Stare~
"?"
The two individuals were locked in a staring contest.
One, a stone faced cold beauty with a sword pointed at someone's throat, and the other, a fairly handsome young man whose throat was centimeters away from being split open.
Gulp!
Seth swallowed nervously with his hands raised.
Logically speaking, he knew she had no way of killing him. She simply didn't have the kit necessary to do so.
But even then, logic can't erase the fact that just a few hours ago, he'd been an average college kid.
Killing and absorbing animals had already started warping something inside him—getting sliced open was pushing him to his limit.
His first experience dying was too quick and unexpected to leave an effect but now, he'd rather try avoiding it happening once more anytime soon.
After a few seconds of scrutinizing the man before her, the woman ultimately lowered her sword.
Seth breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "Disaster has been averted!"
"I do not know what you are," the woman flashed a cold look at him, shutting him up. "But since you're not a yoma, I'm not authorized to eliminate you."
"But you were trying to, though…" Seth muttered under his breath.
Even though she heard his remark, she paid no mind as she simply turned towards the monster corpses and nodded.
"My work is done. Someone will be sent to collect payment, you will give it to them," She said to no one in particular.
She spun on her heels and walked past Seth, their shoulders nearly brushing.
"Hey, uh… You gonna leave those?"
Seth pointed to the corpses.
Without stopping, she simply said, "The organization will collect them."
Organization? As in monster hunting? Sounds like a badass group… I'm sure they don't need so much, right?
Discreetly, he slid over to them and grabbed one— specifically, the winged one and absorbed it quickly.
Immediately, he felt a torrent of information being cycled inside his web of intrigue.
"Woah!" His eyes shot open in surprise.
He felt a sudden surge within his body.
It was a surge that felt completely different from when he absorbed the animals.
When he did, it was purely biomass.
When he absorbed the gargoyle—no, yoma.
It came with another aspect.
The corpse dissolved into him in seconds, breaking down and threading into his body like smoke getting pulled into a vent.
The wings were the first thing he registered—
Aerial combat has been successfully unlocked.
"Ooh…that's sick," he whispered.
But that wasn't what made his eyes widen.
There was something else.
An invisible pressure.
It felt like something coiled deep inside him, like a second heartbeat that wasn't physical but it revitalized him.
And like a dam being broken, it surged outwards from his core.
"What's this…?"
This new found energy pulsed once more—sharper, more vibrantly.
The air around him became thicker.
Like he could interact with it physically if he tried.
[That is yoki.]
The system suddenly came back online, its emotionless voice cut cleanly through his thoughts.
[Energy of a yoma.]
"System? Where have you been?"
Seth paused for a second but loosened when he realized it was his trusty companion. He hadn't gotten used to having another voice suddenly interrupting his thoughts.
[I've never left, but was simply inactive. I'm forever bound spiritually with the host.] The system said.
Seth sighed lightly, his thoughts returning to his newfound energy.
"Yoki?" he repeated under his breath.
Another faint pulse flowed through him, slightly stronger now that it had settled inside him.
With the knowledge and experience he gained from the yoma, his control skyrocketed—from a toddler with a gun to a seasoned marksman who no longer needed to think before pulling the trigger.
He flexed his hand, the yoki energy flowing in rapid response.
His eyes widened further.
"No way…"
[Name: Seth Donovan
Age: 21(memories)
Gender: default male
Race: Blacklight virus
Power: Blacklight physiology, Yoma physiology.]
His status window appeared involuntary.
As his eyes traced the blue screen, he found that more information was added under his power section.
"Yoma physiology… hey, did I become part yoma?" Panicked at the thought.
His head turned towards the direction where the woman had left.
"Heeee!" He jumped in fright.
"W-what are you doing here!? I thought you left!"
That's right. The woman was right behind him.
Her face was calm, the same as before, only her eyes were much colder plus her sword was drawn.
"I didn't have the time to leave before I saw you fiddling with the yoma's corpse, so I came over to check."
She had spotted him moving closer to the monster corpse and stopped to watch, it was then she witnessed the whole thing go down and quickly come over.
He was too absorbed in the feeling of the energy to realize her presence.
Shit! Why didn't the system notify me!?
[Not within my list of tasks. ]
You're a complete ass!
"L-look, I can explain!" He searched for a way to save his skin.
She didn't respond immediately.
Her silver eyes stayed locked on him.
Sharp. Searching.
Seth could practically feel her scanning him for any hint of corruption.
Any sign that he'd just turned into the thing she hunted.
The air felt tense again.
He swallowed.
She stepped closer. Not threatening or anything—just a little closer, enough to get a better observation.
Her gaze moved from his eyes… to his neck… to his chest… like she was waiting for something to pop up.
Her brows knit slightly.
A faint frown appeared on her pale face. Nothing?
Seth noticed immediately.
And because his brain defaulted to stupid when nervous—
"A beautiful lady like you shouldn't frown, you know."
"…"
Silence.
The words just… sat there.
Her eyes widened a bit as she stared at him blankly.
"…What?"
Seth internally screamed.
Abort. The mission has failed—
Successfully. She hadn't attacked him so I guess it was a win.
The tension eased up a notch.
She straightened slightly. "What did you do?"
Her tone was calmer now, her sword still in hand showing she was guarded.
He pointed awkwardly at where the winged yoma had been.
"I, uh… absorbed it."
"Absorbed," Her eyes narrowed in questioning.
"Yeah." He scratched the back of his head. "Like… nutrients? Vitamin C."
She stared at him.
He gave a weak smile.
"You know…Food. But with no chewing."
Silence.
The breeze rolled through the empty street.
Say something, you stone faced woman!
The constant silence of hers was getting to him.
"…You consumed a yoma," she said flatly.
"Technically? In my defense, it was already dead."
"That's not the point. It should not be possible."
She slowly looked him up and down again.
As far as she knew, once someone has taken yoma flesh inside their bodies, it causes certain irreversible changes to their skin, eyes and hair color.
He showed none of that.
The frown on her face deepened.
"Then how did you do it?"
Seth blinked, tilting his head to the side. "Do what?"
"Absorb it. How did you do it?"
"I don't know how to explain it exactly. It's just sorta come to me naturally," He scratched his head.
He lied through his teeth.
But what else can he do? He can't really just say he's a human virus that can do freaky things, right?
That would probably earn him crazy looks.
She continued to stare at him like she was trying to solve a math problem that had letters.
Finally, she put away her sword.
"Since you are not a yoma, I have no authority to eliminate you."
"You said that before."
She then turned to leave but not before saying:
"And do not consume any more. Those corpses are property of the Organization."
"Property, huh."
He glanced at the remaining bodies.
Then at her back.
Then back at the bodies.
…
Very casually, he crouched down and grabbed one.
Fwshhhh.
She stopped and turned to stare at Seth, only to see him staring up at the sky and whistling(spitting).
"What?" he said innocently.
She gave him the most unimpressed look imaginable.
"I'm sure they could share, right? Sharing is caring as my mother would say."
Then, apparently deciding he wasn't worth the energy, she turned and kept walking.
Seth rubbed the back of his neck.
"That went smoothly… What's up with that chick anyway?"
[It is recommended that host follow the female warrior.]
The system chimed in.
Seth blinked. "How so?"
[High probability of long-term benefit. Information acquisition. Power growth.]
He watched her figure shrinking as the distance between them widened.
"…Is she the main character or something?"
[Affirmative.]
He sighed.
"…Man. I can't just exist quietly, can I?"
She was getting farther away.
"…Ah, whatever," he shrugged before he sprinted after her. "Hey! Wait up!"
Chapter 5 end.