My eyes fluttered open to the familiar white of an infirmary. The smell of cleaning supplies bombarded my nose as I sat up suddenly. System what happened?
Health fell into critically low levels. System exchanged mana for health to keep user alive. System maintained camouflage for users protection in hostile environment. Murderous intent leveled up. Murderous intent level 8. Mana absorption leveled up. Mana absorption level 8. +3 Damage resistance.
"Oh," A doctor came up to me, "You're awake."
She asked me my name, and other questions I'd answered a hundred times before. Whenever I got a good knock to the head. Someone must have knocked me in the head pretty good.
"I was kind of surprised you don't have an ability," she smiled at me, "You've got some really thick skin for someone who doesn't have an ability."
"Thick skin?" I didn't understand what she was saying yet.
"Took us a few tries to get that blood sample Goliath wanted," She chuckled.
Horror flooded my mind as what she was saying sunk in. I darted out of the bed. Right past where Savannah, and Ethan were waiting for me as the doctor called out to me. I didn't bother holding back. I just ran full speed for where I knew Goliath would be.
Where he always was when he wasn't teaching classes. I slammed through the doors of the domed building that held the simulation hall. I saw him standing in the middle of the deactivated arena, and skidded to a stop halfway between the ladder that led down into the arena, and the doors I'd just come through. Goliath tossed an empty vail up, and down with one hand as he stared at me.
"I knew you would come," Goliath spoke almost quietly.
None of the joyous boom he normally had was in his voice.
"What are you exactly Nix?" Goliath stopped tossing.
"Do you really want an answer?" I started walking forward.
There was no point in running from him. He'd catch up eventually.
"I tried to get one," Goliath looked down at the vail in his hand, "But our database doesn't even know what you are. Just that Earth is where you came from, and that you were born the day before you came to this academy." Goliath looked back up at me, "You didn't talk like you were born yesterday when I met you."
"I messed with something I shouldn't have," I stopped at the edge of the arena.
I could feel that familiar sensation that my eyes did when my camouflage started to fail.
Camouflage is being affected by users mental state.
Goliath's expression hardened. I wasn't strong enough to kill him. I knew that with every fiber of my being. I didn't want to die, but I knew what would happen if the man in front of me decided to hunt me down.
"I'm a nobody," I gritted my teeth as I looked away from Goliath, "How long would I have lasted if I'd told anyone?" I steeled myself, and focused on the trap that was set to close around my neck, "I just didn't want to die."
My emotions settled as I accepted my fate.
Camouflage restored.
"Why did you protect the other students?" Goliath's tone was still cold, and quiet, "You knew what would happen if you slipped up."
"Why not?" I watched him warily from where I stood, "I could so I did."
"What do you plan to do?" Goliath watched me carefully.
"Survive," I looked back at the doors.
Savannah, and Ethan were coming. They'd be here soon. I turned back to look at Goliath.
"But I don't think that's possible for me anymore," I didn't want to kill Goliath.
He was a good man. I knew that much. He just wanted to keep as many people alive as possible. Even if I did inject him with Basilisk venom he wouldn't die right away, and he only needed one good hit to take me out. I set my hands palm down on the cold white barrier that separated the arena from the stands, and let my head drop.
I waited for him to do something. Anything. But nothing happened, and tense silence echoed across the space between us until it was interrupted by the sound of the doors behind me being slammed open.
"Wyatt!" Ethan yelled as he ran up behind me.
He stopped when he saw Goliath. Rage flooded into my mind through our connection as my eyes came up to look at him. A black tattoo shaped like my dragon form slowly appeared on his neck as if it were being burned into his skin. Ethan jumped. Impossibly high for a human.
Aiming to hit Goliath. Ethan's hit came down fast, and hard enough to make Goliath stumble. Goliath's eyes widened in surprise, but Ethan knew he didn't have much more time. He followed his strike with a quick attempt to retreat, but Goliath saw that coming, and grabbed Ethan's ankle to prevent him from jumping away. Ethan may have borrowed my full strength, but he didn't have the weight to back it up.
Lightning shot down my arms as rage flooded through me. I didn't care what happened to me. I figured my fate was pretty much sealed, but as good as I thought he was I wouldn't let him hurt Ethan. Goliath reacted automatically using his hold on Ethan's ankle to slam him down.
Lightning affinity level up. Lightning affinity level up. Lightning affinity level up. Lightning affinity level up. Lightning affinity level up. Lightning affinity level 10. Movement spell unlocked. Lightning step 25 mana per second.
I didn't care about any of notifications I got in that moment. All I was looking at was Ethan slowly heading towards the ground. The lightning that was racing down my arms suddenly started racing through my veins. It looked almost as if time had stopped around me as I jumped the railing, and rushed over to Ethan. I took hold of Goliath's wrist as time seemed to go back to normal, and released all the electricity that had built up within me into Goliath.
Goliath was flung back like a rag doll as I cushioned Ethan's fall with my an air burst. Ethan was out of time, and strength by the time he got back to his feet. He swayed on his feet like a drunk.
"Wyatt?" Ethan sounded upset, "Your arm."