Chapter 18: A Mother

The burning in his muscles was excruciating. The world was a blurry as he pushed his body far beyond its limits.

Every breath was a gasp of pure agony, but he couldn’t stop, couldn’t slow down. His instincts screamed at him to get as far away as possible, convinced those players were still right behind him, even though he knew they were miles away by now.

[Master, your cores are destabilizing! You must stop this technique immediately!]

“Shut up!” he wheezed, the words barely audible over the rushing wind. “I’m not stopping… not now… not yet.”

He risked a quick glance back. The city was gone, nothing but a smudge on the horizon. He was finally out. He’d actually made it. A surge of pained triumph coursed through him, but it was short-lived.

A searing pain erupted from his chest, a sensation like being stabbed with a thousand red-hot needles. He stumbled, his speed faltering, and the world tilted.

He crashed to the ground hard, the impact sending jolts of agony through his already battered body. Wren tumbled beside him, her runes no longer glowing. She looked exhausted and whimpered softly.

“Damn it…” he muttered, clutching his chest. He could feel his mana leaking out like air from a punctured tire. His cores were fractured, strained to their breaking point. He knew there would be a cost, but he hadn’t expected this.

[I warned you, master. You have severely damaged your cores. If you do not rest and recover, the consequences will be serious.]

He gritted his teeth, trying to push the pain away. “Just… tell me… how bad is it?”

[Your cores are fractured, on the verge of shattering. Your mana pathways are severely strained, and your energy reserves are completely depleted. Your physical body is also pushed to its limits. You are essentially running on fumes.]

He closed his eyes, trying to get his breathing under control. “How long… until I can use my powers again?”

[With proper rest and nourishment, perhaps a week. However, the full recovery of your cores will take considerably longer. And even then, there may be permanent repercussions.]

A week. A whole week where he’d be vulnerable, an easy target. That was not a comforting thought.

“What about Yenna?” He cracked his eyes open, looking at her unconscious body.

[Her vitals are stable. She is unharmed, though it’s strange that she is still not up.]

He let out a shaky breath. At least something had gone right. He managed to sit up, leaning against a tree. The adrenaline rush was gone, replaced by a wave of exhaustion so heavy it felt like his body would sink into the ground.

The silence of the forest around him was calming, and he could feel his eyelids getting heavier with each passing second.

“What’s our next move? We need to find a safe place to hide and recover.”

[Agreed. I suggest locating a remote area, away from settlements and potential threats. Conserve your energy and prioritize healing. I will monitor your surroundings and alert you to any approaching dangers.]

“I could just use my other cores, but I feel like that might still cause damage to my body. So for now, I will rest and recover, then I will continue running to the next city.”

He shifted slightly, wincing as the movement sent a fresh wave of pain through his body. He looked at Wren, her small form curled up beside him. She looked so peaceful.

“Good job, Wren,” he whispered, stroking her head gently. “You were amazing.”

She nudged his hand with her nose, letting out a soft purr.

He took a deep breath, the exhaustion finally winning. His eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep, his body and mind screaming for rest. He was weak, injured, and on the run, but he was alive. He would heal, he would train, and he would come back stronger.

He would make them all pay.

—

Meanwhile, back in Zenith City…

The two players stood at the city’s edge, staring into the distance where Vell had vanished. Their expressions were a mix of annoyance and grudging respect.

“He got away,” one of them said, breaking the silence.

“Indeed,” the other replied, his voice tight. “We underestimated him. He’s more resourceful than we thought.”

“He’s also reckless,” the first player added, a hint of amusement in his tone. “Did you see how he overloaded his cores? He must be insane.”

“Perhaps,” the second one mused, turning to face the city. “But that kind of recklessness can also be dangerous. We need to report this to the higher-ups. I’m still not sure why they want him so badly, but one thing is for sure: he’s not just an insect anymore. He’s a threat.”

A few hours later, in the head secretary’s office.

“That’s all, ma’am,” the player finished his report.

He and his partner didn’t wait for a reply. They turned and left quickly, knowing better than to linger in her presence. She sat silently behind her massive desk, the tension in the room so thick it was hard to breathe.

Without a word, she opened a drawer and pulled out a small, silver photo frame. It held a picture of a younger Vell, herself, and another boy, all of them smiling, their arms slung around each other with a carefree joy that felt like it belonged to another lifetime.

“How dare you come back after what you did to my son?” she whispered, her voice sharp with a cold, simmering anger. “Did you think I’d forgotten? That anyone would?”

Her grip on the frame tightened, a small crack splintering across the glass. A sharp knock at the door interrupted her dark thoughts.

“Come in,” she called, her voice flat.

A young man with fiery red hair stormed into the room, his frustration clear on his face. He slammed his hand on her desk.

“You let him get away? Why? We can still catch him, so why hold back?”

His outburst was uncontrolled, and he quickly realized he’d crossed a line. One sharp, withering look from her was enough to make him falter and step back. He coughed awkwardly, but she cut him off.

“He’s my business. Stay out of it.”

Her words were final. He stood there for a few moments, debating whether to push back, but she wasn’t even looking at him anymore. Defeated, he turned and headed for the door, his own anger simmering just beneath the surface.

As he reached for the handle, she spoke again, her voice a low warning. “Jay. Don’t do anything stupid.”

He paused, his jaw clenched, and left without another word. She knew he wouldn’t let this go, and that unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

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