Chapter 37

The academy was bathed in the cold glow of moonlight. The night was silent, save for the distant chirping of crickets and the occasional rustle of wind through the trees. The peaceful air stretched from the quiet dormitories to the military base, where soldiers patrolled with alert eyes.But beneath the tallest building of Military Base 4, deep underground, the stillness was broken by the sounds of thunderous impacts.

In an expansive underground dojo, the cause of the noise stood at its center—a man holding a traditional Chinese hand fan. General Zhao, his muscled form steady and calm, unleashed arcs of lightning from his fan, each bolt striking a large block of vibranium positioned in front of him. The bolts crashed against the unyielding metal, but even vibranium wasn't impervious.

Cracks formed, and dents marred its once-smooth surface.

He paused, admiring his handiwork then he exhale and said. "That was fast."

A calm, cold voice echoed from the shadows behind him. "He's weak."

General Zhao chuckled, flipping his fan shut with a quick snap. "Only you would call an Anbu weak."

The man stepped out of the shadows, clad in black ninja clothing, his green hair barely visible in the low light. It was the same ninja who had protected William.

Zhao turned to face him. "So, what will you do next?"

The ninja's expression remained unreadable. "I'll return to report at the mountain. The boy will be safe… for now."

Zhao's brows furrowed slightly. "You could have taken him out of the room. You knew the Anbu's body would explode. What if the boy had died?"

The ninja's voice was cold, without hesitation. "If he dies from that, then he doesn't deserve the system."

Zhao nodded in understanding, though his expression remained serious.

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Meanwhile, in William's battered dorm room, the energy in the Anbu's soul crystal swirled faster, gaining in intensity with each passing second. The same dark energy that had filled the tunnel before the explosion was now building again, and William knew what was coming.

An explosion.

His mind raced, heart pounding in his chest. I need to get out, fast! He scrambled to his feet, adrenaline surging through him. His eyes darted to the window, the only escape. Without a second thought, he grabbed a chair, every muscle in his body straining as he used all of his strength—his meager 6 points of strength—and hurled it at the window.

The glass shattered with a loud crash, fragments scattering into the night.

Without hesitating, William leapt after the chair, throwing himself through the broken window into the cold night air. The wind slapped against his face, the frigid sting making his eyes water as he plummeted toward the ground. His heart raced, and for a split second, he wondered if this was how it would all end.

Looks like I'm really going to die today, he thought, curling into a ball as he braced for impact.

Behind him, the explosion tore through the dorm room with a deafening roar, a shockwave of dark energy following in its wake. The blast rattled the air around William as he tumbled helplessly through it.

At least I can be a handsome ghost if my face is intact, he mused bitterly, just before everything went black.

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At the academy's highest floor, in the principal's office, the sound of the explosion echoed through the quiet night. The principal, seated behind his desk, flinched as the noise reached his ears. His face twitched in irritation, his knuckles tapping against the wooden surface.

"I can't believe an Anbu failed," he muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.

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The smell of antiseptic filled William's nose as his eyes fluttered open. The bright, sterile white ceiling of the school clinic greeted him, and the distant sound of soft footsteps and medical machines created a low hum in the background. His body felt heavy, sore from head to toe.

He groaned as he sat up, his limbs protesting the movement. Beside him, Miss Mona stood, her worried face softening slightly when she saw him awake. Two soldiers, standing guard near the door, watched quietly.

"Are you okay?" Miss Mona asked, her voice gentle.

William nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think so."

Before he could ask anything more, a doctor entered the room, checking his vitals and running a quick scan. After a few minutes, the doctor spoke, "You'll be fine, but you'll need to rest for at least a day."

William barely had time to digest the news before one of the soldiers stepped forward. "You are to report to the principal's office as soon as you are discharged."

Miss Mona gave him a reassuring smile. "Get some rest first, William. You'll need it." She turned to leave, her heels clicking softly against the clinic floor as the soldiers followed behind her.

Alone in the quiet room, William let out a long sigh, staring at the ceiling as his thoughts spiraled. Somehow, I managed to survive that…

He called up the system interface in his mind. The familiar display appeared, and immediately his attention was drawn to a red dot flashing in the corner. It was on the quest tab. His pulse quickened as he clicked on it, revealing the details of the quest he hadn't even known existed.

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Quest Complete: Survive the Anbu Attack

Reward 1: +2 Level Up

Wow, William thought, his eyes wide. That's big… for doing nothing except almost peeing my pants.

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Reward 2: Ability: Immunox

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Ability Description:

Grants complete immunity to all types of poisons, toxins, and venoms.

Effects:

1. Neutralizes poison damage.

2. Eliminates existing poisons in the system.

3. Enhances detoxification processes.

4. Blocks poison-based status effects (paralysis, blindness, etc.).

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William's eyes widened, and he almost rolled out of bed in shock. "Poison immunity?" he whispered to himself, barely able to contain his excitement. Poison is a powerful ability, especially since it's so subtle, and now I'm completely immune to it? He grinned like a kid at Christmas, his heart racing. And the best part? It was a passive skill. Find more to read at empire

No soul essence required.

"Now you're really living up to being created by the Shadow Lord," he whispered with a smirk, leaning back into the pillows with newfound confidence.