Kill to evolve: A system that demands blood
Chapter 57: Poisonous gas

Before anyone could make a move, a sharp hiss broke through the tense silence.

A thick, murky gas erupted from the ceiling vents, quickly spreading and clouding the entire space in seconds. It was dense, grayish-green, and carried a strange chemical sting. Everyone froze, unsure whether to run, fight, or hold their breath.

Ronan’s eyes widened. That sharp ping in his head wasn’t just another warning—it was a direct alert.

Poisonous gas identified, healing ability activated.

He stiffened and immediately shouted to warm the rest, "The gas is poisonous, don’t inhale! Cover your nose, now!"

Panic rippled across the team. Hands flew up to cover mouths and noses. Some scrambled for masks or cloth, while some who didn’t seem to believe or where having a hard time understanding what Ronan just blurted remained standing, frozen in disbelief. Even Aldric, usually unfazed, lifted the collar of his coat to shield his face.

The people who covered in time thought they were safe, but then, one by one...they began to drop.

Tyce was the first to stumble. His legs buckled as his eyes rolled back. Jalen collapsed next, followed by Roan and then Colt. No sounds. Just bodies hitting the floor like lifeless mannequins. It was so sudden, it felt like their brains couldn’t even get the chance to figure out what the hell was going on.

Ronan staggered back, heart racing. "No...what the hell is this?!" They had covered their nose just in time to prevent them from inhaling it right? So what in the world was going on?

Another ping from his system, The answer came fast....

Toxin identified: Type-4 Neuro-Skin Agent. Warning: gas permeates through the skin. Inhalation not required.

"What!?"

He looked around again. Everyone was down. Every last one of them... except two.

Aldric and Ezren.

Ronan barely blinked before the tension in the room snapped like a stretched wire. Aldric was staring at him now. Not like a captain, but like someone finally noticing something strange in the room.

Ezren hadn’t moved either, but the way his eyes narrowed said enough. He’d used Mind Lock on himself, Ronan was sure of it. That ability didn’t just lock thoughts. It shut down body functions, organs included. Smart.

And Aldric? His ability bent reality itself. Poison was a joke to someone like that.

But that didn’t explain the looks they were giving him.

"You always seem to surprise me every single time," Aldric said slowly, his voice calm but holding a hint of suspicion. "So... your system lets you do stuff like this too?"

It was the first time Aldric had spoken to Ronan directly.

Ronan dropped the hand covering his nose, keeping his stance cautious. "Can your ability make them all wake up too?" Ronan asked, ignoring Aldric’s question. The last thing he wanted anyone finding out was the true nature and potential of his system.

Aldric blinked, slow. "I could... in theory. But this—" he gestured around them "—isn’t an illusion. Not a fake trigger I can flip off. It’s real. And I don’t rewrite biology. I nudge rules, not cure poison."

"Thought so..." Ronan muttered under his breath.

"And you didn’t drop," Aldric said, "Neither did he," he added, jerking his chin toward Ezren. "But only you screamed out a warning before it happened. Funny."

"I got lucky," Ronan replied quickly, though even he knew that sounded like a pathetic lie.

Ezren finally spoke, voice low. "Luck doesn’t warn you about airborne neurotoxins."

Ronan felt his muscles tighten. "We don’t have time for this."

"They’re not dead," Aldric said flatly, hands tucked into his coat pockets. "Just unconscious. Probably won’t last more than a few hours. Or maybe they will. Depends on the dosage."

"You don’t know?" Ronan snapped.

"I don’t care," Aldric replied, tone sharp for the first time. "We only came here for one thing, and it’s to execute anyone found in this building without mercy, but first... shouldn’t you explain why exactly you’re still standing? Did you know about this already?"

Ezren took a step forward. "He knew about the poison, Captain. But I don’t think he released it, but he was warned."

That hung in the air like a loaded weapon.

Ronan didn’t respond. His mind was racing too fast, assessing options, escape routes, antidotes, anything. This wasn’t the time to get into a standoff.

"Whatever you’re thinking," he said tightly, "save it. We’re still in enemy territory. This was a trap. We need to get them out of here."

Aldric didn’t move. But he didn’t stop Ronan either.

Ezren turned toward the fallen team, eyes already glowing faintly as he crouched by Vex, "He’s right. We move them now. You can interrogate him later."

Aldric gave one last long look at Ronan, then shrugged.

"Fine. But if I find out you’re hiding anything..." He smiled. It wasn’t friendly. "Reality’s very flexible. I could erase your heartbeat before you blink."

Ronan didn’t flinch. "Then I guess we better stay on the same side."

Ezren turned, already lifting vex onto his back.

"Wait..." Ronan stopped him.

"And what now?" Ezren asked with a raised brow.

"They’re here. We’re surrounded."

Ezren froze, his shoulders tensing as the weight of Ronan’s words settled. "Surrounded? What do you mean—"

CRACK!

A piercing flash shot past him, so fast it barely left a trail in the air. A lightning-quick bullet, so precise and vicious it could’ve taken a head clean off.

But it wasn’t aimed at Ezren.

It was aimed at Aldric.

And just before it could tear through his skull, the bullet stopped mid-air.

Suspended. Still. A fraction of a second from impact.

Then, without warning, it crumpled.

The metal twisted and folded into itself with a sickening screech before turning into dust—gray flakes falling to the floor in complete silence.

Aldric hadn’t even moved. His smirk was slow, almost lazy, as he turned his head in the direction the bullet had come from.

"That’s a bold way to say hello."