Chapter 25: 25: Awakening
"Master, wake up!"
"Master!"
"My Lord!"
Axel's eyes snapped open, the world around him slowly coming back into focus. His head was pounding, and a wave of dizziness threatened to pull him back into the darkness. His body trembled, still reeling from whatever had just transpired. Yet, the scene before him quickly brought him to full awareness.
Velerium, his loyal spirit, was frantically shouting at him, but Axel didn't bother to register the words. His attention was riveted on the scene on the floor—a gruesome tableau of Captain Rowin and the others writhing in agony. They were struggling to breathe, their faces contorted with pain as they fought to maintain their balance.
The poison was clearly working its way through their systems, its effects brutally apparent.
A few feet away, three figures emerged from the shadows, their presence sending a cold shiver down Axel's spine. His childhood bullies had found him once again.
During his time at military school, these three had made his life a living hell. His gut clenched as Chad, the leader of the trio, reached him first. With a smug grin, Chad placed a hand on Axel's shoulder, his voice dripping with venomous glee.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here! Besty, it's been too long!" Chad's cackle echoed in Axel's ears, every syllable grating like nails on a chalkboard. "Remember what we talked about last time? Your sister—"
Axel was frozen in shock, unable to process what was happening. Fitz, cloaked in darkness, hissed in annoyance. "Seriously, Chad? Are you going to start this again?"
"He's right," Malin, the beetle-like one, rumbled in his monstrous voice. "Let's just finish the mission. This guy's ability is so weak, he's not even worth the poison."
But Chad ignored them, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure. "Not yet. It's been too long since I had a little fun with this piece of junk. The military's no fun without idiots like him to mess with!" Chad leaned in closer, his breath hot against Axel's ear. "When I'm done here, I'll pay a visit to your house. Your sister...
Oh, she's got curves to die for. Don't worry, Besty, I'll make sure she enjoys every moment before—"
"Shut up!"
Chad's voice faltered at Axel's interruption. This wasn't the reaction he was expecting. His grin faded as he met Axel's eyes, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "What did you say?"
The words were barely out of Chad's mouth when Axel moved. In a flash, a sword materialized in his hand, and he drove it through Chad's neck with a speed and precision that left no time for anyone to react. Blood sprayed, and Chad's eyes widened in disbelief as he gurgled, trying to speak, but only choking on his own blood. A thud echoed as his body crumpled to the ground.
A bizarre wind howled around Axel, making his red hair dance wildly. His crimson eyes burned with a cold fury, piercing through the souls of the remaining two bullies. The air around him thickened with a deadly aura, suffocating in its intensity. Axel sighed, his voice steady, but carrying a deadly edge.
"My father always said, the most dangerous thing isn't the hunter who's killed a thousand aliens, nor the one who's slaughtered hundreds of men. It's the one who's been pushed to the brink, who's driven to kill and doesn't flinch."
With a casual shove, Axel let Chad's corpse slide off his shoulder and tumble to the blood-soaked floor. The other two bullies backed away instinctively, their confidence shattered, fear now evident in their eyes.
"Take him down, Fitz!" Malin screamed, desperation cracking his voice as Fitz stretched out his hand.
In an instant, the air in front of Axel exploded into a wall of flame. Reflexively, Axel leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the searing heat. His senses had heightened; he could feel the attacks coming before they landed, his agility and reaction speed honed to razor-sharp precision.
As Axel landed, another explosion erupted behind him. He twisted his body, but this time the blast caught his side, propelling him forward and leaving him staggered. The pain was sharp, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through it, determined to stay on his feet.
Fitz seized the opportunity, lunging at Axel with his short sword aimed directly at his gut. The blade came dangerously close, but Axel sidestepped at the last second, evading the strike by a hair's breadth. The close call brought Axel within arm's reach of Fitz, and he quickly raised his sword, ready to bring it down on his enemy's head.
But something made Axel hesitate. He leaped back several yards, landing in a crouched position, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Velerium, who had been watching with tense focus, frowned in confusion. "Why did you retreat? You had him!"
Axel's gaze flicked to his spirit companion, then back to Fitz and Malin. He reached for the mask hanging around his neck and pulled it off, weighing it in his hand for a moment before hurling it into the air toward Fitz.
The mask hadn't traveled more than a few yards when it was sliced into a dozen pieces by an invisible force. Velerium's eyes widened in realization.
"You sure know how to give shitty advice," Axel muttered under his breath, his mind racing. Fitz had the ability to create combustion in oxygen, but his explosions were weak—barely capable of causing first-degree burns. The real threat was Malin, whose webs were sharp enough to slice through metal.
If Axel had continued his attack on Fitz, he would've been caught in Malin's web, chopped to pieces before he could even blink.
Axel's eyes darted around the corridor, his mind mapping out the trap that Malin had likely set. The passageway was a web of invisible threads, a deadly trap that was impossible to avoid—unless Axel could find a way out.
He rose to his full height, his eyes locked onto the tense faces of his enemies. Fitz and Malin were frozen, their muscles coiled, ready to strike at any moment.
"I wouldn't move if I were you," Malin warned, his voice laced with malice. "I've set my trap everywhere. One wrong step, and you'll be sliced into a hundred pieces."
"Nice one, Malin!" Fitz sneered, stretching out his hands toward Axel, ready to unleash another attack. "Now it's my turn!"
Axel's lips curled into a smirk. "You made one mistake..."
With a swift motion, Axel flung his left hand into the air, deliberately tangling it in the web of threads. The sharp strings cut into his flesh, but instead of retreating, Axel activated one of his newly acquired abilities.
[Deceased Touch Activated]
A blood-curdling scream tore through the air as Malin's hands ignited, burning up into vapor within seconds. The flames raced up his arms, consuming him entirely before he could react. In a matter of moments, Malin was gone—reduced to ashes that scattered in the wind.
Fitz stumbled backward, his eyes wide with horror. "No! This is impossible!"
His voice shook as he turned to Axel, who was now standing just inches away, his sword poised at Fitz's throat. Axel's gaze was cold, devoid of any emotion, his aura deadly and consuming.
"How useless you turned out to be," Axel said, his voice calm, yet carrying a lethal undertone. "Next time you insult someone's sister, make sure you can defend yourself."
"Wait! Please, Axel, I'll give you anything—"
Fitz's plea was cut short as Axel's blade sliced through his throat, nearly severing his head. Fitz crumpled to the ground, blood gushing from the wound as he convulsed, his life slowly draining away.
[You Leveled Up]
As the notification flashed in his mind, Axel's throat went dry. He had killed without hesitation, without remorse, and that unsettled him. It felt as though something had shifted within him—something darker, more hellish in nature.
'Could this be an effect of the system?'
The thought lingered in his mind as he looked down at the bodies of his former tormentors. There was no satisfaction, no sense of justice—only a hollow emptiness that gnawed at him.
The darkness within him was growing, and Axel couldn't help but wonder if he was losing more than just his enemies with each battle.
***Author's note***
Different chapter the same begging. I am still begging desperately for a magic castle from you guys or any support you can render.
I need your help in reviews, powerstones and gifts especially Magic castle.