CHAPTER 20: UNAWAKENED, UNYIELDING

One of the hooded figures moved and tried to attack White with the dagger. White grabbed the hooded figure’s wrist and landed a punch on his face. The hooded figure dropped his dagger, which White caught as he attacked with the same dagger and stabbed it in the hooded figure’s abdomen.

"ARRG-" The hooded figure’s scream was cut off when white placed a hand on his mouth.

White, who held the hooded figure in his arm, suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, and when he turned to look, he saw a dagger lodged in his shoulder, from which blood was dripping out.

White opened his hold on the hooded figure, who had already lost his consciousness, and removed the dagger lodged at his shoulder.

He looked around the room, trying to find the last hooded figure. Just as he turned back, a fist enlarged in his view... and landed on his face, causing White to take a few steps back. The hooded figure rushed toward him and landed a knee to his abdomen.

White, who was on his knees, couldn’t even move due to exhaustion caused by continuous blood loss and pain.

The hooded figure stopped in his steps and looked at White with a shocked gaze.e

"Y-You are unawakened?"

When he said so, he wasn’t the only one who was shocked out of his mind.nd

Anna, who was looking at White from the start, was just as shocked as him. After all, White was able to take care of beings with superhuman abilities while being a normal human.

Suddenly, a thought blossomed in Anna’s mind

’Is he a normal human?’

’What if the other person is wrong and he is awakened?’

The hooded figure looked at White and continued to speak

"Maybe.. I am wrong. But..." He paused before continuing.

"If you were using star essence to empower or strengthen your body, it would have made sense."

"However, because I don’t feel any star essence from you... means your body is as strong as a Seeker while being unawakened?"

"Wait.. not a Seeker, you are much stronger than a Seeker... an Ignited then?"

"How is this possible?"

While the hooded figure was confused in his thoughts, White had recovered enough to land a blow to him. White stood up and rushed towards the hooded figure, and a kick landed in his chest...

Yes.. The hooded figure kicked White while he was running toward him.ds him.

"It doesn’t matter... I just have to finish you and take away Anieal Starborne," said the hooded figure as he turned to look at Anna’s body lying on the bed

’Take away? So they didn’t come to kill me, instead they wanted to kidnap me? Why, though? Just as Anna was about to think more about it, she saw the hooded figure walk towards White with a dagger in his hand

She panicked

’Should I return to my body? And help him out?’

Anna was about to move when suddenly a strange event happened. The space in front of her rippled and began to glow with a purple hue... the purple hue began to spin as it took the form of a portal.

As soon as the portal appeared, Damien walked out of it. His presence caused all of the beings inside to have their hair stand in fear... The amount of rage and bloodthirst coming out of him caused the hooded figure to stop in his tracks and look at Damien with a horrified look.

Damien looked at the hooded figure and clenched his hand into a fist and punching the air before him. The surrounding star essence began to rotate near his hand.

The shockwave produced by the punch alone was so devastating that the hooded figure turned into a paste.

When Anna saw that, she was shocked out of her mind... After all, the one she trusted most suddenly turned into someone like Superman... and he never told her about it.

Even if it was for her good, she still felt bitter about it.

Suddenly, however, her thoughts changed.

’W-wait!! Didn’t he come out of a portal?’

’Damn! That was so cool!’

Anna thought with excitement plastered all over her face.

"White..." Damien said his tone was heavy.

"Young Master..." White replied with an uneasy tone because he knew what had happened today might cause Damien to take action he never wanted to.

"Have I been too reliant on those pests?" Damien asked, his tone turning colder and colder with every moment.

"I left everything behind just to keep Anna safe... what’s the point of doing that if it changes nothing?"

White just stayed silent because he had no words. Damien didn’t need his concern that everything’s going to be fine or anything like that; he only wanted to take those words off his chest.

"Hah... Maybe it’s time we return."

"B-but"

"It will be fine... I’ll take care of everything"

Damien said as he formed a portal and left the place through the portal.

Anna, who heard their conversation, had a dumbfounded look on her face

Only one thought was on her mind

’What in the hell is going on?’

Anna couldn’t understand anything from the conversation. However, she knew that something devastating had happened to Damien in the past... something she didn’t know till now.. or probably would have never known if she wasn’t in the strange condition she is right now...

Anna shook her head and moved towards the window, and gazed at the moon.

’I can’t wake up yet.. I have to see more.. I have to hear more. Only then can I move towards my goal.’

Anna said as her eyes lingered on the moon. Her gaze had determination in it... seemingly ready for whatever comes her way in pursuit of her goal..

Ready for all hardships she will face... Anna closed her eyes and returned to the black sea she had opened her eyes in..

She looked at the golden egg before her, and once again pain began to assault her mind, but she didn’t look away... seemingly trying to grasp something from it...suddenly the threads coiled around her and began to harden like a cocoon... and the black sea once again turned peaceful.

Footnotes:

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Awakened Ranks till now:

Seeker → Ignited → Adept

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Sub ranks:

Tyro → Refined → Apex