Chapter 13: A Promise In The Dark
Asher hesitated for a fraction of a second, his pen hovering over the paper. He didn’t want to frighten her, but keeping secrets would only fracture their fragile trust. With a heavy sigh, he pressed the ink to the page.
[Well, Juliana and I kinda angered someone... Well, she insulted Juliana, and we put her in her place. Her husband is the Leader of a Guild, he is also a C-Rank Awakener. They will come today or tomorrow morning. But don’t worry, I will handle it.]
Sara stared at the words for a long while. Her black eyes reflected the pale moonlight as she processed the gravity of a C-Rank threat bearing down on their defenseless home. And after a whole minute of tense, unreadable silence, she turned the page, and wrote down, then handed it to him.
Asher stared at the word, and he could only sigh helplessly.
[Okay.]
That was her only reply to that. She wasn’t angry, scared, or even worried, just a simple Okay. It was a chilling testament to her trauma; when you have lost everything, had your SSS-Rank core shattered, and endure daily agony, the threat of a mere C-Rank thug simply didn’t register as a tragedy anymore. It was just another inevitability in her tragic life.
Asher stared at the four letter words for a while. He realized then that she didn’t believe he could actually protect them, but she also didn’t care enough to run. He needed to give her a reason to hope. He turned the page, and wrote down on it, pouring absolute sincerity into his messy handwriting, and handed the book to her. Without waiting for a response, he turned around, opened the door, and walked inside the house, leaving her alone on the porch so she could process it in peace.
Sara stood perfectly still in the cool night air. She stared at the words for a long while, the ink slightly blurring under her gaze, then looked up at the moon, as one single tear rolled down her cheek. It was the first tear she had shed in months.
[The broken places inside you will soon turn into your greatest strengths and deepest wisdom. A single heavy Chapter does not mean your whole story is over; brighter days are still ahead of you. You are far braver than you know, and you will survive this storm to smile again, I promise you this.]
The warmth in those words pierced straight through the icy wall she had built around her shattered heart.
’Thank you, Asher.’
__
Asher walked towards the stairs, planning to enter his room and prepare for the inevitable battle, when a golden notification appeared before him.
{DING!}
{Wife Sara’s Affection: +1%.}
{Current Affection: 60%.}
It was only one percent, but to him, it meant she had finally cracked the door open for him. A small smile appeared on his lips, as he stared at the door. He exhaled softly, shedding the exhaustion of the day, and climbed the stairs, heading to his room with a renewed sense of absolute purpose.
__
Asher got on his bed, and sat down, legs crossed in a meditative posture. Then switched on the system screen:
"System, activate the physique."
{Okay, Master.}
Instantly, Asher felt a wave of boiling energy flowing deep inside his core. He followed the flow till his core was completely filled up, but the unknown energy was still flowing, compounding the pressure beyond what his mortal limits could handle. He gritted his teeth, as blinding pain struck all over his body, as literal cracks appeared on his spiritual core.
’This?! You didn’t say it’s this painful!!’
Asher froze, his eyes rolling back as he felt his core shatter into a million irreparable pieces. The foundation of his power collapsed. He vomited a mouthful of dark, impurities-laced blood on the ground, his expression instantly turning pale.
’This??’
Panic gripped his mind. He felt his strength as it dropped to F-Rank, then plummeting even lower to an ordinary human. The horrific realization that he might be permanently crippled flashed through his mind.
’I lost all my powers--’
His terrifying thoughts froze as radiant, blinding golden energy appeared on his body. He blinked, staring at the golden light, which flowed into his skin, weaving through the shattered fragments of his old, weak self, and from nothing, a new, infinitely stronger core was built.
BOOOOM!!
A shockwave of golden energy burst out from him, spreading all over the room, rattling the windows. The golden energy flowed all over his veins, mixing with his blood, organs, tissues, and even brain, rewriting his very DNA.
Asher gritted his teeth through the excruciating, agonizing process, biting his lip until it bled, not daring to scream, knowing it will surely draw Juliana’s and Kelly’s attention and cause a panic. He endured the agony in total silence, bearing the weight of his transformation alone.
After a whole five minutes, the pain finally subsided, leaving behind a profound sense of tranquility. Asher looked at his body, feeling reborn. Everything was clearer; the world, his breathing, and even his sight and hearing, they were all sharp as a sword. He felt dangerous.
{Congratulations!! Celestial-Tier Sword Physique has been successfully merged.}
{Master gained a new skill: Killing Intent.}
{Killing Intent: Use your aura to attack, move and defend against all opponents two ranks higher than you. Celestial-Tier skill.}
{Master gained a new skill: Sword Proficiency.}
{Sword Proficiency: When using a sword, Master gained the attack force of one rank higher than your current rank. Celestial-Tier skill.}
".....?!"
Asher stared at the two skills, utterly stunned by the absurd text in front of him. Activating a physique also gave him two Celestial-Tier skills? Aren’t these skills too overpowered?? With just these two passives, he could massacre opponents well above his rank.
He quickly tapped his own profile, and blinked, stunned speechless by the massive shift in his reality:
{Name: Asher.}
{Race: Human.}
{Height: 176 cm.}
{Rank: C-Rank.}
{Talent: SS-RANK.}
{Charm: 30%.}
{Physique: Sword Body.}
{Health State: Healthy.}
{Emotional State: Shocked.}
{Skills: Killing Intent. Sword Proficiency.}
{Utility Skill: Mythic-Tier Cooking.}
{Inventory: Mythic-Tier Devouring Sword.}
’This?!! I actually jumped straight to C-Rank?!! And my talent moved from B-Rank to SS-Rank?!!’ He yelled inwardly, staring at the system screen in pure shock. His heart pounded wildly against his ribs.
Upgrading Awakener’s Ranks was understandable with enough resources and time, but Talents? That’s almost impossible. It defied the fundamental laws of the reality. There is one major difference between a Rank and Talent.
’Ranks are just like levels, you fight or cultivate to level up. But Talent is your end point... For example, if you have an A-Rank Talent, in your entire life, that is your highest peak of strength. You will never break through that A-Rank, and become an S-Rank awakener.’ Asher held his jaw, lost in deep thought, reevaluating everything he knew about the world.
In the past, he only had a B-Rank Talent, meaning he will never become an A-Rank awakener. He was destined to be mediocre. But now, due to this Physique, he could now level up to an SS-RANK... Such potential was amazing, but compared to his three wives, who all have SSS-RANK Talents, he still wasn’t inherently special. They were absolute monsters of nature; he was just finally catching up.
’So physique could increase talent. Now I understand why those with Physiques always have high ranks, and talents... This is no different from a cheat.’ He thought, clenching his fists, feeling the immense, humming power of a C-Rank core circulating within him. The Fat Pig’s husband was no longer a death sentence; he was just an obstacle.
He stared at the system, his eyes burning with an intense, unyielding resolve. He had the power to fight now, but fighting wasn’t enough.
"Now, tell me... Where can I locate the cures for my wives?"