[Congratulations! Task complete.]
[Please collect your rewards here.]
A flash of red light flickered before Zed's eyes, as he was transported to a level within twoer.
[Palace of the vampire path, where you can upgrade your abilities]
Feeling the plush sensation of the red velvet carpet under his feet, Zed slowly walked toward the center of the grand hall.
There lay three coffins, and Zed knew that within them slept three of his prey.
"That little mage wasn't entirely foolish, teleporting herself away before the wolf could even transform and touch her,"
Zed recalled the wolf's face and allowed a wry smile to cross his lips.
"Well, I never expected that the wolf would also be a player. Four players... So, in that case, I must be the monster within this task."
He awkwardly coughed, shifting his attention back to the coffins.
Was this his reward?
As Zed approached, blood-red characters suddenly appeared, hovering above the coffins.
Some blood trickled out of the coffin, as if a lemon were being squeezed, making Zed's teeth tingle.
[Awakening Path: Druid]
[Ability: Transform into a unique creature of the magical forest]
[Drawback: Requires a princess's kiss to revert]
[Cost: 2 blood points]
[Remaining uses: 1]
[Awakening Path: Qi Master]
[Ability: Briefly foresee the next word in a conversation (lvl constraints)]
[Drawback: Cannot speak oneself]
[Cost: 1 blood points]
[Remaining uses: 1]
[Awakening Path: Magician]
[Ability: Steal insignificant secrets from others(lvl constraints)]
[Drawback: Unable to use real magic for a period of time]
[Cost: 1 blood points]
[Remaining uses: 1]
["Drink! Kid! Drink their blood and get their ability!"]
Zed's face twitched, he couldn't really get the point after all.
'What kind of carp abilities are these? A frog prince, an NLP geek, and a gossip lover,' he thought, feeling utterly let down.
These abilities and their drawbacks hardly seemed worth using, nor did they evoke any desire for utilization.
Regardless, he decided to keep them for now.
[Do you wish to keep these abilities?]
"Yup."
'Better than having nothing at all,' Zed consoled himself.
A mysterious, ancient ceremony suddenly commenced. The darkness seemed to breathe life into the statues lining the grand hall, as if a pair of blazing eyes awakened them.
The tallest statue revealed a sinister, wicked grin.
Zed looked up, locking eyes with the imposing figure. An uncanny sense of familiarity washed over him. He couldn't shake the feeling that the statue bore some resemblance to his own appearance.
'Hmmmm...doesn't get time check myself for far too long. perhaps I need to dress up and look good before hanging out.'
Zed touched his face as the three coffins vanished away from his eyes.
Once again, he plunged into the sea of blood.
*****
When Zed returned to their tiny place, his entire body ached as if he had been pummeled relentlessly by an unseen force. The sensation crawled through his muscles, leaving him with a grimace as he stepped over the threshold.
He scanned the dimly lit room for Lucy, only to find the young girl sprawled across a rickety wooden table, fast asleep. Her chest rose and fell gently, a testament to the exhaustion that had also claimed her.
Zed's body shifted, causing the old spring bed to creak loudly beneath him, the sound echoing through the small space like a disgruntled spirit.
In his calloused hands, there were three spores, looks like their mysterious power waiting to be unleashed.
"This may be just the beginning," Zed murmured to himself, shaking his head as he fully embraced the life of an Awakener.
He knew that a dangerous path lay ahead, but he was determined to face it head-on.
Well, everyone struggled to survive, their lives hanging by a thread. Zed, who had lived two lives, realized that having even a glimmer of hope was better than none at all.
And now, he looked at Lucy, just smiled.
*Thump, thump, thump*
The brief and fast sound of knocking interrupted his thoughts, like a harbinger of the unknown. Zed furrowed his brow, a concern flapped on his face.
But when he saw that Lucy wasn't disturbed by the noise, he quickly went to answer the door, his steps cautious and silent.
It's Adrian, he seemed about to speak.
Zed gestured for him to be quiet, his index finger pressed firmly against his own lips. He slipped through the narrow door opening to speak outside, wary of the creaking floorboards beneath his feet.
"Is it time?"
Zed asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Adrian nodded, his expression solemn. "Yes, the car is good , fuel is ready."
Zed glanced back at the door.
That is the moment where Adrian feeling a knot of unease twist in his stomach.
"What's wrong? Is something off?"
Adrian's voice wavered as he became extremely alert, his hand instinctively reaching for the sword at his waist.
His faced turned pale like there were 2001 Brutes in front of them.
Zed shook his head, attempting to allay Adrian's fears.
"No worries, It's ok. Everything is fine."
Just as Adrian let out a sigh of relief, Zed's next words nearly made him draw his sword in panic.
"Ah, it's just that Lucy is still asleep."
Adrian's throat bobbed nervously as he pointed at the door, his eyes wide with anxiety.
"You mean, the one... the Lucy is... sleeping inside?"
"Yeah, what's the problem?"
Zed asked, oblivious to Adrian's mounting unease.
Thinking that Adrian was worried about being late, Zed patted his shoulder confidently, adding,
"Don't worry, I understand that time is important. I'll wake her up——"
"NO!"
Adrian nearly jumped as he shouted, his voice cracking before he immediately lowered it to a frantic whisper, "Nonononono... let her sleep. We're not in a hurry."
As he spoke, he took cautious steps backward, facing Zed as though the floor was littered with undetonated mines. His eyes darted between Zed and the door, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. Zed watched him, his confusion only deepening.Just then, the door creaked open.
Lucy, rubbing her eyes and yawning, Her hair wild mess and eyes barely open, like a fierce warrior after a night of 7 battles.
"Ugh, I'm so sleepy. Are we leaving?"