Chapter 2: Slayer Energy

Hours passed, and Sonic regained consciousness. It was already nightfall, and the sky was adorned with countless shining stars once again.

Sonic wasn't sure if he was alive or dead, but as he tried to move, he felt a sharp pain in his back and chest. He quickly looked at the spot and realized there was no hole nor scar there. Additionally, the pain gradually faded away.

Sonic quickly stood up on his feet and dove back into memory lane. Clearly, he was alive and well, but how was that possible? He remembered being speared from behind, leaving a hole in his chest and being left for dead.

Right at that instant, a familiar voice whispered in his head. It was the same A-I system voice he had heard before falling unconscious.

< Welcome back, Slayer >

"Huh!" Sonic was startled as he swiftly turned around, expecting to see someone behind him, but there was no one.

"Whose voice was that?" Sonic asked himself, half-believing a ghost was nearby, but that wasn't the case.

Soon, the voice was heard again, sounding clearer than before.

< The Slayer system has healed you. >

This time, Sonic realized the voice was directly coming from inside his head. He blocked his ears with his hands in order not to hear another word."

"Oh no! Did I hit my head too hard?" Sonic ground his teeth. Just then, a reply came from his head once again.

< I'm a long-lost System with Slayer energy. Thank you for finding me, Slayer. >

"Huh! Oh no! I must be hearing things, or perhaps I'm dreaming," Sonic feigned ignorance to reality.

< You're not dreaming. You agreed to pairing hours ago. >

"What?" Max barked. And soon, it all came rushing back into his head.

< A body compatible with Slayer System detected. >

< Agree to pair for survival. >

< Pairing completed. Slayer System will now grant you Slayer energy. >

< Changes have been made in your body system to be compatible with Slayer Energy. >

< Memories are now paired with Slayer System. >

< Congratulations, you're now a Plain Slayer. >

< Your journey to become a Dark Slayer begins. >

"What? Did all that happen?" Sonic retorted.

"What journey are you talking about? Who is a Slayer?" Sonic's questions to the unknown voice in his head were endless with no room for receiving an answer.

"And what changes did you make in my body system?" Sonic added.

< Your race has been changed. You're no longer human, but a Slayer. >

"I'm no longer what?" 

"Just as Sonic wanted to ask more questions, he heard the howling of several wolves. To make things worse, the howling was getting closer by the second.

"Shit! I completely forgot wolves own these grounds," Sonic panicked as he prepared himself to run for his life. However, a holographic screen appeared in his face. For some reason, he understood the entire screen. It was almost as if he was wearing a VR headset, only he could still see through the holographic screen.

The holographic screen displayed a few messages that Sonic barely understood, but he slowly voiced them out one after the other.

< Threats approaching >

< Number of threats: 7 >

< Slay threats for rewards >

"What? Are you insane?" Sonic cursed at the system that displayed the holographic screen. "How do you expect me to slay hungry wild wolves?" Sonic barked and started to zoom off.

However, his weak legs couldn't get him anywhere before the wild wolves appeared in sight. The wild wolves surrounded Sonic, leaving no room for escape now.

"Shit! Did I escape death just to be eaten alive?" Sonic grumbled anxiously.

Just before one of the wolves could claw Sonic, he received an urgent message from the holographic screen displayed.

< Activating defense shield >

Immediately, a transparent force field generated in front of Sonic right before the wolf's claw could reach him, blocking the attack.

"Woohoo! Where did that come from?" Sonic questioned himself, and the A-I system replied.

< I did. >

Sonic then shouted, "Then kill these beasts if you can!"

< I wasn't programmed to fight, Slayer. The fighting is your duty. Fight back. Remember, you're no longer human but a Plain Slayer. Being a Plain Slayer is not as powerful as being a Dark Slayer, but you can take out these non-Magical beasts with ease. >

Hearing those words, he quickly picked up a sharp broken piece of wood from the floor and pointed it towards the wolves. He didn't even know what he was doing, but he knew he wasn't going to be eaten alive without a fight.

Just then, another wolf charged at him from behind. Sonic's instincts kicked in, and he swiftly turned back with the piece of sharp wood in his hand. The wood pierced through the wolf's neck, breaking every bone in its path as it shot out from the other side. The wolf fell to the ground, bleeding painfully as it died.

"I did it! I just killed a wolf!" Sonic triumphed, but it only made the other wolves call for backup, and soon, he was surrounded by ten more angry wolves.

But what gave Sonic more confidence at that moment was the message he received after killing one of the wolves.

< Number of Slays: 1 >

< Quest detected: Receive a Magic Beast Weapon for slaying five beasts. >

"Huh? I will be given a Beast Weapon?" Sonic's face brightened up after receiving this quest.

Beast Weapons were made from Magical beasts that are from other planets. The humans had to travel through portals to these planets, just to get materials for Beast Weapons. But the A-I system was offering him for free? Although it wasn't entirely free as there was a Quest to be completed. Killing the first wolf was too easy; maybe it was because he's now a Slayer.

"I guess being a Slayer isn't all bad," Sonic thought.

The rest of the wolves charged at Sonic from different angles, but with the piece of wood still in his hand, he stabbed another wolf in the guts.

< Number of Slays: 2 > Sonic smiled after receiving another message.

Soon, the force field generated again behind Sonic, indicating that he was almost clawed from behind, but luckily, the force field protected him once again.

Sonic realized that the attacks of the wolves were harmless to him since the force field was protecting him every time they tried to strike him. Knowing this, Sonic focused more on attacking.

He felt his body getting lighter and faster by the second. He jumped onto the next wolf and drove the wood right into its brain through its ear.

< Number of Slays: 3 >

< Number of Slays: 4 >

The messages could be seen clearly on the holographic screen, prompting a grin to spread across Sonic's face.

Now, it was just one more kill for him to complete his quest. He wondered what beast weapon he was going to acquire after one more slay.

In the commercial shows Sonic had watched when he was still at the orphanage home, there were lots of beast weapons advertised for sale. Each beast weapon was capable of unique and extraordinary feats, depending on which magic beast crystal it was built with.

Beast weapons were commonly used in close combat situations like the one Sonic found himself in.

Just as Sonic tried to pick his next target, the wolves heard a distant howling sound, signaling them to retreat from the fight.

"What is happening? Where are they going?" Sonic asked, but only his system was there to answer his questions.

< Enemies are retreating from battle >

Sonic felt slightly frustrated; he was very close to killing the last beast and completing his quest.

"I was this close!" He measured it with his fingertip.

< Your efforts will be rewarded, Slayer >

Said the A-I system, and the holographic screen appeared once again.

< 5 experience points have been rewarded >

< Experience points: 5/100 >

< Number of Slays: 4/5 >

However, Sonic didn't pay much attention this time around as he was more focused on himself.

"I felt lighter, faster, and stronger when I was fighting the wolves. It was almost as if I had the energy of ten huge men," Sonic said in excitement, feeling proud of himself after defeating the wolves.

Once again, the A-I system explained why.

< The energy you're feeling is called Slayer energy. With time, it will grow stronger, and so will your chances of becoming a better Slayer. >

"Slayer energy?" Sonic muttered.

"Come to think of it, he had only heard about Ora energies until now. So there's Ora energy and Slayer energy as well? Sonic thought to himself, but the A-I system was able to hear his thoughts and emphasized that as well.

< Human abilities are compatible with Ora Energy, but you're no longer human; you're a Slayer, and the name of your own energy is Slayer energy >

Sonic grinned mischievously. Ora energy or Slayer energy, he knew he was going to make the best out of it. In that instant, his mind raced back to his childhood dream.

"I'm taking the entrance exam tomorrow and beginning my journey to become a great Magic Militant. And maybe I should say hello to my friends." Sonic referred to the three bullies who almost killed him and left him for dead.