Chapter 178: Duty
Jet stood atop the motionless carcass of a scorpion, his bronze spear still gripped tightly in his hand.
His breath was heavy, his muscles aching from the prolonged battle. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, leaving behind the full weight of exhaustion and pain.
His black officer uniform was torn in several places, revealing patches of bruised and discolored skin, some spots still throbbing from where the scorpion’s attacks had grazed him or struck.
The battlefield around him was still settling—scattered debris, overturned dirt, and deep gouges in the ground where the creatures had fought to the death.
As the dust slowly drifted back to the earth, Stewart approached. His earrings still glowed faintly with lingering cyan light, a testament to the power he had wielded during the fight.
His tongue retracted back into his mouth, and with a sharp breath, he regained his composure.
“Jet, you good?” Stewart asked, scanning him with a sharp gaze.
Jet, still standing firm despite his fatigue, nodded seriously. “Yeah. I’ll live.”
Stewart exhaled and turned toward his men, gesturing for them to ring their bells for backup. “We don’t know if more of these things are coming,” he stated. “We need reinforcements.”
The officers immediately complied, their bells ringing through the night air—sharp, urgent chimes that echoed toward the town.
Stewart then turned back to Jet, eyes narrowing slightly. “We’ve already evacuated the civilians near here. The last thing we need is people wandering too close.”
Jet nodded. The gaping fissure in the earth loomed ahead, a dark wound in the ground, pulsing with an eerie, shifting miasma.
There was something unsettling about it—something that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. It wasn’t just an ordinary hole.
Then, from the distance, Samir approached, flanked by two of his own officers. His uniform was stained, a faint cut visible along his cheek, but he moved with purpose.
His expression was serious, though his sharp eyes softened slightly upon seeing that Jet and Stewart were still standing.
“You guys alright?” Samir asked.
Jet and Stewart both nodded, though they remained alert.
“What the hell happened?” Jet asked, wiping sweat from his brow. “I heard other bells ringing.”
Samir sighed, glancing back toward town. “Zombies,” he muttered. “Crawling out of the cemetery on the other side of Reinhart. We managed to contain them, but…” He hesitated, then sighed again. “Burt was poisoned. He’s stable for now, but we don’t know the full extent of it yet. And…” His voice dropped slightly. “There was an attack at the Mayor’s office.”
Jet stiffened immediately, his grip tightening on his spear. “What? My father—?”
“He’s fine,” Samir reassured quickly. “Lena helped him. Things are under control for now. But the people behind this are still at large.”
Jet exhaled sharply, nodding as he processed the information. Relief washed over him for only a moment before his focus returned to the situation at hand. “What about here?” Samir asked, turning his attention to Stewart.
Stewart jerked his chin toward the fissure. “Some civilians were screaming about a hole in the earth opening up. When we got here, it was small—then it just… expanded. Miasma started pouring out, and these scorpions crawled out of it.” He gestured to the massive corpses lying nearby, their twisted forms still leaking black fluid into the dirt. “We took them down, but we don’t know if more will come.”
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Samir clicked his tongue. “It’s like the land itself is rebelling.”
Jet turned to one of his men, gesturing toward the carcasses. “Get some people together. We need these corpses brought back to the enforcement office. Later, we’ll move them to the library for examination.”
The officer saluted and hurried off to carry out the order.
Samir folded his arms. “Reinforcements will be here soon. If you want to go check on your dad, now’s your chance.”
Jet hesitated for only a second before shaking his head. “I have a duty here. I know he’s safe.”
The way he said it—so firm, so resolute—made Stewart and Samir exchange brief looks of respect.
The young man had changed. Not long ago, he had been just another noble’s son, but now he stood with them, leading, fighting, and enduring the same hardships as the rest of them.
Samir exhaled, rubbing the back of his head before delivering one final piece of grim news. “Lieutenant Niko didn’t make it.”
A heavy silence settled over them.
“He died defending the Mayor,” Samir continued, his voice steady but laced with grief. “He’s a hero. His family will be compensated.”
Jet clenched his jaw. He didn’t know Niko personally, and despite his tall and lanky build, his shyness made him a very peaceful and noticeable character, but losing an officer—someone who had sworn to protect the town—hit hard.
“We’ll make sure it wasn’t in vain,” Jet said at last.
The three officers stood together, battle-worn but unyielding, as the bells continued ringing in the distance.
…
Inside a dimly lit medical building, the air was full of the scent of herbs. Burt lay on a cot, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths, his usually strong frame now frail.
A distinct purple hue clung to his skin, an unnatural discoloration that pulsed faintly beneath the surface. Despite his fatigue, his eyes remained open, though they were heavy with exhaustion.
Surrounding him were Elliot, Lena, Jenny, and Hector, all tense, their expressions a mixture of concern and frustration. The flickering light of a nearby lantern cast long shadows across the walls, mirroring the unease that hung between them.
“It’s poison,” Hector stated, his arms crossed as he analyzed Burt’s condition. His voice was even, but there was an underlying unease—this wasn’t an ordinary ailment.
Burt let out a low groan, shifting slightly as he forced himself to speak. “The bastard said… the only thing that can cure it… is fire or heat more potent than their own poison.” His words were slow, labored, and yet they hit like a hammer.
A silence settled over the room as the weight of that statement sank in. jaw tightened. Jenny’s fingers curled into a fist at her side. Elliot rubbed his temple, sighing deeply.
“A fire stronger than the poison that did this?” Jenny muttered, eyes narrowing. “What kind of nonsense…?”
“We don’t even know what kind of poison this is,” Hector added. “Let alone where to find something even stronger.”
Lena exhaled sharply. “Abel might have a solution.”
They all nodded, silently hoping that when he returned, he would have an answer to this grim dilemma.
Jenny took a steadying breath before shifting the conversation. “We’ve had disturbances toward the north—Stewart, Samir, and Jet are handling it.” She glanced at Elliot. “I’d suggest we keep the officers on high alert. Whatever happened tonight, it wasn’t random. This was coordinated.”
Elliot’s face was unreadable for a moment before he nodded. “Agreed. I’ll head back to my office. I need to assess the situation and ensure our defenses are properly set.”
Lena scoffed lightly, crossing her arms. “Then I’ll stay by your side for now. You’re not exactly the best at keeping yourself out of trouble.”
Elliot gave her a sidelong glance but didn’t protest.
Jenny turned to Hector, her voice softer but firm. “Hector, would you be willing to help handle the disturbances in the north?”
Hector instinctively wanted to decline. Fighting, handling problems—it wasn’t his style. He had barely adjusted to being back in the real world, and now they were asking him to put himself at risk again. But then, in the back of his mind, a thought surfaced.
What would Abel want him to do?
With a reluctant sigh, he nodded. “Yeah. I’ll go.”
Jenny smiled faintly, appreciating his effort. “Good. Be careful out there.”
“I will.” With that, Hector turned and left, stepping out into the cool night air, his mind racing with doubts.
Jenny exhaled, turning back to Burt, who had remained silent through most of the discussion. “I’ll stay with him,” she assured the others.
Elliot and Lena exchanged glances before nodding. Without another word, Elliot turned toward the exit, Lena following closely behind.
The room fell quiet once more, save for the faint sound of Burt’s labored breathing and the occasional flicker of the lantern’s flame. Jenny sat beside him, her eyes dark with thought.
