21 New abilities

For 20 minutes, Victor absorbed every word the girl had to say.

She divulged information about the Emberwing Academy, the survival test, and even about herself. But what piqued his interest the most was her mention of a treasure hunt she and her friends were undertaking.

"I've told you everything I know. Please, let me go," the girl pleaded.

Victor's eyes narrowed, and a sinister grin spread across his face. "Well, I've changed my mind," he declared.

In a split second, his hands morphed into sharp, deadly claws.

The girl's eyes widened in horror, but before she could react, Victor slashed her neck with merciless precision.

Slash!

Warm blood seeped from the grievous wound.

"Y-you, why..."

With a final breath, the girl crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

A cold expression clouded Victor's face, "The first human I killed was a girl..." He muttered.

Despite the steely look in his eyes, Victor couldn't suppress the slight tremble in his hands.

This was his first time taking a human life. He knew he needed to become accustomed to the bloodshed and the act of killing.

The divine stealing system compelled him to kill others to gain their powers, and he had to shed his naive attitude to grow stronger and avoid making costly mistakes.

In this world, excessive kindness was unnecessary. He would do whatever benefited him and avoid anything that might harm him.

In his previous life, human limitations and strict modern laws had kept people in check. But in this new world, those constraints were gone, and humans had the power to do anything.

Victor gazed down at the lifeless form of the girl and crouched beside her. He hadn't wanted to kill her, but her unique power had intrigued him too much to resist.

He gently placed his hand on her cold skin and closed his eyes. In the next instant, he sensed a new energy coursing through his veins.

[Congratulations, you have successfully obtained the power of Blade Summoning]

Upon opening his eyes, a satisfied grin spread across Victor's face.

"Blade Summoning, huh?" he mused aloud, relishing the sensation of the newfound ability. "So that was your power."

Victor stood up, feeling the newfound power coursing through him. He decided to test his new ability immediately, focusing on summoning a blade from thin air.

Victor clenched his hands in the air, his focus unwavering as he tried to summon a sword out of thin air.

One minute.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes passed, yet no sword materialized.

With a frustrated sigh, Victor released his grip, his expression darkening. "System, how can I use this power?" He decided to consult the system for guidance.

[The girl's Blade Summoning power is at a higher level than yours, enabling her to create blades from the ground and command them to fly.]

[While you haven't mastered it yet, your Blade Summoning power can only conjure blades from something you can grasp.]

Victor frowned upon hearing the system's explanation. No wonder he couldn't summon a sword like the girl had.

Scratching his head in confusion, Victor's gaze fell upon the sword hilt the girl had wielded earlier, discarded on the ground. He picked it up and studying it closely. Then, a smirk crossed his face.

"Let's give this a try," he said.

Focusing his attention on the hilt, Victor felt the hilt's energy surge as he channeled his newfound power.

And in the next instant...

Slash!

A gleaming blade sprouted from the hilt!

Victor's eyes widened in surprise, quickly followed by a satisfied grin.

"So this is Blade Summoning," he mused, pleased with the outcome.

It was now clear that, for the time being, he could only create a sword from something he could physically grasp, such as a sword hilt.

"Regardless, this is a useful power. It will prove invaluable once I've honed and mastered it," Victor declared.

After that, he secured the hilt into his spatial ring. Then he glanced upward, noting that the sky had darkened, night descending upon the forest.

Instead of fear, determination coursed through Victor's veins. With a powerful leap, he landed on a sturdy tree branch, the rough bark beneath his feet providing a stable foothold.

Recalling the information the girl had divulged, Victor set off through the treetops, gracefully navigating the dense forest canopy.

This time, he was intent on claiming the treasure for himself.

*********

Deep within the shadowy heart of the forest, four individuals huddled around a crackling campfire.

The flickering flames cast an eerie glow upon their faces as they shared a meal of freshly grilled pork, the succulent aroma wafting through the air.

Despite the warmth and the meal, an air of tension hung heavy around them.

Alicia, her brow furrowed, finally broke the uneasy silence. "Where could your friend be?" she inquired, her voice laced with annoying.

The blonde man seated across from her chewed thoughtfully on a morsel of meat, his eyes narrowed as he pondered the situation. "I'm not certain," he admitted, swallowing the tender bite. "She was meant to join us here. Could she have decided to flee instead?"

"I find that hard to believe. Mia assured me that we'd stay together; I doubt she'd run away," the man clad in an Emberwing Academy uniform countered, his tone resolute.

"Should we search for her?" the blonde man proposed, concern etching his features.

The group fell silent, contemplating their next move.

Finally, Alicia spoke up, her voice firm and decisive. "No, we'll press on with our quest for the treasure."

The others exchanged glances, weighing the decision. After a moment, they each nodded in agreement.

Rising to their feet, they extinguished the campfire, allowing tendrils of smoke to snake into the air. With renewed determination, they ventured deeper into the forest, drawn ever closer to the hidden treasure that awaited them.

Unbeknownst to them, Victor perched on a tree branch above, his eyes gleaming with sinister intent, and a sly grin stretched across his face.

"I've found them."