Strongest Necromancer System Chapter 4: Arson

The object resembled a jewelry case, enveloped in a dark fabric that lent it an aura of extravagance.

Jason questioned his mother about the contents within, yet she merely shook her head. She had never once pried it open, leaving her completely in the dark about what it held.

With careful hands, Jason unwound the wrapping from the box and lifted the lid to uncover a necklace inside. Confusion creased his forehead as he extracted it and examined the piece closely. He couldn't fathom how his father could possess such... garish taste.

The necklace featured a striking purple gemstone encircled by silvery tendrils. It hung from a sturdy black cord, perfect for wearing, and Mira urged him to try it on.

"I want to see how it looks on you."

Jason let out a sigh at his mother's eager excitement. He could never grasp why she beamed with such joy whenever the topic of his father arose. She should have been the one suffering the deepest pain. Jason's father had abandoned them when Maya was just two years old. Raising them alone must have drained her terribly, yet she always lit up with a smile when reminiscing about him.

Another resigned breath escaped Jason before he slipped the necklace around his neck and displayed it proudly for his mother.

"That looks very nice."

"You can have it if you like it that much."

Jason had begun removing the necklace, but Mira swiftly halted him. What on earth was he thinking!?

"No, no, it's yours! You can do whatever you want with it, but I want you to take care of it properly. It's your father's last gift to you, so you should cherish it, okay?"

Jason toyed with the necklace, his face twisted in puzzled curiosity. His father had vanished for a full decade, and this tacky bauble was the sole memento left behind.

"Alright, I'll take care of it. I've gotta go now, it's getting late and I wouldn't want Gina destroying my apartment because I wasted time. Bye, mom."

Jason hastily embraced his mother with a hug and planted a kiss on her cheek, while she grinned watching him slip into his shoes. As he headed out, Mira called after him with a cautionary note.

"Make sure you don't drink too much now. And don't get Gina pregnant."

"Mom... seriously?"

"Oh, please. Your dad and I were around your age when we had your sister and we were drunk that night too! I can tell you all about it if you want—"

"Nope, I'm not hearing this! Bye, mom!"

Jason bolted from the apartment in a flash, and Mira chuckled at his flustered retreat before letting out a soft sigh. She twisted the wedding band that had never left her finger, even after her husband's departure, and a wave of bittersweet sorrow washed over her as she stared at the shut door.

"I wish you were here to see him, Richard. He's so strong. Our little boy has really grown so strong."

...

Through the shadowy night, Jason strolled with his hands tucked into his pockets. The necklace from his father still dangled around his neck, and oddly, he felt no urge to remove it. Perhaps it stemmed from some silly sentimental pull, or maybe a fragment of him clung desperately to whatever trace of his father remained, however faint.

Still, he resolved to keep it on for the moment and discard it upon returning home.

The trek from Mira's place to their family diner spanned just a handful of kilometers, taking Jason roughly fifteen minutes to cover. Arriving there, he headed to the rear lot where his motorcycle waited, ready to mount it when muffled voices drifted from around the bend.

"Come on, just throw it! You want the cops to come find us!?"

"What if someone's inside!?"

"It doesn't matter! Are you a chicken? Just throw it already!"

"Okay! Okay! Just hold on!"

The voices rang with familiarity, and Jason instantly pegged them as the youths he'd thrashed earlier that day! Those TikTok breakdancers! What madness were they plotting against their diner!?

Jason dashed around the corner to investigate, freezing in place at the sight of three lads in black masks, gripping blazing Molotov cocktails! They aimed to torch their diner!

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!?"

Jason bellowed as fury surged through him, prompting the boys to swear and hurl the fiery bottles to the pavement before fleeing! Without a second thought for his safety, Jason charged ahead and crushed the bottles underfoot! The flames licked close to the diner, and with the volatile fuel inside, they posed a real threat to ignite the structure!

Confident the bottles wouldn't doom the diner to flames, Jason whipped around toward the boys' escape route and pursued them relentlessly!

Though night cloaked everything, the moon's glow provided sufficient illumination for his chase, allowing him to spot the trio's outlines mere meters ahead as they scrambled to evade him!

Jason refused to let them slip away! These punks believed they could arson a business over some trivial grudge!? Did they view human lives as mere playthings!? An act like this would shatter his mother's spirit, and they'd probably cackle about it without a shred of remorse!

He vowed to see these troublemakers locked behind bars!

Like a relentless beast from the underworld, Jason tore through the narrow alleys in hot pursuit! The boys moved swiftly, fueled by youth, but they couldn't match Jason's superior conditioning, so he gradually closed the gap! One lad glanced over his shoulder and yelped in terror at Jason's ferocious expression, now just paces behind! Damn!

Jason lunged and seized the boy's shirt, yanking him off balance to slam into the ground with brutal force!

Seizing the boy by the collar, Jason hauled him upright and unleashed a devastating blow to his face that shook his skull!

Slam!

The boy wailed in agony, and his fleeing companions noticed his capture! They spun around and rushed back to aid him, but halted dead at the fire in Jason's gaze.

Jason gripped their comrade by the shirt, his stare burning with such ferocity that their knees trembled! In the moonlight, he appeared as a fiend! A true infernal specter!

Jason flung the groaning boy aside and advanced on the pair, knuckles popping ominously. Jason had tangled in countless brawls on the streets before. Mostly due to his imposing build and his refusal to let anyone trample him.

Since Superhumans and Gates burst onto the scene, a chasm had formed between those empowered to protect themselves and the vulnerable masses struggling with basics—worsened by soaring living expenses and job losses from Superhuman dominance. Thus, many turned to theft to survive the turmoil.

Jason made an easy mark for muggers, constantly out at night, which compelled him to master self-defense through the raw method he knew best: his bare hands!

One of the remaining boys grasped their dire predicament as Jason shrugged off his jacket. Built like a powerhouse, Jason's bulging muscles strained against his shirt, signaling their utter doom!

The lad on the left whipped out a knife from his back, reserved for emergencies, and waved it menacingly at Jason while shouting for him to back off.

"I'll stab ya! I'm dead serious! I'll stab ya!"