Chapter 78: Damn you Rassus!

"Anita! no!"

Anita wasn't always like that. There was a time where her father sent Anita to Zorotova Gulag, far-east of Ekan, where she woke up in a bridal dress, her guardian the giant, and a pair of wooden knuckles, along with her coffin. There, the prisoners thought she was a gift sent for the lions. Little did they know, that Anita was the lioness herself. For a couple of hours, Anita's Core burst red. The first floor, crowded with criminals from different places, mixed with different races - died. Almost a thousand prisoners were headless, limbless, and reduced to less than nothing. It was also worth noting that Anita's snowy bridal gown remained untouched and bloodless.

Thus, Anita wasn't always like that. Stopping her attack with hesitation. Stopping her lust to kill. Pulsating crimson light echoed in her chest. Her wooden limbs buzzed with excitement. She was excited and delighted, and all the ed, that she was able to stop her attack—for the first time after her creation—from the cry of her buddy cell. Her big brother Ned. She hung her limb on her side. The other one lifted and crossed on her chest, and bowed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry if I wanted to kill you without warning." She bowed once more, turned around, and waved a smile at Ned before sitting back at her coffin.

The lady lies helpless. Legs spread and trembling covered with some linen. Sweat drenches her body. Steam evaporated off her mouth as she gawked in fear between the wooden door. She flinched hearing the footsteps coming her way. She must be embarrassed if her people saw her on the floor, helpless.

She stood and throw a gaze at Ned. Wasn't a warning nor threat. More like a 'thank you for saving my life' gaze. She hurried and closed the door. Rustles of chain resounding through the door. Making sure that none on the inside would dare to open the double or maybe tripled chain door.

After the lady with the cutlass left, clamoring could be heard outside. Ned sat confused why he was being held captive and no one would talk to him as to why. The last thing he saw was when the Gryphon forced herself to fly at a great distance and dropped dead in an empty island. Days passed after he buried the flying beast came the pirates. Ned asked them if he could embark with them - they nod. But wrap a cloth around his eyes, and forced him to enter their ship. Due to the lack of energy and Mana, Ned wasn't able to use Detect.

And now that he had enough. He smiled. Closed his eyes and muttered. "Detect."

With a blink, skill detect parted Ned's body. In his sea of thoughts, he could see two light rippled with energy. A simple move from Anita made ripples that traveled his sea of thought. Imbued with different colors was Anita's life force. Behind her, the Giant, his life force was a pulsating light of purple, sometimes yellow, and brown. It was a mountain of energy.

But Ned couldn't sense anything at Echo's location. In his thoughts, Echo's life force was vivid. Near invisible. Empty. He's strong or he hid it. Either way. That mummy's dangerous. Ned thought.

Ned knitted a brow upon learning that his skill detect wouldn't breach the outside. It seems that the room they were in was protected with something that unable him or the others to detect what was going on outside. His skill kept on rebounding the walls, the doors, but it won't pass through. He gave up. Ned opened his eyes and smiled. "This is getting interesting," he muttered.

"What'd you do, Ned?" asked Echo. cross-legged and meditating. "I know you use some spell. What was it? barrier? analyze? what was it?"

"Just a skill," Ned said. "It's pointless, I couldn't detect what was going on outside."

"Big brother Ned," Anita said. Lifting the cover of her coffin. "I'll be resting now, thank you for the food. And for the name. Don't need to look for me, Hocoff will watch as I sleep." She waved a hand and smile. The light on her chest faded until nothing could be seen. She slept.

Hocoff must be the giant. Ned thought.

"That bitch!" Echo cried. "That was the first time she revealed her self, ever since I got here. - Soon! I'll kill her! shut up! - my bad. The voice in my head wouldn't shut if he felt excited."

Annoying. Ned sneered.

"Hey! I saw that!" Echo cried. "I couldn't help myself, okay. Just like the bitch. I can't hold my lust. Well, he can't hold his lust - yeah it's you not me! -". Looking at his left as if he was talking with someone.

"What happened to Anita?"

"I don't know, she was, and he was "- pointing at the giant -" here the moment I got captured."

"Why captured?" Ned asked. "I can sense, you're beyond our captor's strength."

Echo sighed remembering the days when he was free. "I'm on my way going O'rriadt wh -

Ned turned his head hearing Echo mentioning his home. It wasn't the O'rriadt people knew anymore. Ned sighed his thoughts.

after I emptied one of the pirate ships, I threw their body out the ocean. That was stupid of me - No! you also agreed to throw the bodies! - " Echo fought his thoughts. And added. "I must be excited to leave Ekan. So, the ladies followed the bodies I threw, I made a trail... how amateur of me. And here I am. Killed eight of them before their captain figured out my spell."

"Echo... does the lust stopped when you kill?"

"My... too young to be asking like that? why? have you killed someone? No, Ned, I'm telling you this. If you can avoid killing. Avoid. The moment you kill. The excitement, the revenge, the lust!—yeah, the lust!—it will creep through your veins. It's no stopping by then. And it will be too late before you knew it. Too late before you realized, the one you killed was your dear one." Echo lowers a shoulder. And it seemed that the voice on his head agreed. "I know. We did it. It was me. Mama."

We're different after all. He kills to continue. Me, I killed to stop. Ned sighed. "Then stop killing now," Ned said.

"Too late for that - wait! did you just! agree with him? speak Ri'iarii! speak! -" Echo looked Ned with amazement, unable to comprehend the voice inside his thoughts. "You're an interesting fellow Ned. He actually agreed with you! My, what could have Ri'iarii saw about you. You stay there, Ned!" He closed his eyes and lower a shoulder.

Not like I'm going somewhere. Ned thought. he could hear different voices clamoring outside. Sometimes above their cages. Behind the door. Sometimes chains rustled but were stopped shortly after. The outside was changing. But not for Ned, their cages remained dark. Aside from Anita's cage burst open. Everything looked the same. Ned sighed. A thousand huh, curse you Rassus! ICE, anything unusual happening with the core?

[Negative, the core remained the same.]

Will it disappear soon?

[I don't think so, Ned.]

Ned let out a depressing breath. Status then.

[Here is the list of your current statuses.]

[Mana: 600/ 3,000]

[Energy: 100%.]

[Overclock Last ten seconds. Currently, your body can handle 25% of Overclocking. Which enhances 10 ~ 15% of your body. At level 1, your speed is on par with a bullet train. It consumes Mana and energy at a rapid rate. Use it with extreme caution. Last resort is to force your body to discharge adrenaline if no Mana or Energy is present.]

[Predictive Combat Emulator: At level 1 you can spot a target at 10 kilometers with ease. Due to real-time emulations, weakness spots are displayed much faster than usual. The system uses advanced emulation so it consumes 1% of your energy per 5 seconds. ]

[Inspect and Detect: Inspects item grade at a minimum of Grade E. Current Level: 1. Increase level by using often to master its proficiency.]

[Detect Life force within a radius of ten meters. Current level: 1. Increase level by using often to master its proficiency.]

[Egneus, your most destructive spell. At level 1 it is on par with ten tier-one fireballs. Its speed is faster than a tier-one lightning lance. The destructive power depends on the element you invoke. Egneus can be used with just pure Mana—no weaknesses or advantages—imbue it with fire element, its destruction is doubled. Imbue it with wind its speed is double. Use water then its versatility is limitless. The recoil you can handle depends on your body level. Use it with extreme caution.]

[Fireball: Level 1. Just like the other skills. The radius and power level depends on its level. Increase level by using often to master its proficiency.]

[Defender: Level 1. Able to withstand physical and magical attacks from tier 1 below.]

And here it is. Ned thought. ICE, have you translated it to the Earth's language?

[As per your request, Rassus' skill was translated to Earths's universal language.]

[Prime Evolution.]

[Current level 0.]

[Devour 1, 000 core to evolve to the next level.]

[Evolve to the next level to unlock the effect.]

[Effect: ???]

[Skill Decipher is now Devour. Chance to gain permanent skill is higher.]

[Unable to devour core in a succession of 'Three months'. 'Sinister' will start to sink in.]

[Sinister: a skill innate to Devourers that force them to be constantly hungry. Keep devouring to maintain Sinister level at low.]

[Neglect to devour. Sinister will Devour the host instead. Once devoured, the host will forget reason, and will keep on devouring until dead.]

Shit! Ned cussed. Damn you, Devourers. Damn you Rassus.

Now with a core, Ned focused and leaped into his consciousness which he was unable to do before. Inside the vast darkness lurk a transparent orb. With his thought, Ned analyzed the orb. So, this is my Core, huh. Ned thought. Transparent, the lowest among the lowest. It's half-empty since I only have 600 Mana points. Ned lost on his thoughts when he heard a clamoring through the wooden door.

As the door creaked. A number of figures approached the cages.

"Captain! wait!" cried the first lady.

"Ye don't need to go in there!" cried the second lady.

"Shut up! or Me gonna let you swab the deck for ten waves!" cried the lady. The tallest of them. Ragged hair and an intimidating wardrobe. "Ye lad!" She cried. Lifting a bottle of rum as she pointed at Ned. "Tell no lies! Else Me gonna flog you! Did you save Sisi's teacup?!"