"Do you guys know where you're from?" Minho asked.
"No," Danielle frowned. "We just know we're far, far from our families because the people told Hyein that."
Minho furrowed his eyebrows. "What people? Did they call themselves Orca?"
"I don't know," Danielle mumbled.
A silent sigh slipped from Minho's mouth. He looked at each individual, pursing his lips.
They're definitely Orca test subjects. There's no telling if they're from Hybe or not, and even if I do turn them in to Hybe, they might take them anyway. Is there a person I can trust with kids this dangerous?
Minho's eyes lit up with hope. He crouched down in front of Danielle, smiling confidently. "I'm going to look for your parents. While I do so, I need to bring you guys somewhere safe. We'll never know if those guys who took you away will look for you. The place is owned by a super strong person who loves taking care of children and making them smile. There's even a bunch of them there right now. Do you trust me?"
"No," Hanni said.
"My mom said not to trust strangers," Minji added.
Hyein pursed her lips. "Are you really a commander? Why are you alone?"
"I was passing by from something super important when the town was attacked by a monster." Minho swallowed the orb in his hand, allowing him to summon the human manifestation of the phoenix.
See AlsoSword Chronicles: AWAKEN Hero Tier List for June 2024Betawatch: Tencent’s Tarisland eyes its June releaseDungeons & Dragons: How to Build the Perfect Circle of Spores DruidStrong gusts billowed from the center of its summon while a feminine figure took form. Flames roared while they took shape, creating the summon's long white hair, then her dress. As her features became more and more detailed, two lotus-shaped hair clips held the shape of rings in the woman's hair. Her body solidified into a black and white outfit with motifs of teal and reds in its intricate patterns. Her sleeveless white top laid bare of any designs, but reds and teals ran with the rest of her dress down to the top of her miniskirt where a pair of black shorts stopped just above. Additionally, she wore a pair of white thigh-high socks giving the woman the look of royalty.
"This is my partner," Minho added. "Kim Hyeyoon."
She kind of looks like Chaewon noona...
Danielle turned toward her group, pulling them away from Minho and into a huddle. Though he couldn't hear exactly what they said, he could hear their apprehension. Following a long discussion, Danielle approached Minho with a small smile. "We'll go with you. But, if we think something's wrong we're going to run away."
"Sounds good to me," Minho chuckled. "I won't stop you."
Inside Kami's cave, Minho scratched the back of his head. Kami, Hayoung, Riwon and Jinju stood in front of the small group, each with a differing response to Minho's sudden visit.
"So... Are you okay with it, Mr. Shin?" Minho asked.
Kami shrugged, "Sure."
"Seriously?" Hayoung questioned. "Are we a daycare now? There's going to be kids everywhere."
"It'll be good for the kids already here to have more people around their age to socialize with," Kami reasoned.
"Around their age? Daeun's like... six. They all seem way older than her," Hayoung argued.
"I think it'll be fine, Unnie. It's not like you're going to be the one taking care of them," Riwon commented. "If Mr. Shin says it's okay then I'm sure he has something in mind. Plus..."
Riwon glanced toward Haerin, "I kind of want to help too."
"Fine," Hayoung sighed. "As long as I don't have to do any babysitting, then I have no problem with it."
Minho fished the runestone from his pocket, extending it toward Riwon. "I found this earlier. I think these only appear when a demihuman is around."
"What's it from?" Riwon asked.
"A phoenix," Minho replied.
Riwon took the skill stone into her hand, pushing her lips to the side. "I already have a regeneration skill... Another one doesn't seem too impressive. Thank you though. I might be able to combine it with something else."
Hayoung stepped before Minho, placing her hand on her hips. "Children aside, are you ready for the invasion?"
"You make it sound like you're joining," Minho remarked.
"I'm not--even though I'd love it more than anything to have a reason to knock some sense into Y/n," Hayoung replied. "I was just curious since I caught wind that the date was coming up. Would you be able to kill Y/n if he opposed you?"
Minho paused, just long enough to give Hayoung the answer she searched for. The woman sighed, pointing to her eyes. "He's going blind. Whatever that purple power thing is, it eats at his vision which forced him to supplement it with gale sense. Now that he can't use it, he relies on his glasses--the things on his face--to see."
"Thanks for the heads up." Minho turned toward the cave entrance. "I'll make sure to remember that."
"Y/n." A voice called, echoing through his mind. "If you want to create a new world, how are you going to let this get in your way?"
'She's too strong...' Y/n thought. 'That swordswoman is probably as strong as Minju. Without my gale sense and breathing techniques, I can't keep up.'
"You hold the power of gods in your body, and you're going to let a mortal cut you down?" the voice questioned. "You're going to let these people stand in your way? You are the student of the god, Park Ji Hoon!"
'That means nothing,' Y/n sighed as he drifted in his psyche. 'If he was such a powerful god, he should have done something.'
"He is the god of fate. Everything happens as he wants it to, but you have the power to shatter fate. You can go against him and make that world free of his power," the voice continued. Suddenly, Y/n's senses expanded. He could not discern each wellspring from one another. Not only could he tell who was who, but he could also see the outline of the world--just enough to see Minju struggle to protect Liz from the dozens of soldiers on the battlefield. "You may not have Malevolence's power, but you still have divine power. Protect those you love with it, and cut everyone else down with your own!! That is how you will shatter your fate!!!"
A beam of golden light as fluid as flames and bright as the sun pierces the skies, lifting Y/n onto his feet. The wounds he sustained from Ayaka closed, and golden markings spread across his body. Potent divine energy bled from the pores of Y/n's skin, creating a golden aura around his body. Y/n's body reflexively took a deep breath, but before he could convert the air to energy, the presence of death reminded him of his seal. Though he couldn't see him, Y/n sensed Kami's presence--a presence the god let only Y/n know of.
A streak of gold tore through the battlefield, harming none in its path. With the Hyejin orb in his hand, Y/n reshaped it into a stake, driving it into Sumin's navel before lifting her by her neck. The moment he touched the woman, his golden markings receded back into his body.
"Unnie!!" Ayaka screamed. The air hissed between her teeth as she dug her feet into the ground, yet before she could take off, Minju stabbed her through the chest from behind.
"Save Jeong Sumin!!" the soldiers shouted.
Yuri extended her hand, creating a crude barrier similar to the one casted over Sumin's temple. "Not so fast!"
Y/n summoned a blank orb to his hand, shaping it into an axe. He shrugged the look of disdain Sumin gave him, slicing the woman's head off. The screams of agony he heard shortly before Sumin's death suddenly stopped; instead rage fueled shouting billowed through the forest. Y/n dropped Sumin's limp body with his newly filled orb floating behind him and a deadpan stare void of emotion. "Leave none alive."
Character Updates:
Ahn Y/n: D-Rank Hanam
Ahn Y/n [Golden Awakening]: D-Rank Hanam > C-Rank HanamKamisato Ayaka: B-Rank Hanam
Jeong Sumin: A-Rank Dunam
