_Angel?_
_Desire?_
_Inoperable?_
_And who in the grand cavernous caves is Rita?_
My mind was in turmoil.
This was a lot to take in, and there was the new-found acuteness of my senses. They didn't just feel more refined; my mood was harshly different as well.
_I can't quite find the words for it._
_Honestly, I didn't want to think about it._
_But I have to accept this. I'm stuck as this hulking angel for now; maybe for a while._
Not only that, but regaining a body was reinvigorating my former pain, like a harsh burn subjected to the biting wind.
But it was the powerlessness that hurt the most.
_I feel violated._
I was completely incapable of stopping them, and I underestimated the moves those demons would make.
_What a group of freaks!_
_And just what was Elech doing?_
_Wait, it was still the third floor in the end... Was it Elech himself?_
_No, that doesn't feel right. That would be too contradictory, and it's not like there's anyone he'd need to trick._
_So perhaps one of the ones that stood beside him?_
_Hah... I wish I had taken a closer look now; I barely even paid attention to them._
_I'm not going to make that mistake again, that's for sure._
Attempting to get to my feet, I shivered and stumbled at the unfamiliar distribution of weight.
Still, it only took me around fifteen seconds to find my balance.
_I picked it up quickly as an imp too... Maybe it's a demon thing; it would make sense._
Clenching my teeth, I took a deep breath, acclimatising myself to the new environment as if waking from a long slumber.
Instinctively, I tried to open the system, but nothing appeared before me.
_How awkward._
I was a little thrown off by it, and I suddenly felt more alone here, in this unfamiliar dark room, where I could only barely make out the details of the armour and tools chaotically assorted throughout.
_Why was this guy even in here? It looks like a dump._
There were no windows, nothing to gain some perspective on; it was all quite alien.
_For some reason, this is hardly what I expected of the angels._
Closing my eyes, I turned my senses inward, as I have done before, and allowed the mana to flow freely.
However, something was vastly different this time.
The skittish lines, the vagrant shades... It was unclear, but they gave me a new perspective. So many threads encompassed this body, all rooted in two sources emerging at my collarbone.
_I see... It's like both of our souls are being used in sync. But if I focus hard enough, it seems that the larger soul is actually entwined in an incalculable number of threads originating from my own._
_Is he still alive?_
_Fascinating. I didn't think about it, but the Contractor class and its abilities are extremely powerful._
_I wonder how it even exists._
_Alright, well, this isn't important right now. I only wanted to try and check the stats of this guy's body._
At that stray thought, an overwhelming force welled up in my body. I let out a startled breath at the feeling but managed to maintain my composure.
_It's like every stat point is in strength? Is he crazy?_
_Wait, he doesn't have the system._
_Wait, wait, that's even worse. He put a concerted effort into beefing himself up to absurd magnitudes..._
_Did it really have to be someone so far removed from my style?_
_...Ahh whatever... I'll make do. I could have fun with it._
It was at this point that I noticed the blade at my side.
_Huge._
I pulled at it slightly and took a look at the blade's edge.
Even through the darkness, I felt like the glint of its tapered edge could cut my eyes.
_How... strong is this guy? If their hierarchy is similar, he might be one of the strongest._
_Heh, this could be surprisingly useful._
_He did said something about a fellow apprentice... Ah, yeah, Rita._
_With that intense envy I saw, I'd like to believe they are at the top of the apprentice food chain, at least; otherwise, that'd be a little too pathetic._
_But I'm not sure what the structure of the Angel outposts are like compared to the Demons. That's if they have outposts at all._
I let out a sigh.
_I just don't know enough—is there a secret luck stat I don't know about?_
_Okay, I should just look for a way out already... wait, how am I going to fool anyone when I don't know a single name? Isn't this too difficult?_
_Maybe it's not a very good class after all, or maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's a forced summoning._
_I should tr..._
A sudden wail flooded my ears.
Immediately, I spun around, and my heart picked up its pace.
For a moment, I was hit with the instinct to run away.
It was the kind of noise that sang of despair and coerced the mind into fantasies of fear.
_When did I ever have such an instinct?_
_How gross._
Shaking my head, I dashed forward.
The numerous armours scattered through the air, and the ground was torn away by the unconstrained strength rushing through my feet.
There, in the corner of my vision, I spotted a slightly ajar door, if it can even be called a door.
Planting my foot into the ground, my body sank slightly downward as I resisted the force of my own sprint.
_This ill-constrained power is deeply satisfying; it's quite addictive._
What had given the door away was mostly the blue-white afterglow that, ignoring the colour, wasn't too different from some of the doors I had seen in the demon outpost.
Masking my expression into a neutral one, I thrust the door open and spoke in an authoritative tone.
"What's going on?"
_This is my best bet for the guy's behaviour, and if something dangerous happens, I can blame my strange behaviour down the line on this experience... at least for a short time._
Just beyond a half-bookcase, there was a woman.
The room was filled with a dark blue light that shimmered across the surface of her armour, and like moonlight dancing across a sea, her visage gleamed.
She spared barely even a glance behind herself, not paying much heed to the tone of my voice.
_I must have made the right choice._
Through her dark-blond, curled locks of hair, she could only faintly hide the look of contempt lingering in her eyes.
_Was that for me, or for whatever she had her sword pointed at?_
I couldn't see behind the shelf, so I calmly began walking around with only a slight, discrete briskness to my steps.
But my tact was unneeded, she had already turned back around.
"Oh, it's you, Adrian... I caught that freak skulking around the restricted section. Just what was this demon planning?"
_What? A demon?_
Fortunately, she didn't care to look at me again, because only confusion plastered itself across my face.
But the look didn't last for long.
I rounded the corner, and I dropped my expression into an emotionless one.
There was a young girl, silently cowering against one of the bookshelves. She looked weighed down, as if trying to pull herself through the floor and leave this place.
Despite my first impression when I entered, there was no beautiful moon, nor was there a sea she could escape through—even the cold ground seemed to act against her.
There wasn't a sound coming from her anymore; she only tightly gritted her shivering teeth, but the terror in her dark purple eyes screeched in my ears.
I couldn't expel it from my senses.
Even faster, I walked forward and found it difficult to conceal my intense hatred.
One of her eyes was swollen, and blooded tears fell from her cheek.
Seeing my cold anger, her breath only quickened, and she closed her eyes, curling up into the corner.
_Could I... smell her despair?_
_I never thought my ability could be used like this._
_I'm not going to be some monster delighted by it._
Regardless...
Maybe it was partly because of the experience I had just had.
Maybe it was partly because I was inhabiting a different body.
But I couldn't keep calm.
It was instant, given away only by the careening cry of my blade being torn from its sheath and the wailing of the air as its edge sliced through with ease.
There was barely a reaction.
Only the light saw what happened.
An azure flash, and my sword flying across the room, yanked from my grip by the sheer force of that strike.
My eyes had not moved, and she looked back with confusion.
Her mouth opened, she coughed, and blood spat across the floor and dribbled down from her cheeks, muddying her well-kempt armour.
"Wgha... "
Her body gently parted in two.
She fell and collided with the ground. It had been so easy.
Her entrails stained that smooth, pristine surface, and like her blood pooling on the ground, the vigour in her eyes grew dilute.
It was only as the colour drained from her face that her eyes gained a hint of clarity and understanding.
She stared--stared into my eyes; there was fear, perhaps regret, and... something harrowing--no--sorrowful, that I couldn't discern.
It made me shiver.
However, just as quickly, that light faded.
I forced myself to turn away, and looked to the side.
The girl was gawking, but only with her eyes—her mouth was locked shut.
_But that look..._
_Just what has she been through?_
I moved to block her vision of the body and kneeled down in front of her.
I wanted to catch some recognition in her eye, but she looked through me. She was in shock, and her tears had dried on her face.
"You... you're alright now."
I tried to say it confidently, but I wasn't really sure what I was doing.
A part of me felt like there was already too much on my plate.
But in spite of that, I didn't want to leave this girl alone here.
_Do I have a soft spot?_
_No, I don't want to see it as a bad thing._
[...
Complete ]
Again? Hang on...
[[Request fulfilled: You have killed lvl19 Angel: Rita]
[Note: Experience gain is scaled by the ratio of your stat total to Adrian's.]
[exp + (101 / 265) * 5000 = 1906]
[lvl1 --> lvl7 (521/561 exp)]]
_Gawking-_
_Am I gawking right now?_
_That was her?_
_And I gained six levels!? That means it's not double each time, but because it's 20 levels, I guess the exp will be much larger at the end._
_Ha! This is great!_
_Hm... If it's like this every time, then the first levels are always a growth spurt? Then... that's why even the younger demons are always stronger than the imps._
_But I can't believe that was her. I guess it makes sense that we'd look over the same areas and do the same tasks._
_Stealth attacks are extremely strong. Though I have no idea what her class was or what type of fighter she was either._
Oh, I'm getting distracted.
Quickly turning my gaze back, I found the girl now blinking furiously.
She was looking down, and probably collecting herself in her own way, so I just tried to look kind and gave her a little time.