NOVEL WEB Chapter 72: The Aftermath
"Why?"
Dust floated in the stale air, settling on the cold concrete around Vincent and Jin.
"Because, Jin, this isn't about fair or unfair. It's about order. You broke mine. And when order breaks, I fix it... permanently."
Jin chuckled --- low at first, then louder, until the laughter rattled in his chest and the blood in his mouth caught in his throat. He coughed hard, red spattering the concrete.
"Heh, So you do know. Figures. My system... This isn't order." Cough. Cough. He coughed out some more blood looking at Vincent with all the hate he could muster. "This is you stealing my fate and calling it justice."
Vincent looked back at him and then smiled disdainfully. "Blame yourself for being so cliche."
Vincent didn't waste anymore time and opened the system interface.
The target must be in physical contact. Do you wish to proceed?
VP required: 1500
Vincent's eye twitched. Had that cost always been shown up front? He did not pause.
"Proceed." He didn't care anymore as he said it out loud and placed his hand on Jin's head.
VP: 3980-1500= 2480
"Wha---" Jin's question was cut short as his eyes widened in shock and disbelief as a series of system messages displayed.
Ding! Hostile System Interface detected! Attempting to expel it!
Ding! @#%$# is too powerful. Host needs to avoid physical contact!
Ding! Host is unable to avoid physical contact. $%#@!$@ Using host's life force to fight against it.
"NO! NO! STOP! I REFUSE!" Jin screamed. He didn't know what was going on but he felt something leaving his body. His once jet-black hair began losing its color, strands turning silver and white as if decades were passing in seconds. His muscular frame started shrinking, flesh seeming to melt away from his bones. The healthy glow of his skin faded to a sickly pallor, and his cheeks began to hollow out like a starving man.
Vincent's heart was beating rapidly at the sight of such a scene. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the system's progress.
[SYSTEM PROGRESS]
Ongoing.... 67%
Ding! Unable to stop the extraction. Preparing to self destruct with host's soul.
Ding! Count down initiating. 10, 9, 8, 7...
"NOOOO! I... DON'T..." Jin felt his body betraying him completely. His teeth loosened in his gums, several clattering to the concrete floor. Deep wrinkles carved themselves across his face like earthquake fissures. His hands, once strong enough to crush a man's windpipe, now trembled like autumn leaves. Blood poured from his nose and mouth as his vision blurred beyond recognition.
4, 3, 2...
Jin's body had become a grotesque mockery of human form. His skin stretched taut over protruding bones, every rib visible through paper-thin flesh. His eyes, once sharp and defiant, had sunken deep into his skull like dark pits. He could barely make out Vincent's silhouette through the haze consuming his sight. His lungs wheezed with each desperate breath, the sound like air escaping from a punctured balloon.
1... Self destructing in progress.
The pain that tore through Jin transcended anything physical. It was as if invisible claws were ripping apart the very essence of his being, shredding his soul into countless fragments. Even in his half-dead state, tears streamed down his skeletal cheeks as inhuman screams erupted from his throat. His mind, once sharp and calculating, dissolved into just pure agony. Every thought, every memory, every piece of what made him him was being torn away like pages from a burning book. The world faded to black as consciousness finally begin to abandoned his broken shell of a body.
"Ah… finally." Those were Jin's last thoughts before he died.
[SYSTEM PROGRESS]
Due to hostile system's self destruction the ongoing progress is halted at... 83%
Incomplete [EXTRACTION]. Fewer or incomplete functions will be added.
[SYSTEM UPDATING]... This may take some time.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Vincent finally opened his eyes bracing for the sight of Jin's dead body but what he saw made his whole body tremble. His hands shook as he grabbed them to stop shaking.
The thing strapped to the chair bore no resemblance to the defiant young man he'd captured. Jin's corpse was a nightmare carved from bone and sinew. His skull had caved inward in places, the skin stretched so tight it looked ready to tear. Empty eye sockets stared into nothing, the eyeballs having withered to raisins. His mouth hung open in a silent scream, revealing blackened gums where his teeth had fallen out. The body was so emaciated that every joint protruded like knobs on a twisted tree branch, and his skin had turned a mottled gray-green color that spoke of death and decay.
Vincent took a step back, his heart wouldn't stop beating so rapidly.
I did this. This was done by me.
Vincent didn't know that this was caused by Jin's Ultra Pro Max Taxi System. He assumed that this was how his system's [EXTRACTION] function worked.
A storm of emotions crashed through Vincent's mind like competing tides. He didn't feel guilty about killing Jin but seeing the grotesque aftermath, the sheer inhumanity of what his power could do... it was like staring into an abyss that reflected something monstrous within himself. This wasn't just death, this was obliteration of human dignity itself.
Vincent stayed still like that for a long time trying to sort everything out. He took several deep breaths but his heart was far from calm. So he decided to get out of there but his mind was still rational. He gave a last glance to Jin's body as he turned around and walked towards the exit. The shakiness was now gone but there were a few beads of sweat still on his forehead.
He opened the creaking door and was greeted with the sight of his bodyguards. They noticed something off but didn't say anything as there were no injuries on him. Vincent ignored everything and got into his car. He took out an uncorked bottle of wine from the side with hands which were trembling again and drank it directly from the bottle in gulps.
David saw it but he knew better than to stop him or ask unnecessary questions. David guessed it was because of Vincent's first murder though the truth was far from that.
After a few breaths Vincent said "David go and burn that... body. Don't leave even a mark and do it personally. Now."
"Yes. Chairman." David nodded as he got out of the car.
As wine began to take effect, Vincent took out his phone to distract himself. He scrolled through the messages and stopped at a message from Liora.
"Dear, I have asked around and it seems Aelric will come to college tomorrow. My sources said he has been going around looking for someone but seem to have not found them."
Vincent read the message and felt a burst of anger. Why do I have to deal with all these protagonists. Why is this fucking fate messing with me? He didn't know answer to these questions. At least not yet.
Vincent typed back "Meet me at Grandeur Hotel within 20 minutes." He can't go back like this and worry others. He needs to vent this out before returning home.
P.S.— Thank you colt_hackney and Sanvir for golden tickets. ❤️