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**//Stats//**
**Na:** Axel Teras
**Exp:** 8/100
**Level:** 19
**Job Class:** None
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*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 seed 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 seed to pulse with ominous energy.
**[Touch of Dominance]**
*Can now break stronger armor.*
*Less charging up ti.*
A grin tugged at the corners of Axel's mouth as he considered the enhancents to his blade. *'If it had been a one-on-one fight, I might have been torn apart... but thankfully, I had good distractions.'*
His gaze shifted to Rowin and Hera, both of whom were staring at him with expressions that bordered on bizarre.
*'Did I stir up the wrong atmosphere?'* Axel wondered, his unease growing.
Social interactions were never Axel's strong suit. In his overworked past life and this rejected existence he now led, he had learned to keep people at arm's length. He was more accustod to solitude than companionship, and understanding the nuances of other people's reactions often eluded him.
*'What did I do wrong this ti?'* he wondered, a slight frown creasing his brow.
Loki cleared his throat first, breaking the awkward silence. "You didn't do anything wrong, Axel. We're just... testing a theory."
"A theory?" Axel echoed, his guard rising despite the casual tone.
Hera smiled, but there was sothing in her expression that made Axel's gut clench. "We're trying to understand what you really are, Axel. In the papers, it said your ability was connected to nightmares or sothing like that."
*'So that's what this is about. They're trying to figure out what I can do.'* Axel's thoughts spiraled as he placed a hand on his chin, pretending to mull it over. *'Co to think of it, I used more than one ability during the fight with the General. Heightened senses, a sword that could ignite with searing flas... How do I get out of this?'*
As if summoned by his turmoil, Velerium materialized beside Axel, his skeletal face twisted into its usual eerie grin. "Why don't you just kill them all? Then you won't have to explain anything."
Axel rolled his eyes. *'What kind of advice is that? You sound like you belong in an era where n wore skirts.'*
"Hey, Axel!" Captain Rowin's voice snapped Axel back to the present as he tapped him on the shoulder.
"I... I'm sorry," Axel stamred, his voice coming out more timid than intended. "I can't tell you my ability."
The response left Rowin and Hera staring at him with a mixture of disappointnt and resignation. Loki, however, seed unfazed, as if he had expected this all along.
"I owe you a favor," Loki continued, trying to salvage the situation. "When we get out of this place, I'll make sure to—"
The words died in his throat as the entire group froze, their senses suddenly on high alert. Sothing had caught their attention—a presence in the darkness ahead of them, just beyond the reach of the dim light.
A dark figure lood, its thick red eyes glowing malevolently through the shadows, its fanged grin wide and mocking.
"Axel! You've grown to be a pest since we last saw each other," the figure sneered, its voice slithering into Axel's ears like poison.
Axel's blood ran cold. That voice... It struck a chord deep within him, sending shivers down his spine. His body shook involuntarily, a reaction he couldn't control.
"Master, why do you tremble?" Velerium asked, his expression puzzled. Only Axel understood the terror that gripped him.
The figure stepped into the light, revealing its grotesque form—a tall, skeletal man with long, unkempt beards, hunched over with a reptilian tongue flicking through the air as if tasting it. He wore no shirt, only a pair of tattered trousers, and clutched a long scythe in his bony hands. He looked less human and more like a beast.
"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 deford they beca. 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 you're scared, Naless! Is this guy your childhood bully or sothing? Are you going to let things turn out the sa 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 so 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 ca 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 slimr."
Axel, however, couldn't tear his gaze away from the first Abnormal. His entire body trembled, mories 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 mont we t, 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 ti to think—only to act. But what could he do when every option seed 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 to the limits of my ntal 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.
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