Flying awake in the same spot as before, my limbs feel numb, the familiar sensation of my body knitting itself back together.
_________
[System]
Rank: —
Ability: The Originate
Attributes: —
System Status: Seraphic
Aspect: Unpredictability and Anomaly
—Skills—
Creation [Angel]
Elemental [Angel]
_________
With a deep breath, I push myself upright, battling against the numbness threatening to drag me back down. My body is sluggish, but I force it into motion, stretching off the lingering stiffness. "Another chance," I mutter, clenching my fists as memories flood back—my parents' joyful faces, the cold steel of the blade held over me. For now, all I can do is make a vow.
I vow to destroy them all, to ensure that the last thing they see in their lives is my face, twisted in vengeance.
The Dagger of Gluttony forms in my palms, its weight both familiar and foreign. Without hesitation, I head straight for the source of the screams. This time, there's no holding back; I need answers, and the only way to get them is through that girl.
Peering from the corner, I witness the battle unfold. A man charges at a goblin, the creature eerily still, its two-handed sword poised. In a flash, it leaps, landing on the man's blade and slicing at his neck with such precision that the scene blurs before my eyes.
The same golden-eyed girl stands at the back, more timid and scared than before, as the rest of them struggle to fend off the goblin. There are only four of them now, but the scattered bodies on the floor make it seem like there were many more.
The goblin is a nightmare made flesh, a creature born from the twisted intersection of fantasy and horror. Its presence warps the air around it, an unsettling blend of darkness and unnatural power. From one of my past adventures with my chosen one, I remember encountering such beings—anomalies, mixtures of various creatures, warped by some unknown origin. This one is no different, a grotesque blend of terror and strength.
Before, I only survived because I could predict its movements, an ability triggered by the anomaly's strange behavior. My body moved on its own, driven by an instinct born of that weird occurrence, allowing me to anticipate its next move.
"I didn't come here to die!" the girl in the revealing mage outfit grunts, her voice filled with frustration and fear. "We came here to get rid of the kid on Head's command, not to die like this!" She huffs, sending torrents of fire rippling toward the monster, desperation seeping into every motion.
"Head?" I whisper to myself, my mind racing. So there's more to this than I thought.
But there's no time to dwell on it. My focus sharpens, the Dagger of Gluttony humming with anticipation in my hand. This isn't just a battle—it's a hunt for the truth. And I will carve it out of them, one way or another.
Stepping into the fray, I ready myself. This time, I won't just survive. I will dominate.