SYSTEM ASCENSION

These words had always been consistent in his teenage days.

"Let’s run more tests."

"Inject him."

"His regeneration ability is profound."

"Cut a limb or two. He’ll replace them anyway."

Yes, those words were consistent, but of all things, he dreaded one.

"It seems Larzan requested for him again."

"Who?"

"Test subject number twenty."

"Oh? The one with the rare ability. Why would Larzan need him?"

"Are you new here? Merchant Larzan is into little boys. Apparently number twenty is his new catch. He leaves no scars anyway."

He thought he had gotten used to the life of repeated suffering, until he was yanked from his cell that day and transported for the first time since he was captured. The place he was taken to looked relatively normal, but his senses were not. He occasionally glanced around the house without a soul.

While he was pulled by a maid, she muttered.

"Is that the new one? I heard the last one died."

Zeal’s heart sank.

"Can....can I not go?"

"Oh? He can talk." The guard shoved him in, and shut the door behind them.

The house was a masterpiece in its aesthetic, but he was way too frantic to admire it.

A maid was staring at him. Her eyes held pity.

Before he could say a word, footsteps came down from the stairs on the right side. A man grinned.

"I finally got him."

He flinched as the guard shoved him forward.

"Return him in one piece. He’s a valuable experimental subject after all."

The man waved. "Even if I don’t, he’ll cover my traces himself."

The guard huffed and walked out. Abandoned him to his fate.

He tried to stand up. To run. Anything to escape the dread, but soon realised that he had replaced his limbs so much and had forgotten how to use them.

A choked sob escaped his lips.

"...no...help me..."

There was no one. The maids looked away.

The shadow of the man towering over him, snapped him back to the reality of the situation. He tried to crawl back, but a casual yank and he found himself on the man’s shoulder.

He couldn’t move, even as the man took him away.

He froze. Totally frozen.

That man...

This same man...

His breath hitched.

...was now standing before him.

"Larzan."

"Should I kill him?" Elias’ voice cut through the tension in the room.

Larzan feinted a confused look. He had let instinct take over when he mentioned the number of the person who had ever survived his assault. It was a shock to him that the league master of sound city was a child he demanded for, whenever he wanted to ease his pent-up desires.

A chill crept up his skin.

"You must have done quite enough research to know about me."

Zeal’s eyes twitched.

"Re... search?" He blinked. "Oh. I see. Research."

The fear that had drained every trace of color from his face slowly dissolved, and his breathing steadied.

The corners of his lips flattened. His green eyes darkened. An emotion far colder than fear settled within them.

Rage. Pure unrestrained rage.

Across the hall, Larzan felt his heart plummet. He instinctively took a step backward.

As soon as he did that, one glance from the Dashad patriarch was all it took.

"Close the doors."

The servants reacted instantly.

*Bang.*

The massive doors slammed shut. Heavy bolts slid into place one after another, sealing every exit from the dining hall.

The visitor spun around.

"No! Open—"

The last lock clicked, and the room fell silent.

"Elias." Zeal muttered. "Let me."

Elias extended his hand. Dark particles gathered in his palm, metal condensing from thin air. Within seconds, a simple black dagger rested in his grasp.

He held it out and Zeal accepted it.

His smile returned, as if the terrified man from moments ago had never existed. He twirled the dagger lazily between his fingers.

"Well."

He looked at the untouched dishes lining the table.

"Breakfast is over."

His smile widened.

"Time to dissect a bastard."

Every hair on the visitor’s body stood on end.

Zeal began walking toward Larzan. Each footstep echoed through the silent hall like a countdown.

The man stumbled backward until his back struck the sealed doors. "There has to be some misunderstanding—"

"Oh?"

Zeal tilted his head, still smiling.

"I certainly hope so."

He stopped barely a few paces away, spinning the dagger idly between his fingers.

"Would you kindly tell me..."

His voice remained light.

"...where the disposal hideout is?"

The smile never left his face, yet everyone present felt a chill race down their spines. The visitors and patriarch exchanged grim looks before rising from their seats.

Larzan forced a chuckle.

"I don’t under—"

"I’ll ask once. Where is the disposal hideout?"

The man swallowed hard.

"I-I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"I see." Zeal nodded in understanding. "I was hoping you’d say that."

He stepped forward, but as soon as he moved, Larzan lunged for the nearest window.

He never reached it. The next instant, he found himself pinned against the stone floor, the dagger buried into the marble beside his face instead of into him.

The entire dining hall shook. The speed was insane.

Zeal crouched beside him, and his hand closed around the dagger.

"Let’s see. Where should I start."

Larzan tried to crawl away, but that only annoyed the league master. He raised the dagger and it came down on the man’s shoulder.

A startled scream escaped his throat. He turned around fast and stretched his hand.

"Ability activat—"

His hand dropped beside him. A deafening silence followed.

Larzan glanced sideways, at Elias who was now standing beside Zeal and had cut his hand clean.

"Aa....aaah! Urgh!"

"Shut it." Zeal’s cold tone cut through his panic. He clutched his bleeding limp, biting into his lip to keep quiet.

The visitors were now staring in shock. The one person who had provided resources to search for the disposal hideout was a part of it.

Zeal leaned slightly.

"Elias, what do you hear?"

"He’s still whimpering." Elias replied flatly.

"Oh really?" Zeal glanced up at him. "I told him to shut it, didn’t I?" His eyes returned to Larzan. "Why would he need his ears if he can’t use them?"

Everyone in the hall paled.

They had initially thought he was kidding, not until he grabbed the man’s ear and began to slowly slice it off. He cut through every fibre and tissue of flesh like a mage practising a destruction spell. And when he was gone, he proceeded to the next.

By now, the appetite to eat had disappeared and some non combat visitors long to throw up what they had eaten. The screams had attracted guards to the closed door.

"There. There." Zeal grinned. "All nice and beautiful."

Elias tilted his head to look back at the bloody scene.

"Is it?"

"At least that’s what he says after making a mess of someone." Zeal shrugged.

Seeing their distraction, Larzan stretched his second hand as a last line of defence.

"Wind cannon!"

The wind around Zeal’s face compressed and exploded.

Everyone flinched and backed away. When the chaos had cleared, Zeal was kneeing with the upper half of his head blown off, blood pooling down his face.

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