Chapter 72: The System Explanation
Quinkly, a figure ran through the dark alleys, scaling across buildings and jumping over their roofs.
His speed and body seemingly became one with the darkness.
Soon, he landed before the gateway of the Greek Descent Building, ignoring the strange gazes lingering on him due to his absolutely devastated state.
He quickly made his way to the third floor before entering his dorm room.
Immediately, Nolan stepped in, his hand gripped the wall to stop his fall. He used the last vestige of energy within him to move to the bathroom, sliding into the tub.
An automated voice rang out once Nolan entered the tub, and quickly, it filled with bubbling warm water and soap.
In the next instant, his eyes slid shut as his head slowly submerged into the water.
---
5 hours later...
"AHHHHHHH!"
A loud exhale rang throughout the snow-white room as a head burst out of the water, gulping down fresh air as much as his throat allowed.
Clean water trailed down Nolan's healthy figure as he rose from the tub and took off his crumpled jeans.
Then he stepped into the shower, doing a proper wash, before heading out of the bathroom.
The room was just as he left it, with everything in its normal position. Therefore, Nolan headed into his bedroom, landing on the comfy bed.
There were still some parts of his body that ached terribly, but at least he had recovered all of his torn skin, and even his broken bones had healed themselves, back to normal.
It wasn't just his strength that improved due to his last level up; his regeneration ability also shot up a notch.
Lying in the bed, the scenes of what had occurred just a few hours before played through his mind.
The scene of his rage, the intense murder and massacre, the pain, and the students who died at his hands. The scene of Quinn's horror, and how Nolan almost ended him in the end.
Everything wallowed in his head, with some of them trying to make him feel guilt, but Nolan was quick to push them aside.
He might have killed students, and with his age, one might say he had killed children, but Nolan knew that was nothing but rubbish.
The Celestial Heirs were no ordinary students.
They would kill each other at the slightest disagreement, and how many times in the past had he been almost killed by them?
Not to mention, they succeeded in killing him just a few days ago, and that was the only reason he was even here in the first place.
He had repaid blood with blood, and therefore couldn't allow the guilt to get to him.
If they had not tried to kill him, they would all be alive right now. Or at least, they wouldn't have died by his hand.
What caught Nolan's greatest attention was the last scene—the scene of him retreating without bringing an end to Quinn himself.
Quinn could be said to be the biggest thorn in his side, yet Nolan had brought an end to the others while leaving the biggest thorn alone.
"Why did you stop me?" He suddenly called out, and the system notification flickered before his gaze. Its message caused his eyes to flash.
[Because you were just an inch from your own death too...]
The system replied to him.
"What do you mean by that?" Nolan asked, his confusion as clear as day. It was clear he could have finished Quinn for good.
[That shadow entity you see is a guardian—Quinn's guardian.]
[t's a practice of higher clans.]
[In fear of their prodigies dying, they assign a guardian to their prodigy, and that guardian is responsible for protecting their lives or bringing death to the one who kills their prodigy.]
[The first is more common, but the second one is rare. If Quinn is a prodigy and hails from a powerful background, I reasoned that he would have his own guardian.]
[But seeing how you were able to beat him up and nothing happened, I guessed that he didn't.]
[But I was still suspicious if Quinn's guardian could perhaps be a death guardian.]
[And just as I guessed, the second you were about to kill Quinn, I could see the void of space twisting weirdly, and I knew well it could only be due to a death guardian.]
[That was why I stopped you, and now I'm afraid you have gotten yourself into even bigger trouble.]
The system said as Nolan's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"
[Quinn's background is brutal and dark!]
[The majority of guardians are for defending their young masters, but Quinn's guardian doesn't defend Quinn.]
[It has only a single job, and that is to bring death to whoever brings death to Quinn.]
[That means you would have died yourself if you had killed Quinn. The only reason why you're alive right now is because you didn't kill Quinn.]
[Such a background shows that even though Quinn is a prodigy, his family didn't think he was important enough to assign him a protector guardian.]
[They could afford to sacrifice him, and they only gave him the death guardian most likely due to the fact that they want revenge on anyone who kills one of their own.]
[Quinn is a brilliant prodigy, Nolan, and I can only imagine what background he has if his family didn't care enough to consider him one.]
[You better hope this ends here, and Quinn never bothers you again. Or else, if he finds a way to make his background's interest pique on you...]
[Then, I'm afraid you might just be dueling with the power of an ancient devil family, with no one behind you.]
[Your chances of survival will be slim if so...]
The system said to Nolan, who already sat on the bed from the shock.
Only now did he realize just how close to death he truly was. And he also came to terms with a reality he hated.
"If Quinn dies, I die too!?"