Jess P.O.V.

I just sat there. My feet dangling off of a cliff while the stars in the nighttime sky shine like a polished gem. Yet the black, scorched crater still glowed with hot embers of the recent destruction of a town once full of people.

Living... fragile... bleeding... ignorant people...

Occasionally, I would look back to see my mutant enderman, Blink, using his multiple arms to teleport the frozen, black statues that were once living people onto the large clearing behind me.

"So, the freak did it again," Said Cassie inspecting the dead silhouettes with her cat following her, writing in a book to keep track of the number of people being transported. "Even though he knew he is being used, he ends up killing everyone in each village under the protection of the Clockwork Fortress."

"Well, everyone except the citizens who runs away from the fight." She continued to write in the book. "I guess the freak was telling the truth when he said he's only after the soldiers under the command of the Clockwork Fortress."

"Why would someone with nothing left to lose lie, Cassie?" I asked rhetorically, before looking back at destroyed village far below the cliff I'm sitting on.

"So what is this stuff?" asked Cassie, tapping a black statue, only for her recoil back in pain as her nail cracked from the action.

"It's carbon, Cassie, the base of all life." I said, recalling a chemistry lesson from when Ivor was alive. "Yet when rearranging the carbon atoms, and the atomic bonds, you create an allotrope of it."

"An allotrope?" asked the Chaos Sorcerer, rubbing her cracked nail.

"Multiple physical forms in which an element can exist," I explained. "Diamond and charcoal are allotropes of carbon, it's just that the atomic structure is different, and determines how strong they are."

"So what allotrope is this then?" asked Cassie, using her chaos magic to heal her nail, gesturing to the black statues that Blink is teleporting eight at a time.

"Lonsdaleite," I answered. "Ivor had a theory about reinforcing the atomic bonds, and rearranging the atoms, of carbon can make something stronger than diamond. So he named the now-possible material: lonsdaleite."

"Did that theory worked?" She asked, walking up to sit next to me on the cliff under the night sky. "Did he actually create something harder than diamond?"

"Ivor never got to test his theory," I said sadly. "He died before he could, and he never had anything, at the time, to even attempt to create the material."

"So how are you able to do it then?" Cassie asked skeptically before realization birthed into her eyes, letting out a sigh. "Never mind, it's your skill [Transmutation], right?"

I nodded. "If I practice and study hard enough, I can even manipulate the atomic structure as I rearrange the existing matter." I acknowledged. "With the research Ivor left behind, I'll carry on his legacy... and his retribution."

"Well I wish you told me that before I tapped that stuff..." Cassie grumbled, rubbing her healed nail. "But how did the freak reconstruct living people into carbon, then into lonsdaleite? How does he know the allotrope, or manipulate things on the atomic level?"

"I had PAMA download that knowledge into the freak," I explained. "Copied from Ivor's chemistry notes, and the results of my own alchemy experiments."

"So that black stuff that's pouring out of him...?"

"It's also carbon, well mostly." I added. "His body is breaking down into its primary component, and yet regenerating just as fast."

"So how can he move it?"

"That carbon pouring out of his body is also part of his consciousness stretched out, silently screaming in agony." I continued. "It's because of his hatred, his willpower, and due to his biology that he can do what he can."

"But why is it mostly carbon?" Asked a curious Cassie. "What else can it be?"

"His blood, bones, basically everything in his body is simultaneously dying, rotting, and disintegrating." I listed off. "The carbon that's pouring out of his body is mixed with iron from his clotted blood."

"I wondered how he repaired his metal cloak, and how he regrew the metal claws- this actually explains a lot of things." Nodded Cassie. "But if has no Mana, and can manipulate carbon, how did he create all of the fire and explosions?"

"When carbon is burned improperly, it creates carbon monoxide: a colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas." I recalled another chemistry lesson with Ivor. "Highly flammable too, and inhaling just a small amount is enough to make someone pass out, and a tiny bit more will kill them."

"But it's black." The Chaos Sorcerer pointed out. "That's not exactly stealthy..."

"It's because he's pouring so much carbon out of him it takes a color. Think, Cassie, a colorless gas given color." I lectured. "That alone should picture the absurd amounts he's unwillingly producing. That freak needs to concentrate and thin it out so he actually can use the carbon monoxide properly."

"So that's why your brother passed out when that black stuff poured over him, and how the freak killed the injured soldiers from far away." She realized before smiling dangerously. "He's a mobile chemical weapon."

"One who's desperate to die." I added. By the look on Cassie's face, she really wants to see the freak in action, up-close, not from a vantage point.

"But how is he able to improperly burn the carbon in the first place?" asked Cassie.

"Internal body temperature." I revealed. "With all of the diseases, and infections, his internal body temperature is at a heat that would cook you from the inside out."

Cassie's face showed concern. "But he can't die."

"Exactly." I confirmed. "Everyday he is being slowly cooked from the inside out, only for it to repair itself and repeat the same painful process."

"And it's all because of Bailey." Said Cassie, already disliking the girl. Who knew a good deed from a stupid girl would cause so much death and destruction? All the twenty-two villages that were destroyed, that's on Bailey because she started all of this.

Well, if I want to be technical, it's actually my idiot of a brother's fault for stopping me from killing her.

"Hey, couldn't you have PAMA's slaves, your spies, in the City, kill her when Bailey was in jail?" asked Cassie.

"I could," I shrugged. "But it's not my revenge, and I didn't have a reason to kill her until now."

"What she did she do to provoke you?" asked Cassie, smiling again, probably picturing how I'm going to kill Bailey.

"She has the Alchemist Class," I spat. "She, like many others I've killed, is nothing more than an embarrassment to the science. They only use Mana as a shortcut just to make potions and yet they think that's all it is to be an alchemist: a brewer. That's just insulting."

"Aren't you an alchemist?" asked Cassie.

"Yes, as in someone who studies and practices the art, and does it by using proper tools to do it." I retorted effectively, making the girl flinch from my reaction. "I admit, my skills are enhanced by the power Death gave me. But I do alchemy by hand, not only with magic, nor do I brag about it or put pride only in potions."

"I refuse to equip the Alchemy Class, I don't even want to look anything like those prideful bastards." I growled before letting out a sigh. "But soon I will, simply because the advanced skills I got from Ivor's research makes me."

"Does it have to do with your project?" asked Cassie.

"It does," I replied. "Although, Ellegaard made me take a brake... when she tried to kill me, and when she took something irreplaceable from me."

"Your heart-shaped pendent?" asked Cassie before clamping a hand on her mouth. One thing she knows is that I always follow through with my threats.

"You can relax, you didn't say something stupid like you did before," I reassured as she visibly relaxed. "But no, Ellegaard took something I can never get back. Even though I got my pendent back, it's melted and damaged. It's just a lump of metal now. Apparently she tried dissecting it, thinking that it had some sort of secret power."

Well, technically, Ellegaard wasn't wrong. It granted me the passive skill [Eternal Love], which calmed me down whenever I have any negative emotions. Anger. Hatred. Stress. Greif.

But the skill is gone now, along with the only physical remains of my parents. And just like my parents, their love is gone too. I hate this feeling... I want my moms back. I want their love. I want to hear their voices again. I just want to remember what they look like. Is that too much to ask?!

Ellegaard took that away from me: she took the feeling of being filled with a parent's calm and security, and yet that wasn't the worst part! She took something that breaks me down crying and-!

"...Hey are you alright?" Asked Cassie as I blinked the tears away... again.

I stood up. "Just move the materials back to the cottage, Cassie," I ordered, changing/avoiding the subject as I mentally commanded Blink arrive behind us. "I got something to take care of."

I don't want to think about those thoughts again, it's just too painful. I just hope Cassie does what I told her and move the materials.

Materials... not people anymore. It was all so simple, really. The freak turns the citizens and soldiers of the villages into black statues, slaughtering the rest when he can.

When the freak moves on to the next village under the command of the Clockword Fortress, I have Blink transport the black humanoid statues that are left behind to the Far Lands.

And so my personal project continues its development, aided by a freak lashing out against an unfair world, and the suffering of others. I watched Cassie form a crimson portal on the ground as she pushed the remaining, heavy black humanoid statues into it.

I mentally ordered Blink to teleport me down into the smoking crater of a town. There, I watched a body regrow, cloak and metal claws included. He reminded me of a dead blonde before the rot, pain, and disease came back.

His alluring skull is destroyed. Revealing his disgusting face as he sat on the ground while black dust is pouring out of every open end of his cloak. His smile full of rotten teeth as the blood pours out of his deflated eyes and rotten nose.

"You seem happy?" I pointlessly asked, walking towards him across the scorched ground. I already knew he's completely oblivious to the truth.

"More than happy: accomplished!" He grinned. "I'm done with her. I got my revenge!"

"You think so?" I asked. If only he knew... good thing I'm going to tell him.

"I've killed so many people, but this kill felt so damn good!" He shouted, his dead, hollow voice filled with excitement.

"How do you feel now?"

"It's like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders," He let out a happy sigh, slumping forward. "If were to die now, I would die happy."

"Even though you didn't destroy all of the villages under the command of the Clockwork Fortress, or the woman who commands it?"

"Yep." He replied. Happy.

"You're a moron," I kicked him hard in the throat, crushing it as it slowly repaired itself while the abomination coughed out more carbon dust.

"W-What was that for?!" He coughed out as he slowly picks himself off the ground and got on his knees.

"For not seeing the obvious!" I shouted. "How can you be so stupid?!"

"What did I do wrong?" He asked, the fear of me mixed in his tone. "I just got my revenge on Bailey."

"You're an idiot because Bailey isn't dead." I revealed, much to his shock. "What you killed was nothing more than an illusion created by Petra!"

"What- no, no, no!" He denied, shaking his head. "I killed her-!"

"You killed a clone of Bailey, mentally connected to her original body!" I shouted, interrupting him. "And that white cloth that was covering something, that they were carrying away, that you didn't question or act on when it suddenly appeared out of nowhere, was covering Bailey's original body!"

He gripped the ground in fistfuls. His body trembling in anger as tears poured down his rotted cheeks, mixing with the odd-colored blood that oozes out of his deflated eyes and rotten nose.

"You were scammed by my brother," I continued, fueling his rage. "And that girl, Bailey, is now safe, far away, and taunting you. Can you hear her voice? Remember her face? What she did to you?"

His claws are digging into the ground as more black dust violently pours out of him. His jaw clenched so hard his rotten teeth cracked.

There's that anger...

He lurched upward, unleashed an unholy scream, curing Bailey's name as he started his tantrum. The carbon dust flowed straight up, spiraling into a massive black tornado.

I felt his rage fueling it. I looked upward to see multiple faces forming on the dark tornado, full of rage. Screaming.

I had Blink teleport me far out of the destruction, and close enough to watch. Smiling all the while. Soon, the hunt for Bailey will continue, bloodier than ever.

I love spoiling the mood.

A/N: Wow, looks like Bailey isn't dead... yet. And her 'death' didn't fool the cloaked man long as Jesse intended to, thanks to his sister. What will Jesse's group do next time they encounter the cloaked man.

Yes, they are going to meet again. What, you think the cloaked man will just give up, knowing that the person who caused him so much suffering is still alive? C'mon, you people are smart enough to know that will never happen.

*Let's out a blissful sigh* I can't wait to write about how people die again!

And now the cloaked man's abilities are revealed! Control over carbon is an amazing ability, and I had fun writing about it! Too bad no one guessed it, but anyone care to take a guess who he is~!

There will be answers in future chapters, don't worry! :p