I kept the ledger to show it to Valentine as soon as I got back. I retraced my steps through the hospital corridors. I saw thousands of deformed corpses—some without skin on their faces, others just bones with no flesh, and those that still held some human identity had broken arms, legs, or organs spilling from their bodies. It was a truly terrifying and disgusting scene.
Many of these corpses had bits of spiderweb surrounding their bodies or skulls in different positions.
"Great... something just dripped on my head. A leak, maybe?"
Jack looked straight up at the ceiling. Just then, Sonia's corpse fell from above, mouth wide open.
Jack instantly charged his body with electricity, and Sonia's teeth shattered upon making contact with his neck.
"Graaaaahhh!" Multiple screams echoed nearby.
"Dammit! No... I didn't know these bastards were going to get up all at once."
Sonia began throwing clumsy punches at Jack. He dodged them easily. He grabbed both her arms and instantly slammed her skull into the floor, knocking her out.
Several creatures began breaking through doors and walls to get to Jack.
"Dammit... there's too many!" he shouted, ready to start running through the hospital.
Right... kick door...
Left... block door...
Right... 20 ahead...
They all turned toward me; several began to run, trying to block every escape route— except the one behind them.
I began to accelerate and jumped over them using vibration. I watched them closely; one of them started to smile as I bypassed their blockade.
Left... 100 ahead... block door. Right... kick door... clear...
Right... 1,000 inside... Dammit! What's happening?
Left... block door...
Right... Basketball court... A court?
Five dead individuals—very different from the others—emerged from the darkness. In front of them was a huge sign written in blood: "HELIX BASTARDS."
And most interestingly, the corpses in front wore strange military uniforms with logos on the front and back that read: "Helix."
All at once, they extended their right hands with fingers open. When they clenched their fists, their veins began to bulge light blue, and steam started rising from their bodies.
"This just got complicated," I whispered between sighs.
"Graaahhhh!" one of them roared as two lunged forward and two others began running to the right and left at the same speed.
I charged my body with electricity to stop those in front. But I only managed to grab one's arm and slam it into the other. One landed a blow on a vital point between my heart and chest, and another knocked my teeth out. I met the floor for the first time.
"You bastards... that hurt," I said, getting up from the ground, spitting blood and several teeth.
Dammit... these freaks are strong.
I lunged at the leader and began attacking with electricity-boosted punches and kicks as fast as I could.
Left punch... clean block.
Right punch... minimal deflection.
Right kick... counter to the ribs with palms.
"Dammit!"
His posture shifted. He lowered his center of gravity.
He thrust his left foot forward, breaking my balance. I felt myself losing my footing. Before I hit the air, his heel was already descending, charged with electricity.
The impact buried me into the floor.
It wasn't just strength. It was technique. Jack was unconscious for a few seconds.
….
Memory:
"Jack, defend yourself like I taught you."
"You'll never be the best fighter in the world like that."
….
"Shut up. I'm sick of hearing the same thing..."
Jack stands up again, spitting out the last of the teeth he lost. His posture changes. He lowers his center of gravity.
He extends his right foot forward. He stands sideways.
He extends his right arm, palm open, fingers firm and together.
He pulls his left arm back, keeping it raised, palm facing up. He breathes slowly and deeply.
"Come on... you bastards!" he shouted, beckoning them with his fingers for a formal fight. "Graaahhh," the leader roared again.
At the same time, the four began to accelerate in different directions, converging on Jack.
They're trying to confuse me... Who will attack first?...
And I can't use Tempo with them... something is watching me from the shadows.
One lunged from the front. Another followed a second later.
The other two attacked simultaneously from the right and left.
Punch to the left... dodge. Kick to the right... dodge. He took two steps back.
Both were forced to take the brunt of their own momentum, colliding and falling to the ground.
However, Jack shifted his center of gravity forward. He extended his left palm, fingers open.
His right hand descended to his waist, fist clenched, pointing upward.
In one motion, he tore through the skull of the one who lunged from the front with a brutal slash.
At the same time, the one coming from the air was blocked and repelled with both palms extended, flying several meters back.
"One down... four to go!" he shouted.
The skull fragments hit the floor as he let go.
The remaining three began charging their hands and feet with electricity simultaneously.
They lowered their centers of gravity. They extended their palms and opened their fingers into a claw position.
"If these corpses won't attack... then I will."
Chapter 18.2: Resolve: Fight or Fall.
Jack began to vibrate on the ground as he charged his fists with electricity. He lowered his center of gravity and lunged forward with everything he had.
One of them stopped the blow, rotating his left arm down and his right arm up, fingers open; however, his wrists snapped from the impact.
They began walking in circles around me, closing in. All of them had their center of gravity low, hands extended in front—one slightly behind the other—never taking their eyes off me.
I lowered my center of gravity again. I started vibrating my hands and feet at the same time.
The three lunged at me from different points at once. Jack blocked the blows from the right and left with force, rotating both palms with fingers finely open. He slammed their skulls together, shattering them. He jumped into the air, extended his left leg, and landed a kick on the one in front. His head flew back with force against their leader, piercing his chest in the process.
He hits the ground. He shifts his center of gravity forward, extending his right hand with fingers open and pointing down, and his left hand in the same position and height, slightly further back.
It's interesting—these guys can keep their electrical ability active even after attacking me.
The leader falls to his knees; seconds later, he stands. He extends his right arm and begins heating his body until the hole in his chest regenerates. Once finished, he lowers his center of gravity toward Jack and extends his hands with fingers pointing down, one hand slightly behind the other.
Leader: Right-hand strike... light block.
Jack: Left-hand strike... light block.
Leader: Right kick to the neck... block and counter-strike to the neck. He falls. Jack maintains the same position.
The leader stands up: Right-hand strike... straight to the face.
Jack: Right-hand strike... straight to the face.
Jack: Right kick... straight to the chest.
The leader falls to his knees again. Jack spits blood and wipes his mouth. The corpse stands once more, returning to the initial stance.
Jack holds his position.
Leader: Begins charging his fists and feet with electricity.
Left-hand strike, followed by right-hand strike... block and counter with palms to the chest. He stumbles back.
Jack: Begins vibrating both hands and feet.
Left-hand strike, followed by right-hand strike... the corpse's teeth fly out. Then a right
kick, followed by a left kick to the neck—it dislocates his neck, leaving him disoriented.
Jack seizes the moment, extending his right hand in a vibrating claw and pierces his skull, tearing it apart instantly.
"I'm sorry... but I don't plan on dying today, especially not here!" Jack muttered, dropping
the fragments of the leader's skull to the floor.
There's something else here. Every corpse I defeated dropped a piece of spiderweb from its
face...
Chapter 18.3: Barrier: The Bold Predator.
The air vibrated.
A low hiss echoed through the room, followed by a slow creak, as if something massive were adjusting its body from within. Then... the clicks. Rhythmic. Annoying.
Heh... that's some interesting pressure.
"Sssssrrrk..."
The sound didn't come from a single point. It bounced off the walls, slid across the ceiling, and seeped between the bodies. The air grew tense. The clicking stopped.
From the ceiling ahead, right above the blood-written message "HELIX BASTARDS," a gigantic mass began to descend.
First one leg.
Then another.
Then several more—too long, too articulated. This wasn't a spider from this world.
The front wall groaned.
Concrete began to tear slowly as a thick mist spread across the court, blocking any escape routes.
Ah... she's annoyed. The bitch.
"It's unforgivable. No one has the right to use other people's lives as toys and then get angry when they're taken away!" Jack shouted. Gradually, the sounds of destruction and the mist came to a halt.
"That's why, you bitch... I'm going to crush you!" Jack's voice rose even louder.
The giant mass began running straight for Jack, stopping less than two meters away. It stared at him and began smashing the ground.
"Hey... hey. It's rude to attack people without introducing yourself."
Interesting. Ten legs and ten eyes. Roughly five to seven meters tall... she's massive.
"Nice to meet you... you bastard. My name is Jack, and you must be Arachne, right? Today, I'll be your executioner. Be grateful... today you die once and for all," he shouted. Arachne didn't take her eyes off him.
"Here I go."
Jack began vibrating his feet and hands. He jumped straight for the giant spider's eyes. He extended his left hand, charging it with electricity, and let it go slowly, aimed right at his target. However, halfway there, he felt something invisible stop him.
Seconds later, he was sent flying backward, slamming into the wall. "Dammit, that hurt!" he said, slowly detaching himself from the wall. Arachne raised her two front legs and began to clap.
Jack fell to the ground without any explanation.
"He... he... he... Rakast thru..." Arachne's voice echoed.
The laughter didn't come from her mouth. It vibrated in the air, as if the place itself were mocking him.
"Heh... you can talk? That's surprising!" Jack exclaimed, getting up from the ground.
But I can't understand the language of these creatures. Still, the damn thing seems to be having fun with me.
Electricity began to flow through Jack's body again, covering his hands and feet. He pressed firmly against the ground with knees semi-flexed. He lunged at Arachne at lightning speed, covering his hands in fire.
"Get ready, you bitch!" he shouted, swinging his right fist at the face of the giant mass. However, an invisible wall stopped his blow. Jack was still in the air. He began to smile. "Fun... but I'm not done yet."
He instantly drove his vibrating elbow forward and pierced through the invisible wall.
Arachne retreated immediately.
I still can't figure out her ability.
Arachne clapped downward. Jack hit the ground again, losing several more teeth.
"Dammit... I'm tired of losing teeth today!" he yelled, standing up and spitting blood and the lost teeth.
The pressure in the room shifted. The air became more fierce. Arachne was pissed.
"Wow, looks like you're finally getting serious... bitch!"
Arachne turned her head to the left: the pressure concentrated near Jack's position. She fixed her eyes on her target. Seconds later, Jack began to be crushed from all directions, with no escape and no way to act.
Jack began charging his hands and feet with electricity, landing several consecutive blows against the barrier. Every strike was useless.
Dammit, the space is getting smaller. What is she doing? I have to think fast.
Jack began to concentrate the vibration in his arms and expanded the electricity outside his body.
Now I get it... it's not just vibration. Part of her invisible barrier is electricity.
Dammit, she's going to crush me in minutes. If my next move doesn't work, nothing will.
Jack began charging his left fist with electricity, vibration, and fire. Just as he was about to strike the barrier to stop its advance and break out, Arachne held it for a few seconds. Jack managed to connect his fist with the barrier.
"Dammit... it didn't work!" he said, his face a mix of disgust and desperation.
He deactivated the fire and vibration, keeping the electricity for a few seconds. He extended both hands toward the barrier with his eyes closed, and... the barrier shattered.
"Oh! Holy Mother..." he whispered, slowly opening one eye.
What the hell did I do? I don't get it... why did the barrier break? Analyzing the situation, it broke upon contact the moment I deactivated all my abilities except the electrical flow.
Jack turned to where the giant mass was, and she was on the ground, unconscious.
"Wow... looks like you've reached your limit! It's time to finish you!"
Arachne opened a few of her eyes. "Hee... hee."
Jack deactivated the electricity and spread the vibration throughout his entire body. He pressed hard against the ground and lunged straight at his prey. He struck with his hand in a claw position against her head and tore through her skull.
The air vibrated... as if, even at the end, it was mocking him.
"You weren't weak... you just lacked endurance," he whispered, leaving the place.
Autor Note.
Hi everyone,
The next chapters are 2k words+
Thanks for support!