MERELY FEW WEEKS LATER
They rolled across the field the moment the demon slammed its feet against them.
"Take me back to when I did not possess this system and spirit guide and elemental abilities." Ashton muttered tiredly getting up to his feet really fast before the demon spawn towards them again.
"Hit me." Ulysses, who was also fighting alongside Ashton said, his breathing coming out in short gasps.
They had been fighting against demons all day and they never seemed to cease from re-spawning. They wondered who had opened the gates of hell for them to battle with such ferocious demons.
"I pray that in my next life, I will enjoy the peace I deserve…not battling with an Arkillian army every single minute of my life."
It had been barely two weeks since they got their system ability and another apocalypse had taken place forcing them all to fight against the Arkillians who had come to disrupt the peace of their world. They were the only hope of normal humans without elemental abilities. Human advanced technology had proved useless and worthless during this apocalypse and humanity has to rely solely on elemental Mages.
The battle continued as both boys propelled their feets at a high mass speed towards the demons that were in their way.
*CLANG!*
*WHIM!*
"There's an array core on their leader." Marcus, the captain of the Wagwan team, brought to their notice earnestly as he finally beheaded the demon he was tackling.
*GBAM!*
*PANT!*
"He's fast! We have to double up our attack or speed!" Ashton warned as both he and Ulysses continued to run into the woods that were at the edge of the field so they could call the attention of the demon with the array core.
"Attack? Are you stupid?" Ulysses shouted as they both ran into the woods.
"It's better off preparing an attack than dying!" Ahston fired. "Activate celerity amulet!" He commanded his system.
[Celerity amulet activated]
[2 stat points has been deducted and this is prone to continue if you have surpassed the stat points limit]
Suddenly, the demon exhumed out of a portal it had created behind the running boys. It formed a gigantic blow with his hands which was actually propelled by some magic as well.
[You are running away from the raid area]
[Your rewards for this quest will not be granted if you do not continue with this quest]
"It's all a plan, system. I'm never giving up on this quest."
[Incoming: Close proximity alert: +274]
"Shit!"
A green magical flame exhumed with the blow and the demons send it into the direction both boys were running to. Ashton had briefly looked over his shoulder just to check the proximity of their closeness to the charging demon that was after them and luckily for him, he had seen the demon's propelled huge punch charging towards them faster than the speed they were running with.
Ashton stretched his hand towards Ulysses and he quickly pushed him out of the way of the incoming sickening crunch and both successfully ducked the attack by falling off to the dirty forest ground. They watched the blow run into a tree that was far before them in the same direction they had been running to.
As the magic propelled blow made contact with the tree, it splited into two proper halves and a strange surge of fear rippled through them as they wondered what would have happened if the same punch had hitted them.
The tempest was far from over yet as they noticed a strange smoke suddenly filling the air about. The smell stinged so bad as it hit his nostrils and fell on his skin as well. It emitted a strange hot sensation the moment the smoke made contact with his skin.
His system interface suddenly materialized before his eyes.
[A strange substance has been released into the air]
[Your body is being hit by a drowsy magic]
"Fuck!" Ashton cursed. "Are you getting the same thing, Ulysses?" He asked.
"Yes, we had better get up fast and start running off before this demon catches up with us!"
The system interface continued as another notification materialized as it updated Ashton of his latest stat, basic information and resistance level.
[Host: Ashton -]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 24]
[EXP: 60/2500]
[Strength: 6/10]
[Stamina: 8/10]
[Ability: Control the dragon spirit energy]
[»Resistance stat«]
[Resistance level: 65%]
[You are growing weaker]
[All stat will continue to decrease while you keep inhaling this drowsy magic]
As they continued to run, the demon suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of them and it grabbed Ashton by the neck and began swerving him about the wood for a bit just to make his vision dilate before hitting him with an evil magic which sent him reeling backwards in a blue flash but the speed reeling got stopped as his back hit the bark of a tree hard.
*GASP!*
"Argh!" Ashton groaned and he spilled an amount of blood which had tumbled from his body system due to the sudden hit.
A notification popped up before his eyes again.
[You are growing weaker]
He managed to look up from the far distance he had been sent through and he muttered some few words with a little bit of strength he could gather from within;
"We will probably die at this rate."
*DING!*
[A new quest has arrived]
"Eh?"
The demon spawn itself in front of Ashton again as it seems it had forsaken Ulysses but was more pressed about ending Ashton's life first. He grabbed the boy by the neck while its began to emit an ethereal manipulative glow which it wanted to use to control Ashton's mind before making him succumb to death.
[Defeat the demon and acquire its demon spirit pearl]
[Reward: Soul eater blade]
[Extra reward: ???]
[Duration: Two minutes]
Somehow, Ashton broke free from the demon's grip by controlling his dragon breath but he didn't transform fully. The demon was attacked and it got pushed backwards by the frost breath. Ashton hadn't had enough yet as he dashed towards the demon summoning his magazia sword at once.
"With the power of the moon, I summon the light to hold this demon down!" He shouted as he continued to advance towards the demon.
Suddenly, some strange lights emitted out from his sword then he swung his sword into the air and made a slashing move at the demon even though he wasn't close to it yet.
The move he made sent the light that had emitted from his sword straight forward at the demon and it began to form a swirling vortex around the demon. The demon tried to break out of the magical storm but he was already trapped inside it and he struggled to break free despite knowing his efforts would end up as futile.
The magical storm finally subdued and it formed a thorny chain on the hands of the demon chaining him down into the earth. It roared in the air again as it tried to set itself free from the sharp grip of the chains.
He turned around for a bit to check on Ulysses's but before he could turn back to face the demon,
*SWOOSH!*
"Arrhh!" Ashton gasped as a sudden wave hit him from behind and he was suddenly suspended into the air.
His eyes darted towards the demon and he saw that it had successfully set its right hand free from the suppression cuffs and it had sent a dark swirling orb at him.
Ashton seeing this close call to death broke free from the hold in haste and summoned his sword again before charging towards the demon. The demon sensing his swift move towards him quickly destroyed the thorny chain on his left hand with its own magic and it also began to dash towards Ashton.
"Let me end your suffering with one slash of my blade!" He roared as he saw the demon advancing towards him with full force with its sharp claws growing much longer than they were when it grew a new arm and the proximity between them was shortening really fast.
As they got closer, Ashton propelled himself into the air with some magic and he swung the sword in one strike before thrusting it at the demon and they both clashed in the air.
[Okay, Skip! Skip!! Let me take you through how Ashton– the MC got his system and elemental ability in just one week.]
[A/N: THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS WILL BE TAKING A QUICK GLANCE AT THE MC' LIFE BEFORE HIS SYSTEM ABILITY CAME INTO THE STORY. NOTE THAT THE MC OF THIS WORLD IS NOT A CLICHÉ ONE WHO GETS HIS SYSTEM ABILITY LIKE EVERY OTHER MC DOES IN THEIR FC'. ALL THESE LITTLE DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT FOR EASY FUTURE REFERENCE AS IT WOULDN'T LOOK NICE IF I ABRUPTLY INTRODUCE SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED FROM THE BEGINNING AT A CRUCIAL POINT AND I HAVE TRIED TO MAKE THE PLOTLINE SUITABLE AS WELL. BECAUSE THE MC DIDN'T GET HIS ABILITIES REAL QUICK DOES NOT MEAN THE FOLLOWING PLOTS WILL BE CLICHÉ, BORING AND DRAGGY. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED WITHIN THE PAST ONE WEEK OF HIS LIFE IS FAST PACED AND FALLS IN PLACE MAKING YOU LEARN THE SIDE CHARACTERS THE MC POSSESS. ~enjoy]
***~°~***
A WEEK AGO
***~°~***
The sun was setting below the horizon fast making it's usual announcement that night was approaching. Dry leaves were falling off trees as the wind blew making the leaves rustle on the pavement.
A dry leaf fell on Ashton's head and he failed to notice this until he shook his head giving way for the leaf to fall freely onto the ground. A speckle of dust oozed past his eyes, almost sending him momentarily blind. Ashton squeezed his face trying to wipe his face with a small clothe he might have named 'handkerchief'
"Damned dust!" He cursed as he finally regained his eyesight.
As he walked on the paved road, he saw an empty tin lying on the floor and an uncalled instinct settled in him. He was going to kick the lifeless tin into the gutter.
The gutter was filled with a murky pool of water, which was speckled with dirt and grime. Floating in the water were lots of trash, including plastic bottles, paper cups, and ragged fabrics. The water was still, and it had a disgusting, rotten smell. Flies were having their daily party in the pool as well.
Ashton kicked his leg forward and hit the empty tin into the gutter. As if in disapproval of being kicked into a swampy gutter, the tin hit the edge of the gutter and catapulted itself towards the tent of a man.
*CLANG!*
*CLANG!!*
*WHOOSH!*
"Ahh!" The man roared in pain as the tin grazed his forehead.
Ashton held his belly and laughed like the magic carpet in 'Aladdin' did. He had failed at his quest to send the empty tin into the swamp but the result brought him joy at least.
Ashton had always referred the man to as a mad man. He lives in a slum, alone. Ashton had always been the one looking out for trouble just because he hated the guts of this lone man. He just wanted the man gone from that tent he calls a house.
He reeks of either cigarettes or an expensive gin. No one dared to ask where he got those expensive items from. Only the elites had access to expensive treats so maybe he stole from the elite was the sole answer the people in that neighborhood had considered as right. One thing that had irked Ashton about the man so bad was how he stinks and talks with a cigarette butt in his dirty mouth.
"Ashton!" The man called out loud that the birds in the nearby trees ran off into the sky. "Why are you not in the MTA yet?"
Ashton ceased laughing, sliding his hands into his pockets to keep them warm and safe. He replied.
"I cannot leave you behind, old hag. Who will taunt you everyday when I'm gone?"
"You little rascal!" The man screamed now standing up from his initial position. "I swear on my dead mother....I will rip that damn mouth of yours one day!"
"Catch me if you can. Old fool!" Ashton spat. He held his middle fingers out at the man.
The man hastily picked a stone that was nearest to him and threw it in Ashton's direction. Ashton's quick reflexes surged into action and he ducked the attack. The man roared in anger because he had missed his prey.
"So long....dick head!" Ashton teased, his voice laced with mischief announcing his departure. He then skidded off from the man's presence without waiting for a reply.
As Ashton walked back home, a police van was patrolling the street with some notorious street bullies packed in the van. Ashton sighed at the sight of the police vehicle. His long time wish was to get captured by the police as a criminal. But, no matter what he does, he was always released after some hours of detainment.
The vehicle pulled over by his side and the policeman who was driving the car hit the door of the vehicle with a baton, signaling to Ashton to come closer to him.
"What do you want?" Ashton asked with a rude tone wanting to get the police man annoyed.
"Rascal" the man mouthed not irked by Ashton's rude tone at all.
"Will you arrest me now please?" Ashton asked again, wanting a definite answer this time.
The man's eyes darted over Ashton. He surveyed what he was wearing...new clothes. It was obvious to him that Ashton was reported to the police by the clothing store owner for he might have stolen the clothes he was wearing from them.
Truly, Ashton had walked into the clothing store that morning pretending to be a cleaner. He didn't hide his true intent for long when he saw a perfect fit for him on the wooden hanger. He had groped the clothes off the hanger and darted out of the store after making sure the store owner 'Madame Florence' had seen him run off with her fit which was on premium sale.
And with that, she reported Ashton to the local police in the neighborhood.
"Go home Ashton. Whatever you're plotting in that little head of yours will never happen." The policeman said hoping Ashton would give up on his obsession with getting arrested. "You are just one little weak twerp with damned plans''
The police man brought out some filthy coins from a safe in the vehicle and tossed them at Ashton.
"Go! Buy yourself some dinner with that money." The man said and drove off.
Ashton fumed at the police man's action but he was powerless at the moment. His small physique had definitely sold him out as weak. He looked down to the ground counting the coins with his eyes. He then bent over to pick the coins. As he picked them, he could hear the policeman cackle as he drove away. He had watched Ashton pick the coins through his rear view mirror.
Ashton cursed under his breath and returned to his home. A wretched slum house that had cracks in its walls, broken windows, leaky roofs that soaks the damned couch whenever it rained and crumbling foundations. The house is infested with rats and cockroaches. Dirty pans were spread on the table and a broken water jar laid lifeless beside the unwashed dishes.
Ashton sighed at his own house predicament and muttered some words to himself.
"I am a pot calling the kettle black. Fuck me!"