Jack awoke with a headache and an unusual sense of clarity. The first thing he realized was that he couldn't move. His hands and feet were securely bound, and he lay firmly strapped to the back of one of the fighters. The taste of iron on his tongue and the sting of wounds reminded him of the fierce battle, which, judging by his current state, hadn't ended in his favor. He tried to summon his power, to unlock even the first seal, but it was impossible—there was neither the familiar warmth of connection with the parasite nor the sensation of its presence in his mind.
"Where is it?" a troubled thought flitted through his mind. Jack felt defenseless, as though he'd lost an essential part of himself. Despite this, he experienced a strange sense of relief and clarity—the parasite no longer whispered to him, provoking anger and aggression.
Soon, the group members noticed he had opened his eyes and exchanged glances. However, they didn't say a word and continued moving. Jack realized that this group, being strong enough, didn't consider him a serious threat. He tried to ask questions, but his body was too weak even to speak. Understanding this, he decided to wait for the right moment.
After some time, the group stopped for a rest. One of the fighters laid Jack on the ground near the fire but left him bound, watching him intently and not allowing him to stand. For the first time in a long while, Jack felt peaceful. The absence of the parasite allowed him to think clearly, although he felt uneasy not knowing why they hadn't killed him.
As the group kindled a fire and began preparing dinner, Jack realized this was his chance to get answers to his questions. The group members seemed to ignore him, but he couldn't help noticing one of the fighters—a man with a serious gaze—watching him as if assessing how much Jack had recovered.
Soon, they removed the ropes, allowing him to sit by the fire. One of the fighters handed him a piece of meat from an unknown creature on a spit, and Jack, hungry after the battle, accepted it. Gaining strength, he finally decided to ask:
"Why didn't you kill me? I remember the fight, and it seemed you were fighting me as if it were life or death."
One of them, a man with short dark hair, replied:
"You attacked us yourself, as if you'd lost control. We were only defending ourselves, but we didn't intend to kill you. So, when we neutralized you, we just decided to take you with us."
The man's words bewildered Jack. His memories of the attack were blurry, and now he began to doubt if everything had been as it seemed. He understood that the parasite had influenced his mind, but to such an extent…
The man continued:
"My name is Ron, ranked S," he said, nodding at a woman beside him, "This is May. Our other companions are Frederick, Felix, and Alice."
Each of them nodded to Jack in greeting. They watched him, and he realized they were waiting for his response.
"My name is Jack," he replied briefly.
Then Ron, looking directly at him, asked:
"We saw how, during the battle, you suddenly increased your strength. Even for me, at rank C, it wasn't easy to stand against you. What is this power?"
Jack didn't want to reveal the whole truth, but he understood that hiding it would be pointless. He explained the parasite and how his strength came as a result of this symbiosis. Most of the group listened with interest, but Mary frowned upon hearing about the parasite. She said:
"Never use that power again if you want to keep your sanity. I've seen it before. There was a fighter named Carter, a member of my first group. He found an artifact sword in some local ruins, and his power grew quickly too, but each day Carter lost control. In the end, he started attacking people, and we had to isolate him. He could have been the strongest in our region, but now he's in prison because he became a danger to all of us."
Jack froze, thinking over her words. He realized that the parasite did indeed pose a threat to his identity and his goals, just as it had with Carter. Mary warned him further:
"We're going to keep an eye on you for a while to make sure you can control this power. If it can be controlled, we'll let you go."
Jack nodded, feeling an odd sense of relief. Perhaps he did need to learn to control his strength and preserve his freedom and mental clarity in the process.
Ron then explained that their group was heading to a large shelter located about fifty kilometers away.
"About ten thousand people live in this shelter now," Ron began, watching the sparks from the fire. "But in reality, everything here is under the control of the Asmus clan. They're the only group guarding the portal back to Earth."
Jack tensed.
"Are you saying there's a portal?" he asked, suppressing a surge of hope.
"There is," Ron confirmed, "but no one will just let you through it. Only members of the clan can return home. For that, you'd have to officially join Asmus. Everyone else has to pay the clan just to stay in the shelter, and as for using the portal, that's out of the question."
"But I could join the clan, right?" Jack lowered his voice, but Ron shook his head.
"It's harder than you think," Mary interjected. "To join the clan, you'd need to sign a slave contract with the clan leader. This will seriously limit your freedom, and you'll become clan property."
Jack leaned back, stunned.
"So the clan literally controls everyone?" he asked, unable to hide his disappointment.
"Yes," Ron nodded. "The clan leader, Cedric Asmus, is the only rank A in the camp. He's incredibly powerful, with seven rank-Bs under his control, over a hundred rank-Cs, and an unknown number of rank-Ds."
This revelation left Jack completely unsettled. He tried to imagine the strength needed to take down an opponent of that caliber.
"Is there really no alternative?" he asked quietly, barely hoping for an answer.
"There is," Mary replied. "There are five guilds in the camp. They're organized by the strongest rank-B fighters and try to keep the clan in check. But the clan has too much power, and so far, none of the guilds dare start an open conflict."
Listening to them, Jack sank deeper into his thoughts, realizing he was faced with a serious dilemma. On one side was the option of joining the clan, gaining the right to return, and seeing his family again. But that path would mean a total loss of freedom, turning him into one of the clan's fighters and subjecting himself to their strict rules.
He tried to weigh each side. On one hand, he'd have a chance to survive, develop his strength under the clan's protection, and perhaps someday return to Earth. On the other, every part of his life would be under control. Jack, used to relying solely on himself, struggled to accept this option.
"Hasn't anyone in the camp tried to escape their influence?" he asked, glancing at Ron and the others.
"Many have tried," Ron replied, "but Cedric is too smart to let anyone escape. The Asmus clan controls resources, protection, even access to crucial information. Everyone who wanted freedom eventually came back under his rule, having no other choice."
Mary looked at Jack seriously and added, "Your power Mary grows, and that's your chance to stay free. But one day you'll have to choose—return home or keep forging your path here in Aurora."
Jack began to realize that despite his longing to see his family, his thirst for freedom outweighed everything else. He could stay in Aurora and try to develop on his own, becoming stronger without clans or servitude. He kept this thought to himself, but the fear of the future grew.
Resolving firmly, Jack decided he was ready to go his own way. Once he was sure of his choice, he asked the question he had wanted to ask for a long time:
"Can I join you? I'll help with expeditions and learn to control my power."
Mary gave him an appraising look. "That's impossible for now," she replied. "You've seen how easily you lose control. We can't take an unstable element into the team."
Jack nodded, accepting her words, but this only strengthened his resolve to retain his freedom and find his path to strength.