The System was back.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The wind rustled through the leaves, carrying the distant howls of hidden creatures.
Violet crossed her arms, studying him. "So… this system thing told you to kill Duskrend Wolves?"
"Well, that sums it up," Levi replied.
Kyle sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Still not much of a talker, huh?".
"Well," Kyle continued, a grin creeping onto his face, "selling monster parts is how we make money anyway, so… I guess this is a win-win."
"Assuming you don't die though." Violet smirked.
"Wow," Kyle let out a mock gasp. "Such fragile faith in our dear leader?"
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a low growl rumbling through the air. Violet turned sharply, eyes locking onto the glowing amber gaze of a Duskrend Wolf.
Its black fur glowed faintly under the moonlight. It scraped the ground with its long silver claws as its fangs dripped with dark saliva.
Violet groaned in frustration. "Argh... How many more do we have to kill?" She cracked her knuckles, stepping forward. "let's just get this over with—"
Kyle's arm shot out, blocking her path. "Wait."
"What?" Violet frowned.
Kyle didn't answer immediately. Instead, he tilted his head toward Levi, nodding in his direction. "Take a look at that. Don't you think we should wait and see the power he's been talking about?"
Violet traced his gaze down to Levi.
He was walking forward, his sword held loosely at his side. His eyes were locked onto the wolf like nothing else around him mattered.
Then, in a quiet voice, he muttered, "System… heed my call."
Levi shifted his stance, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. Then as if reading commands, he continued to speak.
"Generate—Burst element."
A violent explosion erupted beneath his feet, propelling him forward like a cannonball. He shot toward the wolf in a blur, the sudden force of his movement kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.
"Generate—Spark element."
Sparks of electricity began to form along his blade, arcs of blue lightning dancing along the edge. The wolf barely had time to react.
"Thunder Cleave."
All Kyle and Violet saw was a flash of light, and the next thing they saw was the Duskrend Wolf's head falling to the ground with a dull thud.
Its body collapsed an instant later. Smoke curled from the edges of the clean cut, the residual electricity from Levi's blade still sparking faintly.
"Damn…" Kyle let out a low whistle. "What a freaking cheat code."
Levi stumbled slightly, dropping to one knee as he sucked in a sharp breath. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his muscles trembling from exertion.
"It's still the same as then…" he muttered under his breath.
For normal beginners, using the moves Levi used without chants was close to being impossible. This was one of the perks the system gave him. Short commands were all it took. And he didn't have to read them out loud, he could simply just think about them and they'd take effect.
However, it also came with a drawback. These feats were powerful moves beginners would normally be unable to pull off.
As a result, Levi's stamina was drained heavily each time he used it. Hence, the sharp breaths and sweat following their execution.
The blue screen flickered to life in front of him.
[Mission Completed]
[Rewards Granted]
But before Levi could even process the notification, there was a sudden shift in the atmosphere.
The daylight dimmed and the sky began to change, like it was warping. A shimmering barrier of light rippled into existence, spreading outward like spilled ink.
As it spread further, a deep and starless night sky replaced the star-filled one above them.
Violet's grip on her weapon tightened. "Something's off..." Her tone was filled with caution.
"Yeah, way to state the obvious..." Kyle replied, teasing her.
Suddenly, a new notification appeared before Levi. For the first time ever, the screen wasn't blue.
It was red.
[Warning]
[Calamity-Level Threat Approaching]
Levi froze as two figures suddenly stood before them. No footsteps. No movement. One moment, the path was empty—then, they were just there.
"What the hell?" Levi's fingers instinctively tightened around his sword. "Teleportation?"
The first was a man with long, raven-black hair, falling loosely past his shoulders. His face was calm, and his hair glowed in the moonlight, complementing his long white jacket edged with black.
Beside him stood a woman. Her hair, just as dark, carried streaks of red, like embers glowing beneath the surface.
Unlike the man, who exuded an effortless calm, her red eyes gave off a sharp cold aura. Her presence felt like a blade hidden within silk.
Just by standing, the two carried a force that made the very air tremble around them.
"Where did they come from?" Levi thought. He hadn't even blinked. He hadn't sensed a thing. But suddenly, they were standing right there.
His gaze darted to his friends for explanation but he was met with a sight that left him with more confusion.
Kyle and Violet were frozen, their eyes wide—not with fear, but something else. Shock? Disbelief?
They felt it too, Levi realized. So it wasn't just a result of the system's warning.
The pressure rolling off these two was undeniable, like standing too close to a storm and a volcano.
But then, the look on Kyle and Violet's faces wasn't that of fear, was it? Their expressions weren't tense with caution. They were filled with recognition.
A faint, disbelieving whisper broke the silence. "What are they doing here…?" Kyle muttered.
"They?" Levi's gaze shifted to the two figures and back to Kyle. "You know them?"
Kyle didn't answer. His lips parted, but nothing came out.
"Oh, that's right," Violet finally said, her struggle to breathe, evident. "You've never seen them before."
She turned to Levi, as she tried to balance her breathing, but her grip on her weapon remained tight.
"Those two—" her gaze darted back to the pair standing before them "—they're Zenon and Emilia. The Captains of Squad One and Two of the Arcane Vanguard."
Astrovia's military system bore some resemblance to Earth's—structured, organized, divided into ranks. The police force maintained law and order within cities, and the army defended against threats. But beyond that, things were vastly different.
Above the conventional forces stood the Arcane Vanguard, or A.V. They weren't just soldiers. They weren't just protectors. They were the apex of power, the final line of defense for entire continents.
Unlike the army, which had both trained normal humans and those with abilities, the Vanguard consisted only of the gifted. Their missions varied from simple security to matters that involved entire planets, or even the universe itself.
These warriors were known as Sentinels—individuals capable of feats that defied reason.
Each continent had twelve squads, each led by a captain. But among them, Squad One and Squad Two stood at the absolute pinnacle.
Their captains were legends, figures that even high-ranking officials spoke of with caution.
And those very legends were now standing right in front of Levi and his friends.
He felt a chill crawl down his spine as he stared at them, the weight of their presence pressing into his chest.
"Zenon and Emilia?" Levi muttered, the names feeling almost foreign on his tongue.
He sharply turned his gaze back to them. "What the hell are they doing here?"
It didn't add up. These two rarely appeared even among their fellow captains, let alone in some random monster-infested area. What could possibly warrant their presence?
But something else unsettled him. The glowing red screen was still floating in front of him, pulsing like a silent alarm.
[ Warning ]
[ Calamity-level threat detected ]
This was the first time he had ever seen such a message, but the phrasing alone was enough to make his stomach tighten.
Calamity-level threat, he didn't need any further explanation to know how dangerous they were.
But then, another question plagued Levi's mind. Zenon and Emilia, at that moment, were they the friend or foe?
"Stop gawking and hurry up." Emilia's sharp voice brought Levi's thought to a halt. "Call that System thing or whatever of yours already."
"What did she just say?" Levi whispered in disbelief. His head slowly lifted to look at Emilia.
She knew. Somehow, she knew about the System. But how?
His fingers curled into his palms. His heartbeat pounded against his ribs. If she knew, then… did Zenon know too?
His mind spun with questions, but he forced out a nervous laugh, raising a hand in feigned confusion.
"What are you talking about?" He tilted his head, forcing his expression into something casual. "What's a sys—"
"Don't bother." Emilia cut him off coldly. "Playing ignorant won't help you right now."
Then, she lifted her hand and pointed at him. "I'm giving you a chance. Come at me now."
A cold, heavy silence followed.
Levi barely had time to react before he felt his friends shift beside him.
He glanced at them. Kyle shook his head slightly. Violet's lips parted as if to speak but hesitated. Finally, she whispered, "Don't do it."
Levi exhaled, rolling his shoulders as tension coiled through his body.
"You heard her," he said, his voice quieter but firm. He raised his sword slightly. "It's not like I have a choice, do I?"
He took a step forward, eyes narrowing. "Besides…" His grip tightened. "I have a lot of questions of my own."
His stance shifted, his body preparing to fight. "And if I have to, I'm willing to force the answers out."
The screen flashed before his eyes, bright red again.
[ Warning ]
[ Calamity-level threat detected ]
[ User is advised to flee ]
[ Do not engage ]
The System had never told him to run before. Even when faced with a hoard of monsters when the apocalypse took place. This made its warning more concerning.
"Yeah... I appreciate the warning," Levi muttered to himself. "But we both know even if I wanted to, running from these guys isn't an option."