Chapter 258: Worth the Sacrifices .
BOOM!
The cries of people filled the air as, yet another explosion rocked the 6th floor, not too far from where we are.
The place had turned into a total messed. The stairs were filled with smoke, and the sprinklers were going crazy, making everything wet and slippery. People were sliding down, trying to find their footing, but in this kind of chaos, a simple slip could mean getting trampled by others just as desperate to survive.
It wasn't just the 6th floor; flames were devouring other levels too. I wasn't overly concerned for myself—I've got survival skills, but this building was on the verge of collapsing, posing a deadly threat to everyone except us.
Kanon and I were in a relatively safer spot. I had my Telekinesis working overtime to push the smoke away.
"What's going on?" I mentally asked her through our Mind Link. She seemed surprised to hear my voice in her head, but given my powers, she didn't react much and responded,
"This is why Cerebrum doesn't engaged with Nexus Legion. They're a vengeful bunch. I've heard stories. Now they're making an example out of this building."
'That's quite efficient,' I mused. Honestly, demonstrating the consequences of messing with their group was a clever move. If I were in the shoes of the leader, I'd probably do the same. Well, burning down an entire building might not satisfy me entirely, to be honest.
"So, is their leader behind all this?" I inquired.
"I'm not sure. There are other gifted individuals in Nexus Legion who can control fire," she explained.
"I see," I nodded in response, shifting my focus to escaping. Stay connected via m-v l|e'm,p| y- r
Whether it was their leader or a bunch of underlings, whoever messed with me would regret it.
I planned to make it clear that they picked the wrong person to mess with. I've got a vengeful streak, and I'm not one to let grievances slide. I once massacred a group of people who trashed a car I don't even own. If they think I'll just let this slide, they're in for a surprise.
"PLEASE HELP US !"
"I CANT" BREATH!"
The fire amped up the panic. People were pushing and shoving, and it got chaotic real quick. I saw people stumbling and, sadly, someone didn't make it, probably trampled in the frenzy.
"Get out of the way!" A middle-aged man with a mean-looking face, clutching an attaché case and some jewelry, shoved Kanon aside.
'Die,' I muttered to myself as I broke his neck. My tolerance was in short supply right now.
Then, another genius idea struck me after seeing a sea of fire blocked one of the stairs to the 4th floor, forcing others to backtrack to the lobby and find an alternative route.
I saw lots of people having a hard time breathing. They wouldn't make it much longer.
"Let's see," I muttered to myself.
I manipulated the smoke and flames around us, making things worse. I pushed it back, causing the fire on the 4th floor to escalate further. I controlled it just enough so my system would register it as my own kill.
In this scenario, these people were likely to meet their end anyway, so it was better if they contributed to me.
'That's right, I'm innocent.'
[+Skill Points]
[+Skill Points]
[+Skill Points]
[+Exp Points]
[+Exp Points]
[+Exp Points]
I had stopped controlling the fire, but a chain reaction had already started. Skill points and Exp points were rolling in like crazy. I had underestimated the number of people in this building.
Usually, I had to view something to get EXP, but right now, I had an overall view of the building from outside.
"They're too much!" Kanon exclaimed, her eyes flashing with anger.
As she surveyed the scene, her brows furrowed in frustration, witnessing the flames spreading even faster.
The people who had been running with us were now gasping for air; the smoke alone was killing them. Her face showed a mix of anger and determination, fueled by the injustice of the situation.
"You're right. Nexus Legion is too evil," I concurred with her, pointing a finger at them for the fate of everyone who had died and would die that day.
"Can you do anything to save them?" She pleaded her yes filled with sorrow.
"No, I've used up all my powers. I'm barely hanging on," I lied with a straight face. Truth be told, I had plenty of power left, thanks to my passive abilities. But saving people would just mess up my plans, and I needed those skill points and EXP.
[Level UP]
'Nice…I mean poor souls,' I almost slipped and laughed when I saw myself leveling up.
Whoever was behind this mess would be surprised to find out that their plan had actually worked in my favor. You aimed to take me down? Well, congratulations, you just made me stronger, idiot.
"Don't worry, I'll avenge every one of you," I made a mental note to myself, promising to seek revenge on behalf of all these deaths.
"Let's go," I said, gripping Kanon's hand, and we started running again. From my crow's-eye view, I could see that the fire had escalated even faster. I decided to use my Telekinesis on the floors above to register all this death on my kill count.
We raced down the stairs, the chaos escalating behind us. The 3rd floor lobby was our next destination. Smoke billowed through the building, and the distant screams of those trapped echoed in the stairwell.
As we burst into the 3rd floor lobby, the scene was chaotic. Panicked people ran in all directions, some desperately searching for an exit. The fire hadn't reached this level yet, but the chaos was spreading faster than the flames.
"Stay close," I urged Kanon, grabbing her hand as we navigated through the frantic crowd. The exits were becoming full, so we needed to find an alternative route. My eyes scanned the surroundings for any sign of a safe escape.
"Over there," I pointed to an emergency exit that seemed less crowded.