Alden gazed at the solemn man standing in front of the body, with a hint of concern in his voice. "Sir, what happened here? Is this... is this a dead person?"
He was like an innocent and curious young boy and took a few steps forward unintentionally, stepping right on the green light ball.
"Got it!"
Alden's gaze still maintained the previous sense of exploration and curiosity. After the light ball made contact with his body, a +5 symbol emerged and then slowly merged into his body.
A warm flow instantly rushed into Alden's body, flowing from his soles as if his entire body had received a soothing massage. Alden was so comfortable that he almost hummed out loud.
This long-lost feeling almost brought tears to his eyes.
This was the feeling of awakening power value growth! Although it had been three years since he last experienced it, Alden would never forget it!
However, the magnitude of this increase in awakening power value far exceeded any of his previous experiences.
Thinking about the +5 symbol just now, Alden couldn't help but speculate – did this wave directly increase his awakening power value by 5?
Although all of this could only be verified later through testing, Alden still felt a sense of exhilaration in his heart at this moment.
"Did I absorb this green light ball?"
Alden calmed down and pondered. The light ball just now seemed to emerge from the body of a dead person, and no one else could see it.
Not only could he see it, he could also absorb it! It felt like playing a game and leveling up by defeating monsters.
Although Alden felt somewhat astonished, he wasn't too surprised. In this wasteland era, any kind of awakening ability could possibly appear, and perhaps this was his own awakening ability.
"Young man, why are you lost in thought?"
Alden was lost in thought when the middle-aged man with a crew cut frowned and walked up to him.
"Oh, it's nothing. I saw a dead person and got a little scared," Alden replied.
Alden could sense that although the man appeared ordinary, his uniform indicated he was not just anyone.
The Enforcement Bureau was an organization above the A City Police Department, specializing in dealing with awakened criminals, and most of its members were awakened individuals.
"I see," Light nodded and casually patted Alden's shoulder.
In the palm of his hand, a black screen resembling a stopwatch displayed a number: 70. Light's expression relaxed slightly.
This was a simple awakening power test device, one of their standard equipment. It was unexpected that the young man from the slums had a decent awakening power value.
After inquiring about Alden's identity and learning that he was a student at A City No.1 Middle School, Light finally felt relieved. It was normal for students from A City No.1 Middle School to have slightly higher awakening power values. Furthermore, Alden's awakening power value wasn't unusually high. Seeing no signs of faked nervousness or curiosity on Alden's face, Light relaxed.
"What happened here?" Alden asked softly.
"Two felons fled here. The one just now was one of them. But don't worry, go back and rest. We'll take care of things here," Light said, patting Alden's shoulder.
Attention all departments, the level one awakened criminal of the Metal element has been neutralized.
The second felon is very cunning and possesses the abilities of a level one intermediate rank awakened individual of the Space element. Although heavily injured, he still has the ability to kill and has taken hostages. Unless absolutely necessary, please refrain from taking action to ensure the safety of the hostages.
Although Alden had reached the street corner, he did not leave. He clearly heard Light's words.
Awakening abilities are classified from level one to level nine, with higher levels indicating greater power. Each level is further subdivided into three stages.
The top-tier powerhouse guarding Country A is the legendary level nine awakened individual!
"The one who just died was a level one beginner stage awakened individual," Alden thought of the green light ball and a brave idea surged within him.
What if the light ball generated after the death of an intermediate stage awakened individual could produce even more awakening power value?
This idea quickly took root in his mind. He knew it was highly risky, but such opportunities were rare.
If he missed this chance, where else would he find the bodies of other awakened individuals?
If he missed this opportunity today, would he have three months to raise his awakening power value to 100 points? Would he have enough time to help his parents escape poverty and raise money for his sister's high school tuition?
Under the cover of night, fear and determination intertwined in the young man's eyes as he gazed at his low and dilapidated home.
"Hiding and following him from behind might not be too dangerous."
Alden's gaze remained calm and composed. Although his awakening power value was not high, his physical abilities far exceeded those of ordinary people. However, compared to awakened individuals, he still had shortcomings. Yet, he also had an advantage - his familiarity with this area!
He had lived here for over a decade, knowing every inch of the land and every plant around him. If there were any unusual occurrences, perhaps he could notice them earlier than others. Once he discovered something amiss, he only needed to report it to the person from before, without personally risking himself.
After making up his mind, Alden took a deep breath. By now, Light had already switched off the walkie-talkie and was walking towards the residential buildings in the sealed-off area. Alden cautiously trailed behind him at a distance of several meters. Fortunately, the environment in the slums was complex, with intricate and convoluted paths. If Alden hadn't kept his distance, Light would have likely discovered his trail as he turned back several times to check.
"Awakened individuals are indeed different from others, with frighteningly acute senses," Alden thought to himself as he observed the surrounding houses while following. It was late at night, and most people had already gone to sleep, their doors tightly shut. Most of the residents here were people Alden knew well.
"Hmm?" Alden focused on a small house beside him. He had just passed by it, but suddenly decided to turn back. Like the other houses, the door of this one was tightly closed, however...
Alden knew that the owner of this house had several dogs. Under normal circumstances, their door was left slightly ajar. With a thought, he gently pushed the door, and with a creaking sound, it slowly opened, revealing pitch darkness inside.
As Alden raised his foot to step inside, he suddenly realized that if there truly was trouble inside, entering would mean walking into a death trap. However, if he hastily informed the Enforcement Bureau only to find out it was a misunderstanding, he would surely be reprimanded.
He quickly dismissed that thought and prioritized safety. Just as Alden was about to close the door and leave, the space around him suddenly distorted, and he felt a force pushing him forward. The next moment, everything went dark, and he heard a thud.
The door closed again, and in the darkness, a faint smell of blood and heavy panting filled the air. "Why did you push open this door? Isn't it better to stay alive?" A candle flickered, illuminating a man clad in a gray robe, his face covered in intersecting scars and drenched in blood. His gaze was ice-cold as he stared at Alden.
Beside the man, Alden's familiar neighbor lay on the ground, eyes wide open, with a large wound on his neck, completely submerged in a tub of water, evidently to conceal the scent of blood.
At that moment, Alden felt an unprecedented sense of oppression, his ears burning, almost suffocating. The man's eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and the knife in his hand was still dripping blood. Despite being submerged in water, the neighbor's eyes remained wide open. Under the chilling gaze, Alden felt the threat to his life as if the scythe of death was already hovering over his neck.
Even though heavily injured, the pressure from the Level 2 Awakened individual remained strong. The man's hoarse voice seemed to emanate from a bellows: "Come here. I won't kill you."
Almost succumbing to fear, Alden hesitated to take a step forward, but he forced himself to hold back. His heart was pounding incessantly, but his mind was racing rapidly. The man said he would spare him, yet the neighbor's body on the ground was so conspicuous. They were strangers, and to the man, there didn't seem to be much difference between Alden and the deceased neighbor.
Perhaps the man was too weakened to kill him at such close range, or perhaps he had the ability to do so but it would attract the attention of the Enforcement Bureau. Both possibilities were unsettling, but Alden knew that staying put was the only way to ensure safety.
Sweat trickled down Alden's forehead, stinging his eyes. He anxiously watched every move the man made, constantly weighing the pros and cons in his mind. He knew this decision could be a matter of life and death, but he had to stay calm and rational.
Time passed by second by second, and the room was eerily quiet, adding to the sense of oppression.
The man narrowed his eyes, and Alden realized his speculation was accurate.
They continued to gaze at each other, the faint candlelight casting an eerie glow on their faces.
After what felt like an eternity, the man cleared his throat and softly said, "I intend to make a deal with you."
He fixed his gaze on Alden's eyes. "You are young, but I can see that you are a clever one."
"If you had taken a step towards me just now, I would have killed you immediately," he said calmly, as if taking a life was a trivial matter for him.
"Of course, if you choose to run now, I will also do everything in my power to kill you."
As he spoke, he closely observed Alden's reaction. Alden deeply believed that if he turned and fled at this moment, the man would undoubtedly attack without hesitation.
"How do you propose to make this trade?" Alden asked, realizing his lips were unusually dry.
"The short distance movement you experienced just now is my awakening skill, but it also consumed my last bit of awakening power," he explained. "I noticed you have some awakening stone fragments in your right pocket, intending to sell them, right? If you give them to me, I can regain my strength."
"As part of the exchange, I can give you the dagger," he added.
Seemingly to demonstrate sincerity, before waiting for Alden's response, he directly placed the dagger on the ground, pushing it toward Alden.
"Give me the awakening stones, and you can leave. I'll use them to restore my awakening power, and you can go. This trade is very fair," he continued, persuading Alden as if a shrewd merchant meticulously analyzing the pros and cons of the deal.
"Really? You have to keep your word!" Alden asked nervously.
His tone revealed a sense of insecurity, as if he needed the other party's commitment to feel at ease.
"Of course, I will keep my word," the man replied.
Only when Alden touched the cold handle of the knife did he feel somewhat reassured.