"You did not have any friends to teach you about the outside world?" Tasha asked, her expression softening slightly.
Even she felt she should not treat him coldly, at least for now.
"Rules, remember? I did not have any friends besides the clan members I spoke to. The only people I ever interacted with were the ones who worked for the clan," Ethan answered.
"Tell me again," Tasha said, a faint narrowing of her eyes betraying her curiosity, "what's the name of the clan that took you in?"
"The leader of the clan was the one who took me in… it's the Lockhart clan," Ethan said casually, then paused as he noticed their expressions suddenly change.
"Um, what's wrong?" Ethan asked, noticing their weird expression.
"The person who adopted you is L-Lord Alistair Lockhart?" Tasha asked slowly.
The confidence and cold tone she carried just seconds ago vanished the moment the name "Lockhart Clan" reached her ears; even Sasha seemed flustered.
"Lord Alistair Lockhart?" Ethan repeated in confusion.
"Don't tell me you don't know who that person is. Oh, wait, what am I even asking? Of course, you're going to say you don't know." Tasha rolled her eyes.
Ethan glanced at Sasha, silently asking her to explain.
"You really don't know who he is?" Sasha asked in a low voice.
"Well, I know he's rich, influential, very high-status, and a powerful awakener," Ethan replied.
"So you really don't know, and you've lived in his clan manor for years?" Tasha said, rolling her eyes again. "God, what the hell is wrong with you?"
"Lord Alistair Lockhart is the most powerful awakener in the entire world. Since the moment the system first descended upon our world, he has been one of the very few known individuals to reach Level 100, the highest level ever achieved by man according to all existing records. There is no one more powerful than him. Every awakener across the world aspires to one day reach his level," Sasha said slowly, her voice carrying a quiet reverence, as though she were speaking of someone she deeply admired.
"Lord Alistair Lockhart may not see himself as a king," Tasha said, her voice sharp with disbelief, "but without a doubt, he's the one who sits at the very pinnacle of our world. Nothing happens without his approval, not even the World Awakener Association dares to oppose him."
She stared at Ethan, as though trying to determine whether he was pretending or truly ignorant.
"Someone like him exists," Tasha continued, her tone dropping, "and you're telling me you don't even know who he is?"
By the time she finished speaking, it sounded as though whatever little respect she still had for Ethan had completely drained away.
Ethan simply stared at them in confusion.
He had always known that the old man, the Lord of the Lockhart Clan, was powerful and influential, but he had never realized just how vast the scale of that power and influence truly was.
"I knew he was a great, influential figure, but I didn't know to what extent," Ethan amitted, rubbing his head.
"I can't believe you are from the Lockhart clan," Tasha sighed.
"I'm not. The clan was good to me; the lord allowed me food and clothes, and for that I am extremely grateful. But I'm not a member of the clan, nor do I have any relation to any of its members. I was merely a clan worker. Calling me a clan member would be offensive to them," Ethan explained.
He was right.
The old man, Alistair Lockhart, the lord of the Lockhart Clan, had never adopted him.
Ethan was simply a child the old man had taken pity on.
The man was so wealthy and generous that feeding one more child was like pouring a single drop of water from a full bucket.
There had never been any formal relationship between them. The old man had taken in dozens of others like Ethan out of pity, and every one of them was required to work.
He provided Ethan with a place to stay and enough food to survive.
It was nothing more, and certainly nothing for free.
Once Ethan reached a certain age, he was put to work in the old man's manor, handling tasks such as cooking, washing, cleaning, and other chores to earn the right to remain there.
Still, it wasn't all bad.
He was allowed to read some of the advanced books in the manor's library, a privilege the old man had generously granted him.
"We are sorry... we shouldn't have assumed," Sasha apologized.
"It's alright, it's nothing to apologize for… I'm actually glad everything turned out the way it did."
"I probably wouldn't be here, hell, I don't even know if I would have survived on my own. Everything led me to where I am now, a high grade profession, a chance to become one of the strongest awakeners, and I even got to make friends with you guys," Ethan said, first looking at Sasha, then at Tasha.
"Yeah… I guess I have no choice but to accept your friendship after all that personal talking, huh?" Tasha sighed, sounding as though she were accepting something she found mildly bothersome.
"Anyway, I will take my leave. I don't want to keep you guys from your business," Ethan said.
"Yes, that would be optimal," Tasha replied with an expressionless face.
"See you later."
Saying that, Ethan left.
Sasha and Tasha watched him go.
"He's nice. I like him," Sasha said.
"Don't tell me his story got to you and you're falling for him. You're always so sensitive, especially when it comes to cute boys," Tasha snorted.
"I'm just saying he seems nice and innocent. Don't make it weird," Sasha replied, rolling her eyes.
"That's exactly my point. He only seems nice and innocent, but that doesn't mean he actually is. For all we know, he could have been acting. Maybe the story he told was something he cooked up," Tasha said with a shrug.
"He genuinely seems nice," Sasha insisted, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah, whatever," Tasha muttered.
"Come on, don't act like you don't like him too. We're the same. If I like something, then you would like it too. That's how it's always been," Sasha said confidently.
"I mean, I don't hate him, if that's what you're asking," Tasha replied, her expression still unreadable.
Then her face turned serious. "And besides, what good does liking someone do for us? Our fate is already sealed. Developing feelings for someone will only make it harder to let go."
"We will find a way to survive. There is still time," Sasha said, her expression softening.
"I guess. But I don't think there is," Tasha sighed.
"For now, let's just focus on what's in front of us," Sasha said with a small smile, placing a hand on Tasha's shoulder.
"You are so optimistic. I don't know what I would do without you. I would probably end up depressed," Tasha said, finally relaxing.
"And for the record, liking someone and developing feelings for someone are two different things," Sasha added as they headed toward a dungeon to level up.
"You are still on that? Fine, I agree. But keep your level of friendship with him limited to just being friends. It is for your own good and for his. You do not want to break his heart after giving him hope, do you?" Tasha sighed.
"I know you are only saying that because you also like him."
"Yeah, whatever," Tasha sighed again. There was undeniable sadness on her face, a sadness that was also reflected on Sasha's.
"It is painful to realize that the rest of our days will be spent knowing exactly how little time we have before we cease to exist."
"We still have time. Let's hold on and try to figure something out," Sasha said, forcing herself to remain optimistic.
"Yeah, maybe luck will find its way to us one day."
...
Ethan spent the next half an hour fiddling with his phone, scrolling endlessly through QuickGram.
"There are so many people on QuickGram… so many Awakeners posting short videos of themselves battling monsters and using all kinds of skills in ways I've never seen before…" he muttered as he swiped to the next video.
In one clip, a man activated a strange skill. The waterball in his hand vanished, and in its place appeared a piece of innerwear.
The next second, another man, who had been quietly sitting at his computer, suddenly jumped to his feet. Realizing his innerwear had disappeared and feeling something wet against his skin, he let out a startled scream before bursting into laughter and chasing after the skill user.
"Hehe… I didn't know people used skills for amusement like this," Ethan chuckled. "There really are so many ways skills can be used, huh."
The more he scrolled, the more amused and intrigued he became. Awakeners weren't just using their abilities for combat. Many applied them in practical, creative, and sometimes downright ridiculous ways. Some uses were clever, others absurd, but all of them were fascinating.
"Damn… I can't believe I spent half an hour scrolling through short videos," Ethan sighed. "I'd better not make this a habit. Having fun is fine, but I need to control how much time I spend on it."
Shaking his head, he put his phone away.
"I shouldn't waste my time," he said quietly. "Even if my trait guarantees I'll obtain skills, that's no excuse to fool around. It just means I need to take full advantage of it and become much stronger than my peers."
With newfound determination, Ethan tightened his fist.
A few moments later, he stood on the tenth floor of the Tier-1 Dungeon Hall, right in front of the gate leading to the [Dwelling of the Snake Lord] dungeon.
"Here goes."
Ethan extended his arm, and the moment his fingertip touched the gate, a system prompt appeared before his eyes.
---
[Choose the Difficulty]
Nightmare Difficulty
-Solo Entry: 200 System Gold
Hell Difficulty
-Solo Entry: 300 System Gold
---
"Hmm, this dungeon gives the most when cleared solo on Nightmare or Hell difficulty… Choose Hell difficulty."
Ethan made his selection.
In the next instant, the gate, which had felt like solid brick, became cloud-like and misty to the touch.
"Let's go."
Ethan stepped through the gate, and when he emerged on the other side, he found himself standing in a dense forest.
The moment he entered, he spread his awareness and, within an instant, sensed hundreds of monsters lurking only a few meters away.
"Oh, it is Hell Difficulty, alright. There are so many monsters right near the entrance itself." Ethan's expression hardened as he checked his status.
---
[Awakener: Ethan Aurel Ashenfall]
[Profession: Necromancer]
[Level: 10]
[Attributes]
-Strength: 100
-Dexterity: 100
-Stamina: 100
-Vitality: 100
-Sense: 200
-Spiritual Energy: 200 + 200 (One Ascends)
[Summoning Skills]
-Summon Undead Knight (Level: 10)
-Summon Undead Spirits (Level: 10)
[Active Skills]
-Mourning Rain (Level: 7)
[Passive Skills]
-Death Link
-Undead Graveyard: 20/20
[Traits]
-Black Halo (Unique)
-One Ascends (Spiritual Energy)
---