Chapter 4: Sub ability

  Elian stared at the glowing notification h in his vision, his mind rag.

  [Achievement unlocked: Create the Phoenix’s First Step]

  [ Create the phoenix first step: You have helped the first Phoenix hatg take her first step in millennia.]

  Reward: /%?&*(

  …

  Error…

  Domain of the user interferes with the reward.

  Reloading…

  Error…

  The user does not have a plete domai.

  …

  ……Reload successful.

  Reward: Sub-Ability: Phoenix.

  Elian’s heart pounded. Did I just gain her ability?

  A sharp ding followed, and another notification appeared.

  [Notification:]

  The sub-ability you acquired is restricted in two ways:

  Using it will cost twice the normal energy.You ot surpass the mastery level of the inal ability’s owner.[Notification End]

  He exhaled slowly, trying to make sense of it. So, I learn abilities… but only under certain ditions? His gaze flickered toward Lay. Or was it just because she didn’t know how to use it yet? He ched his fists, testing the warmth lingering in his fiips. A stroke of luck, perhaps—but one he couldn’t rely on happening again.

  Another ding echoed in his mind.

  [itle: Divine Mortal]

  [Divine Mortal: You have aplished a feat in the realm of the gods as a mere mortal.]

  Title Effect: +5 Divine Essence, Intelligencreased by 100%.

  Elian inhaled sharply. “This… this is something big.” The words left him in a whisper. He hadn’t done anythiraordinary—at least, that’s what he thought. He had simply helped Lay unlock her own power. But if the system deemed it worthy of a title, then… Just what kind of power am I dealing with?

  He opened his status s.

  [Status]

  Name: Elian

  Level: 2

  Titles: [Divine Mortal]

  Domain: Creation

  Achievements: [First Step iion], [Create the Phoenix’s First Step]

  Attributes:

  Energy: 120/120

  Agility: 7

  Strength: 10

  Endurance: 7

  Intelligence: 24

  Creativity: 23

  Luck: 10

  [Free Points: 0]

  Abilities: [Creation I]

  Sub-Ability: [Phoenix I]

  Divinity:

  Divine Essence: 5

  Faith Points: 0

  [Mission] Further details accessible as level increases.

  [Status End]

  Elian’s gaze locked onto his energy reserves. Five times my Intelligehat expihe sudden increase. It also meant he had effectively ralized the penalty for using his new sub-ability. But the Divine Essence… What do I do with it?

  “Elian? Hello? you hear me?”

  He blinked, suddenly aware of Lay staring at him, fused. “Y-Yeah,” he said, clearing his throat. “Sorry, I got caught up in my status s.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You were in your head again, weren’t you?” Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, “Wait—what do you mean, ‘status s’?”

  He hesitated for a moment before deg to tell her the truth. “I kind of… gained your ability.”

  Lay’s mouth fell open. “You do that? Is that part of your power?”

  “Sort of. It’s an effect my ability has. But I doubt I do it again anytime soon.” He rubbed his temples, still overwhelmed. “As for my actual ability, it’s called ‘Creation.’”

  Lay folded her arms, processing the information. “So, what does it do?”

  “I don’t know yet,” he admitted, frustration creeping into his voice. “I just… create things. But I have a feeling there’s more to it.”

  Lay remained quiet for a moment before something seemed to click. “Well… whatever it is, it just gave you my ability, so it has to be insane.”

  Elian chuckled dryly. “Let’s hope so.”

  Lay suddenly frowned. “Wait, So you use my ability now?”

  “I think so.”

  She smirked. “Prove it.”

  Elian raised an eyebrow, then sighed. “Alright, fine.”

  He closed his eyes, fog inward. The warmth of the Phoenix ability was different from his own—wild, votile, like a caged fme ready to burst free. He trated, direg it toward his right arm. At first, nothing happened.

  But then, a slow burn spread through his veins. A red glow ignited along his forearm, flickering like embers in the wind.

  Lay let out a low whistle. “Not bad.”

  Elian exhaled, opening his eyes to admire the glow. “Yeah… but it took me fifteen mio do this.”

  Lay tilted her head. “Fifteen minutes?”

  “Yeah, it’s—”

  His words cut off as he saw what she was doing.

  Lay wasn’t just making her arms glow. She was shifting the heat from her hand t, then to her fingers, then to her neck—effortlessly. She ying with it, as if it were sed nature.

  Elian’s jaw tightened. She figured it out that fast? It had taken him all his tration to uand it, yet she was already treating it like aension of herself.

  It was a stark remihis was her ability. No matter how much the system let him borrow, she would always be better at it.

  “Well,” he muttered, shaking off his thoughts, “at least I know I won’t be useless.”

  Lay griwirling a flicker of fire between her fingers. “Not bad for a beginner.”

  Elian smirked. “Oh, shut up.”

  There was o thing—we needed ons. Luckily, it looked like this was the home of a baseball pyer. Two bats rested in the er of the room, their metal frames worn but sturdy.

  I walked over and picked them up, testing the weight in my hands. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. I handed oo Lay. “Here, take this. It’s not much, but it’s the best we’ve ght now if we want to step outside.”

  She took it hesitantly, gripping the hah uainty.

  “Listen, Lay,” I said, meeting her eyes. “I know all of this is horrible. No one asked for this situation, but you o uand something: your ability, the Phoenix—it’s powerful. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what it do.”

  “Really?” she asked, doubt flickering across her face.

  I nodded. “A phoenix is a creature of myth. In most stories, it’s said to be immortal, to trol fire, and to be incredibly strong. While I don’t kly how powerful it is iy yet, there’s no way it’s weak.”

  Truthfully, I didn’t know much beyond the legends I’d read in books or seen in games. My knowledge came from fi, who knew what was real and what wasn't? Still, it had to be powerful.

  A small glimmer of fidence sparked in her eyes. Good. She o believe in herself.

  Outside, the city was in ruins. Buildings stood half-colpsed, fires burned unchecked, and the distant sounds of monstrous growls echoed through the empty streets. Smoke curled into the sky, mingling with the unnatural glow that still lingered from the rift above.

  Even though I had no deep attat to this pce, seeing it like this made something tighten in my chest. This was once my home. Now, it was a battlefield.

  Cire’s dorm wasn’t far. If she had stayed there, she should be safe... Hopefully. I ched my fists. Damn it, if only I had a phone… I hought it was important to own one. I didn’t have many friends, and I always had my puter at home. Now, I regretted that choice.

  Then, a deep, guttural groan shattered the eerie silence.

  “Aaaaaarrr…”

  I froze.

  Lay stiffened beside me.

  A shadow moved at the edge of my vision. My breath hitched. Zombies?

  Until now, I had seen only monsters. But this?

  I turo Lay, then back at the slow-moving figure emerging from the shadows. It dragged its feet, its decayed flesh hanging loosely from its body. A mindless, rotting corpse.

  I gritted my teeth. With my rength from the sub-ability, I should be able to handle one zombie.

  I focused, eling the Phoenix ability into my right arm. A burniion spread through my veins as heat coated my limb. With a deep breath, I swung the bat with all my might.

  The impact was devastating.

  The zombie’s head exploded on tact, spraying bed gore across the pavement. I stumbled back, eyes wide. Holy shit.

  [You have sin a Level 2 Zombie.]

  But before I could process what had happened, I turo che Lay—and my stomach dropped.

  More zombies were ing. Dozens of them.

  Lay stood frozen, her entire body trembling.

  “Lay, move!” I shouted. “They’re not human! They’re already dead—they’re just monsters now! You do this!”

  She didn’t react. Her grip o was tight, her knuckles white, but she couldn’t move.

  Shit.

  I sprioward her, but there were too many of them. I wouldn’t reach her in time.

  Then, something ged.

  She took oep forward. Then ahen another.

  Her arms began to glow. The heat spread, not just over her hands—but over the bat itself.

  That’s possible?!

  Then—

  PANG!

  With a single swing, four zombies disied.

  I barely had time tister what I was seeing before I reached her, joining the fight. My body moved instinctively. Swing. Dodge. Strike. The heat enhanced my strength, sending eabie crumbling with a single blow.

  [You have sin a Level 1 Zombie.]

  [You have sin a Level 2 Zombie.]

  [You have sin a Level 1 Zombie.]

  [You have sin a Level 1 Zombie.]

  …

  …

  [You have leveled up.]

  [You have leveled up.]

  By the time we stopped, I was gasping for breath. My energy was nearly depleted—only 5/120 left. But Lay? She barely looked tired.

  I wiped sweat from my forehead. She must be using far less energy than me. She’s the true Phoenix, after all…

  We ducked into a nearby building to rest. It was risky to stop, but after that battle, I .

  The good neere almost at Cire’s dorm.

  “By the way,” I said, gng at Lay, “what level are you now?”

  She blihen opened her status. “Uh… Level 7?”

  I almost choked. “Level 7?”

  “What does that mean?” she asked, fused.

  I sighed. “Look at the bottom of your attributes. You should have 35 free points. You put them into any stat you want.”

  Her eyes widened. I swear, I saw something flicker in them—excitement? Is she actually starting to have fun?

  Not necessarily a bad thing, but a bit… uling.

  I pulled up my own stats. Unlike Lay, I actually had to think about where to put my points. My fighting style wasn’t clear yet, and I didn’t want to rely too muy sub-ability. There were too maris.

  But ohing was certain—I o be strong.

  I allocated my points:

  [Agility: 7 → 10]

  [Endurance: 7 → 10]

  [Creativity: 23 → 27]

  I needed physical strength, but creativity felt just as important—maybe even more. It was a stat only I had, and it had to be tied to my domain. If my domain was truly my greatest card, then I had tthen it.

  I exhaled, closing the status window. “Alright. We should keep moving.”

  Lay twirled her bat, flexing her fingers. “Waiting on you.”

  …Right. Sorry for being weak, Miss Phoenix.