World Awakening: The Legendary Player-Chapter 79: Sharp Eyes

The air in the room was thick with a silence that felt heavier than a physical weight. Serian was on her knees, staring at him, her eyes wide with an awe that was deeply unsettling. The faint, dark mist that clung to his skin was a visible sign that something had fundamentally changed.

"Nox," she whispered, the name a question, a plea, and a statement all at once. "What... what have you become?"

He just looked at her, the last vestiges of that overwhelming power receding, leaving him feeling hollowed out but incredibly alive. His mind raced, scrambling for an answer, for any lie that could possibly explain what had just happened.

’Shit, what do I tell her?’ he thought, his brain spinning. ’I ate a magic gacha seed and broke the System? Yeah, she’ll totally buy that. Fucking hell.’ He knew she was too smart, too perceptive to accept some bullshit excuse about a sudden power-up.

Just as he opened his mouth to try and bluff his way through it, the god chat flared to life in his vision.

[Trickster God Hermes IV] Ooh, awkward! How’s he gonna explain this one? "I just mainlined the void, no big deal." 😂

[Lord of Carnage] Just tell her you’re strong. Who cares about the details? Punch things, get loot. Simple.

[Baron Von Cynic] He’s going to make an absolute fool of himself. I can hardly wait.

Then Auraelia’s private message appeared, bright and helpful.

[Auraelia, Goddess of Resilient Sparks (Private Chat)] Tell her you have a sponsor! A divine patron! Lots of powerful people in my world have them! It’s a perfect explanation! She’ll understand! ✨

He stared at the message. ’A sponsor? A god?’ The idea of admitting he had help from these yapping jackasses made his stomach turn. But... it was a good lie. It was a clean, simple explanation that fit into her fantasy world logic. It was better than anything he could come up with.

’Fine,’ he thought, a sense of annoyance passing through him. ’I’ll use their stupid idea.’

He pushed himself to his feet, his new, upgraded body feeling strange and powerful. He met Serian’s wide-eyed gaze.

"I’ve got a sponsor," he said, the words feeling weird in his mouth. He tried to put a little swagger into it, a small, cocky smirk. "A powerful one. They decided I was a good investment."

He saw the understanding dawn on her face almost instantly. Her expression, which had been a mixture of awe and fear, softened into one of pure relief. Her shoulders, which had been tense, relaxed.

’She bought it,’ he realized. ’She actually bought it, just like that.’

She didn’t need any more details. She didn’t press him with questions. In her mind, the impossible power she had just witnessed now had a name, a source she could comprehend. A divine patron. The same kind of being who had saved her in the alley. It all made a twisted kind of sense.

She got to her feet, wincing as she put weight on her good leg. She limped over the short distance between them and, without a word, sat down on the blanket next to him, her shoulder almost brushing against his.

He looked at her, then quickly looked away, focusing on the rough wooden wall in front of him. This was new. This quiet companionship. It wasn’t awful.

He pulled up his status screen, his mind turning back to the important things. Power. He still had 25 unallocated stat points from his latest levels.

’Okay, what do I need most?’ he thought, his eyes scanning his new stats. ’Strength is good, Endurance is solid. Agility could be better.’ But then his gaze fell on his Perception. It was still his lowest combat stat. ’Fena saw me coming. That archer almost got me. I need to be able to see trouble before it sees me.’

He didn’t hesitate. ’Dump all 25 points into Perception.’

His vision seemed to sharpen, just a little. The dust motes dancing in the faint light from the barred window became clearer, the grain of the wood on the wall more defined. It wasn’t a huge change, but it was something.

[Player Status]

[Name: Nox]

[Level: 23]

[Title: Anomaly Slayer, Dungeon Conqueror, Mercenary Hunter, Favored by Fortune, Abyssal Anomaly]

[HP: 200/330]

[MP: 80/80]

[Strength: 79]

[Agility: 64]

[Stamina: 32]

[Endurance: 74]

[Perception: 67]

[Luck: 24]

[Unallocated Stat Points: 0]

He dismissed the screen, a feeling of satisfaction settling in his gut. He was stronger. He was ready for whatever came next.

He glanced over at Serian. She was looking at him, her expression thoughtful, her earlier awe replaced by a quiet curiosity.

"So," she leaned in closer, "mind telling me what you were staring at just seconds ago?"

’Fucking hell, she saw that? My eyes were moving?’ he thought. ’Gotta play it cool. She can’t know about the System.’

He shrugged, leaning back against the wall with a casualness he didn’t feel. "Nothing. Just thinking."

She didn’t buy it. Not for a second. She leaned in a little closer, her eyes narrowing as she studied his face. The faint light from the barred window caught the silver in her hair.

"No, you weren’t," she said, her voice a low, knowing whisper. "Your eyes were moving. Back and forth, like you were reading something only you could see."

He kept his face blank, but his mind was racing. ’Damn it, she’s too sharp. What do I say now?’ He was out of good lies, and the truth was not an option. He was cornered.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

A heavy knock echoed from the barred door, making them both jump.

He looked at the door, then back at Serian.

’Saved by the fucking door,’ he thought, a wave of pure relief washing over him. ’That was close.’

She was still staring at him, seeing the relief on his face just made her more suspicious.

The heavy scraping sound of a wooden bar being slid open on the outside cut through the silence. The door creaked open just enough for someone to step through.

It was Liesa. She carried a simple wooden tray with two bowls and a pitcher of water. The look on her face was pure contempt.

’Food? It’s the middle of the night.’ Whatever. He was starting to get hungry anyway.

She stomped over and slammed the tray down on the floor between them. A bit of stew slopped over the side of one of the bowls, making a small puddle on the wood.

"Here’s your slop, human," she snarled, her voice dripping with venom. "Eat it and be grateful."

Before he could even think of a comeback, she turned on her heel and stalked out. The door slammed shut, and the heavy bar slid back into place with a final, echoing thud.

He just stared at the spot where she’d been.

He looked down at the food. It was some kind of root stew, but it smelled decent.

’Bitch,’ he thought, but he picked up a bowl anyway. He wasn’t about to let a little rudeness get between him and a free meal.

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