Chapter 31: Weak One’s Intuition
The dusty smell of year-old papers filled a small cabin. The floor was filled with books, magazines, and research papers—bundled one on top of another.
A thin layer of dust accumulated on top of some bundles near the corners. In the center, a young woman with long blonde hair sat in silence.
She rested her head on her palms, her elbows placed on the small table ahead. Letting out a long, deep sigh, she opened her eyes, revealing her earthen brown irises.
Behind her, a window was left open, letting the silken white curtains flutter along the wind currents. From outside, the crimson hue of the sky painted the world in bloody glimmer, lighting her room.
"Jake, that fool..." Christine muttered beneath her breath, her voice laced with a layer of frustration.
Unlike before, she wasn’t wearing her mask or the robes anymore. In this room, she didn’t need to hide her identity.
Without her mask, she looked no different from the fairies spoken of in old tales. Her beauty was simply one of a kind, often requiring her to hide her face so as not to attract any unwanted attention.
Her body was slim and curvy. Christine wasn’t a combat-type awakener. She preferred keeping her body’s naturally soft, feminine figure rather than building noticeable muscle.
Wearing body-fitted casual clothes, she bent forward and stretched her body across the table, pressing her full chest against its surface.
The past few days had taken a severe toll on her mind. From the embarrassment she faced in the meeting, all the way to Jake’s abrupt expedition towards the ravine—everything had happened beyond her calculations.
"Leader, we’ve received an urgent piece of intel."
Her room suddenly darkened as a shadow stretched across her floor. The voice was feminine, familiar to Christine. Even as she heard the voice, she didn’t flinch, almost as if she’d been anticipating her arrival.
"What is it?" She spoke, calmly getting up and adjusting her clothes.
As one of her closest aides, Christine didn’t mind her seeing this unsightly state of hers. If anything, she was glad to be able to show her frustration and leave her back defenseless to someone she trusted.
For a moment, her masked subordinate hesitated before finally speaking. "Sir Jake’s group has come into conflict with the serpent!"
"WHAT?!" Caught off guard, her voice came out loud and sharp.
She tightened her jaw and slammed her palm against her forehead. Even without knowing the current situation of Jake’s group, she could guess the outcome already.
Unlike Jake, who had not cared to read reports and only spent his time killing monsters to get stronger, she had spent years researching the serpents’ growth.
’Considering that fool’s personality, he must’ve gone to fight head-on...’ She concluded, gritting her teeth.
The Seven Radiant Stars.
A group consisting of the current generation’s seven most promising awakeners.
To let them experience teamwork, others’ greed, monsters, life and death battles, and the need to protect others—these were the reasons behind the group’s existence.
"What happened back then, we’re paying the cost to this day. And yet that fool does whatever he likes without considering the consequences." Christine quickly calmed down, relaxing her body.
"Have others been informed?" She asked, turning her head just enough to look at the guard behind her from the corner of her eye.
Right at the frame of the window, a robed woman knelt on one knee, her face hidden beneath a plain mask.
"Yes, they were the ones to inform us in the first place," the guard replied, her voice wavering.
Hearing her words, Christine raised one of her brows. As the leader of the seven radiant stars, she personally handled all the information as her own forte.
However, to think that crucial news such as this reached the ears of others before her...
It was suspicious.
Squinting her eyes in doubt, she decided not to pursue the reason for now. What mattered the most in this instant was the well-being of Jake.
"Have they given their thoughts?"
"Yes, leader. The other stars have requested you not put everyone in danger for a fool’s arrogance."
Christine’s lips curled into a smile as loud chuckles escaped her lungs. She slammed her hand against the table strongly, almost as if she’d heard a very funny joke.
"...L-Leader?" Unable to understand the meaning behind her actions, the guard blurted out in confusion.
In response, Christine waved her hand, signing the guard to leave. "Worry not. We will not retreat. As for the matter with Jake, let it be."
"But l-leader, facing that serpent is dangerous! Especially after its last growth spurt! I’m afraid that even Sir Jake would be lucky to leave alive..." The guard spoke with worry, bringing her fist closer to her chest as her eyes sincerely urged her leader for help.
"Say, do you not remember my class?" Christine giggled, opening a dusty book on the table without looking back.
Hearing her words, the guard widened her eyes. A sudden realization struck her mind, immediately dispelling any doubts from her mind.
"Weak One’s Intuition"
"Yes, although it’s just a D-rank class, it allows me to sense others’ potential to seek my own survival." Christine continued, flipping through pages of the book.
"Out of all the so-called radiant stars that I’ve seen, Jake carries an incomparably vast potential."
"Hmm, let’s see..." Her eyes drifted off the book for a moment. "Would it make sense if I say that Jake has never once shown his true powers? But that’s only until..."
Rumble...
At this moment, a loud sound resounded throughout the sky, sending shockwaves that shook the entire Valeria city.
Shocked by the sudden commotion, the citizens, guards, and even the so-called radiant stars couldn’t help but gaze towards the sky in unison.
Clouds from all around the region had begun to gather near the city’s borders. As they merged, their shade turned dark, with a bright cerulean flash peeking through each second.
Within a few minutes, the entirety of the city was covered by a thick layer of dark, thunderous clouds. The wild, unkempt sounds of thunder roaring through the heavens continuously struck fear in others’ minds. Let alone humans, even monsters that inhabited the nearby areas had started running away in fear.
"Until now." Christine finished her words, a proud smile tugging at her lips as she expectantly gazed outside the window.