Kill to evolve: A system that demands blood
Chapter 37: Emotional detachment

Chapter 37: Emotional detachment

Chapter 37

Ronan slammed the door behind him and locked it as soon as he entered his house.

He didn’t head to Dean’s. The last thing he needed was Dean’s wide eyes and a dozen questions about why he had so much blood on him. He didn’t have the energy to lie, and he sure as hell wasn’t in the mood to explain how he caved a guy’s throat in tonight all because his system ordered him to.

He tossed his shirt straight into the trash. No point in washing that mess.

His hands were still shaking,not from fear, not even regret. Just... aftermath. The kind of wired, numb tremble that comes after doing something you can’t undo.

The bathroom light buzzed as he flicked it on. He stared at himself in the mirror for a second, then looked away. Not because he was ashamed.

But because he didn’t want to start getting used to that look. His face all stained with blood, his eyes dead and emotionless. Everything about him screamed a cold hearted killer.

The water was hot, but it didn’t sting. He stood there in silence, letting all the blood wash away and swirl down the drain.

The guy had begged to be spared.

He wasn’t crying, wasn’t putting on a show. He was just done. Mouth full of blood, body crushed, and he still begged Ronan to let him face the law. Swore he’d confess everything.

But Ronan had killed him anyway, because the system said so. What a pathetic excuse. But still, Ronan tried to make himself believe that Harlan deserved it, that he deserved to die after all the lives he had taken.

He rested his head against the wall, eyes shut, letting the water run. "Why save me in the first place," he muttered, jaw tight, "if you’re gonna threaten me with the same damn life you gave me?"

Nothing.

No response, not that he expected one.

He stepped out of the shower moments later and toweled off, then he pulled on a fresh shirt, and dropped onto the couch. The apartment was quiet, too quiet. He didn’t even turn the lights on.

His system had made it real clear that they were no second chances, no compromises. Either you kill, or it starts pulling the plug on you piece by piece.

The sick part?

He didn’t even feel remorse for killing Harlan, infact...he was relieved to have gotten rid of a serial killer. But that wasn’t all, he actually felt thrilled... during the kill.

He wasn’t just scared of the system.

He was scared of how fast he was adapting to it. The old him was long gone, he wasn’t even capable of hurting a fly back then not to talk of killing someone, but now....he could kill dozens without hesitation.

He leaned back, arm over his eyes, breathing through clenched teeth.

You did the right thing, the system finally spoke. That cold, sterile voice he was starting to hate more than the silence.

"Oh, now you wanna talk?" Ronan muttered. "So... are you ready to answer all my damn questions?"

Your hesitation was inefficient. But acceptable. You fulfilled the daily requirement. Progress has been noted.

"Progress," he scoffed. "You mean degradation."

No response this time.

Of course not.

He reached over, grabbed the remote, then threw it across the room. Didn’t even flinch when it cracked against the wall.

The silence crept back in, wrapping around his thoughts like barbed wire.

Ronan stood and walked toward the kitchen. He was hungry, but he didn’t have the appetite to eat. He just opened the fridge, stared into it like answers might be hiding behind the milk, then shut it again.

The world was still turning outside. People were sleeping. Dreaming. Living their average, forgettable lives. And here he was, thinking of a serial killer he just murdered cold blood.

He rubbed his eyes. The new ability had unlocked right after the kill, and he hadn’t even had the will to test it. Maybe he should. The system responded instantly to his thoughts and sent a notification.

Spatial Displacement: Level 55 skill acquired.

Range: 2.4 meters.

Activation delay: 0.6 seconds.

Current stability: 38%.

Whatever the hell that meant.

He walked over to the living room again and stared at the wall for a long second.

Then he extended a hand.

Nothing happened.

He narrowed his eyes, focused, not on the wall itself, but on the space in front of it.

And something... shifted. Just slightly. The air shimmered like a heatwave.

Then...snap.

A small, clean slash appeared on the surface of the wall. No sound. No impact. Just a thin, perfectly horizontal slice through concrete and paint.

Ronan stepped back, heart racing, not from fear but from the strange, electric thrill that shot through him.

It felt good.

Too good.

He lowered his hand, breathing hard.

Ronan didn’t know the full extent of what the ability could do yet, but one thing was clear, it wasn’t just about cutting. That shimmer, the way the air bent, it felt like he had just reached through space itself.

He flexed his fingers, staring at them like they belonged to someone else. What else can I do with this? he wondered. Could he step through it? Hide things in between the folds of reality? The possibilities were endless, but the danger was just as real.

"System," he said aloud, still facing the wall. "Show me the stats. Show me everything."

For the first time in a while, the screen popped up.

System Log:

User: Ronan Vale

Level: 55

–Abilities Unlocked:

Adaptive Strength and speed Enhancement, regeneration, Gravity suppression, shield of the fallen, Telekinetics, skill extraction, Spacial displacement.[ All can be activated at will.]

Sensory Overclock [Passive]

Mental Stability: 72%

Corruption Rate: 4%

Daily Requirement Fulfilled: Yes

Next Trigger in: 23 Hours, 12 Minutes

Corruption rate.

That was new.

His eyes locked onto that one detail, a cold chill running down his spine. He hadn’t seen that term before, Corruption. And if it was only at 4% now, what happened when it hit 100?

"Define corruption rate," he said, voice tight.

Corruption Rate: A measurement of emotional detachment and system integration. At 100%, the host will be permanently integrated. Emotional conscience and autonomy will be terminated.

Ronan stared at the air, numb.

Terminated.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

His thoughts. His guilt. His fear. His empathy. All of it.

Gone.

He wouldn’t just become a killer.

He’d become the system.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.