Chapter 22

The sky around The Jackal's headquarters glowed with faint light, though it remained sharp in the mesosphere, where The Jackal's headquarters floated gracefully. Inside the main room, Alice stood by the large window, looking out, where heavy clouds seemed to be waiting for something. Secretly, she had mixed feelings. After the victory over the Moon Shark, Alice could feel that this calmness would not last long.

Sure enough, shortly after, the alarm rang, breaking the silence with a sound that echoed throughout the base. Alice jumped up from her spot and rushed towards the command center. There, Jhonny was already standing alert, his sharp eyes staring at the large screen in front of him.

"Vandalizise," Jhonny muttered softly, but it was clear enough to be heard in the room.

Alice approached Jhonny and stared at the same screen. There were several large ships approaching their base. The Vandalizise ships, with their distinctive cracked skull insignia, marked their presence. However, what was most striking was not the ships, but the unusual body size of the Vandalizise troops.

They were the result of a genetic mutation triggered by advanced technology. Their bodies were huge, much larger than normal humans. With huge arms, thick skin, and heavy weapons that seemed invincible, the Vandalizise were a group that other Mutiiner had always feared.

"This isn't good," Alice muttered. "They could crush us in minutes at that size."

Jhonny smiled slightly, as if anticipating Alice's fears. "Take it easy," he said casually. "I expected this."

Alice looked at Jhonny in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I asked Miranda to infiltrate a virus into their system a few days ago. It's waiting in the central network of Vandalizise headquarters, and once they get close, it will activate. It will damage their entire communications network and, more importantly, cut off the flow of energy to the sophisticated devices that make them invincible."

Alice furrowed her brows. "You... predicted this attack?"

"Of course," Jhonny replied in a confident tone. "Vandalizise may be physically strong, but they're overconfident. And that was their biggest mistake."

Jhonny was so confident in his words, he showed absolutely no hesitation about his conversation with Alice, as if he had a guarantee that his words would be absolute and indisputable. But who knows? No one knew about that.

While Alice was still trying to digest Jhonny's crazy strategy, outside the headquarters, the Vandalizise ships began to fire warning shots. Explosions echoed around, making The Jackal's entire base tremble. A loud boom threatened, but Jhonny remained calm.

"Miranda, has the virus activated?" asked Jhonny in a calm voice through the communication device.

Miranda, who was in the tech room, responded immediately. "It just started working, it will take a few more seconds to cut off their energy flow."

Miranda was busy with the various technological devices in front of her, she seemed to be immersed in her activities to make sure everything was going well and in accordance with their goals.

On the screen, Alice could see the huge bodies of the Vandalizise approaching. The other members of The Jackal were at their stations, ready to fight if necessary. However, Alice knew that a physical fight with Vandalizise could be disastrous for them.

Suddenly, a loud voice rang out from one of the Vandalizise ships. It was the voice of their leader, Raven. "Jhonny! We know you're there. Come out and surrender yourself, or we'll destroy your base!"

Jhonny chuckled. "Always drama with them."

Alice glanced at Jhonny. "Are you really sure this is going to work?"

Jhonny nodded. "Trust me. They won't know what hit them."

A few seconds later, the voice from the Raven cut off. On the screen, the Vandalizise ships that had been moving aggressively suddenly came to a halt. Their large, muscular bodies now looked slower, weaker. Alarm sounds from their ships began to echo, signaling an unexpected system malfunction.

"The virus is working," Miranda reported from the tech room. "They've lost their main energy source."

Alice stared in amazement. In a matter of seconds, the army so feared by many Mutiiner groups now seemed helpless. Without their energy source, the genetic mutations that strengthened their bodies began to degenerate. Those huge bodies began to shrink, their strength began to fade.

"Shall we attack now?" Alice asked, her voice full of anticipation.

"No need," Jhonny replied calmly. "They've already lost. Let's let them retreat with what's left of their honor. Besides, I'd rather they live and spread the news of their defeat. That would send a stronger message."

Alice smiled, realizing how Jhonny was always a few steps ahead of his enemies. Vandalizise, who had always been considered invincible, now looked fragile and vulnerable.

On the screen, Raven looked furious, but could do nothing about it. "It's not over yet, Jhonny!" she shouted, her voice filled with rage. "You'll regret challenging us!"

Jhonny just shrugged. "We'll see."

With that, the Vandalizise ships began to retreat. Without the energy supporting their technology, they were nothing more than a faltering threat. Alice breathed a sigh of relief, although her heart was still pounding hard. The fight may not have been bloody, but its intensity still made her adrenaline surge.

Jhonny smiled wryly, he with his unpredictable thoughts then took out an enormous weapon. He then fired a powerful attack at the ship and it exploded and shattered.

Everyone who was there screeched, they questioned Jhonny's decision to do so.

"People like them in my opinion don't need to be given a second chance, they will continue to do damage, so I destroyed them before it was too late."

Alice gave Jhonny a doubtful look. "But are you sure about that?"

"I'm very sure, don't doubt my decision. Because if we don't carefully attack then we will make a mistake and give them a chance to attack instead. The second chance the criminals get will completely ruin whatever is left."

*****

Now that they had returned from the war, they were in the process of recuperating, using the technology at their disposal, they were all trying to get their bodies back into tip-top shape, things were calmer and a little more relaxed than before.

Alice turned to face Johnny. "You're really charming, you know that?"

Jhonny chuckled. "I know. But you were no less charming when you used your trusty whip against Moon Shark yesterday."

Alice shook her head with a faint smile. "Don't make me feel impressed by your compliments, Jhonny."

Alice held back the embarrassment on her face, but because of that, her face now looked like a ripe tomato. The beautiful girl's face looked very red and it showed that she was blushing from what Jhonny had just said. Naturally, if a woman received such a compliment then she would feel very flattered.

"But it's the truth," Jhonny replied in a casual tone. "I have to admit, the way you controlled that whip, cut off their weapons, and crippled your enemy... that yeah was pretty cool stuff. I'm not one to praise others as long as you know. I don't like to exaggerate your words so if I say something then it means that person is who I say they are."

Alice looked at Jhonny, a little surprised at the compliment. Behind his cynical and sharp demeanor, there was a hint of genuine appreciation. And for some reason, it made Alice feel comfortable. Alice felt that the group she was in now was indeed a good choice and also the leader of this group was the kindest person she had ever met while living in this world.

Because, from Jhonny she could feel the meaning of trust and family warmth. That was very rare for Alice, in fact it was the only time she had ever encountered it.

However, the moment was soon interrupted by the sound of another alarm. "What now?" asked Alice, suddenly serious again.

Jhonny stared at the screen with narrowed eyes. "Looks like... we're just getting started."