Infinite Wealth System: Crazy Tasks, Insane Rewards!-Chapter 227: Real Sovereign War (VII)

Jayden did not slow down as he ran toward the heart of the destruction. The ground beneath his feet cracked with every step, shattered concrete breaking apart under a force that no longer felt entirely human.

Sirens wailed somewhere behind him, civilians screamed in the distance, and the sky above roared with overlapping explosions as the battle between the Sovereign Protocols and the unknown aircrafts intensified.

Then the system began speaking again.

[Speed under Combat Attribute has reached Max level!]

Jayden felt it instantly.

The world around him seemed to drag slightly, as if everything else had been reduced to a slower frame. The falling debris, the collapsing structures, even the flickering flames all appeared clearer, more defined. His legs moved with frightening efficiency, each stride covering more ground than it should have been physically possible.

[Attack Power under Combat Attribute has reached Max level!]

A surge of raw force pulsed through his arms and shoulders. His fists clenched involuntarily as if testing their own potential, and the air around him seemed to ripple faintly in response.

[Strength and Endurance under Combat Attribute has reached Max level!]

His breathing stabilized completely. The earlier tightness in his chest disappeared, replaced by a steady rhythm that felt endless. Fatigue did not exist anymore. Strain did not exist. There was only power.

Then came the words that made him pause for a fraction of a second.

[You have received a special skill, Soar. Gives you the ability to fly in the air.]

[You have received a special skill, Wave of Doom. A supernatural attack that can send an entire building to be blown away with one wave of the hands.]

Jayden could not stop the smile that spread across his face.

It was almost absurd.

He had climbed from nothing, built an empire through intellect and wealth, conquered enemies through strategy and will, and now, in the middle of a burning city, he was being handed abilities that belonged in myths.

He laughed softly under his breath.

"Overpowered," he murmured. "Just like that."

For a brief second, disbelief flickered in his mind. This kind of sudden growth would have terrified him in the past. It would have felt unstable. Dangerous.

But not now.

Now, with cities falling and humanity on the brink, he welcomed it with open arms.

"If there was ever a time for this," he whispered, his eyes lifting toward the raging sky, "it’s now."

He focused inward and activated Soar.

There was no visible mechanism. No mechanical lift. Instead, an invisible force lifted him from the ground as though gravity had simply lost its claim over him. His body rose smoothly into the air, coat fluttering violently as shockwaves from distant blasts rolled past him.

For a moment, he hovered.

Then he accelerated upward.

The sky was chaos. Energy beams crossed from every direction, explosions blooming like artificial suns before fading into smoke. The front glass window of the attacking aircrafts, the cockpit canopy, reflected flashes of fire and debris as pilots fought desperately inside.

Jayden hovered at a strategic height, observing.

The new aircrafts were holding their own, but barely. Sovereign Protocol ships regrouped with frightening discipline, their formations tightening, their weapons charging brighter with every passing second.

Then something caught his eye.

One of the frontline aircrafts banked sharply to avoid a blast, but it was too slow. A concentrated beam struck its side directly, tearing through its hull. The cockpit canopy shattered outward as flames erupted from within.

Through that cracked canopy, Jayden saw a face he recognized instantly.

Royce.

The aircraft spiraled downward, smoke trailing behind it as it lost control.

Jayden’s expression hardened.

"No."

Without hesitation, he extended his arm.

"Wave of Doom."

The words did not need to be spoken, but he said them anyway.

A massive surge of energy erupted from his outstretched hand, expanding outward in a devastating arc. The air itself seemed to bend under the force as a visible shockwave swept across the battlefield.

Fifteen Sovereign aircrafts were caught directly in its path.

They did not stand a chance.

Hull plating crumpled instantly. Wings tore free. Energy cores detonated in rapid succession, filling the sky with cascading explosions that lit the clouds from within.

The shockwave continued until it dissipated, leaving a brief pocket of stunned silence in its wake.

Jayden did not wait.

He dove downward at impossible speed, wind screaming past him as he traced the falling wreckage of Royce’s aircraft. The craft slammed into the outskirts of the city with violent force, tearing through a row of already damaged structures before coming to a grinding halt.

Jayden landed moments later, barely disturbing the dust around him.

The wreckage was twisted beyond recognition. Flames licked at the broken hull as metal groaned and shifted under its own weight.

He stepped forward and tore open what remained of the cockpit canopy with his bare hands.

Royce was inside, blood streaking down the side of his face, his uniform scorched and torn. His chest rose faintly, but he was unconscious, his body bearing the brutal cost of the impact.

Jayden knelt beside him.

"Royce," he called firmly.

No response.

He checked for a pulse.

Alive.

But badly injured.

Jayden exhaled slowly, relief mixing with anger.

"You chose the right side," he muttered quietly. "You’re not dying for it."

Above them, the battle raged on.

******

And far from Cloudbridge City, in a fortified command center hidden beneath layers of reinforced steel and digital firewalls, Charlotte stared at a wall of live tactical displays.

Her tech office.

Her office had transformed into a war room.

Massive screens projected feeds from every active battlefield across the globe.

Icelandia.

Franch.

Espana.

Rusnia.

Nestonia.

Each region flickered with combat data, flashing indicators marking enemy positions and allied responses. The new aircrafts that had arrived were making a difference. In Icelandia, Sovereign forces were retreating from major energy hubs.

In Franch, aerial dominance had shifted by a narrow margin. Espana reported stabilizing defensive lines. Rusnia and Nestonia were pushing back with renewed confidence.

Camilia stood to Charlotte’s right, arms folded tightly across her chest as she watched the feeds with focused intensity.

Temi paced slowly behind them, occasionally glancing between screens.

"They’re actually holding," Temi said, her voice carrying cautious optimism. "Whoever sent those aircrafts, they’re not amateurs."

Camilia nodded slowly. "The formations are coordinated. They’re anticipating Sovereign maneuvers before they fully commit."

Charlotte allowed herself a small breath of relief.

"For the first time today," she said quietly, "we’re not just surviving. We’re pushing back."

A faint smile touched Temi’s lips. "Maybe this is it. Maybe this is the turning point."

Camilia’s expression softened slightly. "We’ve lost a lot," she said. "But if we hold this line..."

"Then we can rebuild," Temi finished.

Hope began to creep into the room, subtle but real. Shoulders relaxed slightly. The tension that had dominated the last several hours eased just enough for them to imagine victory.

Then Charlotte’s console emitted a sharp, unfamiliar alert.

Not the usual yellow warning of regional threat escalation.

This was red.

Bright.

Pulsing.

Her smile vanished instantly.

"What is that?" Camilia asked, stepping closer.

Charlotte’s fingers moved rapidly across the interface, pulling the signal into focus. The source coordinates appeared on the display, far beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Her heart began to race.

"This signal," she whispered.

Temi leaned forward, eyes widening. "That direction..."

Charlotte swallowed hard as the full data projection expanded across the main screen.

A massive formation.

Larger than anything they had just faced.

Approaching from deep space.

"It’s them," Charlotte said, her voice trembling despite her effort to remain composed.

Camilia’s breath caught. "More Sovereign Protocols?"

Charlotte nodded slowly, her throat tight.

"They are more of them," she said, her voice breaking at the edges.

The room fell silent.

On the screens, Earth’s defenders were beginning to gain ground.

But in the vast darkness beyond the planet, something far greater was coming.

And it was not close to being over.