52 Book 3 Chapter 48

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.

Cay's jaw fell as he asked, "What is your Willpower?"

While training under Aamon, Cay caught a glimpse of the demon king's power. His will could manipulate reality, much like what was happening now.

"Over 6,000," Jason answered with some pride.

"How is that possible? Willpower is the hardest stat to raise. I only have around 2,500." Cay spoke in disbelief.

"I don't know." Jason also felt it was strange. The previous rise could be attributed to Tank anchoring him during his prior state of mind. But why was it rising, even now? The m-serum made unlimited growth possible, provided there was a catalyst. Overexerting yourself during a fight could raise strength and agility. The other stats had similar methods. So, what was fueling the growth of Jason's Willpower?

At this time, the door to the warehouse slammed open as Olivia entered, followed by Shenlong and the others. Olivia's face hardened upon seeing her father. The two locked eyes, only for Cay to glance down after a moment of contact. This response shocked Olivia. Her father felt guilty? HIM?

The group approached Jason, with Shenlong and Dubaku inspecting Jason as if he was a zoo animal. Shenlong spoke in bewilderment, "Peter explained what happened."

Jason stood and faced Shenlong with a smile. "Crazy stuff, huh?"

"Yeah," Shenlong responded absentmindedly as he tried to find Jason's voice.

Jason gave the silent Olivia a glance before clapping his hands. "Let's leave these two alone, yeah?" Jason looked at Shenlong and Dubaku. "You two should head to Commander Fox. She's a master who teaches soul techniques. Good stuff."

"No wonder." The two immediately agreed and left in anticipation. Carly, Amara, and Roy left the warehouse under the urging of Jason. Finally, it was just Olivia and Cay. The warehouse fell silent, save for the occasional clanking of chains due to Cay squirming anxiously.

After a few minutes, Olivia finally spoke. "You're different."

"Jason did this." Cay immediately replied with a tone full of resentment.

"Of course." Olivia nodded with a sneer. "There's no way the proud and mighty Cay Wolf, feared assassin, would feel guilt, shame, and regret on his own, right?"

Cay raised his voice as he slammed the table with a fist. "What do you want from me? I can't bring them back."

"You think that's what I want?" Olivia shook her head. "What's done is done."

"Then kill me. Avenge your brother!" Cay half-pleaded half-demanded.

Olivia let out a grim chuckle. "That's too easy."

"Torture? I thought it beneath you." Cay replied with surprise.

Olivia glanced at her father. "You don't know me at all, do you? The alliance I'm in is made up of the strongest ascenders in the world. Our goal, my goal, is to conquer the tower before the monster waves overrun society. All my strength, all the 'training' you gave me, is now being used to help others. To save others."

Cay was aghast. His daughter was going against everything he believed in.

"And you know what?" Olivia continued, "It feels great. Every life I save fills me with purpose. Every friend I make hardens my resolve."

With that, Olivia turned and left, leaving Cay alone to drown in his emotions.