Chapter 25 - Offer

(You Mastered the Infinite Ax. Power + 02. You can now use the Charge with any weapon as long as it is a variation of the Infinite Ax)

(You can now access the Infinite Hammer)

Infinite Hammer (Legendary)

A weapon that can evolve the more you use it in combat.

Skill: Iron Storm (20 SP per second). While holding the weapon, you can spin violently to hit all the enemies around you and cause damage equal to your max Power to all enemies hit every second.)

Mastery: 0/300 TP

Reward upon mastery: Power + 03

 Jason was a bit surprised when the battle ended, and he got the hammer. He didn't like that kind of weapon; it seemed weird and unskilled to use, but it would come in handy when he tried to make new items.

"Anyway, it seems that the others didn't notice me… I am at level 49 already and want to improve my regeneration speed again. Still, I guess it might be too risky to leave my home alone for another day and night," Jason thought and then began to cross the piece of the city while running. "There is nothing that says that I won't find more monsters ahead or even around my home as well, after all."

 As soon as Jason left the city, he felt something in the air, and he stopped to look around. Much to his surprise, he noticed the sound of a jeep in the area… one that came from the right side and was approaching him. Before long, Jason found that a police officer was driving and getting closer.

"What a pain in the ass…" Jason said and then sighed.

"You are…" Helena said without hiding her surprise.

Helena was of average height, standing around 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) tall. She has a slender yet athletic build, reflecting her training as a police officer. Her complexion is fair, and her facial features are defined and attractive. Helena had long, dark brown hair that cascaded down past her shoulders, styled in loose waves. Her hair frames her face, drawing attention to her brown eyes.

Helena's facial structure was soft. She has a slender nose and full lips that often wear a serious or focused expression. Her overall facial expression conveied a sense of determination and resolve. Putting that aside, she looked a bit familiar from up close...

"You are the guy from before… we chased to give you a hand, but we only found a trail of corpses," Helena said while looking at the hammer in Jason's hand.

"You got the wrong person," Jason shrugged. "I never saw you before."

"Your weapon looks different, but the trace of corpses and the wounds left on them seem similar," Helena said while furrowing her eyebrows. "I don't know why you want to hide that. I just want to say thanks. Are you heading downtown?"

"No," Jason replied.

"Okay… I guess you wouldn't want a ride either," Helena said and then began to drive again. "We have several shelters, and we are communicating via Radio; feel free to look for us if you want some help or help people again."

"... No thanks, sis," Jason said once she left the area. "Your job is the one to help others and protect them… although you will find it hard to receive payment for it now. My job is to protect myself and no one else."

 While that would save him some time, Jason would rather avoid getting involved with others. He had enough problems as it was, and he didn't want to reveal his goals or what he could do.

 Jason hurried up and dashed in the same direction as Helena. The sun was going to set in less than one hour, and he had to find his home before that. Still, he couldn't help but click his tongue since, after a while, he saw some smoke rising to the sky in the distance.

"I guess a residential area would be their favorite place to attack…" Jason furrowed his eyebrows.

 Although he saw that from far away, it took Jason a lot longer to find the spot. It was already completely dark when he found the next piece of his hometown. To make things worse, another pine tree forest surrounded the place. The forest seemed the most eerie place that he had seen so far.

"What the hell? It seems that there is something there that thinks fighting at night against me is in their best interest," Jason thought.

Tall and imposing, the pine trees stool like silent sentinels, their slender trunks stretching towards the heavens. Their bark was rough and weathered. Their branches creak and groan as the wind gusts, adding an unsettling chorus to the night symphony.

As Jason ventured deeper into the heart of the forest, the sense of unease intensified. Shadows elongate and twist, resembling sinister figures that seem to follow his every move. Whispers echo through the trees, carried by the wind, their words indecipherable but tinged with an unsettling urgency.

In that eerie pine tree forest at night, time seemed to stand still, and the boundary between the natural and supernatural blurred. It is a place where primal instincts awaken, cautioning him against further exploration and beckoning for a swift retreat of the open field. Something was there…