"How much have you progressed?" Captain Percy asked, eyeing Jason, who sat on the bed with his arms crossed and a sullen expression.
"Want to have a go?" Jason replied, cracking his knuckles and stretching his arms.
Percy chuckled, but his eyes turned sharp and serious.
"Looks like you've grown some guts in the meantime."
Jason fell silent. He knew better than to push his luck with Percy. The man in front of him was not someone to be taken lightly. Both of them got into position, settling into what looked like a classic arm-wrestling stance.
"Alright then, show me what you've got!" Percy taunted.
Jason's muscles bulged as he poured his strength into the match. Energy surged through his arm as he tried to force Percy's hand down—but no matter how hard he pushed, the Captain's arm didn't budge. Not even a fraction.
Gritting his teeth, Jason's eyes began to glow faint red. Steam curled from his forearm as he tapped deeper into his power.
"Oh?" Percy raised a brow, intrigued. "Now that's interesting. Did you come up with this technique on your own? Drawing from the Inheritance while enhancing your Resonance Factor... Clever. But still just another shortcut."
Jason didn't respond. He hadn't expected to fool the Captain anyway. All he could do now was focus everything into his arm.
And for a moment—it worked.
Percy's arm began to shift backward. Jason's lips curled into a grin. Victory was close.
But then, a faint glint flashed in Percy's eyes.
His arm stopped.
It didn't just resist—it locked in place like a mountain. Immovable. No matter how much Jason strained, it refused to budge.
"Impossible..." Jason hissed through clenched teeth.
Percy laughed. "I told you from the start—pure strength doesn't come from shortcuts. It comes from discipline. Even Lucifer, who was once the weakest among us, could use you as a training dummy."
Jason's eyes darkened further, the red deepening into a fierce glow. He roared silently, pouring in every ounce of strength he had. But Percy matched it effortlessly, his expression calm.
And then—Jason felt it.
A surge of unimaginable power erupted within his arm. It shattered every wall in its path, breaking through all resistance—
But it vanished just as quickly.
The energy dissipated.
His eyes dimmed. His arm dropped. Across from him, Percy sat with a faint smile on his face, calm as ever.
A chill ran down Jason's spine.
"I lost," he admitted quietly.
The Captain gave a nod and continued, "You can increase your strength like that, sure. But tell me—how long can you actually maintain it?"
"Ten minutes," Jason replied.
Percy raised an eyebrow. "Ten minutes of invincibility, maybe—but only when you're dealing with those surface-level threats. Don't forget, those idiots aren't our real opponents."
Jason fell silent for a moment, then asked, "How did you reach such a level, Captain?"
"It's not just me," Percy said with a faint smile. "James and Lucifer aren't far behind."
"Not fair," Jason muttered, crossing his arms. "You guys left me behind."
Percy's gaze sharpened. "You were the one who insisted on going your own way. As your Captain, I respected that decision. So don't start complaining now."
Jason winced. The memory of that past incident lingered between them—an event that had fractured their team. One that Percy clearly hadn't let go of. Still, Jason met his gaze without flinching.
After a pause, Percy sighed and sat back down, his tone softer but firm.
"Alright. Listen closely—I'm only saying this once."
Jason straightened up, nodding eagerly.
"The Mysterious Manual. That's the key. If you want details, go ask Lucifer."
"What? Hey, come on! Why is everyone being so cryptic?" Jason groaned. "Can't you just tell me? I want to get strong too—I want to be cool!"
But before he could continue whining, Percy unceremoniously booted him out of the room.
The cabin door slammed shut behind him.
Outside, Jason stood with his arms folded, grumbling to himself.
'The Mysterious Manual, huh? So that's what they've been using… Is that really the reason behind their sudden surge in power?'
He scratched his head, 'Should I ask Lucifer about it? …Ugh. No. That devil will probably lecture me to death.'
[Everyone to the command deck.]
Lucifer's voice sliced through Jason's thoughts like a razor. Moments later, Percy, Jason, and a pale-faced James were seated at their stations in the command deck. Before them hovered a vast three-dimensional chart of the solar system, its black expanse marked with a glowing path that cut through to an uncharted region.
Lucifer stood in front of the display, voice calm as ever.
"There are two situations we're dealing with," he began.
"Now what?" Jason grumbled, still annoyed about being tossed out earlier.
"We successfully crossed the asteroid belt. But the ship took damage."
That silenced everyone. It was their first deep venture into the void—into the unknown. The idea of being stranded here sent chills down their spines. Even Percy, usually calm and composed, looked alarmed.
"How bad is it?" he asked.
"Manageable, but serious," Lucifer replied. "We underestimated the hazards. Our conventional comms are offline. Thrusters took a ten percent hit. Hull's damaged—thirty percent. And even without that, we're running low on basic supplies..."
He paused, scanning their worried faces, then sighed.
"In short—given our current state, we can only go this far." He pointed to the glowing path's end, which faded into the dark unknown.
"We've got two choices," he continued. "Option one: turn back. Risky. The ship may not survive the return journey. Option two: use our operational quantum link to send a message to Diane. We wait for extraction."
Jason exploded.
"What kind of nonsense is that? We're on a mission to rescue Diane and Sophie. And you're asking them to save us? How do you even plan on reaching them?"
Lucifer didn't flinch. His eyes remained locked on Percy.
The Captain folded his arms, deep in thought. Then he asked quietly, "No other option?"
"None. It's a gamble," Lucifer admitted. "But I'll inform Diane to be discreet."
Percy sighed.
"Fine. Let's go with it."
"Wait—what?! What is going on here? Why am I the only one completely lost?" Jason cried. "Even Uncle James looks like he knows something. Uncle, what the hell are they talking about?"
A glint flickered in Lucifer's eyes—one Percy caught instantly.
"If that's all, I'll take my leave. Contact me once communication is established," Percy said, turning swiftly and disappearing down the hallway with a faint prayer on his lips—for Jason's safety.
James hurried out too, hand clamped over his mouth, clearly fighting the urge to burst into laughter. That left Jason alone with Lucifer.
"Did the Captain not tell you, Jason?" Lucifer's voice whispered like a devil's lullaby in his ear.
Jason flinched. Goosebumps rose across his skin. But curiosity had already taken hold.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, approaching. Lucifer stood with his back turned. If Jason had seen his expression then, he might've reconsidered.
"What do you know about the Legion?" Lucifer asked, his tone low and enigmatic.
Jason frowned. "The Legion? They're the force Diane and Sophie formed during the Reboot decade, right?"
Lucifer nodded. "Correct. But then... why form an alliance with the Commercial League?"
Jason hesitated. "Wasn't that because of Kevin? He asked them for help."
Sadness flashed in his eyes. Lucifer, too, sighed.
"That's the story everyone knows. But the truth is... something else entirely. The Commercial League, during the Reboot decade, was a powerhouse. Wealth, influence, technology—everything, all under the Luther family's control."
He paused. "But everything changed after that incident."
Jason stiffened. He remembered. That incident was burned into his memory.
"There was more going on behind the scenes," Lucifer said, voice colder now. "Someone—or something—was manipulating the Luther family. Kevin discovered traces of it and tried to reach out to us. But before he could... the incident happened."
Jason's fists clenched.
"What?!" he roared. Then, teeth gritted, he glared at Lucifer. "Who was it?"
"It wasn't me or Percy who noticed the anomaly," Lucifer said. "It was Aria. Thanks to their nature as an Astral Being, Aria saw signs others missed. We can't confirm it completely... but only a few exist who could orchestrate something on that level. While the I-CA looks like it's run by three factions, the truth is—"
"We were pushed out," Jason muttered, realization dawning.
Lucifer nodded. "Exactly. We trusted them—handed them the reins to lead the planet forward. But instead... they bared fangs they'd kept hidden for centuries."
Jason's rage boiled over. His pupils flickered between red and black, breath heavy, chest heaving.
"Those decrepit fossils... they dared touch one of us!"
"Calm down, Jason."
Percy's voice cut through the tension like ice. He had returned, silent and imposing. His eyes—abyssal and unwavering—radiated an aura that extinguished Jason's fury in seconds.
"We'll have our revenge," Percy said, "but not yet. First, we need to know what we're up against."
"We've already made our move," Lucifer added. "Sophie and Diane have infiltrated their ranks. The Flagship? That was bait—to lure the hidden power out. Their betrayal? All an act."
Percy nodded. "Once we reunite, we proceed with the final phase."
"But… what about Kevin?" Jason asked, voice quieter now. "After the incident, the Luther family took custody of his body."
"Don't worry," Lucifer replied with a sly smile. "Someone's bringing him back."
Jason stared. "Who? Who's strong enough to steal from them?"
"You underestimate our world," Percy said, eyes gleaming. "And its deep, ancient roots."
---
Meanwhile, on Earth…
A man cloaked in nomadic robes stood silently, eyes fixed on the distant city walls. His gaze held an unnatural calm, and his body radiated a blinding purity.
'He should be here,' he thought.
He took a step forward. The air trembled with each movement, cracking under an invisible weight. And yet, moments later… everything was still again.