Another round of battle had begun. Rubble from broken buildings littered the streets, smoke curled into the air, and the stench of blood, sweat, and burnt flesh clung to the wind like a curse.
Maybe because it's a curse. Vark stood in the middle of it all.
No. Not Elias.
Not the foul-mouthed, reckless bastard Elias
But Vark Draven. The Destroyer of the World. He wasn't supposed to appear twice in a fight, but he did. He was even shocked, wondering how it happened. He suddenly vanished when the blue screen blared at him, with a few seconds remaining and now, he's back.
"Is something wrong with my body?" He wondered. His hand brushed into his black hair and across his face. He touched the scar across his neck and the one on his chest.
"This is indeed my body. Why does it seem like it has been possessed by someone else? Who the hell is that bastard?!" He growled angrily.
He heard some footsteps and turned to look at his brother.
"You're still here..."
His brother stood several meters away, his expression tight. Confused, wary... and afraid. He could feel that familiar energy chilling in his bones. His brother is really here.
"Are you really Vark?" his brother said, voice low. "Or that pathetic little fool who couldn't even use his own strength?"
Vark grinned.
"Maybe I'm not. But it doesn't matter now, does it? Let's resume from where we stopped."
"No wait!" His brother stretched his hand, but dust exploded behind Vark as his boot broke the ground and charged towards his brother.
They crashed into each other, fists slamming into bone, energy pulsing with every strike. Each blow from his brother shattered concrete. The ground shook with the fury of their fight.
Vark ducked under a sweeping punch and slammed his palm into his brother's stomach, sending him flying through a car and flipping it over. Vark followed without pause, a savage howl ripping from his throat as he leapt through the air.
His brother caught him mid-air, slamming him back-first into a wall.
Cracks webbed out like lightning.
Vark only grinned. His teeth were blood-stained, his expression manic.
"You think you can beat me, brother? You were never strong enough. Not even with Father watching."
"Shut the fuck up! You bastard!" his brother roared, punching him again and again.
Each punch landed, and Vark let him.
"Bastard? I'm also the son of my father. Just because my mother is a mistress doesn't make me a bastard..."
Then, with a sharp twist, he caught his brother's arm between his elbow and ribs and yanked.
CRUNCH!
The arm tore free with a spray of blood.
"Oh shit, did I just rip that off?" Vark blinked, holding the severed arm like a bat.
He sniffed it, shrugged, and then scratched his back with the bloody limb.
"Goddamn, that itch was killing me."
Ivy and Riven watched from a distance, shivering against the remains of a building.
"That's not Elias again, is he?" Riven asked.
"No. I'm sure that's Vark,"
"Elias? Vark? What the hell is going on?"
"I wish I knew," Ivy replied, her eyes not leaving the fight.
He threw the severed arm back like a discarded toy.
His brother caught it mid-air, howling in pain and rage.
"You'll pay for this, you bas-"
"Huh? What did you say?" Vark tilted his head.
His brother gritted his teeth. And they clashed again.
This time, it wasn't just fists.
Vark called forth a tide of bones from beneath the streets, spearing through the ground and aiming at his brother's legs. His brother jumped, avoiding most, but one pierced his thigh.
Vark charged, lifted his brother by the neck and slammed him into the street hard enough to crater the asphalt.
"I don't know who sent you to me. But tell Father... I'm not interested in his bloody throne. But if he sends another bastard after me... I'll send their heads to him one after the other, and trust you, brother... Your head will be the first,"
His brother snarled and with one good arm, blasted Vark back with energy. Vark rolled, flipped to his feet, and cracked his neck. Bones repaired instantly. His regeneration was faster than before.
Of course, because it's Vark.
"Are you going to fight again? I have a lot of time left," he said, staring at the system in front of him.
He has about five minutes more.
His brother stood. His only arm was getting weak. His face is a bloody mess. He stared at Vark, who hadn't even dropped to one knee. He looked... good as new.
He knew he couldn't win, not when one of his hands was chopped off.
And Vark knew it too, that's why he was giving him a chance to run away.
His brother staggered back.
"You're a monster... just like Father said."
"No," Vark said softly. "I'm worse than a monster."
"Don't think this is over..."
With a final glance, his brother turned and vanished into the shadows, retreating with a curse trailing his breath.
And then, silence.
The undead that once rampaged now stood in silence, waiting, their heads bowed to their master.
Vark turned to the corner where Ivy and Riven were.
They flinched and stepped back.
His gaze locked on Ivy as he tilted his head.
She felt her heart race. Her chest tightened.
That aura. That same chilling, dominating, fucking twisted aura.
It was Elias. And at the same time, it wasn't. But she didn't care.
She ran to him and without thinking, crashed her lips against his.
Vark's eyes widened. He never expected to be kissed by a... stranger.
He grinned into the kiss, breaking it slowly. He looked at Ivy, remembering her. The same girl he almost killed some time ago. He can't even tell how long but he could recognise her.
"You're the only one I've kissed besides my wife," he said lowly, eyes gleaming.
Her cheek flushed red, as she ignored the word 'wife'.
"..."
Before she could say anything, he leaned in again... but just as their lips brushed, his legs buckled.
He collapsed into her arms, his breath hot against her neck.
"Shit... He's heavy!" Ivy whispered, struggling to hold his weight.
His bone armour peeled away into the air. Riven stepped forward to assist her.
> > System Notification:
[Berserk State: Terminated]
[User: Elias Kael [Vark Draven] has entered Dormant Recovery Mode]
[Duration: 24 Hours]
[Vital Signs: Stabilizing]
New Skill Acquired:
[Command of the Damned - Active]
[You may summon and command undead within a 2 km radius]
Stats Increased:
[Strength +15 | Endurance +20 | Agility +10 | Endurance +20| Corruption level: +12(-5)]
[Berserk Duration increased to 15 minutes]
[Cores absorbed (automatically): 298 / 500 required for Tier 5 evolution.]