Free Web NovelChapter 12: Chapter 12: The Void and the Awakening
Before the titanic, burning entity could unleash a cosmic roar, a familiar white shape materialized between Kellar and the monstrous beast The system, in its lazy, translucent cat form, floated into the air, its blue eyes gleaming with indifference as it stared down the primordial bear.
The colossal beast paused, its massive flaming head tilting slightly as its crimson eyes locked onto the small feline The moment the cat returned the glare with a slow, bored blink, a sudden fracture ripped through the cosmic entity Without a single sound, the entire primordial bear shattered into a million glowing particles, dissolving into the dark smoke without leaving a single trace behind.
The cat twisted around in the air, floating upside down to look at Kellar with a smug, wicked expression.
"Well, this is interesting..." said the cat, its voice laced with rare approval "It seems your soul possesses more potential than I initially calculated Don’t disappoint me, Host".
Before Kellar could ask what the hell just happened, the strange, starlit void collapsed The purple mist rushed backward, and Kellar’s mind snapped back into his physical body.
His eyes flew open, his lungs gasping for the crisp morning air He realized he was lying flat on his back on the cold dirt floor of the clearing He quickly braced his arms and pushed himself up, standing upright in one smooth, agile motion.
Looking around, he realized the entire village was still standing in the exact same spots, but the rowdy atmosphere had frozen Every single youth was still lying unconscious on the ground, trapped deep within their own spiritual hallucinations Kellar was the only one standing.
When he turned toward the altar, the Shaman was staring right at him, his milky eyes wide with sheer horror and his hands trembling so violently he nearly dropped his bone staff.
"Impossible... this is impossible..." whispered the Shaman, his raspy voice cracking as he backed away a step.
Ding!
[Main Quest: The Right of Passage — COMPLETED!]
[Evaluation: Rank #1 Secured (Perfect Awakening Sequence)]
[Rewards Disbursed: +5 Strength, +2 Stamina]
[Current Attributes Updated!].
A sudden, warm rush of dense power flooded straight through Kellar’s muscles, his slender frame tightening as raw physical strength integrated into his system He gripped the heavy handle of the Overlord’s Club, feeling it lighter in his hands than before.
Wait, that was it? Kellar thought, his engineering mind searching for the catch I expected something far more impactful for a grand tribal ritual, but the top rank was achieved simply by being the first one to wake up? There is something strange and hidden operating behind the mechanics of this test.
The Chieftain stepped forward, his massive cloak of grizzly fur shifting as he stared at Kellar with a mix of shock and reluctant amusement He turned his heavy gaze toward the pale, trembling Shaman.
"It seems you cannot judge the strength of a cave by the narrowness of its mouth, Shaman" said the Chieftain, his booming voice cutting through the stunned silence of the clearing "The scrawny cub is the first to rise... He is the undisputed winner of the awakening This is almost too strange to be real, but the laws of the fire are absolute I fully expected my own grandson to claim the first embers today, but the design of the ancestors is an faded trail".
Slowly, the other youths began to groan, shaking their heads as they dragged themselves up from the dirt one by one But the moment they opened their eyes and saw Kellar already standing perfectly fine, looking down at them with a calm, arrogant smirk, their jaws dropped They looked to their parents in the crowd, hoping it was a mistake, but the older hunters only gave solemn, defeated nods, confirming their worst fears The village weakling had beaten them all.
Tor finally snapped out of his trance, waking up in a pathetic twelfth place He scrambled to his feet, coughing out a lungful of purple smoke Seeing Kellar standing there, he shook his head, trying to shrug off the humiliation.
With his face twisted in rage, Tor marched straight up to Kellar, his massive frame towering over him as he bared his teeth.
"You think you’re clever because you woke up first, little bird?" growled Tor, his voice a low, murderous hiss "I still have an open blood-debt with you, weakling You better not even think about running away from the village It won’t matter anyway... after I’m done snapping your bones, you’re going to end up rotting in the woods just like your stupid, dead uncle".
Kellar’s smirk instantly vanished, his emerald green eyes turning ice-cold as he locked his gaze onto Tor’s face He stepped in closer, his voice dropping into a dangerous, deadly whisper that made the surrounding air feel freezing.
"You better pray you don’t run into me out in the woods, brute... because you won’t be coming back alive" said Kellar.
The mention of his uncle had triggered something deep inside him A violent wave of the previous owner’s memories suddenly flooded his mind His uncle hadn’t just died, he had sacrificed his own life, throwing himself between a feral beast’s jaws to shield a young, trembling Kellar Even though the old engineer didn’t want to care about a stranger’s past, his new body’s subconscious reacted with a raw, uncontrollable fury, his fingers tightening around the handle of the Overlord’s Club until his knuckles cracked.
Tor sneered, but the sheer, murderous intensity radiating from Kellar’s eyes made the big youth take a half-step back, his throat moving in a nervous swallow.
"Enough talking!" the Shaman barked, stepping into the center to officially close the ritual as the last of the thirty youths finally stumbled back to their feet.
The old priest raised his bone staff, looking out over the crowd of young men and women, deliberately turning his back on Kellar.
"The ancestors have spoken! This year, the harvest of new blood is strong and rich" the Shaman roared. "Congratulations to you all... you are now the official pride of the Fire Bear Tribe!".
The surrounding crowd broke out into loud, thunderous cheers, proud parents rushing forward to embrace their children Yet, despite Kellar being the champion of the ceremony, the Shaman kept his eyes glued to literally anyone else in the clearing, erasing the boy’s achievement from the final blessing.
Maya pushed through the bustling crowd, her eyes shining with relief and pride She wrapped her arms around his waist hugging him tightly from behind in a public show of celebration that drew several disgusted glares from the nearby hunters.
She leaned her head forward, burying her face into the crook of his neck, her hot breath sending a violent shiver straight down his spine as she whispered right into his ear.
"My tiny little hole will be your reward tonight, Kellar... Make sure you claim every bit of it" whispered Maya.
She pulled back with a sweet innocent smile for the crowd, leaving Kellar’s blood roaring like wildfire as he gripped his Club, eager to finish the rest of this primitive day.
