Chapter 22: Like Mother, Like Monster
The air shifted the moment Xavier straightened his stance.
He wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand and exhaled slowly. His mother—Mable Cross—stood a few meters away, hands behind her back, posture relaxed. Too relaxed. Like this was a casual sparring match instead of a survival mission issued by his own system.
The glowing system timer hovered at the edge of his vision.
[Survive: 7:42 remaining]
"Tch," Xavier muttered. "Guess running away isn't gonna cut it."
Mable tilted her head slightly. "Talking to yourself now? You always did that when you were nervous."
"I'm not nervous," Xavier shot back. "I'm motivated."
Serena stood off to the side with his sisters, arms crossed, eyes sharp. She didn't say anything—but Xavier could feel her watching closely.
He took a deep breath.
"Alright," Xavier said under his breath. "Let's stack everything."
[Stat Multiplier – Level 1: Activated]
All stats doubled for 30 minutes
Heat flooded his veins.
His muscles tightened, senses sharpened, and the familiar engine-like hum inside his body surged louder than ever. The world felt lighter, clearer—like gravity itself had loosened its grip.
Xavier followed immediately with another command.
[Turbine Breathing: Activated]
Air spiraled into his lungs in perfect rhythm. Each inhale dragged power through his body, reinforcing muscle fibers and accelerating circulation. His heartbeat synced with the flow—steady, forceful, relentless.
Mable's eyes narrowed just a fraction.
"Oh?" she said. "You finally stopped holding back."
Xavier didn't answer.
He reached behind him and pulled.
[Exhaust — Single-Edged High-Speed Saber summoned]
The curved blade appeared in his hand with a low metallic whine. Blue heat shimmered faintly along its edge, reacting instantly to the rising RPM of his Engine Sync. The weapon felt natural—like an extension of his arm.
Rachel whistled softly. "That's a cool sword."
Mira frowned. "Mom still hasn't moved."
Xavier planted his foot.
The stone beneath him cracked.
He vanished.
A blur of motion tore across the courtyard as Xavier reappeared in front of Mable, saber already mid-swing. The blade carved a wide arc, wind wrapping tightly around it as turbine airflow reinforced the slash.
Mable stepped aside.
Barely.
The slash missed her by centimeters, cutting a clean trench through the ground behind her.
Xavier didn't stop.
He chained the movement, spinning into another strike—then another—each swing faster than the last. The engine within him screamed as momentum stacked higher and higher.
Left. Right. Overhead. Reverse arc.
The air howled.
Wind screamed along the blade, blue flame licking its edge as heat and speed fused into something violent and beautiful.
To anyone watching, it looked overwhelming.
To Mable—
It was predictable.
She moved like water.
No wasted steps. No panic. She slipped past every slash, sometimes so close that Xavier could swear the blade brushed her clothes—yet never touched her.
"You're thinking too much," Mable said calmly, stepping past a horizontal cut. "Your hips are stiff."
Xavier gritted his teeth.
"Shut up!"
He pushed harder.
RPM climbing.
Engine Sync output rising.
He felt it—the threshold.
Xavier poured everything into one final attack.
All his momentum. All his speed. All his strength.
The saber ignited.
Blue flame-wind compressed along the blade, heat traveling from the guard to the tip as the weapon screamed under the strain.
"ENGINE—!"
He swung.
A crescent of compressed flame and wind tore forward, splitting the ground, warping the air itself.
For the first time—
Mable disappeared from his sight.
Xavier's eyes widened.
I got her—
A hand settled gently on his shoulder.
The world flipped.
Before his brain could process what happened, a precise upward force traveled through his body—not a strike, not an explosion—just perfect control.
Xavier was lifted off the ground like a child.
"Too slow," Mable said softly behind him.
She flicked her wrist.
Xavier was launched skyward.
The saber flew from his hand as his body spun helplessly before crashing back down hard enough to crater the stone courtyard. The impact knocked the air from his lungs in a painful wheeze.
"Ghk—!"
He rolled onto his back, staring up at the sky, chest burning.
The engine inside him sputtered—but didn't stop.
Mable stood where he had been moments earlier, hands behind her back once more, not a speck of dust on her clothes.
She looked down at him.
"That was your best attack," she said. "Good."
Xavier laughed weakly.
"Yeah… figures."
The system timer continued to tick.
[Survive: 6:18 remaining]
He pushed himself up on one elbow, staring at his mother with a mix of frustration, awe, and something dangerously close to excitement.
"Guess," he coughed, "I still have a long way to go."
Mable smiled.
And this time—
There was pride in it.