CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40 – GAP (PART 3)

Chapter 40 – Gap (Part 3)

"A–Agh... cough..."

Clenching his teeth hard, Jack pushed himself up from the ground, one shaky hand clutching his chest. ’The pain’s annoying... I’ve taken too much damage, and I’ve burned through too much Time Essence. My reserves... are almost gone.’

Even with the massive well of essence at his disposal, it was never infinite. After fighting for so long without even a sliver of rest to replenish what he had spent, he was now running on the dregs of his strength — a few drops of fuel in an empty tank. And just when he thought things couldn’t get worse—

[Ding!]

[You have killed a Chrono Born Dire Tiger.]

[You have gained 20 Essence.]

[You have gained 20 Wisdom Points.]

[You have gained a new Lesser Chronical.]

Jack let out a slow breath. ’A new Chronical? Hm... Interesting. Guess killing that thing wasn’t entirely bad after all.’

"Jack, can you stand?" Evelyn’s voice cut in, worry sharpening her tone as she extended a steady hand toward him.

"Yeah... I can." Jack grabbed her arm and hauled himself upright with a grunt. "I can still move—relatively. But my right arm’s done for. Completely useless. We need to get out of here."

"You’re right." Evelyn’s eyes flicked over the area. Already, the swarm of monsters was pushing forward, their numbers growing. But this time, she spotted something different — an open path in the chaos, a chance to break free.

"Let’s go," Jack said, limping toward the far side of the road.

The swarm reacted instantly. The moment they moved, the monsters surged, claws and teeth flashing under the moonlight.

"Put your arm over my shoulder. I’ll carry the weight." Evelyn ducked low, holding her arm out to him. "We have to move faster."

Jack glanced over his shoulder. The truth was obvious — the creatures were closing fast, and in his battered state, there was no way he could outrun them. And though he disliked skin contact, he wasn’t suicidal.

"...Fine." He hooked his arm over her shoulder, and she immediately pulled him into motion. Their pace nearly tripled.

"Right turn up ahead," Jack said through ragged breaths, scanning the street. The open road left them exposed, with no cover and no bottlenecks to slow pursuit. "We’ll take the alley, twist through the back paths. Lose them there."

"Got it." Evelyn shifted her footing, dragging them sharply into the narrow alley just as several monsters lunged from behind.

They plunged into the labyrinth of cramped passages, weaving left and right at every turn. The swarm poured in after them, but the tight space worked against the horde. With so many species crammed together, hostility flared. Some clawed at each other in frustration, tripping and blocking their own kind in the chase. Some others were crushed to death immediately under the immense of pressure of so many creatures falling on top of them.

The scene was complete and utter insanity, something that even the most imaginative minds could not come up with.

"Don’t stop," Jack rasped. His voice was low, clipped. The constant bleeding was draining his strength fast, each step heavier than the last. His head throbbed; his vision blurred at the edges. He felt like he was going to vomit and collapse at any given moment. But, with sheer will and focus, he kept himself barely awake to keep moving. He couldn’t afford to stop there, not when death was right behind him, chasing rapidly.

"Hold on, Jack! Just a little further and we’ll be safe."

He swallowed the pain, forcing his legs to keep pace. Blood was soaking Evelyn’s clothes now — streaking crimson through her hair, darkening the fabric against her back.

At last, they burst from the alley’s far end. Evelyn’s eyes darted left, then right. Without hesitation, she dragged Jack toward a partially collapsed building opposite the street. Inside, her gaze swept the dusty space before settling on a shadowed corner in one of the side rooms.

"Here — sit." She guided him down against the wall, near a cracked window.

Jack sat heavily, his breath coming in hard pulls. "Hah... hah... hah..." He wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve.

"You’re bleeding badly," Evelyn said, crouching before him. "You need treatment now."

"I’ll manage," Jack panted. "Our priority is the bunker." His gaze flicked to Lune, who hovered silently nearby, eyes locked on him like a predator scenting prey. The unspoken message in her gaze was almost deafening: ’Just give the word. I’ll heal you. I can make her disappear if I have to.’

Jack ignored her. Not until they were certain they were out of sight — no witnesses, no risks. The fewer people who knew about Lune, the better. And besides, her essence reserves were finite. Every drop mattered. Even though he didn’t care much about Lune, he knew how important instant healing is... He cannot just use her essence so willy nilly for the smallest injuries.

Evelyn crept to the window, peeking outside. The monsters had spilled into the street, but they’d halted, scanning the shadows for any trace of prey.

For now, their hiding spot held.

"They’re spreading out," Evelyn murmured. "If they get closer, we’ll have to slip out the back."

Jack nodded, letting his head rest against the wall. Losing them won’t be easy... there are too many. If they catch our scent, we’re done.

As he mulled over options, a faint movement caught his eye. Dust — just a thin veil of it — drifted from above, catching in the moonlight like falling ash.

His eyes narrowed. He looked up. Several long cracks snaked across the ceiling, jagged and splitting wider with every second.

"Evelyn," he said sharply, forcing himself upright. "We need to leave. Now. This place is going to come down."

"What?" She followed his gaze, and her expression hardened instantly. Without another word, she grabbed his arm. "We’ll take the back door. Can you move?"

"Yeah. Don’t worry about me."

She hauled him to his feet, and together they started toward the rear of the building.

But Jack’s mind wasn’t at ease. He kept watching the spreading cracks, each one growing unnaturally fast. ’This place looked fine when we came in... Why’s it collapsing this quickly?’

It wasn’t the sound of monsters — no footsteps, no claws against stone. The building had been silent. Which meant something else was at work.

’Something’s making it break apart... but what—’

A sudden shatter ripped through his thoughts. The sound of breaking glass rang through the building, followed by a deep, grinding crack of stone splitting under pressure.

Dust rained in thick bursts. Heavy fragments of rock clattered to the floor.

"What’s happening?!" Evelyn shouted, dodging a falling beam.

Jack didn’t answer. The chaos was too fast — too sudden. Chunks of ceiling were collapsing all around them. One piece the size of his torso smashed into the floor just inches from where he’d been standing.

"That door!" Jack barked, pointing ahead to a pair of rusted gates marked with a faded EXIT.

They sprinted, ducking and weaving through the raining debris. Evelyn hit the door with her shoulder, sending it swinging wide—

—and froze.

Every muscle in her body locked in place. Breath, heartbeat, thought... all stilled in the same instant.

Because what lay beyond that door wasn’t freedom.

It was something that shattered the limits of her mind.