The race continued at this blistering pace for several more minutes until the landscape broke open, revealing a vast, sparkling blue ocean. The mag-lev railway extended over the water on massive, glowing pylons.

Jayden took in the breathtaking view of the sea rushing by underneath him, the salt air whipping against his suit.

Finally, the coastline of the Arcadia continent appeared, and Autumn City came into view.

Jayden ran straight past the city’s railway station... the arrival platform visible, the crew there who had been expecting the Aero-Apex finding instead a blur that passed through their field of view without slowing. He kept going, peeling off the tracks and darting up a grassy hill that overlooked the metropolis. He finally skidded to a halt, his chest heaving, his legs trembling from the sheer exertion.

He took a moment to catch his breath and looked down. Autumn City was breathtaking. It was noticeably more advanced than Emerald or Jade City—a utopian sprawl of gleaming white spires, floating holographic gardens, and sleek infrastructure that blended seamlessly with the coastal waters.

He sat down heavily on the grass, a triumphant grin on his face. He had won.

He pulled out his holo-tab and checked the time.

12:47.

It had been exactly 45 minutes since the train took off, which implied that he had just sprinted across 1,000 kilometers in 45 minutes.

"Woah..." he breathed. "this is incredible."

[You are much faster now] Luna chimed in, analyzing his vitals.

"Yeah, but just by a small margin," Jayden panted, wiping sweat from his forehead.

[Yeah] Luna agreed. [But if you continue to push your physical limits and subject your cellular structure to this level of stress, you may reach Mach 2 sooner than anticipated]

Jayden considered that for a moment, looking down at his shaking hands. Running at Mach 2. The friction at Mach 1 had already been significant enough to require the suit. Mach 2 was an entirely different thermal problem. Mach 2 was a different physics problem in several respects.

"Maybe later," he murmured. "Honestly, being a speedster was never on my to-do list. I’m pretty satisfied with my current speed level."

[Suit yourself] Luna replied dryly. [You have always favored brute force and durability over agility, anyway]

Jayden chuckled, pushing himself to his feet as his stamina slowly regenerated.

[Are you heading back?] Luna asked.

"Soon," Jayden said. "I need to grab a snack first. I’m starving."

[Yeah] Luna confirmed. [You’ve been running at top speed for the better part of an hour. Your caloric deficit is substantial]

Jayden stood up. With a thought, he unequipped his tactical suit, leaving him in his jeans and t-shirt. He bolted down the hill and into the bustling streets of Autumn City, keeping his speed to a reasonable level as he searched for food.

He didn’t have to look far. Stationed at the edge of a serene park was a solitary food truck. A few plastic tables and chairs were set up out front, and a single, cheerful-looking man was manning the grill.

The menu painted on the side of the truck proudly advertised massive, loaded burgers.

There were no other customers. Jayden walked up to the window

"Hey. Can I get two of your biggest burgers, please." he said politely.

The vendor let out a hearty laugh, eyeing Jayden’s lean frame. "You sure you got the stomach for that, kid? Our ’Titan’ burgers usually put grown men to sleep."

Jayden smiled politely. "I’ll manage," he chuckled. "And I’ll take a large milkshake with it, too."

"Alright, boss! Have a seat. I’ll have ’em ready in a jiffy." The man said.

Jayden nodded and picked a plastic table near the edge of the park. He pulled out his holo-tab, immediately pulling up the encrypted file on his next target: Frost.

The photograph at the top of her profile was the usual EVA surveillance quality: distance, grain, and the specific frustrating incompleteness of an image captured by someone who had been trying not to be noticed while taking it. The subject was a woman. Her hair was visible in the photograph was a particular shade... it was not quite white, but not quite blonde either. Something close to pale-blonde.

Jayden read through her profile with mechanical efficiency.

——————

*Name: Alaya Keating

*Code name: Frost

*Level: 68 | Pioneer Rank: S

*Former Affiliation: (I) EVA Field Agent; Special Ops Division. (II) Nova Force Cadet programme.

*Ability: Cryokinesis

*Kill Count: 400+

*Current Status: Active, Black Cobra Syndicate

——————

Jayden scrolled through the data, his brow furrowing. Frost was a former EVA Agent and an ex-cadet of the prestigious Nova Force. She was also widely considered the second strongest of the Ten Pioneers. And level 68 was by far the highest-leveled opponent Jayden had targeted since the beginning of his crusade.

But it wasn’t even her power that bothered him. He had fought a powerful ice user before... the Winter Wolf, and he had won. Now, with his highly improved stats and abilities, he was confident he could handle her. What truly bothered him was the why.

Why would someone who worked for the EVA and the Nova Force... organizations dedicated to peace and protection—become a ruthless mercenary for a crime syndicate like Black Cobra? It was the exact same situation as Tazer, who had been an actual soldier. How did people sworn to protect the innocent end up slaughtering them for a paycheck?

"Order’s ready, kid!"

The vendor’s voice snapped Jayden out of his thoughts. He pocketed his holo-tab and walked over to the counter to grab the heavy tray loaded with two gargantuan burgers and a thick shake.

"Thanks," Jayden said, reaching for his account. "How much for all of these?"

"Oh, don’t worry about it," the vendor smiled, waving him off. "The nice lady over there already covered your meal."

Jayden frowned. He turned to look where the man was gesturing.

Sitting at one of the plastic tables a few yards away was a woman. She looked to be in her late thirties, and she was breathtakingly beautiful, but in a severe, intimidating way. Her hair was a striking, perfectly parted mix of jet black and pure white—like Cruella de Vil. And her attire matched the aesthetic: a highly fashioned, black aristocratic European outfit complete with a wide-brimmed dark hat and sleek, tinted glasses.

She looked like a high-society noble who had wandered into a public park by mistake, yet she carried an amused, comfortable smile as she watched him.

Jayden’s guard instantly went up. He didn’t like the situation he’d just been put in. A stranger paying for a stranger’s food was not a neutral gesture. And in his dictionary, it meant the person wanted something in return. They always did.

The woman maintained unblinking eye contact with him, and feeling the social pressure, Jayden picked up his tray and walked over to her table.

"Thank you for the meal," he said politely, keeping his tone neutral. "You didn’t have to do that."

"It was absolutely nothing, darling," the woman replied. Her voice was mature, incredibly sharp, and woven with a soothing, hypnotic cadence. She gestured gracefully to the empty plastic chair across from her. "Please. Sit with me."

Of course she wants me to sit, Jayden scoffed inwardly.

"I appreciate it, but I’m fine sitting over at my table," Jayden replied with a polite smile. "I wouldn’t want to intrude on your space."

"Nonsense," the woman said smoothly, her smile never wavering. "You aren’t intruding at all. I actually just arrived from a rather long, lonely journey, and I find I’m not very fond of eating alone. So please, join me. I could use the company." She urged.

Jayden shook his head adamantly. "Really, I shouldn’t—"

"I insist," the woman cut him off. Her tone didn’t rise, but the absolute, crushing authority behind those two words left no room for argument.

Jayden sighed in defeat and took the seat opposite her. There was something deeply compelling about her. Her demeanor was completely natural, yet entirely unnatural at the same time.

But what was truly putting Jayden on edge was her energy.

It was intense. It wasn’t a raw, oppressive power like he had felt from Penelope, Kate, or Castor. This was something else entirely. It felt alien. Limitless. Out of this world. Her mere presence made the air feel heavy and thick with a dormant catastrophe.

He needed to know who—or what—he was sitting across from.

Under the guise of adjusting his seating, Jayden subtly activated his Dragon Eyes, directing the system’s absolute appraisal skill at the woman sipping tea across from him.

He waited for the familiar silver screen to list her name, rank, and stats. But instead, a violently red notification box glitched into his retinas.

[Error! Unable to retrieve Target’s information]

Jayden’s eyes widened. "Huh? What the...?"

But the system wasn’t finished. It delivered another shocking notification, one that sent a chill down Jayden’s spine.

[Alert! Anomaly Detected; Target does not exist]