Buckling my legs in ready anticipation to combat the beasts' charge, the world around me begins to move, adopting a wave motion as my vision blurred.
"What..." I mutter, exasperation just barely shining through my exhaustion as my skin peeled over with a light blue, the cold encapsulating my body as my limbs begin to drop.
Looking back down at my arms, the only things left were stubs of what used to hold on to my forearms, everything from my skin all the way to my bone turned into a droopy mess as blood shot out at inordinate volumes, hemorrhaging so much blood that my skin and muscle began to deflate.
With all the strength in my limbs gone, I fall into a kneel, trying my hardest to keep myself up when both beasts ram into me simultaneously. Their bestial instincts taking over, they claw their ways on to both shoulders, taking a chunk out as they left behind their saliva while rending my flesh.
"Ghhhh, grgggg, GRAHHHHH!"
Crying from the pain, my mind became fixated on the blood puddling around my body that left my before-cold torso into a warmer, more settled temperature.
"Please... God..."
As the beasts came in again to take another bite--this time from my chest--I couldn't help but focus on the white, hot feeling of molten metal being poured across my neck, down towards my chest, all the way to my stomach as the pain radiated in such a way that my entire body couldn't help but buckle.
Pain of an entirely new dimension crept up as the indescribable sensations made their way across my entire body, as if a thousand children with knives all stabbed me in the same spot and slowly slit my skin and muscle, all in different directions. These crazy bastards began to eat me faster!
"Ahhgggh, Ghgggg, guhhhhh!"
As the sensation continued to spread, my mind went blank, my body acclimating as the agony continued to proliferate. No, not acclimating, but losing sensation altogether. The lights began to dim, and only a prevailing hatred remained. Hatred for my broth- no, for Alric, so pure that even my death lacked importance in the face of such emotion. Damn you, Alric. If we ever meet again, I'll make sure you fucking suffer.
Soon, the world turned into a pitch black, my senses gone. Floating in a dark void, I felt a sense of peace, having lifted myself from the depraved life I've lived for so long.
"Let me overwrite your broken Legacy System, and I will give you the power to exact your revenge."
Hearing a voice, I instinctively turned my shoulder, but there was nothing but again, the darkness.
"Who are you," I inquired, scrutiny evident as I tried my best to behest the mystery figure, not intending to show weakness.
Suddenly, a user interface showed up in the bottom of my eye, queueing the following:
[Do you wish to discard the previous Legacy System to replace it with the Experimental System]
[Warning: Failure to agree means your inevitable death]
[Yes | No]
"Experimental system?"
Questioning the integrity of the popup, I stopped to think about it for a second, balancing the weight of my choices. If I agree and I'm forced to become something I don't want to be, would that be any better than the life I'd previously been living? The last thing I want is to become a slave just as I'd been previously.
"Ten seconds remaining. Nine... eight..."
As the voice ringed inside my head, a feeling of urgency quickly arose, my mind computing my options with the little time I had.
"Five... four..."
As I looked at the popup again, I read through the words, "Failure to agree means your inevitable death," thinking back on my purpose in life.
"You're nothing, Nash."
As the words of my brother echoed through my head, my mind was instantly made up.
"Three... two... one..."
I don't care if I become the devil, I will use this second chance to offer the greatest hell to my brother that even Satan himself can't replicate. Clicking 'yes', the dark enshrouding my consciousness began to dissipate as I made my way back into reality.
"User has accepted the experimental system. Granting abilities now."
[Pain Resistance: Level 1] has been granted.
[Slash Resistance: Level 1] has been granted.
[Bite Resistance: Level 1] has been granted.
[Acid Resistance: Level 1] has been granted.
[Enhanced Healing: Level 1] has been granted.
[Enhanced Strength: Level 1] has been granted.
[Enhanced Deduction: Level 1] has been granted.
[Swordsmanship: Level 1] has been granted.
"Finished granting abilities. User will now obtain skills."
[Energy Allocation] has been granted.
[Mana Infusion] has been granted.
[Emergency Override] has been granted.
[Soul Circuit Override] has been granted.
[Abyss Archive] has been granted.
[Night Vision] has been granted.
[ʄɭαχ-ϝɛŗη] has been granted.
"User has been granted the Worn Dagger into their inventory."
"Finished granting skills. User will retain stats from previous Legacy System with added bonus of increased strength."
Nash Azrael - Status Window
General Information:
Name: Nash Azrael
Age: 18
Race: Human
Affiliation: Azrael Family (Outcast)
Physical Stats:
Strength: 10 (1)
Agility: 0 (23)
Vitality: 0 (1)
Intelligence: 0 (38)
Luck: 0 (1)