Chapter Twelve

"Ah your faces are to die for."

There was silence.

Fear.

It held them by their throats.

"Come on, I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

"A joke? Now?"

"Now I'll try it again and it better be funny or else..."

At first it was a blur.

Then something warm splattered across Park's face. Some of it got into his mouth.

It was metallic. He tasted it.

It was blood.

It was so fast. A blink and he missed it. The head rolled towards the Intruder's feet and got squashed beneath his boots. Red matter spread all over.

"...that happens got it?"

"So, nod your head if you under..."

"A...A... AAAAARRGHHHH"

"Wrong Answer."

Another head went flying.

"Please nod if you understand."

The rest nodded as they held in their muffled cries.

"Good or else you're dead meat."

There was awkward silence.

"You were supposed to laugh."

They were so dead.

"Wuhaha?"

"Wohoho?"

"Uh? Wuhwihwihwi?"

"Wuhehe?"

So dead.

"You guys must be taking me for a joke."

"What's his deal?"

Park was puzzled.

"Die."

And now he was sweating.

Five more heads were sliced off. They were treated like soda cans.

The roots started attached themselves to their headless bodies and rose. They jerked and twitched as the nutrients were drawn out of them. Their bodies were shrinking to the point where their clothes went loose and fell. It was brutal.

"Dead Men Academy. Now that's a solid one."

The fox broke into a manic laugh.

The dense formation of roots formed a tree of sorts. Its "Leaves" were slowly flapping in the wind. 

Park was the only one left.

The same blur that popped open their bodies was now dashing towards Park.

Park closed his eyes.

He could feel the wind as the blur rushed in for the final kill.

"What are you doing?"

There was a static crackle. 

What happened? Was that it? Was it over?

Park tried to open his eyes. 

He was still in the field. Head still miraculously attached. 

And the blur was right in his face.

But there was a glitch partially swallowing it. It was frozen mid-air.

He could see it now. It was one of the Amalgamation's colorful limbs. It resembled a curved blade with a veiny attachment.

Another intruder. How many were there?

"I clearly told you to watch over them, but you got carried away, didn't you?" 

"Why can't dogs take simple instructions?"

Another intruder?

How many were there?

The fox masked intruder went on his knees. Before him, a figure appeared from thin air. Had the same apparel except it had a different mask. The mask was shaped in the face of a dove.

The fox masked figure was shaking.

Was it fear?...

The slime attacked the dove masked intruder. Something shot out from the slime's back

...or rage?

She didn't move. She faced the full brunt of the attack. The fast blurs tore massive holes through her chest. Blood dripped from her mask.

"What's the meaning of this?" the figure calmly asked.

"You know you got a big mouth for someone who is just a rank above me."

"Always giving me orders."

"And those eyes. Always looking down on others. I really hate them."

He was slowly rising up.

"You were given very simple orders. Yet you bare your fangs at me and worse you blame me for your own incompetency. Humans can at times be such pathetic creatures."

"Fine. I'll give you what you so much desire."

The figure disappeared.

"Entertain me and I'll think about forgiving you." The sound echoed through the whole field.

"YOU THINK I WANT YOUR FORGIVENESS..."

"But no cheating."

The figure appeared behind the slime. Its hand jammed into the slime's abdomen and ripped out its core. The slime shrieked as it melted away into a colorful goop.

{CONGR#$@ATU%4LAT@3IONS}

[CONGR#$@ATU%4LAT@3IONS]

{YO@#U@#2 HAVE DEF$#$EAT...}

[YO@#U@#2 HAVE DEF$#$EAT...]

The dove masked figure raised its hand.

"No not yet."

The interface froze.

"Now show me what YOU got."

With a shout, he advanced.

Rapidly spinning roots whizzed towards her. Immediately they made contact. They glitched out of existence.

"Definitely that's not all you got, is it?"

All of his attacks were glitching away.

"Fine since it has come to this."

The fox figure took out a familiar small item from his coat.

An orb.

A white orb.

"Yes, it's time you got serious. Fight with your life on the line."

He cracked the orb.

Park's fears were confirmed.

There it was.

A worm.

He was going to gulp the creature, but he was caught midway.

"Just not that serious."

The arm and the held creature were blasted to smithereens.

He howled in pain clutching at his wound. It was karmic of sorts.

"You seriously wanted to gulp his kids?" 

"You know what they do to your kind over time."

"Were you really that desperate?" she asked.

Their scuffle didn't last too long. The attacker was clearly outmatched. 

"You clearly know that we were not supposed to make a scene."

"She will be displeased but don't worry I will redeem you."

"I will make you anew. You'll be useful again."

The fox was now up in the air. Held up by his throat slowly gasping for air. He tried a final attack, but it was deflected. Some pieces broke through her mask others scattered. The pieces whizzed past the goop carrying it along.

A red blur.

That was the last thing that Park saw.

Then they connected.

There was a squelch.

His vision went dark.

{[An abnormality has been detected]}

The dove looked at Park.

{[Multiple Frequencies detected]}

{[Ink is feeling refreshed]}

{[The last piece has been confirmed]}

{[The system has been greatly weakened by external influences]}

{[Ink is now analyzing the three fragments]}

{[The three fragments have been merged with the system]}

{[The fragments are disrupting the system functionality]}

{[An interruption has been detected]}

{[Ink has bypassed the system barrier]}

{[Absorbtion will begin]}

{[24:00:00]}

{[23:59:59]}

Her cracked mask exposed a smile beneath.

"You couldn't even pity our audience. Despicable being."

There was a crunch.

"Don't worry I'll fix your manners. Now let's go it seems he has woken up."

There was a bang.

A throb.

Silence.

They were gone.

The vines that held him went limp and he collapsed on the floor.

"Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Fucking Succubus. Gets me every time."

There were rushed footsteps.

"What happened here? Are those the kids?"

"Headless prunes."

"..."

"Just my luck."

"Wait someone survived?"

Park felt the steps approach him.

"Wow."

"The one guy I actually told to survive did."

"I should have told the rest."

"And you're breathing fine too."

"Guess I won't be getting that much of an earful after this."

"..."

"I hope."

He sighed.

"Why today of all days?"

There was a rumbling. The sky fractured bit by bit.

"At least you people defeated the boss."

"Ok come on, Upsy daisy."

With a grunt, Park was off the floo...

"Shit! Clothes!"

...or he wasn't. 

A few minutes later.

"Ok now I'm back, let's go."

Park was tired. His body went limp.

"Ok Piggyback it is."

"Snooze too while you're at it..."

Park snored off.

"Greeeaaaat."

2 days later.

"Urrrrrnnnghhh."

"Where...."

Oneee dayyy wee willl becoomeee oneeee...

{Congratulations]

{Corrupted fragments have been fully absorbed]

{The interrupt skill has been fully inherited]

{System has been absorbed by ink]

{Its existence has sharply risen]

"Has this become a thing now? Or did you just miss me?"

"Bubblegum?"

"Ella?"

"Hey Parkie."