Hitman with a Badass System

Leaving Nightmare to stay in silence and reflect on the dragon clan's disappearance, Michael slowly walked around the ruin as though he was searching for something. Gaya briefly looked around the castle. But she saw nothing but ruins. Finally, Gaya couldn't hold back her tongue.

"What are we doing here?" asked Gaya.

"There is something under this temple," Michael calmly said. His words surprised Gaya.

"So you're looking for a secret entrance?" asked Gaya. Michael nodded.

"Look around. This place is in ruins. The entrance to the underground might have collapsed for all we know,"

Gaya was right. The lever to open up the underground chamber was long ago crumbled down. As a result, Michael had to look for an alternative way to open the entrance, which he needed to find out where. He could turn to the system, yet he chose not to until he couldn't find any other way. He was saving badass points in case he needed them when he's breaking through to the Half-Immortal Stage.

Despite her thought, Gaya still helped him by looking around, turning things, and searching for the entrance.

"What about the statute? It's a classic act to hide the switch or the entrance within the statue," said Gaya.

"It's pretty obvious, so the entrance won't be there," said Michael. He had already scanned the statue, finding no hidden mechanisms.

They continued to roam around the temple until Gaya noticed a broken portrait hanging on the wall that stood still. She cautiously made her way to the portrait. She slowly removed the portrait from the wall. Nothing had happened as she expected. She turned around the portrait. When she removed the portrait, Michael saw a gentle heat inside the portrait with his thermal vision. He floated outward the portrait. The back of the portrait was a rough surface. On the corner, Michael noticed a half an inch hollow, the size of a thumb.

"Nightmare, come here buddy," Michael called out for Nightmare. It took Nightmare a few moments to open his eyes and fly toward Michael.

"Are you alright?" asked Gaya.

"Just felt bad for everything," Nightmare looked around.

Michael grabbed Nightmare's arm and placed it on the hollow. Michael knew a fingerprint reader when he saw one. As Michael expected, when Nightmare's skin touched the portrait, the portrait trembled. Gaya felt the portrait getting hotter and hotter to the point she had to take her hand off of it. Suddenly, a light shot out from the portrait toward the dragon statue. Then the light reflected on the stature to take a sixty-degree turn.

Michael moved the portrait a bit, but no matter where he moved the portrait, the light spotted the exact same location.

"Nightmare, hold onto it," said Michael.

He quickly flew toward the spotlight to investigate. Michael raised his pam toward the spotlight on the ground, sending a gust of wind to clean the dust and pebbles. After cleaning up, he noticed a tiny keyhole. Michael looked around the ruin once again. It would take ages to find the key if it was here. Finally, Michael willed the system to open this door. Since Michael had found the door and only needed a key, the system was only able to charge him 10,000 badass points.

A couple of minutes later, a bright laser shot out from Michael's finger into the keyhole. The floor cracked as Michael heard something moving beneath him. Slowly, a handle emerged from the ground. Michael pulled it up to open the entrance to the underground.

"Let's go," Gaya said. Nightmare followed Gaya behind. They saw Michael jump down into the hole first. Gaya followed him first, and Nightmare entered the hole last.

At that moment, Michael fell down a dark hole with no light. Gaya increased her speed to reach Michael. She quickly conjured a ball of light to illuminate the place. The hole was deep enough for them to continuously free-fall for almost a minute. Finally, thanks to the light, they were able to see the bottom. They landed on the ground with a small thud. The tunnel before them was the only way to move forward. Michael led Gaya and Nightmare into the tunnel. In addition to Gaya's light, there was another light source at the end of the tunnel. Moreover, Michael heard the rustling sound of a waterfall. They walked in silence.

Unlike outside, Michael sensed no mutated beings around him. While following Michael, Gaya looked around at the drawings on the tunnel walls. Most of them depicted the war between the dragon clan and the beast men.

"This place must be ancient," said Gaya.

"And untouched," Nightmare pointed at a mud pot filled with gold chains, artifacts, and chalices.

"Leave them alone for now. We'll loot this place on our way out," said Michael. He had noticed the mud pots filled with valuables. If his guess was right, these were the offerings to the dragon in that statue. There was at least ten million worth of loot in the tunnel. He could sell them for more since they were ancient, and collectors in this world would pay any price for something found in the treacherous ocean.

But Michael couldn't feel happier because all of his focus was on the energy source he's been sensing ever since he entered this ghost town. The source was getting closer. He could feel its pulsating energy.

"Is it first energy?" Michael questioned himself. The last time he saw the first energy, he ended up soul-walking Lailah and created a spirit child.

Michael's train of thought was abruptly cut short by Gaya.

"Human look," Michael turned around to see Gaya staring at something on the wall. Her eyes went wide, and Nightmare shared the same bewildered look. Because Michael was focused on the energy source, he failed to notice the drawings that drew Gaya's attention.

Once Michael reached Gaya's side, he noticed a part of the wall painted in black paint in stark contrast to the rest of the brownish tunnel wall. The engravings on the wall reminded him of the engravings in the shadow realm. He creased his brows as he saw a cobra, a dragon atop the cobra's head, and a human walking engraved on the wall.

The cobra definitely symbolized Gaya as she was a Naga. In her true form, she would look like a terrifying giant cobra. The dragon atop the cobra was Nightmare because he was sitting on Gaya's shoulder as they walked. Which meant the human was Michael. But these weren't the things that surprised Michael or shocked Gaya and Nightmare. Instead, it was what was written down beneath the engravings.

"A gift for my dark queen," Michael read the words. He touched the engraving. The moment his hand touched the wall, he felt a bolt of electricity running down his spine. Immediately his vision became dark.

" I have guided you as far as I could," Michael heard his own voice in his head.

"The path before you is rough. Take what I left for you and let Gaya use it. Do not forget to strengthen your allies. War is won by an army, not by a single person. And yes, I am you," Michael realized the message was left by the future Dark Lord who had become the past.

"Find my armor with the system's help. It will help you greatly in the path forward. Good luck, Michael," Michael's vision slowly returned to normal. Gaya stood beside him with her hand on his shoulder.

"You dazed out,"

"I left something for you," said Michael.

"Huh?" Gaya tilted her head with a bewildered look.

"My past self. When I touched this, I heard him. He said he has left something for you,"

Michael took a deep breath. He moved further into the tunnel without uttering a word. Nightmare and Gaya followed him behind. After walking for a minute, they finally saw the tunnel opening into a spacious area. Surprisingly, they could see the dark sky above them. One could see a lush green grass field with a couple of trees scattered across. A frothy cascade of water fell into a plunge pool, forming a violent waterfall. Under the sky was yet another dragon statue covered in moths. In their mouth, they saw a bright ball of energy. The light from the ball of energy lit the area bright. Additionally, it created an otherworldly whistling noise. The pulsating energy could be felt from afar.

"What is that?" Gaya's jaw dropped a couple of inches. She felt like the energy is calling her. Without her control, she started to walk toward the statue.

"Pure first energy," Michael recognized this energy. However, it differed from the first energy he came across with Lailah.

"System, is this thing going to trigger something?" asked Michael.

[The energy has been purified and specifically modified to be absorbed by subordinate Gaya] said the system. Michael heard a tinge of surprise in the system's voice.

[But the system can sense a sliver of instability in the energy due to staying dormant for many years]

"What does that mean?"

[That means once the subordinate Gaya has started to absorb the energy, it would create a shock wave that attracts the mutated beings in a mile radius toward you] said the system.

"Let them come,"

Gaya was just a couple of meters away from the statute when she turned around,

"Michael, what should I do? I feel like it's calling to me," said Gaya. Michael made his way toward her. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Cultivate that energy and do not stop under any circumstances until you've done," said Michael.

With a nod, Gaya sat in a meditating position to start cultivating.

"Nightmare, get ready. This is going to get ugly," Michael unsheathed his swords. They were no special by any means. He got them from the Voldigard mansion. Meanwhile, Nightmare returned to his original size.

The ground beneath them trembled as soon as Gaya began to absorb the energy. Michael immediately took out a fuel can from the system storage. He cast the lightning dash before pouring the fuel around them. Sparks flew out of Michael's fingers. He ignited the fuel with his dark flames.

At that moment, countless thundering roars resonated throughout the area. Michael and Nightmare were poised to attack whatever comes toward them.

"Come on, come on, come on," Michael repeated the words, preparing himself for a bloody battle.