Thanks to my paranoia and the advice of Thea and Uncle. I decided to abandon First Wave altogether. I literally spent less than three hours there, most of it transit and waiting in line, only to leave right away. Hilarious. Still, it was the correct choice as it was too risky to stay longer. The Big Four knew who I was, and Martials Guild most likely had my name on file.
I stirred too much trouble in the past month. For the rest of the year, it was best to lay low and let the attention fade before I made any big moves. That meant I shouldn’t take Jeon’s offer, because I’d be in constant contact with influential swords. Nor should I join a corp—as if I could get a job given my status as a whistleblower—because my hero complex. Really, I needed a job that was calm, lowkey, and hopefully didn’t pay me pennies.
Also needed to find a pig with wings while I’m at it.
Jokes aside, my career was a problem for another time, probably after our vacation to Korea. If worse came to worst… We’d move, but I didn’t want that. I actually liked Ordo despite everything. This crummy city felt like home.
Plus, I made friends. Damn shame I couldn’t cheer them on during their exams. I’d told them that the ruckus during System Articles had blacklisted me from the industry; it was a half-lie, but they didn’t question things as they had First Wave to focus on.
They did send me countless videos and photos throughout the event: Chunhua standing on top of [Leventis], Kotone with blood pouring down her nose, Vic laying on the ground pale as a ghost. They’d been enthusiastic in the first couple days, but they soon crashed as the days passed. Just waking up in the morning was an exam in itself. That was the hidden test I reckoned: endurance, seeing how well you performed while under constant strain and pressure to succeed.
They survived. I knew they would.
“I’m done! I don’t wanna be a Slayer anymore!” Kotone whined, slamming her beer-glass onto the table. Her cheeks were flushed pink; she was tipsy despite how she looked. Trust me, we all knew what Kotone looked like while drunk.
Beside me, Vic had his head down. Occasionally, he plucked a fry from his plate and popped it in his mouth. “I’m achin’ all over…”
Even Chunhua, a cultivator, was slumped. “It… It seems I underestimated the domestics… I haven’t felt this exhausted in years…”
Meanwhile, I was casually munching on nachos. “We could’ve gone to my place and crashed there, but no, someone insisted on going out. Look at you idiots. I’m not carrying your asses to the metro.”
Vic tiredly glared at me; what was he going to do? Punch me? He said, “Big words from a guy who didn’t even go to First Wave. I can’t believe the Big Four actually blacklisted you.”
I shrugged. “I’m not surprised. I didn’t do myself any favors, so I have no right to complain. Neither do you. You brought this on yourself—”
A fry bounced off my face.
Kotone laughed at my pain. “You deserve that, jerk!”
Chunhua put a hand on her shoulder. Her grip remained strong judging from how Kotone tensed. “Easy now, let’s not unload on Alex. He didn’t do anything this time.” (“‘This time’?”) “Since he complained about going out, perhaps he’ll be interested in celebrating our entry into the Big Four at his place?"
“Don’t get too cocky.” I sipped my beer. “Results don’t come out until next week, and you have the actual try-outs. Knowing Martials and Angels? Phew, good luck with that—“
Someone kicked me under the table.
For the rest of the night, it was like that. Usually, whenever I make fun of them, they’d snap back with their own “witty” response and we would argue from there. Tonight? Nah, they were too exhausted to flap their tongue. Instead, they assaulted me like throwing food, kicking me under the table, or flicking my shoulder.
I was rooting for them, though. They’d get an offer from at least one of the Big Four. After that, who knows?
We stumbled out of the bar, shoulder-to-shoulder, until we reached the midnight subway. They got off on the first station to Ordo University, leaving me mostly alone in a train-car with a couple other people. We minded our own business.
I scrolled on my phone.
> @slayerVS
>
> Since the First Wave is going on, I decided to give this week’s matchup an Ordo theme!
>
> No.13 Slayer of Ordo, Saga, Head Officer of Martials Guild, Blackviper
>
> VS
>
> No.12 Slayer of Ordo, Saga, Head Officer of Glory Guild, Silverhonor
>
> @cassiequeen
>
> ok they could fight but they could also marry me!!! i have two hands for a reason!
>
> @phenomena_society
>
> Attached was a picture of Sephirah Hamidi and her team standing inside a laboratory.
>
> Sephirah Hamidi and her team are making great progress for humanity’s next venture! We have harnessed the power of safely redirecting portals, soon we will be able to open portals ourselves and travel the multiverse!
>
>
>
> @jianghu_info
>
> The leader of the Mountain Fist Sect has reportedly been assassinated according to members from within the sect. Many speculate that the Demonic Cult is involved due to the sect’s open hostility and direct action against the Cult’s influence.
>
> @YolandaN
>
> After being convicted in his involvement with Sanctuary Traders, Ambush of Oasis Guild has taken to social media to lambaste the decision in a drunken tirade. He comments on the lead prosecutor, referring to her as “an overweight wh*re” and other similar remarks during his livestream.
>
> @javidriver
>
> nah bro wtf are these ticket prices i just wanna see a robot play the cello. fuck scrapers man imma hunt em down
>
> @gemmielove
>
> ngl i really hate lee yoonho like STAY AWAY?!?!! junhyeok DOESN’T LIKE YOU like you’re the reason why we need need *need* to eat the rich. like god i’m sick and tired of this community glamorizing chaebols, yall really need to educate yourselves and be serious abt fighting capitalism
I felt like my brain was rotting for every post I read. What else could I do, though? The ride back home was going to take a while—
My phone violently buzzed like I was holding onto a bee-hive. Strange, I didn’t recognize the sensation. It wasn’t a text or a phone-call nor an ordinary notification. I checked the screen—
> EmergencySOS
>
> ALTHEA SHEN has activated an SOS.
My phone buzzed again.
> EmergencySOS
>
> ALERT: ALTHEA SHEN’s mobile device has been deactivated.
I was on auto-pilot. Before I knew it, I was staring down her last known location: between Rook and Fielding Street. Rook and Fielding. Where was that? I heard of them before but where—? Right, I remember now. First Wave, or more accurately Primordial Plaza. The corner was along the way, at least where I traveled from.
Speakers buzzed. The conductor’s words went through one ear and out the other, but within the minute, the train crawled to a screeching halt. We stopped, the doors creaked open like old gears churning, and I faced a sign. Crusader Avenue. It wasn’t the nearest station to Primordial Plaza but close. It was close enough.
Now I had to find Althea. Find her last location. Figure out what happened. And…
And…
“Oh God.”
I sprinted out of the metro.
***
She wasn’t at Rook and Fielding. All I found was her phone laying underneath a bench, the screen shattered and the internal wiring exposed like bone underneath flesh. The pink case was peeled off, and her various adorned stickers were scratched into whites. It was like I was holding onto her severed finger.
I didn’t know how long I was holding onto her phone, but suddenly, I was bothering every person on the street. Over and over, I asked about a black-haired girl with silver eyes, about any strange shit, about fucking anything that could lead me somewhere. Anywhere. All I received were non-answers, hollow good-lucks, or apathetic clues.
Why was she here, anyway—? Right, fuck, she was hanging out with friends. She must’ve been coming back home until…
My heart felt like it was going to give out. I’d ran for so long just to get here—spoke a million words just to get nothing in return—only to just hold her fucking phone in my hand and all this city could do was honk their fucking horns.
“Hey!” A guy stopped me in the middle of the sidewalk. “You’re lookin’ for someone, right—?”
“What is it?” I gasped, feeling fire running up my esophagus. “What the hell do you know?!”
The man held his hands up. “Easy, chill. We were talking ‘bout it earlier, but uh, we think we saw Firebrand chasing after something. Toward the Plaza. Y’know, First Wave.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Firebrand? Why the fuck—?” I slapped my forehead. Stupid question, there wasn’t any time for stupid questions. “What was he running after?”
The guy shrugged. “Dunno, don’t ask me. I’d try askin’ security at First Wave if they saw anything.”
A lead. A pretty pisspoor lead, but it was a lead. It was hope. My legs were reinvigorated. Without thanking him, I went for another marathon—this time, Primordial Plaza. I recognized the route, I saw [Leventis] lit up like a Christmas tree. I’d walked the same path on the first day of First Wave. Tonight, there were a lot less people and virtually no blockades.
What the fuck was going on? Why was Firebrand in the area? What did he have to do with anything—? No, think, go over the details. Firebrand was another superstar in Angels Guild. He wasn’t the heir of a sect, but he had a flashy skillset, a “rebellious personality,” constant PR nightmares, and a flattering face.
More importantly, Firebrand was personally recruited by Seraph and Rector when he was fourteen.
Him and Celestial Empress were on the same team.
Was this about my run-in with Empress? Fuck. Either way, if I found one of them, there was a good chance at finding Thea too. And…
From tonight onward, we’d be entangled with Angels Guild. Of course. It was always us.
I ran to the front-gates sweaty and burning. All the lights were on. Right, First Wave was over as of this evening, so they should be packing everything up. Yet no one was here. Nobody. I didn’t hear demolition. No power tools, no voices, just the mechanical buzz of generators keeping the lights on. There didn’t seem to be anyone manning the security booths or patrolling the perimeter. It was like a ghost town—no, it was a ghost town—abandoned by the Big Four for no real reason.
I banged my fist against the iron bars. “HEY!” I shouted as loud as I could. “Anyone here?! HEY!” Even with making a racket, only dust investigated. Looking through the bars, I saw wilted cameras. They’d been deactivated.
What the fuck…?
“Dammit, fuck!” I punched the gate out of frustration, dull pain ringing through my arms.
Think! First Wave shouldn’t look like this. There should be an army of workers tearing this place down. Firebrand was seen in the area, Empress was surely involved, my sister was missing, what did this mean?
Putting the pieces together, it was simple.
Angels Guild had ordered every worker to evacuate Primordial Plaza; they had the power to do so. Why? I doubt they wanted this place empty just for us, but we were most likely connected to the true cause. As if I give a fuck.
I wanted nothing to do with it.
Either way, my answer might be in here.
I climbed the gate and landed safely on the other side.
“Anyone alive?!” I yelled into the Plaza, looking high and low for any sign of life. For good measure, I found random sheet metal lying around and kicked it, making some noise.
“Get out of here!” a woman’s voice startled me. From a rooftop, she descended about six meters ahead of me. A Slayer, evident by her outfit. It was eye-catching, but something you wouldn’t wear in public. It was inspired by the Jianghu but took some creative liberties, like her leggings and whatever her “cultivator robes” were. They’d been bastardized: sleeveless, asymmetrical, only went halfway down her thighs. Ivory and azure and demonic red were fighting for dominance.
Her [Loadout] was hideous but recognizable.
Celestial Empress stood before me, and when she finally got a good look at the trespasser, her next words were trapped in her throat. She gasped. “Shen?! How are you—why are you here—?!”
“Where the fuck is my sister?” I calmly asked, as calmly as I possibly could be. “Why is Firebrand chasing after her?”
“How do you—?!” Empress shook her head and braved a few steps toward me. “That doesn’t matter—”
“I think it very well fucking matters,” I snarled, stopping her from coming any closer. “You sent all the workers away, you sent Firebrand after Althea for no damn reason—” (“Shen, listen to me!”) “—shut the hell up!”
Empress shrunk as I raised my voice. Her hand instinctively went toward her waist, clenching as though feeling for a hilt. “Dammit, Shen, listen to me! You and your sister are in extreme danger—!”
“Danger from fucking what—?!”
“Let me finish my fucking sentence!” Empress roared over my protests. “Get it through your thick fucking skull, you aren’t safe here! Okay?! Your life is in danger, your sister’s life is in danger, that’s why we sent Firebrand to escort her! We want to protect you, not perform whatever conspiracy you cooked up inside your head!”
Shut up, I don’t care what excuses you give. I’ve stopped caring. I had enough. You and I both know that you can’t walk away from an incident like this as though it never happened. Chasing after my sister, saying we were supposedly “in danger,” even if that was the case… It meant I was right: you’d involved us into something massive.
Once again, our lives were taking a detour all because someone reached through the window and turned the wheel themselves. We now carried Angels Guild’s burdens, their skeletons, their politics, their secrets.
This was a bitter reminder of reality: our lives were never ours to begin with. No matter how much we claw towards our mundane ambitions—how much I struggled—everything could easily be taken away by one wrong person at the wrong place and at the wrong time.
They take and take and take, ripping pieces of our lives like vultures picking at a carcass. By the time the feast was done, we were left to reassemble the scraps and make something new out of ourselves. Then, it happened again, and again, and again. We rebuilt ourselves only to get torn down. More vultures tear at us, and all we could do was hopelessly swat them away before they took our arms. We’d be left as helpless husks with no tongue to speak with, and we could only watch with our wide eyes and turn inside our heads about where it all went wrong.
The truth was, no matter how much we assign blame or reason, it wasn’t our fault. That’s how the world worked. Things happened: to you, despite you, always you.
The peace we’d built was gone just like that. All because of Angels. All because of me. And tonight, the cycle started anew.
I’m sick and tired of it. Of everything.
All I wanted was… What I want is…
I took out Althea’s phone from my pocket, seeing my black and broken reflection in the shattered screen. I flipped it around and rubbed my thumb over the scratched stickers of animes and webtoons and whatever geeky stuff she liked consuming.
Empress breathed to recollect herself. “Shen—”
I dropped the phone. It bounced off the side of my shoe and clattered flatly on the ground.
“Shen…” A hand was on my shoulder. I was looking at Empress’s shoes. “Please, I’ll call some friends and take you to somewhere secure. All we want is for you and your sister to be safe, okay? C’mon, lift your head up. Tell me that you understand.”
“...Yeah,” I said as dead as winter. I moved my lips close to her ear. “I understand everything, Empress.”
Empress was about to speak but then sharply gasped.
“But I just don’t believe you.”
[Skill Error: Anti-Slayer Technique - Flow Reversal]
It was just a single impact. From an outside perspective, it looked like a damn good punch but there was more to it. Flow Reversal was a step horizontal to Sixteen-Point, where you instead disrupted your opponent’s internal mana flow and forced it to react against itself. The impact produced a violent reaction akin to an explosion. Afterwards, the mana flow would be obstructed for a while. The technique, though, was most effective when used against powerful swords.
The heiress of the Ryu Family definitely was one of them.
Empress was launched off her feet and got sent flying into a steel wall. She crunched into the metal and put a bitch-sized dent in it.
[Threat to life detected]
[Threat to loved one detected]
[Temporary Registration available]
“Slayer System,” I muttered, “activate [Temporary Registration].”
Pain. It felt like someone was shoving heated rods down my veins. I collapsed on all-fours, biting my lip so much that blood poured down my chin. It was the one thing that stopped me from straining my vocal-cords and rendering me mute. The pain centralized into my sternum, focusing there for an eternally long few seconds. Then, it was sent directly into my brain.
I couldn’t stop myself from screaming that time. I went limp, forehead cracking against the pavement, the hard surface muffling me. It was like someone was pushing against my skull from the inside-out. My eyes wanted to pop free, my teeth grinded together into dust, and my ear-drums begged to claw through my ear-canals to escape.
I went deaf, and the world went blindingly white.
And all of the sudden, everything stopped. The pain and pressure were gone, leaving only an intense warmth coursing through my blood. It was like I’d been soaking in a hot-tub.
In front of me was a familiar blue screen.
[Welcome back, Alexander Shen. As a Temporary Slayer, you have limited access to the System’s functions but you are able to use Skills like a normal Slayer. You will lose access once the danger is neutralized.]
[Please check your Slayer Profile before entering combat]
***
[SLAYER SYSTEM PROFILE]
Name: Alexander Shen
Slayer Rank: E-Rank Temporary Slayer
Skills: 4/3
Memento Recollection
Rank SSS
Type: Item Accumulation
Description: You possess the special power to materialize your interpersonal relationships as physical items. These items are called [Mementos], created when you have established a significant bond with an individual (the holder). Each [Memento] is ranked from F (weakest) to SSS (strongest) depending on the relationship.
The rank is dynamic. If the holder is deceased, the [Memento] will remain but its rank cannot be changed. There is no limit to how many [Mementos] you are able to acquire. You can receive a personal description of each [Memento] upon selecting it. You cannot use duplicate [Mementos] simultaneously unless explicitly stated.
This is an [Awakened Skill] and is thus always active without taking up a [Skill Slot].
Certain Shot
Rank A
Type: Concept Application
Description: Apply the Certainty Principle to any launched projectiles. They will hit their determined target in a theoretical reality, however still obeying natural law and logic in the real world.
Forged Skin
Rank A
Type: Body Enhancement
Description: Through brutal conditioning conducted by your uncle, your skin has become harder than steel and resist damages of almost every type.
Mana Impact
Rank C
Type: Internal Energy Manipulation
Description: Condense mana in a determined point inside your body and release it upon impact. You are able to control the quantity of mana condensed. Higher concentration will produce a more powerful result.
Acquired Skills
Home Cook
Rank B
Type: Cognitive Enhancement
Description: You are able to remember all recipes you have cooked previously down to the individual ingredients and measurements required.
Intimidating Presence
Rank C+
Type: Presence Enhancement
Description: Apply mild intimidation to any weak-willed individuals around you. You are able to toggle this [Skill] on and off at will.
Algebraic Mind
Rank C
Type: Cognitive Enhancement
Description: You can mentally perform difficult algebra without the use of a calculator.
Note Transfer
Rank C
Type: Reality-System
Description: You are able to transfer all contents from your [Notes] into physical documents or electronic files and vice-versa.
Undeveloped Skills
Anti-Slayer Technique
Rank SS
Type: Nested, Pressure Point Techniques
Linked Skills: Sixteen-Point Obliteration [SS], Sixteen-Point Incapacitation [SS] [✓], Momentum Kill [S], Flow Reversal [S] [✓], Phenomena Negative [S]
Description: Created by Alistair Romanos, your uncle, these techniques were specifically designed for a single purpose: to eliminate Slayers as a regular, Systemless human. Today, the Anti-Slayer Techniques are said to be the greatest and most coveted countermeasure against Slayers.
Acquisition Requirement: You must attain adequate mastery over all five linked [Skills]. Current progress: [2/5].
Mementos
Chain Gauntlets
Rank A+
Holder: Bastien Romanos (deceased)
Memento Type: Gauntlet
Description: The [Memento] of your father, taking the form of tightly-wound chains. His wisdom and teachings are crystalized within these hands. Above all, they contain his sins, his regrets, and his responsibility. Much like how your own hands have scars.
Special Effect: You may unravel the [Gauntlets] into long chain-lengths.
Yuzhou
Rank A+
Holder: Shen Xingyu (deceased)
Memento Type: Armor
Description: The [Memento] of your mother, taking the form of full-body armor. This [Armor] is protection. Warmth. Security. It will protect you from the outside world and endure as a constant reminder of her bright spirit. Always look towards the light, she says, and remember who made you smile.
Special Effect: When paired with [Chain Gauntlets], [Technique Daggers], or [Nightingale Watch], increase the rank of this [Memento] to S.
Technique Daggers
Rank A
Holder: Althea Shen
Memento Type: Dagger
Description: The [Memento] of your younger sister, taking the form of silversteel daggers. You’ve been through everything together, from the moment you held her tiny hand to today. Even if the world is falling down, you would crawl through Hell for her.
Special Effect: When using [Technique Daggers], you may summon additional [Daggers] up to the number of [Techniques] in your sister’s possession. The maximum is currently 4.
Nightingale Watch
Rank A
Holder: Alistair Romanos
Memento Type: Magick Firearms
Description: The [Memento] of your uncle, taking the form of matte-black magick firearms modeled after their real-life counterparts. He imparted you with many things: his infamous Anti-Slayer Techniques, his combat experience, and his philosophy. Violence can only be subjugated through extreme violence. That’s the way of the horrible world for people like us.
Special Effect: This [Memento] takes the form of individual firearms: [Nightingale Pistol], [Nightingale Rifle], and [Nightingale Shotgun].