CHAPTER 85: TENSE EVENTS ON TELEVISION

Before he could get lost in thought, a faint light appeared above his head. It traced a glowing circle in the air, then slowly solidified into a physical object. It dropped gently into Alaric’s hands.

His reflexes caught it immediately. As the light faded, he found himself holding a short staff, black as night, with fine engravings along its surface. It wasn’t very long. About the length of his forearm, but it felt solid and heavy.

"A staff?" Alaric turned it over in his hands, his brow furrowed.

[New item acquired: Time Breaker Staff]

[Ability: Halts time for 7 full seconds within a 10-meter radius. After activation, time resumes as normal. Cannot be used repeatedly—requires a cooldown period.]

Alaric let out a soft breath, a mix of wonder and disbelief. "Stopping time? So this thing... actually freezes the world while I keep moving?"

He stared at the staff a moment longer, imagining the possibilities.

"With this... I could save someone in a critical moment. Or disable an enemy before they even react." A small smile played on his lips. Not just of satisfaction, but of careful calculation.

To test it, he gripped the staff tightly. Without hesitation, he walked to the quiet side of the road, raised the staff slowly, and pressed a small symbol that had begun to glow at its tip.

"Alright... let’s see what you can really do."

In an instant, the world around him stopped. Leaves caught in the wind hovered motionless in midair. The sounds of insects vanished into complete silence. Even the streetlights froze in their flickering glow.

Alaric looked around. Only he was still moving. He walked forward slowly, touching one of the suspended leaves. It was frozen solid, unmoving.

"So... it works," he whispered, awed.

He wandered a few steps more, tapping the hood of his car, glancing at a cat mid-leap at the far end of the street. The cat hung in the air, tail curling mid-motion, eyes shut.

But seven seconds passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, the world returned to motion. Wind resumed its path, leaves fluttered to the ground, and the cat landed smoothly.

Alaric lowered the staff, his gaze steady.

"This thing... could be dangerous if I misuse it," he said softly, gripping the handle tighter.

"That means I have to make every second count."

He tucked the staff inside his long coat and gently opened the car door.

The car rolled away down the narrow street, while the streetlights lit his path ahead, quietly marking the beginning of a new Chapter—one where he now possessed a power the world had never seen.

....

Alaric strolled casually along the sidewalk of his residential complex, wearing his long black coat. Something he always found comfortable.

He didn’t plan to be out long. Just a quick trip to a nearby electronics store outside the complex to buy a special battery. It was crucial for one of his miniature mechanical devices.

His footsteps echoed steadily, his mind was calm, for once. But that calm didn’t last long.

As he passed through the main gate of the complex, something caught his eye that made him slow down slightly.

In the distance, a tall building loomed above the cityscape. There was nothing unusual about it at first. Just another high-rise like many others. But... on the rooftop, there was something or someone.

Alaric narrowed his eyes, trying to make sure. From where he stood, quite far from the building, he could make out a silhouette standing right at the edge of the rooftop. The figure wasn’t moving. It just stood there, seemingly lost in thought, looking down over the edge.

He stopped on the sidewalk, tilted his head slightly, then looked back up. His gaze stayed locked on the top of that building.

"Hmm... something feels off," he murmured to himself.

He couldn’t tell for sure if it was a person or just a shadow cast by an antenna, a pole, or whatever other structures usually clutter rooftops.

"If that really is someone... why would they be standing right on the edge like that?" he wondered.

He took a slow breath and shifted his focus. He tried to return his attention to his original purpose. "I need to get that battery," he reminded himself.

He started walking again. One step, then another. But the image of the figure on the rooftop lingered in his mind. The farther he walked, the stronger the unease in his chest grew. It was as if something inside him kept whispering: "Don’t ignore it. Something’s not right."

Alaric stopped again. This time longer.

He stood there on the sidewalk, staring blankly at the busy street filled with moving cars. His hand reached into his pocket, feeling the dead battery he had meant to replace. It reminded him of his purpose, of everything else he still had to take care of.

"This isn’t my business. I have things I need to do. I can’t get involved in everything..."

But the words rang hollow in his head.

The unease kept building. The silhouette on the rooftop reappeared in his thoughts. The person hadn’t moved at all, not even a shift. That stillness made it even more suspicious. No signs of life. No signs of activity. Just standing there, staring down like nothing else existed.

He took another step forward—but his body instinctively halted again. This time, he glanced back toward the building. His eyes narrowed, trying to get a clearer view.

And this time, the feeling in his gut screamed louder. The scene he was witnessing was deeply unsettling.

"What if..." he whispered.

His mind began to piece things together. The building was tall—tall enough that a fall would mean certain death. The figure was too close to the edge. No one just stood that casually on the rim of a rooftop.

His heart started beating faster.

Alaric straightened his back, now staring unblinkingly at the rooftop.

"Is that person about to jump?"

He stood frozen, eyes locked upward, weighing what to do next. The silhouette was clearer now. It really did look like a person.

He tried something simple. He raised both his arms wide, waving them back and forth in an exaggerated motion to draw attention.

"Hey! Hey!" he called out, though he knew full well his voice couldn’t possibly reach that far. Still, he hoped the person might see him, realize someone had noticed, and step away from the edge.

But the figure didn’t move. There was no reaction at all. Just that same motionless stance, staring down, as if the world around them no longer mattered.

Alaric slowly lowered his arms. His expression grew tense.

"Damn it... what do I do?"

His eyes caught a large sign near the entrance of the building. Bold, glowing letters stood out against the facade:

"ASTORIA GRAND HOTEL."

The name flashed briefly in his mind, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it.

Without another thought, he turned and sprinted toward the hotel entrance, almost at full speed.

As soon as he stepped into the lobby, the cold blast of air conditioning hit him. Starkly contrasting the heat and anxiety he brought in from outside.

Alaric didn’t waste a second. He strode directly toward the front desk.

"On the roof! Someone’s trying to kill themselves! I saw them from outside!" he said quickly, pointing up toward the rooftop. "Please, come with me upstairs. We have to check right now. And if it’s real, set up a team at the bottom. Just in case they actually try to jump."

The receptionist, a young woman in a crisp uniform, was visibly startled. Her eyebrows shot up, eyes wide, caught completely off guard by his urgency.

"Someone trying to...? Sir, please stay calm. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding. I’ll call security to check the CCTV first—"

"There’s no time!" Alaric cut in sharply, his voice slicing through the air in the lobby. He said it with certainty, no longer guessing. At first, he’d thought maybe he was imagining things. But now, something inside him knew. Knew it wasn’t just a shadow.

Without waiting for permission, he broke into a run.

The receptionist flinched, her mouth moving as if to stop him, but no words came out in time. Alaric was already halfway across the lobby, heading straight for the emergency stairs at the far end of the corridor.

"Sir! Wait—!" she called after him, but he didn’t stop.

He kicked open the heavy steel door to the stairwell, and his footsteps thundered as he climbed rapidly. His breathing remained steady despite the intense pace, his boots pounding each step with determination.

Behind him, the receptionist spun around in panic, shouting at a nearby security guard. "Quick! Check the top floor CCTV! Look at the rooftop!"

The guard hurried to the control room. Minutes later, a monitor flickered to life. Showing footage from a camera just outside the rooftop access on the 15th floor.

And there she was.

A woman, standing alone, her back to the camera. Right at the edge, staring down, her long hair rippling in the wind.

From her posture, it was clear. This was not a casual moment. But no one could identify her. Her shoulders were trembling, like someone on the verge of collapse.

"Oh my God..." the receptionist gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. Her face turned pale.