Stab!
Stab!
Stab!
Andeen’s eyes widened in pure horror as the icy threads stabbed into the stranger.
"Honey!"
The razor-sharp lines of ice pierced through his jacket and shirt and into his shoulders, side, upper arm and neck. The force of the impact pushed him back against the closing doors of the building.
An agonised hiss left Cashel’s lips as the frost began spreading across his skin from the spots they hit, making him go still with the fear of getting frozen to death.
He recalled the state those mysterious men from before had faced, and even after almost forgetting that, he still remembered vividly how they froze up and, with just a single shove to the ground, shattered like rocks of salt.
"Cashel!" Andeen’s voice cracked as she screamed his name out loud again. She dropped her staff without thinking and sprinted towards him, leaving behind white afterimages.
Rain reappeared several metres away, where the other man sat watching silently, and her eyes widened when she spotted Cashel. "Ouu... that’s... that’s very bad."
Cashel staggered stiffly, holding himself up from falling. He pushed himself off the door and took a step forward only for his limbs to lock.
His eyes were locked on Andeen even as his blood began soaking into his clothes. Then, without warning or even summoning the damn thing, the system screen appeared directly in front of him.
[Alert]
[Player Andeen Altar has gained +1250 Combat Points]
[Reason: Successful multi-point strike on a registered Hostile/Target of Opportunity]
Cashel narrowed his eyes. ’Hostile?’
[Multiplier Applied]
[Return Loading....]
[Rewarded Points: 1200]
[Return Reward: 12,000,000]
[Total Points/Credits: 12,000,1760]
Cashel’s vision strained, as though he could not fully process what was in front of him. He raised his hand weakly and waved the window slightly aside so he could see Andeen rushing towards him.
She reached him in seconds, already summoning a soft blue healing energy around her hands. She placed her hands on his chest and helped him to the ground, unaware of how she trembled.
"Don’t move... don’t move," she whispered, practically shaking. "I’m so sorry I didn’t sense you in time. I thought it was..."
"I’m fine," Cashel said, though his voice was a little strained. He watched her carefully as the healing energy began melting the ice and knitting the wounds albeit slowly. While she worked he turned his focus back to the system window.
Another window slid into place beneath the first.
[Point Sources for Contractor (Andeen Altar):]
Combat victories against ranked threats (scaled by difficulty and restraint used)
Successful protection of designated individuals.
Completion of system-assigned missions/and others.
Controlled use of restricted abilities under observation.
[Syncing With Contractor’s System]
Note: Disclosure of sensitive information will be limited until both partners are in mutual agreement and support of the actions taken.
’So I eventually have to tell her about this, huh.’
[Current Status: Contractor recently reconnected after 224-day disconnection. Baseline points awarded for first verified combat engagement.]
[Note: All point gains for this contractor are subject to ×10,000 multiplier.]
Cashel frowned. ’Reconnected? It’s like a game with her too?’ he wondered, finally understanding the whole mechanics of the system. It was clear this world was one with game mechanics. Tempting and absurd but still real.
He scrolled further and leaned against Andeen, sneakily enjoying the cool feeling of her mana rushing into him and the warmth of her skin. Rain had moved closer and was cutting away the ruined parts of his shirt with a knife, whispering to Andeen about being careful.
Cashel glanced briefly at the huge man for a moment and averted his gaze before he could catch the look the stranger gave him.
Then a third window appeared, pushing the others backwards and transparent.
[New Feature Unlocked: Card Skill Set for Player and Swap for Contractor and binded individuals]
[New Feature Unlocked: Card Swap]
[Description: Exchange current system cards, skills, or temporary enhancements with compatible linked contractors. Recently unlocked due to contractor’s combat powess and mutual significant injury .]
[Available Actions:]
Swap one active card or skill with linked contractor (cooldown: 24 hours)
Purchase temporary upgrades using Return Points
Upgrade existing attributes or weapons with Return Points
Suggested options flashed in clean blue text:
[Suggested Purchase – 4000 Points]
Minor Regeneration Boosting Potion
[Suggested Upgrade – 6000 Points]
Enhance Linked Contractor’s Ice Control
[Suggested Card Swap]
Offer: Basic Combat Instinct Card
Request: Echo Mapping Fragment (Contractor side)
Note: Duration is based on the gap of the skills.
Cashel smirked internally. Finally there was a way for him to use skills and abilities he did not have, since his rewards were mostly temporary and he was certain his work would not be simple one-hour jobs.
Llong-term duties, then he would need abilities that lasted for a long time.
He stared at the number. Twelve million points. The multiplier had turned a modest combat mistake award into something that could do more than a lot.
That is, if they were not useless.
’Tch,’ he scoffed. ’Why can’t I have permanent skills? Absolutely unfair.’
Andeen’s hands stayed pressed to his chest, her echolocation locked on every shift in his energy. She felt the sudden spike of focus even if she could not see the screens.
"Cashel?"
He selected the minor regeneration boost without hesitation. The cost was negligible considering the new balance; he would not even hesitate to spend more.
Soon a clean cool sensation like cold water spread through his body, knitting the torn tissue and muscles faster than the natural and magical energy would have done.
Cashel’s expression remained calm, almost stern as Andeen’s healing magic merged with the magic from the potion. The ice had also melted, albeit fast, and the deeper wounds sealed and vanished like nothing had been there.
She kept glancing up at his face, clearly terrified that she had seriously hurt him.
"Cashel... talk to me," she said, still pouring mana into his body. "Are you in pain?" She knelt closer and bent her head, looking sideways up at him. "What’s wrong? Say something."
When her voice reached him, he blinked away the system screen and met her sightless gaze staring up at him like a child looking at their mother’s crying face from below.
Then he smiled. "I’m alright. More than alright, actually."
Card Swap... upgrade and exchanges.
Very, very extremely interesting.
’Heh.’
He took Andeen’s hands away from his chest, checking his arm strength to see if he still felt the muscles failing there.
He watched her sit back on her calves and place her hands on her thighs, lowering her head as a heavy sigh escaped her lips. "This is why I don’t use my abilities," she muttered under her breath, mostly to Rain who just stood completely out of the couple’s space. "I could have killed you," she whispered.
Rain snorted.
"So you’re scared of killing him and yet you tossed a million of those at me like I was some rodent to kill."
Andeen slowly turned her head towards her voice and frowned, instantly sending the message that she should move... with all due respect.
But she ignored it and turned to Cashel.
"I told them to take you to the lobby, not here."
Cashel chuckled softly. "Well, I impatiently asked to see my wife and you because I came to inform you both I’ll be entering the same dungeon with you tomorrow."
Rain’s eyes darkened instantly. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me right, ma’am," Cashel pushed himself to his feet and helped Andeen up before handing her the bag he brought with him. She carefully stepped back to access the contents while he faced her. "I joined the ARM and was assigned with the group going in with the SAMD, the First Division."
"That’s not possible."
He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
"Because the leaders are not particularly friendly with anyone named Altar, specifically Andeen."