. But the rest of the pack, undeterred by the fate of their comrade, launched a rapid, coordinated attack. The warrior mage's skin, tough as iron, absorbed their blows with relative ease, his focus entirely on the relentless swing of his axe.
"Hamilton was right to want to avoid fighting this monster," Jack thought, a wave of gratitude washing over him for not being one of the hapless hounds being slaughtered.
But as the mage's axe cleaved through the throat of another hound, Jack's heart sank. Instead of blood, the same grey dust billowed out, confirming his fears. He was sure Wailing Hounds had blood—he could still taste the bitter tang of it lingering on his tongue. The warrior mage paused, seemingly aware of this disturbing detail, before resuming his brutal assault.
"You have to release me from these cuffs at once," Jack urged Carol, sensing that the situation was about to spiral further into chaos.
She reached for her keys, but before she could free him, her radio crackled to life, cutting through the mounting tension.
"Is this Lieutenant Carol Malik? Over."
"Yes, this is Lieutenant Carol Malik. Over," she replied, her tone sharp with urgency.
"Lieutenant, the army headquarters has come under attack. Confirm you have received this information. Over."
"Yes, yes, I have received the information. Over."
"Good. Stand by for further instructions. Over and out."