Hitman With A Badass System

1422  Bring Life Back To Larnia

Finally, the transformation complete, Gaya stood tall, the Agni-King firm in her grasp, a raw power surging through her veins like she'd never known. She felt stronger, faster, and more intensely alive than ever before.

A quiver, seemingly crafted from dragon hide, materialized on her back, its surface shimmering with a subtle, golden light. Before her eyes, arrows appeared within it, filling the quiver to the brim. Their shafts were made of various materials, their tips glinting with different, potent energies.

Curiosity piqued, Gaya reached back and plucked one of the arrows from the quiver. She examined it with a critical eye, noting its unfamiliar composition. This was something else entirely.

She nocked the arrow, the Agni-King humming in response beneath her touch. As she drew back the string, the arrow crackled with lightning, bolts of blue energy dancing along its shaft, sparking and eager to be unleashed.

"Wow," she breathed, her voice filled with genuine awe. "A lightning arrow. But this… this feels different, like I'm holding pure lightning in my hands."

Michael, observing her, nodded in understanding. He'd crafted arrows for her before – fire arrows, ice arrows, poison arrows – using various ingredients, components, crystals, and potions. But this was something else entirely. The Agni-King was creating the arrows, drawing upon Nithroel's power and imbuing them with raw, elemental energy.

A grin spreading across her face, Gaya aimed the bow towards a blank section of the far wall. Her movements were fluid, graceful, and undeniably deadly as she released the arrow.

It soared through the air, a streak of brilliant blue light, leaving a trail of crackling energy in its wake. Upon striking the wall, it exploded in a blinding flash of lightning, the sheer force of the blast shaking the very foundations of the temple.

"Well," Gaya exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement, a predatory grin now firmly in place. "I think I'm going to like this bow."

She reached back and selected another arrow. This one shimmered with a soft, ethereal, silver light. She nocked it, drew back the string, and fired.

The arrow streaked through the air, but this time it left a trail of shimmering stardust in its wake. It struck the opposite wall, not with explosive force, but with a gentle impact.

Then, it bloomed.

Where the arrow struck, a flower appeared – beautiful and delicate, its petals a soft, silvery white, its stem a vibrant green. It unfurled in mere seconds, its fragrance a sweet, intoxicating perfume that quickly filled the chamber. And then, more flowers appeared, spreading outwards from the initial point of impact, covering the wall in a breathtaking tapestry of silver blossoms. They climbed the walls, wrapped around the statues, and bloomed even in the cracks of the floor. It was magical, powerful, and undeniably beautiful.

"Flowers?" Gaya's voice dripped with disdain. "Fucking flowers? What am I supposed to do with flowers? Give my enemies a bouquet? Write them a goddamn love poem on a greeting card?" She tossed the silver arrow aside, her expression a mixture of annoyance and disbelief.

Michael, however, remembered Seshat's words about the potential of the bow. An arrow, fired from the Goddess of Hunt's bow but wielded by the Goddess of Monsters could reawaken this desolate land. "I don't think those are just flowers, Gaya," he countered, his gaze fixed on the wall where the silver blossoms continued to spread. "Remember what Seshat said about restoring Larnia?"

Gaya followed his gaze, her frown deepening. "Yeah, she said I could breathe life back into this place or something with this bow." She paused, a skeptical edge to her voice. "But how? By decorating it with bloody daisies?"

"We should test it out," Michael suggested, a hopeful note in his voice. "Outside. Let's see what this thing can really do."

Gaya, however, gestured around the chamber, her frown becoming more pronounced. "And how exactly do you propose we get outside, genius?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "There are no doors, no windows, no stairs. We're trapped. And there's no fucking way I'm climbing all the way back down and risking another one of those fucked-up trials."

Michael, too, scanned the chamber, his gaze sweeping over the smooth, unblemished walls and the empty ceiling. They'd arrived via a staircase of light, but that was now gone. 09:33

Michael, too, scanned the chamber, his gaze sweeping over the smooth, unblemished walls and the empty ceiling. They'd arrived via a staircase of light, but that was now gone. "I think," he announced, a slow grin spreading across his face, "we're going to have to blast our way out."

A predatory gleam lit up Gaya's eyes. "Now you're speaking my language," she purred, her hand reaching for the quiver on her back. Her fingers brushed against the shafts of the arrows, searching for something specific.

She found it. An arrow, heavier than the others, its shaft a dark, obsidian black, its tip glowing with a fierce, red light. "This one looks promising," she declared, nocking the arrow to the Agni-King. The bow hummed in response, as if anticipating the destruction to come.

She turned towards the outer wall of the pagoda, the one facing the endless desert, aimed carefully, and fired.

The arrow, a streak of black and red, shot through the air, leaving a trail of smoke and sparks in its wake. It struck the wall with a deafening roar, exploding on impact in a conflagration of fire and raw energy.

The wall shattered. A gaping hole, large enough to walk through without even ducking, appeared, revealing the stark, barren landscape beyond.

"Well," Gaya said, letting out a long, slow breath, a hint of genuine satisfaction in her voice. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad to see some fucking desert."

"That was fun," Gaya remarked, her gaze fixed on the newly created hole in the temple wall. "Shall we?"

Michael nodded, and together they leaped through the opening, their figures briefly silhouetted against the blazing light of the twin suns before landing on the scorching sand below. The impact sent up a cloud of fine dust that swirled around their ankles.

"I take it back," Gaya groaned, shielding her eyes with a hand against the intense glare. "I fucking hate this place."

Michael chuckled. "What are you waiting for? A formal invitation? Fire the damn arrow, Gaya."

"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses," Gaya muttered, already ascending into the air, her movements effortless as she floated upwards. "But if this doesn't work, I'm blaming you for wasting a perfectly good arrow."

She retrieved the silver arrow, the one that had bloomed into flowers within the temple, and nocked it to the Agni-King. She pulled back the string, the bow humming in response, the silver of the arrow shimmering in the harsh light of the twin suns. She took a deep breath and fixed her gaze on the barren landscape stretching below them.

"Let there be life," she whispered, her voice low and intense, before releasing the arrow.

It soared downwards, a silver streak against the monotonous yellow of the sand, and struck the ground.

For a long moment, nothing happened. The arrow simply lay there, its silver surface glinting in the sunlight.

Then, it vibrated.

A faint, green light emanated from the point of impact, a tiny beacon of hope in the desolate expanse. And then, life erupted.

A tiny sprout, green and fragile, pushed its way through the parched earth. Then, more followed, delicate flowers with vibrant, colorful petals unfurling around the arrow. Lush, emerald green grass spread outwards, quickly covering the sand in a soft, inviting carpet of life. Trees, their branches bare and skeletal moments before, suddenly sprouted leaves in a riot of green and gold.

And then came water.

Clear and sparkling rivers carved their way through the transformed landscape, their banks now lined with swaying reeds and colorful wildflowers. Waterfalls cascaded down newly formed rocky outcrops, feeding into crystal-clear pools. The dry, cracked earth softened, becoming rich, dark soil teeming with unseen life. Bushes laden with berries sprung up, their sweet scent carried on the gentle breeze that had begun to stir. Where only moments before there had been a silent, desolate wasteland, a vibrant ecosystem now thrived. Birds with plumage as bright as jewels flitted between the newly grown trees, their songs filling the air. Small, furry creatures darted through the undergrowth, and the sound of buzzing insects replaced the oppressive silence of the desert. The transformation rippled outwards, a wave of vibrant green washing over the yellow sands, turning the barren wasteland into a lush forest teeming with life.

Soon, the dry, oppressive heat that had baked the desert receded, replaced by a cool, refreshing breeze that rustled the newly formed leaves. Michael, his gaze still fixed on the transformed landscape, approached the newly formed river, its waters sparkling under the twin suns. He knelt down, cupped his hands, and scooped up a handful of the clear liquid. It was cold, pure, and invigorating against his skin.

He splashed the water on his face, the coolness a welcome relief from the relentless heat and the lingering tension of the past hours. He took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh, clean air, feeling his exhaustion slowly begin to dissipate. The trials hadn't just tested his physical limits; they had drained him mentally and emotionally.

Gaya landed beside him, her boots crunching softly on the newly formed grass. "Not bad, huh?" she commented, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips. "Looks a hell of a lot better than that shithole Agra called a temple."

She knelt down, mirroring Michael's actions, and splashed the cool water on her face, letting out a sigh of pure satisfaction.

But their respite was short-lived. A reflection in the water caught Michael's eye. It was none other than Rin with her trademark predatory and cruel smile.

Michael and Gaya whirled around, their weapons instinctively raised, their bodies tense and ready to strike.

And there she was. Perched on a branch of a newly sprouted tree, her legs dangling casually, her crimson eyes gleaming with a malicious light. She looked different, complete, not a fragmented echo or a mere projection.

"I think," she purred, her voice a sibilant whisper that echoed unnervingly through the newborn forest, "that bow belongs to me."