章節 2: Shattered Republic (Part 2)

Shattered Republic (Part 2)

Jack Kamphar staggered back as the woman's body crumpled to the floor.

He recognized her—the new intern, full of potential and just starting her journey. Now, her life was cut short, her body lying motionless on the cold tiles.

Then it struck him—she'd been trying to keep something out of the washroom.

The remaining fluorescent lights shattered with an earsplitting pop, and the room descended into fractured shadows as an eerie hum pulsed through the air.

The low-frequency vibrations felt as if they were resonating in his bones.

A chorus of ghostly wails filled the room, seeming to echo from nowhere and everywhere all at once, growing louder as the bathroom door crashed to the ground, burying the girl's lifeless body beneath it.

[SYSTEM INSTALLING...80%]

A chill raced up Jack's spine, and his senses sharpened, a primal fear taking hold.

"What the…?"

Standing atop the shattered door frame was a creature unlike anything Jack had ever seen.

It looked like a twisted cross between a wolf and something far more grotesque.

Its massive, hulking form was covered in thick, interlocking scales, their edges sharp enough to glint even in the faint light.

Long, razor-sharp claws extended from its forelimbs, curving grotesquely to the point where they nearly joined at the knees.

Its body emitted a swirling white smoke that clung to its frame, distorting its outline like some hellish mirage.

And though it had no eyes, Jack felt its unblinking focus pinning him in place as it crouched, preparing to lunge.

"Move!" a female voice screamed urgently in his mind.

In an instant, Jack flung himself sideways, barely evading the creature's snapping jaws as he crashed into the cold steel of a water sink.

Pain shot through his ribs, and the water tap twisted from the impact, hissing as water spurted into the room.

The beast was impossibly fast, and a brush of its claws scraped along Jack's arm, peeling skin like tissue paper and leaving a trail of searing pain.

Blood dripped from his forearm, and a prickling burn spread over the wound, as though the very touch of the creature were poisonous.

But the beast's size worked against it as it lunged headfirst into a stall, getting momentarily stuck.

It thrashed violently, splintering tiles and tearing metal fixtures apart until it freed itself, releasing a snarl that sent Jack's heart pounding.

[SYSTEM INSTALLING...89%]

Jack's mind raced. He had seconds at most.

He seized on the advantage of the monster's difficulty in tight spaces and bolted from the washroom, feet pounding down the hallway as he navigated the maze-like turns.

He hoped that the twists would give him an edge, but he could hear the beast thundering after him, its claws tearing through the walls and floor with horrifying force.

The air was thick with the smell of burning metal and the beast's acrid, smoky scent.

The hall was a blur, and he was almost at the last turn when the creature pounced, its claws slicing deep into his left ankle.

Pain flared, and Jack fell forward, his momentum slamming him hard against the wall.

He felt the impact reverberate through his entire body, and for a terrifying moment, time seemed to slow as he glimpsed the monster's gaping maw hurtling toward him.

Rows of jagged, blackened teeth awaited him, each one as long and cruel as a knife.

"Move!" the voice commanded, yanking him from his paralysis.

With a surge of adrenaline, Jack kicked off the wall, and his body twisted midair, narrowly escaping as the beast's head crashed full-force into the wall behind him, shattering plaster and metal in an explosion of dust and debris.

He landed on his feet, breath coming in panicked gasps as he stumbled forward, putting as much distance between them as he could.

His ankle burned. He looked down and felt his stomach twist—the skin around the gash was turning an ashen gray, webbed with cracks as the venom spread beneath the surface.

His leg throbbed, each beat bringing fresh pain as the infection crawled through his veins.

[SYSTEM INSTALLING...96%]

He felt the ticking of some invisible clock, each percentage a reminder of how little time he had left.

The creature was already stirring, its grotesque form heaving as it shook off the daze.

Jack's breaths were shallow, every muscle in his body strung tight. He couldn't outrun it.

Jack's heart skipped as he caught sight of Hamilton at the end of the hallway, framed against the doorway to the office floor.

His friend's arm was outstretched, fingers locked in a steady aim, his entire focus trained on something behind Jack.

"RAGING FURNACE!" Hamilton roared, his voice echoing with power as a swirling vortex of dust gathered at his fingertips, igniting into a blazing core of plasma.

Jack's mind raced—Hamilton was preparing to launch a fire arrow, a fierce spell for a fire mage but notoriously hard to control, especially for someone with Hamilton's limited practice. If that blast even grazes me…

He had no choice but to trust him.

Dropping to the floor, Jack pressed himself against the cold tiles, his body tight with tension as he braced for the attack to rip through the air above him.

"Burn, you cursed monster!" Hamilton growled, his voice a blend of rage and fierce determination.

Sweat formed on his brow as he struggled to keep his hand steady, pushing his limits far past what the Mage Association ever believed him capable of.

The fire around his fingers intensified, humming with power until it reached a fever pitch.

And then, with a shout, Hamilton unleashed the spell.

A high-powered streak of fire tore through the hallway, searing past Jack's head with blistering heat.

The laser-like blast struck the monster's right shoulder with pinpoint accuracy, erupting into a fierce explosion that shook the building.

Concrete and metal shrapnel sprayed outward, and the beast was thrown back with a blood-curdling wail, slamming hard against the wall with a force that left a warped imprint in the concrete.

Hamilton exhaled sharply, his face breaking into a weary but triumphant grin as the beast lay sprawled on the other wing, its twisted body surrounded by office debris and splintered walls.

"Gotcha," he murmured, his voice barely audible.

Jack felt his body loosen, a wave of relief flooding him as Hamilton hurried over, reaching down to help him off the ground.

"You're still in one piece. Linzy's going to be happy about that," Hamilton said, pulling Jack to his feet with a steady hand.

His military training had left him cool under pressure, but even he couldn't hide the shadow of concern in his eyes as he took in the sight of Jack's injury.

"God, it hurts," Jack gritted out, looking down at his ankle.

The color drained from his face; the wound was festering, the edges blackened and cracked, the skin receding as the infection crawled up his leg.

"It's a deep one, but you'll walk," Hamilton said, slipping Jack's arm over his shoulder to support him.

Together, they made their way down the last stretch of the hallway, Hamilton casting frequent glances at the wound.

The nature of it worried him—it looked unlike anything he'd seen, even in combat. But he kept his tone steady; right now, he needed Jack focused on one thing: survival.

As they limped toward safety, a sense of fragile relief settled over them.

As Jack limped into the offices, his relief at escaping the creature quickly turned into horror.

The room was a twisted nightmare—bodies lay strewn across desks and floors, limbs bent at unnatural angles.

Blood streaked the walls in dark, sticky sprays, and entrails dangled from the ceiling fans, swaying grotesquely as if mocking his fragile sense of safety.

The metallic tang of blood filled the air, thick and nauseating.

Jack's stomach heaved.

He stumbled back, doubling over as he vomited, unable to contain the sickening churn inside him.

Hamilton looked away, his face tense but composed. "I don't blame you," he muttered, his voice edged with revulsion.

"Jack!" Linzy's voice pulled him from his haze.

She leapt to her feet, her eyes wide with relief as she abandoned her post beside Cynthia, who was leaning against a blood-smeared wall, her left shoulder wrapped in haphazardly applied bandages.

Shards of glass littered the floor around her, remnants of whatever brutal attack had left her injured and barely conscious.

Jack's chest tightened with a flood of emotions as Linzy threw her arms around him, holding him close.

"Don't leave my side again, okay?" she whispered, her voice breaking.

Jack wrapped his arms around her, his silence speaking volumes as he tried to ground himself amidst the chaos.

But then his gaze drifted over her shoulder to the windows.

The city outside was an inferno, buildings burning in waves as smoke choked the skyline. Cars lay mangled in massive piles, flames licking their twisted metal frames.

Civilians ran frantically through the streets, fleeing from unseen threats. The air was thick with the eerie wails of the creatures, their cries mingling with the screams of dying people.

"We need to move. The Parliament building's reinforced; it should be safer," Hamilton said, crouching beside Cynthia to assess her injuries.

He tried to keep his voice calm, but the tension was clear. Time was running out, and their options were limited.

He turned to Cynthia, his tone softening as he helped her to her feet. "Can you hold on? I'll carry you."

But Linzy shook her head, her tone sharp with urgency. "No, we need your firepower, Hamilton. Jack and I will help her."

Hamilton's eyes flicked from Linzy to Jack, who was barely managing to stay upright. Linzy read his hesitation and sighed; Jack was in no shape to carry anyone.

Jack finally spoke up, his voice barely steady. "Are there…any other survivors?"

Linzy's eyes darkened. "If they made it, they've already run." She paused, casting a fearful glance down the hall. "We're all that's left."

"Then let's go." A deep voice cut through the conversation.

Timothy Chester, their boss, appeared from the shadows, his suit miraculously spotless despite the devastation around him.

His face was pale, eyes rimmed with dark circles, yet he carried himself with a resolve that somehow inspired a thread of hope.

"Timothy…sir, I'm glad you made it," Linzy breathed, relief momentarily softening her expression.

Timothy held up a hand. "Forget the formalities. 'Sir' doesn't matter right now."

He caught Jack's eyes, and Jack saw an unexpected depth of emotion in his boss's face. He'd been crying.

Jack looked down, a dark realization fell on him. "Even with the four of us, I don't know if we'll make it out alive. That thing, it's…inhuman."

"I hope it's just one," Hamilton said grimly. "Using that fire spell took almost everything I had. If there are more of those things, we're going to need more than just stealth."

Linzy re-secured Cynthia's bandage, trying to hide her trembling hands. "We should move silently," she whispered. "It'll sense us."

"It hunts by sound and scent, not sight," Jack corrected, trying to ignore the pulsing fear gripping his mind. "I saw it up close. It has no eyes, but it never lost me once."

Timothy's face hardened. "It's not just hunting us; it's coordinating. Those wails—those things are probably calling to each other."

As if in answer, a piercing scream echoed through the building, followed by an abrupt, chilling silence.

Jack's heart pounded as he realized the cries had ceased. The creature had completed its slaughter on the other side of the building.

They were running out of time.

At that moment, Jack's vision wavered, and the familiar blue screen flickered in front of him.

[

SYSTEM INSTALLATION COMPLETE

Host Name: Jack Kamphar

Race: Human

Compatibilities: Personal Attributes, Talents, Artifacts

Available Personal Attributes:

Strength: enhances overall body strength

Speed: enhances body movement and reaction rate

Durability: grants resistance to damage

Stamina: allows use of system abilities. Recovers passively

- Installation Complete -

Strength: Level 2

Speed: Level 3

Durability: Level 1

Stamina: Level 1

Granted Talents:

Rejuvenation: Heal lost HP (consumes Rejuvenation Bars)

Perception: See what others cannot

System maintenance rewards: Points x200

]

Jack blinked, and the screen disappeared.

Linzy was already pulling his arm over her shoulder, preparing to bear his weight.

But when he placed his foot down, he realized something incredible—there was no pain.

"Wait…" Jack pulled up his trouser leg, eyes wide with disbelief as he saw his ankle, whole and unscathed save for dried blood over unbroken skin.

The blue screen reappeared briefly.

[

SYSTEM INFORMATION

Rejuvenation engaged.

Rejuvenation complete.

Rejuvenation Bar Count - 0/1

]

"Jack, didn't you have a massive gash just a second ago?" Hamilton asked, as he lifted Cynthia onto Timothy's back.

"Yes , I did,"

Though Timothy staggered under the weight of Cynthia, he steadied himself.

"We don't have time. Take the elevator—it's our best shot," Jack urged, and without waiting, he led the way toward the exit, every nerve in his body attuned to the any sound that came up.

Linzy stayed close, her eyes darting to every shadow as the walls seemed to close in around them.