"Where the hell did that voice come from? I'm not the heir of Draven! I'm Elias Kael," Elias yelled, but the voice didn't respond to him anymore. He just leaned against the wall, sliding down to the ground.
System Notification:
> > [Major Wound Detected.]
[Auto-Regeneration in Progress.]
[Full Recovery in 00:29:45 minutes.]
He slowly closed his eyes as if the world was about to end.
No, it had already ended.
"Shit!"
He had been through so much already and it was all because of her. Ivy.
He never thought he would be betrayed by her. Not at all.
> > MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:
Save the Sacrifices. (17/17)
Bonus: Bond Loyalty: 25% → 50%
> > CONGRATULATIONS ON SURVIVING THE CORE EXTRACTION
[System Rebooting...]
[Syncing Host with Vessel: 2% Complete.]
[Analyzing Mutational Surge...]
[Memory Bleed Activated — 1% Unlocked.]
[Status Screen Updating...]
> Name: Elias Kael (Vark Draven)
Race: Sovereign-Class Zombie
Level: 10
Tier: Dreadlord (Unique Variant) — Evolvable
Health: 1240/1800
Strength: 326
Agility: 266
Intelligence: 210
Endurance: 365
Libido: 510
Corruption: 31%
Morality Sync: -10%
> Abilities:
Devour Core (Active)
Regeneration (Passive)
Berserk (Passive)
Intimidating Howl (Active)
Sovereign's Presence (Passive)
Aura of The Dead (Passive)
Memory Bleed (Passive)
Damage Feedback (Passive)
Bone Armour (Active)
"Fuuuck... That's all I got?"
The word slipped out of Elias's mouth like a hissed curse. He struggled to stand up from the ground as his wounds were still healing slowly.
He stood amidst a field of mutilated corpses... low-tier zombies torn beyond recognition, and two massive Tier 4 elites lying in twitching, steaming heaps.
His muscles throbbed. His vision blurred red around the edges. His claws were drenched in gore.
His entire body was screaming at him.
But what screamed louder was the fucking system ringing in his skull, over and over again like an air raid siren:
[Berserk: 99%]
99%? Already?
He touched his head, reaching for the wall. He didn't know what the Berserk could do but he didn't want to end up killing the little sacrifices that were in the room. They were all looking at him, wishing to go close to him to thank him. But they were hesitant.
He was a monster after all.
"Um..." One of them tried to step closer but he turned to them, glaring them a death glare.
"Stay back! Don't come closer!" He yelled.
They flinched and ran back, hiding in the corner.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" He groaned, losing energy and gaining strength. Strength from nowhere... His hand covered half of his face as his lips kept twitching into a wide grin.
"Haha!" He laughed.
Fuck! Nothing is funny!
"Hahahaha!" He laughed even louder, grabbing the broken wall close to him. It shattered before he could grab it.
[WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!]
"SHUT UP!" He yelled.
Suddenly, she entered the ritual room.
Ivy.
The first thing she did was go on her knees, relieved and crying. The children were safe. They rushed to her, hugging her tight.
"Sister Ivy!"
"You're safe. Thank God!" She cried.
"That man is in pain," one of them pointed at Elias. She saw Elias, groaning and panting hard. She stood up, shoving the kids behind her.
"He... He's not human," she mumbled and turned to them. "Hurry! Go outside and meet the others. Your parents are waiting for you,"
"But Sister Ivy..."
"Go! Now!" She yelled. They sniffled as they ran out through the entrance. She watched them leave till they were out of sight. They were over fifty of them but she managed to save just seventeen of them.
She wasn't even the one who saved them... It was the man she betrayed.
.
Elias still tried to control himself where he knelt. He looked around and saw the sacrifices had left already. He was a bit relieved.
But a familiar figure stood by the entrance. He squinted his eyes to see who it was and...
Oh... That bitch is here. Did she come to kill me? I'll kill her before she gets to kill me.
[Berserk: 100%]
[Warning: Mental Control Failing...]
[Target Locked — Closest Hostile Identified...]
Elias didn't have time to breathe before he was lunging.
Toward Ivy.
His eyes weren't his anymore. His thoughts weren't his anymore.
All he could feel was rage and betrayal.
Just the look of her, standing there at the edge of the bloodied entrance, face pale and hands shaking like she didn't know what the fuck she'd just caused.
"Hey, stop—!" she screamed, backing away.
But he was faster. And far more pissed than she could imagine.
In a blink, he slammed her against the wall. His hand wrapped tight around her throat claws digging into her skin. He wasn't trying to scare her.
No way!
He was about to kill her.
One of his fingers pierced her flesh.
Blood ran down her neck.
"Fucking liar," Elias growled.
His voice was a gravel-thick rasp, deeper than before. It was similar to those Tier 4 he killed earlier.
Not only did his voice come out, but Vark's voice echoed inside it.
"You led me here... for this? For them?"
Ivy choked, struggling. Her legs kicked, and her hands clawed weakly at his forearm.
"I... I didn't have a choice!" she gasped, her voice barely squeezing past his grip. "They had the kids! They were going to..."
"Bullshit! Since when did I care about those fifty pounds of pink flesh. I'd rather choose to eat them for breakfast! Yet you..." He said.
This time, it wasn't Elias talking. It was him.
Vark Draven.
"You're also one of them," he paused and whiffed her neck. "I can smell it in your blood. I don't mind having you instead..."
His other hand cocked back, ready to rip her face clean off.
"No please!" she screamed, her voice breaking. "They were gonna feed them to her! I had to bring someone strong enough to stop them! I thought... I thought maybe you'd survive! You're the strongest person I've ever met,"
Her tears blurred through the blood.
"I didn't want this," she whispered.
He froze.
"Ivy?" He whispered her name.
Just for a moment.
And in that heartbeat of hesitation, the system rang again.
[Berserk: 98%]
[Warning: Emotional Anchor Detected – Restraint Possible.]
His clawed hand trembled. The rage boiled but wavered.
He let go of her neck immediately.
Ivy collapsed, coughing, clutching her neck. Her body trembled as she wept.
While Elias...
He staggered back and dropped to his knees. Then fell face-first to the floor. The system appeared one last time in front of him...
System Notification:
[Status: Host at Limit. System entering Dormant Recovery Mode.]
After that, darkness took him.
[END OF CHAPTER TWELVE]