The Peak of Magic, Earth's Core Tower

"What if I die?"

"Then you would die while Jack The Ripper's soul takes over your body. He could return to the world and become a killer again," Aerith replied.

Aaron gasped, taking a step back for a moment with his heart full of shock. Aaron turned to the side and focused on the red cage, where Jack The Ripper's soul rested.

He never thought that to obtain the power of Jack The Ripper, Aaron would have to fight in a life-and-death battle against that killer. 

Aaron originally thought getting Jack The Ripper's power would be easy since the man's form was merely the soul's core.

"It's worth the gamble, right? If you win, you can obtain him and control him. Shortly, you get one S-R rank talent," Aerith replied.

"Can I wait to fight until I'm really strong? I'm still in doubt for now," asked Aaron.

"You can, but since Jack The Ripper's cage has already been pulled out of the red energy web, you don't have much time."

"How long at most?"

Aerith raised three fingers of her hand and pointed them forward, seen directly by Aaron.

"Three nights."

'Three nights? It seems like I can get stronger in such a short time,' Aaron explained.

Aerith explained the time to start a fight and the time difference between the Dark Dimension and the real world. 

The girl didn't hesitate to say if one hour in the real world was the same as half an hour in the Dark Dimension.

If three nights had passed in the real world, the time spent in the Dark Dimension would have been six days. 

Aaron understood the explanation well enough, although he had to stay focused on battling Jack The Ripper's soul.

"I will come for you after three nights have passed. If you still refuse, Jack The Ripper's soul will disappear."

"Do you understand?" asked Aerith, Aaron cleared his throat in response.

The young man confirmed that he would train hard for the remaining time given. Obtaining the power of the Stealth talent that had risen to S-R rank was rare and valuable.

"I have to get the talent, no matter what," Aaron explained.

Aerith smiled. She aimed Jack The Ripper's red cage to float right before her. The woman's delicate hand stretched forward, and her index finger seemed to write something on the red cage's wall.

[The Cage Destruction Seal has Activated]

[Time: 07:23:59:21]

[WARNING!]

[Destroying a soul will cause it to have no chance of resurrection]

"Alright. I set it to seven days; it's about four nights in the real world."

"I see."

Aerith threw Jack The Ripper's red cage and let it float freely in the Dark Dimension realm. The girl began to fly towards Aaron as her palm touched Aaron's chest, feeling the pounding heartbeat of a mortal.

"Maybe that is all I can explain to you."

Aerith's left hand held up two fingers, red light emanating from the fingertips. With a slow move to the side, a dimensional rift reappeared and revealed Aaron's home location, which was filled with people, police, mages, and some sages from the academy.

"I didn't expect that many people to surround your place."

"Alright. Let's change the place," Aerith said.

She swung her left hand to the side as if she was sliding a slide effortlessly. Aerith smiled and pointed to the place suitable for Aaron's arrival to be less noticed by others.

"Eh? Wait! That's the—"

"Give my regards to Natasha."

Not listening to Aaron's words, Aerith threw Aaron's body from the Dark Dimension to reach Natasha's residence, precisely in the girl's room.

Luckily for Aaron, the girl was in the bathroom when the dimensional rift appeared in Natasha's room. Aaron fell on the floor face down, his head dizzy again whenever he crossed a dimension.

"Akh!"

'Could this be the impact of my body not getting used to inter-dimensional travel?' Aaron complained.

Hearing the noise from inside her room, Natasha hurriedly grabbed a bathrobe and opened the door. To her surprise, a man was still alive on the floor.

'What? Who is he? Is he a thief?' Natasha asked, alarmed.

Her right palm opened, a ball of light began to gather above her hand and prepared to hit the thief's body, enough to stun him for a few minutes.

Natasha threw the light ball forward along with a small bolt of lightning. Aaron got up from his prone position and turned sideways, seeing Natasha in her bathrobe.

"Aaron?" startled Natasha.

"AAAAKKH!"

Before she could retract the light ball attack, Aaron was hit by it and caused his body to receive a powerful electric shock that knocked him out for several minutes.

[Damage -74]

[You are stunned for 15 minutes]

Aaron lay stunned with whitened eyes, mouth open gaping with small flashes of lightning coming from the young man's body.

"Oh my. I totally had no idea he was Aaron."

Instead of helping Aaron for a moment, Natasha went back into the bathroom to finish her routine. She changed her clothes and came back near Aaron, still lying with the yellow electric flash still emanating from his body.

Long enough for Natasha to wait, Aaron's fingers began to move. A big smile spread across Natasha's face as she took out an HP elixir from her storage ring.

"Drink it, Aaron," Natasha pleaded.

"Cough!"

The young man opened the lid of the HP elixir and downed the green liquid slowly, tasting sweet as it flowed over Aaron's tongue. A small notification panel appeared before him.

[Recovery +150]

"What really happened? I saw in the news that your house was on fire? Why are you here?" Natasha asked, curious.

'Do I need to tell her about my talent? But my mom was arrested because of her Dark Dimension talent. Is it better for me to keep it hidden?'

"Aaron?" asked Natasha.

"My mom disappeared when the fire broke out. Everything burned to the ground, and there was nothing I could save."

Natasha felt sympathy, as she knew Aunt Lucy well. When she heard the news about Aaron's mother's disappearance, Natasha was curious and sad.

Aaron was sitting on the floor leaning against the room wall, his head bowed languidly as he occasionally cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"Are you planning to look for her?"

"The police and the mage officer unit are doing it. They have more experience looking for my mom than I do."

"Is that so? Alright."

Natasha walked out, saying she would come by with snacks; Aaron thanked her. Now, Aaron stood alone in Natasha's room. He turned his body and watched the five high towers in the Earth Core Plain.

The towers were huge, vast, and tall. One floor had the area of a whole city, with a pillar built inside.

Within the tower city, there were common human activities, such as trading, relaxing, adventuring, sleeping, and more. 

People slowly chose to inhabit the tower city instead of conquering the monsters on the tower pillar.

The door to Natasha's room opened, the girl came in with a tray of cookies and a glass of warm water for Aaron.

"Natasha."

"What is it, Aaron?" asked Natasha, placing the food on the table.

"Will you accompany me to get into the Earth Core Tower?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes, began to walk over to Aaron and watched outside her residence.

The soaring Earth Core Tower was displayed with all the human life inside; Natasha had never explored the Earth Core Tower before.

"But aren't Apprentice Mages like us not allowed to raid the tower pillars?" Natasha asked.

"Not if we make a party. I know who can lead us."