Joseph, the pot-bellied shop owner slowly opened his eyes and found himself lying on the cold, hard floor of his shop.
He tried to sit up but realized his body was extremely weak, and he could barely muster any strength. Even lifting himself from a lying position felt like an unbearable task.
"What happened?" He muttered in confusion before the memories of what had occurred prior to him passing out rushed back into his mind.
Recalling the terrifying young man who had knocked him out before he could even struggle, the confused expression on Joseph's face twisted into one of horror.
His eyes darted around quickly, only to land on Azrael, who was seated indifferently on a chair some distance away, watching him with a cold gaze.
"You—" Joseph tried to gather his cosmic energy to activate his powers. But in the very next second, his expression froze as he realized with horror that he could not use his cosmic energy at all.
