Lost Origins: SS Ranked Awakening-Chapter 57: Entertaining

"The fuck is you?" The first guy shouted, jumping back with his partner, both of them, terrified!

"Who the hell are you?" He asked again, his hand slowly reaching to his back.

Lucian looked at the actions of the two terrified men and took his eyes to the bottle of booze whose content had been spilt on the floor when they junked back in fear. He could smell it from where he stood, it truly was some good stuff!

"Ah! Such a waste!"

Lucian muttered, setting his gaze back on the two who had regained their confidence, having pulled out their guns.

’I shouldn’t waste any time here’

Lucian thought, raising the tactical knife up.

"Don’t move unles—" one of them tried to threaten before his pupils constricted in fear, seeing Lucian appear in front of him before he could even complete his words.

"A-A-Awakened!"

The other man screamed.

Lucian looked at the terrified fellow that had screamed like a kid and pointed a finger at him, a small black flame condensed in front his lifted finger before shooting towards him.

"A-a-ahh!"

The man in front of Lucian felt his pants wet in fear at the sight of his partner turning into ashes the moment the small ball of flame came into contact with him. He didn’t even get lit on fire!

Before he could process what was happening, he felt empty only to look down and see a hole where his heart was supposed to be. He wasn’t even bleeding.

"I’ve been officially pissed off’"

Lucian muttered remembering the bottle of alcohol that had been wasted.

With a frigid expression he walked calmly through the building like it was his own, not caring to look through the rooms and yet strangely, every living creature he passed across or that tried to attack him instantly lit up for a moment before turning onto a pile of ashes.

When he got to the ground floor, he was met with No 5 who sat on a box surrounded with bodies who all had slash marks on their necks.

"You finished?" No 5 asked, faintly sensing a change in the detective in front of him.

"Naturally" Lucian said, looking around.

"I didn’t find anything other than some boxes filled with drugs" he said to No 5.

"You don’t need to worry, I found what we’re looking for!"

No 5 said, pushing the box he was sitting on to the side before walking to a wall at the side and placing a bloodied card on it.

Lucian felt puzzled until the floor boards at the spot shifted to the sides, revealing a hidden entrance.

"Let’s go!" No 5 said to Lucian who was silently observing.

Together they stepped into the entrance that led downwards, underground.

...

Back in the camp....

"I’m glad to see that you recovered so fast"

August said to Kieran who sat in front of him in their combat hall.

He had been discharged only after three days. This was possible because he treated with the abilities of a healer in the addition to the normal treatment from the infirmary.

"I’m sure you understood what happened the last time and why you ended up in that condition, right?" August asked, a sheepish smile on his face.

"....."

He smiled at Kieran’s silence and continued.

"Like I said before, while you are talented and possess potential, there is an immense gap created by the systematic training they received from their childhood, and while you might have won once due to luck, it’s not going to happen again!"

He said putting one hand under his chin.

"Especially now that the restrictions have been lifted up a little and they are now allowed to use their abilities. That only sets you at a greater disadvantage." August

explained.

"..."

Seeing the unchanged expression on Kieran’s face, August could tell that he had already thought about it. He had three days to ponder about his loss after all.

"Sigh... Alright, I won’t rant on about it! Although you refused to come under me, fate brought us together still, and that’s enough for me!" He exclaimed, trying to raise the mood.

"What do you want?"

Kieran finally spoke up, asking a question.

"I already told you. I wish to see you become stronger and I want to have a hand in that!"

"As for my reason behind wanting that? Well, I already told you, but you didn’t believe me. Like I said, I made a bet with someone... and let’s just say I think seeing you become stronger is going to be entertaining."

"I’ve been bored for so long after all, and I can’t even participate in the current war because I have to teach you guys!" He said, losing himself in his grievances.

"Ah, I should stop ranting! Although you refused to become my disciple, I am still obliged to make to stronger as your instructor, so it’s the same thing to me!" He said seriously.

’He has a point’ Kieran thought, understanding the instructor’s words.

"Your ability seems like it’s still manifesting, so it hasn’t really become clear as to what it is. From what I have observed so far, it has given you enhanced physical abilities, so there’s nothing much we can do on that aspect for now, at least until it’s fully manifested."

"The only thing we can work on is your lack of skill and experience. While you’ve fought against some monsters and sparred with a few people, it isn’t comparable to what they have been going through. If you want to catch up, you’d have to be willing to go through hell! Are you?" August asked with narrowed eyes.

"I am!"

Kieran replied with determined eyes, his voice lacking hesitation.

August smiled at Kieran’s manner of response. His hate for the nobles had to run really deep, but it was understandable. He was raised in the part of the society that was an effect of the greedy decision made by those those nobles, he had gone through several levels of bullying with no choice but to endure for the sale of his family, and at the end of it all, the family he endured such hardships for ended of vanishing, probably as collateral damage due to the dealings of some nobles in the city.

Having lost everything he lived for, he must have blamed the nobles, the only ones capable of bearing his hate for the situation he was in.

August thought of this, remembering what was written in Kieran’s file.

’He’s going have to deal with that later!’ August thought.

While Kieran’s hate for most noble houses was unreasonable and in the long run could be detrimental, but it was something he could use now, it fuelled him to develop faster.

"Alright! The first thing we need to address is your lack of experience. Since the challenge system hasn’t been activated yet, you can’t really gain experience it comes to fighting humans yet, but don’t worry, I have the perfect solution for that, still, it’s not time for that also!"

August said, sweeping back his hair to reveal his eyes which curved mischievously.

"While we wait for that time to arrive, what you are going to be doing instead is hunting beasts" he said, getting a confused from Kieran.

"While you might not be able to fight with humans for now, that doesn’t mean you can’t gain experience from fighting beasts. All you need to do is fight till your muscles rip to shreds! Fight till you can barely make your way back to the camp!"

"Luckily, the camp rewards you for killing beasts, since we need some materials from them, like their beast source." August explained.

"Beast source?" Kieran asked. That was the first time he was hearing that.

"Yeah! It’s a rare material that’s gotten from beasts, like a mini power source, and the beasts which possess them are generally stronger than their peers which do not possess it and they can also gain some form if ability, depending on the grade of the core."

"The camp collects it since they can be used for different things depending on its grade like making high end weapons."

August explained, sending Kieran into shock.

One couldn’t tell from his facial expression though.

’Beasts can use abilities too?’ Kieran wondered.

It was slightly overwhelming. He had just been introduced or rather exposed to the world of the awakened and it was surprising that some alien beasts could use some form of abilities, which meant it was safe to assume that some other alien life forms out there like the ones humanity was waging wars against could also use said abilities meaning it wasn’t unique to them humans.

August let Kieran ponder on it for a moment before continuing his talk.

"That aside, there’s also the issue with your technique. I assume you managed to get the manual, Lost Origins?" He asked Kieran.

"I did!" Kieran answered.

The instructor’s words had proved his thoughts right, that technique was too dangerous and wasn’t something that could have just been placed there, it wasn’t even made specifically for the scythe and it was also the only technique that his authority wasn’t sufficient enough to access which meant that the instructor had purposely placed it there and left him some of his authority for him to get it.