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**//Stats//**
**Name:** Axel Teras
**Exp:** 8/100
**Level:** 19
**Job Class:** None
**<Attributes>**
*Strength: 32*
*Agility: 31*
*Senses: 10*
*Mana: 21*
*Health: 20/20*
*Stat Points: 6*
Leveling up added one to all stats now. Axel couldn't wrap his mind around that fact. It seemed almost... unfair. He wanted more. He needed more.
What interested him the most, though, was the tantalizing promise of reaching level twenty.
*'What perks would I get? A new skill? Would I finally ascend to the rank of A or even higher?'*
The system had opened Axel's mind to possibilities he'd never dared to consider before. It was more than just a gift—it was his lifeline, the pulse of his very existence.
*'I can't imagine life without the system anymore,'* Axel mused, his thoughts wandering as he glanced at the newly improved *Touch of Dominance*. The notification had changed color, deepening to a crimson red that seemed to pulse with ominous energy.
**[Touch of Dominance]**
*Can now break stronger armor.*
*Less charging up time.*
"An Abnormal," Loki growled, raising his guard as the others followed suit.
Abnormals were those who had awakened abilities, but at a terrible cost. The more they used their powers, the more deformed they became. It was a fate feared by many, a grotesque transformation that deterred all but the most desperate from becoming hunters.
Captain Rowin's eyes narrowed as he scanned the man's face, trying to recall where he had seen it before. He recognized the features but not the monstrous form that now stood before them. *'He wasn't like this before... how did he hide it?'*
"How did you conceal that you were an Abnormal?" Rowin demanded, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. "You must be working for the military."
The Abnormal chuckled darkly, his grin widening as he stepped closer. "The others in this party were too easy to kill. I hope you'll be more of a challenge."
Loki glanced at Axel, noticing the terror etched on his face. "Hah! Don't tell me you're scared, Nameless! Is this guy your childhood bully or something? Are you going to let things turn out the same way as back then?"
Axel's eyes widened at Loki's words. *'How did he know?'*
"Small Bro is right," Hera added, her voice steady as she summoned a blue sword from thin air. "We can take him down together."
Her words brought some semblance of confidence back to Rowin. *'Just like we did with the General—'*
His thoughts were abruptly cut off as the Abnormal let out a maniacal laugh. "I never said I came alone!"
Two more figures materialized from the shadows, one cloaked in darkness with a face twisted in unnatural ways, and the other a hulking brute with a beetle-like shell covering his upper body. They, too, were Abnormals.
Loki's expression remained cool, though the odds were clearly against them now. "So it's a full-fledged attack... our chances just got slimmer."
Axel, however, couldn't tear his gaze away from the first Abnormal. His entire body trembled, memories of past horrors flooding his mind.
"And that's not all, fools..." the Abnormal's grin grew even more twisted, if that was possible. "Since the moment we met, I've been feeding you a poison that affects anyone who isn't an Abnormal."
A collective gasp escaped from the group as the Abnormal continued, savoring their horror. "Right now, your organs have begun to collapse. You'll all be dead soon enough."
Axel's heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing as the reality of the situation set in. There was no time to think—only to act. But what could he do when every option seemed to lead to death?
*'I have to find a way out of this...'* Axel thought desperately, his grip tightening on his weapon as he prepared for the inevitable confrontation.
***Author's note***
Sorry for this. Writing exams is really pushing me to the limits of my mental capacity. I can barely think easily, balancing my author's life with my normal life is very hard.
Still I'll continue to beg for a magic castle because I'm on WPC. I won't give up on begging for it, just 13 days left and I am still far behind, I need your assistant.
Mass release will follow the weeks end because I'll be done with normal life stuff by then.