SYSTEM ASCENSION

”Ha...liad?”

All eyes naturally swivelled to the one standing behind them. Haliad was staring at her with an unreadable expression. However, the confusing moment didn’t last long. She recovered almost immediately and resumed climbing the stairs.

When she got to him, she shoved him off the stairs.

”Grandmother!” They all gasped.

Elias and Mona just looked down.

”Is he dead?” Mona asked.

”If he would die from something like that, then he’s a fake.” Elias waved it off.

”Welcome, all of you.” She smiled at them. ”Thank you for taking time to visit this humble old woman.”

’humble?’ they all thought.

”Call me Lan.”

”Grandmother Lan!”

”Good good.” She patted Elias’s shoulder before going to open the door.

They all head inside the small apartment.

”So what is this about?” She asked, while pulling the curtains open.

”We’ll be staying here for two days.” Elias bluntly replied.

”That’s good. You’re welcome.”

The rest exchanged glances.

”Is she not going to ask questions?”

Just then, Haliad finally sees the way In. Blood was running down his forehead.

”I’m fine.”

”...”

They had totally forgotten about him.

***

The classmates settled in, helped with little chores.

The girls washed and swept, pulling the curtains wider and dusting cobwebs, while the males did pruning and weeding with constant falling and argument.

The student had thought grandmother Lan had a personal beef with Haliad, but they seem to get along, even more than the woman with her granddaughter.

Hours later, all the students went grocery shopping. Often, they argued about the brand of everything, and bought many ridiculous useless things; hats, eyeglasses, skirts, fish shaped watermelon, map shaped biscuits, cones for no reason, and many other oddities, leaving Elias and Claude to foot the bill.

When they returned, the males went to sleep while the females decided to cook. They made several dishes, while adding extra chilly pepper for no reason.

As a result, only a few of them could actually eat.

Hours later, night had fallen. There was only one room in the house so they all slept in it. Grandmother Lan took the bed, and surprisingly, Haliad slept beside her.

Mimi spread a wool mat, and they all slept on the ground. Mimi, Rolarza and Fayera in a part, while the males just spread around the room like a circulating rumour.

The days eventually go silent. Insect chipped outside the house. Chill wind blew the curtains. By midnight, Elias’s eyes opened. Kael was clinging onto him, drooling on his chest. He quietly shoved the boy’s face before sitting up.

”I was wondering when you’ll stand up.” Claude was sitting by the window.

”Are you stalking me?” He sat up and reached for his clothes.

”It’s not exactly stalking when it’s done openly now, is it?” Claude stood up. ”Where are we going?”

Elias pulled the cloth above his head. ”I didn’t say you were going with me.”

”I didn’t ask.”

Kael woke up at the time. He rubbed his eyes and sat up yawning. Seeing the two of them, he frowned.

”Going somewhere?”

They both ignored him. Elias wore his hood over his face and began to walk to the door. Claude followed.

”Hey! Wait up!” Kael hurriedly grabbed his shirt and ran after them.

They quietly closed the door and descended the stairs.

The night sky was littered with stars, illuminating the ground. It was an ineffable sight.

”Should I be the only one to notice that Elias isn’t wearing slippers?” Kael asked.

The trio glanced down at his barefoot and said nothing else.

They went to the portal, and Elias input the location in the machine. Seeing this, Claude frowned.

”Why are we going to a leading family domain?”

No reply. He just walked into the portal that swirled into existence. The rest followed behind.

They came out of the portal in Zaela Gate territory. Claude was still looking around, trying to understand why Elias had brought them there at this hour.

”Why are we here?” he asked again. ”This is the territory of a leading family.”

Elias ignored him. He looked at the six guards stationed beside the gate, almost dozing off.

”Guide the gate.” He said.

The guards heard his voice and their eyes snapped open. They frowned.

”And make sure no one escapes.” Elias added.

Claude’s expression changed.

”Elias, wait—”

Before he could finish, Elias walked forward.

The guards immediately raised their weapons.

”Stop!”

”You cannot enter this place!”

”This is the Zaela family territory!”

Elias didn’t stop. His eyes remained fixed ahead.

”Ability activate.”

A faint glow surrounded him.

”Creation.”

The air around him suddenly distorted and one weapon appeared.

Then another and another.

Within seconds, dozens of weapons floated around him, surrounding his body like a silent army. Swords, spears, blades and other weapons hovered in the air, all pointing toward the guards.

Elias didn’t touch a single one. He simply continued walking, hands in pocket.

The guards charged towards him and the weapons moved. A sword shot past Elias’s shoulder and struck the weapon of the first guard, knocking it away. Before the guard could recover, another blade swept toward him, driving into his shoulder and pinning him to the wall.

A spear flew through the air toward another, and more weapons followed before they could alert the house.

Elias continued walking through the chaos without changing his pace, his hands remaining inside his pockets as every weapon moved according to his will.

Another group of elite protectors rushed out from the gate. One of them stepped forward.

”Bold one. I’ll give you—”

”A sword drove into his throat before he could let out the words. The rest took it as a trigger to attack, but of course, none of their abilities got to him. The number of weapons continued to increase until the air around him was practically filled with them.

Their steps faltered.

”Is he an age?”

”The energy level...”

The weapons moved.

They scattered as the storm of weapons swept through their formation, forcing them backward without giving them a chance to approach him.

Elias walked straight through the middle of them. Breaking the defence of the Zaela family wasn’t that impressive, and he was done in exactly twenty minutes.

He walked to the main house which was sealed shut. Of course, he expected this much.

He crouched down and looked into the key hole for a moment, before creating a perfect key that opened it without struggle.

Someone was standing behind the door. As soon as it creaked open, she attacked with an iron rod. She slammed it straight to his face, and it landed perfectly.

”Yes!” Ume gasped. ”That’s for...”

He hasn’t moved. Blood tickled down his nose and head, but he was just staring at her.

”You...you...”

She turned to run, but he had already moved. He caught her from behind by the neck and lifted her like she weighs nothing.

”Where is your father?”