Chapter 36 – What sits at the Center
The closer they got to the building, the more obvious it became that this wasn’t just another part of the town.
Everything pointed here.
Movement funneled toward it. Guards had been positioned around it before they broke them. Even now, the space felt… heavier. Not because of anything the system showed, but because of what Jack could feel through Blood Sense.
Too many signals.
Too close together.
Not moving.
That was the worst part.
Jack slowed just before the entrance, not stopping completely, but enough to let his awareness settle properly before stepping inside. His grip on the scythe tightened slightly without him noticing.
This is it.
Hanna came up beside him, quieter than before.
“This is where he stays,” she said.
Jack nodded once.
“Yeah.”
No hesitation after that.
He pushed the door open.
The smell hit first.
Not rot.
Not death.
Something worse.
Stale air mixed with sweat, iron, and something that made it immediately clear what kind of place this had become.
Jack’s jaw tightened.
The interior was lit, not brightly, but enough to see clearly. Furniture had been moved, rearranged into something functional instead of normal. Tables pushed aside. Space cleared. Makeshift divisions created where there shouldn’t have been any.
And people.
Too many.
Some sitting.
Some lying down.
Some not moving at all.
Jack’s eyes moved over them quickly, not lingering, not stopping.
Not his family.
Keep moving.
Focus.
A man near the wall flinched when they entered, his body reacting before his mind caught up. Others followed, slower, like it took effort just to process something new happening in front of them.
None of them spoke.
None of them moved toward the door.
That told Jack everything.
They weren’t being held by chains.
They were being held by something worse.
Control.
Fear.
Routine.
Hanna stepped in behind him, her posture tightening as she took in the scene.
“…Yeah,” she muttered quietly. “This is what he built.”
Jack didn’t answer.
He was already moving.
A sound came from deeper inside the building.
Laughter.
Low.
Relaxed.
Like nothing outside mattered.
Jack’s expression didn’t change.
But something inside him did.
They moved further in.
The next room was worse.
The space had been turned into something deliberate, something designed instead of improvised. People were separated here, grouped in ways that had nothing to do with safety or survival. Some looked up when Jack entered. Others didn’t react at all.
A woman near the center shifted slightly, her eyes tracking him with something that wasn’t quite hope.
More like… disbelief.
Jack didn’t stop.
Not yet.
System notifications flickered faintly at the edge of his awareness.
[Area Effect Detected: Psychological Suppression]
[Status: Minor Mental Resistance Recommended]
He frowned slightly.
So it’s not just him.
Something here was reinforcing the structure.
Not skills he recognized.
But something real.
Jack exhaled slowly, letting the feeling settle without letting it affect him.
Doesn’t matter.
Break the source.
The laughter came again.
Closer now.
Followed by a voice.
“You’re making a mess out there.”
Casual.
Annoyed.
Not concerned.
Jack stepped through the final doorway.
The room was different.
Cleaner.
Organized.
Comfortable in a way that stood in sharp contrast to everything else.
And at the center of it—
Mayor George.
He sat in a chair like nothing had changed, one leg crossed over the other, a glass in his hand, his posture relaxed in a way that only came from complete confidence. Two guards stood nearby, but they didn’t matter.
Not compared to him.
Jack focused.
“Identify.”
[George — Lv.15]
Type: Human Leader
Class: Overseer
Traits: Control, Authority, Psychological Influence
Higher than the others.
Not overwhelmingly.
But enough.
George looked up at him and smiled.
Not surprised.
Not alarmed.
Just… interested.
“So,” he said, setting the glass down slowly. “You’re the one breaking my town.”
Jack didn’t answer.
George’s gaze shifted slightly past him, briefly taking in Hanna, then back again.
“…And you brought one with you.”
His smile widened just a little.
“You know, I was wondering when someone would try this.”
Jack stepped forward.
“Where are they.”
George tilted his head slightly.
“Straight to it.”
He leaned back in his chair, completely at ease.
“I like that.”
Jack felt it then.
Not pressure.
Not like a skill hitting him.
Something else.
Subtle.
Like his thoughts were being… nudged.
Slowed.
Pushed.
[Status Effect: Influence Attempt Detected]
[Resistance Applied]
Jack’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Not going to work.
George watched him for a moment longer, then sighed.
“Shame,” he said casually. “That usually works.”
He stood up.
Slowly.
No rush.
“I built something here,” he continued, gesturing vaguely around them. “Order. Structure. Safety.”
His tone didn’t change.
“You saw what it’s like out there, right? Chaos. Monsters. People dying for nothing.”
He smiled again.
“I fixed that.”
Jack’s grip on the scythe tightened.
“By doing this?”
George shrugged.
“By making choices other people are too weak to make.”
Jack didn’t argue.
Didn’t respond.
There was nothing in that conversation that mattered.
Only one thing did.
He stepped forward.
George’s smile faded.
Not completely.
Just enough.
“Right,” he said. “You’re one of those.”
The air shifted.
The fight hadn’t started yet.
But it was already inevitable.
Jack’s thoughts settled into something cold and simple.
He’s stronger.
Not by much.
Control type.
Mental effects.
Doesn’t matter.
Close distance.
Break him.
Behind him, Hanna didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
She didn’t need to.
Jack raised the scythe.
George straightened.
And for the first time—
The man looked interested.