SYSTEM ASCENSION

The guards on patrol began their night shift. They took a few steps around the perimeter and back.

”It’s great to be on patrol,” one said. ”Imagine being dispatched to transportation and you come across those annoying raiders.”

The second agreed. ”I would trade anything for a peaceful life.”

”Oh? A peaceful life?”

The voice startled them. They turned around only to see a normal looking man. He looked like a traveller at least. A baggy dark robe, a straw hat and a sword. Besides that, he was barefoot.

The guards drew their weapons.

”Lost your way, man?” the first asked.

”Or maybe his shoes?” the second snickered.

”I did lose my way,” the man muttered, ”but I don’t wear shoes to begin with.”

They frowned.

”What sort of response is that?”

The man stepped forward, looking around the camp.

”I heard crying. What’s happening here?”

The first guard yelled. ”Why don’t you come in and find out?”

The second guard caught his hand and whispered. ”I don’t think that’s a good idea. What if we can’t use him? Some people’s vital energy will rebel. That’s why we’re using weak minded people and children.”

Although the second had whispered it, the man’s ear twitched.

”Children vital energy?”

They took startled steps back.

The man drew his sword, his eyes hidden beneath the straw hat.

”It seems all of you here are scum. I guess I didn’t miss my way then.”

The guards attacked.

”It’s two against one! We can—”

Before they could react, the man had already walked past them. His sword remained clean.

”You’re lucky I don’t have time to waste on you while children are waiting.”

The guards crumbled into pieces.

He continued until he reached the laboratory, kicking the door open.

He drew everyone’s attention.

The alarm blared.

”Intruder alert! Intruder alert!”

He removed the straw hat and looked around before walking deeper inside. Within minutes he had cut down everyone who stood in his way.

The amount of people didn’t stop him from advancing like he owned the place , and by the end of just ten minutes, he was done. He wiped his sword with a man’s cloth, and proceeded further into the captured area.

The children’s cries were now louder and desperate, so instead of kicking down the door, he carefully opened it.

He could see numerous cages in the large room, and one cage had at least three children.

His expression didn’t change at the pathetic sight. He just pulled out his sword and began to slice the locks, watching the way they flinched and whimpered.

”You all should thank your stars. I lost my way back home...” He tucked his sword back after he was done. ”It’s been a while since I visited Salvador. I was supposed to take the death valley route, but somehow I ended up in Torzi. Can you believe that?!”

His speech did nothing to lighten the mood at all.

”Alright! Gather around!”

He gathered all the children and took out a teleportation device.

”This is a one-time return stone. It’ll teleport all of you to a destination I picked.”

He smiled watching the children exchange glances.

”This is Torzi empire so the majority of you must be from here. Either way, anywhere but here is good, so I’ll send you to Torzi palace.”

The device lit up.

”I’m sure His bald Highness will send you all back home.” He waved with a smile. In a second, the light covered them all and they were sent off.

The laboratory became empty.

He sighed again.

”That was my only return stone. Now I have to find my way back...”

Then he noticed a faint energy coming from a second room.

”No way... There was still one remaining? How do I send this one back now?!”

He kicked the door open.

”You could have said something when—”

His eyes dropped to the floor and he slowly stepped inside.

The room was much smaller but far worse. There were blood-covered syringes, dried limbs, and signs of horrific experiments.

A boy was strapped to a table, his right leg was slowly regenerating.

He was chained by the wrists and ankles, with even his mouth restrained to stop him from making noise. He seemed to have lost his mind, but regenerating his detached limb was automatic.

The man stared.

’A regeneration ability. Quite rare.’

He furrowed his brow. ”Aah...what the hell...”

His muttered words grew the boy’s attention. His eyes moved and they locked gazes.

The man reached out his hand.

”I...”

The boy flinched.

”Mmm!”

The man hesitated.

”I shouldn’t approach him first.”

But by then, his presence had already thrown the boy into a panic.

His breathing became forced.

The moment the man took another step, his entire body convulsed against the restraints, the chains rattling violently that they echoed throughout the tiny room.

His teary eyes widened in raw panic as he struggled to crawl backwards despite being strapped to the table, his regenerating leg tearing open once more before knitting itself together again.

”Mmm! Mmph!”

”Hey, hey...” the man raised both hands. ”I’m not—”

The boy thrashed even harder, and one of the leather straps snapped. He immediately swung the broken restraint like a whip.

Crack!

The leather smacked against the man’s shoulder.

”I’m not...”

The strap around his mouth gave way.

The boy lunged.

His movements were clumsy, weakened by malnutrition and exhaustion, but desperation lent him enough strength to throw a trembling punch.

The man caught the tiny fist without effort, but before he could say anything the boy bit down on his hand.

”WOULD YOU STOP TRYING TO FIGHT ME FOR FIVE SECONDS?!”

The shout thundered through the room.

The boy froze.

The man continued, pointing at the corpses scattered outside the doorway.

”I killed everyone who did this to you and saved all the other kids! I sent them home!”

The boy blinked.

”And now I’m standing here getting bitten by the only person left! I’m trying to get you out!”

The room fell completely quiet and the boy slowly loosened his jaw.

Both of them simply stood there, breathing.

”Haaa...”

”Hhh...”

Another awkward silence followed.

The man rubbed the bite mark on his hand before scratching the back of his head. ”...That could’ve gone better.”

The boy lowered his gaze and moved back. His shoulders were still trembling, but the frantic struggle had stopped.

The man let out another long sigh.

”My name’s Richard.”

”...”

”My name is Richard,” he repeated, placing a hand on his chest. ”Richard.”

The boy only stared at him.

”Right. Silent type.”

Richard sighed for what felt like the tenth time that day.

”I’ll release you, but the moment you bite me, we’re done.”

The boy’s eyes widened just a little as Richard carefully undid the remaining restraints. Unlike the others, he moved slowly enough for the boy to see every motion. Once the chains fell away, the child tried to stand, only for his weakened legs to buckle beneath him.

Before he could hit the floor, Richard caught him.

”...Easy.”

The boy stiffened but lacked the strength to struggle anymore.

Richard effortlessly lifted him into his arms, adjusting the tattered blanket around the child’s thin body so the cold wouldn’t bother him.

”Let’s go.”

Without another word, he carried the silent boy out of the room, leaving behind the blood-stained laboratory that had stolen far too much of the child’s life.