SYSTEM ASCENSION

”Your name was Elias right? It seems you have a connection with Omeo’s disciples.” The preacher smiled.

Elias frowned. He composed himself and stood up walking out immediately.

The man chuckled and waved. ”Come back anytime.”

The rest of the congregation stared at him in awe till he was out.

Elias didn’t return home after leaving the monastery. Instead, he patrolled the town of Ringoff. The school vicinity was bigger than he expected.

There were different stalls set up and a lot of things were being sold. None of this entered his eyes. He only remembered being dragged off to buy unnecessary things by Zeal back in the days. Now everything seemed to have lost its light.

Elias roomed around till it was nightfall. When it was dark, he returned to the monastery.

It was silent.

Moonlight slipped through the windows, painting pale silver across the ancient hall. Dust drifted lazily through the air while candles melted into their holders.

Elias sat alone on one of the benches.

His elbows rested on his knees, fingers intertwined, his eyes fixed on absolutely nothing.

Everything had become so loud that silence was the only place he could hear himself think.

Until—

The door opened behind him, and someone stepped in. He didn’t move.

A young woman emerged from the darkness, her long black hair flowing over a crimson dress.

Pale skin, red eyes, and beautiful enough to distract most people.

He turned around and their eyes met. That was the mistake.

Her crimson eyes glowed. Invisible waves spread through the room like ripples on water.

Hypnosis.

His eyes went lifeless and unresponsive.

She smirked. ”Easy as taking candy from a baby.”

She walked to his front and leaned to his face.

”I can smell you from a mile away. Delightful.”

She leaned back and checked her waist watch. ”Almost curfew. Can’t get caught.”

She glanced at him. ”Stand up and follow me.”

”...”

She had expected him to answer, but he didn’t.

”I said—URGH!”

His hand shot forward and closed around her neck

”What...”

CRACK.

He snapped it without a word. Her body went limp in his grasp, eyes widened in shock. He dropped her.

Elias stood up and stretched languidly, before turning around and walking away. He had barely taken five steps when he heard bones cracking behind him. She rose up, and popped her neck back into place.

”I didn’t expect you to be so cold-blooded.”

He stopped and turned back. ”Coming from a nightwalker.”

She grinned, eyes flashing fiery red. She charged at him, claws raised at his face. He caught her hand and snapped it without a care.

”Urgh!”

She used his grip to push herself and jumped, wrapping her leg around his head. She pulled back her hand and healed it, then began to strangle him.

He moved back and slammed her into the pillar. The impact exploded through the hall.

Then he flung her off.

Wooden benches flipped over as her body crashed across them. She rolled, stopping on all fours. Blood trickled from her nose.

Then, the broken bridge of her nose snapped back into place.

”I don’t like the cold.” He snapped his jaw that she managed to dislocate, back into place and healed it.

”That’s a bit harsh!”

She vanished and appeared beside him with a spinning kick aimed for his temple.

Elias raised an arm.

BOOM!

The impact cracked the wooden floor beneath his feet, but didn’t budge.

Instead, his fist buried itself into her ribs.

Several bones folded inward with an ugly crunch. She coughed blood before smiling again.

”They’ll heal.”

”Convenient.”

He grabbed her shoulder.

SNAP!

Her collarbone shattered beneath his grip. Another punch sent her jaw twisting unnaturally.

She laughed despite it as broken bones shifted back into place with disturbing speed.

Her claws aimed for his throat.

Elias leaned back just enough for them to graze his neck before driving his knee into her stomach.

The force launched her through three rows of chairs.

Wood exploded.

Fragments rained everywhere.

She flipped onto her feet, breathing harder now.

”You fight like you’re trying to kill me.”

”I am trying to kill you,” he took one step forward. ”You just won’t die.”

He disappeared from her sight, and next, his elbow crashed into the back of her neck.

The floor shattered.

Before she could recover, he seized her ankle and swung her body like a weapon.

BANG!

Into a pillar.

Again.

BANG!

The ancient stone cracked.

Again.

BOOM!

The pillar finally collapsed, sending chunks of rock crashing across the monastery.

She regenerated between impacts, only for another bone to break immediately after.

”...You’re insane...”

Elias tossed her across the hall.

She skipped across the floor before smashing through the monastery doors and tumbling into the moonlit courtyard.

He walked out after her.

”The guards should be here soon.” He muttered.

”I’ll finish you before that,” she forced herself up. ”I acknowledge you as an opponent now.”

”I still don’t.” He yawned.

Vein bulged in her neck as anger flashed her eyes. She dashed forward, hands forming a seal.

”Shadow cont—”

He was already before her, hand digging into her neck and gripping her larynx. Blood gushed out in pumps, and when she tried to regenerate it, his hands inside her neck got in the way.

”I’m not so stupid to let you finish that spell.” He raised her up.

She began to choke, clawing at his hand.

”...p....p...lea...”

”Can’t hear you.” He looked around the monastery. The destruction they had caused.

She continued to dangle, already breaking into tears.

”There isn’t much difference between your kind and a vampire. You’ll still die if you bleed out. Yunno, run wild and all. Hold on...what’s the difference between a vampire and a night walker...”

She shook her head in urgency.

”Oh, you don’t want to die?” He raised a brow. ”You’re at least a hundred years old but still fearing death? Geez, it’s not that bad. Why so scared of something that can only exist when you don’t?”

She continued to struggle fruitlessly.

”Aah...”

He released her, and she fell.

Cough!

Cough!

The wound began to close up. She clawed at the ground in pain till it closed up completely.

”Ha... damn...it....”

She then realised that he was still standing.

A newly found fear settled in. She crawled back.

”How do you know...about all this?”

”About your kind?” He scratched his hair. ”I think it was pretty damn obvious Coco. You didn’t do a good job in hiding your scent.”

Coco frowned.

This guy made absolutely no sense. Scent? How could anyone expect their species, from their scent.

”Right...”

Elias took a step closer. Then he leaned down.

”You broke the pact. Prepare for the consequences.”

Then he turned around and went into sheath mode.

She sat there, drowning in sweat despite her cold skin.

”The...the..pact?”

A shiver ran up her spine.

”The pact?! He’s one of us?!”