Chương 9: Awakening

Ch 9 - Awakening Evan never expected that he would witness a sight like this in his life. Reid stood before the towering tree monster, pointing an ordinary handgun at it. Anyone else might have laughed at what Reid was doing, but Evan knew with absolute certainty that he could defeat the boss. After having his body healed by that ability, Evan was now nearly one hundred percent certain that Reid was Reuel.

The novel had described what it felt like to be healed by the Sacred Light, and the experience Evan had gone through matched it perfectly. That all-encompassing warmth, as if he were being embraced by the sun itself. It was so pleasant that it almost made him want to fall asleep. Not that Evan could relax after learning that his suspicions had been correct. Now he would get the chance to witness Reuel, the Legendary Demon Hunter, face off against a Rift Boss.

The tree monster roared in fury and swung both of its massive arms at Reid. Reid leaped into the air, avoiding the attack before landing atop one of the monster's arms. He sprinted along the enormous limb with astonishing speed. The boss tried to squash him with its free hand, but Reid raised his gun. Bang! A bullet shot from the pistol. Or at least, it should have been just a bullet. A simple round that could be found in any police officer's handgun, yet it now radiated a brilliant and powerful light.

The bullet struck the monster's hand. Kaboom! Instead of bouncing off harmlessly, it exploded. It was like watching a miniature sun detonate. When the light faded, a massive crater had been blasted into the monster's palm. Evan recognized what Reid was doing the moment Sacred Light flowed into the bullet. His eyes widened. An ordinary round couldn't contain Sacred Light. A single mistake and it would detonate before it ever left the barrel.

Yet Reid infused it without the slightest hesitation, as if he'd done it thousands of times before. Only Reuel could pull off something so absurd.

"Grrraaaaaaaaaah!" The tree monster roared as countless vines burst from its body and shot toward Reid. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Reid fired in rapid succession. Some of the vines were blown apart, while the rest failed to touch him as he weaved between them. Breaking through the monster's defenses, he sprinted up its arm and launched himself into the air, his gun trained on the tree's face. BLAM! The tree recoiled as the bullet struck home.

When the smoke cleared and the light faded, its face had been torn apart, revealing the inside of the trunk. Deep within, a crimson core pulsed like a beating heart. Reid landed on the monster's shoulder, his footing steady despite the giant swaying beneath him. Without wasting the opening, he emptied the rest of his magazine into the exposed core. As the final shot rang out, he holstered his pistol and drew a short dagger forged from dark metal that gleamed beneath the sunlight.

In one smooth motion, he drew the blade across his palm. Fresh blood spilled onto the dagger, staining its surface crimson. Reid's expression never changed, as if the self-inflicted wound meant nothing to him.

"Aeth Luxara Ven," he chanted. The blood coating the blade began to glow with a brilliant golden radiance. As the giant swayed unsteadily, Reid pushed off its shoulder and leaped away. At the peak of his jump, he hurled the dagger toward the center of the monster's torso.

"Thaevareth." The glowing blood stirred. Intricate runes emerged across the blade's surface, shifting and reforming into new symbols with each passing moment.

"Volkaris!" FWOOOOSSSHHHH! The blood erupted. Golden sacred flames burst forth from the dagger and spread across the monster's body like wildfire. The half-conscious tree monster thrashed wildly, trying to beat out the flames with its massive limbs, but every frantic movement only fed the blaze and carried it farther. The fire raced across its bark-covered body, climbing higher and higher until every branch, vine, and limb was consumed. Within seconds, the towering creature had become a colossal bonfire.

The light reflected in Evan's dark eyes as he stood up and unconsciously began approaching the boss arena. There was no fear in his mind that the boss might get back up and attack them again. All he could see was the man standing before the fallen giant, surrounded by twisting golden flames. The brilliant light cast a long shadow behind him, making him seem far larger than he actually was.

"Bro—" Evan began as he ran toward him. [Hidden Achievement Unlocked!] A System window suddenly appeared before Reid. [Hidden Achievement: Impossible Variable!] [You have defeated an A-rank Boss without undergoing Awakening.] [Special Reward Issued.] [Reward: Awakening] Reid narrowed his eyes as he stared at the message. Then he slowly raised his hand. Evan's thoughts raced. What kind of abilities would Reid gain after becoming an Awakener?

He was already ridiculously strong with his Demon Hunter skills and experience, but now he would become even stronger. However, instead of pressing the confirm button, Reid's eyes and hand began to glow brightly. With a single powerful strike, he shattered the System window into countless fragments.

"I've no need to make an agreement with some unknown entity," Reid said.

"Begone." Evan's jaw dropped as the glittering pieces of the System window fluttered through the air. This crazy overpowered bastard. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Who the hell just says no to the System? As though unwilling to accept the rejection, the System flooded Reid's vision with even more floating windows. Reid dismissed them one after another with a casual wave, brushing them aside like persistent flies that refused to leave him alone.

Evan's mouth twitched as he watched the ridiculous scene unfold. In the first place, there hadn't even been a "Reject" option when the System offered that reward. Anyone else would have accepted it without a second thought and celebrated their good fortune. But Reid was a Demon Hunter. There was no way he'd willingly make a contract with some mysterious entity. It was exactly what Evan expected from the Legendary Demon Hunter. Evan's mouth curled into a schadenfreude smile. Good.

He had always been the one getting stomped beneath The System's whims. Now, watching his mortal enemy be rejected outright, his heart practically skipped with joy. That's what you get for trying to mess with an overpowered protagonist! [(凸ಠ益ಠ)凸] A System window suddenly appeared before him. [The Curse of ■■■■■■ stirs.] Swoosh! Evan looked up and barely had time to register a flying branch, broken off from the burning fallen tree, hurtling straight toward him like divine punishment. Thwack!

It smacked directly into his head. Evan stumbled. Then fell. Very dramatically.

"Evan!" Reid shouted, watching his brother face-plant onto the ground. He rushed over and gently picked him up.

"Are you okay?" Damn you, System, Evan cursed internally. One day he would break free from this damned curse and hunt down whatever demented being was casting it. This was a promise! With the boss now defeated, Reid went to heal Harlan, Yuyan, and Marcus. He used his Sacred Light to treat only their worst injuries before handing them the usual red potions to recover the rest. When Harlan woke from his unconscious state, he shot upright and shouted, "The kids!"

"Please calm down, sir. The boss has been defeated," Reid said.

"R-really?" Harlan looked around, his eyes landing on the still-burning tree, then on Evan, who was pouring a potion into Marcus's mouth.

"Cough, cough! I'm… alive?" Marcus muttered, his eyes half-open.

"Yeah," Evan said, helping him sit up before giving him the vial so he could finish the potion himself. He glanced at Yuyan, who was silently drinking her own potion, then quickly looked away.

"B-but how?" Harlan asked.

"My brother awakened and beat the boss," Evan said quickly, covering for Reid.

"Really?" Marcus exclaimed.

"Then he has to be at least an A-rank Awakener to take that thing down!"

"Thank you, mister!" Yuyan said with a smile. Reid gave a small smile.

"It's nothing, but I would appreciate it if you refrain from discussing what happened here for now."

"What do you mean?" Harlan frowned. Evan could guess what Harlan was thinking. An irregular gate of that size couldn't simply be covered up, and Harlan hadn't been close enough to lie on Reid's behalf. Once they got out, someone would have to file a report. That was standard procedure after every Rift operation, and an irregular gate would draw even greater scrutiny.

"Nothing major," Reid said, pulling out his badge.

"I just… entered the gate without authorization, and I'm currently in trouble with my supervisor." Seeing the Rift Support Technician ID, Harlan's cold gaze softened slightly. Reid continued, "I'm not asking you to lie for me, but I would really appreciate it if you didn't say anything about this to the press. It could get me into serious trouble."

"I see. I understand," Harlan said, nodding.

"And thank you very much for coming to save us." With the wounded now at least able to walk on their own, they all headed toward the exit portal the System had created. Stepping through the Rift, they were greeted by the chaotic wail of emergency sirens and a crowd of Awakeners, police officers, and medical personnel. Voices overlapped as people shouted orders and exchanged hurried reports, but the commotion fell silent the moment they saw the group of five emerge.

Behind them, the unstable Rift sealed itself and disappeared into nothingness. Many blinked in disbelief, while others pinched themselves to make sure they weren't imagining it. The first to move was a woman in her early fifties who marched straight toward them. Fine lines marked the corners of her eyes and mouth. Her dark brown hair, streaked with visible strands of gray, was pulled tightly into a low bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were a deep brown, with faint crow's feet at the corners.

She wore a dark gray tailored blazer over a plain white blouse, the collar pressed and perfectly aligned. A simple ID badge hung from her chest, and her sleeves were neatly buttoned at the wrists. Evan quickly glanced at the ID. Shin Soo-jin. RCB Director. Why was such a big shot here? His eyes widened further when she stopped in front of him. His mind whirred as he panicked, wondering if he was supposed to know this woman. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Director Shin looked him up and down.

"You're okay. That's good." Then she glanced at the paramedics.

"Take care of the wounded." Hearing that order, the paramedics finally moved and rushed over to the four survivors. Meanwhile, Director Shin turned her attention to Reid. Her gaze swept over him before she said, "You seem fine. Come with me. We have to talk." Evan's gaze followed his brother as he walked after Director Shin toward her car, wondering if he was about to get scolded.

Soo-jin and Reid sat inside her car. The spacious interior was lined with soft leather seats stitched in neat patterns, while polished wood trim accented the doors and dashboard. The cabin was quiet, insulated from the bustle outside, with only the faint hum of the engine breaking the silence. Lighting a cigarette, she offered the pack to Reid, who silently accepted and lit one of his own with a lighter. The two smoked in silence before Soo-jin spoke.

"I don't think I need to tell you how stupid you've acted."

"I just think it was necessary," Reid said. Soo-jin took a long drag and closed her eyes. Not for the first time, she cursed the fact that Reid was his mother's son through and through. The same stubbornness. The same fierce independence. Losing his parents hadn't changed him. Neither had the years spent raising Evan alone. No matter how much life piled onto his shoulders, Reid remained frustratingly, unwaveringly himself.

"So, care to explain how you managed to not only escape the Irregular Rift, but also bring the missing people out alive and well?" Soo-jin asked. Even with a cursory glance, it was easy to see that the four missing people had torn, bloodied clothes, yet they were able to stand straight without wheezing or grimacing in pain. And she was sure she wasn't the only one noticing this strangeness. The paramedics had likely already realized that someone else had treated their injuries before they arrived.

"I awakened," Reid said plainly, as if he were talking about the weather.

"Of course you did," Soo-jin said. Her mind flashed back to that incident nearly a decade ago. Reid clutching the unconscious Evan in his arms, surrounded by the destroyed remains of their home and countless monster corpses. Those bright golden eyes staring at her, warning her to keep her distance.

"What did you awaken as? A Healer, I presume," Soo-jin said.

"But how will you explain defeating the boss? Don't tell me that C-rank Awakened did it. That Rift was B-rank."

"He managed to damage it with a fire crystal before I arrived. I just finished the rest," Reid said.

"That's your answer?" Soo-jin asked, glancing at him.

"Yes." Reid took a drag from his cigarette. Soo-jin sighed.

"You're giving me a lot of work here."

"I'm sorry, Director."

"If you're sorry, make sure you don't cause any more trouble anytime soon."

"I'll ensure that I won't cause you any trouble at all in the future." Soo-jin scoffed.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, brat."