Rownak opened his eyes, still dizzy from the flood of memories Jay had shared with him. He sat in silence for a moment, letting it sink in.
Everything he needed to know from the past month; Jay's near-death experiences, the millions of Alpha Chosen from across the galaxy, the powers they wielded, the terrifying changes that come with the System's assimilation was laid bare.
At first it terrified him, but with how powerful and resourceful Jay had become, it was also reassuring.
And then came urge to join. He too wanted to step into this foreign world, to take part in the coming Trial Programs and grow strong before assimilation fully began.
"You mentioned you can let someone access their Innate Talent even before the System Assimilation," Rownak said, excitement brimming in his voice.
"Why don't we do that now? I can't wait to find out what mine is!"
Jay shook his head at his eager friend. "Hold your horses, Action Star. First, you need to understand the implications."
He explained the extent of control he would have over Rownak's talent once he became an Origin Sigil Holder.
But Rownak didn't even flinch. He shrugged. "That's it? You made it sound too serious. After all these years of friendship, you really thought I'd care about something like that? Skip the the terms and conditions. Just get started already!"
Jay smiled inwardly at the trust placed in him. "Alright, alright. But at least wait a while. We have someone to meet first."
Rownak gave him a confused look. "Who exactly are we meeting?"
"You'll find out soon," Jay replied casually with a hint of mystery in his tone.
Rownak scowled lightly, sipping from his water bottle. "Tch. Fine. Play mysterious. Then I'll keep you in suspense too about the gift I bought you."
Jay smirked. "You mean the imported twin-cylinder bike that's on its way to my place? It'll be another two hours before it's delivered."
Rownak spat water. "Pft… have some privacy, jeez! Don't peek into my head like that."
Jay chuckled. "Didn't need to. MJ informed me. He's been keeping track."
Rownak groaned as he wiped his shirt. "Kiddo, gifts are supposed to be surprises."
MJ appeared between them, floating with a sheepish smile. "I'll be mindful next time, Mr. Rownak."
Rownak pointed at him with mock sternness. "What's with the 'Mister'? You're barely a month old. Call me Uncle already."
MJ's smiled brightly. "Hehe… Okay, Uncle Rownak."
Rownak couldn't hold back a small laugh at the adorable baby and pinched his cheek before turning to Jay.
"Anyway, I didn't expect Sana to be there in that mall. Back when she broke up with you, I even wrote her a long essay to convince her otherwise, but she just blocked me. Hmph! Judging from the look on her face today, I bet she regretted it. Good thing you didn't erase her memories. She deserves to remember them!"
Jay stayed silent. Rownak caught the slight discomfort in his expression from mentioning her and quickly changed the topic.
"MJ said earlier you didn't erase the livestreamer's memories like you did with the others. Why's that?"
Jay didn't avoid the question this time. "MJ, show him information on Martin's innate talent."
MJ projected the details in the air. Rownak scanned them, his eyes widening. "What a weird talent. No wonder you left his memories alone, he'd just get them back anyway."
His excitement quickly returned. "Now you've really got me curious. What about me? Come on, at least reveal what my talent is!"
Jay gave him the same mysterious look. "Not yet. For now, I'll just say it's of the Variant Category. I haven't seen one like it before. But it'll be difficult to gather everything needed to unlock its full potential."
Rownak folded his arms in mock frustration. "Tell me already!"
Jay only smirked. "We've arrived."
Rownak blinked and looked out the window. "We're out of the city. Don't tell me… is this where the underground base is?"
Jay nodded and steered the car straight toward an empty patch of forest. Rownak's face tensed, worried they were about to crash, but he said nothing and simply trusted Jay.
The ground split open, just wide enough for the car to slip through. Once they passed, it sealed itself behind them. Only then did Rownak sigh in relief.
The camouflage faded, revealing the car's true form as it descended onto a circular metallic platform, shaped like a helipad but enclosed by cylindrical walls.
The car doors opened, and as they stepped out, a section of the wall shifted to reveal an elevator entrance where there had been nothing moments ago.
Rownak stared in amazement and hurried after Jay. They entered, and the elevator began to descend.
At first, it felt like they had only descended a few dozen meters, but the elevator's display told a different story. They were already a thousand meters below the surface, and they weren't even halfway there.
MJ elaborated on the vast scale and operations hidden below: medicine research, S.E.E.D. technology production, training spaces, living quarters. Rownak could only marvel at such a massive structure buried so deep beneath the surface.
"Cool! It's like having a private base. Safer than any military bunker. This would be perfect to hide our parents once the world changes," Rownak said, his eyes still scanning the massive underground complex.
Jay nodded. "It's a safe spot, yes. But hiding won't be enough. It's better to make them stronger, to give them the means to protect themselves. I don't plan to involve them in the Trial Programs, but I have other ways to help them grow while staying on Earth."
He explained a few of his plans, and Rownak slowly relaxed, reassured that his mother and sister would not be left vulnerable.
As they talked, the two of them moved through long corridors until they stopped in front of a room. Jay turned to Rownak, his eyes carrying a weight that made his friend pause.
"The life of the person inside… will be yours to decide."
Confusion flickered across Rownak's face, but it didn't last. The door hissed open, and his eyes landed on a large cylindrical tank filled with pale green liquid.
Inside floated a scarred man, middle-aged, hooked up to recovery machines. The display read: HibernationRecovery 91%.
Scars covered his body, making recognition difficult, but Rownak recognised that face.
He would never forget the man responsible for his father's death.
The Chairman of the Quadnite Conglomerate.
Jay raised a hand, and a mechanical arm descended from the ceiling, pierced into the man's back, dragging him out of the pod.
The green fluid splashed as the chairman was yanked from his fragile state of healing and dumped onto the floor like trash.
He gasped awake, coughing, blinking wildly. And then his eyes fell on Jay.
He scrambled weakly across the floor, his voice breaking into desperate mutters.
"Just kill me! End it already!"
Jay stood impassive, watching him without a flicker of sympathy.
Rownak, however, shook with long-held hatred. His chest heaved, his jaw clenched. Slowly, step by step, he closed the distance until he crouched in front of the broken man.
His hand trembled as he pulled out his phone, scrolling until he found a single photo.
He shoved the screen forward. His voice shook with fury. "DO YOU REMEMBER HIM?"
The chairman said nothing, his eyes dull with resignation.
"LOOK AT THIS! TELL ME WHO THIS MAN IS!"
Still silence.
Rownak's hands trembled harder. He pressed the phone closer to the man's face, his voice rising with each word.
When there was still no response, Rownak snapped. He dropped the phone and swung a right hook, landing it squarely on the Chairman's jaw. The man's head snapped sideways, his body collapsing to the floor.
"Just answer me, goddamn it!"
Rownak didn't stop. He hammered him again and again, fists slamming into flesh and bone.
"That's my dad!!" he screamed, tears streaking his face. "Because of you, I'll never see him again!"
Punch! Punch!
"Because of you, my mother cries herself to sleep every night!"
Punch! Punch! Punch!
"All for what? Just because you wanted to crush a competitor?!"
Punch! Punch! Punch!
"Do you even know what it's like? To lose someone you love, and live with it every day without being able to do a damn thing?!"
It went on for several minutes before his fists gave out. His skin on his knuckles tore open, his blood mixing with the Chairman's. The ground was splattered with blood, broken teeth, and the remains of green liquid residue from the recovery pod.
And yet, the Chairman never screamed, never raised an arm to shield himself. His face stayed blank, almost lifeless, as if he had long grown used to pain.
Breathless, fists raw and trembling, Rownak finally stopped. He turned to Jay, confusion clouding his anger. He couldn't help but mutter, barely loud enough to hear.
"What… what did you do to make him like this?"
Instead of answering, Jay said in a flat voice as he walked toward the wall on the right.
"That's not how you break him."
He lifted a hand, and the wall parted, revealing another chamber.
Inside was an identical room; a cylindrical recovery pod, the same sterile lights, the mechanical hook hanging from the ceiling. But unlike before, the hook held a figure.
And for the first time, the Chairman reacted. His eyes widened, his body shook as a strangled sound tore from his throat.
"Son?! My Son!!"
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Due to ongoing piracy concerns, the final 22 chapters of Volume 3 (Ch.351 to 372) are not posted publicly. They are exclusively available through:
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