“SEIZE HIM!”

  The guards didn’t hesitate. Swords unsheathed, they advanced on Victor with cold efficiency.

  Victor rose from his seat, his voice steady, almost bored. “Stop this now, or you’ll regret it.” His gaze locked onto Damian, who sat smugly, reveling in his own perceived victory.

  “Regret? Me?” Damian scoffed, leaning back. “Do you even know who I am, Victor? If I deliver you to the other families, I’ll be rewarded.”

  Victor’s expression was unreadable—like a still lake before a storm. Without another word, his muscles uncoiled, and in an instant, his spear materialized from his Inventory. “I warned you.”

  He moved.

  Damian smirked, watching with amusement. “Put on a good show for me, Victor. If you do, I mig—”

  He never finished.

  Blood splattered across the opulent room. Limbs severed, bodies fell in grotesque succession. The screams came next.

  “HELP ME!”

  “AAAAHHHH!”

  The guards barely had time to understand their mistake before they were gone—erased in seconds.

  Damian, who had been lounging moments ago, shot to his feet, panic washing over him.

  “STOP, VICTOR!”

  Victor didn’t stop.

  His spear danced, an instrument of death in the hands of a master. No wasted movement, no hesitation. Years of battle had refined him into something unstoppable.

  Experience? He had more.

  Technique? He was better.

  Stats? Overwhelming.

  Thirty seconds. That’s all it took.

  Now, only two remained.

  Victor stood amidst the carnage, blood dripping from his spear, his expression unchanged. Damian stood frozen, trembling, his face devoid of its earlier arrogance.

  Victor stepped forward, slow, deliberate. “Go to the Federation HQ. If you don’t, I’ll erase your family from history.”

  He didn’t wait for a response. He simply turned and walked away—toward the next family.

  Damian’s knees shook. He had never imagined Victor would be this strong—this ruthless. Regret clawed at his throat. “Regret? I do…” he muttered, already making preparations for his family to attend the meeting.

  While Victor was dealing with the high families, Nova and the others finally arrived at the Federation HQ after three grueling hours of travel.

  They stood before a colossal black-gold tower that speared the heavens, its sheer presence oppressive. The entrance—massive gates that resembled a divine vault—loomed over them, as if only gods were meant to pass through.

  Nova tilted his head back, taking it all in. “Do they really need to be this bombastic?” he muttered.

  “Shhh!” Cassidy hissed, throwing him a warning look. The last thing they needed was trouble before the meeting.

  “He’s not wrong” Rachel chimed in, unimpressed.

  Samuel exhaled. “Do you think they’ll actually listen to us?”

  Thomas shrugged. “They have to… or, well… bye-bye Federation.”

  A snort escaped Amelia before she could stop herself. Just two weeks ago, saying something like that would’ve gotten you executed. Now? No one cared.

  Cassidy shook her head at their antics. “Focus. This is still the Federation. We don’t know how strong they really are.”

  Nova didn’t bother correcting her and instead grinned. “Jack! I choose you!”

  Jack’s face twitched. ‘This guy…’ Resisting the urge to smack Nova, he stepped forward with a sigh. “Shut up and let me handle this. If they ask you anything, just nod.”

  The group nodded in perfect unison, as if they’d rehearsed it beforehand.

  Jack strode into the building with the others close behind.

  They barely made it two steps inside before a guard intercepted them, his voice cold and impassive. “Do you have an invitation?”

  Jack arched an eyebrow. “We have critical information about the aliens. Do I still need an invitation?”

  The guard hesitated for a moment before curtly responding, “Wait here.” Without another word, he turned and strode away, likely to report to his superiors.

  While they waited, the group idly chatted about the interior of the tower, its sheer scale and opulence.

  Rachel drifted toward Cassidy, slipping an arm around her shoulders with a knowing smirk. “Done smiling yet?” she whispered.

  Cassidy blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

  Rachel’s smirk widened. “Come on. We all see it.”

  Cassidy frowned, still lost. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Rachel sighed, shaking her head as she walked away. “You’ll figure it out when you’re ready.”

  Cassidy tilted her head, deep in thought, but after a moment, she shook it off. Whatever Rachel was hinting at, it could wait.

  Right then, the guard returned, stopping in front of them. “Come with me. You’ve been granted access.” Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and strode off, expecting them to follow.

  Nova had half a mind to smack the guard for his tone, but he held back, recalling Jack’s warning.

  He wasn’t the only one irked. Even Cassidy, the daughter of the Vale family’s head, received the same treatment—no titles, no respect, just cold indifference.

  Jack shot a quick look at the group before following the guard. No one spoke as they ascended, the silence heavy with tension.

  The higher they went, the more extravagant the furnishings became—polished obsidian floors, intricate gold inlays, crystal chandeliers that shimmered with unnatural light. By the 30th floor, they stopped before a grand hall constructed from a pristine white material none of them recognized.

  At the far end of the hall, a middle-aged man stood with his back to them, his full head of white hair stark against the floor-to-ceiling glass. He gazed out over the city below, his posture unreadable.

  The guard, stiff and formal, barked, “BOW.”

  Jack moved before Nova even had the chance to react, stepping in front of him and locking eyes mouthing: Do. Nothing.

  Nova hadn’t planned to do anything yet, but Jack’s immediate intervention almost made him want to act out just to mess with him. His lips twitched. ‘Should I feel honored that he knows me this well, or should I be concerned?’

  He sighed and let his muscles relax. Jack gave a subtle nod before turning his glare toward the others, a silent warning that kept them in check.

  Then Jack turned to the guard, his voice level but firm. “I just saved your life. Leave.”

  The guard stiffened. No one had ever spoken to him like that inside this tower. He opened his mouth to retort, but a calm, authoritative voice cut through the room.

  “You can leave.”

  The guard froze. Trembling slightly, he turned, bowed deeply, and exited without another word.

  The man at the window finally turned around, revealing his face to the group.

  Jonathan Lewis. President of the Federation.

  He had black eyes, and his face showed few signs of aging, as if he meticulously cared for himself. His gaze was sharp, exuding the air of a ruler.

  Nova barely reacted—he simply didn’t care. Cassidy took it in stride as well, having met him before. Jack remained composed, treating it as just another meeting with a powerful figure. He acknowledged influence, but he didn’t put anyone on a pedestal.

  The others, however, were completely stunned, their mouths hanging open.

  Meeting the most powerful and influential man on Earth had never even crossed their minds, yet here they were, before Jonathan Lewis himself.

  Jonathan took note of their reactions, mildly amused. He wasn’t surprised by Cassidy’s composure—he had met her with her father a couple times. But Nova and Jack’s indifference? That was unexpected. Unlike the rest, who wore the wide-eyed awe of common citizens meeting a legend, these two treated him like any other man.

  “Relax” Jonathan said, gesturing to the chairs arranged before him. “Take a seat.”

  Three of them immediately took their seats, while the others needed a few extra seconds to snap out of their shock before shuffling toward the chairs.

  Once everyone was seated, Jonathan nodded, turning his attention to Cassidy. “It’s been a while, Cassie. How’s Victor?”

  Cassidy smiled slightly. “It has been a while. Dad’s doing fine. He actually wanted to meet with you, you’ll see him soon.”

  Jonathan nodded, his expression unreadable. “I figured. And about the letter—I had to send it. The pressure was mounting from all sides. They don’t want the high families gaining enough strength to challenge us.”

  Cassidy waved it off, her tone light but laced with meaning. “It’s fine. I doubt Dad took it seriously. We all know the high families were the ones responsible for the attack on our estate.”

  Rachel, Thomas, Samuel, and Amelia sat quietly, observing the exchange with mixed emotions. Cassidy was way too comfortable talking to the President. They weren’t sure if that was a good thing or a terrifying one.

  Jack took that moment to step in, his voice firm. “We have more pressing matters to discuss.”

  Jonathan’s sharp gaze shifted toward him. “I was told you have information about the aliens. What exactly is your objective here?”

  Jack met his stare without hesitation. “First, we know why the aliens sent us information about ‘God’s Path’—and why they haven’t attacked yet.”

  Jonathan’s fingers tapped against the armrest of his chair, his expression unreadable.

  Jack continued, unwavering. “Second, we know when they will attack.”

  Silence fell over the room, thick and heavy. Even Cassidy’s casual demeanor tensed slightly.

  Jack leaned forward, locking eyes with Jonathan. “And third—this one’s just a bonus—we’ve already been enslaved. Most of us.”

  Jonathan’s expression remained stoic, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—curiosity, calculation, maybe even concern.

  Jack knew he couldn’t afford to mess this up. He didn’t want to use Plan B. This had to work.

  Digesting Jack’s words, Jonathan narrowed his eyes and asked, “How do you know all of this? Even we don’t have this information. So tell me—why should I believe you?”

  Jack had anticipated this reaction. Without hesitation, he replied, “We spoke to an alien. He told us the basics.”

  “What?” Jonathan shot to his feet, his expression frozen in disbelief. It took him a moment to collect himself before he slowly sat back down. “Explain. Everything.”

  Jack took a deep breath and began narrating everything they had learned. As he spoke, Jonathan’s face shifted—first alarm, then anger, then outright rage. He wanted to reject what he was hearing, but the details… they were too precise, too intricate to be fabrications. Only those who truly understood the situation could possibly know such things.

  His hand trembled slightly as the truth settled in—time wasn’t theirs to waste. They were living on borrowed moments, while others unknowingly slaved to earn them time.

  Jack finally finished, falling silent to let Jonathan process it all.

  Barely a dozen seconds passed before Jonathan’s eyes hardened with resolve. “We move forward under the assumption that everything you said is true.” His tone brooked no argument. “We need to gather every high family here. Now.”

  Jack didn’t miss a beat. “Already in progress. Victor is handling it.”

  Jonathan’s brows lifted slightly. These people were thorough—almost unsettlingly so. For a brief moment, he wondered if they even needed his permission to pull this off. But he shook the thought away.

  “Good” he said. “I’ll prepare a hall for the meeting and summon every high-ranking official in the Federation.”

  Jack’s expression remained firm. “Make sure your people don’t screw this up. Anyone who does will answer to me. Personally.”

  Jonathan nodded sharply. “Anyone!”

  A guard entered almost instantly, bowing deeply. “Yes, President!”

  “Prepare a hall with the finest seating for an important meeting. Inform the chefs to start cooking for around a hundred guests. Lastly, dispatch a guard to personally summon every high-ranking official in the Federation to meet me in the conference room.” Jonathan’s tone was decisive. The conference room wasn’t ideal to host every family—it was large enough for government officials but far too small for every major power on Earth.

  Standing, he turned to the group. “Everything should be ready within two hours—four at most. When is Victor arriving?”

  Jack checked the time. “He estimated half a day… that was about four or five hours ago. The timing works.”

  “Perfect.” Jonathan nodded. “I’ll see you all soon. And… thanks for bringing this up to me.” Without another word, he strode out, already focused on the coming storm.

  As soon as he was gone, Nova stretched and spoke up. “Since we’re just waiting, I’m going to train.” He didn’t wait for a response, already moving to the side as he retrieved his spear from his Inventory. The hall was spacious—easily big enough for twenty people to train at once, let alone just a handful.

  Cassidy’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I’m going too!” she said, following after him without hesitation.

  The others exchanged glances before shaking their heads.

  Jack, however, wasn’t about to let them slack off. His gaze swept over the group. “You. All of you. Go train.”

  Groans filled the hall, but there was no arguing. One by one, seven more figures spread out, focusing on their own practice.

  Time was not a luxury they could afford to waste.

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