SYSTEM ASCENSION

Slowly, she turned. He was still outside.

”FIVE!!”

A sudden scream escaped his lips as a Null caught hold of his leg, yanking him back, with just a step closer to the barrier.

”Aaarrrggghhh! Ten!”

Claws dug into his left leg, ripping the flesh clean. He was dragged on the ground across the field, away from the safe zone, leaving behind a trail of blood behind.

She didn’t hesitate. She dashed back out of the zone and went after him.

[Number of participants in safe zone: Two]

”Ten!”

”No! Don’t come!” He stretched his hand. ”Watch out!”

Her bare feet skidded to an abrupt stop as his voice cut through the chaos. Beside her was a Null, claw aimed right at her face.

”Aaah...” Her eye reflected it.

”Scream ten! Scream!”

Instinctively, her mouth opened, voicing out a terrific scream. Wind like blades burst out of her mouth, slicing through the Null and more behind it. They were reduced to minced meat.

She staggered, breathing hard. Then she turned, but he was already dragged away from sight, mixed into the chaos.

”...five?”

***

Five was dragged further away from the safe zone, other Nulls trying to snatch him midway. He managed to turn on his back, and raised his head.

They were headed towards a pit. Second, he wasn’t the only one dragged away. Some participants screamed in horror. Some were missing body parts. Some, half dead.

’No. I don’t want to die.’

Panic kick in.

’If I enter there, I’ll die!’

’I’ll...’

A sudden scream cut through the air, far away from him, but strong enough to slice through the Nulls including the one holding him. The creature dropped dead.

”Ten?”

He forced himself up, and stared at his punched leg. He could see his own bone.

”Urgh!”

He limped back to the zone, but the chaos was rampant than when it started. He couldn’t find the direction.

”Where is...”

Another one lunged at him. He turned and ducked immediately, narrowly avoiding the claw aimed at his eye. The creature crashed into the ground, shrieked loud and began to force itself up.

’No...I must run.’

His leg couldn’t move. Fear stuck him more than the pain.

Then, that familiar scream sounded. It didn’t come at his direction, but it pricked his brain.

’I have an ability too.’

The Null’s eye locked unto him, and lunged.

Immediately, he raised both his hand. Dark light gathered in his right hand, forming a bow, and his left hand constructed an arrow out of tiny air. He aimed blindly and shot it. The impact made him recoil.

The arrow pierced through the skull, bursting out behind.

The ability vanished. He cower down and clutch his throbbing leg.

”I can’t move...”

”Five!”

A smile lit up his face. He turned around, and she crashed into him.

”There is another safe zone! Let’s go!”

She helped him up, and glanced a second at his leg.

”You’re injured!”

”I can see that.”

”You can conjure any weapon. Make something flexible to stop the bleeding. Like a cloth or something...”

He took few seconds among the chaos to stare at her.

”I can’t believe you’re reminding him of my own abilities.” He cowered down and conjured tiny ropes.

”You also reminded me to scream.”

She kept watch over him, glancing around at the hunt. Luckily, the Null corpse shielded them from view.

”Are you going to tie it up?”

”No.” He clenched his teeth. ”I’m sewing it.”

She flinched.

By the time he was done, although the pain remained, the bleeding had stopped completely. He has stitched the tiny rope into the wound, so it looked like a tattoo instead of an actual wound.

”Another safe zone?”

She glanced back, and pointed. ”People are heading in that direction. When I tested it with my skill, the wave bounced back.”

’That skill earlier was to test it? She’s amazing.’

He forced himself up and tested his stand.

She glanced at him for a second. ”Can you walk?”

”Barely.”

”Good enough. Let’s go.”

”Hold on.”

He bent down and touched her leg. Ring-like band twirled around his hand and wrapped around both of her ankle.

”A...leg ring?”

The rings took form and adjusted covering her feets, like shoes. The hot sand wasn’t a problem anymore.

”You won’t be hot anymore.”

She subconsciously smiled.

”And if you don’t need it,” he straightened up. ”They will return to being leg ring.

They crawled through the field, using the Nulls she had shot down earlier as shield.

”C’mon, it’s this way.” She led him.

They arrived at where the corpse could shield them to. Ahead of them was the safe zone, where people had taken refuge in.

”We’ll have to run across the field.” He subconsciously grasp her hand.

”Okay.”

”You’ll go first, I’ll follow behind,” he instructed.

”No! The last one didn’t end well.”

”I’ll make it this time.”

She shook her head.

”You’re the injured one. You go first and I’ll foll...

They didn’t realise how loud they were and that a Null already noticed them. It stalk closer to them while they argued about who’d move first. As it got closer and closer, her ear picked up the sound. She turned.

”Five!”

His eye went up, just to see layered teeths coming down at him. He shoved her.

”Run!”

The teeths closed around him and the Null swallowed him whole.

She gasped. Her legs refused to carry her.

”Fi...ve?”

Gigantic eyes moved, and locked unto her small frame. She flinched.

The Null arranged it’s steps and lunged at her. Instinctively, she dived left and broke into a run.

”Aargghh! Five! You left-handed bastard! Why did you leave me here! Take me with youuuuuu!”

The Null chased after her,, shrieking violently. She barely avoided it’s teeth a couple of times, before she broke into the safe zone, already filled with traumatize people.

The Null stopped right outside, gazing around in awe, on why it couldn’t get to her or the other participants. After series of tries, it gave up, and turned away.

”No...” She stepped forward, eager to go out again. ”He can’t be gone like...”

The Null suddenly stopped.

It began to thrash around. It slammed the ground, belly bulging. Clearly uncomfortable.

Then it stopped.

A thin red line appeared down its gut. A hunter’s dagger punched through from inside, dragging upward. Dark blood slipped into the air.

The creature collapsed into the hot ground. Then the wound split wide open. He crawled out, steam rising off him in the heat. Blood ran down the blade, and his arm.

He turned around and gazed at the field. The screams had quieted down and the Nulls feast on the remnants. The field was painted red. A shivering red.

He blinked once, and again.

A hand suddenly grasp his.

”Five!”

He turned his gaze to her. Of course, she’s out of the safe zone again.

”Elias. It’s Elias.”

Her hand tightened around his. She pulled him away from the corpse and to the safe zone.

”I’m Yvonne.”

They stepped into the zone.

[Number of participants in safe zone: four hundred and thirty-five]