The Astral soul system-Chapter 113: Humans are ugly

Zaine opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was Sable standing incredibly close to him while touching his face.

"You’re awake"

"Uh huh" Zaine answered before pushing her hand away.

"What are you doing here? I thought you left"

"I did,at eight in the morning. It’s almost eleven o’clock,i came looking for you. What are you doing sleeping in an alley? And what happened to your clothes ?"

Zaine looked at his clothes and noticed that not only were the sleeves gone but there were a bunch of burn marks everywhere, probably because of the lightning.

"It’s nothing, I’m fine "

Sable offered him her hand but Zaine just ignored her and got up himself.

"You can sleep in my room tonight if you want?"

"I don’t sleep"

"Hmm? But I just....why not?"

"Bad things happen"

Sable didn’t know what that meant but it wasn’t exactly a new feeling for her so she didn’t mind.

"Oh you found your bird...or Zen’s bird"

Zaine looked at the raven on his shoulder that was just sitting there undisturbed and could only answer "yeah"

He gently squeezed the crystal in his pocket. Thanks to this little guy he hadn’t gotten out of this situation completely empty handed.

Zaine checked his stats and his health and Astra had fully recovered. He’d spent the last few hours absorbing and cultivating and had made a lot of process, although it didn’t directly affect his strength, not yet anyway.

There was just one thing he had to do, and it seemed the system new exactly what that was.

[Quest reminder]

[Objective: destroy the tiger gang and stop what they’re planning]

[Bonus: Fifty exp for every member tortured and killed]

[Time to complete: 9 hours,25 minutes]

Theia suddenly appeared, sitting on his head and peeked down at him

"Tick tock big guy. We’re running late"

Zaine noticed that she seemed in better spirits but he didn’t think too much about it.

Theia beamed and kept urging him to complete the quest. She’d made her choice. Whether Zen or Zaine, they were both her host, and she’d gladly help them both to the best of her ability, despite their obvious flaws.

Zaine looked at Sable and started stretching.

"You can leave now,I don’t need your help."

"Help with what?"

"Mass murder"

He instinctively grabbed at his waist but he grabbed nothing but air.

"Right...i dropped the sword in the cave "

Almost immediately the raven on his shoulder took off, flying into the night.

"What happened? Why did it leave?" Sable asked but Zaine didn’t have an answer.

He suddenly felt something cold and slimy on his hand and the strange substance that covered his mark for him suddenly started oozing towards his fingertips before solidifying into claws around his nails.

Zaine was suprised but everyone else in his head just let out an annoyed groan.

"Finally, he’s doing something. I don’t know why but he’s been so silent. Next we just need to find out what happened to Zephyr"

Zaine didn’t know what Theia was talking about but it looked like this was another thing that Zen had acquired.

’impressive but I still need a glove ’ Zaine thought, and in response the black mass reformed into a fingerless glove.

’It reacts to my thoughts ’

"Sometimes" Theia replied.

"The lazy bastard’s been taking a vacation for the past two days. Damn crow" Theia complained, mislabeling the bird that Black possessed.

"Um... Zaine" Sable called, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Are you in there?"

Zaine stopped talking to Theia. Luckily she hadn’t seen what had happened with his hand.

"Anyway, I’m leaving"

Zaine was about to go when Sable stopped him.

"You’re not going anywhere looking like that"

Zaine looked at his jacket and shrugged.

"None of your business"

She suddenly handed him another jacket.

"Take it off"

"...why do you have another jacket?"

"I thought this might happen. Now put it on, it’s cold"

"I’m not bothered by the cold, besides isn’t this yours?"

"You’re family to me. Siblings wear each others clothes all the time"

"I barely know you. It’s Zen you’re talking about. And why is it blue?"

"I like blue"

"I like red"

"Well we can dye it later, now put it on "

Zaine groaned and switched his old jacket with the blue one. He really wasn’t bothered by the cold, even before he lost his humanity, but if it would get her off his back he would wear it.

"Great. Now where are we going?"

Zaine looked at her with visible confusion. Did she really know what she’s getting into?

’Well at least she doesn’t have an issue with blood ’ Zaine thought, remembering the scene of Sable licking his blood off a blade like it was the world’s sweetest honey.

Zaine was about to get moving when A holographic screen suddenly appeared in front of him, displaying a map.

"Theia what is this?"

"A map of the city, and the red dots are the tiger gangs bases. I copied the map that the system’s creator showed us and then used the information we got from that stone guy and the other one you interrogated to make this "

"Impressive " Zaine noted before he got ready to head out.

He looked behind him and noticed Sable following him and just sighed .

Zaine immediately started sprinting, the map had simply shrunk into the corner of his vision like on a computer, ensuring he always had the map.

He looked back to see Sable but strangely couldn’t find her.

"What are you looking for?"

He followed the voice and saw Sable running alongside him.

"Nothing" he answered before ignoring her and focusing on his sprint

In a few minutes they found themselves at the outskirts of the city.

Sable was looking around awkwardly. She’d never been in such a run down place before. She didn’t even think it was possible for a place like sentinel city to have slums but here it was.

"Shocked? Never thought your perfect little city could have something like this?"

Sable shook her head absentmindedly.

"It’s like this everywhere. It’s how they like it. I’d know..."

Zaine’s voice dropped to a whisper as he finished his sentence.

"I’ve burned enough places like this myself. It’s where they all go to escape eventually. Like rats, using every hole possible to get out, even the ones they filled with filth "

Sable on the other hand wasn’t paying attention. Something about this night was bugging her.

Her vision was a bit too clear,her hearing a bit too sharp. Now that the sun had fallen, something else inside her had awoken. She felt...freer. For some reason, the dark was more... comfortable.

Her hearing seemed a little bit sharper as she randomly picked details in the night even without meaning to, and her vision, despite still being dark was at the same time satisfactory. It was barely any different from daylight.

"What’s happening to me" Sable muttered while fighting off a slight migraine .

Zaine looked at the map. They were now in the area with the red dots and Zaine could immediately make out a few people that looked like his targets.

Noticing the look in Zaine’s eye, she was immediately worried as she knew he planned to kill them.

Just as she was about to stop them,her senses managed to catch something.

"Ahhh! Please boys. How could you do this? Imagine if it was your own grandpare-"

"Shut up old man! This was what you earned when you refused to pay your protection tax"

The sound of kicking and pained cries sounded and Sable’s hands stopped where they were.

"Please,at least let me family go"

"Shut up! We’re taking the brats. Come up with the money for us by the end of the week or they’ll be ours permanently. The boy,we can find a use for him,all he needs to know is how to whack a stick, the boss will raise him well. As for the girl,i can think of a few of our brothers who are in to the ones with a little less meat. They’ll have their fun taking turns with her for a few days straight before we sell her off, your granddaughter is going to grow up as a proper slut and there’s nothing you can do about it."

"No ! No please, I’ll get you the money. I swear on my life"

"What’s your miserable life good for,old man? Do you think i’m joking? Just to let you know we’re serious, I’ll show you right here and now a taste of your kids’ future. Let’s see if you’ll dare be late with our money again after i mess up your kids in front of you. Boys hold him down "

"No no! Wait please!"

The old man started begging and fighting to get free but he was too old and weak to escape his assailants

Sable’s hands stopped where they were as she was about to stop Zen.

Her eyes had started glowing a blood red as she stared at what was happening.

If there was one thing Sable was sensitive to,it was emotions. And right now she could feel nothing but pain. Pain and grief.

"Hmph "

Zaine scoffed, taking a glance at Sable before looking at the scene. His anger intense, but restrained

"Did you do that master? To motivate her?" Lilith asked, remembering his soul bridge skill.

"No. Humans are just... they’re just that ugly. I would know. I grew up with nothing but the ugly"