Chapter 26 - My Hands
Jack… loved power. From the moment he became conscious of the world, he knew that power truly ruled everything. Nothing in this world moves without power being the catalyst for it. Whether it was things as big as political feuds and wars, or as small as family dramas and pesky debates between friends.
No amount of rules or regulations could stop true and absolute power. Jack knew that, and he found it quite intriguing. In his head, he wanted to at least taste that sense of power once in his life and see why many men sacrificed their lives, killed, and stole in order to reach that term… absolute and unrivaled power.
However, sadly or not, he knew he was not going to get that. He was a normal person, in a world filled with normal people. All those who became notable characters in history all had a unique upbringing in some way or another.
Not him. He was thoroughly normal, to the point where it even felt sickening in a way.
However, in an ironic twist of fate, the entire world was flipped on its head in a few seconds, and Jack found himself grasping a power so profound that it could truly lead him to that distant thought he had.
At that very moment, it had been exactly three hours and a few minutes since he came across this power. But, if Jack had to pinpoint a moment where everything truly began for him, a moment where he truly understood the kind of terrifying being he could become, it was that moment.
As the notifications rolled in, and as the endless power flooded his body like a broken dam, he understood. He understood very well.
'I can be…' he thought. 'I can be everything…'
It wasn't a mere arrogant thought or something he felt in the heat of the moment. Jack was completely aware, lucid, and thinking. He knew that this surge of power he received as those monsters got burnt alive or buried under rubble was the true capacity of evolution.
He could get stronger, faster, smarter, heal fatal injuries, and conjure powers beyond the scope of the human mind.
He could truly and utterly be everything. A god amongst men.
That realization, as cold as it was, was the very first moment when Jack understood… what kind of gates he was about to open.
After what felt like hours of continuous and relentless notifications, everything came to a halt as the entire building collapsed and the fire ate everything.
The entire group watched the scene from afar in silence, staring at the remains of the cafeteria. Nobody dared to speak. Even if what they did was to survive, and even if what they killed were mere feral monsters, they still couldn't get the idea that these were people not that long ago out of their heads.
It had been merely hours since the start of all these events, so none of them truly felt right killing humans.
"..."
"...It's… over," Alex muttered in a daze.
"Yeah…"
"We actually made it out somehow…"
They spoke not for any important reason, but to seek comfort from the feeling of dread washing over their bodies.
Meanwhile, Jack and Luna were too preoccupied with the changes their bodies were going through.
"It seems you have gained quite a bit of strength, Jack," Liliana said with an amused look on her face. 'From level 2 to level 9 in one single instant… this kid is something else.'
"I…" Jack tried to speak, only to lose track of what he was going to say.
[You have acquired 3 Skill Stamps.][You have acquired 3 Item Stamps.]
As if what he didn't get was enough, the system gave him six stamps, three of each type.
"Fuuuuh…" Jack exhaled a long breath as he tried to channel his Aether. Immediately, he noticed a big difference. His Aether moved faster, was thicker and more present. It even boosted his body strength way better.
'My senses also feel way sharper. I can see and hear farther than ever.'
Staring around him, Jack felt as if the entire world was different now. It was more colorful and lively. He could sense smaller details way better, giving him a whole new perspective. His body also felt a lot lighter and his reaction speed was way more precise.
'I didn't expect I would get so much power… I only wished to get a few kills in and maybe level up once or twice… but…'
What he got was something way beyond his imagination.
[Name: Jack Ashenblood][Age: 17][Status: Alive][Realm: Earth][Level: 9 (20/900)][Bloodline: Unknown][Skills: Mind Manipulation][Title: None][Stats:Strength: 32 (+13)Agility: 30 (+13)Stamina: 33 (+13)Aether: 165 (+13)Health: 28 (+13)][Bonus Points: 18]
It was… unbelievable. Jack stood there, staring at the changes he experienced. Almost all his stats had reached the 30-point mark, meaning he was at least three times stronger than an average human at that point.
'I became three times stronger than a normal person in three hours… merely three hours,' he muttered.
It sounded like a dream or a made-up idea, but it was true, and he could feel it.
"Oh my, those are some colorful stats you have there, darling~" Liliana said with a small whistle. "It's rare to see someone level up that quickly."
Jack didn't reply and looked at Luna.
"How many levels did you gain?" he asked.
"I'm… level 7…" she said, still clearly exploring her newfound power. "Also 5 stamps."
'I guess the system judged that her influence is slightly behind mine,' he mused.
"We need to start moving," he said as he closed the system menu and focused on the group. "The noise will soon attract more and more monsters. We can't risk staying here."
While the gains from this mission were there, way more than Jack and the others expected, they still hadn't completely fulfilled the main goal of the mission — to get all the supplies out.
'We have lost an entire cart, which isn't ideal,' he thought. 'But with this much strength gained, we can deal with that later.'
"Yeah, we should leave. I don't feel safe here," Emi said.
"But where can we go? The entire city is on fire," Alex replied with a concerned look on his face.
"We can't go back into the school either," Evan replied. "Our best chance is to head to the outskirts of the city where the population is smaller, and find a good shelter there."
"Yeah. There are plenty of good locations for that," Luna replied. "Anything surrounded by forests or hidden would be perfect."
"It's settled then. We will head to the outskirts."
With their next step being clear, the group turned around and left the area in a hurry. They could hear the grunts of monsters in the distance as they slowly approached the source of the noise. No place in this doomed city was safe.
Even as they walked through the wrecked streets, heading toward a place they wished existed, the constant reminder of danger was there.
And their very first journey began.