Chapter 29: Resolve
Chapter 29: Resolve
In that sliver of time his eyes locked with the crowned demon, everything froze. Only one word carved itself into his skull.
Death.
No plan. No cunning. Just primal terror. Every instinct roared at him to freeze.
Across the broken field, the fortress gates shut with a dull boom. The skull-faced demon turned, its bloodshot pupils shifting in different directions before settling on a single patch of its own ragged skin. Strips hung loose, rotting at the edges.
It cupped a handful of black oil from the cauldron it sat in and smeared it over the ruined flesh.
"No time. Humans have much nicer skin anyway. Once I pass through, I'll never again defile myself with this poxling scrap."
The demon's eyes rolled and then snapped to the soulstone carriers.
"Be careful! Place them without disturbing the site! Filthy vermin..."
Below, the mass of fused, screaming humans shuddered and lurched, bearing the demon toward the central keep. Oil splashed, running in streams. The thing leaned back, smearing itself, laughing.
"My return... yes... I'll get them all back... soon!"
Outside the fortress walls, the demons twisted laughter clawed at the imp's skull, sharp and endless. He felt his sanity crack at the edges, just enough to finally move. A gasp rattled his chest as he turned and fled.
'Horrible...Horrible!'
Every step was a scramble. He didn't care how much noise he made.
'How am I supposed to sneak past that?! It's impossible!'
He didn't even notice the undead swipe towards him as he tore past. Didn't notice the cluster of imps shuffling to follow. He just ran.
"System! There's no way I can do this! We need a new—!"
A panel slammed into his view. He almost swiped it away in frustration, until one word stopped him cold.
Quest.
[System // Notification]
[New Quest Available // Escape to Earth!]
[Conditions // Pass through the Gate at the Warlords Fortress and safely arrive on Earth]
[Rewards // Level Up / Rank Up Token (Passive)]
[Accept // Yes/No]
"Serious?!"
He skidded to a halt, breath ragged, eyes narrowing at the glowing words. His tail lashed once, twice. He flexed his claws, thinking it through.
"....Fine!"
He slammed his finger down on Yes.
[User's courage: Unexpected.]
"Courage?"
He let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. Even he wasn't stupid enough to believe that. He understood himself well enough now to know, it was his greed that decided it.
He'd weighed it all before accepting. He had a small window to prepare before the gate opened. Enough time to hit level nine, pushing his soul integrity to 49.3%. Level nine was good. But ten? That was everything. It wasn't just another level, it was the wall he desperately needed to break.
If he could level once here, then make it through the gate and complete the quest, he'd hit ten the moment he arrived. Fifty percent integrity. Class unlocked. Evolution ready.
He exhaled hard, claws digging into the ground.
'But how am I gonna do this? Just looking at that thing was hard enough. The gap between us is just too big.'
A Rank. At least fifty points higher in every stat. Five whole ranks. It wasn't just distance. It was a chasm. But he had to do it. Charon's voice was still in his head, cold as the Maw itself. If he missed this chance, there wouldn't be another. And he knew what that meant.
A sound behind him snapped his focus back. The undead were finally catching up. He didn't smile, but his jaw tightened.
"Good timing..."
He rolled his shoulders, stretching his neck until it cracked. Butcher's Wrath split from his forearms with a wet tearing sound. Pain bloomed, warm and familiar. A reminder of what he was.
He flexed his fingers around the hilts.
"Eighteen points."
That was all he needed.
He glanced over them...bent, flayed, twitching. More than enough. Multiple groups had merged, closing in, shambling and hungry. Mindless and broken.
Fodder.
Stomach growling, he charged.
----
At the same time the imp charged through the boneyards of Hell, somewhere else, across folds of space and the layers between worlds, a different form of life was also running.
An eighteen years old, human female. Rain poured down in sheets, flattening her shoulder length black hair against a drawn, tired face. Her name was Ellie Slavavich. Round-faced, with a look no one would call pretty. Clothes hung wrong on her, long shorts, oversized shirt, and a too-big, poofy pink coat. She drew the eye for all the wrong reasons.
"Of course I'm late!"
She wiped the rain from her face with a bandaged hand, breath ragged as she ran.
[I still don't like this. I highly recommend you rethink it.]
She rounded a corner, feet skidding, and shook her head hard.
"We've been over this and I'm not backing out! I'm tired, Noona. I want us to get stronger."
She vaulted a fallen dumpster, boots splashing through water, kicked off the crumbling wall of a building and kept going.
[Demons are known for deceit. The odds—]
"System mute."
[System // Voice Assistance Suspended]
She pushed harder, chest heaving.
'Sorry, Noona. But you'll see I'm right. Everything's gonna change.'
Dark skies pressed low over the ruined city. Street lights flickered half-dead. Broken shop fronts and sleazy bars cast sickly neon glows. Few people wandered, heads down, eyes locked and fingers skimming on things only they could see.
Ellie skidded to a stop in front of a one-story building, old stone walls crumbling at the edges. A broken neon sign buzzed and flickered in purple and green: The Witches Cauldron.
"They're gonna be mad..."
She drew a deep breath. Looked down at her bandaged hand. And pushed the door open.
Stepping inside, the smells hit her at once. Incense, bitter herbs, and sulfur. The place was dark, windows draped, lamps low and somber. Ellie paused, scanning the room. A few loners hunched over drinks, shadows hiding their faces. Booths occupied by quiet conversations. Then she found them.
She clenched her jaw, let out a slow breath, and forced herself forward.
In the booth sat three girls. Same age as her. All with long blonde hair, all with those impossible turquoise eyes. Triplets. The Woon sisters.
"Sorry—I'm so sorry. I ran all the way he—"
"It's fine. Just sit down."
The one in the middle spoke flatly, eyes flicking around the room like she didn't trust it. Ellie swallowed and slid onto the opposite bench. She shrank a little under the gaze, pulling off her soaking coat and trying to smooth her hair.
"Sorry."
Sitting close to the Woon sisters always did this to her. They were flawless. Every inch of them screamed it. Full lips, perfect breast, expensive everything. Compared to them she felt squat and plain. And she was.
"Did you settle everything?"
That was Ji-yoon, the one closest to the wall. Ellie snapped her attention to her, nodding quickly.
"Yeah—yes. Since it's just me, it wasn't hard. I just had to cancel my lease—"
"We don't need the details."
Yu-na cut in sharply from the end of the booth. She pressed then swiped her finger in the air dismissively, then turned to Ellie with an exaggerated, too-wide grin.
"We're just really happy you're here. We were starting to think you changed your mind."
"Of course not. I promised I'd do this. And I'm not afraid, it's..."
Her voice cracked.
Hye-jin, the one in the center, finally softened. She leaned forward, brows drawing in with exaggerated concern.
"What is it?"
Ellie hesitated. Her eyes fell to the tabletop as she let out a quiet breath.
"Are you sure you want me to be the one? It just seems like... one of you should do it. Not me. You're the Woon sisters, and I'm just—"
Hye-jin didn't let her finish. She reached out and gently took Ellie's bandaged hand in both of hers.
"It has to be you. And please don't talk like that. Just because your shard is D Rank doesn't make you worthless. Right, sisters?"
Ji-yoon immediately leaned forward, placing her hand over Hye-jin's.
"Of course. Besides, once you do this, our shards won't mean much compared to yours."
"That's why one of you should do it."
Ellie's voice cracked again. This time it almost pleaded. Even knowing what she was giving up, she couldn't help it. These girls were famous. The Woon sisters. A-ranked shards. Witches.
Their Witch systems were famous in the city, at least among the youth. Even this dingy cafe was a kind of landmark, people came hoping to catch a glimpse of the three beauties. Even though their actual strengths still only lied in C-rank, combined, these girls had little problems caring for themselves. Even here.
Yu-na set her hand down last. Her voice was soft, almost gentle.
"We've already decided. If one of us recieved the blessing, the others would eventually become jealous. We have to be honest. We're sisters. We love each other. But we're competitive. Fiercely. It's lucky enough we all managed to get A-Rank shards. So it has to be you. Just...Don't forget about us when you become the first queen."
Queen.
The word landed heavy in Ellie's chest. Heat rose to her cheeks. Seeing their faces, so sincere, so certain, she finally let go of the last bit of hesitation.
"I'll never forget. Not in a million lifetimes. First thing I'll do is get you all stronger shards, or—who knows? Maybe there's another way to get you all blessings too. I'm sure the dark lord can do it if we make another—"
The sisters lurched forward as one.
"Ssshh!"
Their voices dropped low. Ji-yoon snapped her fingers, a willow branch appearing in her grasp. It caught fire instantly, crackling into nothing, leaving a shimmering barrier in its wake around their booth.
"Ellie, please, don't talk about this in public. We've told you."
"Sorry."
Ellie's face went bright red. She shifted in her seat, pulling her bandaged hand into her lap. But even the awkward silence that followed couldn't kill her excitement. Her heart raced so hard it made her dizzy.
In a world of system users, she was about to step into the highest tier of power. S+ Rank Shard. She'd stand among the Five Kings.
She just had to wait out the rest of the night here. With them. Until midnight. Then the ritual would begin, and she'd receive the demon's blessing.
In exchange for a piece of each of their souls, her shard would evolve.
Then, everything would change.