Chapter 46: Job
"Time lock? Time energy?!" Damien Bloodbane frowned deeply and exerted all of his considerable strength to try and break free.
Time Energy was not supposed to exist!
Theoretically, it was an unstable energy that defied the very laws of magic and physics. No known mage had ever successfully harnessed it, as even the smallest fluctuation could collapse reality around it like a shattered pane of glass.
But here it was, an extremely practical application of the supposedly purely theoretical energy.
Pure death energy started to gather around his fist as Damien Bloodbane forcefully tried to cast [Death Bomb]
Crack!
A fine crack appeared in theTime Lock encasing him.
From the corner of his eye, a figure stepped forward.
A mana-awakened.
The man's presence was suffocating, his very existence exuding a pressure so unnatural that Damien Bloodbane could feel the energy warping around him.
The attacker moved calmly, with purpose, his glowing eyes glancing once at Damien Bloodbane before locking onto Athena's unconscious form.
With a surprising gentleness, he picked her up, cradling her like something precious.
"They are here to rescue her?!" The realization hit Damien Bloodbane like a hammer, shock and relief flooding through his heart at the same time.
Within seconds, the soldiers and mana-awakened vanished, disappearing into the night as if they had never been there.
The moment the mana-awakened vanished, the time lock shattered.
Like a dam breaking all at once, the world roared back to life.
Gunfire no longer rang through the air, but the sheer chaos left in its wake surged forward in a relentless wave.
Screams erupted.
The wounded, previously frozen in place, now collapsed to the ground, clutching their wounds and writhing in agony. Some gasped for breath, their bodies convulsing as blood poured from bullet-riddled limbs and torn flesh.
Blood pooled around broken tables, bodies lay scattered in gruesome, lifeless heaps.
More than half of the people inside had been wiped out in the span of mere moments.
And yet—
Jennifer Aquafrost was completely unharmed.
She stood near the entrance, untouched, her face unreadable as she scanned the carnage around her.
The Net Café Manager, however, was not only fine. He was grinning like a goddamn idiot.
Damien Bloodbane and Harry Shadowfang both stared at him.
Instead of his usual wailing, he let out a low, satisfied chuckle.
"Ohhhh yesss," the manager whispered, a deranged little gleam in his eyes before bursting into laughter.
"I'M RICH!!"
"I WAS INSURED FOR RIOTING AND ACTS OF TERRORISM!!!"
The manager threw his hands up like he had won the lottery. "FULL COVERAGE!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The official account of the entire incident was that there was a gas explosion in the Net Café that resulted in the death of 17 youths and caused 32 others to be injured.
The entire shop was dismantled to "make sure there were no other leaks," and the Net Café owner was generously compensated for his "silent cooperation."
No official mention was made of gunfire, of assassins, or of the supernatural forces at play that night.
The bodies were swiftly removed, the remains disposed of with quiet efficiency, and within hours, the wreckage was cleared away.
By sunrise, there was no sign the café had ever existed at all.
For the next few days, Damien Bloodbane and Fatty crashed at Harry Shadowfang's place, and he finally had a chance to experience some peace and quiet.
After the relentless storm of events from the ambush in the European Camp, to the activation of his Death Sovereign Legacy System, the brutal Super Soldier Basic Training, his battle against the Devil Apostle, and the chaos of the Net Café massacre—the sudden calm felt almost surreal.
But it wasn't unwelcome.
The stillness became the final step in his evolution, a rare moment of introspection that allowed him to fully absorb, process, and integrate everything he had endured over the past few weeks.
By the third day, Damien Bloodbane exuded a quiet, unshakable presence, like a lake of untold depths. Calm on the surface but concealing immense power beneath.
There was no unnecessary tension in his movements, no wasted energy in his posture.
Just a steady, effortless confidence springing forth from his very soul that made it impossible for people to ignore him.
But despite his growing prowess, Super Soldier / Death Sovereign Damien Bloodbane's wallet still remained tragically empty.
He had three more days to come up with fifty thousand dollars to pay his school fees, and he was completely at a loss on what to do.
Damien Bloodbane must be the poorest Sovereign to ever grace the entire world. No, probably even the entire universe!
Bang!
The door slammed open with enough force to rattle the walls as Harry Shadowfang stormed in without the slightest regard for Damien Bloodbane's privacy.
"Damien you fucking lucky bastard. I got a fucking job for you!" Harry Shadowfang shouted excitedly. "This job is right up your alley, and if you can complete it, you'll get ten thousand dollars!!"
"Really? What is it?" Damien Bloodbane asked, mildly intrigued.
Was there something so good in this world? If something is too good to be true, it most probably is!
"Here! Take a look yourself." Harry Shadowfang tossed a folded piece of paper to him.
Damien Bloodbane caught it and opened it.
His entire face twitched violently.
"What in the world…?!?!"
His eyes darted across the words in complete disbelief.
"SEARCH FOR MISSING ERRAND BOY! IF YOU CAN FIND HIM AND BRING HIM TO THE POWERFUL MAGE COFFEE CLUB, YOU WILL GET A $10,000 REWARD!"
Below the text, a ridiculously accurate sketch of his own face stared back at him.
Damien Bloodbane crushed that piece of paper violently.
"Damn those perverted old men. They probably want me to buy coffee for them and play some games in the Battle Gods Arena. Do they think I have so much spare time? This Super Soldier still needs to make money to be able to study in Pearl Institute!" Damien Bloodbane scowled.
Next to him, Harry Shadowfang howled with laughter.
"Why did you crush that? You can make $10,000 by just turning yourself in, isn't that the easiest and fastest way to make money? If you want to, I can turn you in, get the money, and transfer it to you. Mission accomplished!"
"No." Damien Bloodbane refused stubbornly, still scowling as he tossed the crumpled paper aside.
Harry Shadowfang wiped a tear from his eye, still laughing uncontrollably.
"Alright, alright, I won't sell you out." He smirked. "Not because I wouldn't, but because I won't be here."
Damien Bloodbane's expression shifted. "You're leaving?"
"Yeah," Harry Shadowfang said, stretching lazily. "Long trip. My parents are dragging me along for some business expansion bullshit overseas. You know, making connections, schmoozing with rich old folks, the usual boring crap."
Damien Bloodbane crossed his arms, exhaling through his nose. "So, you're saying I need to fend for myself?"
Harry Shadowfang grinned. "Yup. No big bro Harry to watch your back. Try not to die while I'm gone, alright?"
Damien Bloodbane clicked his tongue, mildly annoyed at the thought of losing his most dependable idiot.
"Fine," he muttered. "I'll figure something out."
Which unfortunately meant…
He would have to depend on the old generals.