章 4: The Freedom Run
The ashen-blonde girl stared at the trembling woman in the corner. In the dimness of the room, her eyes emitted a faint, eerie glow, her hand pointing at the nurse. Yet, she hesitated for a moment, something within her stopping her from acting.
'No, she was always good to me... I don't really want to hurt her. But... no, a few points are not enough to justify killing one of the few that treated me like a human instead of an animal.'
Tia slowly lowered her hand and smiled at the scared nurse, her hand still trembling after killing four people.
"You can go. I can repay a kindness." The nurse remained motionless, trapped in a state of paralyzing terror, her body curled up in the corner, frozen with fear.
Tia's surroundings blurred as panic surged through her mind, a sinking realization of the dire situation she found herself in. With urgency fueling her actions, she swiftly approached the lifeless doctor, her hand reaching into the rubbery white coat pocket to retrieve a keycard.
'As always, he kept it in the same pocket... I am now a murderer... I must escape before the planetary guard arrives.'
She immediately turned, quickly running down the dark corridors. The darkness enveloped her, punctuated only by the frantic flickering of red emergency lights, the cacophony of unhinged screams, and wild howls reverberating from the adjacent cells of her fellow patients.
Bare feet barely gracing the smooth concrete floor, she darted past a blur of doors and sterile white walls, the world blurring in her wake. Her long hair waved behind her as she ran as fast as her weak body permitted.
Suddenly, a nurse appeared from behind a corner, her eyes going wide in horror when she spotted the blue glowing gun. The tense silence shattered as a steel tray crashed to the floor, its deafening clang resonating through the hallway.
Without hesitation, the girl directed a forceful wave of her hand towards the nurse, an unseen power hurtling her through the air—her body colliding with the unyielding concrete wall.
<<<>>>>
<Basic Telekinesis IV (45%)> --> 49%
<<<>>>>
Tia just looked at her unmoving body, not stopping as she kept running, 'I need to run...'
Her relentless stride ceased abruptly when a translucent glass door obstructed her path. Instinctively, she extended her hand and glided the keycard swiftly through the adjacent reader.
A green light lit up on the electrical lock, and the doors smoothly and quietly slid open.
There was a long spiraling staircase leading up and down behind the doors. Tia stopped, her breath already rugged after sprinting through the hallway. She tensed up at the sounds of heavy boots ascending the staircase.
'Guard, or just a doctor?'
She leaned over the railing, looking into the darkness below her.
A bright green light was quickly ascending the staircase, quickly closing towards her. Her hands holding the gun were shaking, as she was unsure about what to do.
'No, this is the fastest way... I can't turn back to use a different staircase.'
Tia calmed down, stilling her mind as she raised her gun, pointing it down.
'What must be done must be done. I can't be soft if I want to survive in this shitty universe.'
The steps and light were ascending higher and higher, the bright green light becoming brighter.
Soon, a man in a grey uniform with a shiny black tactical vest peered from behind the corner of the staircase, holding a small green glowing handgun.
His night vision's two glowing green eyes fell upon the girl, his arms quickly moving, the green gun moving to aim at her.
The world slowed as the young girl pressed the trigger of her gun.
A bright blue light flashed through the whole staircase, reflecting in the metal railing and the plain white walls. A blue orb of plasma shot out of the gun, heading towards the man.
The man with the gun ducked backward at the last moment, the bolt of plasma closely missing him and hitting the wall behind him.
The impact unleashed an explosion of blue light and heat, scorching the surface and leaving a small crater in the concrete.
Tia immediately tensed, knowing she messed up when she missed the first shot and lost the advantage of the first attack, 'Damn, cheap hitman... why couldn't he bring a better gun.'
The man stuck his gun from behind the corner, and green lights repeatedly flashed through the corridor.
Instinctively, Tia flung herself to the frigid concrete floor, the icy surface providing a stark contrast to her overheated body. The green projectiles whizzed past her, their crackling discharges resonating through the staircase, their radiant bursts momentarily blinding her.
Green sparks showered the vicinity, their searing impact narrowly missing her position.
Prostrate on the ground, panic seized her mind as she was fully aware of her lackluster marksmanship, 'It looks like my systems will have to save me again.'
Summoning all her resolve, her consciousness expanded beyond the confines of her physical form. A charge of kinetic energy surged forth from her outstretched hand, bending the corner of the staircase and colliding with the assailant who had been firing at her. The resulting collision reverberated with a resounding thud and explosive bang.
<<<>>>>
<Basic Telekinesis IV (49%)> --> 56%
<<<>>>>
Tia immediately jumped from her cover, rushing the guard, her bare feet tapping on the concrete floor.
She spotted the man's body, making her breathe out in relief, 'Haha, I have done it; I am closer to my freedom.'
The man was twitching on the ground, his back against the white wall stained with blood. His body was trembling, his vacant gaze fixated upon the ceiling above.
'It was his fault. He should have let me leave. I don't belong here!' Tia closed her eyes and pointed her gun at him. Her hands trembled slightly.
'No, I need the reward. Every bit of strength can help me.' She waved her pale hand.
The man's neck immediately bent at an unnatural angle, making a disgusting snapping sound, his eyes losing their glint.
<<<>>>>
<Basic Telekinesis IV (56%)> --> 62%
<<<>>>>
Without any more delays, she dashed down the staircase, her eyes brightly glowing with all the emotions passing through her heart, 'I am almost free. I can start anew.'
Her heart was pounding louder and louder with each floor she passed, her mind absently counting the numbers written on the walls.
'Three.'
'Two.'
'One.' Finally, she reached the first floor, her mind in a frenzy with her hands trembling in excitement. She had been locked away for years, and now her captivity was coming to an end.
Before her was a long hallway, a smile formed on her face when she spotted the last glass doors before her, the last obstacle between her and her freedom.
The whole hall was empty, illuminated only by the emergency red lights. The reception desk was abandoned with a broken datapad lying shattered on the ground, likely dropped in a rush.
The chilling touch of the bare floor reverberated through Tia's feet, eliciting an involuntary shudder that coursed up her spine.
'What was I thinking? I should have gotten some shoes... I must look insane, running around with a gun and without shoes...'
Suddenly, a bright blue and red light lit up outside, entering through the windows and glass entrance door. Tia raised her free hand, instinctively covering her eyes. The loud sounds of engines came from outside, getting louder and louder with each second.
A blaring mechanical voice echoed through the empty night street, "This is the planetary security bureau. Throw away your weapon, and lie on the ground with your hands behind your head."
'They are faster than I thought...' Tia took a few steps back, her bare feet clapping on the cold floor.
Tiariel felt her heart thump in desperation, and her eyes kept darting around, looking for an opportunity to escape.
'They will surround the whole building before barging in.'
Her eyes glinted slightly as she found her way out.
'Come witch system! Show me your worth!'
Ding!
//
Please select your starter power:
[Apprentice Potionmaking]
[Apprentice Artificyng]
[Apprentice Spellcraft]
//
She already knew what she wanted and needed, her hazy memories working as her guide and helper.
Ding!
//
You have learned [Apprentice Potionmaking]
//
'Thanks! ...old friend.'
A stream of new knowledge flooded her mind like data uploaded to a computer, her eyes shining in bright blue light.
Ding!
//
Please pick your starter recipe:
Shitty Potion of Healing
Subpar Potion of Mana
Low-end Potion of Acid
Weakened Poison of Poisoning
Garbage-level Berserk Poison
...
//
Dozens of recipes flooded her vision. All of them were subpar, bad, and low quality. But her eyes lit up as they fell upon one.
'Berserk Poison... You will work. I knew the system would offer me what I need.' She had used the system for years and already noticed the rewards were often too convenient for what she needed in an emergency to be a coincidence.
'The system must be trying to keep its host alive, which is not that weird considering we are bound together.'
Ding!
//
Needed ingredients:
2 x Water Element
1 x Poison Element
1 x Fire Element
1 x Blood Element
//
'This is good. All of them should be available here.'
Tia turned to run again, the clapping of her bare feet echoing through the empty corridors with flashing red lights and blaring alarms.
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