The system didn't care about my thoughts, my morality, or my hesitations. It didn't offer comfort, praise, or encouragement. It simply existed, and it functioned. That was enough. That was more than enough. The world had never been kind, and neither would I be. Efficiency above all.
HOST CONDITION: CRITICALEMERGENCY FUNCTION ENABLED
Power surged through my body. Not gentle, not pleasant. Pain sharp as shards of glass tearing through muscle. My movements became fluid, instinctive. Every strike I had used earlier was now enhanced, calculated, precise. I could feel the system watching, analyzing, feeding me data on my body, my surroundings, my opponents. I moved through the streets with a predator's grace, every sense honed to razor sharpness.
Zion stayed close, a tether to the part of me that remained human. He was trembling but silent. I allowed no one else to see that softness, and he had earned the right to it. The system ignored emotion. I mirrored it. The two of us: a balance of raw ruthlessness and cautious hope.
NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: BASIC BODY REINFORCEMENTNEW TECHNIQUE AVAILABLE: VOID DEVOURING SCRIPTURE
Void Devouring Scripture. The name alone suggested nothing gentle. I activated it experimentally, feeling a strange energy coil within my limbs, a slow, methodical increase in power. Pain accompanied every step, a reminder that mastery would not be free. But efficiency required sacrifice, and sacrifice was a tool I knew well.
We left the immediate danger behind, but the city never stopped. Every alleyway, every market street, every shadow held a potential threat. I had learned that survival wasn't about fleeing; it was about anticipating, calculating, and eliminating threats before they realized we existed.
Zion finally spoke. "Vash… does it hurt?"
"What?"
"The system… the power you just used."
I shrugged. "Pain is irrelevant. Only results matter."
He looked at me, eyes wide. "Even if it hurts you?"
"Yes. Even then."
The outer slums faded behind us as we made our way toward the middle districts. Here, merchants were more organized, guards more numerous, and the stakes higher. Every interaction required calculation, observation, and patience. The system fed me information: patrol patterns, weak points in structures, even the likely disposition of civilians. Knowledge was power, and the system made it tangible.
We scavenged for supplies, avoiding conflict when possible but prepared to strike if necessary. Efficiency dictated every action: food secured with minimal effort, threats neutralized with minimal expenditure of energy. Zion watched, learning in silence. He had questions, always, but he trusted my judgment more than his own instincts now. That trust was precious. It was the only thing in this world I cared for.
Night fell, and we returned to our warehouse hideout. The crawlspace was familiar, a pocket of safety amidst the city's chaos. Zion arranged our small cache of supplies while I focused on training with the system. Void Devouring Scripture burned in my veins as I moved through its motions, muscles reinforcing, reflexes sharpening. Every iteration made me stronger, more precise, more ruthless.
SYSTEM ALERT: PERFORMANCE ANALYSISBODY CONDITION: OPTIMALSKILL PROGRESSION: 12% COMPLETE
I ignored the percentages, the alerts, and focused on mastery. Efficiency required more than raw power. Timing, prediction, and understanding the cost of every action were crucial. The system didn't care about mercy. Neither did I. I would learn it, master it, and use it to protect Zion.
Hours passed. The city outside never paused. Drunken brawls, merchant disputes, and stray gangs created a constant hum of chaos. But in our small corner, I refined my control, honed my instincts, and strengthened my bond with the one person who mattered.
Zion finally broke the silence. "Vash… one day, do you think this system will… change you?"
I looked at him, and for the first time, the corner of my mouth twitched a hint of a smile, only for him. "It won't change who I am. Only who I can be. Efficient. Ruthless. Alive. Always alive. And as long as you're with me, I'll survive. Everything else… expendable."
He nodded, trusting, believing, and hoping. And that was enough. In a world where nothing else mattered, we had each other.
The system didn't care. The world didn't care. But for Zion, I would care enough to bend my rules, sharpen my strength, and forge a path through the gutters, the shadows, and the empires themselves. The Wayward Ascension had begun