Paths of Extinction

Chapter 4 Urgent Mission

The fact that he, even for a moment, Zeke was able to manipulate Aether and even shoot a literal bolt of lightning should be a celebratory cause. However, as someone knowledgeable about Aether, Zeke knew that the dizziness he was experiencing was due to the lack of Aether within his body.

Ever since arriving on this planet, the human bodies saw a dramatic change and an irreversible change. One generation after the other, the humans adapted to this different environment and their bodies necessitated Aether as much as oxygen, meaning that, without Aether, one’s body would cease to function.

In essence, Aether has become a fundamental necessity for survival and though the majority of the humans living on The Aether Planet cannot wield this form of energy, they still have it lingering in their body.

This self-sustaining Aether should be, in theory, untouchable as its sole role was to help the body to adapt and survive in this Aether-shrouded environment. However, when Zeke used ‘Voltage Zap’, the dizziness and uncomfortable draining sensation meant that his body was being used as a storage. Barring the fact that such an occurrence should not be possible, having the life-sustaining Aether drained could lead to mutation or, in the worst scenarios, death.

For instance, the students in Erys would use the Ambient Aether to empower themselves and facilitate the molding and exertion of genetically acquired powers, which most of them generally would have. 

Afraid that he might seriously hurt himself, Zeke did not use ‘Voltage Zap’ again, especially since he was still feeling dizzy. So focused was he on the inexplicable occurrence that he spent the next two hours reading books and trying to make sense of the whole thing.

If the System was truly allowing him to make use of his internal Aether, then it would be a revolutionary discovery. Then again, he wasn’t going to tell anyone about it as he might become a lab rat or garner unwanted and hostile attention.

The best course of action was to keep with his regular training and, at most, use Voltage Zap once a day as it seemed to be his current limit.

It was definitely stronger than ‘Fists of Furry’, but, instead of relying on negative emotions and a strong will, it required Aether, which was logical but dangerous nonetheless.

After spending quite a bit of time refreshing his knowledge about the fundamentals of Aether and its forms, Zeke set out to do the Daily Tasks.

The night proceeded the same as before, from completing the regular tasks, which were becoming easier each time his Stats increased, to returning to the park and punching the same tree.

…

Strangely enough, Azmer and Rodrick behaved the same as yesterday and did not bother Zeke. They arrived later and were reproached by Erva Erayne, the Biology and Astrology teacher. In contrast to Christopher, Erva was a kind-hearted woman, respected and liked by all students.

Due to her leniency, the students did not have to keep their mouths shut and focus for the entirety of the lesson. Some would doze off and others would chat with each other with lowered voices, and though she would notice everything, she never complained or punished anyone.

Even towards a Defect like Zeke, she was always concerned about his well-being and would tell him to come to her office to talk privately in case he was being picked on.

In fact, Zeke thought about seeking her help but ultimately gave up. After all, even if he told her the truth, she would, at most, warn the bullies rather than take disciplinary actions. 

Her lesson was relatively short and when the bell rang, Zeke and all of his classmates went to the cafeteria to eat.

With the plate in hand, he went to a solitary spot and sat down, proceeding to eat in peace. 

“Your hands look worse today.” Remarked Amelia as she smiled and sat opposite of him.

“I tripped.”

“That’s such a blatant lie. Did you fight someone?”

“Maybe.”

Intrigued, she covered her mouth and curiously looked around. “Who? Did you win?”

“Nevermind that. Did you see those four from before? It’s strange that I’ve not seen them even once.

“Oh?” Disinterested, she shrugged her shoulders and explained, “Apparently, two of them are hospitalised. The last two have been absent too. None of them spoke the truth… probably embarrassed to be beaten by us Defects.”

“Hospitalised?” Zeke frowned and stopped eating. While he used a stone to strike their head, he did not expect to do so much damage. It could have been the rush of adrenaline and the desperation that made him underestimate the element of surprise and his strength.

They were hit unprepared and with a solid stone, no less, so it was reasonable to be seriously hit. Fortunately, none of them were accidentally killed.

“They kind of deserved it, to be honest. Anyway, do you want to hang out later? It’s the weekend.”

“I’m busy.”

“Eh! Aren’t we friends now? Come on, I know a good café in Kethra’s Arms.”

She pursued her lips and acted as if she was angry.

Even before enrolling into Erys, he didn’t have close friends he would hang out with. To go to a café with a girl was a first for him, hence his apparent hesitation. 

Eventually, after much relentless insistence from Amelia, he agreed.

“Fine, but only for a bit.” 

…

As it was Friday, the lessons ended earlier than usual, thus, as agreed earlier, Zeke and Amelia would meet at the entrance of the school.

“Since I invited you, everything will be on me.”

“Alright.”

The students of Erys, specifically the older ones in the second and third years, liked to regularly visit Kethra’s Arms and enjoy all it had to offer. From karaoke to fancy restaurants to arcades. 

It was on the weekends that this bustling district would be filled with students, all hanging out and having fun. As a friendless outcast, however, Zeke never got the chance to wander around. He would always take the first subway train home and hole himself at home, preferring solitude over socialising, which was the reasonable thing to do as a Defect.

“Ah! I almost forgot…”

With a mischievous grin, Amelia glanced at the stoic youth and, after a brief pause, she asked,

“Are you related to Maxine Orland?”

“She’s my sister.”

“Wow! Really?!”

While covering her mouth in shock, Amelia gave him a strange look. 

“I had some doubts but she really is your big sister! Why don’t you tell her about your bullies? If they knew your Maxine’s little brother, no one would bother you.”

“...”

Zeke abstained from giving a response. Maxine Orland was one of his two siblings. Unlike him, she was a talented student, one the best, in fact. She was a third year student and only had a year left before graduation.

 Amelia’s words might hold some truth, but Zeke never had a close relationship with his sister. They were on amicable terms, but they did not share anything in common, whether it was hobbies or distinguishable characteristics.

Maxine was an extrovert, a popular and headstrong girl, whereas Zeke was antisocial and the quiet and reclusive type.

If he went to Maxine, perhaps his problems would be solved, but, knowing his sister’s attitude, things might get worse and he would feel ashamed. 

The inferiority he felt against his sister and brother made him avoid them and never seek their aid. He wanted to resolve everything by himself despite his shortcomings.

‘Speaking of which, Max likes to hang out here a lot.’

While hoping he wouldn’t crosspath with his sister, Zeke maintained silence and continued walking, but Amelia wasn’t going to drop the matter so easily.

“Zeke? Why don’t you ask your sister for help? Even if you’re a Defect, you’re still her family.”

“I don’t like to talk about that. Speaking of which… What about you? Do you have any older or younger siblings in Erys?”

“No, I’m an only child. My mother is a teacher at a kindergarten and my father is a firefighter. They used all of their savings to get me into Erys.”

“Why? You don’t have any talent, so would it not have been better to study at a normal high-school?”

“Hehehe, I always idolised the famous graduates of Erys, like Sword Master Elric. I knew if I worked hard enough, I could be someone important. Inborn talent isn’t everything, you know.”

Zeke rolled his eyes at her response, which he completely disagreed with. While it was true that meticulous effort would lead to a successful life, there were still limits. Talent, or to be accurate, genetically inherited powers were more valuable and the most looked at criteria.

“What about now? After you’ve seen and experienced for yourself how it feels to be a Defect. Do you still think you’ve got a chance?”

“Of course! Power doesn't necessarily have to be related to Aether and the so-called magic. With good grades, I can be a Professor at the Oxylard Academy or even a politician. A diploma from Erys is almost priceless.”

“I envy your enthusiasm. In my case, my parents forced me into this life and, personally, I never had any grand aspirations.”

“Had? Did your mind change?” She glanced at his bandaged hands from the corner of her eyes.

“I don’t know what it is you’re doing, but, as a fellow Defect, I’ll be cheering for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Ah! It’s that café! Come!”

…

When the sky darkened and the street became busier, Zeke opted to leave even though he found his time with Amelia surprisingly entertaining, contrary to his prior expectations. As entertaining as it was, however, it was almost time for the Daily Tasks to be refreshed and he needed to be in full form to exercise and continue increasing his proficiency in Fists of Furry. 

While making his way home, Zeke’s thoughts were all about the four male students that tried to sexually assault Amelia. Even though it was possible that he hid the truth to avoid the embarrassment, it was still a bit odd. Two of them were hospitalised and it would make sense if their parents or guardians tried to seek the perpetrator.

However, absolutely nothing happened and that was enough for Zeke to feel apprehensive.

Absent-minded, Zeke made his way toward the subway station while taking the shortest route possible but that made him pass through the backstreet in which the incident transpired.

It was an inconspicuous spot, rarely frequented by anyone due to the putrid smell, the abundance of trash, and how cramped the whole place was. 

Zeke’s feet came to a sudden halt, his head turning ever-so-slightly to the side and his eyes staring at two bodies laying on the ground.

For a couple of seconds, he stopped breathing as he saw a pool of blood and a truly gruesome sight. The bodies belonged to none other than the students he fought previously, the remaining two which did not need to be hospitalised.

Excluding the dry pool of blood, the throats slit open and their eyes were literally removed, leaving a hollow and disgusting hole.

With a rapidly pounding heart, Zeke controlled his breathing and tentatively approached the corpses. He did not dare touch them, but the fatal wounds on their throats and the absence of their eyes made it crystal clear that they were dead.

Shocked to stumble upon this sight, he fearfully looked around but spotted nothing worthy of suspicion. He was alone, but that didn’t make him any less scared.

For a minute or two, the teenager did not know what to do. He took out his phone and was about to call the authorities but stopped at the very last second.

Assuming he was the first witness to this murder scene, he would be interrogated. His prior ‘confrontation’ with these two students would raise more problems and he would be suspected even though he lacked the strength to inflict such critical and fatal wounds.

Fortunately, he did not touch the corpses and kept his distance, but that wasn’t reassuring enough for Zeke. He leaned his face closer and examined the corpses, seeing no wounds except the slashed throats and the plucked out eyes.

Instead of informing the authorities, as would anyone in his position, Zeke did the opposite and decided to leave with haste.

[Urgent Mission initiated: Survive the assault]

The abrupt and unexpected System notification startled the youth, who gasped as a formless black mist appeared from thin air and shot at him.

In a fit of desperation, Zeke raised his hand and used ‘Voltage Zap’. Blue lightning currents appeared around his hand then, a thin bolt shot forward, clashing with the incoming mist and stopping it momentarily.

Alas, this poor attempt was futile as the assailant did not seem to be affected by the lightning bolt. The mist crept closer and closer and when it was about to hit him, Zeke felt a chill run down his spine, followed thereafter by the surge of a wall made of ice.

The wall was thick and successfully blocked the mist, which hastily retreated only to be struck by multiple high-velocity icicles.

A cry of pain originated from the black mist as the icicles made it distort and leak out sticky blackened blood.

Instead of attacking again, the mist swirled around then swiftly escaped the scene.

Still processing what was happening, Zeke turned his stiff neck and saw a girl slightly taller than him stand a couple of paces away.

She wore the familiar Erys uniform and a unique ashen hair that made her distinguishable with a glance. His lack of knowledge about Erys’ students notwithstanding, Zeke knew who she was.

“Are you alright?”

Once the black mist was gone, she glanced at the two dead students and asked him while deeply frowning.

“Y-yes.” 

He hid his shaky hands and meekly nodded his head. The girl, named Vanessa, crouched near the lifeless bodies and closely inspected them.

As for Zeke, he was rooted to the ground, staring at her with visible confusion and surprise. Vanessa was a third-year student, like his sister, and her popularity preceded her. Beauty, talent, skill, status, she had it all, moreover, she was on her way to becoming the top student of Erys.

“I didn’t do it.” Spat Zeke, trying to get rid of any suspicion. 

“I know you didn’t. It was all that mist’s doing.”

“That means I can go, right?”

“Go where?” She tilted her head, confused by his words.

“Home, obviously.”

“...”

It was difficult to read her expression, she kept intently looking at him. He had his hands behind his back and had a noticeably fake smile.

“You’re Max’s little brother. Stay here.”

By now, the effects of ‘Voltage Zap’ were getting stronger, but Zeke managed to hold his own and stopped his body from wobbling. It was unexpected that Vanessa easily recognized him, but since it unfolded like this, there was no need to lie.

Vanessa took out her phone and called two people, the first was Maxine and the second was unknown to Zeke.

He awkwardly stood there, his heartbeat finally calming down and the fear dissipating. 

Less than minutes later, three fast figures dashed from the alleyway, and at their head was Maxine Orland.

She was taller than even Vanessa, had raven hair made into a ponytail, and wore casual dark red sportswear.

“Zeke!”

Maxine appeared in front of him, panicking and frantic. She checked his body from head to toe, Zeke couldn’t even keep hiding his bandaged hands.

“I’m good, Max.”

“...”

She saw the bandages hands then glared at him, eerily silent. The momentary and uncomfortable silence was cut off by Maxine’s two companions.

They were her classmates, two boys, one wearing flamboyant clothes and the other an expensive grey suit.

“This is your little brother? Doesn’t look like you.” The flashily dressed young man whistled as he scrutinised Zeke. 

“He’s in Class E. He received a Golden Stars after getting the best score in Theoretical Aether Manipulation. For a Defect, it’s quite impressive, I must confess.” The second male student, who had a composed demeanor, pushed back his round glasses and sneered at his friend’s ignorance.

“Shut up both of you!”

Maxine’s berating made them step back and whisper to each other while sneaking glances at Zeke.

“And you… what are you even doing here?”

“I was going home.”

Maxine ignored the bandages hands, attributing them to something else. Once she made sure he was unscathed, she cursed under her breath.

“I told you living in the dormitory is better. It isn’t safe here.”

“Just because I stumbled upon a murder scene doesn’t make Kethra’s Arms dangerous.”

“It’s not just a murder scene, these have been-”

Vanessa, who innocently tried to clarify, was cut-off by a piercing stare from Maxine.

“I need to deal with this whole mess. James and V will take you home.”

Zeke shook his head and replied on the spot, “It’s fine, I go by myself.”

“He’s got your courage, at least! Hahaha!” V, the talkative guy burst out in laughter, clearly not taking Zeke seriously.

Maxine did not argue with her brother, nor did she let him have the final say. She busied herself with the corpses with Vanessa. James and V, on the other hand, beckoned Zeke and escorted him to the apartment’s doorstep.

The trip, although short, felt like an eternity as the two were asking him a lot of questions, though they were either about his parents or Maxine’s childhood.

…

“Say, Max, is your brother really a Defect?”

“Mhm? Of course he is. I told our parents he shouldn’t be in Erys but they were adamant. I told him to come to me if there’s any problem, though.”

“Strange…”

Vanessa looked at a tiny hole on one of the nearby walls. She definitely saw Zeke shoot a bolt of lightning from his hand, one which- albeit weak- did slow down the mist for a fraction of a second.

“These poor kids, they’re the same as the other victims.”

“I don’t think it’s just a hobby of his, Max.”

“What do you mean?”

Vanessa looked at the empty eye-sockets, feeling nauseated. “He’s targeting either the residents of Kethra’s Arms or students. I think he’s looking for something and It has something to do with eyes.”

“Perhaps. Whatever his motives, we need to find him before anymore are killed.”

“You should look after your brother, Max. He might still be in shock.”

…

Once home, Zeke seated himself on the couch and took deep breaths as in an attempt to bring clarity to his turbulent mind. Whether it was stumbling upon the bodies or facing the mist, it all happened so fast that he barely had the time to think things through, especially after his sister appeared.

He needed to be alone to assess the situation and try to piece together the known facts.

First and foremost, there was the Urgent Mission initiated by the System. Abrupt as it was, Zeke paid it little heed then, instead worrying about his safety.

[Urgent Mission Completed!]

[You gained 3 PE]

[You gained 5 EXP]

Voltage Zap was used in the spur of the moment, and although his aim was correct, it did almost nothing to the assailant. Were it not for Vanessa’s timely help, he would have suffered the same fate as those two male students. 

Admittedly, dangerous situations like those were not common, nevertheless, Zeke became aware of his inadequacy more than ever, his thirst for power was unquenched.

While feeling the piercing pain from his knuckles and fingers, Zeke clenched his fists and mumbled inaudible words. 

After he mused to himself for an indeterminate amount of time, he ate something then immediately started doing the Daily Tasks.

The singular stat addition might have felt intangible, but, overall, Zeke could feel a slight difference in his Stamina and Strength. It wasn’t a significant power-up, but further ignited his motivation.

That day, when the Daily Tasks were finished, Zeke went to the park and punched the tree until his arms could no longer move and his body refused to obey. 

“I did it!”

Three days, that’s how much it took him to fully complete the proficiency of ‘Fists of Furry’. 

[Skill ‘Fists of Furry’ has reached 100% Proficiency!]

[+5 EXP]

[+2 Strength]

[+1 Agility]

[+2 PE]

[Sub-Path ‘Fighter(2 PE)’ can be unlocked]

[Sub-Path ‘Pugilist(4 PE)’ can be unlocked]

 [You leveled up!]

[+2 Aether]

[+2 Strength]

[+2 Agility]

-

-

[User: Zeke Orland]

[Race: Human]

[Level 2 (5/30 EXP)]

[Strength: 22]

[Agility: 21]

[Aether: 9]

[Paths: Martial Arts (1/12) Active | Aether Voltage (1/22) Inactive ]

[Skills: Fists of Fury(Proficiency 100%) - Aether Control(Proficiency 2%) - Voltage Zap(Proficiency 20%)]

[Available PE: 7]

[Available Paths of Extinction:

Pyromancer Path(5 PE)

Hydromancer Path(6 PE)

Electromancer Path (10 PE)

Fighter Sub-Path(2 PE)

Pugilist Sub-Path(4 PE)]

Comparatively speaking, his stats have more than doubled. The Urgent Mission rewards, coupled with the mastery of ‘Fists of Furry’, allowed him to level up and obtain a decent amount of PE.

Zeke sat on the grassy ground, his back leaning against the tree. He wiped the sweat off his face and looked at the translucent System windows.

With the amount of PE he had now, he could unlock either Pyromancer or Hydromancer. From their names, he could guess what type of Paths they were, and both were super interesting. 

The Fighter and Pugilist Paths, on the other hand, were more ambiguous and less self-explanatory. For instance, Fighter was a general term, thus, apart from ‘fighting’, it was hard to guess what it was exactly about.

In due course, when he was weighing the pros and cons of each available option, Zeke allocated 1 PE into the Aether Stat, 3 PE into the Aether Voltage Path, and the remaining points were spent equally on Agility and Strength.

The thought of unlocking the new paths was undoubtedly enticing, however, Zeke wasn’t of the mind that diversity would help him.

For now, what HE needed most was a tough body, capable of withstanding a couple of hits, at the very least. For that, Agility and Strength had to be increased, as that would also facilitate the Daily Tasks.

As far as he knew, the available paths would remain and could be unlocked later on if the required PE were procured. 

The Aether Voltage Path focused on Aether, which was paramount to Zeke. If the Aether Stas did indeed increase the Aether within him, then it stood to reason that, the higher it was, the easier and less physically stressful it would be to execute skills like ‘Voltage Zap’.

‘Fists of Furry’ was able to incapacitate a student of Erys, presumably someone talented, but said student wasn’t prepared, nor did he retaliate. Plus, close-quarter combat was disadvantageous against opponents that wielded long-ranged abilities, which was also why Zeke preferred the Aether Voltage Path over the Martial Arts Path.