Zane tried to run but could only take stumbling steps down the hallway. His vision was getting blurry and it was getting difficult to breathe.
'Amilla, don't hold it against me, I already have my hands full trying to keep myself alive. You would have died anyway, even if I'd left you, the fire down the hole would see to that. If death was your only destination, you might as well have helped me live, even if just a little longer. After all, I would also be joining you in a while. But I hope you'd understand, you've been helping me so think of this as another help.'
Zane dragged himself by the wall to prevent himself from falling.
'The Whisperkin noticed the direction I was running before it fell down the hole with Amilla. In that case.' After a few thumbling steps, he took a right turn into one of the classrooms.
On entering, he tripped over a lifeless body and fell, losing hold of his severed arm.
He groaned, scraping the stump of his right elbow across the floor. New blood gushed out of the cloth wrapped around the wound, staining his white school uniform.
He pushed himself up with his trembling left arm as he looked around the classroom.
The scene was nothing short of a nightmare.
Even though his vision was blurry, he could make out most of the scene.
'Such a pathetic way to turn off the lights.'
A man whom he recognized as one of the school's math teachers, had his head smashed into the whiteboard.
His blood painted the board, down to the floor, with his body slumped against the board.
Lifeless bodies littered the space. Some had most of their limbs ripped apart, others had deep claw wounds on their faces and other body parts. None of the bodies were intact.
Zane tried to stand, but stumbled, nearly falling.
Dizziness washed over him in waves. Logically, he should be dead. The blood loss was catastrophic. Yet his heart beat on—a stubborn thrum he could only attribute to the System's interference. A temporary stay of execution. It didn't change the outcome, only the timer
"Even without the effect of the blood loss, I should've died three times over, but it doesn't matter anymore. What's more troublesome is that, the monster had yet to use its other abilities. In any case, I should jump down and find a safe spot, now that the monster is trapped in the hole."
His stomach growled as he approached the window.
'This is so annoying, I'm dizzy, bleeding and starving.' He thought as he looked at his severed arm.
A detached curiosity cut through the pain. 'I've always wondered what I tasted like.' He stared at his arm. It was useless now, but it was still protein. Just like that, he bit into the cold flesh of his own forearm, chewed once, twice, and swallowed on his third chew.
'So awful.' He said, throwing away the arm.
It hit one of the plastic desks, nearly tipping it over.
Zane stared at the plastic desk, then down the window, that was when an idea crawled into his head.
'It's getting more and more difficult to maintain my focus.' He stretched his head through the window. His gaze swept the surrounding area for any sign of Gemini while looking for a safe spot to hide.
'Such an unpleasant sight.' He took in the scene of lifeless bodies of students and teachers alike. He then jumped out of the second-floor window.
As if the Whisperkin had been waiting all along. It burst through the wall, its claws extended longer than before.
'I may be possessing the body of a worthless Gemini, even so, back in the tower, my name is feared even in the higher floors, my combat experience is unmatched. The outcome was already set in stone the moment I deemed you unworthy to the throne.' The Whisperkin thought as his claws ripped through the body of the helpless boy.
The pieces of flesh scattered on the floor. At least that was what should've happened. But the sound they made as they fell wasn't that of flesh but of plastic.
The Whisperkin looked up, though he couldn't see him, he could sense Zane casually sitting at the window, swaying his legs gently.
'I see, instead of jumping, he threw something else down. To think there was a Nay this capable,' The monster thought.
'This is the end. After the strength I used to move the desk, I can make one more move before my body gives out completely. I have to say, I've survived longer than I expected.'
"I thought it was impressive that an F-ranked monster spoke, but now I see it was justified. You may be strong but you're stupid." Zane spoke forcing a mocking expression.
'He's mocking me again, I wonder what he's planning this time.' The monster retracted its claws until it was only five centimeters long on each long finger.
"I knew you were sensing my movement from the moment you fell down the hole, waiting to end me in one strike. So I took a right turn and took a desk. They are extremely light so it wasn't difficult to move. Then instead of jumping I sat down on the window and threw the desk down. The moment you stopped sensing my movement, you thought I had jumped. If Geminis are this stupid, I guess Earth has a chance to survive." Zane let out a thunderous laugh, coughing in between.
'Ariel, looks like your big brother won't be seeing you again.'
"What is your name, Nay?" The monster's agitated voice slithered through his mind.
"It's Zane Walker, and it's my pleasure to meet you, stupid sir. Oh, and by the way, if the reason you've been chasing me around this entire time is to eat me, I have to warn you. I taste pretty awful." It wasn't that Zane was trying to provoke him, but he had always had a sharp tongue.
"Zane Walker, the only Heir whose name I will never forget. It was annoyingly fun playing with you." The monster changed its pose to strike but Zane had already leapt from the window before the Whisperkin could move.
The moment he felt a presence behind him, he moved.
'I looked through the classrooms when I was moving down the hallway. I didn't feel any presence. The Whisperkin is down there. That means, the one behind me is another Gemini.' This was the thought that ran through his head before he jumped off the window without confirming his theory.
But it was too late.
Part of his ribs was ripped apart.
Zane tilted his head to look at the Gemini that attacked him from behind.
'Such... a terrifying presence.' He hit the ground hard as he coughed, blood poured from his side, his arm and his mouth.
As he lay, he heard winds flapping hard, blowing dust onto his face.
[System Notification]
{You have encountered a Gemini.
Species: Seraphoid
Grade: Elite
Rank: S
Weakness: None Detected.}
Through the corners of his eyes, Zane saw the figure.
It had six massive golden wings. It's entire body was covered with two wings, while it flew with the remaining four. Each time it flapped its enormous wings, a sound like that of a thousand blades clicking together could be heard.
'Looks like Earth is done.'
'I'm amazed you dodged that. I meant to rip you in half.'
The Seraphoid's voice, when it came, was so sweet and pleasing to the ear.
Zane pushed himself to sit up. Blood pooled beneath him, his eyes were white, and his body pale. 'I can still move? There are way too many questions unanswered, looks like this is how I die.
Since the Whisperkin first appeared, I took into consideration that others like it might be around. The reason I didn't include that in my analysis was that, it would make it impossible for me to survive. In the end, even with one Elite, it was a pointless struggle. That's why I pretended not to have heard the massive flapping of wings, hoping it was just my imagination. Why then did I struggle so much? Maybe because I miss my little sister.'
'How is he able to sit in that state? The
throne had never intervened this much, so why now?' The Whisperkin approached as it thought.
"I don't recall giving you permission to attack, Seraphoid," the Whisperkin's voice was so dangerous it hurt to listen to.
"What does it matter, we're going to kill them all." It responded but the sudden laugh of Zane drew both of their attention.
The half-dead boy laughed through bloodied coughs.
"In the end, you needed help from another monster to take me down. We both know I could've won, had it just been the two of us. It's such a shame, wouldn't you agree, Whisperkin?" Zane said then bowed his head, his eyes closing. He had no magic, neither did he have any game-changing weapons, all he could rely on was the monster's pride. A final desperate provocation.
The words struck not as an insult, but as the truth. In all, he wasn't the one who dealt the finishing blow, in truth, he had help, wether he admitted it or not.
Though occupying the body of a Whisperkin, he was someone who had seen the higher floors of the tower, raised and trained by a man who was at the Apex of Rankers. He was not willing to live with the humiliation of being unable to kill a single unworthy candidate who had yet to awaken.
The Whisperkin stepped forward.
He stretched out his hand a dark energy surged out from its hand and wrapped Zane in a spiral motion.
"I can't heal you, but I can send you to a place that can. Once healed, pass the test to gain permission to return, I'll be waiting, and I'll make sure no Elite makes a move while you're away. But before that, I need to ask you a question. What do you consider to be the most precious to you?"
Zane could not hear anything, everything was so distant, only one word managed to pass through, 'precious.'
"Ariel." Zane said in a whisper but the monster heard it.
"Very well, it only confirms that you have a reason to return. When you come back, you won't have any excuse when I rip your throat out, I still deem you unworthy. However, If you manage to defeat me as you claim you would've, I'll acknowledge you as the next Heir. I swear on my master's name." The monster's voice was firm and full of resolve.
"What do you think you're doing you F-ranked filth?" The Seraphoid's voice was full of anger as the boy vanished into the portal the Whisperkin created.
"I was put in charge of this Tutorial, and you will do as I say, no matter what it may be. From this moment till the boy returns, no Elite will make a move."
"It's true that you're in charge, but what will happen when you die, have you thought about it?" The Seraphoid spoke as it leaned in closer to the Whisperkin.
"I see where you're going with this. Let me tell you something, Seraphoid. Though I may be F-ranked, the Whisperkin race is one of the greatest Gemini races to be known. One in which the lowly Seraphoid race cannot be compared to. In other words, if you want me to die by your hands, you have to be willing to put your life on the line to make that happen."