Lucy

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Trait 'Cold Blooded' has evolved into trait 'Stone Cold Killer'!

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I let out heavy breath as I stood over the corrupted, a large crated had formed in his face, his forehead curving inward from the guillotine kick.

Blood covered his entire face, and his face was so disfigured that it was hard to tell he was anything remotely human once. 

A large crater had appeared on his forehead, his eyeballs had collapsed under pressure as skull fragments and blood poured from the empty eye sockets and mouth. 

Pieces of bone were visible as they cut above his skin causing a jarring appearance. 

However, I didn't have to look at his corpse for much longer as it began disintegrating into grey ash, mixing with a puddle of his blood. 

I took heavy breaths as the agonizing pain in my sides persisted, I grit my teeth and clenched my fists in an effort to bear with the pain that was as fresh as ever. 

'I killed him.'

I felt no remorse, I had told myself a thousand times I was going to kill what was once a human, but the effect on me was not as great as I had imagined. 

'He was no better than the beasts I hunt.'

I told myself as I dragged myself to the unconscious body of the other awakened. 

Blood poured from his scalp that had been cut open and his forehead was dented. 

He was probably not getting up any time soon. 

I wrapped my hands around his neck and pressed. 

*CRACK*

As he wasn't resisting, his neck cracked and as I let go of him, his head bent at an unnatural angle slopping to the side but soon he disintegrated into ash as well. 

I pulled myself up as I rested on the train seat for a moment, clutching my side in pain as the adrenaline wore off. 

"Um... are you alright?" 

A soft quivering voice made me look up to find the academy student.

I had trouble speaking so I simply nodded.

"H-here! this should help with the pain!"

I was too tired to see what she was doing, but it didn't seem malicious, and I didn't have the energy to interfere.

A wave of gray mana reached my core and then spread to my body, I felt some of my strength return and the pain subside for a moment.

"It's only a temporary buff, we have to get you proper care!" 

She said in a panic, looking outside the train window but no one was at the station, it had been evacuated the moment the corrupted attack began. 

"Thank you." 

I took a moment to look at my wound and I could understand the concern of others. 

Externally it looked like a second-degree burn, blisters, swelling and scarring causing a disgusting sight.

However, oddly a thin black flame still danced on the wound, not spreading just causing pain. 

I got up as I headed to the storage compartment, I could do at least this thanks to the spell.

"Hey where are you going? You need to rest!"

The green haired student said as I began walking. 

I didn't reply as I walked past the crowd of passengers who looked at me with fear. 

I wasn't surprised as what I had done was very brutal and would likely traumatize some of them for a while, for which I felt some remorse.

Reaching the compartment containing briefcases and cases stacked on each other, I retrieved my weapon case and bag. 

From my bag I pulled out a low tier potion worth 10000CR and some bandages. 

It was a lot of money, but I didn't expect to come out of the fight unharmed. 

Safe to say I didn't expect it to be this bad either. 

I didn't expect a newly corrupted to launch an infernal strike. 

It wasn't very potent; the pain was bearable but at the same time I understood why I hadn't seen him coming. 

He had stepped into a different dimension or realm, the infernal realm and struck me with its corrupting power, tiring himself out in the process. 

I drenched the bandages in the potion before wrapping them around my exposed wound.

"Argh..." I let out a groan as the pain intensified with a stinging sensation but now, I had covered the wound, and the pain was more manageable. 

I looked at my weapon case with a bitter expression. 

I planned on helping others outside of this train, but it didn't seem like that would happen. 

My capabilities in a head-to-head fight were dismal especially when outnumbered. 

*CRRK*

I snapped back to reality with the sound of glass cracking. 

It was the student again; she was trying to break the cracked glass to let in air and let out passengers. 

An invisible force bore down on the glass as more and more cracks began appearing on the glass till it shattered. 

"Phew..." 

The student then used mana to clear out glass shards, making it safe for passengers to use the window as an exit. 

One by one, people began to leave, some throwing a glance back at me, some offered thanks, some gave looks of disgust. 

Soon the train was empty except for me the student and the target of the corrupted, the beastkin girl. 

"Ok! Come on!" She said as she extended a hand to me. 

"What?"

"I'm going to help you get to a hospital!"

She said with determination as the usually silent beastkin girl nodded. 

"I... I can walk."

I said as I got up shakily.

"Ah... ok."

Oddly she sounded a bit disappointed but soon introduced herself to interrupt the awkward silence.

"Ahem... I'm Lucy and this is Ela."

Ela the young cat beastkin bowed slightly towards me. 

"I'm Ajax."

She nodded before glancing at the bandaged wound.

"Is the pain bearable? We can rest here for a while if you want to." 

"I'll be alright." 

I clutched my side as I walked pressing the potion drenched bandages against the wound, giving brief respite from the pain. 

"I'm sorry. I just stood by while you were fighting, I should have at least cast support spells, but when I saw those things, I couldn't -" 

She paused mid-sentence looking away out of guilt.

"It's alright, I got hurt because of my choices." 

"If you didn't fight, they would have taken Ela and killed everyone else!" 

"You would have defended her if I didn't." 

"Maybe, but even if I had the courage, I doubt I could beat those two." 

She said a bit bitterly as an invisible force acted as a platform to help me jump out of the broken window easier. 

"I train with mana a lot, but the problem is my affinity." 

Stepping on the invisible solid platform, I couldn't see any elemental affinity that was behind its creation. 

"I don't really have an elemental affinity." 

Looking at the step with mana vision, I saw only pure mana particles, all elemental particles being repelled. 

"All I can really use are basic buff spells, energy spells or low-level telekinesis, anything with neutral mana, which is only useful for things like this."

She said, as the weapon case I was dragging began levitating beside me. 

"Thank you." 

"No problem."

She replied with a smile.

"So, what about you? Are you an academy student as well? You sound a bit young, and that combat prowess was no joke." 

"No, it's a bit complicated but I work as a mercenary." 

She paused for a bit before shrugging.

"It's none of my business anyway, besides we should get out of here first." 

I nodded as we stepped onto the empty platform. 

The low droning sound of an alarm siren rang through the halls from the outside, echoing through the empty tunnels. 

There were signs of a stampede, flipped over merchandise and chairs, left behind phones and bags as well as several sets of footprints. 

Following the route to the closest gate I heard the concerned cries of the passengers once more. 

"What the hell is going on?" 

"It's the same as Ironguard! We're all doomed!"

"Calm down! They won't send forces to the same place twice; we'll be safe in here!" 

As I approached the crowd seemed to give way and I could see the condition of the city outside. 

The sky was somehow dyed a shade of ominous red even though it was mid-day and thick smoke cut through the air as fires raged on in different parts of the city. 

The most prominent ones from here were a fire at the main academy castle as well as one at the Lilac House hotel, the flames being visible from miles away. 

The blaring alarm and sounds of a raging fire added to the apocalyptic scene. 

'The academy should be fine.' 

Lucian and the rest could take care of it there and some instructors should have stayed back. 

I wasn't sure of the hotel, it's close to the mercenary headquarters, that was the only hope. 

"What are we going to do now? Wait for the-" 

A person started speaking but Lucy stopped him. 

*THUP*

I could understand why, I heard footsteps, faint but close. 

"Everyone get back!" 

Lucy commanded in a hushed tone. 

People were confused but as she was an academy student, they obliged. 

"Ela, you too, go with them." 

She urged the young girl to go but she seemed hesitant.

"I'll be fine, I'll be there in a bit."

Ela nodded before following the crowd, throwing repeated glances to us. 

I grabbed the levitating weapon case, opening it and drawing the bow and arrow. 

"Will you be, ok? Let me recast the buff, it works on focus, so it may lose effect during the fight." 

I felt the effect of the spell again, as I drew an arrow and tried nocking it.

'Ah...'

I winced in pain as the wound opened up slightly due to the motion. 

The draw force of the bow had never felt so significant before as even nocking an arrow proved to be a challenge. 

Lucy threw me a concerned glance but looked back to the gate as the footfalls grew louder. 

*THUP* THUP*

Soon, a beast came to sight from the window. 

A crimson hide with black streaks on it, four legs with razor sharp claws at the end, a contorted face with tar black eyes and razor-sharp teeth dripping with blood and a tail that had a spiked end. 

It was a Crimson Mane Tiger, a low rank beast of hell. 

A beast that should never have been in the city this early.

My first negative butterfly effect.