NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51: Finally
The fight dragged on, and Jace was starting to realize the problem.
He was faster now, much faster, and every dodge, every step, felt sharper than before. But the truth was clear: his fists weren't enough.
Each punch rattled the brute, staggered it, but never for long. The monster shook off hits like it was built to tank damage.
And all the while, Jace could hear distant screams echoing through the mall.
Every second wasted meant more bodies.
[You won't win by trading shots,] Zin snapped. [Its frame is too dense. You're battering the surface, not breaking it. You need leverage. Weapons. Use the environment.]
Jace's eyes darted across the wreckage. Cracked tiles. Shattered glass. Rubble everywhere.
Then he spotted it: a bent steel pole, once part of a shop display, long enough to serve as a makeshift spear.
He dashed for it, boots skidding over broken plaster.
The brute thundered after him, swinging its clawed hand. Jace ducked low, kinetic energy surging in his legs, and slid under the swipe.
He snatched the pole in motion, rolling to his feet with the metal gripped tight.
With a shout, he lunged forward and drove the pole toward the brute's chest.
The metal bent like a toy. The brute grunted but didn't even flinch.
"Shit," Jace hissed, stumbling back as the monster's arm swung again.
[The body is too strong. You won't pierce it like that. Think, Jace. Go for the weak spots.]
Jace's eyes scanned the brute frantically. The skin was armored everywhere, green muscle rippling like stone under flesh. Everywhere… except—
He froze when the alien blinked. Its eyes were dark, wet, unshielded.
A grin tugged at Jace's lips beneath the balaclava. He tightened his grip on the pole, repositioning it like a javelin.
"Not everywhere," he muttered.
The brute roared and charged.
Jace spun the metal pole in his hands, his breathing ragged. His eyes narrowed on the brute.
"Fine," he muttered. "Let's see how you like this."
He tightened his grip, kinetic energy rippling through his muscles as he hurled the pole like a spear.
It cut the air with a sharp whistle, faster than human strength could ever send it. The steel shaft drilled straight into the brute's face, burying itself deep into its left eye with a wet, sickening crunch.
The alien screamed, a guttural roar that shook the shattered walls. Blood and thick fluid gushed down its face as it staggered back, clawing desperately at the pole jutting from its skull.
But it wasn't dead. Not yet.
The monster thrashed, half-blind now, rage replacing any pain.
It lunged again, swiping blindly, smashing holes through the floor and tearing apart kiosks. Its strikes were powerful but sloppy, uncoordinated.
[Now, Jace!] Zin barked in his head. [It's weakened. One eye means no depth perception. Exploit the blind angle, move to its damaged side. It can't track you properly.]
Jace dashed forward, energy humming through his legs. He skirted to its left, staying low, his movements sharper and faster than before. The brute's claws slashed wide, missing him by feet, then inches.
"Die already!" Jace roared, channeling a concussive burst at its wounded knee.
The alien buckled, collapsing onto one leg again with a howl.
Jace didn't hesitate. He vaulted up its hunched frame, grabbing the blood-slick pole jutting from its ruined eye.
With a savage shout, he shoved down with all his strength, kinetic energy surging into his arms.
The pole rammed deeper, punching straight through the back of the brute's skull. Bone cracked, brain matter splattering the ground.
The alien went rigid, limbs twitching violently, before its massive body toppled sideways, crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact that shook dust from the ceiling.
Jace stumbled back, chest heaving, his gloves soaked in blood. The mall was silent now, save for his own ragged breathing and the faint drip of gore from the pole still sticking out of the brute's head.
[Efficient,] Zin said calmly. [Messy, but efficient. You adapted. And you finished it before the second one could show up.]
Jace spat blood onto the broken tiles, pulling his balaclava straight. "Yeah. But I get the feeling this was just the warm-up."
Jace sprinted out of the mall, kinetic energy flooding his veins.
His movements blurred, not invisible, not lightning fast, but more than human.
His legs carried him in sharp bursts across the ruined street, weaving past wreckage and panicked survivors.
The air burned in his lungs, his skin tingled with static, but the speed felt intoxicating. Almost too natural.
[Stop.] Zin's voice cut sharp in his head. [You need to stop using it like this.]
"What are you talking about?" Jace muttered, slowing only a fraction.
[Your body isn't ready. You're forcing kinetic energy through every cell, accelerating motion that your frame can't sustain. It's tearing you apart at the microscopic level. Aging your cells faster than they can regenerate.]
Jace's stomach dropped. He stumbled to a halt near a crushed car, leaning against it as his chest heaved. "…Wait. Are you telling me I'll get old if I keep doing this?"
[Yes.] Zin didn't hesitate. [Your alien physiology is incomplete. You're not at full maturity yet, and pushing your body like this accelerates cellular breakdown. You might not see it now, but every second you use full-body enhancement like this, you're shaving years off yourself.]
Jace froze, his hands tightening against the car door. "…And you didn't tell me this before because…?"
[Because you told me to skip the details.] Zin's tone was edged with annoyance. [Details like this are exactly what you keep brushing off until it's almost too late.]
Jace let out a bitter laugh, his voice low. "Great. So I'm either monster food or a ninety-year-old by the time I hit twenty-five."
[You won't live to twenty-five if you keep ignoring limits.] Zin snapped. [Use the bursts, control them, but don't flood your entire body unless there's no other choice. Think of it as an emergency gear, not your default.]
Jace went silent, staring down at his bloodied hands. He hated how much sense that made.
"…Fine," he muttered. "But if this city keeps throwing monsters at me, I'm not making promises."
[Then learn faster, Jace. Because the next one might not give you a choice.]