SYSTEM ASCENSION

The sun had risen high in the sky now. Unlike any other day, the people do not need to go hunting. Elias and Zeal’s intervention had provided half a year worth of meat.

Women mudded up together, grilling, cooking and discussing with a bright smile. The men cut the meat, their laughter echoing through the yard.

No doubt, they had not been cheerful like this for a long time.

Children gathered around Zeal hoping to hear stories about his adventures. He raced around the field trying to escape their clutches, while they followed him like parasites.

Rolarza watched the scene from the top of a tree branch. She laughed.

"They won’t let him be."

Hearing no reply, she glanced side at Elias sitting beside her. With his hair cut to shoulder length and trimmed to perfection, his breathtaking facial features stood out. And with the way he stared at the scene, it was simply picture perfect.

She fanned her face with her hand. "What are you thinking about?"

He glanced at her.

"I want...to see my father."

Her eye widened.

"Is he ...dead?"

"No...I don’t know." He muttered.

She sighed, and glanced up at the sky.

"I also want to see my parents. They are both raiders. They left with other raiders to end a solution to our problem."

She glanced at him.

"Thanks to you, they can return."

"I haven’t closed the gate yet."

"But you gave us hope." She smiled. "I hope you get to see your father soon."

He turned back to the scene and watched. She swung her legs, and tilted her head to see his face. "What are you thinking about?"

"Why are you so interested in what I’m thinking about?"

Her face heat up. "No! I... forget it!"

She huffed, and fanned her face again. Her attention went to Zeal being torn apart by the children, and his screams echoing the yard.

"He’s so kind." She muttered.

Elias glanced at her. Then back at Zeal.

He stared at the older man. The one person who offered to carry him on his back, blinded him, trained him, stayed with him throughout the night, payed a fortune to have his leg treated and treated him like a priced person.

Zeal.

"He reminds me of mother..."

Rolarza’s ear perked. "Your mother? She must be such a nice person."

"She’s a devil’s spawn."

Rolarza stilled. His words shock her to the bones. She glanced at Elias, eye wide.

"Why would you say that about your own mother?!"

"She would pay to watch the world burn," he muttered. "She’s a backstabber, with a black soul. Someone you’d pray never to encounter in your lifetime..."

He stared at Zeal a moment longer.

"I miss her..."

Rolarza’s mouth shook.

"So... she’s..."

Rolarza covered her face, and looked away.

Elias glanced at her. The girl who he had only met a day ago, crying because of a few lines he had muttered.

He looked away.

She wiped her tears, and sniffed.

"I’m sorry... something got in my eyes..."

His lip curved, not too much to call it a laughter, but something that sat in between.

"But why did you compare Zeal to her?" She asked. "To me, it looks like they are opposite of each other."

Elias eye narrowed.

"No. They’re cut from the same cloth."

"You’re saying Zeal is wicked?"

She glanced at the man pulled away by children, and snorted. "I doubt it! I mean, look at him. He’s an angel. I felt relieved when I met him."

"Relive?" Elias almost frowned. "When i met him, I felt terror rose from the dead."

She glanced side, totally confused.

Before she could say another word, he hopped down.

___

The day progressed with chatter, laughter and even singing.

Soon, the sun began to set. The people sat down around a little fire.

"Salvador empire?!"

"I am a Salvador and he’s a Black." Zeal pointed to Elias.

"I thought those two empires don’t co-operate." Grandma Cho asked.

Zeal awkwardly tensed. "You know a lot."

"I use to visit Salvador empire back in my youth." She huffed.

Just then, Rolarza dashed out of the house, holding a piece of paper.

"Here it is!"

They all glanced at her.

She sat down with them, and flattened the paper on the ground.

"I have made my choice."

Everyone inched closer and gazed into the paper.

"Rolarza." Her grandmother muttered. "They are still about three names in this paper."

"Yes, yes!" She cleared at throat. "Ember acedemy, located in Quora empire. Sky-high acedemy located in Torzi empire. Ringoff acedemy located in Salvador empire, and Veil acedemy located in black empire."

Her grandmother sighed.

"Rule out Veil Rolarza, no one except the Black-eyed children attends that school."

"It’d be weird if you’re the only one there." Another nodded.

"Your chances of getting into veil acedemy is minus one." Zeal snorted. "Even those Black-eyed brats has to hunt a thousand beasts to get in."

Elias glanced at him.

"You’re pretty knowledgeable."

"I saw it in your memories," Zeal laughed. "If you were in there, you would have started it a long time ago, since you already hunt a thousand."

All eye popped out.

"You hunted a thousand?!"

"Before he was six." Zeal added.

Now they stared at him weirdly.

"Wow..." Rolarza muttered.

"Continue," her grandmother called her attention back from Elias.

"Ember acedemy in Quora empire. I want to leave my hometown."

"Next,"

"Sky-high in Torzi."

"Too far." They chorused, all together.

"Torzi is further away from Quora empire," her grandmother explained. "You’d have to go through the Black valley, and Salvador empire before getting to Torzi, or go around which is longer."

"That leave Ringoff as my last option."

"Hmmmmmmmmm...." They all tilted their head.

Zeal yawned.

"I suddenly remembered that my surname is Ringoff."

"Huh?!"

He smiled.

"Should I write you a recommendation? Elias will be there too."

"Aaah? Yes!" She flew from her spot and crashed into Zeal. "Thank you!"

"I’ll be there?" Elias muttered.

"I have read about everyone important and strong!" She flipped the paper. "Ringoff acedemy has a system that test your strength before assigning your class. You could resume today, and get promoted! It doesn’t matter if you’re a noble or a commoner. Run by the branch family of Alaric, the royal household."

Zeal nodded.

"Some top students stands out," she continued. "One, the crown prince Tyler Alaric. His abilities were not registered, but people said he’s eerie. He doesn’t attend class."

Zeal sighed.

’Isn’t that the brat that almost got me In the palace that day...’

"Second is the leading family’s heir. Claude Merrin. I heard he’s good in combat and analysis. S rank raider."

Zeal glanced at Elias. The boy wasn’t even listening.

"Third is Fayera Grater, heir of the third leading family. She uses wind."

"Fourth is lady Tiana."

Zeal’s ear perked.

"She’s the headmaster, Mr Rowen’s fifteenth daughter. Resumed a few months ago, already beating up everyone."

Rolarza’s grandmother grabbed her hand.

"Then you must stay away from all these troublesome people in the future."

"Alright!" She flung the paper.

Zeal caught it, and stared at the carefully arranged names.

"You wrote this quite accurately."

"Of course!" She bragged. "I need to know what I’m dealing with."

He stared at a detail in the paper, and related it to a memory he once saw in Elias’s sealing stone.

"Who is this?"

Rolarza took the paper and gazed at it.

"A rank raider. Prime minister daughter in Torzi empire," she explained. "She uses an ability called "scream."

"Her name: Yvonne Sharad."

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