Elias and Ivy burst out into the street. Since it was late at night, it was a bit empty. There weren't any curfew bots floating around, but there were police walking around in the name of keeping the city safe.
To them, it might look like the city was completely safe, but it wasn't. Riven has been doing a good job, keeping it safe by killing the infected sneaking in before they caused a ruckus.
Most especially, Elias felt he needed to sneak back out of the city before more zombies sneak into the city.
"Hey... Isn't that...?" Ivy's soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he looked at a screen. The place was oddly familiar.
Sector Ten.
There was an announcement that Sector Ten had become a Red Zone. The citizens there were killed by a horde of zombies and there were no survivors.
Elias looked at the screen, with his eyes widened in shock.
'Did Vark's brother kill those innocent people? No wait, isn't this my fault? He's tracking me, following my lead and making stops everywhere I've been... including... Here! Would he come here?'
Elias touched his forehead, feeling guilty. His lips curled into a smirk.
"No way! There are securities here... There's no way they'll reach here,"
He turned to Ivy, who was still staring at the screen with tears streaming down her face.
"Let's go!"
"Ah... yes!" She responded, following him behind.
Ivy walked beside him, her rifle slung across her back and her eyes scanning every corner. Maybe, trying to look out for the police or... Anything?
"Where do we go?"
"Anywhere but here... We need to leave from here immediately," he spoke.
Ivy stared at the thick black sky, wondering how they were going to find their way around when it was this dark. They were heading towards the same tunnel they sneaked in from. That was one way they could escape.
They were barely two blocks away when Elias stopped, his crimson eyes narrowing. Ivy felt it too. The air had changed. The wind went still.
"We're being watched," Elias muttered. "No. Followed."
The sound of heavy boots came next. It was definitely not a zombie.
Elias spun around.
A man stood in the middle of the cracked road behind them, tall, pale, black veins snaking along his arms and throat. His clothes were pristine, odd for the ruined city. He carried himself like a king. His eyes were dead and cold.
Elias's lips parted. His breath caught.
He didn't know that face, but he was hoping it wasn't what he was thinking. There's no way he could reach here that fast.
The man chuckled. It was low, grating. "You're not looking too good, baby brother."
Elias felt his stomach sink.
This was him.
This was the bastard.
His brother. Vark's brother.
"Shit," Elias muttered, forcing a smirk even as something in him twisted. "Didn't expect a family reunion today."
He wasn't Vark, but he had to try to act like him. But Elias has no idea what the real Vark is. Timid? Strong? Psycho?
He wasn't sure.
His brother tilted his head.
"And I didn't expect Vark to be hiding like a coward. You smell weak. Tainted... probably,"
Ivy stepped forward, hand on her gun.
"Who the hell is that?"
"Back the fuck off," Elias growled. "This isn't your fight."
But she didn't move. Of course, she didn't. She was stubborn like that.
His brother didn't wait. Seeing as Elias was focused on ivy, in a blur, he moved.
Elias barely blocked the first punch. It still sent him skidding backwards into a rusted car, metal groaning under his weight.
His bones cracked as pain shot up his ribs.
"Fuck!" Elias grunted, spitting blood. He wasn't expecting the punch. What kind of brother punches his brother a few seconds after their meeting?
Elias knew that this wasn't going anywhere. He should have known that Vark's brother was looking up for a fight when he sent that message through the compass.
His brother was already on him again. Another punch. Another hit. Elias ducked, rolled, kicked, but it was like fighting a goddamn tank. His hits landed but didn't faze the man.
"You're slow," his brother said, catching Elias by the throat and slamming him against a wall. "You used to make me bleed. What the hell happened to you, Vark?"
"Maybe I got tired of babysitting you psycho," Elias hissed, trying to pry the hand from his neck.
His brother's expression twitched.
"You're not talking like yourself."
He threw Elias hard. Elias crashed through a wall and hit the ground with a grunt. Dust and glass clung to his bloodied coat.
"Get up," his brother growled. "I didn't come here to break a corpse. I came to see the monster that burned a continent. Show me you're still Vark!"
Burn the what now?
Elias staggered to his feet, laughing hoarsely.
"Sorry, man. Maybe the Vark you want is out to dinner. You got this version of Vark instead."
He activated Bone Armour.
> > [System Notice: Skill Activated — Bone Armour]
[Bone Armour: A dense skeletal layer forms beneath the skin, increasing defence and physical strength by 50%. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 30 minutes.]
White bone plates erupted from under his skin, covering his chest, shoulders, and arms. It hurt like hell, but Elias didn't flinch.
"Let's dance, asshole," he growled.
They clashed again.
This time Elias held his own longer. His armoured fists met his brother's attacks with solid force. Cracks echoed through the air. He spun low, sweeping the man's legs, then landed a punch to the side of his jaw.
His brother reeled, spit flying.
Elias smirked.
"Not so high and mighty now, huh?"
Then the counter came.
Elias didn't even see the hit. Just felt his jaw snap sideways. He stumbled, eyes blurring. With another blow to his gut, his Bone Armour cracked. Then came a knee to the face. He hit the ground again.
Ivy fired at him. She couldn't just stand and watch him get hit.
The shot struck the brother's shoulder, but he barely flinched. He turned his head toward her, slow and deliberate.
"Leave her alone!" Elias barked, crawling up on all fours, blood dribbling from his nose.
The man chuckled.
"This one yours now? Replacing the little mage girl already?"
Elias froze. He didn't know what the hell that meant—but Vark probably did.
The man moved toward Ivy.
"I SAID... LEAVE HER!"
Elias launched himself forward, tackling his brother with raw fury. He roared as they tumbled across the broken concrete.
System Notification:
Berserk Meter: 87%.... 89%... 92%...
[WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!]
His punches grew wilder and faster, ignoring the notification. He didn't care about technique. He wanted to rip the bastard's face off.
But it wasn't enough.
His brother roared and headbutted him. The force sent Elias flying. He landed hard, vision doubling. His armour shattered across his chest.
Ivy was kneeling by his side in seconds. Her voice was shaking.
"Elias... Elias, get up. Please."
His breathing was ragged. Pain flared everywhere.
Pain? He thought he wasn't supposed to feel that.
"F-Fuck," he muttered, eyes half-lidded.
His brother was walking toward them again, slow like death itself.
"You're not the Vark I know," the man murmured. "I don't know what you are, but you're not Vark. Maybe you're just a parasite wearing his skin."
Elias tried to rise, but he couldn't.
Ivy screamed as the brother raised his hand, black energy crackling.
Then the System Prompt came.
System Notification:
WARNING: Host life signs critical.
> [Memory Bleed Unlocked: 2%]
[Partial Synchronization with Vark Draven achieved.]
Not again!
Elias's body convulsed. His eyes widened, and for a moment, just a breath, he felt like something was pushing from inside.
Darkness, familiar but far too large for his skin.
There was more darkness. More... More... More...
Nothing but darkness.
It was as if he was locked up in the abyss.
Then it passed.
Elias coughed, blood painting the pavement. The dark moment was gone.
His brother stepped forward.
"There's no time for resting now, baby brother. Let's finish this!"
[END OF CHAPTER TWENTY SIX]