Outworld: Awakening

Deep into the night, Adam's dashed through a scantly populated industrial street. He had changed from his uniform to a deep gray robes which he snatched from a random clothesline. Meanwhile, a brown half mask which had seen better days covered his nose and mouth. His black hair fluttered as he ran, the change resulted from his Manipulator title. The title also affected the colors of his eyes. He changed them from blue to brown.

A few meters from his position, one could see a massive abandoned brewery. On the torn signpost, Adam could see a fat old man holding a tall glass filled with wine. The unforgiving rain over the years had washed away the section which had the brewery's name.

'This is the place. I wonder how many people that bastard brought along?'

Naturally, Adam refused to believe Dominic would show up alone. Although he could neither see a carriage nor guards, Adam knew Dominic's men would litter the perimeter of the brewery.

Cautiously, Adam surveyed his surrounding while making his way to the Alley behind the brewery. Apart from the occasional clanking caused by rats darting around for food, Adam heard nothing of importance.

[Two Potential Sources of Danger Detected]

"Halt! If you move, you die!"

Adam turned his head to the side, he could see four elaborately dressed men walking towards his direction. However, he couldn't find Dominic among them.

'Where is that weasel hiding?' Adam thought.

Despite four guards revealing themselves, the system didn't warn him about their presence because it considered them too weak to threaten him.

"This place is off limits. What are you—"

"I'm from Raventhorn. I'm here to deliver the item. Let's not waste time on empty threats. I have other places to be."

Under the effects of Manipulator, Adam's voice resembled Klein's. Albeit, a little softer. But only the discerning ear could differentiate the two.

The bearded guard spoke no further. He turned his head towards the East, before making a strange bird call, an arranged signal.

"What took you so long? Didn't you say you needed only an hour?"

Adam smirked underneath his mask as he heard the familiar voice. A few meters away, Dominic revealed himself from the alley.

"So, where is it?" Dominic asked, urging on of his men to approach Adam.

'I won't break a sweat killing this bastard. The guys hiding in the shadows are the only problem. I'll be in serious trouble if their rank is greater than mine. I guess I could always use that,' Adam thought.

Pretending to retrieve the jar from his baggy robes, he communicated with the system to remove the jar from his inventory.

"This is it," Adam said as he presented the jar to the guard.

A smirk donned Dominic's lips as he saw the jar. His eyes lingered on the blue eyeball floating in it.

"Hahaha... Good job. What about his corpse?" Dominic asked.

"Taken care of," Adam said.

"Fantastic. I have left the agreed payment with your guild leader. I will definitely request your services when next I need a pig slaughtered."

Saying nothing further, Dominic turned around to leave. At that moment, however, Adam's voice reached him, "We found something else on him. I think it's something you would like."

Simultaneously, Dominic and his men halted in their steps.

"What is the meaning of this? Those weren't your orders. Get the hell—"

"Wait, Timothy. Let's see what he found," Dominic interjected.

Timothy, the bearded guard, donned a scowl as his bloodshot eyes stared at Adam.

"So? What exactly did you find? It better be worthwhile," Dominic said. He tapped a lanky guard by his side, urging him to receive the item.

"Sir, unfortunately, I can't hand this item to just anyone. I don't mind if you're not interested. I can always sell it off in a—"

"Are you out of your mind? You dare give our Master orders?!"

Out of nowhere, two burly men emerged from the shadows. Their robes could barely cover their scarred, ripped body.

'System, unleash my Familiar in a place they can't detect it. Bring forth Cataclysm from the Inventory.'

While Adam communicated with the system, Dominic tongue lashed the two men.

"Browly, Mathieu. Who asked you to come out? Do you—"

"Sir Dominic, I may have spoken out of turn. I won't disturb you with my presence anymore," Adam said.

"Remain where you are! Who told you I wasn't interested? Let's see what that pig had in his possession. If I deem it valuable, I will pay you a bonus."

'If this greedy pig is wasting my time, he'll die a painful death. Even if it's something decent, I'd still take it away from him. I can't believe Timothy almost spoiled my fun. It seems father as caught wind of my antics,' Dominic thought.

Despite the apprehension of his guards, Dominic approached Adam.

"I couldn't take your money, sir. Please consider it my gift to you," Adam said.

Timothy's expression and that of the other guards darkened, but they said nothing. They didn't have the authority to interfere in Dominic's decisions and actions. They already knew what he had planned for Adam.

[Establishing Connection to The Omen...]

[Connection Successfully Established.]

Adam slowly retrieved Cataclysm from his robes.

'Wow! Are those twin axes? What craftsmanship. How did that bastard get something so beautiful? Only someone like me deserves such a treasure.'

Dominic's eyes shown with greed as he laid eyes on Cataclysm. Subtly, he placed his left hand behind his back, motioning for his men to remain on standby.

Although Adam would voluntarily surrender the weapon, he could not help but wonder if Adam had something better hidden away.

With only a few meters separating them, Dominic heard Adam's voice, "Sir, you can have it."

Before Dominic or his men could react, Adam threw both axes towards Dominic. They landed just a few inches away from where he stood.

Adam's actions frightened Dominic and his guards, their tensed hearts only relaxed when the axes landed on the ground.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you an imbecile? Who throws weapons like that?"

Adam totally ignored Timothy's words, instead, he focused on Dominic who stretched for the axes.

"Hey?! Are you listening to me?! Who the—?"

"That's enough, Timothy!" Dominic interjected. He gently stroked Cataclysm's handle, his fingers rubbed on the intricate designs on its surface.

'I can't believe this idiot gave up something so good. What a dumbass.'

Although he didn't have the gift of appraisal, Dominic had a hunch Cataclysm was a one of a kind treasure.

"You're certain you want nothing for this?" Dominic asked as he picked up both axes.

"Yes, sir. Please consider it my gift to you."

"Fantastic. Thank you very much. What is your name?" Dominic asked.

"Please call me Klein, sir."

"Klein, huh? I will remember it. You have gifted me a fantastic item. But I must ask, what else did you find on that pig's corpse?"

Subtly, Dominic motioned towards his men. It was time for them to take action.

"Pardon, sir? I don't quite understand what you—"

"Don't do that, Klein. Just hand it over and I will spare your life. If you would give up something this good, of course you found something better. Don't tell me you'd rather keep treasures than your life?" Dominic interjected.

In the blink of an eye, Browly and Mathieu had blocked Adam's path of retreat.

"Klein, those two are Ranked C Awakened. Let's not postpone the inevitable. Tell me what you—"

"Who are you? Who is this weakling holding me?"

Dominic flinched as he heard the strange voice, "Who said that? Show yourself!"

Timothy, Browly, Mathieu and the other guards couldn't hide their confusion as they stared at Dominic.

"Master, what's the problem? Who are you talking to?" Browly asked.

"What the f.u.c.k are you talking about? Didn't you hear the voice of the old man?" Dominic asked.

'Old man? What the hell is he talking about? What old man?'

The guards had the same thought in mind.

"Show yourself, old man!" Dominic tilted his head either side, searching for the source of the mysterious voice.

"Who are you? Who is this weakling holding me? Release me, now!"

Before Dominic could retort, the axes on his hands trembled. To his horror, he found out he couldn't let go.

"What the f.u.c.k did you do to our Master?!" Mathieu demanded. His bloodshot eyes stared at Adam.

At that same moment, however, a loud clanking startled everyone in the area.

Subconsciously, they all turned to the origin of the noise, and their eyes instantly quivered. Because, a figure over six feet tall, coated in red and black akin to magma. With two bull-like horns on its head, it charged towards the frightened guards with a steel rod in its hands.

"What the f.u.c.k are you guys doing?! Hurry! Protect Master Dominic!"

Despite Browly's screams, none of the guards could overcome the fear from seeing Adam's Familiar. Using the steel rod, it impaled two guards through their necks, before using it ghoulish claws to rip open Timothy and the last guard's necks.

Meanwhile, Dominic howled in pain as he tried his best to let go of both axes. Cataclysms red handles glowed as Dominic's face turned ashen. His skin mummified at a visible rate, eliciting inhuman cries from his drooping mouth.

Mathieu dashed towards Dominic, he had to protect him from the Familiar. Browly, on the other hand, confronted Adam. He had to Kill him before helping free Dominic from the demonic artefact.

Browly's muscles bulged to twice its size, before he unleashed a ruthless downward chop towards Adam's skull. Despite his huge size, he displayed inhuman agility. Adam knew his head would crack open like a ripened watermelon if the blow impacted on his skull.

Raising both arms to block, Adam blocked Browly's strike. At that moment, however, a crack echoed. Adams's arms caved inwards, breaking seconds later. With nothing impeding the path of his strike, Browly's strike landed on Adam's skull, and a cracking echo followed.

Adam's legs bent at an unnatural position, while his eyes rolled backwards, blood, gray matter and mush brain flowed from the cracks in his bashed skull. Even before he dropped to the ground, he breathed no more.

'An illusion? How is this possible? When did he set it up?' Browly's countenance darkened.

Deep in thought, a deafening explosion and screams filled Browly's ears. Turning his head, he found Dominic laying on the ground like a mummified corpse with a gory mess in place of both hands. He couldn't find both axes. Before he could comprehend what had happened, the surrounding air distorted, Adam's corpse had disappeared, and only the aftermath of the battle remained.

"Browly, what happened to Master? Why didn't you help him?!"

Like a ghost, Mathieu appeared beside Browly.

"Where is the corpse of that bastard? Didn't you kill him? That monster disappeared as soon as I attacked. What the hell have you been doing?" Mathieu added.

However, Browly remained speechless. He knew Adam had played them, and they fell hard.

"He used an illusion. I don't know when, but he left this place a long time ago—"

"What?! Illusion? How is that possible? Wasn't he supposed to be an elemental?" Mathieu interjected.

"Do you think I'm speaking out of my ass? I don't know how the hell he did it. We don't have time to bicker here, let's get the Master to a healer. We have to report what happened to Master Armstrong, if not, we dead," Browly retorted.

Saying nothing further, Mathieu carried Dominic's body, sprinting towards the opposite direction of the brewery.

Two minutes after they left, one could hear footsteps on a metallic surface. A few seconds later, a figure emerged from the darkness.

"It worked better than I thought. The other assassins will have to pay for the crimes Klein committed. It's too bad I couldn't kill him, I guess I will have to try another time."

Clutching his left hand, Cataclysm burrowed out from the earth before landing on Adam's hands. Without saying a word, they disappeared into his inventory.

[Establishing Connection to The Omen...]

[Connection Successfully Established.]

Name: Adam Staples.

Age: Seventeen.

Race: Human & Demonkin.

{Stats}

Constitution: 5. Agility: 10. Endurance: 12. Luck: 0.5

Dexterity: 12. Strength: 12. Charisma: 5.

{Skills}

Summoning.

Illusion Inducement.

{Title}

Manipulator.

Illusionist.

Devourer.

Dominator.

???

{Status}

Awakened!

{Omen Points}

4.

{Inventory}

- Cataclysm, Runed Blade of Delusions.

- Uniform.

- Familiar (1/50).

{Level}

D.

???

'Huh? 4 Omen Points? Where did the extra one come from? Did it come from Cataclysm s.u.c.k.i.n.g the blood of that weasel?'

Without dwelling on the Omen Point, Adam dashed towards the direction he came from. He had to flee the scene of the crime before Raventhorn and the Armstrong family Awakened mobilized for the investigation. His next destination was Varidan Academy.

Thirty minutes later, Adam had changed back to his uniform. He burned his previous clothes, but kept the mask. He wore the mask as he made his way to Varidan Academy.

[One Potential Sources of Danger Detected]

'Oh? It seems Varidan's spy has found me again. I wonder what they did to keep him busy for so long? Maybe I should use them to eliminate Dominic…'

With different thoughts in his mind, Adam continued his long journey to Varidan Academy.