Chương 17: New Card

"So that's how it is." Kach somehow ended up accompanying us after getting beaten down by Mister. She said she wanted to help, but I could tell she didn't care about me. She was here only because she wanted to fight Mister again. Mister had come to the same conclusion and promised her a rematch once we got out of here.

"Don't worry, kid. We'll get you out of here," she said, ruffling my hair. She actually wasn't that bad of a woman, and I had started enjoying her company. Only a tiny bit. My eyes shot open. I jolted upright, panting heavily as my head spun. My vision was blurred, and everything appeared doubled—no, tripled. Slowly, my breathing steadied, and the world came back into focus. What happened? I was fighting Orand, and then… okay, I remember. I looked around. The first thing I saw was Strange Toy.

One of its heads was broken, four of its arms were gone, and one arm was pierced through Moark's thorax. Lania was snoring with her back resting against it. Did Pyiari put her there? Where is she, anyway?

"Mister, you're awake," I flinched at the icy whisper in my ear. I turned to find Pyiari standing beside me.

"Here." She handed me another vial. Golden Hearth Nectar Dori's daughter hated sour medi cine, so she made one sweet enough to hide every trace of bitterness. The result was a nectar that tasted more like dessert than a remedy. Recorded in the Akashic System in the year 13512.

"Thanks." I uncorked the vial and gulped it down. It tasted sweet, like chocolate, vanilla, and mango blended into a milkshake and drizzled with honey. My ruptured eardrums mended, the fractures in my ribcage healed, and the burned skin grew back. The muscle soreness from Tundra's Water remained, but at least I no longer felt cold. I wiped my lips with my sleeve.

"Where is Orand?" Pyiari stepped aside, revealing the sight behind her. Orand lay on his back, my sword embedded in his skull. It had not been driven in once, but many times, twisted left and right until there was no chance of survival.

"D-did you do this?" My voice shook. The sight was horrifying, and the thought of who had done it filled me with disgust and guilt.

"I had no choice." Her voice was steady. Her eyes were clear, free of guilt or hesitation. To me, these creatures looked like monsters, which made killing easier to justify. But to her, they looked human. And still, she had done what was necessary. Her resolve to escape this facility was stronger than any hesitation.

"You're awake too," Pyiari said, rushing toward Lania as she let out a loud yawn. Lania had killed Moark too—not with her own hands, but that hardly mattered. She showed no regret. As Pyiari explained what had happened, Lania glanced at Moark once before returning to pet her toy. The realization disgusted me. I had been useless, while two children had stained their hands with blood just to claim something that should have been theirs from the beginning.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Why wasn't I strong enough? Why? I clenched my fists. I will grow stronger. And for that, I needed better Skillcards. Time to collect the loot. I forced myself to stand, every muscle aching, and dragged myself toward the girls.

"I'm sorry, Lania. Your toy got destroyed."

"It wasn't your fault." She kept patting the wooden body without looking at me.

"Can it still move?"

"After I fix it." I frowned in confusion, which Pyiari noticed.

"It's her superpower. She can make and repair toys."

"That's amazing."

"Though she'll need materials for it."

"Moark will suffice," Lania stated. She ordered Strange Toy to lower its arm. Slowly, it obeyed, setting Moark's body onto the floor. A large hole gaped in his thorax, his organs and internal muscles black just like the outside. Moark had not disappeared like Strange Toy had, which meant he was a unique monster and would not respawn. I was about to search him for a Skillcard or some other loot when a circle of blue flames formed around his body. The fire burned inward, consuming him whole.

His body disintegrated into fumes that drifted toward Strange Toy. The flames did not burn it. Instead, they healed it. Cracks sealed, arms regrew, and the broken head reformed. When the last wisp of smoke vanished, Moark was gone, and Strange Toy stood whole once more.

"Moly, Jiji, Doku. How are you feeling?" Lania asked. Strange Toy rose to its feet. All three heads opened their eyes and answered in unison.

"GOOD."

"You fought well," she said, stroking one of its arms. I stepped back, letting Lania have her moment. A part of me still felt guilty for destroying Strange Toy so many times, only to ask it to sacrifice itself again. I want to be strong. I turned to Orand. He lay in a pool of black sludge. I pulled my sword from his skull. The blade had melted at the edges and tip, leaving it jagged and ruined. My only weapon was gone. Still, I sheathed it. Something was better than nothing.

I knelt beside Orand and slid my hands beneath his body. Pain shot through my sore muscles as I forced him over. With a splash of black sludge, he rolled onto his stomach. A silver card was stuck to his back. I tore it free. Shadow Detect A blind scout named Veyron learned to travel by listening to the whispers of darkness beneath his feet. He could sense every pebble, every footprint, and every creature that crossed the shadows around him. Recorded in the Akashic System in the year 12991.

Shadow Detect allows the wielder to sense everything their shadow touches, including objects, terrain, and living beings connected through overlapping shadows. The card vanished from my hand, and a tingling sensation spread through my chest. I channeled my magika and activated the Skillcard. Suddenly, I became aware of my shadow. I could feel the coldness of the floor through it. The lights above were bright, making my shadow small, but it was unmistakably there. I walked toward the girls.

My shadow merged with Strange Toy's, and my perception expanded. I could sense every arm touching the ground. When Pyiari stepped onto the shadow, I felt her presence immediately. The skill was simple: it made me aware of anything my shadow touched, directly or indirectly through another shadow. Its uses were limited, but in the right situation, it could be incredibly valuable. Unfortunately, it was another support skill. It would not help me fight. Why was the Akashic System giving me only support skills?

I didn't want to be a support type.

"Mister, are you ready to go?" Pyiari asked. I stopped channeling my magika, and the extra information vanished.

"Ready when you are." New area unlocked Waste Disposal Facility Life's Last Hope could not allow its failed experiments, broken creations, and dangerous waste to remain within the facility. This massive disposal chamber was built to destroy anything deemed useless—or too dangerous to keep. Recorded in the Akashic System in the year 13463. It took us about an hour to reach the facility. The place was enormous. Rows of abandoned machines stretched into the distance, and we walked through the narrow path between them.

Strange Toy clung to the ceiling, following us silently. Thankfully, no waste remained here. Otherwise, the stench would have made breathing unbearable. The reason for the facility's abandonment was obvious. The final battle of Cici's escape had taken place here. The walls were cracked, the machines flattened, and the entire chamber looked as if a storm had torn through it.

"What happened here?" Lania asked.

"Is this why it was abandoned?" Pyiari added.

"The wreckage of a battle," I answered. That only earned me more questions.

"What battle?"

"Who fought?"

"Why did they fight?"

"Why did they fight here?" I was about to tell them about Filki's grandmother when a figure slammed down in front of us with tremendous force. The already cracked floor shattered further. Dust and chunks of concrete flew into the air.

"Who is that?" Pyiari shouted.

"Jiji!" Lania called. Strange Toy dropped from the ceiling, landing with a heavy crash that split the floor even more. The dust settled and the figure was revealed. Like the others, she was covered in black sludge. But unlike theirs, the sludge did not swirl around her body. It was solid, coating her from head to toe like black paint. Kach the Belligerent