Hamza and Observer strode purposefully towards Jack through the bustling nighttime chaos. Hamza's sharp eyes darted around, taking in the whirlwind of activity as they closed in on their target. His body felt surprisingly refreshed, thanks to Observer's unique abilities. He rotated his arms, savoring the newfound vigor that her healing touch had granted him.

 

"Observer has quite the useful ability," Hamza mused to himself, his thoughts tinged with suspicion. "Almost like a deliberate ploy to make me care."

 

Observer, on the other hand, couldn't contain her glee. She had just experienced her first kiss, even if it was just on the cheek, and to her, it felt monumental. Her sapphire eyes glowed with an eerie neon brilliance, the circuit-like nerves around her irises lending her gaze a mesmerizing quality. But her mind was anything but innocent.

 

As they walked, her thoughts danced with pure desire, her gaze turning into a tangled mess of lines.

 

"I can't wait to fuck him, to feel him inside me. I wonder what it will be like," she thought, struggling to suppress her unusual and comically triumphant laughter, along with the possessiveness that was bubbling up inside her.

 

Hamza couldn't help but notice Observer's strange behavior and a jolt of fear shot through him when their eyes met. It was a chilling moment, and he felt a tinge of dread that she might assault him. Maintaining his poker face, he quickened his pace.

 

"Dammit, why did I let her kiss me?" Hamza wondered, panic in his eyes. "An elder god like her has zero restraint. This is going to be one hell of a headache to deal with."

 

Meanwhile, Jack was devising a plan with the four dogs overseeing the mining operation.

 

==================================================================================

Several hours ago…

 

Right after Hamza fought off the minions, he took a break to tend to his wounds and regain his strength alongside observer. In the meantime, Jack took the opportunity to scout the ruined city. One of the dogs on watch duty spotted an army of beetle battle droids making their way toward them. He rushed to inform the others, including Jack.

 

"Alert! Aku droids are approaching from the south. We're doomed!" the small dog exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear.

 

Without stalling Jack and the four dogs set out to find the highest building in the area, hoping to gain a vantage point to get a better understanding of the situation. They climbed a worn-down skyscraper and gazed into the distance from above. In the distance, they saw a black veil rapidly consuming everything like cliffs in its path as it drew closer.

 

Jack furrowed his brows in confusion, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. One of the dogs grabbed a pair of binoculars and took a closer look.

 

"I say, there are armies of those Aku destroyer drones. How are you going to defeat them? They'll be here by sunrise," the monocle-wearing dog said, his posh accent clashing with the dire situation at hand. Thousands upon thousands of Aku destroyer beetle droids were approaching fast.

 

Jack's expression turned serious as he addressed the group, "I'll need weapons and support from everyone here." He glanced in the direction of Hamza and Observer, then winced as he remembered his missing arm, feeling the phantom pain of his limb.

 

The approaching swarm of droids resembled a horde of insects with razor-sharp pincers and glowing red eyes. They advanced with a relentless determination, the sound of their clanking metal bodies echoing through the fields. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning rubber and electrical discharge from the droids' weapons. Many looked like actual massive bugs having the same appearance.

 

Although he despised the thought of asking for additional help, Jack was not in his best shape. It was difficult to adjust to the loss of his left hand. As night fell, he tore up some paper hanging from a machine and used stones to secure it in place. Surveying the area with a keen eye, he searched for anything he could use against the approaching army. He noticed several machines, some resembling catapults with cannons, and numerous oil barrels. Broken machinery and a plethora of jewels were also present. After observing how Hamza used the jewels, Jack grinned, realizing he had a plan in mind that just might be of help.

 

The monocle-wearing dog approached him with a smile, offering a pen to write with. Jack began to write, but the ink did not spread. Perplexed, he looked at the pen, unsure of what he had done wrong. The dog took the pen and clicked the tip, revealing the nib, which he gave back to Jack. Jack scrutinized the nib and began to draw.

 

He meticulously drew a map of the entire area, including the broken pathways and buildings, based on what he had observed from his vantage point earlier. Once the map was finished, he explained to the dogs what they needed to do. Soon, all the dogs in the mining area were united for one purpose. Using the strange and highly advanced machinery, they started to implement Jack's plan. They used the terrain and large arched cliffs to position the catapults facing upwards. Using a flying machine with a vacuum nose, they carried massive boulders to arm the catapult machine arms.

 

Jack marked an area with his sword, and a dog-operated machine dug a trench-like structure stretching to the edges of the general area from one point to another. They placed a few oval-shaped, compact machines with massive thrust exhausts on the small cliffs, as instructed by Jack.

 

In the present time, Hamza witnessed the events unfolding in the general area, recalling everything vividly as he watched Jack's plan come to fruition. It was a surreal experience, and he couldn't help but laugh a little at some of the machines' goofy designs.

 

From my perspective, it's still like watching a cartoon show, but now I'm living in it, which is not what I wanted, to be honest

 

 he thought as he passed by one of the machines and approached Jack.

 

Jack was trying to make a bow, but he was struggling a little. Although Hamza wasn't the type to help someone out of the goodness of his heart. Yet his body betrayed his actions.

I wonder what kind of past this version of Jack has. 

 

he just was cautious and he didn't trust anyone. loneliness had a toll on his psyche before all this. but this was different, he knew his survival was reliant on Jack and he wanted to be friends with Jack. offered his assistance to become closer to him. He helped Jack tie the strings on the bow. Jack's smile was evident as he looked at Hamza helping him. A notification popped up.

 

[5 GP points awarded for helping Jack. Your likeness with Jack is reaching the maximum level.]

 

It was a makeshift way for Hamza to earn minuscule amounts of GP points, which he desperately needed at the moment. He helped Jack attach the rope-like wire he pulled from a machine to make the bow. Jack had already made arrows and handed one to Hamza with a smile. Knowing what he wanted, Hamza used the bow in front of him.

 

He lined up a shot, spotting a small piece of rock in the direction Jack was looking. As Jack gave him a nod, Hamza had the arrow ready and shot it.

 

CHING!

 

The arrow hit the rock formation, destroying it and nearly piercing through another rock formation.

 

"I'm just too good," Hamza said, smiling as Observer stared at him with a look of disbelief. Jack looked satisfied with the comment.

 

"Your skill is unquestionably great. I've been meaning to ask," Jack hesitated to talk, trying to find a suitable way to ask for help. He didn't want to drag them into his fight, but he felt like he couldn't win with one hand missing. jack bowed his head and Hamza stopped him from doing it. He didnt want to make him feel even more down. 

 

I need to support him. no matter what it takes. 

 

"Yeah, we need to talk. Let's discuss it," Hamza looked around and saw the red dog staring at him with their eyes locked for a moment. The red dog quickly averted their eyes and got back to work. Hamza's brows furrowed as his blue eyes took on a menacing, stern look.

 

"Jack, come with us for a few minutes," he said, nodding to Observer, who made a portal. Jack looked confused, wondering why, but he complied. Both of them had his utmost trust. They were the ones who had saved him, and he didn't think they would do something to harm him. They had no reason to. He followed them into the portal as it closed behind them.

 

As Hamza and Observer departed, the crimson-hued canine abandoned its task with urgency. Swiftly, it navigated the labyrinthine streets of the night, finally reaching a concealed nook beside a looming building. In this hidden recess, shrouded by darkness, the dog retrieved its communicator—a device resembling a simple button.

 

"They are making a move," the red dog said, their voice filled with urgency.

 

"Tell me everything," came the cold and chilling response of a woman on the other end.