SYSTEM ASCENSION

”Sir,” the lady began. ”Did you forget that you sent lady Gwen to follow the hunters that went into the S rank portal a week ago. You won’t be seeing her for at least the next six month.”

”...”

Elias glanced at the older man like he could see him.

Zeal himself looked dumbfounded. He slapped his head and chuckled.

”Right. I did that.”

The two of them just drilled holes into his skull with stares. He finally remembered that Elias was close to him, he quickly moved before the teenager decided to zap him alive.

”You just have to treat him Remy.” He pointed to the lady.

”Me?!”

She frowned.

’There is not why he forgot that lady Gwen is not around. Was he arriving at this from the beginning?’

”Sir, you know I don’t heal. I treat.”

”What’s the difference?” Elias cut in.

”It means,” she grabbed his hand and pulled him to herself. ”I don’t have an ability to heal. Instead, I study the human body and treat them with medical objects.”

”Medical...” Elias glanced around like he was finally interested in something, however he couldn’t see anything except the people on the other side of the door.

”Why is it new to you?” She tilted her head. ”Even the folks in the upper class that prefer healing to treatment still know about it.”

”We don’t get sick,” Elias replied. ”We’re naturally immune. Injuries get healed by the healers.”

She gasped.

”Is that a tribe or—”

”Remy.”

Just Zeal’s voice made her flinch. She composed herself and stayed out immediately.

”Come. Although my treatment don’t have an immediate effect, you’ll be fine in a few weeks. Doesn’t look that bad.”

Zeal chipped in. ”Yeah. I’ll wait...”

”I don’t need you.” Elias walked away.

”That’s...” He pouted. ”Harsh.”

Remy followed the boy to admit him, while Zeal watched them walk out of sight.

”Did you blind that kid?” A voice sounded behind him.

He turned back, coming to face the middle aged short man. The man shrugged. ”Sounds like something you’d do.”

”Mind your business Owen.” He snorted and walked out.

”So you did blind him.”

***

It was close to midnight before Elias was discharged, however he was escorted to the training yard of sound league.

Although he couldn’t see their faces, he could tell that a lot of people were around. Some appeared to be sparing while some just stood around.

Elias immediately sense the familiar figure at the middle of the yard.

”I have brought him.” Remy announced.

She left Elias beside Zeal before walking away to join the lookers.

”What is going on?”

”Let’s spar.” Zeal replied.

”...sorry?”

”Yeah. I’m serious.” He leaned over to Elias side. ”No eye treatment if you can’t land a hit.”

He frowned when he realised that Zeal was playing dirty. He instantly took a stance.

The instant the match began, Elias lunged forward without hesitation, his movements carrying an aggression that had only grown over the past two days at the person he could neither see nor predict.

His hearing had improved enough to pick up the faint scrape of Zeal’s boots against the training floor, but every sound felt deceptive, every breath seemed to come from somewhere else, and every instinct he trusted was crushed before it could become action.

His fist cut through empty space.

A heavy kick slammed into his side before his arm had even finished extending, sending him stumbling several steps across the yard.

He recovered almost immediately.

The sound of his own breathing echoed inside the training room as he adjusted his stance, his head slowly turning toward the silence in front of him. His expression remained composed despite the bruise already forming beneath his shirt, yet the tightening of his lip betrayed emotions he had spent years learning to suppress.

Hatred.

Pure, restrained hatred.

”Again,” Zeal said.

The single word only deepened the bitterness settling inside Elias’s chest. Without replying, he charged once more.

This time he ignored the sounds surrounding him and trusted his memory, estimating where Zeal should have been standing based on the distance from his previous attack. His hand shot forward.

It still struck nothing.

Another kick caught the back of his knee.

His leg buckled instantly.

Before he could hit the ground, a second kick crashed into his shoulder, twisting his body sideways until he rolled across the floor.

A murmur spread through the observation room.

”What is league master doing?”

”Who is the kid?”

”Isn’t that too much for a blind kid?”

Inside the arena, Elias inhaled deeply through his nose, refusing to acknowledge the growing pain spreading throughout his body.

He hated it. The darkness surrounding him and the helplessness that accompanied every movement.

Most of all...

He hated the man standing somewhere in front of him.

Without warning, Elias darted forward again, his movements noticeably calmer than before as he abandoned reckless swings in favor of measured attacks. His ears searched for breathing, footsteps or anything.

His fist swept toward where he believed Zeal had sidestepped.

Air.

A kick buried itself into his abdomen.

The impact folded his body before launching him backward. His feet left the ground entirely.

The collision against the training floor echoed loudly enough for several Hunters watching above to instinctively wince.

Elias remained on one knee for only a brief moment before rising once again, his breathing growing heavier although he made every effort to hide it.

Zeal watched him without the slightest trace of concern.

”How disappointing.”

Elias slowly clenched his fists.

His voice remained calm despite the anger threatening to overwhelm him. ”I can’t predict someone I can’t even see.”

”That’s an excuse.”

”So what should I do! I can’t even find you!”

”Victim mentality.” Zeal snorted.

The words landed far harder than any kick.

Elias’s composure cracked. He wanted to argue. He wanted to demand how anyone was expected to fight in absolute darkness.

Instead...

He attacked, every steps becoming sharper. But even with this, he never land a hit.

Every punch missed. Every elbow sliced through empty air. Every kick met nothing.

After a minute, a kick struck Elias’s ribs. Another landed against his thigh before he could recover. A third drove into his back, sending him crashing face-first onto the floor.

Silence settled over the observation room.

One of the younger Hunters frowned.

”...Why isn’t sir Rowen ending it?”

Elias stood, his chest rising and falling more noticeably than before. The darkness surrounding him had become suffocating, turning every direction into the same endless void. His head pounder harder than when he had first gone blind.

His lips pressed into a thin line, and fists trembled slightly.

”I...I...”

A tiny line of tears slid down his eyes, but he cleaned it off again, and took a stance.

”I’ll go all out.”