Chapter 21: New Day
’So she’s a Fake Awakener,’ Enzo thought.
That much was obvious.
Unlike George, however, Emma could still return to her original form with the help of that Mana Liquid.
Even so, Enzo couldn’t help feeling puzzled by her power.
Turning into a ghost and possessing monsters...
Whose Talent had she copied?
He had never heard of anyone with an ability like that.
Even for a Fake Awakener, the ability to become a ghost and possess monsters seemed far too powerful to be merely an A-Class Talent.
Enzo quickly returned to his guard post, not wanting Emma to catch him watching.
Unfortunately, only a few moments later, someone knocked heavily on the door.
"Come out. Don’t think I don’t know you saw me."
Emma’s voice rang from outside, making Enzo slap his forehead.
So she’d noticed after all.
With no choice, he opened the door.
"What do you want?" he asked, frowning.
"Whatever you saw, don’t tell anyone," Emma said.
"What do I gain from telling other people?" Enzo scoffed. "Why? Are you embarrassed to be a Fake Awakener?"
"It’s far more embarrassing to be nothing at all."
There was obvious anger in her voice, as if his words had struck a sore spot.
Without another word, she turned and walked away.
"How pitiful..." Enzo shook his head.
If she ever found out that he was a true Awakener controlling Violet behind the scenes, she’d probably cry from jealousy.
He returned to his bed and lay down while taking out his phone.
He searched the internet for information about Ghost Transformation, hoping to discover who originally possessed such a Talent.
To his surprise, there was nothing.
Not a single record.
Not even a passing mention.
’Is the original owner completely unknown?’ Enzo wondered.
Since it was already past midnight, he forced himself to sleep so he wouldn’t end up dozing off the next morning.
Fortunately, falling asleep inside the guard post wasn’t difficult.
Perhaps it was because he no longer felt crushed by despair.
His life was finally moving in the right direction.
...
He woke up early the next morning.
The sky was still dark, only around five o’clock.
He felt refreshed and full of energy.
After stretching, he stepped outside the guard post.
Ever since returning to the Monster Prison after distributing the Sanctuary Cards, he hadn’t left the prison building even once.
He had finally reached his limit.
He wanted to breathe some fresh air.
Hoping no one was outside, he walked out of the prison.
Fortunately, the surroundings were completely quiet.
He took a deep breath and immediately felt relaxed.
To his surprise, Emma arrived early carrying breakfast for him.
She frowned slightly when she saw him already waiting outside.
Without saying a word, she simply handed him the tray while giving him a sharp look.
Enjoying the cool morning air, Enzo decided to eat outside on a bench in front of the prison.
He had barely taken a few bites when someone caught his attention.
Bella had already arrived.
More importantly, she was carrying a suitcase of clothes along with a plastic bag that seemed to contain food.
"Enzo, you’re already awake?" Bella greeted him with her usual bright smile.
"What are you doing here so early?" Enzo asked.
"I was too excited. I want to level up as quickly as possible, then continue again this afternoon and tonight." She smiled. "By the way, here’s your clothes, and I bought breakfast from your favorite restaurant. Eat this."
She handed him the suitcase and the plastic bag.
Enzo accepted them, setting aside the breakfast Emma had brought.
Inside the bag were fried chicken, seasoned French fries coated in the restaurant’s secret spice blend, and a warm cup of milk coffee.
"Thanks," he said.
"How did you sleep?" Bella asked.
"I slept really well. I’ve been in a great mood lately."
A genuine smile appeared on Enzo’s face.
It was the kind of smile that only came from true happiness.
"By the way... you didn’t tell your father, did you?" he asked.
"Of course not." Bella shook her head. "Let’s surprise him in the future after you’ve become someone amazing."
"Hahaha... I don’t want to become famous. I just want power."
Enzo chuckled.
Then his smile faded.
George had just arrived.
He carried his silver greatsword on his back, his already cold face looking even gloomier than usual.
"You!"
He stopped the moment he saw Enzo.
One of his hands even twitched as if he wanted to draw his sword.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
Bella immediately stood up, and a translucent white suit of armor materialized around her body.
It hadn’t fully solidified yet.
Before reaching Level 10, her innate armor was still incomplete.
"Hmph. Hiding behind a woman... that’s all you’re good for."
George shot Enzo a cold glance before continuing toward the prison entrance.
Even though dawn had barely broken, he was already eager to continue fighting.
"What is wrong with him?" Bella muttered.
"He’s practically gone crazy. Stay away from him," Enzo replied.
"I’m not afraid of some Fake Awakener," Bella said confidently.
"His level is probably higher than yours now. He came here again last night," Enzo reminded her.
Naturally, he couldn’t mention what George had said about Bella the previous night.
George had liked her for a long time, and now that obsession had clearly twisted into something unhealthy.
"Anyway, I’ll eat inside instead," Enzo added after noticing Bella’s slight frown.
"I’ll carry your clothes for you."
"Thanks."
The two of them walked back toward the guard post together.
By then, George had already entered another battle.
Still, seeing Bella accompany Enzo into the guard post noticeably darkened his expression even further.
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