"Oh, what happened? Um... Let's see... I saved a cute, trapped vampire. I gave her some of my power and granted her a new name. And now she's my Emanator. That's what happened. I wouldn't consider it anything out of the ordinary, let alone something you should be surprised about." Aegis replied, shrugging his shoulders.
Jasmine narrowed her eyes.
"Anything out of the ordinary? That sounds pretty out of the ordinary, you idiot!"
Aegis chuckled.
"Jealous?"
"Not in a million years!"
Still, the scowl on the princess's face showed no signs of letting up. Her red eyes rested on Yue, who remained silent in Aegis' lap. She couldn't say exactly what she felt from her, but she was sure it was an energy she had never sensed before.
Purer energy than the cultivators practiced in the realm of the gods.
"...Divinity?"
It could be.
That small trace that had not yet completely disappeared from Yue was just what Jasmine was missing. Increasing her cultivation would not be enough. To ascend higher and become a True God, she had to understand the divine. Now, that vampire—or whatever she was—had exactly what Jasmine needed.
And the one who granted her that power was Aegis.
Jasmine wondered if this enigmatic being would grant her that power if she asked. However, remembering how she was treated as a child, she snorted.
At that moment...
"Wh-what is this...? Why does my body feel so hot...?" Murmured the girl beside her in a trembling voice.
Jasmine glanced at her sideways.
It was the one who called Sung Jin-Ah. A weird name. Then again, come to think of it, everyone here had weird names.
"You ate the food. That's why," Jasmine said indifferently. Then her brow furrowed. "Wait... are you a normal human?"
The girl didn't answer. She just hugged herself, shaking slightly. Jasmine narrowed her eyes.
She felt nothing from her. Not even the most basic aura of a beginner cultivator.
'...She's just an ordinary human.'
Her expression hardened.
It reminded her of when she first met Aegis minutes ago. She didn't sense his power then either. She judged him by the way he spoked and moved. Let her emotions take over and lashed out at him.
But now she understood. Even if she couldn't gauge his power, Aegis had presence. That silent pressure. Like a wall she couldn't break through. Like an abyss she couldn't see the bottom of.
Compared to him, Jin-Ah was just a flower. Fragile and weak. Jasmine didn't understand why an ordinary human was in such an extraordinary place.
And yet, that flower... was growing. She could see it. Bit a bit, step by step.
"Is he going to give her power too...?"
That thought crossed her mind. But it vanished just as quickly.
'Tch... Who needs it?'
She could do it on her own. She didn't need to depend on anyone. Didn't need favors. Didn't need help.
She just had to find the Heretic God's Legacy.
With that, it would be more than enough to crush that bitch from Brahma.
That thought was her only comfort as she watched the energy inside Jin-Ah spiral out of control at an absurd rate.
"At this rate... Is she trying to die?"
Even a cultivator with a reinforced body would be suffering under that pressure. But Jin-ah was just an ordinary human with no training, no spiritual resistance, and most importantly, no techniques to control energy.
"She's going to explode."
She honestly had no interested in interfering.
"Yuu..."
But then, a soft, emotionless voice came from the main seat.
Yue. The little vampire spoke quietly, as if she didn't want to disturb anyone, but she still couldn't hide the concern in her eyes as she looked at Jin-Ah.
Although she said nothing more, it was obvious. She was worried seeing her suffer. Maybe because Jin-Ah had been kind to her while she was still in a weakened state and was dragged here when she didn't understand what was happening.
Yue looked at Aegis. She hesitated. Then, slowly, she began to rise from his lap.
She didn't want to ask him for help. Aegis had already done so much for her.
So... if anyone was going to help this time, it would be her.
Yet just as she stood, a warm hand rested gently on her head.
"Ah..."
Aegis stroked her hair like he knew exactly what was going through her mind.
Yue looked up at him, and he smiled at her.
He ruffled her golden hair slowly and deliberately, but she didn't mind him touching her. Even without him saying anything, that placid expression on his face was enough.
Yue lowered her gaze. Her shoulders relaxed, and she sat back down on his lap.
"...It's okay, right?"
She trusted him.
This was the man who saved her. He may have had his own reasons, but Yue felt he wasn't the kind of person who would turn his back on someone who truly needed help.
He wasn't cruel. She was sure of it.
Just as Jin-Ah's energy reached a dangerous threshold, Aegis stood up.
Yue, who had been sitting on his lap, frowned as she felt herself being pushed away.
"...Um."
She crossed her arms, sank into the seat, and pulled a sulky expression, puffing out her cheeks like a grumpy little animal.
Despite everything, it clearly she liked sitting on him.
Aegis just chuckled softly and calmly walked over to Jin-Ah.
She was trembling. Sweat dripped from her forehead.
"You'll be fine. Trust me."
Jin-Ah looked up. Her eyes met his. That calm gaze reassured her. She felt the unbearable heat inside her dissipate slightly just by hearing his voice.
Aegis raised his hand and gently placed it on her head.
And then... a white, translucent energy flowed from his palm. It was silent and pure, like water falling into a still pond.
"Ah..."
The heat in her body subsided. And a few seconds later, the pressure disappeared.
That energy was not suppressing hers. It was gently guiding her throughout her body.
"What... is this...?"
"I would say it's an awakening. That's what it's called in your world, right?"
As she listened to Aegis speak, Jin-Ah lowered her gaze to her hands.
She opened and closed them several times. She didn't feel anything different. The strange heat from before was gone, and she certainly didn't feel any energy coursing through her body anymore.
Everything felt the same as before.
"This is supposed to be an Awakening?"
She couldn't help but doubt it.
In her world, there was such a concept.
Awakened.
People with special abilities who began to appear after the arrival of the gates.
Most of them were known as Hunters.
They entered dungeons, fought monsters, and protected ordinary people.
It all sounded impressive from the outside. However, it was also dangerous. Jin-Ah knew that well.
She had heard dungeons weren't like the video games people watched online. In there, if you died, that was it. No second chances.
If you were weak, you were simply devoured.
That's why she worried so much about her brother.
He had recently awakened. But his Rank was F. The lowest of all.
Most F-Rank Hunters, even when accompanied by stronger Hunters, couldn't even complete a dungeon without nearly dying.
She didn't want him to go in.
She didn't want him to disappear. She didn't want... her mother to end up losing her son.
But she also knew that the money he earned as a Hunter was basically the only way they could pay for their mom's treatment.
So, even though she hated it, she said nothing.
That's why, when she heard that she had also awakened...
It scared her a little.
But she also felt something different. It wasn't exactly hope.
Just the feeling that maybe now she could do something too.
Even so...
"I don't feel any change..."
If this was an Awakening, then it was much quieter than she expected.
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