SYSTEM ASCENSION

Everywhere had quiet down. The guards were no longer moving. The weapons Elias had created were scattered around the area, some stuck in the ground while others slowly disappeared.

For a moment, there was silence.

Claude was even dozing off, while Kael was pacing around.

Then, a man suddenly dashed past them.

Kael’s eyes widened. ”Hey! He’s escaping!”

He took a step forward, but Claude simply smirked.

”Let him run.”

Kael stared at him.

”What? Elias said—”

”They’ll catch him.”

”They? Who’s they?”

The man continued running, quickly putting a distance between himself and the group. Claude didn’t move, but just watched.

When the man had gone far enough, a voice sounded.

”Ability activate. Blood Veil.”

Red liquid suddenly rose from the ground in every direction around the estate. It spread outward, forming a massive veil that surrounded the area and blocked every possible path.

The man’s expression changed.

He quickly turned to the direction where the control was thin, and tried to take another direction. He ran a little bit, and stopped when he saw someone.

A girl stood in his path. She was wearing nothing but a simple nightgown, her hair slightly messy as if she had just woken up.

The man stared at her.

”What the—”

Something shot out from the girl’s hand.

It stretched through the air like a long, dark tentacle and wrapped around him before he could react.

He struggled.

”Let me go!”

Another tendril shot out and restrained him.

The girl simply stared at him with sleepy eyes. ”You made too much noise.”

Kael blinked. ”Fayera? Tentacles?! I thought she was...”

”Double ability. Did you forget?” Claude raised a brow.

”No...no, the blood,” Kael looked up at the red veil.

”That should be me.”

He turned to the voice. Two people were approaching.

”Tiana? And Tyler?! Why are you not in the palace?”

”The palace is no fun.” She scoffed.

”So roaming the streets at night is fun?!”

Fayera pulled the man toward them without saying anything. The man finally realized that there was nowhere left to run.

”What are you doing here anywhere?” Kael glanced at her.

She shrugged and yawned. ”I just saw them running out and followed.”

”Them?” Kael turned around.

Mona and Haliad were walking into the building, while Quil stood there beside Rolarza and Mimi, yawning like the whole world owes him sleep.

”We came too.” Rolarza waved sheepishly.

”This is great,” Tyler clapped. ”Hold on, let me count how many people are guilty of wrecking a leading family’s home.”

”For a moment, I forgot that he was the prince.” Quil snorted.

”I hope you’re counting yourself?” Tiana rolled her eyes.

”It’s understandable that you guys followed us,” Kael pointed to the rest, before directing his attention to Tiana and Tyler. ”But why you too? How did you find this place?”

”Someone texted.” They both glanced at Claude.

He looked away.

The prisoner noticed that their attention was not on him, and Tiana’s blood barrier had been deactivated. He took the initiative to pull out a small dagger and slice through the tentacles. His goal was to escape through the weakest link, and that was the direction Quil stood with the girls.

He dashed forward, stretching his hand.

”Ability activate! Sound system!”

He released a sonic wave, hoping to blast them out of the way, but everything just got sucked into Quil’s body, and rebounded.

The doubled impact knocked him several feet back, tumbling over and eating dirt. He finally crashed unconscious into the wall.

”...”

All eyes followed the man, and then Quil who didn’t move.

”You’re the worst kind of opponent.” Fayera spoke calmly.

Tyler grinned. ”Let’s fight!”

Quil continued to stare at the man who wasn’t getting up, anytime soon.

”His ability reminds me of Yvonne.”

”Yvonne?” They all chorused.

”Yes. Elias second half.”

”Second half?!” The girls chorused.

Quil mischievously grinned. ”If she were still alive, none of you would have a chance with Elias.”

”What?!”

”Zero chance. Not one. Z-E-R-O.”

Rolarza and Mimi pounced on him. Quil got the beating of his life that night.

Minutes later, Elias came out with Haliad and Mona. He stopped for a while, and observed the crowd, then Quil who was beaten beyond recognition.

”Okay...?”

He glanced at the person who had escaped, and walked to him. The man was still unconscious on the ground.

He turned the man on his back and drove his hand into the man’s stomach.

The rest flinched.

”Elias? What are you doing?” Claude asked.

The sheer pain of the act forced the man awake. He caught Elias’s arm, trying to push it out, but Elias didn’t bulge, not until he pulled out a thread from his vital core, and yanked it back, cutting it.

”No!”

His classmates quickly realised that it was an ability. There was no wound in the man’s stomach.

Elias put the thread on his sealing stone, and it was sucked in.

”Return home. You have a day.”

The man gulped. ”I’m sorry....it wasn’t...”

”Selling a blueprint?” Elias caught his chin and raised it. ”Do you want to disgrace us that much?”

The man gulped.

Elias released his chin and stood up.

”Return home. I won’t say it again.”

He turned around and returned to his classmates.

”Is it okay to let him go?” Tiana tilted her head to stare at the man who was limping away. ”He was the Black-eyed who sold the blueprints right?”

”That man is a Black-eyed?” Kael asked.

”What blueprints?” Tyler chirped in.

”A weapon of black empire was sold out.” Tiana replied.

”And how did you know that?” He frowned.

”I’m a numbered.”

”You’re a numbered?! Like sound league numbered?”

”Is that surprising?” Tiana snorted.

”Wait, hold on!”

All attention returned to Kael who yelled louder than normal.

”Is no one asking about what just happened?!”

Stares.

”What did Elias do?!” He pointed to Elias.

They all continue to stare at him.

”Oh come on!” He groaned. ”He just did some voodoo thing! No one?”

”Is that surprising?” Tiana asked.

”Yes! Yes, it’s surprising! Is that an ability?!”

He turned his gaze to Fayera. ”And you...”

”Kael,” Haliad cut him off. ”It’s not an ability. Just vital control.”

”Vital control?”

”Yes. It’s possible for people who know how to control their energy well.”

The rest nodded in union.

”Oh. I see.”

”Let’s go. I’m sleepy.” Elias turned around and led the way.

The rest began to follow him.

Soon, only Kael and Claude were left standing.

”Vital control...”

”You.”

Kael flinched. He glanced at Claude who was now staring at him with narrowed cold eyes.

”You were just about to blurt out seeing more than two abilities right?”

”I...”

He instantly realised how stupid he had been. They were in the open, and on top of that, they had Mimi and Rolarza who knew nothing, with them.

”I’m sorry...”

”Your lip is too loose. It’s pathetic.”