Chapter 14
"You've returned, it seems."
Robbin spoke calmly as he sliced through the meat of a bear, the blade moving with steady precision. He slightly turned his head.
"And with four of the wolves, it seems."
"Yeah… I'll hunt the last one after resting up a bit," Rowan said, standing at the zone entrance, his body covered in blood.
"That won't be necessary," Robbin replied. "That orange wolf is twice the strength of the ordinary ones. Sit down. I'll prepare a meal for you in the meantime."
He returned to cutting the meat.
Rowan walked in, placed the wolves aside, and sat down. A soft green light flickered around him as his body slowly healed.
"I'm definitely going to need new gear," he muttered with a sigh.
"How was the experience… I mean, fighting the wolves?" Robbin asked as he created a small fire.
"It was tough… At first, I got to know how sly those wolves really are…" Rowan paused. "But that one over there… it showed me how far behind I really am… how weak and incapable I am. I got cocky and thought I'd grown strong, but…"
"Good."
Rowan looked up slightly.
"You've learned something from the fight. That's all there is to it. Hold on to that feeling and use it to grow."
Robbin's eyes scanned Rowan carefully.
His body is developing quite fast for a human, he thought.
"You're right…" Rowan said quietly, lowering his gaze. His eyes narrowed slightly, a faint reflection of tears forming.
"Rest up. I'll wake you once the meal is prepared."
Rowan laid on the floor without another word, staring to the side. His fist clenched tightly before he slowly closed his eyes.
A few hours later, Robbin nudged his shoulder.
"Wake up, kid. The meal's ready."
Rowan slowly opened his eyes. In front of him was a large leaf filled with cooked meat.
"Thanks…" he muttered, picking up a piece and eating.
"I've acquired a bowl for you. Use it to wash off the blood after eating," Robbin said while collecting his carrots.
After finishing, Rowan stood up and walked to the bowl. Clean water reflected his face. He dipped the cloth beside it and began wiping his body. Slowly, the water turned red, but his reflection remained.
He pushed the bowl aside, stood up quickly, grabbed his daggers, and placed them in their usual position.
Then—
He dropped to the ground and began doing push-ups.
Robbin said nothing, only watching while eating his carrots.
Just how troubled was his life…? he thought.
[Flashback — Rowan, Age 13]
At the orphanage, Rowan sat beneath the shade of a tree, quietly reading a book.
"Atherion Basics, huh?"
A cheerful voice spoke.
Rowan lifted his eyes for a moment.
A girl with blonde hair and red eyes stood there, smiling.
"Ever heard of The Records of the Legends? You can call me Lilith, by the way… Wanna be friends?"
Rowan looked at her briefly…
Then returned to his book without a word.
[Flashback Ends]
"That's enough training, Rowan!"
Robbin's voice snapped him back.
Rowan paused mid-motion. "Huh?"
"You've already pushed past fifty in all the activities I've given you. Relax and come sit."
"I'm sorry, Master… but like you said before… until I reach full strength, I can't relax."
He grabbed his daggers and began swinging them again.
This time, his attacks were rough—each strike filled with anger, pain, and regret.
"Rowan…" Robbin spoke again.
"Ever heard of The Records of the Legends?"
Rowan froze mid-strike.
"What about it?" he asked.
"Do you know it?"
"I do… It explains the basic structure of Atherion and how it came to be. Most importantly, it tells us the history of how the four races came to live in peace."
"Sit down and tell me the story as a whole."
Rowan frowned.
"Are you serious right now? You're the great guardian, and you don't know the history of the world you're protecting?"
Robbin stared at him.
"Will you tell me or not?"
"…Fine."
Rowan sat down.
"Earth, as a whole, was once filled with advanced technology," he began. "As time went by, meteors began to fall—around two hundred of them."
"They carried energy the Earth didn't have."
"When they landed, that energy mixed with oxygen and spread like a deadly toxin."
"Those who inhaled it… changed. Humans… animals… everything."
"Those with weak bodies died instantly. Others adapted and survived."
"And with little to nothing… they had to fight off the monsters that tried to take the land."
"I think that's enough of a summary," Rowan said, reaching for the meat.
"I don't think so," Robbin replied. "Your understanding is flawed. Even a child could explain it better."
"What did you say!?" Rowan snapped—
Only to choke on his food.
"Exactly what I said," Robbin replied calmly. "But that's not important right now."
He walked toward one of the wolves and suddenly tore it open.
"What are you doing to the wolf!?" Rowan asked, covering his mouth.
Robbin raised his hand.
In it… was a heart.
"Do you know what this is?"
Rowan's face turned pale.
"That's—"
Before he could finish, he rushed to the side and vomited.
"That's the wolf's heart… Damn, did you have to do that with your own hands? That's messed up."
"That's correct—hey, hold on," Robbin said. "You killed those monsters yourself. Didn't you think that was ruthless?"
"Well, I didn't open them up with my 'paws' like you did," Rowan replied.
"Are you implying I'm more of a monster for tearing out the heart of a dead beast than causing it pain while it's alive?"
He paused.
"Well… that's not the point right now. Enhance your eyes."
"…Like this?"
Rowan focused Atherion into his eyes. They began to glow blue.
Suddenly, the world changed.
Energy flowed everywhere.
"Whoa… I can see it… Who knew doing this would show a whole different side of everything?"
"I did," Robbin replied. "Now look at the heart. Tell me what you see."
Rowan stared at it.
At first… nothing.
Then slowly—
Blue smoke began to leak from the heart's veins.
"Whoa… what's that?"
"That is the sealed Atherion within the beast," Robbin said.
"Atherion has stages."
"The first is the base state—the one you're using now."
"The second is Awakening. In this state, Atherion is no longer just a tool… it becomes your source of transcendence."
"The third… is full awakening, also known as Transcendence. A double awakening."
"Power forged at that level is close to hero class… known as the Grandmarked."
Rowan listened carefully.
"The orange wolf you fought… had already reached its first Awakening."
Robbin then poured Atherion into the heart.
For a brief moment—
It beat again.
The blue smoke turned orange.
Rowan's eyes widened.
"The color changed… does that mean—"
"Yes," Robbin said. "It evolved. Or you could say… it awakened."
He stopped, and the energy faded.
"This situation is similar to yours."
"When you gathered all that Atherion earlier… the state you were approaching was Awakening."
"No human has ever done that."
Rowan went silent.
"I think I understand…" he muttered, placing a hand on his chin. "If no human has ever done it… then my body isn't compatible with that level of energy. Trying to reach it now would be dangerous…"
"Or maybe…"Robbin paused slightly.