Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!

Chapter 157 Dimension & Shadow Houdini, Ere

The portals started multiplying, opening up all over the clearing in rapid succession. One moment she'd emerge from a portal near the ground, only to vanish into another one high in the air. Her movements were fluid, almost hypnotic, as she played with the dimensional rifts like they were part of some elaborate dance.

"Damn, Ere," he said, his voice tinged with awe. "This is insane. You're insane."

She laughed, her voice echoing from seemingly every direction. "Insane? Please. This is art, Parker. You're just not sophisticated enough to appreciate it."

He couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head as yet another portal blinked open a few feet away. "Okay, Picasso, but, like... how the hell are you even doing this?"

She popped out of a portal directly in front of him, her golden eyes locking onto his. "Let's just say Robert forced—helped me to level up."

The portals slowly began to fade, the air settling back to normal as Ere stepped closer to him. Parker stared at her, still processing what he'd just seen.

"Level up?" he repeated, his tone still laced with amazement. "That wasn't a 'level up.' That was like... I don't even know. You just broke reality for fun."

Ere purred, sitting back on her haunches. "Fun, huh? Maybe. But it's also practical. You think I'd let Robert hold me back without adapting? He made me push my limits. Those days I spent away? I was evolving."

Parker crouched down, meeting her gaze. "So, you're telling me all that—" he motioned to the clearing where the portals had been, "—is just you warming up?"

"Pretty much," she said with a smug grin. "And there's more where that came from."

"Of course there is," he muttered, shaking his head. "You're full of surprises."

"Admit it," Ere said, leaning closer. "You're impressed."

"Impressed doesn't even cover it," Parker admitted, running a hand through his hair. "This is some next-level shit, Ere."

She hopped onto his shoulder, her tail wrapping lightly around his neck. "Good. Now, let's go. I smelled meat back at the house, and I'm not letting Naomi hog it all."

"Something like that," she replied, her voice softer now. "The whole Robert thing pushed me past my limits. It wasn't easy, but... well, here I am. Stronger. Sharper." She paused, her golden eyes narrowing slightly. "And more ready than ever to keep you alive."

Parker's lips twitched into a small, sardonic smile as he stood, lifting her into his arms. "Yeah, well, don't let it go to your head, queen of shadows. You're still my cat."

Ere let out a soft laugh, her tail flicking against his chest. "Your cat?" she teased. "I'm not just some house pet, Master. But sure, keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night."

As he carried her back toward the car, his mind churned with unanswered questions. 'If her powers were unlocked now, does that mean there's more? What triggered it exactly—was it just Robert, or something deeper? I thought she was supposed to grow with me. This is good, though. If she's stronger, that helps me too... but maybe that incident bypassed the whole 'grow-together' rule?' Or was it the first middle claw that had disappeared and unlocked something in Parker? Could it be what helped Ere progress more while they thought it was Robert's incident?

But Parker had no idea of this. And so did Ere.

****

Later, he gently placed her in the passenger seat, his eyes briefly flicking to her status panel in his mind. The details hit him like a truck—Omni Energy levels surging, stats spiking across the board, and new abilities listed under "latent potential."

"Damn," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head as he slid into the driver's seat.

Ere smirked, curling up into a ball on the seat beside him. "Something wrong, Parker?"

"Yeah," he said dryly, glancing at her. "Apparently, I'm babysitting a ticking time bomb now."

She let out a soft hum, her tail curling around her body. "Ticking time bomb? Try 'guardian angel.'"

He started the car with a low growl of the engine. "We'll see about that."

As the Lamborghini roared to life and sped back toward the estate, Parker couldn't help but steal one last glance at her, the faint shimmer of darkness still lingering in her fur. Whatever she's become, it's on a whole new level.

And for the first time in a long while, he felt the faintest flicker of relief. But Parker had something on his mind—to finish everything he had felt behind unfinished!