52 Book 3 Chapter 48 (1/2)

As his Willpower stat improved, the range would increase further. Speaking of Willpower, Jason noticed the stat no longer increased hourly after his change in perspective. Thankfully, it still increased over time, though much slower.

One pleasant surprise while testing his soul's functions was the ability to communicate telepathically with living things within the range of his domain, which netted a new skill.

Telepathy

Communicate with your soul. Consumes Soul Force.

Remark 1: Distance depends on Willpower.

This only confirmed his guess as to the function of the communication necklace. It seemed to bridge the gap between people's souls, allowing them to communicate through vast distances.

Jason's rising power and abilities gave him a glimpse as to how the tower functioned. It wasn't magic. There were rules and mechanisms in place here, of which a few he began to understand, though he had a long way to go.

After experimenting for a few hours, it was still a bit before the others returned, so Jason decided to visit Cay. Peter locked him inside an emptied warehouse guarded by several top-grade ascenders. He needed no authorization and strode right in. The warehouse previously stored crates of ammo, potions, and the like, but was turned into a makeshift prison for Cay.

The warehouse was empty except for a table and two chairs, among which sat Cay. Silver cuffs bound his ankles and wrists, which then connected to chains bolted to the ground. Handmade personally by Su Long, even Jason wouldn't be able to break free.

Cay sat motionless with his head resting against the table. Jason approached calmly, and only when he pulled back the free chair, which caused a screech, did Cay turn his neck to see who it was. The man's eyes were bloodshot, with tear stains running down his cheeks. Seeing Jason made him angry, ”What did you do to me?!”

Jason sat down and gave a pitiful look. ”I don't know. Something happened when our souls interacted with each other.”

”Do it again! Fix this!” Cay tried to grab Jason, but the chains held his arms back. He struggled violently to no avail.

Cay fell back in his seat, defeated both mentally and physically. A moment passed before he glared at Jason with some resolve. ”Then kill me. I can't live like this.”

Jason was startled. Seeing no response, Cay started to scream. ”Kill me, you coward. KILL ME!”

Jason's expression hardened. ”That's up for Olivia to decide.”

”She's here?” Cay quivered, though strangely, Jason could sense some anticipation amongst his fear. Whether this was Cay trying to deceive Jason or not was unknown. After all, Jason no longer made decisions based solely on the voice of the world. Cay taught him that.

”Yes, she's hunting demons and should be back soon,” Jason confirmed. There was no reason to hide anything.

Cay struggled internally, his emotions a mess. There was guilt, regret, and anticipation. After a moment, he asked, ”How is she? Is she strong?”

Jason didn't answer and instead asked, ”Is strength the only thing which gives her value?”

”Yes.” In this, Cay was confident. ”No one will be able to control your fate with enough strength, especially in this new world.”

Jason had to admit he agreed. However, he didn't think a person's strength determined if they had value. What about musicians, artists, writers, cooks, and any other profession? These people provided value in one form or another.

”I know what you're thinking,” Cay smirked at Jason. ”In the past, I thought the same, but things are different now. This tower, with all its miracles, is also a warning. There are forces out there beyond our understanding. They can decide the fate of our civilization on a mere whim. Doesn't that scare you? Doesn't that frighten you?!”

Jason silently clenched his teeth. He knew more than anyone the fate of humanity. The creator of the tower could be considered benevolent. It threatened their existence, but it gave them a path to survive. What if Vex found humanity? He'd probably suck them dry of their essence to form a rune.

”I won't let that happen,” Jason answered Cay with such resolve the air thrummed with power.