CHAPTER 76: [ XCXUL ]

A single ceiling fan paired with the air conditioning system was all it took for Alexander to cool down.

The mark on his chest was still burning, the voice of the entity still whispering in his ears like a constant stream of air whistling.

Sunder and Stella were talking near the door, they had taken him to a room deep inside the stadium.

Besides the couch he sat on, there wasn’t much in the room.

A small refrigerator, a table, chairs and some magazines to pass time.

There also was a clock on the wall, its ticking a constant reminder of how long his pain lasted.

"This rune on his chest, we were told it would only serve to protect him against the entity. Because he’s a cultist we let it slide, but if it’s hurting him..."said Stella.

"It’s hurting because it’s working," replied Sunder.

"Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? He stops hurting when it’s working?"

Alexander heavily sighed.

Despite barely being able to stay conscious, he couldn’t hear anymore of that conversation.

"Stop. I beg."

His voice was weak, but as they heard him they got closer.

Sunder handed Alexander the rest of the potion, yet Stella violently snatched it from his hands.

"Really?!" she said.

"What?"

She got closer, and after posing the bottle on the table she laid her hands on his chest.

She was close, but it wasn’t the first time.

She wore that look again—flushed cheeks, eyes filled with anticipation.

"You’re going to heal him? It’s not your job," said Sunder.

"I know... but since the others won’t..."

Light emanated from her palms, it was like a feeling of serenity flushed through him. He could feel its warmth as it spread through his body. That, paired with that magical probing sensation he felt the first time he met her.

He felt like complaining, but since she was healing him complaining wouldn’t accomplish too much.

She eventually stopped, the light dissipating as she stood up.

"How do you feel now?" she asked.

"Better," replied Alexander, massaging his chest.

His vision wasn’t as blurry, and the heat from the rune wasn’t as strong.

Stella sighed.

"Finish the potion, you’ll be in shape for your next fight."

Alexander nodded, she then waved at the both of them and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Sunder exhaled, as if he had just gone through a long day of work and only just sat down to relax.

He let himself fall onto the couch, next to Alexander who’s gaze was stuck to the ceiling.

"So, how was your first fight?" he asked.

"Easy."

Sunder shrugged.

"You took longer than you needed. Why?" he asked.

"I wanted to test my new spell, and I wanted to see what Silver was capable of."

Sunder was playing with his rings, rotating them on his fingers while absently answering.

"Hm, I see."

Alexander raised his hand, with a thought his profile opened.

[ Name : Veil ]

[ Level : 38 ]

[ Archetype : Specialist ]

[ Class : Beholder ]

[ Fate : Command, — ]

[ Effects : Darkness, The Weight, Eldritch Perception— ]

Eldritch Perception?

He had high hopes, the title of that new effect sounded like something that could be a game-changer, but upon looking into its description, his shoulders dropped.

I’ll feel danger, or so it says. How will I even feel it? This couldn’t be any more cryptic...

"What’s it look like?" asked Sunder still staring at his own hands.

"Level 38," replied Alexander, in thought.

Sunder raised both eyebrows and whistled, his head turning toward Alexander.

"I’m jealous. Wish I could send a companion to level up for me," replied Sunder.

"It’s not fast enough," replied Alexander.

"Not fast enough? You’ll never be satisfied, huh?"

"It would be faster if I didn’t have to go through this tournament."

"Yeah, yeah...Your next fight starts in thirty minutes."

"Why am I here?" asked Alexander. "The real reason."

Sunder stopped playing with his jewelry, and scratched the back of his head.

"You’re a cultist."

Alexander waited a moment.

"Right, nothing we didn’t previously know."

"Cultists grow into powerful dungeon runners. Unchecked, your power is extremely volatile. You have the power to influence those around you, force people to do your bidding or alter people’s psyche. You remember Xcxul?" asked Sunder.

"Xcxul? Yeah. He’s the reason cultists have such a bad reputation, and the reason why they created a list of forbidden classes. He was a serial killer."

Sunder chuckled.

"True, to the public, which you were a part of, that’s the extent of who Xcxul was. To dungeon runners who’ve been around long enough, he’s a walking nightmare."

Sunder looked at Alexander, and looked up with his eyes while pulling his skin down, showing the bottom of his eyeball.

Confused at first, Alexander looked closer when he noticed something odd.

It was tiny, carved on the eye itself—a rune.

Not just any rune.

"This looks a lot like what I have on my chest..." he said.

"It’s the same thing," replied Sunder who let go of his eye. "This is an early version of it, at least. It’s not as complete, but it gets the job done."

Sunder laid back, then crossed his feet on top of the table.

He was looking in the distance, in thought.

"Civilians hate you because you’re associated with a serial killer. Xcxul was much worse than a serial killer, which is why dungeon runners hate you so much more. At least, those who were around when he was."

"That’s why you have runes on your eyes," replied Alexander.

"And that’s why the guild doesn’t take any chance with cultists anymore. If I hadn’t been around when you awakened your archetype, you would be in a tight box under the guild’s headquarters."

"He was that bad?"

Sunder smiled, yet this one wasn’t devious or mischievous. It was a soft, genuine one.

"The damage he has done is immeasurable. Countless lives lost, some of those not dead yet. Cultists have that invisible magnetic pull, and once people start orbiting around them they might lose themselves."

Sunder’s tone was dark, yet calm.

"What does Xcxul have to do with why I’m here?" asked Alexander, going back on topic.

"He’s not dead," replied Sunder.