Jack leaped forward with a simple motion as lightning struck ahead. The bolts shattered the ground, and Jack laughed. "Is that all you've got?"
"It's not over yet!"
With a broad smile, Gwen lunged and hurled a Mana-charged punch toward Jack's face. As her fist neared, Jack only chuckled.
Then, with his index finger, he casually stopped the punch. While Gwen was stunned, Jack moved his right foot forward and lightly tapped her leg.
Gwen's knees buckled from the slight pain. Jack then shoved her, sending her to the ground. At the same moment, sensing something coming, he raised his hand and blocked Ethan's punch, hidden under an illusion.
"Nice try," Jack said approvingly, a smirk playing on his lips. "But it was still a meaningless attack against me."
Before Ethan could react, Jack grabbed him. With a swift motion, he flung Ethan toward Sam, who was running at him.
"Ahhh!"
Ethan screamed. Sam tried to dodge but it was too late. Ethan collided with Sam, and they both tumbled to the ground. Jack laughed and turned to Gwen, who was getting back on her feet.
"Do you want to join them too?"
Gwen glanced sideways at her writhing friends on the ground, her face paling. With a half-smile, she quickly waved her hand. "No, no. I'm fine like this."
Jack grinned. Two weeks of training were paying off. He really did have good students. Ethan was clever. He excelled in using illusionary attacks, almost unmatched against ordinary people.
Gwen, on the other hand, was quite aggressive but an excellent fighter. Her only flaw was a lack of battle intelligence—she just charged in recklessly.
Sam, however, was Jack's most admired student. Sam was strong, perhaps the strongest among them. He wielded lightning with exceptional skill.
Though his close combat skills weren't great, they were decent. Jack had recently been very impressed with Sam. Beneath his introverted, timid personality lay the heart of a ferocious warrior.
Especially when his face became completely devoid of emotion during a fight...
"That's enough," Jack said calmly. Gwen, Ethan, and Sam lined up in front of him. Jack continued, "You've all improved a lot today. Considering you've only been training for a week, this is impressive."
"Thank you," Sam said with a polite smile. Jack sighed as he glanced at his wallet. He had enough money for a restaurant today, but how long could this continue?
His funds weren't limitless. Still, the group deserved a good meal today. Jack smiled and shared the good news. "I'll treat you today. We're eating at a restaurant!"
"Yes!"
The group nearly cried with joy. A smile crept onto Jack's face as they headed for the restaurant.
The training ground was a cave. It was close to the city but isolated, making it a convenient location for Jack.
"Good day, sir," greeted an elderly man, Roland. He was old but still lively and kind. Jack entered, noticing that Roland didn't recognize him. Jack sighed at how quickly the old man seemed to forget him.
"Roland? Don't you recognize me?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Jack," Jack said calmly. Roland blinked in surprise, then furrowed his brows. "How did you change so much in just one day?"
Jack didn't understand what Roland meant and opened his phone's camera. Seeing his reflection, he was shocked.
"It will be under the United Nations. In all the countries recognized by the UN, you will be able to act freely," Patrick said as if it were a trivial matter.
Ethan, Sam, and Gwen were stunned, shocked by how large-scale the matter had suddenly become. They waited patiently to see Jack's response, their hearts filled with a childlike excitement. Your journey continues on empire
Who wouldn't want to be part of the world's greatest team of heroes? Even if Lucifer was leading them, what mattered was how the world perceived them.
"But your words are just empty promises," Jack said calmly. "I won't work with you until I see action."
Patrick had anticipated Jack's reaction. He took out another document and placed it on the table. "The vote is already taking place in the UN."
"If approved, you'll have unlimited resources, access to advanced technology, and full support."
"And what if I refuse?" Jack asked with a smirk. Ethan frowned, uneasy about how things were unfolding.
"It wouldn't matter to me," Patrick replied calmly. "But it would to the Director. He's a short-sighted fool. He will try to get rid of you."
"What?" Gwen asked angrily. "Just because of that, he'll become our enemy?!"
Patrick sighed. "Even though I'm a man of politics, I still work for the people. But for the Director, politics is everything. He will be uncomfortable with the idea of taking orders from another power."
"Then come back when you're the Director," Jack said coolly. "Only then will I consider it."
Patrick looked momentarily tired but felt a glimmer of hope from Jack's words. Unlike others, this matter was of great importance to him.
Perhaps even more than his own life.
Patrick had always been a serious man, taking everything to heart. While the public and social media mocked this invasion scenario, Patrick believed in the possibility.
"Then this proposal is on hold for now," Patrick said as he stood up. Jack nodded in acknowledgment. "Next time, at least let us know in advance."
Patrick smiled. "Don't worry. I'll inform you before our next meeting."
As Patrick left, Gwen looked at Jack with curiosity. "Why didn't you accept the proposal?"
Hearing her question, Jack smiled and replied, "Even though Patrick is a strong and popular figure, it's still too early. If something like this were suddenly established, no one would accept it, and Patrick's reputation would suffer."
Sam remembered how they had accused Ethan before. Yes, as Jack said, people still weren't taking this matter seriously.
After all, there had been many similar claims in the past—UFOs, Area 51, even theories that Michael Jackson was still alive. But in the end, all of them were proven false.
People no longer took such things seriously. The supernatural was slowly fading away in the face of scientific progress. If they announced the existence of magic now, they might even be treated as lunatics.
"If Patrick becomes the FBI Director, then we'll see," Jack said calmly. "For now, we'll keep an eye on the current Director. If he opposes us, then I won't hesitate to eliminate him."
Hearing Jack's words, Sam silently prayed for that not to happen. Killing monsters was one thing, but taking human lives was something he hesitated over.
Sensing this, Jack said, "I know some people will become your enemies. When the time comes, they'll want to capture or even kill you."
Jack spoke with seriousness. "That's why you must always be prepared and never underestimate your enemies. Don't hesitate to kill, because if we hesitate, it won't just be our end—it will be humanity's end as well."
Hearing Jack's words, Ethan, Gwen, and Sam nodded with seriousness. Though they had their doubts, they decided to take this mission seriously.
"Now that you've finished your meals, let's go," Jack said, leaving money on the table. As he walked out of the restaurant, Ethan, Sam, and Gwen followed him.