CHAPTER 26 - 26 - CITY AFLAME (PART 1)

Chapter 26 - City Aflame (Part 1)

The scene before him looked like it had been ripped straight out of a disaster movie—only this time, there was no director to yell "cut," no special effects team, and certainly no guarantee of survival.

Flames devoured buildings, black smoke spiraling into the sky as entire structures groaned and crumbled under their own weight. Monstrous figures flew in the distance, their distorted screeches echoing across the burning skyline as they descended from above, hunting without mercy.

Jack stood in the middle of it all, motionless.

He could hear everything—the chorus of terrified screams, the crunch of steel as cars crashed and burned, the roar of fighter jets overhead, and the chopping rhythm of helicopters broadcasting urgent pleas for survivors to run, hide, flee. Just minutes ago, this had been a peaceful, vibrant city. And now? Now it was hell on Earth.

The transformation had been instantaneous. No warning. No buildup. One moment, the city had life. The next, it was ashes.

But Jack felt... nothing.

He stood amid the devastation without a trace of emotion. The flames didn't reflect in his eyes. The panic didn't reach his bones. For him, this place had never been home—not truly. It held no fond memories, no meaningful connections. Even as his birthplace was reduced to ruin, he didn't flinch. The sight, terrifying as it was, stirred nothing more than a muted recognition.

It was just a nightmare made real.

Beside him, Lune stared out at the carnage with a dark, sorrowful expression.

"So many souls died... and so many more will follow," she murmured, her voice heavy with grief. "What has befallen this world..."

She turned to look at Jack, her guilt weighing visibly on her features.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I wish I could do something—anything. But... I can't stop this. I can't save them."

She spoke with shame. Despite her power, Lune was helpless here. The lack of Time Essence in this world made her virtually powerless beyond her own body. What little essence she had brought with her from Aevum was already running dangerously low. Even just maintaining her presence here took a toll.

Jack glanced over his shoulder as he began walking down the road, his voice calm and cold.

"It's fine," he said. "This world deserved it. It needed cleansing."

Lune blinked. "Cleansing?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Without looking back, Jack continued. "The longer this world continues the way it has, the worse it becomes. It's suffocating. Makes me want to vomit."

He cast a look toward the burning cityscape, his gaze unreadable.

And then, for just a moment... he felt peace.

It was strange. Even though people were dying—most of them innocent, unaware, undeserving—Jack felt as if the world was finally getting what it deserved. He had seen its cruelty every single day. The suffering, the indifference, the rot that festered beneath every interaction. And now? Now it was all being torn down.

He didn't know if that made him a monster. But he did know one thing: for that single fleeting moment, he was content.

Lune studied him silently, her heart conflicted.

'What have you seen, Jack... to believe this world is beyond redemption?'

She had always seen Jack as a mystery—like a puzzle with half the pieces missing. Quiet, distant, reserved. He had never spoken about his past, never offered her the full picture. But here and there, he dropped fragments—little glimpses of his thoughts that hinted at something darker.

This was one of those moments.

He didn't become this way by choice. He hadn't asked to be numb or apathetic. Life had molded him into this person, and Lune could only watch as his story unfolded piece by painful piece.

Without saying another word, Jack picked up the pace, moving quickly from one shadow to the next. This neighborhood, situated on the city's outskirts, had yet to be fully overrun—but that could change any second.

He reached the gates at the end of the road and stepped beyond them.

And in that instant, everything changed.

The eerie calm of the neighborhood vanished, replaced by absolute chaos.

BANG!

All around him, monsters rampaged with abandon. Hulking creatures—hairless, headless apes with muscular limbs and jagged claws—roared and thrashed at everything in their path. Jack looked up to see some had already climbed buildings, shattering windows and leaping inside. Blood stained the pavement. Corpses were strewn everywhere, mutilated beyond recognition.

"Raaah!! Raaaaah!!!"

The first creature to spot him let out a deafening screech, and its call summoned others. In seconds, a pack of them was charging at him, their rage uncontrollable.

Jack narrowed his eyes.

'Perfect.'

He reached into his pocket, drew two knives, and hurled them with deadly precision. Empowered by essence, they flew like bullets, embedding themselves in the lead creature's eyes. It dropped to the ground with a guttural cry, writhing in agony as the others closed the distance.

No hesitation. Jack sprinted forward, sword in hand.

The nearest ape lunged with a wild swing, but Jack was already in motion.

Swish.

His blade intercepted the blow—but something was off. The cut barely grazed the monster's thick arm.

'It reset,' Jack realized grimly, gritting his teeth.

Still, he had planned for this. Without breaking stride, he drove a powerful kick into the ape's chest, sending it sprawling backward. Then, in one clean motion, he plunged his sword through its eye.

[You have killed a Titan Trees Ape.]

[You have gained 1 Essence.]

[You have gained 1 Wisdom Point.]

[Your sword has sharpened.]

Jack's eyes lit up.

'One essence per kill? These monsters are Chrono Born...'

That meant one thing: killing them would accelerate his growth exponentially.

His lips curled into a grin.

More power.

His aura erupted, pressure rolling off him in waves. With a hunger in his eyes, Jack surged forward again.

Swish.

Like a storm, he tore through the horde. His sword grew sharper, faster, deadlier with every swing. Within seconds, three monsters lay dead, and Jack was already moving on to the next.

"Raaah!!"

Swish.

Limbs flew. Heads rolled. But as the fight wore on, more and more apes caught wind of his presence. Soon, they were converging from all sides. Jack found himself encircled by nearly twenty of the beasts.

They attacked without rhythm or reason, trying to overwhelm him through sheer numbers. He ducked, rolled, spun—dodging some blows, enduring others. His body was already marked with shallow cuts and bruises.

BANG!

One of the apes leapt onto his back, jaws snapping toward his neck. Jack reacted instantly. He grabbed its face, yanked it off, and slammed it into the ground with brutal force. His foot came down hard.

CRACK.

The skull shattered under his heel.

"Hah... hah..."

"Raaah!"

Jack wiped the sweat and blood from his face.

'Come at me, bastards.'

With a deep breath, he charged again, sword flashing in the firelight as he carved a path forward—deeper into the heart of the city.

[You have killed...]

[You have killed...]

[You have killed...]

[You have killed...]

The notifications flooded his vision, each one strengthening him, making him faster, sharper, more lethal.

A rapid evolution.

A storm in the making.

And nothing would stand in his way.