Jack turned to Aiko. "What do you think about all this?"
"It's a grave mistake to seek refuge in Aiko's home world. The way humans are treated by the Beast Lords there—it's horrible, Bossman," Aiko said, her concern evident.
"What's she talking about? Is she from that world, like the monsters? We need to alert the military!" Carol reached for her radio, ready to call her superiors.
"No, Carol. I've tried the military way before." Jack took the radio from her grasp.
"And yes, Aiko's from the same world as the monsters," he continued. "Aiko, you mentioned there are other humans in Praiyas, living alongside these creatures?"
Aiko nodded solemnly. "Aiko hasn't been there for a long time, but when she was, most humans were slaves to the Beast Lords."
"Alright, we'll go over the details later. Carol, you said everyone is being moved to the portals. Do you know where Hamilton and the others might be?" Jack glanced at her, already piecing the connections together. "And I take it you and Hamilton already know each other?"
Carol's face tightened with an unspoken emotion. "We were together once, a long time ago. The result of that is why I stayed to watch over you."
Jack's eyes widened slightly, but he kept silent as Carol spoke on.
"We were a couple for a while, but things happened, and I got pregnant. I never told him—I didn't want it to seem like I was chasing him down for child support. I was doing well in my job and could provide for our son. I almost told him when we were in Parliament, but he didn't recognize me. Maybe it was the scar."
She took a steadying breath. "I pushed the thought away and focused on getting you to headquarters as fast as possible. I needed to save enough time to reach my son and the nanny. Last night, when you were fighting, the nanny called to say they were stranded. The rescue teams left without them, and now that area is crawling with monsters."
Jack's face softened. "You need my help to save them, don't you?"
"You're my only hope," Carol whispered.
"And to think you were ready to rat Aiko out just now," Aiko said with a touch of sarcasm, though she tempered it.
"Yes, Aiko. I'm sorry for that," Carol said sincerely, turning toward the butler girl. Despite Aiko's ethereal, bluish glow and slightly translucent form, Carol faced her without flinching.
Aiko opened her mouth to reply, but her eyes suddenly darted to the side. A chill swept through her. "Bossman, Aiko feels the presence of another System user."
Carol glanced nervously at Jack. "What does that mean?"
Jack's expression darkened as he looked up at the tallest skyscraper, where a lone figure in a cowboy hat stood silhouetted against the glowing sunrise.
"Is your child nearby?" Jack asked, already reviewing his System stats in preparation. This was going to be an all-out battle, and he needed everyone out of harm's way. Survival was uncertain.
"Just a few blocks from here," Carol said, urgency in her voice.
"Aiko, go with her. You know more about the creatures from Praiyas than anyone. With you there, they'll have a better chance of making it through safely."
Carol followed Jack's gaze to the cowboy. "Who is that?"
"Bossman is about to fight a big war. We need to move quickly or we'll just be in his way," Aiko interrupted, grabbing Carol's hand with an icy grip.
As Jack watched Aiko pull the protesting Carol away, he almost called out to remind Aiko not to abandon the child no matter what. But he stopped himself; it wasn't right to dictate how she risked her life.
This brought questions to his mind: was Aiko human ? Was she even alive?
Those many questions would unfortunately have to wait .
Ludicrous Caesar was already standing beside Jack , admiring the sunrise with him.
Swiftly , Jack started levelling up what he could in the System.
[
System Information
Stamina - Level 2
]
It cost him nearly all of his points to push both Stamina and Rejuvenation up a level each.
Rejuvenation took the most points , the upgrade cost of every talent seemingly going up with each level raised.
It was worth it however. Not only did the abilities become more powerful , but it also reduced the proportional stamina consumed when engaged.
[
System Information
Stamina - Level 3
Rejuvenation - Stage 1 ,level 4
Remaining Points - 50
]
Now having his stamina at level three and Rejuvenation holding six bars , he went for yet more power since the cowboy didn't seem to be in any hurry.
Killing the Soul Reaper had earned him three summoning tickets , which could unlock new talents if he was lucky .
He wasn't interested in a new artefact at the moment as that would probably be of no help against an opponent like Caesar.
He needed real Talents that could go toe to toe with Constricted Surface at the very least.
He disintegrated the summoning tickets and then waited . It was his lucky day indeed.
He got two three star talents and then one sweet five star.
[
System Information.
New Talents unlocked ;
Recharge - passively increases the rate of stamina regeneration
Manifest - summon the former living forms of talents to fight beside you.
Singularity - Draw energy from surrounding matter to fire off a powerful beam of energy that obliterates all in its path.
]
The first two were three stars and they installed almost immediately. The five star one , however, lagged behind.
As he waited for it to install , Jack decided to start a conversation with the cowboy.
"I still don't understand why you're after me," Jack said, his voice steady but shadowed with unease.
Caesar's eyes glinted with a cold, unsettling resolve. "The reason is beyond your understanding, Jack Kamphar. But let this linger upon own mind—as battle shakes this city to its core, I will ensure your name is seared upon memory."
Jack's pulse quickened, but he tried one last time for peace. "Is there any way to avoid this conflict? Tell me, and I'll do it."
A mocking smile curved on Caesar's lips. "Only single path exists: fall upon own sword. End life before this fight begins."
Jack's heart sank, the weight of the moment pressing down like iron chains. He exhaled, his breath forming a thin mist in the cool morning air. "I can't do that. It seems we're bound to fight until one of us falls."
Caesar stepped back, the early light casting long, dark shadows that twisted between them. "Your System stands improved, but still absent proper power. If defeat and death are your aim, then you march toward certain victory."
A sudden, heavy silence swept over the street as Jack braced himself.
He half-expected Caesar to conjure his floating prisms and unleash the storm of bullets he had barely survived last time. But Caesar's hands lifted, forming a simple yet deliberate boxing stance.
No tricks, no theatrics—just raw, unfiltered combat. The faint hum of the city in the distance seemed to fade as if the world held its breath.
Jack's Perception strained, but Caesar's abilities remained shrouded, unreadable as a sealed book. The sun climbed higher, painting the fractured skyline with hues of orange and red, the dawn caught in the shards of glass from broken windows.
"Let's see how you fight, Kamphar," Caesar murmured, shifting forward, his eyes locking onto Jack's with a predatory gleam.
Jack's muscles coiled, every fiber of his being ready for the storm that would follow.