Slaughter

My body trembled with rage, and my newfound strength carried me forward at an absurd pace. Gone were the days of limping and hobbling around, pain accompanying my every movement. The days of being weak, dying a slow death, and being tossed around were over. I could feel the power within me, strengthing every part of me, and it screamed for blood.

These fuckers took someone precious to me, and they were all going to pay. I wasn't too sure exactly how much stronger I was than those who stole her from me, but my rage had reached a boiling point, culminating over many long years until this moment, and now, I didn't fucking care. I'd get my Cici back, or die trying.

My footsteps thundered through the village, my feet creating large indents in the ground underneath as the distance between myself and the voices was crossed in a matter of moments. I wasn't subtle, I wasn't quiet, and everyone heard me. As one, about 8 men turned their heads my way.

"Oh damn, that's a big boy. He ain't one of ours... looks kinda strange, don't he?" A man asked.

"Definitely not. Where the hell did you come from, kid? And why do you look familiar?" The leader asked, and I glared at him.

"Where is Cici?" I asked, my voice cold, and full of the promise of death.

"Who?" He asked, both confused and a little amused as he kept trying to place me.

I bared my teeth.

"WHERE IS THE GIRL YOU KIDNAPPED?!WHERE IS EVERYONE YOU TOOK FROM HERE?!" I roared, my voice shaking air between us, and many of the men flinched.

The leader must have made the connection finally, because his eyes widened, and he angrily looked at the man who I assume had 'killed' me. And yeah, I was right on that.

"I thought you said he was dead??" The leader asked, and now the other dude's eyes widened, seeing the hole caused by his very own sword in my shirt.

"H-he was! I went back and checked before we left." The man said, his eyes a little panicked, like he was looking at a ghost.

"Well, kill him again! Or do I gotta do your job for you?" The leader barked out.

"Tell me where the fuck she is, or it'll be a lot worse for you." I growled, and the leader actually had the audacity to grin at me.

"Kid, I don't know what skill you got to get so big, or how you're alive, but there's way too many of us. Your girl's gone, and soon, you will be too." He said in a smug tone, and the other 7 men pulled out various weapons like swords, daggers, and axes as they all began advancing on me.

"I don't have time for this!" I yelled, and blasted forward so fast I cratered the ground.

I arrived in my killer's face so fast he didn't even comprehend the movement before I ended him. I threw a single punch into his face, and his head just erupted in a fountain of blood, bone, and brain matter.

"WHAT THE-" Another man yelled, but he was soon engulfted in a column of Abyssal fire that I shot up from underneath his feet.

Another man, this one proving not very intelligent, charged at me with a dagger in hand, aiming for my neck. I dodged to the side, his movements slow and clumsy, while at the same time I brought my hand up, and a black sword made from abyssal energy formed in my hand. I brought it down, severing both of his wrists as easily as if I were cutting through butter. He screamed, but stopped when his head fell from his shoulders a moment later.

I took a small moment to survey the carnage I had already wrought. 3 were down, and there were 5 to go, all in less than 10 seconds, although every one of them, including the leader, looked like they were about ready to shit their pants. I actually think I smelled the signs of someone pissing themselves. I looked at the sword in my hand, the feeling of the blade, and the styles in my head feeling familiar, and natural, despite never holding one before in my life.

This had to be that ritual of sacrifice that the Framework mentioned. My stats got a massive boost, but it said that those who targeted me with the ritual also transferred their combat styles and battle knowledge to me. That had to be it, as the shit I was doing was frankly ridiculous, yet while I had so many questions it was mind bogling, they all could wait until Cici was safely back in my arms. Nothing was more important than her. And, as it turned out, I was pretty sure I was strong enough to get her back. These guys were nothing me.

I used Abyssal Eye on the leader, and I almost laughed at what I saw.

[Name: George Renton]

[Age: 34]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Tracker (C)]

[Designation: Scumbag]

Well, I guess the Framework thought so too. Although, looking at it, it did make sense now how he saw through Cici's invisibility. The leader was shaking in his boots, backing up slowly before tripping and falling on his ass.

"W-what is this?? What are you?" He asked, his question left unanswered as dozens of Abyssal Tendrils shot out of my back, and wrapped around the other 4 goons of his. I slowly began walking towards him.

"You are going to show me exactly where Cici is." I said, snapping one of the men's necks before tossing him through the empty village with so much force that the air whistled and dirt shot up from the ground with his passage before he crashed through several trees with loud crashes.

"If you don't, I can promise you that I will do much worse to you than what I'm about to do to these fuckers." I continued, raising another man high into the air, before slamming him down to the ground with so much force that his body broke and crumpled immediately, blood leaking from every orifice of his dead and flattened body.

I pulled the other two men forward, their struggles to break free a pointless gesture before my new might. I held them, suspended in the air, directly in front of the man who now had a large wet spot on the crotch of his pants. Then, without any preamble, the screams started.

Both men were now held suspended in the air by both arms and both legs, and I began to slowly pull them all in opposite directions. Soon, the screams were followed by the cracking and subsequent breaking of bone. Shortly after that, the screams picked up to a near fever pitch as the rending began, and the sound of tearing flesh filled the air around us as their skin parted, blood leaking from the tears where the limbs connected to their bodies.

The man watched, terrified, dumbfounded, and completely mortified as I tore his lackies limb from limb. The screaming eventually stopped after they both passed out from blood loss, and I felt the life leave their bodies a moment later. I was already getting used to my new stats, and I could use my Perception to not only listen to my surroundings, but feel them as well, and that included life force.

I let the bodies fall to the ground with wet thuds like the garbage they were. I stood over the man, who was shaking with complete terror. I grabbed him by the collar, and he yelped as I held his face an inch from mine, and I saw a sinister red reflection of my eyes in his. I didn't realize they had changed color, but I found myself actually liking them, and they would definitely help get my point across.

"Where is she?" I asked him, and he began to stutter, and beg for his life.

"P-p-please don't kill me. I- I-" He managed, but I cut him off.

"WHERE IS SHE??" I yelled, my voice causing his hair to blow backwards.

"THAT WAY! THERE! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!" He screamed, pointing a shaking finger to my right. I had no idea where anything in the damned world was, but I did see a carriage that I assume was theirs in that direction, and a path leading away from the village.

"If you're lying..." I warned him, and he shook his head, and I saw his eyes begin to water. He was really scared. Fucking good.

"I'M NOT! I SWEAR! I'LL EVEN SHOW YOU THE WAY!" He shouted, and pointed me in the direction again.

Wings erupted from my back, and the man screamed as, in a single flap, we soared into the air. Again, this feeling, and this motion, felt like I'd done it so many times before. I don't remember being part bird. Hell, I've never even been on an airplane before, but I'd use everything I had to get Cici back.

"Now, lead me to her." I growled, and the man stiffened, and then looked towards the direction he pointed, and we were so high up, that I actually think I saw a town or something in the far distance.

"There! We brought them there! To the slave auction house in Bergast! That girl is there too!" He said, and I glared at him with cold eyes.

"You fuckers make me sick."

And so, I took off, with a kicking and screaming asshole in my clutches. He wasn't going to live much longer, but unfortunately, I needed him to find Cici for now. Her bright green eyes appeared in my mind, and my chest ached.

"Hold on, love. I'm coming for you."