Chapter 35: The Divine Awakened (Part One)

“Name.”

“Yus Eric.”

“A Noble?” Ace was slightly surprised.

“I am a descendant of His Excellency, Eric, the God of Flame.” The tall, strong Sea Raider replied proudly.

“Eric City-State is in the far north of the Salia Peninsula. Why did you come all the way to the south to become a Sea Raider?” Ace was intrigued and couldn’t help but ask.

Yus’s eyes became distant, recalling a memory, and he looked fearful.

“There was unrest in the city-state. The descendants of the flame killed each other, and burning blood was everywhere. My father and I, when I was young, fled. Our lineage failed and was wanted by the city-state, so we dared not show our faces in the open and could only become Sea Raiders.”

“Where is your father?” A trace of solemnity flashed in Ace’s eyes. An older Noble represented not just wisdom but also strength.

“On a small island about 50 nautical miles southeast of the coast.”

“How many people do you have? And what is your strength?”

“We have over 130 Sea Raiders. We are a relatively powerful Sea Raider force nearby.”

“How strong is your father?”

“My father is a Seasoned Divine Awakened, his strength is close to a Pseudo-Hero.”

“Divine Awakened? How does that compare to a Hero? And what is your strength?” Ace grew increasingly interested. He had occasionally heard Nobles mention this term but no one had explained the meaning to him.

“It cannot compare to a Hero. Those who can awaken the divine power of their bloodline are called Divine Awakened. A Seasoned Divine Awakened can skillfully use their bloodline power. A Pseudo-Hero can use powerful abilities similar to a Hero’s authority. I am an Unawakened but still much stronger than an ordinary person.”

Ace slowly digested the new information. Divine Descendants who had not reached the level of a Hero were, in ascending order of strength: Unawakened, Divine Awakened, Seasoned Divine Awakened, and Pseudo-Hero. It seemed that the Mid-Level Inspector Dikens, whom Ace had briefly met, claimed to have an authority-like power, so he might be a Pseudo-Hero.

Ace’s current strength was definitely much stronger than an Unawakened. Whether he could defeat Yus’s father was still uncertain; he needed to probe him.

An experienced Noble who had awakened his bloodline, was a wanted man without a home, and was a Sea Raider leader with a history of evil deeds—he was too perfect to be an experimental subject. He could be used to research the similarities and differences between a Divine Awakened and low-level Monsters.

Ace rubbed his hands together, showing the fervent longing of a researcher.

“Finally, how did you know that a carriage was passing by?”

“We have an informant in the village. Old Tos, the lame one, saw you heading this way and messaged us.”

That cripple. Ace recalled the inconspicuous old man who sat listlessly at the village entrance all day. I didn’t expect him to be the Sea Raiders’ informant. I still lack experience, Ace thought to himself.

“Find a way to lure Old Tos out into the wilderness and kill him.”

Yus’s expression clearly struggled. Ace sensed his mental fluctuation and used his mental power to interfere with the Charm Creature rune structure on Yus.

Yus’s expression slowly relaxed. “I will kill Tos. How dare he scheme against my best friend.”

Old Tos, after seeing the signal, covertly reached the agreed-upon location. He was immediately decapitated by Yus. His eyes were wide open before he died, as if unable to accept his sudden demise.

After cleaning up the loose ends and instructing the charmed Sea Raiders to clean up the messy dirt road, Ace focused on meditating, slowly restoring his mental power.

In the evening, the sun had already set. Ace disguised himself as a bound captive and, along with the Sea Raiders, sailed southeast on a double-oar wooden boat.

He made a spur-of-the-moment decision to visit the Sea Raiders’ small island and probe the Divine Awakened. This was a precious experimental material he couldn’t bear to give up.

The wooden boat neared a part of the small island. The torch on the lighthouse was burning fiercely. If it weren’t for this, even Sea Raiders familiar with the island would find it difficult to navigate the island in the dark.

“Beard of Alexius!” A hoarse, deep voice came from the lighthouse.

“Dog of Sammyel!” Yus shouted back loudly.

The iron chains both underwater and above were slowly lifted, allowing the wooden boat to enter the island’s harbor. A burly, middle-aged man with a full beard leaped down from the lighthouse and gave Yus a big hug.

“Welcome back, son. I kept the light on especially since you hadn’t returned. It seems your prey was quite tough. I’m sure my young hunter had a great haul.” The middle-aged Sea Raider looked at the Sea Raiders, who were now down to only one boat, and said to Yus with some doting.

“Yes, Father. It’s a good thing you let me take two more boats of men. This scholar was actually carrying quite a few mercenaries. We almost suffered a great loss.” Yus hugged his father tightly with one hand, like an overgrown child, while the other hand reached inside his clothes.

Ace quietly activated a spell, Lesser Illusion Gaze. He raised his head, which he had kept low, and a faint glow of the Spell Model flickered in his eyes.

The Illusion Gaze continuously subjected the gazed-upon target to a will check. People dominated by the illusion would also have their mental strength greatly reduced, making them easier to charm afterward. If he were to attempt to charm him directly, and the opponent resisted, his willpower would be strengthened, making the situation very tricky.

The middle-aged Sea Raider felt a sudden daze. His keen intuition told him something was wrong. Yus, holding a dagger, was about to stab him in the abdomen. He shoved his son away, performed a backflip, and drew the short sword from his waist. The sword was red overall, carried a burning red glow, and radiated a mysterious rhythm.

A Wonder! A weapon-type Wonder. Ace’s eyes showed both longing and caution. He directed the charmed Yus and the other Sea Raiders to charge the middle-aged Sea Raider. The middle-aged Sea Raider was indeed a Seasoned Divine Awakened; he merely swayed for a moment and then broke free from the influence.

But as long as he had been influenced, the next will check would be harder to resist. Coupled with the distracting effect of the chaotic environment, the middle-aged Sea Raider would likely not escape Ace’s clutches.

Ace took advantage of the Sea Raiders’ charge to jump out of the wooden boat, performing a side roll to hide in the shadows. The Spell Model in his eyes flickered, and more Sea Raiders fell into the illusion.

The middle-aged Sea Raider disarmed Yus’s dagger in a few seconds, punched Yus in the head, knocking him unconscious. Then, the red sword light danced. The Sea Raiders all fell to the ground, none of them able to withstand a single blow.

The middle-aged Sea Raider said nothing more. His expression was furious. He showed no mercy to his subordinates charging him, striking them down with his sword, and then rushed toward Ace in the shadows.

Ace held his Spell Book, pulled out a handful of sulfur, tossed it into the air, and activated Lesser Acid Splash. The sulfur in the air was instantly converted into a cloud of corrosive acid liquid, quickly splashing toward the middle-aged Sea Raider.

The middle-aged Sea Raider did not dodge. He raised his burning short sword and split the corrosive acid liquid, heading straight for Ace. He rushed to Ace in a few steps and swung his sword at him. The sword did not slice the hateful boy in half as he had expected. The burning short sword hit an invisible shield, emitting a crisp sound.

The middle-aged Sea Raider was enraged. Red veins bulged on his arm, and the burning short sword also glowed intensely red as he lunged straight toward the invisible shield in front of Ace.