Chapter 31 - Copycat's Touch
"My lord, we are waiting for you," the glowing creature said softly, giving a gentle peck on Alan's head before vanishing in an instant.
Alan stood frozen, confused. This was the first time he had encountered such a creature, and it had appeared out of nowhere, called him "lord," and disappeared just as quickly. The room around him was unchanged, and no one else seemed to have noticed anything. Even the glowing particles had vanished without a trace.
"Anna, do you know anything about this creature?" Alan asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
[Hmm. From its appearance, I'd guess it's from the Spirit Race.]
"Spirit Race? What is that?" Alan inquired.
[The Spirit Race is said to be the first group of beings born in this universe. They are incredibly close to resonance and are considered one of the purest forms of life. There's a myth that if one is blessed by a spirit, they can reshape the entire structure of the universe and even become the strongest being within it.]
Alan's mind raced. "Why would such an important creature call me lord and say they were waiting for me?" he muttered, deep in thought. "There are too many mysteries surrounding me."
[Don't dwell on it too much. Spirits aren't bad creatures. They are among the purest beings in the world. If it blessed you, it means they trust you.]
Alan nodded, reassured by Anna's words. It hadn't done anything harmful, but it certainly added another layer of mystery to his already complicated life.
Just as he was pondering these thoughts, a system screen appeared in front of him. The task in front of him read:
World Task
Find the truth about the Awakener Pillar
Reward: Hint about the spirit's whereabouts
No time limit
Alan sighed as he read the task. "Tch! Another task," he muttered. "And what is this World Task thing?"
[I'm not sure. The system only allows me to assign you three types of tasks: daily, weekly, and main, but hidden task and this new World Task was directly given to you by the system.]
Alan couldn't help but marvel at the system's mysterious and overwhelming power. "I'll deal with this later. For now, let's focus on the task at hand."
He turned to Anna. "Anna, can I suppress my affinity to the pillar, like I did with my rank when the examiner was watching?"
[Smart thinking. A newbie awakener with a luminous rank and golden affinity would definitely attract attention from everyone. It's better to keep a low profile for now.]
"I don't want the Devil's attention right now," Alan said. "I want to be the first one to strike, and there is also Carter clan. I can't reveal all my cards just yet."
[Understood. I'll suppress it to a red rank for you.]
Alan touched the Awakener Pillar, and after a brief moment, the light shifted to a red hue.
"Congratulations on becoming an awakener," one of the guides said, his voice flat.
After some time, the first round of the test ended, and only three people achieved purple affinity. One boy, however, failed to awaken. Alan felt a pang of sympathy for him. Just a year ago, he had stood in the same spot, facing the same uncertainty.
He started to approach the boy to offer a few words of encouragement, but just then, Adam made an unexpected announcement.
"As the examiner for this awakening exam," Adam began, his eyes fixed on Alan, "I've decided to make things a little more interesting."
Alan immediately felt a bad premonition. Adam's eyes never left him as he spoke.
"Did he notice something?" Alan thought, trying to stay calm and not break eye contact.
Adam continued, "There are four talents who piqued my interest, and they must fight me to pass this round. The others can follow the guides to take the usual exam."
A wave of nervous whispers filled the room as the participants prayed they wouldn't be chosen to face Adam.
"Now, numbers 53, 69, 78,and 99, please stay here," Adam announced, his voice cold and authoritative.
The other participants, relieved they had been spared, quickly left the room. It was clear they knew the outcome of fighting Adam — failure.
Alan looked at the others who remained. There was Alia, the girl with the sword, a tall boy with an athletic build, and the last person who caught Alan's attention most — a young man whose power level was astonishing. Despite having just awakened, he had already reached the peak of Soulborn rank.
"Who is he?" Alan wondered, scrutinizing the boy. "How did he reach that level so quickly?"
"I want to see what this person can do," Alan muttered under his breath.
"Now, all of you just have to make me move from this circle in five minutes, and you will pass," Adam said, making a small circle around him.
"Now, Miss Alia, show me what you've got. The genius of the Larkin Clan."
Alia drew her sword, her face set in a calm, almost emotionless expression. She moved as though the exam held no significance to her at all.
In a flash, she dashed toward Adam, slashing her sword with deadly intent aimed at his chest. But Adam sidestepped effortlessly, dodging the attack. "With this speed, you can't even scratch my dress."
Alia took a step back, silently observing him, holding the sword vertically. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, then spoke, "Aqua Fusion, 1st form: Wavelet."
Seven streams of water began to swirl and separate, each targeting Adam from a different angle.
Adam smirked and raised a purple barrier around himself, prepared for the impact.
The water streams collided with the barrier, their force pushing against it, but not damaging it. However, the sheer pressure of the attack forced Adam to step backward, and he was soon outside the circle.
"You pass, Miss Alia," Adam acknowledged, lowering his barrier. "Looks like I misjudged the power of your attack."
Alia bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Examiner Adam, for showing mercy. I know you didn't use even half of your strength in that barrier."
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Adam shrugged nonchalantly. "You think too highly of me, Miss Alia. If you wish to leave now, you may."
"No," Alia replied, her voice unwavering. "I will stay."
Adam turned his gaze toward Alan. "Now, number 69, it's your turn."
Alan stepped forward confidently. As he moved closer, he noticed Adam's gaze on him, filled with curiosity.
He was confused as to why Alan was standing close to him with a creepy smile on his face. He wanted to say to take position, but Alan offered a handshake.
"Big fan, sir Adam. I want to be an awakener like you," he said while doing the handshake, but in his mind, there was something else going on.
"Copycat's touch.