Arbert, whose body turned dangerously thin and on the verge of collapse, moved his head to the side and looked at the three standing next to the bed.

He focused, especially, on the tearful Sulong who was holding his hand.

The local physician under Jennifer’s command had informed them that Arbert wouldn’t be able to make it past today. Instead of letting him suffer for a bit more, Sulong, after a lot of convincing, reluctantly agreed to let the Witches offer Arbert a peaceful death.

Although Arbert had been with them for a short period of time, no one of them considered him strange or unworthy of sympathy and grief.

“If there is a way to bring you back, we will find it.” Resolutely stated Zeke as he stared back at the hollow eyes of the red-haired old man.

“N-no…”

Arbert shook his head while faintly smiling.

“I’m happy.”

“Come on, man. You’re one of us now, surely there’s a way to get you back.”

Jack turned his head to the side and stutteringly uttered those words.

“I…”

Sadly, Arbert didn’t have the strength to speak. His monitored vitals went completely silent and his breathing ceased as he entered an eternal slumber.

Whatever the physician had injected into him, it worked and ended his life in the most painless way possible.

Jack tried to console his friend but Zeke shook his head and dragged him outside. He wanted to let Sulong mourn alone for a time.

“This really sucks.”

Jack stomped the ground and took out a cigarette only to throw it to the side and grunt. He glanced at the youth next to him and patted his back reassuringly,

“You’re not blaming yourself, are you?”

“I just think…” Zeke clenched his fists and continued, “I’ll do better next time.”

“It might sound cruel, but his happiness was never meant to be. If you and Sulong didn’t find him, he would have led a much shorter and worse life. We should honor his life.”

Zeke stared at the man, feeling ashamed that he was the one being consoled instead of the other way around. He realized that, in reality, he was emotionally weaker than Jack or Sulong.

…

The next day, all the Witches, along with Freya and Jennifer, were standing in an orderly fashion.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

Although it wasn’t an appropriate place, the commander still prepared a funeral for Arbert and all the Witches who died.

Jack and Sulong carried the huge coffin and, following the instructions, buried it at the top of the valley, next to dozens of other empty graves.

Sulong had recovered, and though his eyes were red from all the crying, he managed to keep himself together and finish the funeral without getting emotional.

When everything was said and done, he and Jack went to the van and sat there, enjoying the sunset in silence.

Meanwhile, Jennifer had called Katrina and Zeke to talk about the present affairs.

“We’ve searched for the assassin from Black Wing but he seemed to have fled. You will, however, encounter him were you to directly head back home.”

Before Zeke could object and offer an alternative, Jennifer raised her hand to stop him and continued,

“With a Special Agent within this side of the border, I took it upon myself to call for back-up from the Department of Defense. Due to the urgency of this ordeal, they will arrive tomorrow morning. With them escorting you, you won’t have to fear any ambushes.”

“So you called the snakes to your den? Very good.” Sarcastically retorted the disheartened Zeke.

He didn’t want to meet up with the agent just yet, as there might be spies from the Vyrsan family.

“They sent the best of the best. Since you were planning to return home anyway, I’m sure you got something that will deter them from locking you up. Stop being childish and be obedient for once, you annoying brat.”

“...”

Zeke venomously glared at her but opted for keeping his silence. He couldn’t run away from the camp undetected, especially with Jack and Sulong with him. Therefore, the best way was to comply and rely on the agents.

The two-week long break has ended and it was high time to return to Erys. Although the normal classes didn’t benefit Zeke that much, he still wanted to compete with his peers. Furthermore, under the Principal’s watchful eye, he would be protected from any of the secret organizations, the Vyrsan household, and the people planning to eliminate him due to his connection with the System.

Until he had the strength to defend himself from all dangers, he had no choice but to rely on outside assistance. Still, with the rate he was improving, it won’t be long before he could act independently and start building his own business.

….

Meanwhile, at the Western border of the Witch Association.

A group of at least 10 4-star Witches was embroiled in a fight against one human.

The slim and black-haired man was surrounded by a swirling black mist, a frightening spectral entity floating above him and protecting him from the bombardment of spells.

“Stop him!”

The Witches were led by a 5-star Witch named Emilia Sapp, someone of equal rank to Jennifer Savbra.

Jonathan Stellar Link was cornered and almost subdued, his body riddled with injuries of all kinds. Still, as he knelt on the ground and gasped for breath, his left hand was holding a blinding golden light, which was shrouding a mysterious object.

When the light integrated itself into his body, the man let out a loud cackle as his body was flattened by a monstrously large hand made of black-colored metal.

Emilia snorted angrily and approached the unconscious man, displeased to see the clear mark of the System engraved on his body.

She had failed in stopping him in time, but the fact he was at her mercy was a blessing. Instead of killing him, she commanded her subordinates to bind his body with multiple layers of magic before dragging him back to the camp.

He would be brought before the Witch Queen, who was the only one capable of deciding his fate.

With so many Witches dispatched to take care of the matter, it would have been an easy task to catch Jonathan. However, the man was exceptionally tenacious, that and his suicidal actions to delve into the dangerous ruins and retrieve the dormant System.

Now, he had officially become a System holder, which made him a special breed that should either be locked up or killed on the spot.