Chapter 48: The Amazon Queen
Scar was stunned after going through Jane’s info. Her age didn’t come as a surprise to him, not after seeing Felicity’s age days ago. Her health points were higher than Xavier’s, even though they were at the same rank.
But none of these interested Scar, it was her ability that truly caught his attention. Item Gradability. The inherited memories of the original Henry suddenly flooded into his conscious mind, painting a clear picture of the woman standing over him.
Jane was the daughter of Evelyn Carter, the Amazon Queen, Commander of the Amazon faction, and Leader of Gaea Nation. Evelyn was the second most powerful person in the world, a monster capable of lifting 250,000 tons, wielding super strength that far exceeded Xavier’s power, along with the possession of two other abilities, including Earth Manipulation. She was one of the known five people in the world to hold more than two abilities, and was so strong that she was sometimes considered to be an actual Amazon warrior.
Due to Evelyn insane capabilities, the entire Carter bloodline was legendary. Every child was born at an A-rank baseline, possessing an incredible amount of mana cell, and wielding multiple abilities, including at least one elemental affinity.
The Amazon Queen’s daughters; Jane and her twin sister, Janine, were just like their mother; powerful and formidable. But Jane didn’t possess an elemental ability like her mother and sister. She was the chaff of the family. The black sheep in a legacy of monsters. But she didn’t let that stop her from achieving greatness.
To compensate for lacking the raw, catastrophic firepower of her family, she had dedicated her entire life to mastering twenty-five different forms of martial arts, and learnt how to use every conceivable weapon ever created, thus earning her the terrifying moniker, The Goddess of Martial Arts.
Her primary ability, Item Gradability, allowed her to fundamentally alter the molecular density and rank of any object she touched. She could pump mana into a fragile kitchen knife, temporarily upgrading it to an indestructible, S-rank weapon. Conversely, she could touch an opponent’s legendary sword and degrade it into a rusted, useless scrap of iron.
This ability made Jane an extremely valuable asset to the world, and when she was younger, she was constantly wooed by organizations and corporations to come work for them. But Jane never accepted any of these offers. She didn’t even work in her own family’s company, deciding that her ability would never be used for business. It was the right call, because imagine a world where anyone could have access to S-rank weapons. The items would lose their value, and the trade market would collapse. So, she only used her ability during battles to temporarily increase a weapons rank, then return it back to normal after the fight.
But even with this incredible power, Jane also possessed a second ability. One that was rumored to be quite peculiar. But no one really knew what it was, as Jane had never told the press or displayed it publicly before. And even Scar was curious about it.
Jane stepped back, offering him a hand. "You have excellent instincts, Roy. Your aggression is sharp. But your technique is sloppy against an opponent who knows how to read intent." She explained.
Scar ignored her hand, kipping up to his feet and dusting the sand off his clothes. He looked at the kitchen knife, then back to her. "Alright. Point taken. Teach me." He said.
Jane smiled. "Very well."
For the next two hours, she broke his stance down to the fundamentals. She didn’t teach him how to stab; she taught him the biomechanics of evasion and counter-striking. Then. She demonstrated a specific, highly advanced technique—a reverse-grip parry that flowed seamlessly into a blind-spot strike, utilizing the opponent’s own forward momentum to expose their ribs.
Scar tried it repeatedly. He failed the first dozen times, his timing slightly off. But his mind remained focused even through the constant failure, being heavily trained from his past life. On his fifteenth attempt, as Jane lunged forward with the wooden training dagger, Scar pivoted perfectly. He caught her blade with a reverse grip, sliding past her shoulder and tapping the pommel of his dagger gently against her lower spine.
Jane froze. He had executed the move, but the timing was still a bit off. And his footwork was still slightly imbalanced. But he did it. That was all that mattered. She slowly stood up straight, turning to look at him with genuine, deep astonishment.
"Nice work, Roy," she breathed. "That move is something no beginner or intermediate dagger user can pull off in such a short time. The footwork alone takes months to master. But you managed to execute it within an hour. I am impressed. Although, your timing and footwork still needs a little work."
Scar forced a weak smile. "Um... Thanks?"
Jane chuckled. "But I have to say...your entire handling of the blade is remarkably refined. It shows... experience. Where did you first learn to use a dagger?" she asked, furrowing her brows.
"The internet," Scar lied smoothly.
Jane scoffed. "The internet? Really?" She obviously wasn’t buying it.
Scar shrugged, spinning the dagger around his finger. "Yeah. I’m just that good at picking things up, that’s all." He muttered.
Jane hummed softly, her sharp eyes studying him, but she didn’t push the matter further. "Very well. Let’s call it a day." She said, before dropping the wooden dagger and heading out of the arena. "Why don’t you come freshen up inside."
Scar nodded and followed closely behind her.
As they walked off the sand, Scar glanced at her with interest. "I heard some rumors online," he began smoothly. "People say you possess a second ability besides your item manipulation."
Jane paused, glancing at him in surprise. "Hmm, and do you believe these rumors?"
"I don’t know," Scar said. "Is it true?"
Jane smiled. "It is."
"What is it?" Scar asked immediately.
Jane was silent for a moment. Then, a playful smile touched her lips. "Why don’t I make you a deal. If you can manage to pull off that reverse-parry perfectly against me the next time we meet... I will tell you."
"Deal," Scar agreed instantly.
They walked back into the sprawling mansion. Jane led him up a sweeping glass staircase to a spacious, sunlit suite on the second floor. When Scar stepped inside, he paused. The room possessed the exact same elegance, color scheme, and warmth as his own bedroom back in the Glacier Palace.
"I set this room up for you years ago," Jane explained softly, leaning against the doorframe. "Whenever you used to come over for playdates or sleepovers with Alicia. It’s always been yours."
Scar felt a strange pang in his chest that didn’t belong to him. He nodded slowly.
"Freshen up," Jane smiled. "If you need anything, just call out to any of the maids. I’ll see you later."
Scar exhaled heavily as the door clicked shut. He walked straight into the luxurious en-suite bathroom, stripping off his sweaty, mud-caked clothes and stepping under the hot spray of the shower. The water washed away the grime of the forest and the sand of the arena. He let the heat soothe his muscles, his mind actively categorizing everything he had learned today.
After twenty minutes, he turned the water off, wrapping a thick white towel tightly around his waist. He stepped out of the bathroom, running a hand through his damp hair.
"I thought you were gonna take forever in there." A voice suddenly echoed in the room.
Scar flinched violently, his instincts flaring. In a fraction of a second, his dagger materialized in his right hand. He spun on his heel, his arm cocked back, ready to hurl the lethal blade through the skull of the intruder. But he froze after seeing who the intruder was.
Sitting casually on the edge of his bed, holding a folded stack of clean clothes, was Alicia.
"I wouldn’t do that if I were you," Alicia said smoothly, her eyes darting to the blade.
Scar slowly lowered his arm, letting out a heavy, irritated exhale. "You’re lucky I held back. You were just a millisecond away from catching a blade in the throat."
Alicia smirked, entirely unfazed. "And you’re lucky you didn’t throw it. I would have deflected it right back into your chest." She chuckled. "Or did you forget my primary ability?"
They locked gazes, the familiar, sparking tension immediately filling the room. Scar banished the dagger with a thought, crossing his arms over his chest. "What the hell are you doing in my room? I’m basically half-naked."
Alicia leaned back on her hands, her eyes shamelessly raking over his toned, heavily scarred upper body. "Don’t flatter yourself, Roy. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before."
Scar’s eyes widened at that statement. His mind went blank. A sudden, chaotic rush of thoughts slammed into his brain. What did she mean by that? When did she see ever him naked? Was it when they were kids? Or did she spy on him recently? The implication was so utterly jarring that the Scar found himself completely speechless, his cheeks flushing slightly.
Alicia watched his internal panic with delight. She let the silence stretch just to torture him before cutting in.
"My mom asked me to bring you a change of clothes," Alicia said innocently, dropping the folded fabric onto the mattress.
Scar let out a scoff, recovering his composure. "That seems a bit too convenient, don’t you think?" he murmured, eyeing her carefully. "Why didn’t your mom just have a maid bring it over instead?"
"Because I specifically volunteered to bring it to you," Alicia smiled, standing up. She walked slowly across the room, stopping just a few inches in front of him. The scent of her floral perfume and her natural vanilla scent wafted into his nose. She looked at his chest, reaching out to gently poke at his sternum.
"With a body like this," Alicia chuckled softly, "you could get torn apart at Mach 5. You really need to become more durable."
"Thanks for your concern," Scar replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm, refusing to back away from her proximity. "I’m working on it."
"I can tell," Alicia said, looking up into his eyes. She tilted her head, her gaze piercing right through him. "You’ve gotten even faster than when I saw you at the party. It’s... impressive."
Scar masked his surprise. "You’re just trying to flatter me now." he scoffed.
"Maybe," Alicia chuckled, stepping back and sitting down on the edge of the bed again. "But whatever you’re doing to get faster, keep it up. Your physiological speed capacity has increased significantly, making your top velocity expandable. In other words, your engine’s got bigger. You can go much faster than your current threshold."
Scar narrowed his eyes. "I had a feeling that was the case," he said. "But how exactly did you know all of that just by staring into my eyes?"
Alicia smiled, crossing her legs. "You underestimate what I can do, Roy."
"And what exactly can you do besides manipulating systems?" Scar asked, taking a step toward her. "Because I get the feeling you can do a lot more than you let on."
Alicia met his gaze, her smile turning enigmatic. "If you’re trying to get me to reveal all my cards and secrets, it won’t work," she chuckled. "And even if I wanted to tell you everything I can do... I can’t. Because even I don’t know the full capabilities of Inner Machine yet."
Scar processed her words. "Hm. Hasn’t there been someone with that same ability before?" he asked. "Someone who’s older and knows more about the ability than anyone."
Alicia nodded slowly. "There probably has. But right now, there are only two people in the entire world with Inner Machine whose whereabouts are known. The third person who possesses it is... unavailable."
"Unavailable, as in dead?" Scar asked.
"No," Alicia said quietly. "Just unavailable. No one knows their whereabouts. No one even knows if they are still alive."
Scar didn’t say anything, filing the massive lore drop away in his mental database.
Alicia let out a soft exhale, changing the subject abruptly. "Enough about me. What about you?" she asked.
"What about me?" Scar raised a brow.
Alicia shrugged gracefully. "How does it feel? To be Isekai’d into a world like this?" She asked. "What was your old world like, anyway?"
Scar opened his mouth. For a bizarre, fleeting second, he actually felt the urge to tell her. He wanted to tell her about the concrete jungles of his past, the syndicates, the blood on his hands. But he quickly crushed the urge, his defenses slamming shut.
"You don’t need to know," Scar said coldly. "We are not buddies who can just sit and have casual conversations in a bedroom." He gestured down to his towel. "And how can you even sit there comfortably with me standing here with only a towel on?"
Alicia smirked, entirely unapologetic. "I already told you... I’m not bothered in the slightest. I can sit right here even while you change."
Scar glared at her. "Well, I’m bothered," he scoffed. "I have a little thing called decency."
"Are you implying that I’m not decent?" Alicia gasped in mock offense.
"Yes," Scar said flatly. "I am saying you are shameless, and you are probably a pervert."
Alicia threw her head back and burst into genuine laughter.
Scar simply sighed, rubbing his temples as a headache began to form. He walked over to the bed, inspecting the clothes she had brought. It was a brand-new set of high-end dark joggers and a fitted black t-shirt.
"Get lost, Alicia," Scar muttered. "I want to get dressed."
"Okay, okay, I’m going," Alicia laughed, standing up from the bed. "But I actually came in here to tell you that we will be meeting tomorrow morning for the assessment I told you about."
Scar scoffed. "So that was all you came here for?"
"Well... maybe I also came here to bother you a bit," Alicia admitted, walking toward the door. "I can’t help but act a little perverted around guys. Especially the cute ones."
Scar’s eyes widened slightly. Did she just call me cute? Or was that a generalized statement? he wondered.
Alicia glanced over her shoulder, thoroughly satisfied with the visible turmoil she had caused on the stoic assassin’s face.
Scar immediately discarded the thought, scowling. "So, is that why you ordered me to wait for your return in the living room? Just to deliver a message?"
"Yes," Alicia nodded. "I could have just sent you a text, but I wasn’t entirely sure if Felicity had set you up with a mobile wristband yet. Besides..." She turned, offering a devastatingly playful wink. "It was more fun telling you in person. Totally worth it."
Scar let out a long, heavy groan. "Sometimes I wonder how Jane can stay sane having you as a daughter," he said. "I am losing my mind just being in the same room as you, and thinking about you drives me crazy."
Alicia tilted her head, her smirk turning mischievous. "Oh? You go crazy thinking about me?"
Scar blinked. "What? No. I-I didn’t mean it like that!" He snapped.
"Mean it like what?" Alicia asked innocently.
Scar scoffed. "You know what I mean."
"How can I know what you mean if you just said you didn’t even mean it?" Alicia reasoned flawlessly.
Scar closed his eyes, tilting his head back toward the ceiling, lamenting his existence. How did he, a master assassin in his previous life, find himself being verbally outmaneuvered by a teenage redhead? He was so incredibly frustrated.
Alicia burst into laughter again, thoroughly enjoying his expression. She was having the time of her life teasing him, blissfully unaware—or perhaps uncaring—that she was antagonizing a very dangerous person.
"Anyway," Alicia said, finally showing a sliver of mercy. "I want us to meet so I can properly assess your current maximum velocity, and also show you some... things I have been working on."
"What things?" Scar asked, instantly curious.
"You’ll see tomorrow," Alicia smiled. "Meet me at the National Stadium in Arcadia. The one with the giant statue in front."
"Okay. I think I know the place." Scar said.
Alicia clapped her hands together. "Perfect. It’s a date, then. Be there. Seven AM sharp." She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. But before she left, she paused, looking back at him. The playful, teasing demeanor vanished, replaced by something strikingly sincere.
"I know how much you hate me, Roy," Alicia said softly. "And I know you probably want to kill me most of the time. But... I won’t stop trying to be your friend."
Scar scoffed, though the sound lacked its usual venom. "Why would you even want to be my friend?"
Alicia offered a small, gentle smile. "Because I believe everyone deserves to have a friend. Someone they can always talk to, and tease all the time. No matter how indifferent or crazy they appear to be." Then without waiting for his reply, she waved goodbye. "See you tomorrow."
She pulled the door shut, leaving Scar standing alone in the quiet room.
Scar stared at the closed wooden door for a long time. Her words had hit him in the chest, bypassing all of his carefully constructed emotional armor. The genuine tone of her voice and the utter innocence of her smile made the impact even harder. He had never experienced that kind of unconditional acceptance since... a long time ago.
But that was the stunning contrast. Alicia wasn’t innocent. She was a master manipulator who was currently blackmailing him. Yet, she exuded this strange, gravitational aura that made him remember what it felt like to trust someone. To care for someone. To be... loved.
Scar violently shook his head, physically discarding the thought. No. Absolutely not. There is no way that psychotic redhead is going to make me feel something so deep. I’m just exhausted. Yes. That must be it.
He quickly put on the clean clothes she had provided, throwing his old, ruined gear into his inventory. He dropped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to refocus his mind. He thought back to his brutal session with Xavier in the forest. He desperately needed a more durable body to handle the G-forces of high-speed running. He began to wonder if this advanced world had steroids or peptides that he could take to quickly increase his muscle mass.
Unable to lie still and do nothing, he rolled off the bed and dropped onto the floor, randomly executing rapid push-ups. The physical exertion helped clear his head, preventing him from thinking about things he definitely shouldn’t be thinking about. Like steroids and redheads.
A while later, a soft knock echoed on the door. A maid informed him that an escort had arrived to take him home, and that Lady Carter was waiting for him downstairs.
Scar threw his shoes on and headed down to the grand living room. Jane was waiting patiently beside a man Scar recognized instantly. It was Wallace, the head steward of the Glacier Palace.
"Young master." Wallace bowed respectfully. "Lady Myers has asked me to escort you back to the Glacier Palace. She expresses her deepest apologies for not being able to pick you up herself. An urgent matter required her immediate attention."
"Whatever," Scar said casually. "Let’s just go."
Jane stepped forward, placing a warm hand on his arm. "I’ll communicate with Felicity regarding our next session, Roy. Let me know when you are free."
"I will," Scar nodded, his tone respectful. "And... thank you. For taking the time to teach me today."
"It’s nothing, sweetheart," Jane smiled warmly. "I would do anything for you. I just wish you could stay for dinner."
"Maybe some other time." Scar smiled.
Jane pulled him into another brief hug. "Don’t forget what I taught you today. Practice your footwork, and try to perfect that reverse parry."
"I will," Scar promised.
He bid her goodbye and followed Wallace out of the estate. They boarded a sleek, heavily armored hovercraft and took off, leaving the peaceful skies of Iris City behind.
Moments later, they descended into the neon-drenched, towering skyline of Arcadia, landing smoothly on the private pad of the Glacier Palace.
"Dinner has already been prepared for you in the dining hall, sir," Wallace informed him as they walked inside. "Lady Myers requested that you start in her absence."
"Got it," Scar nodded. He headed up to his room first, stripping off his clothes and changing into a comfortable, casual grey hoodie and dark sweatpants. He walked back downstairs and entered the dining room.
Emily was already there, sitting quietly and helping herself to a piece of roasted chicken. Scar walked past her without uttering a single word, taking his usual seat.
He looked down at the massive, decadent spread of food laid out before him. Suddenly, a cavernous, roaring hunger tore through his stomach. He hadn’t realized just how starved he was until now.
Without any preamble, Scar began eating aggressively. He grabbed a chicken leg in one hand and a slice of roasted turkey in the other, tearing into the meat with a ravenous intensity, piling potatoes and rice onto his plate.
Emily paused her own eating, looking up at him. Instead of looking disgusted by his total lack of etiquette, she let out a soft, amused snicker. "Someone’s hungry."
Scar swallowed a mouthful of chicken. "Well, all I’ve eaten today was a protein shake, a burger, and a chunk of beast meat."
Emily scoffed, resting her chin on her hand. "And yet, you are eating like a bear who hasn’t been fed in months."
Scar chuckled, pointing a turkey bone at her. "Wouldn’t a bear that hasn’t been fed in months already be dead?"
Emily opened her mouth to shoot back a sharp retort, but the heavy oak doors of the dining room swung open.
"Cut your brother some slack, Emily," Felicity’s voice rang out from the entrance of the room. She walked gracefully into the room, looking incredibly regal in her tailored white overcoat, though there were faint shadows of exhaustion under her eyes. "He has an incredibly higher metabolism rate than the rest of us."
She took her usual seat adjacent to Scar, offering them both a tired smile. "I apologize for my absence. The Sovereign Council called for a sudden, emergency meeting in Gaea."
Emily’s interest was instantly piqued. "An emergency meeting? Did something happen?" she asked.
Felicity reached for a glass of water, sighing. "Yes. But it is nothing for you to worry about. Just the Order of the Dark Dawn being up to no good, as always."
"Dark Dawn?" Emily frowned. "Like the anti-magic terrorists?"
"Exactly," Felicity nodded. "Apparently, a large number of their agents have been spotted mobilizing in several major cities across the globe over the last forty-eight hours."
"Do you think they’re planning a something huge?" Emily asked, her tone laced with concern.
"Probably," Felicity said, cutting a small piece of fish. "But there is nothing to panic over. If the Order tries anything on a global scale, the other world leaders and I will be ready to crush them."
She turned her sapphire eyes toward Scar, instantly shifting the conversation away from politics. "So, tell me. How was your day with Jane and Xavier?"
Scar finished chewing, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "It was... intense. They are both very interesting to hang out with, and I learned quite a lot from both of them today."
Felicity smiled brightly. "Does that mean you have decided to continue having sessions with them?" she asked.
Scar was silent for a long moment, contemplating his answer. He hated submitting to her schedule, but logic dictated his next move. "As much as I hate to admit it," he exhaled, "Xavier’s hellish torture methods are actually forcing my body to adapt and push past my limits. And Jane... she is the most skilled fighter I’ve ever seen. I want to learn more from her. So, yes. I will continue the training."
Felicity’s smile widened, radiating profound satisfaction. "I am so glad to hear that, Roy. I promise you, it will be worth your while." She picked up her fork, her eyes twinkling with a knowing light. "Especially with Xavier’s out-of-this-world expertise in cooking beast meat. Did he happen to make a meal for you while you were out in the forest?"
Scar nodded. "Yeah. He roasted an Alpha Steelwolf. It was actually incredible. Who knew a grumpy giant like Xavier would be such a good cook?"
Felicity chuckled softly, locking her gaze onto his eyes with a distinct, meaningful warmth. "Yes. People can be full of surprises, can’t they?"
Scar instantly knew she wasn’t talking about Xavier. She was referring directly to their unexpected bonding session the previous night. He quickly broke eye contact, his cheeks warming slightly, and focused entirely on cutting his turkey.
Emily, who had been silently watching the entire exchange, let out a loud, dramatic scoff. "I don’t even wanna know," she muttered, pulling up a holographic screen from her wristband to aggressively scroll through her feed.
Scar cleared his throat loudly, eager to change the subject. "Speaking of Xavier... what is his deal, anyway? Why is he so... uptight?"
Felicity paused. The ambient warmth in the dining room vanished instantly. Even Emily stopped scrolling, her expression dropping into a solemn frown, though she remained silent.
Felicity set her fork down, letting out a long, heavy sigh. "That’s right. You weren’t told." She leaned back in her chair, staring at the polished wood of the table. "Xavier used to be married. He had a beautiful wife and a young daughter."
Scar was stunned. "Woah. I didn’t know that."
Felicity exhaled. "Yeah, not a lot of people did. While he was a top operative for Triad, Xavier wanted his family life to remain private so his enemies couldn’t use them as leverage against him," she explained quietly. "His wife was also a Triad agent. A very important one at that. So, they kept their marriage and their daughter a secret. And they were happy. Everything was perfect... until the m Mutant Attack ten years ago."
Felicity looked up, her eyes dark with remembered tragedy. "Xavier and his family were having a picnic in the outer territories when he received an emergency call. The city was falling. He had to leave his wife and daughter behind to answer the call of duty. He fought on the front lines and helped in the battle against the mutants. But by the time he returned to where he had left them... his wife had been murdered. Slaughtered by the very mutants he was bleeding to stop."
Scar felt a cold knot form in his stomach. "What about his daughter?" He asked carefully.
Felicity shook her head slowly, her voice laced with sorrow. "She was nowhere to be found. She was just... gone. But we all believed she was either taken by the mutants, or she was killed and her corpse was put somewhere we couldn’t find it."
Scar stared at his plate, finally understanding the sheer, crushing weight that Xavier carried on his shoulders every single day. He had lost his second family to the same monsters that destroyed his first. That was a psychological scar that could never truly heal.
"I... I feel sorry for him," Scar admitted softly.
"We all do," Felicity said. "But Xavier doesn’t want our pity. He doesn’t want us to treat him any differently. He believes that the tragedy was a cruel sign from the universe that he is the one destined to put an end to the mutant threat permanently. For ten years, he has relentlessly searched their bases of operation. He followed every lead, tears down every shadow organization, hoping to find them and fulfill his destiny... but also desperately hoping that his little girl might still be alive in one of the mutants bases."
"But he never got close to finding the mutants actual base." Felicity shook her head in sheer admiration. "All he ever got were dead ends. For ten years. Sometimes I wonder how he can still keep going. How he can carry the agony of that hope without letting it crush him."
"Ten years," Scar murmured, genuinely stunned by the revelation. "That’s... I don’t even know what to say. How can he remain so calm and composed? If it were me, I would have burned the entire world down. I would have gone mad"
"Xavier is just built differently, I suppose," Felicity smiled sadly. "Losing his family at such a young age forged him into an incredibly strong man. Even after losing his world all over again, he never lost his composure or his humanity. He didn’t become a mindless, murderous monster. He remained a protector. I admire him deeply for that."
Scar fell silent, the words striking a painful chord deep within his own psyche. He related it to himself. When he lost everything in his past life, when he was beaten and broken, he had become a monster. He had become vengeful. He had become a killer who felt nothing.
He kept his head down, staring at his hands, not uttering another word.
Felicity noticed his sudden withdrawal and immediately shifted the heavy atmosphere. She clapped her hands together lightly, offering a bright smile. "But enough about Xavier’s past. Tell me about Alicia. Have the two of you decided when to hold your first assessment session?" she asked.
Scar snapped out of his thoughts, looking up. "Yeah. She told me to meet her tomorrow morning at the National Stadium." He scowled slightly. "But I am not looking forward to it."
Felicity chuckled. "Why not?"
"Because she’s incredibly annoying," Scar stated bluntly. "She keeps threatening me, and then five minutes later, she tries to act like we’re best friends. I also firmly believe she is out of her mind. Has Jane ever considered putting her in an asylum?"
Felicity laughed heartily. "That is just how Alicia is, Roy. I already told you, she threatens you simply to push you to work harder. And the reason she’s trying to befriend you is because she IS your friend. She has been since you were kids. And she refuses to abandon you just because your personality has... changed. She wants to understand the new you and rekindle the special relationship you two had."
"But... I’m not the Henry she knows," Scar pointed out.
"Perhaps not," Felicity agreed gently. "But Alicia knows this, too. And that is exactly why she is trying to get to know you. Perhaps you should just drop your walls and give her a chance."
Emily finally spoke up, pushing her chair back from the table. "Yeah, maybe you’re the one who should try being less of a jerk to her, just like you are to everyone else." She said. And with that final jab, Emily stood up, bid her mother a polite goodnight, and marched out of the dining room.
Scar watched her go, a flicker of the original Henry’s memories surfacing, reminding him of how the first Henry used to be cold and and indifferent toward his sister. But Scar didn’t care. He didn’t feel a single ounce of remorse for her, and he didn’t feel the need to get closer to Emily, Alicia, or anyone else. All he cared about was getting faster and stronger. Pointless emotional attachments were a liability he couldn’t afford.
"The fact doesn’t change that Alicia is blackmailing me," Scar told Felicity, his voice turning cold. "And as far as I’m concerned, she is my enemy. And if anyone takes her side... I won’t hesitate to make them my enemy, too."
Felicity simply chuckled, entirely unthreatened by his dark declaration. "You may do as you please, Roy. All I ask is that you keep an open mind. Alicia might actually turn out to be someone who becomes very special to you."
Scar burst into a loud, genuine laugh—something he rarely did. "Alicia? Special? What a ridiculous joke. Even if I were to suffer severe brain damage and completely lose my mind, that would never happen. Whenever I look at Alicia, the only thing I think about is how to silence her. Permanently."
"Well, I believe it is often through enmity that the most unbreakable relationships are forged," Felicity said, her eyes twinkling with a knowing wisdom.
"Whatever," Scar muttered, standing up from the table. "I’m going to bed."
"Goodnight, Roy," Felicity smiled softly. "Sweet dreams."
Scar gave a dismissive wave over his shoulder as he walked out of the room, heading toward the grand staircase.
Felicity remained seated in the quiet, massive dining hall. She watched the empty doorway for a long moment before slowly setting her fork down. The regal composure melted away, leaving only the profound exhaustion of a single mother trying to keeping her family together.
She exhaled a shaky breath, looking up at the ceiling. "Mom," she whispered into the empty room. "How did you do it? Please... help me."
...
Scar entered his bedroom, locking the door behind him. He didn’t go to sleep. He walked straight to his table, activating the holographic terminal.
He had questions that needed answers.
He pulled up the global archives, running a deep-dive search on the historical origins of the world prior to the catastrophic event known as "The Great Horde."
The data streams loaded instantly, filling the room with glowing blue text and images. Scar leaned forward, his eyes rapidly scanning the historical records.
A cold shock ran down his spine as he scrolled.
This world wasn’t an alternate fantasy dimension. It was exactly like his old world.
The historical data perfectly matched his previous life. Before the Great Horde, the world had been a normal, 21st-century civilization. It had seven distinct continents, geopolitical wars, standard combustion technology, smartphones, and even trivial social media platforms like TikTok and X.
The only difference was the timeline. Scar was currently existing in the 22nd century—the year 2139.
A century ago—in the year 2030, the Great Horde—a cataclysmic invasion of magical beasts, had completely fractured the earth. The old world was obliterated. Out of the ashes, humanity had evolved, unlocking mana cells and advancing their technology to survive.
The fractured remnants of humanity had reorganized into five massive, utopian nations. Cultural and racial divides were virtually extinct; everyone lived under a unified language, shared a single global currency, and operated under a collective ideal of survival. The crippling problems of his old century—poverty, famine, war, energy crises, and global pandemics—had been eradicated by magic and hyper-advanced technology.
Now, the world faced much larger, apocalyptic threats: mutating beasts, anti-magic terrorists, and genetic mutants.
Scar closed the holographic displays, rubbing his tired eyes. It was a lot to process. The world was a utopia built on top of a graveyard. And he’d been reincarnated right in the middle of the chaos.
After shutting down his work station, Scar considered sneaking out to go hunting, but a wave of exhaustion washed over him. It was better to hunt tomorrow, perhaps immediately after his assessment with Alicia.
He stripped off his clothes and laid down on the massive bed. As he stared at the dark ceiling, his thoughts drifted to the two prominent figures he had trained with today.
Xavier and Jane.
One was a man who possessed god-like physical strength and had lost his entire world twice over, yet still chose to remain a protector rather than a monster. The other was a woman who was born without the elemental gifts of her legendary family, yet trained twice as hard to become a terrifying, unmatched force of nature.
For the first time since he had awakened in this body, Scar didn’t just want power for the sake of survival. He felt a sudden, burning motivation to be like them. He wanted Xavier’s unbreakable will. He wanted Jane’s perseverance. He had to become greater than them if he’d ever able to stand a chance against the overpowered monsters that ruled this era—like Felicity, the Amazon Queen, and the rest of the world leaders.
His mind then inevitably drifted to Alicia.
He thought about their brief, chaotic encounter earlier in the bedroom. He remembered Felicity’s words about Alicia genuinely wanting to be his friend. Despite his constant irritation, he let out a soft chuckle into the dark room. The entire interaction, the teasing, the banter—it had been the most interesting, natural, and humane thing he had experienced in years.
Even though he still found her incredibly annoying, a very small, part of his soul couldn’t wait to see her tomorrow.
It was the final thought he had before the darkness claimed him, pulling him into a deep, dreamless sleep.