When the girl walked in holding the small, dark violet egg, I immediately shot a glare—extending my hand.
"Give it," I said flatly.
She didn't seem to care for my manners—just quickly placed the egg in my palm.
A few cracks marred the shell. I turned to her.
"You didn't drop it or anything, did you? Because if you did…" I let the sentence hang, letting her imagination do the rest.
Just for fun.
Her eyes widened. "No! No, I didn't drop it."
Suddenly the small egg in my hands began to tremble and shake— more cracks splintered across its surface. Leon and Minerva looked with intrigue, leaning in closer. Leon tried to touch the shell but I swatted his hand away.
"Hey!" He yelped.
"Shhh let it hatch on its own." I put a finger to my lips as I said that.
Leon grudgingly complied, leaning over with Minerva, who was trying to hold in her laughter. The egg trembled harder in my palm—new cracks splintering across the old.
Then…
A piece of the shell fell into the egg. We all gasped— even the girl standing in the corner. More began to fall. Within the darkness of the violet shell. A pair of eyes glowed purple. Staring into my soul.
Crack!
It then jumped out of the shell shattering it— landing on the palm of my hand. The creature was an adorably small lizard-like creature. Its scales jet-black— like its mother, who I disemboweled. Its head tilted as it looked at me— as if the little guy was studying me. Its wings were equally small— yet not large enough to fly. Is this what attachment feels like again?
"Papa!" It squeaked in joy.
Simultaneously, everyone's jaw fell to the fucking floor. Especially Leon. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Time froze.
Did… did this little gremlin just call me—?
My breath caught— I just sat there stammering on my words.
"Yo…" was all I could muster.
Minerva immediately side-eyed me— disappointed with my choice of greeting.
"Yo? Really? That's all you can say?" Minerva condescendingly said. I could only sheepishly smile— it's not like this came with a manual.
Leon then mused quietly "It's most likely an apex grade transmutant… it can talk… how did he get this?"
The little creature then walked up the length of my left— heavily scarred forearm. I wondered what it was doing so I asked.
"Uhhh… what're you doi— agh!"
It bit me. This little fucking shit bit me— after all I did for it. No wait… I did kill its mom so this could be karma, like come on she was going to die anyway!
Leon went red— literally holding his mouth closed to not burst out in laughter. Minerva just face-palmed at Leon's antics.
The little shit then smiled happily after biting me— I wondered why it did that. That was until a harmonious voice played in my head.
[ BLOOD PACT FORMED WITH PUREBLOOD APEX TRANSMUTANT { MALE } ]
My eyes widened in shock— Minerva looked at me with confusion. It looks like I can only hear it. I then looked at the little guy— it was a boy. Running up my arm, he ran to my shoulder— jumping onto my head. Making himself comfortable in my head of hair.
"Aww…" Minerva whispered. The sight was very cute but I was still biased from it biting me.
"System," I said out loud.
Before me an onyx-black tablet materialised in the air— titanium white text forming on its surface. Leon scooched beside me excited to see my stats.
Minerva also leaned in— curious on what stats I have.
Ping!
────────────────────────────────────────────
⟢ SYSTEM INTERFACE ⟣
[ VEILBREAKER STATUS ]
────────────────────────────────────────────
» NAME: Kerrigan
» BLESSED TITLE: Veilbreaker
» RANK: Neo (9,100 XP to Rising Rank)
» AFFINITY: None
═════════ STATS ═════════
▪ Strength: 5
▪ Agility: 19
▪ Intelligence: 9
▪ Mana: 15,000 MP
▪ Sense: 16
▪ Vitality: 22 [+7]
═════════ SKILLS ═════════
[ Slot 1 ]: Hyperdrive (Mastery - 0.1%) — 100 MP/use
[ Slot 2 ]: Locked (Rising Rank)
[ Slot 3 ]: Locked (Eminence Rank)
[ Slot 4 ]: Find Skillbook
[ Slot 5 ]: Find Skillbook
═════════ EQUIPPED ITEMS ═════════
Hospital Gown — Boosts Vitality
═════════ ADAPTATIONS ═════════
» Flow (Level 2): In moments of mortal danger, the mind empties.
Emotion fades. Only the fight remains.
═════════ RUNES OF RETURN ═════════
[Unnamed] — Abhorrent of Ordeal
> Summon with: "Revive thy tarnished soul, {Name}"
═════════ BLOODPACT ═════════
[Unnamed] — Pureblood Apex Transmutant
────────────────────────────────────────────
My eyes widened. There were two new sections in my status screen that weren't there when I had last checked it. There was a section for [Bloodpacts] and one called [Runes of Return]?
'When did I get that?' I wondered— going back in my memory. Then I remembered. It was most likely when I fell off the side of the mountain. I didn't want to try it out now— I was too tired but I would do it once I got time to myself.
I also gained mastery with my skill [Hyperdrive] although only 0.1%. This means that the more I use a skill, the more efficient I get with it, so most likely it'll cost less mana and be more powerful.
Leon and Minerva had a completely different face to mine. I glanced at both of them— their expressions incredulous. I raised an eyebrow, clearly perplexed.
"Everything alright?"
They didn't respond, still baffled at what they were looking at. Then Minerva looked at me slowly.
"You have a Blessed Title— How?" Her voice trembled as she asked.
I tilted my head as I answered "I got it when I awakened. Is there something wrong?" I genuinely didn't see the problem, I knew it was rare but it can't be that rare.
Minerva didn't know whether to laugh or cry at my simple response. She just ruffled my hair as she processed the information. Leon on the other hand began to laugh maniacally.
"WOW! You're also one of the 0.1% of awakeners that have a Blessed Title— it was worth it turning down the Magnolias' request to mentor their heir." He looked at me with pride and aspiration. That was until Minerva noticed something on my status screen.
"You don't have an AFFINITY! Why do you have 15000 MP!" At this point poor Minerva was short-circuiting. In her mind she couldn't fathom the fact that this kid has a Blessed Title yet doesn't have an affinity but has 15000MP. Leon also noticed but he didn't really care.
"So what if he doesn't have one, yes he might be the only person I've seen without one but if he uses his skill right— he can annihilate any affinity user." He said casually whilst I swore that I could see steam coming from Minerva's ears.
I didn't know what to say— so I ignored it and moved on to the bloodpacts. I needed to name the little guy that was snuggling in my hair. As Leon helped Minerva recover from her short-circuiting, I clicked on the [Give Name] text on the black tablet.
Ping!
The screen transformed.
________________________________________
[ SPEAK THE NAME YOU WISH TO BESTOW ON YOUR PUREBLOOD APEX TRANSMUTANT ]
________________________________________
I thought for a moment— the little guy resembled that of a black dragon yet also a crow at the same time. Then it hit me— I had the perfect name for the little guy.
"Corvus," I said proudly.
________________________________________
YOU HAVE BESTOWED THE NAME { CORVUS }
________________________________________
The screen then went back to my status screen. Then I heard corvus mewling in joy atop of my head. I smiled properly— first in a long time.
"You like that name… Corvus" I said as I extended my arm up— giving him head-pats. He mewled in joy.
Leon had finally calmed Minerva down by then and they noticed that I had named him Corvus.
"Corvus eh… That's a cool name, something you'd see in Warhammer" Leon acknowledged. He then added "Don't take him out in public when we take you out of here— it's an apex grade and there are people head hunting for these."
I nodded at his advice; I rubbed a large scar which went from the front of my neck all the way to the back of my left ear. That guy that stabbed me in the neck, really did a number— I would've died if not for them.
"Thanks…" I mumble quietly. "Thanks for helping me… I owe you a lot"
Leon was taken aback with my sentimental appreciation and didn't know how to reply. Minerva just smiled as she ruffled my hair— she does that a lot.
"It's fine no need to thank us— just focus on getting stronger and recovering. That's more than enough to repay us" She spoke softly.
I felt warm, I felt happy. I haven't felt this way in a long time. I didn't trust it— I didn't want to. A part of me was still skeptical of their motivations for helping me but at this point that part was meaningless.
From atop my head I could feel that Corvus had fallen asleep, I let out a quiet laugh as I took him gently and placed him on the pillow. Softly rubbing his head as he mewled in his sleep.
I then got up from the hospital bed— my feet touching the cold linoleum floor. I glanced at Leon and Minerva. "I'm just going to the bathroom.". They nodded and I left the room.
As I walked to the bathroom— I began to contemplate my next steps. My goal still hasn't changed. I was going to annihilate Araca. I was going to make them pay. Currently from what I know I'm going to be mentored by Leon Horton— one of the world's best. That's good— he's an honest person from what I've seen so he will do his very best.
Minerva Scott, she isn't as higher ranked as Leon but is still very powerful. She's more level-headed than Leon but seems like she won't be a hindrance. She's also going to be my homeroom teacher at New Washington Awakened Academy.
I want to trust them… I just can't bring myself to do that. Not after everything that's happened to me.
I know it might seem harsh but I only see them as stepping stones to my final goal. They'll help me get stronger. That's it. Although I am grateful to them— I don't want them to hold me back. I value human connections but I'm not afraid to cut them off if they come in the way of my goal. No matter how warm they make me feel... I won't hesitate to walk over them if I have to. Just like they did to me. Just like Araca.
After all in the end— you can only care about yourself.
I walked through the hospital corridors. The scent of antiseptic and antibiotics singing my olfactory senses— so bad I almost scowled. I entered the bathroom door. I didn't come here to do my business, no, I wanted to look at myself. I locked the door and stood in front of the mirror.
I then took off my hospital gown— leaving me only in my boxers. My body was marred with scars— a large gash across my chest, another on my abdomen, many all over my back and the one that almost killed me. The one on the left side of my neck. My body is frail— skinny. You could count how many ribs you could see.
I looked at myself— my eyes dripping with disappointment.
"If I couldn't even survive a fucking forest, how will I annihilate Araca…" I mumbled to myself in disdain.
I was angry at myself for being so… so weak. I need to be stronger. I need to be faster. I need to be smarter. I thought back to the moment when I killed a human for the first time— how disgusted I felt.
'I can't feel anything when I kill anymore… no point in feeling sad or disgusted… it's all for my benefit… and I'll be doing so much more of that… so much more…'
I can't be soft when I come across them. I can't ever let my guard down— last time I did I almost died.