___
"Underworld, you haven't heard of that name before?"
A burly man, huge with midnight black hair and sun-smitten eyes glared at another man... The man in question was sporting a black gown– All plain.
"No, CrossWood is just a formal name. It isn't anything special." Underworld said, jade green eyes rolling. His hands fumbling across a holographic image with Tommy's picture on it.
"He's Awakened! He recently set foot on the path of Awakening... I currently don't know what level he is now."
Underworld sneered. "Amir, he's a regular Awakened... Nothing much, nothing less. These people are simply bunch of noobs, forcing themselves to Awaken due to the immense power they would gain in return... Not knowing how slow their progress would take in order to achieve greater power..."
Amir flicked his hands and a deafening thunderclap sounded within the isolated space they harbored. An enclosed space secluded from the reaches of the outside world.
"Underworld you won't understand... This child will become a threat to our big plans. You might not see it now, but I can. We have both attained Transcendence and our progress had been slowed considerable. If we can get rid of this awakening process, we'd cut off human's only hope of attaining greater powers... We might even stunt this Tommy guy. Then, we'd become the most powerful and our rule over this world will be certain."
Amir sighed.
"You want us... as Transcendents to go after, an Awakened? Wouldn't it be too... demeaning? I mean, look at it?" Amir was stunned by Underworld.
"It's no big deal, as long as we clear our path... We might achieve our goal!"
Amir shrugged and then smiled. "It's time..."
He pushed a lever and a powerful engine Instantly came alive, steaming with a deafening sound.
"Let's prepare for the next plan... I want the world to fall under our utmost control." Underworld said, already tasting the victory within his palms.
___
Tommy was shocked.
Theodore had captured three girls and this time, it wasn't going to be so easy to come to their rescue. It was almost 9PM and he was alone in this park...
Vikings territory. Tommy's entire body began to tremble. He imagined Casey's tears... He also imagined his anger.
He did warn me.
Tommy had grasped three skills apart from his initial speed and strength... and that was after breaking through the Stream-entry realm as an Awakened.
The first skill is Oblivion— the ability to cast oblivion, erasing a portion of the human mind, making them forget... No matter how they try to recollect, they would never get it.
The second skill is– Afterimage... this grants him miniature teleportation. His afterimage is like a dimension... A small portal that allows him travel 30 to 50-yards away from his initial position.
Then, the third skill– Wind blade... Tommy could manifest the shapes of blades, spears, spikes... anything extremely sharp and pointy that depicts as blade.
The Stream-entry is like, an entry... A warm welcome into Awakened-hood... So these skills is merely a walk in the park. The only time Awakened display their true strength is after becoming a Non-return and have formed their aspect through the quest...
Tommy quickly used his afterimage...
A cloud of white smoke in the shape of a dissipating human formed, telling that Tommy had vanished 30 to 50 yards away.
However, that moment... Countless bullet shot at his afterimage leaving dent on the floor.
If Tommy had been here, he would have been shocked to realize that these bullets also moved at the same speed of an Awakened.
Which means, if taken at unawares... The bullets might hit it's target.
Tommy scanned his surrounding. He looked at his wristwatch but frowned upon seeing the time.
His phone was on silent, but when he took it out, he saw many miss calls from his father, Riele and Edward...
Some unknown numbers called too, for some reason.
Shoving his phone into his pocket, Tommy shook his head but then froze...
His eyes widened in horror.
Vikings... On parole...
Tommy looked around, and finding a suitable location, he left his afterimage behind once again, arriving 60-yards away... And then hiding behind a tree.
Theodore seem to be working with these Vikings and he was trying to hunt Tommy down...
With a sigh, Tommy used Wind Blade and he manifested a massive sword...
Hiding behind the tree, he casted oblivion upon the tree– he wanted his target to simply... Forget.
And with a wave of his hand, the massive sword split the air in two as it went to it's targeted location... the ground around seven Vikings that had assembled for operation.
"Allahli, it's a sword.... Ahh!!"
"Dodge!"
"No ...It's too late!"
That moment, the sword pierced the ground causing it to crack and split... The powerful wind slammed upon the fractured ground causing fragments to be tossed powerlessly into the air, raining sand and dust particles.
Allahli the leader paused.
"It's a crack."
"What crack... what happened?"
The seven Vikings suddenly looked confused. And they began to leave one after the other... No matter how much they may have learnt kunfu... Or martial arts, the human nature can never be above the powers of an Awakened. The Vikings easily succumbed to oblivion.
60 yards away, Tommy sighed in relief.
Theodore had lost these particular members. So, it was up to Tommy to locate Theodore's hideout so that he can rescue these girls.
A sex addict can rake the entire world to have a woman sleep with him... Theodore was a true example.
Tommy left the tree and then .. he blurred away with a speed refined to perfection. His speed as an Awakened allowed him to rake the entire massive park in one minute.
"No hideout... "
Tommy thought for a while...
"How about an underground hideout?"
Tommy raised his feet. The entire strength went to his soles and then with an explosive power, Tommy slammed his feet unto the ground causing the entire park to shudder.