Ability Stealer

The air was dense with the biting cold of the ice gorillas' assaults, each monstrous swing reverberating through the battlefield like thunder. Andrew and Mella fought side by side, their movements a desperate dance of survival.

Andrew lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air to deflect a gorilla's ice-coated fist.

The impact sent a shockwave through his arm, but he pivoted, using the momentum to land a glancing blow against another beast's shoulder.

The creature roared, frost flaring from its mouth, but Andrew rolled under the next swing, his blade flashing as he struck again.

He grabbed it by the leg and immediately activated his ability steal, while striking the beast with his sword over and over.

Nearby, Mella was a whirlwind of motion. Her iron spear skewered an ice gorilla's arm.

She leaped onto the creature's back, slamming another spear into its shoulder before vaulting away as the beast flailed wildly.

"Mella, watch out!" Andrew shouted, his sword parrying another attack aimed at her.

He had just finish taking the ability of the ice gorilla, but he didn't have type read the system notification, informing him of the ability he got because of how urgent the sitution was.

She was breathing heavily. "This is a bit too much..."

"Yeah... Run!" 

Together, they darted behind a series of crumbling buildings, their breaths ragged and their limbs aching.

The monsters, relentless and enraged, thundered after them, smashing through every structure in their path. Walls crumbled, roofs caved in, and debris rained down around them as they barely managed to stay one step ahead.

Andrew glanced back, his heart sinking as he saw an ice gorilla tear through a wooden wall with ease, the splinters scattering like snowflakes. "They're not slowing down!" he shouted, grabbing Mella's arm to pull her forward.

"I noticed!" she snapped, her voice laced with exhaustion. She dodged falling debris as another building collapsed behind them.

"This way!" Andrew pointed to an alley, weaving through narrow passageways in the hope of losing their pursuers.

The ground trembled beneath their feet as the ice gorillas' massive bodies crushed everything in their wake. Each roar felt like a hammer striking his chest.

"We're running out of cover!" Mella shouted, nearly tripping over a fallen beam.

Andrew's mind raced, desperation clawing at him. "Just keep moving!" he yelled. The monsters' shadows loomed closer, their icy breath chilling the air even as they gained ground. 

"We're not winning this!" Mella called out, her breath visible in the frigid air.

Andrew's eyes darted across the battlefield, searching for a solution.

That's when he saw it: Bar-Jui's retreating figure, disappearing into the icy haze. For a fleeting moment, hope sparked amidst the chaos. Is he running because he knows a cure?

Andrew wanted to follow, to chase Bar-Jui down and demand answers, but the beasts surrounding him were relentless. His sword caught the fists of one ice gorilla, but the impact numbed his arms down to the bone.

Another's icy punch slammed into his back, knocking the breath from his lungs. He rolled, gritting his teeth against the frigid pain spreading from the blow.

So I either got Mist creation or Ice punch from the Ice Gorilla's ability I stole.

As he got up, his movements were sluggish, frost creeping over his skin where he'd been struck. Ice was forming, stiffening his body.

"Mella!" he shouted, hoping she was faring better. He caught a glimpse of her, sweat-soaked and panting as she hurled her iron spears. Each one bounced harmlessly off the beasts' thick hides. She was too drained to summon more.

Andrew blocked another blow.

The edge of panic tinged his voice as he turned toward Qein. "Got any more smoke bombs?!"

Qein hesitated, narrowly dodging a swing. "Yeah, but—"

"Use them! All of them!"

"But—"

"Now!" Andrew bellowed.

Qein fumbled with his pouch before hurling several bombs to the ground. They erupted in thick plumes of smoke, swallowing the battlefield in pitch-black darkness. Andrew couldn't see a thing. The ice gorillas, blinded and enraged, began swinging wildly. The ground quaked with their aggression.

The blackness brought an eerie sense of familiarity, a memory he didn't want but couldn't avoid. The pit. The thought clawed at him, but he pushed it aside. Instead, he focused, visualizing the path Bar-Jui had taken. 

He bent his knees and leaped, a powerful jump that strained every fiber of his being. He shot through the smoke like a bullet, aiming at where he'd last seen Bar-Jui. His trajectory was a gamble, his memory the only guide.

A deafening thud echoed as Andrew collided with something solid. Bar-Jui screamed in pain.

Andrew didn't hesitate. His arms wrapped around the man's neck as they crashed to the ground.

Exhaustion burned through him, but adrenaline kept his grip firm. Bar-Jui's hands clawed at his throat in retaliation, locking them in a desperate struggle.

Andrew's mind raced. Even if we failed the mission, we can at least take him down. Killing him might be the only way. 

Then a better thought came across his mind.

Andrew focused on Bar-Jui's ability. It felt different—alien yet oddly familiar. He was going to take it. All of his abilities.

Bar-Jui's panicked voice broke through the chaos. "What are you doing?! Stop!"

Andrew didn't stop. Bar-jui struggled, lashing out, but Andrew's grip didn't falter.

By every second, Bar-jui was growing weaker, making the progress in stealing his ability easier by the second.

"Please... stop..." Bar-jui begged.

A notification blinked in Andrew's vision.

Ability acquired: Ground Flip

Andrew blinked, his chest heaving. Ground Flip? That alone?

He'd also expected something to do with controlling the monsters, not just this.

Curiosity nagged at him. He reached out again, trying to sense more from Bar-Jui, but his ability hit an empty void. There was nothing left to take.

A light touch on his hand startled him. Qein's voice whispered in the darkness. "Andrew, we need to move."

Andrew was almost confused on how Qein found him but remembered he had extremely good ears.

"Mella?" Andrew whispered back, his voice hoarse.

"She's close," Qein replied.

Before Andrew could respond, Bar-Jui groaned. His voice was low, filled with despair. "I can't move... I can't die... This isn't right. This isn't why I did everything. This isn't why I threw everything away... You said I would be immor—"

Bar-Jui froze mid-sentence. The word hung in the air like a curse.

Suddenly, the battlefield shifted. The ice gorillas stopped swinging. The silence was deafening. Then came a sound—a slow, ominous shuffle. It grew louder, the monsters converging on Bar-Jui's location.

Bar-Jui's screams pierced the silence. "No! No! I didn't mean to say it! I didn't mean to say it out loud!"

"Mella!" Andrew called again, his voice urgent.

"Here!" came her faint reply.

He and Qein scrambled through the smoke, finding her crouched and shivering. They each grabbed one of her hands, steadying her.

"What now?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Andrew's heart sank. He took a deep breath. "We failed. We're going home."

As he spoke, his gaze flickered to Qein. The man's expression was unreadable in the darkness, but Andrew knew what was at stake. "Qein," he said, "if you stay here, the smoke will clear, and they'll kill you. Come with us. You'll survive."

Qein hesitated for only a moment. "Do it."

Andrew focused on the system notification blinking in his vision. He accepted the prompt, gripping Mella and Qein tightly. He didn't know if it would work for Qein—an outsider—but he had no other choice.

The world shifted. Cold and darkness gave way to warmth and light. They landed hard, the ground beneath them soft with fallen leaves. Yellow trees stretched into the sky, their golden hues glowing under the sun.

Andrew and Mella collapsed, panting for breath. Andrew barely registered the new notification that appeared in his vision:

[Qein Mosac has returned to Earth with you. He is now a full-fledged recruit. However, he isn't powerful enough to be a usable recruit. Would you like for him to be connected to the Grand System? It would be a branch from yours and thus, you can manage it.]

Andrew stared at the words.

He reached out and confirmed the prompt. For better or worse, Qein was now part of their world.