"That's a +100 to all stats? Is this the freaking power of breaking that chain?" Eckert muttered, staring at the system screen in disbelief. His mind raced as he tried to comprehend the implications. Normally, an average awakened would have a stat of 10 in each category. But what was this 100? That was the stat of a normal Aura Apprentice.
"Normally, someone has to keep gathering their aura from a mere 100 until it reaches 1000/1000," he continued, thinking aloud. "And with the gathering of aura, their body would be tempered, slowly increasing their normal stats until they reached 100. That's when they'd attempt a breakthrough from Aura Gatherer to Aura Apprentice. But this… this is telling me I skipped that level entirely."
He ran a hand through his hair, still damp from sweat. His thoughts were jumbled, a chaotic mix of excitement and fear. What had he done to himself? The process he'd undergone was nothing short of torturous, but the results were undeniable. Yet, the sheer magnitude of the change left him feeling unsteady, as though he were standing on the edge of a precipice.
"Mmmmm…" A muffled sound broke through his thoughts.
He froze, realizing he wasn't alone. The noise grew louder, and it was then that Eckert noticed the source—a figure huddled in the corner of the room, struggling against bonds. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized who it was.
"Monica?" he said, his voice a mix of surprise and concern.
"Mmmmm! Mmmmmmm!" came the frantic, muffled reply.
Eckert quickly left his bed, his body moving with newfound speed and grace. He crossed the room in an instant, kneeling beside Monica and working swiftly to untie her bindings. As the ropes fell away, she gasped, drawing in huge gulps of air.
"Hah… hah hah…" Monica's breath was ragged as she tried to compose herself. Her eyes were wide with fear and relief.
"Believe me, your Highness," she began hurriedly, her voice trembling. "He's the one who tricked me into using the aura contract…"
Her words tumbled out, disjointed and panicked, but they trailed off as her gaze finally met his. There was a pause—a moment of silence that stretched uncomfortably as they locked eyes. Eckert's expression was unreadable, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her.
"I'm sorry, what did you say again?" Eckert asked, his tone calm, almost cold. The intensity of his gaze made Monica's heart race even faster.
"My… my lovely prince," Monica stammered, trying to regain her composure. "When did you wake up?"
"So I'm lovely today, huh?" Eckert replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He straightened up, towering over her as his eyes hardened. "Since when were you trying to scheme against me?"
Monica flinched at the accusation, her mind scrambling for a way out of the situation. "You don't understand… I… I was just trying to say that…"
"That what?" Eckert cut her off, his voice rising with anger. "That I've become a maniac?"
Monica shrank back, fear evident in her eyes. "No! That's not what I meant!" she cried, her voice trembling. "I was just following orders, your Highness! I swear, I would never scheme against you!"
Eckert sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to rein in his frustration. He was angry—angry at Monica, at himself, and at the entire situation. But deep down, he knew she was just a pawn in this larger game, someone caught up in his own reckless quest for power.
"Monica," he said finally, his voice softer but still firm. "I need you to be honest with me. What exactly happened while I was unconscious?"
Monica hesitated, her eyes darting around the room as if looking for an escape. But there was no way out. She was trapped, and she knew it.
"After you passed out… I-I panicked," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Angel… she told me to keep convincing your family that you were meditating for the awakening ceremony. I didn't know what else to do, so I did as she said. But… but the clone… it just kept going."
Eckert clenched his fists at the mention of the clone, the memory of those brutal days flooding back. The pain, the endless barrage of attacks—it had all been part of his plan, but the reality of it had been far worse than he'd anticipated.
"And you didn't think to stop it?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"I couldn't!" Monica cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "You made me sign that aura contract! I couldn't disobey you, even if I wanted to. I was trapped just like you were!"
Eckert's anger flared again, but this time it was directed inward. He had forced Monica into this situation, using her as a tool in his experiment without fully considering the consequences. Now, he was paying the price for his recklessness.
"Alright," he said after a long pause, his voice resigned. "I understand. But from now on, you answer to me directly. No more schemes, no more contracts. If we're going to survive this… if I'm going to survive this… I need to know I can trust you."
Monica nodded vigorously, relief flooding her features. "Yes, your Highness," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I promise."
Eckert stared at her for a moment longer, then turned away, his mind already racing with the implications of his newfound power. The system had shown him that he was now in a league of his own, but that power came with a heavy burden. He couldn't afford to be reckless anymore, not with so much at stake.
"Get out," he said quietly, his back still turned to her. "And make sure no one else finds out about this."
Monica quickly scrambled to her feet, bowing deeply before hastily leaving the room. As the door clicked shut behind her, Eckert let out a long breath, his body sagging slightly with the weight of everything that had happened.
He glanced at the system screen one more time, the numbers still glowing ominously in the dim light. This was just the beginning, he realized. The true test was yet to come.
And he had no intention of failing.
Author here:
Bonus chapter's will be released on weekdays
Bonus chapter's = 5
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Arizona: Now that you realise my greatness, bow to the great aura scientist
Eckert : (*_*)