Shattered Republic (Part 4)
"Your plan is insane," Hamilton muttered, eyeing the monstrous beast as it feasted.
"And yet, here you are," Jack replied, his grip tightening around the Wi-Fi router in his hand.
"Yet here I am," Hamilton echoed, eyes locked on the creature.
Jack glanced one last time at the glowing blue screen before him, praying that his gamble would work. With the router in hand, he crept toward the beast, each step a delicate balance between courage and terror. He threw the router, watching it hit the creature's head with a dull thud.
The screen flickered to life:
[
Name: Wailing Hound
Origin: The world of Praiyas
Threat Level: 3
]
The Wailing Hound paused mid-feast, saliva dripping from its gnarled teeth, and turned to Jack. Its jagged rows of canines moved without coordination, each set grinding independently as if savoring its meal.
In an instant, it abandoned the bodies at its feet, an almost maddened instinct taking over as it recognized fresh prey. Instead of seeing Jack's physical body , it saw the greyish mirage outline of his soul. That was what it wanted to devour.
He bolted. The Wailing Hound let out a guttural howl and lunged, its slavering jaws closing just behind him. Jack's pulse surged, his senses sharpening in primal fear as he fled up the stairs, his heartbeat a war drum in his ears.
Hamilton exhaled, steadying his hand as he began to charge the Raging Furnace attack, flames sparking at his fingertips.
Linzy, Timothy, and Cynthia crouched nearby, concealed behind a row of desks, their hearts pounding as they watched the monstrous hound hurtle past, inches from their hiding spot. They held their breath as the creature stormed around the corner, following Jack up the stairwell.
"This is it. Let's move while it's gone!" Timothy urged, rising shakily.
"No… we can't just abandon them," Cynthia whispered, summoning enough strength to sit up on her own, only for Linzy to steady her again.
"That speed of Jack—it's not normal," Linzy murmured, a note of awe in her voice.
She recalled the miraculous way Jack's injury had vanished in the office, but there was no time for speculation.
Above , the final light bulb burst, plunging the stairwell into shadows. In the dimness, Hamilton took a deep breath, focusing on the woman he held in his thoughts (Cynthia) as a reason to survive. I will not die today.
Jack, still sprinting for his life, could barely process how fast he was moving, his feet flying over the steps without fatigue.
The blue screen reappeared, flickering with a new update:
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
[Stamina Residue - 70%]
"Now you're using your power, Bossman," the inner voice purred. "With your stats, you're fast enough to keep ahead of a threat level three. Just don't let it catch you. If you do… well, we both know what happens."
Just then, Hamilton's signal came—a flash of terror and exhilaration in Jack's eyes as he rounded the corner. Hamilton raised his hand, his fingers ablaze with a searing orange glow of power, ready to unleash.
Trusting the plan, Jack dove forward, throwing himself down on the stairs just as Hamilton released the charged Raging Furnace attack. He felt the scorching heat fly above him just like before, illuminating the walls in a fierce glow.
Jack turned, breathless, in time to see the monstrous hound's jaws inches from his face. The beast's black, serrated fangs gleamed as it closed in. But before it could bite, the Raging Furnace had torn through, blasting a smoldering hole from its gaping maw right through the back of its skull.
The creature froze, shuddering, its face still fixed on him as the last shreds of its life faded. Hamilton's shot had hit dead-on.
The blue screen flickered to life once more:
[Wailing Hound defeated
Rewards: Wailing Hound bones x0, Wailing Hound scales x0, Points x0
Hint: Rewards are only earned when the death is by your hand.
]
As the hulking beast slumped to the floor, Jack took a few well-deserved deep breaths, finally letting himself feel a hint of relief. He turned to Hamilton, who was still reeling from the blast he'd unleashed. Jack ignored the persistent messages flashing on his screen, knowing their focus needed to be on getting Hamilton down to the first floor before the other hound above on the third floor caught up.
"See? Mage Association should've thought twice about letting you go," Jack said with a grin, extending a hand to help Hamilton up.
Hamilton gave a tired laugh, glancing down at his scorched, bloodied fingers, each one singed from the attack. It was clear there wouldn't be any more fire arrows in the immediate future.
"Eh, it's just a scratch," Hamilton waved him off, wrapping his injured fingers in a handkerchief. "One good session with a healer, and I'll be fine in two days."
Jack snorted, watching Hamilton attempt a few steps down the stairs, stumbling as he went. "Two days? You think we're lasting that long?"
"Bossman, what's with the lack of confidence? Your putting Aiko to shame here," chimed the voice in Jack's head, oozing with sarcasm.
Jack rolled his eyes, no longer able to hold back. "Alright, seriously, who are you?"
Hamilton turned, raising an eyebrow. "Uh…me?"
"No, no, not you, man," Jack clarified, waving a hand.
Hamilton squinted, taking a deep breath. "Jack, we're the only two here. Look, I get it—this whole mess has taken a toll on you, but we're almost out. Just get it together a little longer. The Parliament's right across the street. Safe and sound." He gave Jack a reassuring pat on the shoulder, probably assuming he was just cracking under the pressure.
Jack decided it was best not to argue with Hamilton's very reasonable assessment of his mental state. Instead, he gestured down the stairwell. "Fine, fine. Let's just get moving before the next hound turns up."
They moved carefully down the stairs, and Jack briefly paused beside the dead creature's carcass. Its scales were rough and coarse, providing just enough traction for him to step over its lifeless form without slipping.
"Come on, man, we don't have time—" Jack's words died in his throat as he spotted…someone. Or something.
Between the fallen beast and Hamilton stood what looked like an apparition.
A young woman, draped in a perfectly tailored butler's suit, stood between them, her translucent form glowing faintly blue. She was facing Hamilton, her expression unreadable, but her sudden appearance had left him frozen in place, looking as pale as a ghost.
"Bossman's not going crazy," she announced, folding her arms and giving Hamilton an appraising look. "He was talking to *Aiko*." She flashed Hamilton an impish grin. "And, by the way, Aiko has already decided that you are fool. So, no need for her to bother learning your name."
She winked, leaving Hamilton speechless as she turned and bowed to Jack with surprising formality. "Bossman, time to get going."
Before Jack could respond, Aiko's form flickered, then vanished entirely, leaving the two men staring at each other in stunned silence.
Hamilton finally let out a shaky laugh, eyes wide. "I…I saw that, right?"
They exchanged a look, both of them feeling equally baffled—and maybe just a bit less terrified than they had been. After all, if they were losing their minds, at least they had company.
"You made it!" Linzy sprang to her feet the moment Jack and Hamilton appeared. She rushed past Hamilton and wrapped Jack in a tight, relieved hug.
"Wouldn't be here if it weren't for Hamilton," Jack said, grinning as he pulled back. "He took it down."
"We've got to keep moving; can't stay here any longer. The ground floor's within reach!" Timothy added, clearly relieved as he motioned down the hallway toward the next flight of stairs. He stood there, visibly eager to finally escape the twisted maze of the company building.
Hamilton, however, was more concerned with Cynthia and was quick to notice that she was no longer carried on Timothy's back. For a moment he worried they'd lost her.
"Down here!" came a soft voice, and Hamilton looked over to see Cynthia peeking out from behind a desk. Hidden in the dim light, she was easy to miss if one wasn't really looking.
"You're awake," Hamilton managed, still catching his breath.
Cynthia's gaze fell to his hand, her brow creasing. "And your hand…you're hurt," she murmured, noticing the makeshift bandage slipping from his fingers.
"It's nothing." Hamilton waved it off, quickly securing the handkerchief, but there was a flash of frustration in his eyes. It bothered him that she'd noticed.
Timothy sighed impatiently, clapping his hands to get their attention. "Hamilton, Cynthia, let's go! Jack, Linzy, start moving. We don't have time for this!" He was back to the sharp, no-nonsense tone they all knew, like he was corralling a group of unruly kids.
But as they gathered themselves to head toward the stairs, a faint blue shimmer cut through the shadows. Aiko appeared beside Jack in her usual glitchy fashion, her expression cool and smiling but unmistakably stern. "Take that flight, and you're all done for," she warned, crossing her arms.