2. The princess of systems

Host? Am I a host? Does that mean i have powers. Was i the host Kara saw on her radar? I have so many questions on my mind but no one else to answer them.

“Spix… Am i a host? What does all this mean?“ I ask again still not clear from Kara's explanation. I stare down at the statistics tab wishing i could understand what the hell it meant and why it was here in the first place. Magical tabs didn't just open up out of nowhere when i was still alive.

“Name: Knox. Powers are undefined as you will level up through consumption. You have 0 past life abilities as you have not acquired any skill or experiences to assist you on your journey through the after life. Your rank is Host. Hosts are one with the system and they exist to serve the system and their main objective is to lessen the number of souls who make ot to the gates” Spix explains.

“This doesn't make any sense. Not that anything has ever made sense. Am i truly dead? How did i end up here? That woman from the hospital… the one who killed me, who was she?“ I ask frantically.

“I do not have the answers to the questions you seek as I can only be of service to you for a limited time. You can begin your journey through Eden Bizarre. Perhaps you may find the answers you seek”

“What if I don't want to… play the game?“ I ask, clicking close on the tab in front of me. The hologram disappears and the cave turns dark once again.

“Once a soul enters Eden Bizarre, the only way out is through the gates” Spix's words sends a chill down my spine. Judging by Kara's rude reaction, this was not the place for someone like me and if i had to go through it then i wouldn't want to do it alone.

“How do i find the gates?“ I ask but there is no answer. Spix doesn't come when i call which is ridiculous for a supposed 'assistant'. There's nothing else for me to do in this cave, staying here would be a bad idea, i doubt the next person who comes in here would be as merciful as Darach and his mighty sword. I have to go after them. They would probably know how to get to the gates. First, i had to get out of here.

As i make my way out the tunnels of darkness, I open up my system tab and it lights up the tunnels in a luminescent blue hue. I take my time to come to terms with the fact that i was truly dead which is ironic because i have never felt more alive. As spix said, i don't have the experience nor skills to survive anything because I was bedridden my whole life unless you'd call being sick a life skill.

So how did i become a host if hosts were so strong? Does that mean the weak became strong in the after life? That was too clichè and even more unrealistic than the terrible movies i was forced to watch from my hospital bed. I recount the words of the woman again. “What did she mean by that?“

There's no one to answer my question but the sudden boom of something crashing into the rocks makes me want to run back to my cave. I hear shouting and the sound of knives clashing against eacg other. I follow the sound to where the light peaks into the cave. The sun assaults my eyes and when my vision returns I see two men fighting with fiery passion. One is shorter with long dark hair, he wears a red and black cape that stops at his shoulder. A bright red light sparks up whenever he moves. He is faster than my eyes can track, making things difficult for his bulky opponent. I recognize the large man immediately, Darach's makes it look easy to swing his giant sword but his large physique is a disadvantage against the speedster.

The speedster raises his sword to the air and red lightning strike down on it. The terrified look in Darach's eyes has his opponent grinning in victory. Darach will not win this battle. I should do something but I don't know what to do or how to stop this battle. I stand there and watch as the speedster dashes towards Darach. pushing back dust in my face. When the air clears, The speedster is standing far from Darach but his sword is lodged in Darach's heart. He raises his hand and as if on command, the blade cuts right through the giant's body to meet its master.

“Excellent work, Axel.“ A female voice calls out to him. A purple light beams announcing her appearance. They are around the same height and they both look quite similar but her long dark hair flows down to her thighs. She wears a similar cape with Axel but hers is white and purple.

“Ravena” Axel says turning to her with a bow. Was she his superior?

I move to go back to the cave but the crack from the twig i stepped on has them turning back to me. Her eyes narrow to slits. “There's more of them?“ She says.

“I'll go take of him—”

“No. Go after the girl, I'll handle him” i hear her say. Axel gives one final bow before he speeds towards the direction I'm guessing Kara went. My eyes fall to where Darach's body was laid and i watch as he disintegrates into nothing but dust. When i lock eyes with Ravena, she's charging towards me with a purple fire blazing from her hands.

There's no time to move. My first reaction is to lift my hands, cover my face and brace for impact but the impact never comes. When i open my eyes, Ravena is nowhere near. She's lying on the ground, when she tries to get up, she falls back to the ground too feeble to move.

I advance slowly and cautiously towards her wondering why she had suddenly fallen to the ground. I take my first step out of the cave and on to the barren soil, she scampers away with every step i take towards her.

“Are you alright?“ I ask reaching for her, she scurries away hitting the rock behind her.

“Who… No… What are you?“ She asks, adjusting herself on the wall and looking up at me with fear in her eyes.

“Are you—”

“Don't touch me!“ She smacks my hand away. Her cape falls back and I notice the scalding burn on her arm. “You… your energy is low. You're a low level soul. How… how did you do that?“ She staggers as she rises to her feet and almost topples over. I reach out to stabilise her but she smacks my hand away. She puts her hand out a sword forms out of nothing, purple energy beaming out of the sword. Before i can register what happened, she blasts me across the deserted lands. My back collides with a large rock and it shatters upon impact. Ravena is in front of me within seconds, her blade pointed out of my neck. There's a fiery rage in her eyes as she glares down at me.

“You're not an ordinary player. Why can't I see your true rank? I'm only going to ask this once… What are you?“

“I… I am a host”

Her face morphs into several different emotions before she's consumed by rage again. “A host?“ She sinks her sword closer to me flesh and the sharp edge cuts into my skin with a sizzling sound.

“Yes. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. I just need—”

“What would a host need from a soul?“ She asks intently, more curious than furious.

“I don't understand anything. I just got here. I'm confused and everything is moving so fast”

“You just 'got' here? I don't know why I'm talking to you. I should slit your throat right here. Why haven't you attacked me yet?“

“No. No no no! Don't do that. Listen, i died and this lady sent me here and now the voice assistant thing says I'm a host.“

“Spix” she corrects and draws her sword away from me. It sizzles and disappears back into nothing.

Why is she sparing me? If I'm as horrible as Kara and Darach made hosts out to be, why isn't she killing me? Maybe there are good hosts.

“There are no such thing as good hosts. They are all corrupt and filled with evil. I should kill you. That would be the right choice.“ I watch her fingers tingle like she's reconsidering it and about to summon her sword again.

“I swear I'm not evil”

“Well, you should be. It's the only way to survive the bizarre system. Your words mean nothing to me but i can tell you aren't lying” She places a hand on her chin and stares at me with deep curiosity. “Why can't i see your rank or anything else? That power feels familiar“

“I wouldn't know” i reply, struggling to get on my feet.

“What do you know then?“

“Nothing”

“Then you have no chance surviving here. Host or not. You should know better than to let your guard down” She turns to me with heated eyes and purple flames blazing from her hand. She slams it into my chest and the air is knocked out of my lungs.

“You will be of use to me” i hear her say as the world goes dark once again.