22:23 PM.

Big T's Office.

Jayden sat across from Big T, now wearing his shirt again, his wrapped hands resting on his knees. Every part of his body ached—Tombstone had landed some solid hits despite losing—but the pain was distant, manageable.

Big T was grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Half a million credits," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You just won me half a million credits and embarrassed the Scorpions in front of everyone. Youngblood, I don't know where you came from, but I'm glad Fred sent you my way."

"The information," Jayden said, cutting through the celebration. "You promised me everything about Scorched and the VIP facility."

Big T's grin faded slightly, replaced by something more serious. "You're all business, huh? Alright. Fair is fair."

He pulled up his holo-pad, swiped through several encrypted files, then turned it toward Jayden.

On the screen was a detailed dossier:

_______

*SCORCHED (Real Name: Unknown)

*Age: Late 30s

*Level: 62

*Ability: Pyrokinesis (Expert-level fire manipulation)

*Affiliation: Black Cobra Syndicate - Pioneer

*Recorded Operations since joining Black Cobra: 57 confirmed high-value kidnappings, 100+ confirmed eliminations

_________

"Scorched is one of the syndicate's most dangerous Pioneers," Big T explained. "Been with them for over a decade. Specializes in acquiring targets that require... finesse. Politicians' kids, executives, heirs to fortunes. People whose disappearance causes problems."

"Where's his base of operations?" Jayden asked, his voice tight.

Big T swiped to the next screen—a map. "The Black Cobra Syndicate maintains a VIP holding facility in Jade City. It's where they keep the high-profile captives before moving them to their final destinations."

Jayden was no stranger to Jade City. That's where he'd spent most of his time hunting over the past few weeks.

"The facility is heavily guarded," Big T continued. "We're talking professional security—thirty, maybe forty trained operatives, all armed, all evolved. And Scorched himself is usually on-site when VIP acquisitions are being held."

Jayden raised a brow. "What about the security layout?"

Big T swiped through more files. "Building is an old industrial complex on the outskirts of Jade City. Five floors aboveground, two underground. The holding cells are in the sublevels. Security checkpoints at every entrance. Camera coverage throughout. Guard rotations every four hours."

Jayden took out his holo-tab.and had Big T transfer all the files to him. When the transfer was complete, Big T leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"That's everything I got, youngblood," he said. "Floor plans, guard schedules, known security measures. Everything you need to save your girl. Use it wisely."

Jayden stood, pocketing his holo-tab. "I will."

"Hey." Big T's voice stopped him at the door. "One more thing."

Jayden turned back.

Big T's expression was serious now—no trace of his earlier good humor. "Going after Scorched ain't like going after David or those Jackal punks. Scorched is the real deal. He is a trained mercenary. A professional assassin. You walk into that facility, you're picking a fight with someone who won't hesitate to kill you. Which means you have to be prepared to take the kill yourself."

"I know," Jayden said quietly.

Big T raised a brow. "And you still gonna do this?"

Jayden's expression hardened. "For Cassandra? Yes. Without hesitation."

Big T studied him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright. Just... be smart about it. And youngblood?" A slight smile returned. "If you manage to survive this suicide mission you going on, come back and see me. I might have work for someone with your talents."

Jayden didn't respond. He just turned and walked out, leaving the building and heading straight home.

-----

11:15 PM.

The house was dark and quiet when Jayden slipped inside. Everyone was asleep—exactly as he'd hoped.

He made his way to his room, locked the door, and collapsed into his desk chair.

His body was screaming. Tombstone had landed solid hits despite losing, and combined with the previous night's fights, Jayden was running on fumes. His Lycan healing factor was working overtime, but even that had limits.

"Tomorrow," he thought. "Tomorrow night I go to Jade City. Tomorrow night I get Cassandra back. No matter what."

But first, he needed to prepare.

Jayden pulled up the files Big T had provided and began studying them in detail.

[Facility Layout: Five floors above, two below. Main entrance on ground level. Service entrance in the rear. Rooftop access via external fire escape (alarmed). Holding cells in Sublevel 2. Security office on Ground Floor. Power systems in Sublevel 1]

[Guard Schedule: Shift changes at 0600, 1400, 2200, 0200. Thirty-eight confirmed personnel. Mix of evolved and non-evolved personnels. Armed with energy weapons and conventional firearms]

[Scorched's Known Patterns: Usually stays in the Ground Floor security office when on-site. Patrols holding area twice per twelve-hour shift. Responds immediately to any security breaches]

Jayden absorbed it all, his tactical mind already forming plans. But the real problem was Scorched himself.

Level 62. Expert pyrokinesis. Professional combatant.

Jayden was Level 16 by the system's standards... that equally placed him on par with a level 50 evolved human. His fire manipulation was recently mastered and nowhere near expert-level.

In a straight, fair fire fight, Scorched would destroy him.

But there was nothing fair about Jayden's entire existence. He was a Lycan with insane strength, currently possessing more than five extraordinary abilities. And on top of that, he had the power to transform into hybrid forms of the beasts he'd integrated. Let's not forget the Lycan transformation too.

The fight should normally be a walkover.

But Jayden had several constraints and limits.

He couldn't hold his transformations for long due to mental strain, and he was still learning how to use multiple abilities at once. And finally, he had a habit of holding back, selecting only a handful of abilities to use in a fight and sticking by them alone. It was his own way of discipline. His own way of pushing himself harder and not relying too much on the fact he had multiple abilities in his arsenal.

And like every other fight, Jayden had chosen which abilities he would use to fight Scorched tomorrow.

Now, he needed advantages. Two factor authentications to make sure he won this fight no matter what.

Jayden stared at the blinking cursor on his desktop's terminal. He had started typing out a tactical document, trying to organize the chaos in his head, but he deleted the file with a frustrated swipe of his hand. Writing it down felt useless. He needed to internalize it. He needed to live the plan before he executed it.

He pushed back from the desk and began to pace the room, his mind projecting the blueprints of the facility onto the empty walls.

"Thirty-eight guards," Jayden muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Plus Scorched."

He stopped and leaned against the wall, staring at the projected image of the Level 62 Pioneer.

"Level 62," he thought aloud, the numbers tasting like ash in his mouth. He'd never faced anyone of that level range before. The thought was almost exhilarating.

Then another thought hit him.

"Wait. I have fire abilities too," Jayden murmured. "But that doesn't make me fire resistant."

He quickly reached into his inventory and retrieved the combat suit he had found inside a glass case on the day he took down those smugglers.

The combat suit materialized in grip and Jayden examined it carefully. The material was flexible, form-fitting, designed for mobility. "I remember the system saying you were fire resistant and had temperature regulation properties," he muttered softly. "You'll do just nicely."

Then he placed the suit on his bed and walked back to his chair to take a seat.

He tapped the holo-tab, shifting the projection to the estate's exterior.

"I'll first have to infiltrate the facility," Jayden whispered, tracing a line through the holographic grounds. "0200 hours. The shift change. Security will be at its weakest. I can use my invisibility to bypass the perimeter sensors, and slip in through the industrial service entrance, and head straight to the holding cells."

He traced the route back out. "Then if I remain undetected, I can get Cassandra and we con both walk out the way I came. No need for a fight."

Jayden paused, his finger hovering over the holographic representation of the bunker's main atrium. The cold reality of the situation settled in. A clean exfiltration was a pipe dream.

The alarm was going to ring.

And there was also a very high chance he would run into Scorched.

"Hm. Contingencies then," he said, his voice dropping an octave. If we get cornered, I do not engage in a proper fight. I use the environment. The bunker is industrial—lots of metals and machinery. Telekinesis would be effective here. And size manipulation can do some damage too."

Jayden closed his eyes, visualizing the fight. Even a human inferno needs to breathe. He has joints. He has blind spots. Fire manipulation drains stamina, and his high-temperature plasma will burn through his reserves fast.

Which meant using his own fire ability will be risky for a mission like this. Those two he'd chosen will have to do.

He opened his eyes, staring at his own reflection in the dark monitor. His plan was full-proof. Hopefully it goes well without any complications.

But either way, he was going to get Cassandra out of that place. And he would kill anyone that stood in his way.

But then a dark thought whispered in his mind.

What if she isn't there?

Jayden's jaw set into a rigid line. "If she's not there, I break Scorched's legs and make him tell me where she is." He murmured coldly to himself.

And if his plan were to fail... there was always one last contingency. The nuclear option. His ultimate trump card.

The Lycan transformation.

"If it comes down to that..." Jayden whispered, a shiver running down his spine. "I won't hesitate to use it."

This wasn't just a rescue mission anymore. This was war.

Every advantage mattered. Every mistake could be fatal.

By the time he finished planning, it was past 2 AM. Exhaustion pulled at him like a physical weight.

Jayden finalized his plan, turned off his desktop, and finally allowed himself to collapse onto his bed.

Tomorrow night. He would attack.

Destroy Scorched. And save Cassandra.

"I'm coming," he thought as sleep finally claimed him. "Just hold on just a little longer. I'm coming."