"What's your gang's ambition? Depending on your reply, I'll take action."
Meg stayed calm for a moment before picking up an energetic pace once more. "We're the Hoi Hoi gang!"
Without saying anything more, his gang members within the bar paired in groups of four, arms interlocked over each other's shoulders, and sang uniformly.
"Every member is a treasure, having fun is what we do, life's a short one, but Hoi Hoi, we keep on surviving."
Jayden laughed softly — a moment of genuine satisfaction seemed to sit within the bar.
"Hoi Hoi, you guys are funny, I'll give you that" Jayden said with respect. "But funny isn't enough. Surviving isn't just enough."
The bar's temperature had changed — it was cool, but the smell of alcohol still filled the air.
"I'm gonna make God-Level influence. I would, without fail, restore the world to its original state and reunite the divine stones once more. You know what that means, right?"
Dark circles formed around Meg's eyes. "Yeah!"
"I wouldn't wanna pull you guys into it," Jayden said with a wink.
"You're a man alright! I already admire you so much" Meg shook hands with Jayden.
Jayden turned away after waving them off. "I owe you one, Hoi Hoi gang! Keep on surviving — only the strong can!"
Meg screamed, enveloped in emotions. "The name's Meg. Remember me, meat boy."
"I'm Jayden Logan. I'll never forget you all." Jayden waved before disappearing into the busy town.
The short waiter from before walked up beside Meg, slightly biting her finger. "Did he say, Logan?"
"Wait, what...!?" Meg screamed, eyes noticeably bulging out.
---
"I guess I made some good friends." Jayden looked up to the blue sky. ' So this is the afterlife, it feels so real, I mean, it is real.'
His mind flashed back to how he died moments ago, clenching his fingers to feel how real they were.
'Burns and every warden I brought down together with myself must have been reborn through different gates. I'll crush them for good this time.'
Jayden cracked his knuckles. "Dad, I'm glad I avenged you even though it cost my life. "
More importantly, the blueprint Burns chased for years might have been burned in the fire or been protected within the gold briefcase — either way ancient tech can't be built without the help of a Logan member, and Jayden was the last on earth.
Though Jayden had lost the biggest treasure of his bloodline, he managed to protect what his old man died for. The world.
'A God of Gods' potential ability: Matter Manipulation huh?'
"How do I use it?"
Jayden stood still at the centre of the street, giving deep concentration to a rock at his feet enabling him to feel it almost as an extension of himself.
He slowly reshaped the rock into a round ball, though with his level of mastery, it felt like pushing a mountain.
"Hey, Mister." A hand reached for him from behind.
The little shock threw Jayden off balance.
"You're that woman from before!" Jayden said.
The short waiter frowned. "What low taste you've got. I'm Luci, a gorgeous lady — not a woman please." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
Jayden continued walking ahead. "What do you want?"
"Hoi Hoi," Luci rushed up behind him. "Don't act so dense. You wouldn't live a happy life like this!"
"What's the big idea?"
Luci looked back at the rock Jayden had been reshaping and how flat it turned out to be without breaking in half.
"You said you're gonna restore the world, right?"
"So? What has my ambition gotta do with you?"
Luci rushed to his front, glaring at him with cute puppy eyes. "Let me join you!"
"Nope," Jayden said without a flicker of hesitation.
"Please..." Luci drew closer.
Jayden shook his head. "I can't draw a woman along my tough journey!"
Luci landed a knock on Jayden's forehead. "I'm a 19-year-young lady, for goodness sake. Not a woman!"
"I said no!" Jayden pressed.
Luci breathed down and returned to walking by his side.
"Okay," she said. "Do you know where you're headed?"
"Nope!" Jayden replied.
"Do you have experience with the afterlife dangers and mysteries?"
"Nope!"
"You even got a penny on you right now?"
"Nope!"
"That's exactly why you should let me in boy." Luci gritted her teeth.
Jayden still refused flatly.
Luci shrugged, back to square one, but she wasn't giving up yet.
"You know, Jayden boy, I sauced the meat you ate earlier!"
"Seriously?" Jayden leaned in for a moment — now that she mentioned it, he slightly caught a vision of her restocking his plate while he was busy chewing.
"You've got more? More meat?"
"No."
Jayden's enthusiasm dropped.
"But I can make more if you want!"
"Al.... right.... let's go hunting." Jayden sprang into the air.
"Patience, boy! If you go hunting now, who's gonna sauce the meat for you?"
"Hu." Jayden gave it quite a thought. "You, of course."
Luci folded her arms with her back turned against him. "Well, I can't."
"Why!!!"
Luci tapped her toes on the floor. "You didn't allow me to follow you, how am I supposed to do it?"
Jayden breathed in. "Why do you insist on following me?"
Luci looked up to him with some sorta interest. "I think it's gonna be fun."
Jayden scoffed. "You're willing to die while having that fun?"
"Yeah. It would be a life worth it that you think."
Jayden smiled. "You've got the resolve of a man — I see why you were sticking around with those idiots!"
He grinned and offered a hand,
"Let's go hunting!"
"Yuu-hoou!" Luci ruched up to him, "The forest is this way, boss."
The sun followed their hasty pace, watching them run into only what could be called the beginning of their adventure.
Forests, seas, skies, and even the meat Jayden craved all hid unnatural mysteries— some solved, others were unsolved and many even yet to be discovered.
Every sane person would know this journey of Jayden's was most certainly an impossible one.
Only ambition-driven idiots like Jayden knew that and still worked this path, because like Jayden's pops would say; don't be so sure unless you've tried.