Chapter Four: Unexpected Encounter and Mysterious Interference
It had been a hectic day
dangerous, draining... yet strangely, a fruitful one.
During my exploration deep within one of the abandoned ancient tombs scattered across the Red Alert Zones, I came across something… unusual.
Hidden beneath layers of cracked stone and dusted carvings, I found a relic, small, dark, and etched with glowing lines that pulsed faintly in my hand.
I didn't know how to use it.
Didn't even know what it was.
But something deep inside me whispered
this was valuable. Powerful, even.
Still, I could tell immediately
it wasn't meant for me.
Like a locked door whose key recognized a different hand.
Even so, I decided to keep it—for now.
If nothing else, it might trade for something one day.
Maybe food. Or water.
I tucked it away and began to leave the tomb…
And that's when I noticed him.
A man, tall, broad, and unnaturally composed stood a few steps away from the exit, like he'd been waiting.
His clothes were unlike anything I'd seen before: battle-worn yet regal, layered with dark fabrics that flowed around his armored chest.
Two long swords rested at his waist, and the aura around him
It was heavy.
Like a mountain wrapped in silence.
A powerful awakener, no doubt.
I instinctively shifted back, ready to run.
But then he raised one hand not threateningly.
His voice, when it came, was calm. Almost respectful.
"Don't run. I'm not here to harm you."
That alone was enough to stop me.
No awakener ever spoke to someone like me that way.
"What do you want?" I asked, cautiously.
He gave a faint nod toward my chest toward the relic I had hidden.
"That item… it was never meant to find you," he said.
"And yet, you carry it."
His eyes narrowed slightly, studying me not with disdain, but with a strange curiosity.
"Tell me, boy… when you touched it, did it react?"
---
"No," I replied firmly, my voice low but steady.
I didn't know what this man wanted, but I wasn't about to hand over the only valuable thing I'd found in weeks without understanding why.
The man didn't react with anger only raised a brow, as if impressed.
"By the way," he said after a short pause, "my name is Jo Wang. I hail from the far eastern realms… a land now merged with this Great Plane after the collapse of our old world."
His gaze didn't waver.
"I am the current head of the Wang Clan. And the item in your possession" he pointed subtly toward the relic beneath my clothing, "is a family heirloom of ours, lost during the first dimensional collapse."
I stiffened.
"So... this is your family relic you're talking about?" I asked, just to confirm.
"Yes, Mister...?"
He tilted his head politely.
"...Zema," I said after a pause. "Aka Zema."
Jo Wang nodded with grace.
"Aka Zema. As the head of the Wang Clan, I respectfully ask that you return the relic to its rightful lineage."
His voice was calm, polite even warm. But beneath his tone was something steel-hard.
He was giving me the chance to cooperate.
"You may ask for anything in return," he added. "A fair trade, whatever you desire within reason. Wealth, shelter, knowledge."
Then, his eyes flickered with something deeper curiosity, perhaps even respect.
"But more than that, I'd like to ask… how did a lone, unawakened individual like you survive in this rotting world?"
"I survived by luck… and sheer will," I replied, staring down at my dirt-stained hands.
"All just to keep a promise to one day meet my parents again."
Jo Wang's expression didn't change, but I could feel a subtle shift in his demeanor.
It wasn't pity.
It was respect.
"You said I can ask for anything, right?" I asked, lifting my eyes.
"Yes, benefactor," he said, bowing his head slightly.
"Name your request. I will honor it as promised."
I hesitated a moment, then spoke.
"It's rumored that in the Eastern and Southern parts of this merged world, there exist mysterious stones stones that help trigger an Awakening."
I paused. "I don't know if it's true… but I want to believe it."
A faint smile touched Jo Wang's lips.
"It is not a rumor, benefactor. Those stones do exist. And as it happens…"
He reached into a satchel at his waist and pulled out a glowing, oval-shaped crystal that shimmered with faint, ethereal light.
"I have one right here."
My eyes widened slightly.
"Then that's what I want," I said quickly, my voice barely hiding my hope.
"That stone and some coin, if possible. Enough to get me out of this place without starving to death."
Without a moment's hesitation, Jo Wang nodded.
"Agreed."
He stepped forward, handing me the stone cool to the touch, vibrating with strange energy and a pouch heavy with coin.
I gave him the relic in return, carefully unwrapping it and placing it into his hands.
Without a word, Jo Wang drew a small blade, pricked his finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the relic.
Boom.
A dark wave of aura exploded outward, forcing me a step back.
The air turned cold.
The light dimmed.
The relic pulsed once and shifted, reshaping in his hand until it became a sleek black sword, radiating ominous energy.
Jo Wang looked at it with quiet reverence, then slid it into a sheath across his back.
He turned toward me one last time.
"Thank you, Aka Zema. The Wang Clan will remember this."
And without another word, his figure shimmered then vanished, as though swallowed by the wind itself.
I stood there, stunned.
The ruin was quiet again, the weight in my hands far heavier than it looked.
He's the only one who's treated me warmly since the apocalypse began.
No insults. No threats.
Just… kindness.
"Thank you, Mr. Jo Wang," I murmured into the stillness.
"With this money… I can finally leave this place."
"Maybe I won't have to die alone in some ditch anymore."
And for the first time in a long while…
I took a step forward
Not to escape death
But to chase life.
"Let's try it then," I whispered to myself, gripping the awakening stone tightly.
"Maybe… maybe this time, it'll work."
Jo Wang had told me the process was simple.
All I had to do was channel my consciousness into the stone
Focus. Breathe.
Let it respond.
So I sat down in the ruined clearing, the cursed wind brushing past my skin like old whispers, and closed my eyes.
I placed the stone in my lap, pressed both hands against its cool surface, and reached inward.
---
At first, there was silence.
Then
chaos.
My system normally quiet, useless exploded with life.
Lines of red and gold flooded my vision.
> [Attempting Awakening…]
[Error: Interference Detected.]
[System Conflict Detected.]
[Foreign Force Rejecting Synchronization…]
The stone pulsed violently, its glow shifting from soft blue to a deep, unstable crimson.
> [Warning: Spatial Rift Triggered!]
[Universal Awakening Protocol Failed.]
[Unknown Seal Reacting Unauthorized Access Detected!]
[Interference Status: Critical.]
I couldn't move.
I couldn't breathe.
The ground beneath me cracked.
The air split.
Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled not by hands, but by some enormous, invisible force dragging my soul downward, as if I had been snatched by a cosmic hook.
I tried to resist.
Tried to scream.
Tried to stay.
But my body went numb.
My vision turned dark.
And then
I blacked out.
---
As the last of my senses faded, I felt one final sensation:
Someone… or something… was waiting at the bottom of that abyss.
Watching.
Smiling.