68 "How Very Interesting"
-Notice-
Host has infused <49> souls into five different Mana channels. Host currently has <1000> souls.
Zero felt the souls enter his right fingers before a coolness washed over them. 'The feeling is barely noticeable.' Zero moved through the steel door before starting to turn. As he was turning, he was suddenly hit on the left side. Zero willed himself to faze through the wall like normal, however instead of rolling back to his feet, he slammed into a hard surface.
Zero's vision went black before the light came flooding back. Rapidly blinking to allow himself to see, Zero found himself looking up at a large creature that he knew all too well. 'A Dragon... made out of bones...' Zero watched as an outline of a person walked to the edge of the stairs before stopping. After only a moment, the person spoke.
"Able to walk through walls as well. That's an impressive assortment of abilities." Zero could instantly tell it was the leader of the high school group. "Nice...Dragon." Zero tried to speak, however, he could already feel that he was on the brink of death. Gem started to laugh as she turned and looked back at the dragon, however, Zero was already ignoring her. 'Activate Soul Displacement.'
Zero sighed as he watched the Dragon's head bob left and right. "Blink." Zero looked back at Gem, whose face was now visible. The look she was donning was one of both confusion and anger. "Blink?" Zero smiled, his jaw erupting in pain as he did. "Blink." Zero appeared above the dragon's skeletal figure, grabbing the dagger out as he fell. Zero lifted the dagger above his head before driving it down onto the dragon's spine bone. There was loud scrapping before a cracking echoed throughout the area.
Zero looked down at his dagger, which was now nothing but the hilt. When he didn't feel the familiar cold feeling that came with his ability resetting, he quickly extended his pointer finger before pressing it against the bone below him. Before he could will a Death Beam to fire, he was suddenly hit from behind, causing him to slam into and through a pillar.
Zero's eyes flew open, only to find his body wasn't responding to him once again. 'Window, what is happening to my body?'
-Notice-
Host's body has been severally damaged.
"I'm impressed you survived that." Zero couldn't see who had talked as he was currently on his stomach, however, he knew from the voice that it was Gem. "..." Zero tried to speak, only for a muffled groan to vibrate out of his throat. Zero heard a scoff, before the shuffling of feet. "Gem... He only has 1,000 souls." Silence filled the area, before Zero started laughing, the sound coming out as repeated raspy exhales.
"Where are the souls." Zero figured he was going to die anyway, so he simply closed his eyes before willing his ultimate ability to activate. Zero opened his eyes a second later, finding a familiar view before a window appeared. Zero pushed it away as he sat up, grabbing his phone before punching in his grandmother's number before calling it. "Hello."
"Zero!! I just got a call that you're in the hospital! What happened!" Zero couldn't help the single tear that fell down his face as he spoke, keeping his voice neutral. "I'm fine Grandma. And I love you." There was silence for a moment before his grandmother spoke again. "I love yo-" The call ended before she could finish. Zero's hand fell to his lap, the phone falling out and onto the ground.
He stayed in that position for a moment before he stood and changed his clothes. As he walked towards the door, he was suddenly holding onto an item in his hand. Zero looked down in confusion, finding he was gripping the timepiece. Before he could do anything, a Window suddenly appeared in front of him.
-Notice-
A Sponsor would like to send you a message. Would you like to accept the message?
(Yes) (No)
Zero clicked yes before reading the new Window.
-Notice-
<The Time Keeper>
(How very interesting.)
Zero stared at the message before flicking it away and recomposing himself. Without pause, he opened the door and raced out. Everyone in the area turned toward him in confusion at the sight of a teenager sprinting out of a hospital room. Zero turned right before racing towards the other Host's room. As he arrived in front of the door, he found multiple bodies lying dead in the hallway, the area completely void of blood.
Zero turned and walked into the women's room, finding an older woman was horizontally suspended five feet in the air by large red needles from both the ground and ceiling. "I didn't expect another person to arrive so soon." Zero turned and faced the familiar figure with a blank face before a Seeker Beam raced out of his hand and stabbed through her head. once more, the woman didn't have time to react before she was dead. Zero walked forward and grabbed the singular darker grey soul that exploded out of her body.
-Notice-
<12 >Soul has been absorbed.
Zero shrugged at the difference in souls before turning and sprinting out the door towards the emergency staircase. Once he reached it, he quickly ran down to the Guard's floor before rapidly knocking on the door. "Let me in! please! There are monsters out there!" The opened, only to reveal a man in a uniform he didn't recognize. "Quickly, get inside!" Zero was herded in and through the metal gate before he found himself in a large group of people.
He recognized the people as those from the man's illusion, however, they were all moving differently than before. Zero instantly knew the man must have modeled the illusion after real people. Due to being in a hurry, Zero raised his hands and willed Seeker Beams to fire from his fingers. The first to be targeted were the cops, before targeting the non-cops.
Zero walked back out into the stairway with a bag and duffle bag filled, as well as 43 souls richer. He quickly made his way down to the bottom floor before bursting into it. "GLEG-" The loud ear-ringing roar of the Ogre was cut off as a Seeker Beam slammed through its skull. Zero ran over and reached out before touching the floating dark grey soul.
-Notice-
<381> Soul has been absorbed.
