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Part Seven

While the students were still cheering about their win over the mutated monsters, Nick was going in the direction to find Katherine.

He was disappointed in himself for losing sight of her; it was his responsibility to keep an eye on her. However, he was too emerged into the fight to keep track of her.

Nick did not expect anyone would make a move on her during that time, when the students were around. He did not even detect a new presence in the area.

In his sight, he saw light blue color moving at a fast pace. From the outline of the figure, he could see that they were being carried. However, he could not see the color or the outline of the person carrying them.

He couldn’t help but click his teeth together as he increased his pace.

If Katherine were dead, she would not have any essence left inside her body.

Since there was an attempt on her life earlier, shouldn’t this also be a chance to kill her? Why would this person carry her around if they only needed to end her life?

Nick started racking his brain for answers. Yet, he could not come up with any.

As he drew closer to them, he heard a small click sound. With haste, he moved out of the way, and an explosion happened. Nick was thrown backward, but his body was not harmed.

He realized that the other party had caught sight of him and placed a trap. They did not want him to catch up to them.

All the more reason for him to do so.

Nick fixed himself and rushed off once again.

“Nick, Fred has cleared his side and has discovered something. It would seem that all the monsters are under some sort of control.”

Roland’s voice echoed in his ear.

Nick did not forget about him, but the guy did not have much of a presence. He recalled that during the fight against those mutated beasts a few shots were fired, but they were not from any of the students surrounding him. It could only come from Roland.

“Yes, I’ve also come to that conclusion as well. I just do not know how.”

Nick told Roland as he continued at his quick pace.

“Wait a minute; I'll connect us all to the same frequency.”

It was only a few seconds before Nick heard a small buzz sound in his ear. After he heard some voices.

“There we go. Everyone is connected.”

Roland said in a relieved voice. It would seem that this would make his job easier, he did not know why he did not think of this before.

“How’s the newbie doing?”

Darren’s voice came through.

“Alright, how are you hanging?”

Nick replied.

“Too much work, I kill one and two more appear. Honestly, I just let them go past me and head towards the first years.”

“Darren!”

Roland shouted.

“What? Look, there is an even bigger target, and these beast are not hard to kill. The freshman students should be fine.”

“He is right. Our time could be used more wisely. Instead of fighting off these beast we could have found the source.”

Fred agreed with Darren.

Although Fred cleared his side single-handedly, if he used the students to his advantage there were other things he could have done.

“Fred, if you would.”

Roland said in a calm tone. He was no longer upset at what Darren did.

“Right. The waves of beast are not natural; it was caused by someone.”

Fred stated.

“Yes, but how could they control them? I don’t think any EXO user is capable of such a feat, and what kind of organization could make an item that will control mutated beast?”

Nick questioned Fred.

Darren on the other end started to laugh lightly.

“Newbie, there are still some things that you don’t understand.”

“Darren stop it. This is only his third week of school; I doubt Nick has a grasp over everything.”

Roland commented.

Nick was confused as he listened to them. They knew something he did not, but what was it?

“Nick, there are some things that are kept a secret in the EXO community. Although it is not that much of a secret, they do not like it to reach the children's ears. As the children might get corrupted by it.

We learn the bright or holy path of EXO abilities, but there are also dark sides to EXO abilities. Your ability is strengthened far more compared to that of an ordinary EXO user, but the cost of doing so is your life.

When this path is unlocked to you, your essence core changes. The essence you have is no longer pure but is more demonic. It is known as V-State.”

Fred explained to Nick.

During the time that Nick hung out with his sensei, he has never learned about V-State. If Fred knew what it was, then his sensei definitely knew about it.

“It is simple. If an ordinary control user can manipulate inanimate objects, a user in V-State is able to control the living. To turn all the mutated beast in this place against us, the person is not normal.”

“Normal? The person doing this is a monster. They’d make a great target.”

Darren added in.

Nick was honestly surprised. If a person had achieved a state such as that, then the power they hold would be immense. Why did they have to give up their life?

He has heard of people signing devilious deals in exchange for something more significant. However, he never heard of anyone giving up their life.

Although he wanted to know more about it, he would not actually ask them. Since it was not told to him by his sensei, she must have wanted to keep him away.

The world does not seem to be kind to him though, as it has brought what she wanted to keep away towards him.

“If you spot anything, let us know. That is not something a first year could deal with.”

Roland said, but sounds of bullets being shot were heard in the background.

“You’re still shooting?”

“Arthur's side seems to have met with some trouble.”

Roland replied instantly. He did not seem bothered by the shooting; it was like this was natural to him. He could concentrate on his target and talk to others at the same time.

“That guy.”

“I can hear you.”

Arthur's voice echoed in Nick’s ear as he quickly replied in a slightly angered tone to Darren.

“So? Hurry up and finish, what is taking you so long?”

Hearing the way Darren was speaking to Arthur, Nick was sure that Arthur’s eyebrows were twitching. That guy did not like to be looked down upon, and that is exactly what Darren was doing to him.

Arthur did not reply to Darren, but bullets could still be heard.

“Tha-”

As Darren was going to say something, a loud explosion could be heard in the background. Static came through from Darren’s side, but he did not say anything, or he could not say anything.

Nick glanced up, and he was able to make out dark smoke rising in the air. It was still dark out, but he was able to see it.

“Darren, you alright?”

Roland asked.

“I’ll go. He might have stumbled upon the person behind this mess.”

Fred commented before he headed off in Darren's direction.

Nick himself saw that Katherine stopped moving and was placed on the ground. It would seem that he was also catching up to his target as well.

He could not sense the other figure, but he was sure they were somewhere by Katherine's body waiting.

Nick approached her; he noticed dried blood on the side of her lips.

She did not appear to be harmed other that the dried blood he found. Nick glanced around his surroundings. It was an open field filled with short grass, no flowers and trees enclosed the space.

If Nick were not using his ability, he would not be able to see past the trees due to the darkness.

At his feet thick black fog rose, covering the entire area.

“So you are the one following me.”

A voice called out, but Nick still could not sense anyone.

The black fog rose up to his Knees; it shrouded Katherine making her body not visible to the eye.

“It would be nicer if you showed yourself, rather than hiding in the shadows.”

Nick stood up from the ground; he already looked her over. She was unconscious but still alive.

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it. I did not expect a mere student to be able to track me.”

The voice called out in a calm tone.

They did not seem upset at Nick for following them; it sounded a bit like they were surprised.

“I did not expect someone to steal Katherine from under my nose.”

“Katherine? Is that what she calls herself now?”

The voice asked.

“If not that, then what else would she be?”

“Subject number five.”

“Subject? Nonsense!”

“You talk like you know, but I only speak the truth. Since you do not know, I shall not tell. Instead, you shall die.”

Nick felt a cold wind go past his neck sending a shiver down his spine. Instantly he backed away. A second later, a swoosh sound could be heard. Nick saw the blade move if he did not move his head would not be attached to his body.

He looked up and saw those deep red eyes that contained no emotion. An orange glow emitted from his chest area, and his dark blue wafuku was half worn.

Due to the orange glow that came from the sphere that seemed to be etched in, Nick could make out the circular tattoo on his chest.

Nick’s eyes opened wide, as he recalled a moment from his past.

“Nick you have potential, and you work hard, but if you continue to look at my butt, your mother will find herself without a son.”

The long black haired woman said as she hit the young boy on the head with what seemed to be a wooden stick.

The young boy grabbed his head to try to ease the pain.

“Aka- I mean sensei I can’t help it. You wear those clothes everyday knowing I'm a man, what do you expect me to do.”

Her glare told him not to call her by her first name. Their relationship was strictly that of Master and Disciple, nothing more.

“You’re lucky I even stumbled upon you. Without me, your talent would go to waste.”

The young boy laughed.

“No one is stronger than me!”

The woman glared at the young boy and drew a symbol in the dirt.

He watched her with great interest.

“No, there are stronger people out in the world. The world is wide, never think you are the strongest person. The moment you believe you are that is the time you are at your weakest.”

She pointed the wooden stick at the symbol.

“There are a few people your sensei try to avoid. Anyone with this tattoo is one of them.”

The young boy studied the symbol, and let it etch itself into his memory. If his sensei said it, then he best avoids them too.

“Sensei, who are they?”

She glared at him again. He knew asking questions was forbidden, but she did not think that it would harm him if he knew.

“They call themselves, Delirium.”

“Delirium?”

Nick muttered to himself, but the red eyed man heard him.

Those eyes that seemed to pierce into a person's soul narrowed.

“So you know.”

Truthfully, Nick did not know much about them. He only knew that they were a worldwide terrorist group with unknown goals. If Xeno users were number one on the government's watch list, then these guys were number two.

“A little. Did not think the first encounter I would have with one would also be one that's a modified human.”

The orange sphere in his chest told Nick all he needed to know. He knew what modified humans were, and he knew that what they did to their bodies were not normal.

The government could not stop them from messing around with their bodies, but that did not mean they looked brightly on them either.

A person who went through an experimented with their body could turn into anything. Unless you saw what they were capable of first hand, it was hard to get a grasp on their real strength.

“That's right.”

He took a step forward, but Nick could not feel any essence inside his body.

A person who has the ability to peek into others body and find out their essence can be strong. However, if a person has the capability to hide their essence from them, what would they become?