Morgan looked at his hands slowly, carefully staring at the tattoo that covered them. A strange feeling swept over him, a mix of amazement and fear, but he quickly managed to control his emotions. He looked at the tattoo carefully, trying to understand it. A sudden idea crossed his mind, making a light happiness fill him: Is it possible that this is my golden ticket, the one that grants me supernatural power?
He knew that the world he had transferred to was full of supernatural powers, but he did not know the nature of these powers.
The memories of Rian that he received did not contain any explanation about how to use those powers, because Rian was busy searching for a living and did not find the time to search for these details, or perhaps he was not interested in them. Morgan muttered in a low voice: That pain I felt was truly worth it, but it was painful… even if it was painful, what matters is that I became a supernatural person.
Excitement overwhelmed him. His curiosity could not be resisted. He wondered: What does this tattoo do? What is its ability? He extended his hands and touched the tattoo again. He felt a light heat burning in his hand, but it was not painful.
With that touch, strange letters appeared before him that he had never seen before, but despite their strangeness, he was able to read them.
"Congratulations, you have been chosen to become one of the Liberators. The trial begins after 24 hours."
Morgan looked at the words with an empty expression, as if his mind was trying to comprehend the meaning. Then he regained his composure a little and asked in a calm voice: I am now a Liberator… what does this mean? And what does that sentence mean? Will I be sent to a court?
But he quickly turned away from the questions and reached the core of the matter: It doesn't matter… what matters is that I will obtain the supernatural power that I have always wished for.
He looked at his tattoo again and noticed that it began to glow with a dark gray color. Astonishment and wonder filled his heart, and he said to himself: What is happening?
Morgan extended his hands again, but this time he accidentally pressed on a black shape surrounded by faint red edges.
Then those strange letters appeared before him again, but this time in a different form.
Name: Rian Clemen
Age: 17
Rank: Gray Liberator
Djinn Essence: None
Tattoo: Shadows
features :
Red Eyes: An ability that makes the user's eyes turn completely red and removes all emotions, making the user unable to feel pain or fear.
Shadow Edges: An ability that allows the user to benefit from his shadow as a weapon for fighting, but it is not sharp, as it aims only to paralyze the opponent for a few seconds.
Morgan stared at the strange letters that were hanging in front of him with an empty expression, as if his mind had stopped working for a moment. He did not understand what he was seeing until a few seconds later, before overwhelming happiness filled his heart. His eyes widened as he muttered in amazement:
Wow… I really got supernatural powers!
Morgan could not remain silent for long, so he raised his head and said in an excited voice:
"Red eyes… appear!"
A heavy silence fell at that moment. Nothing happened.
Morgan felt a slight disappointment, but it did not last long. He quickly looked at his status again, and as an early expert in web novels and fantasy, he understood the meaning quickly. This meant that he had truly begun his journey. His own adventure. Fighting monsters.
However, he felt a little fear at this thought, for seeing something is much easier than doing it. When he realized what he was about to face, he felt fear for a moment, before calming himself.
"I finally got what I want, so what am I afraid of? I joined many cults, and I even performed those disgusting rituals that transferred me here, all of this just to obtain supernatural powers."
As his breathing calmed, he began to think about what he should do next. He did not know exactly what that "trial" meant, but its name alone was enough to make him feel that it would not be easy at all.
Morgan sank into deep thought, to the point that he did not feel anything around him, until something blocked the moonlight that was illuminating the place with its calm and beautiful light.
Morgan raised his head to check what was happening…
and froze in place.
Before his eyes, black eyes streaked with terrifying yellow appeared, staring directly at him. Morgan felt terror seep into his depths just from looking into those eyes. His heartbeat accelerated, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably, as he looked at a person standing in front of him in eerie silence.
He swallowed his saliva with difficulty before muttering in a low voice:
"What is this person doing here…?"
The owner of the black eyes streaked with sharp yellow directed his gaze toward Morgan, whose body was clearly trembling. Then he said in a calm tone, trying to make it reassuring:
"Ah… I'm sorry if I scared you, I didn't mean that."
Morgan looked at him with extreme caution; his wariness was obvious, as he stepped back a few steps without taking his eyes off him. In his mind, he began thinking about escaping, and if he could not do that, he would scream at the top of his voice so that someone might hear him. He quickly looked around, only to discover that the street was completely unknown, empty of any human presence, which increased his tension and fear.
The owner of the black eyes mixed with yellow noticed Morgan's confused behavior and looked puzzled for a moment before understanding the situation. He said in a calmer tone:
"Don't be afraid, I do not want to harm you. I only came after I felt a strong energy coming from this direction, so I rushed here. I did not think that I would meet you again."
But Morgan did not lower his guard at all; instead, his anxiety increased. He felt energy? That alone was enough to confirm that the man in front of him was not an ordinary person. Morgan clenched his fists without realizing it and stepped back another step, ready to run away at any moment.
The owner of the black eyes sighed calmly, then looked directly at Morgan, as if he fully understood what was going through his mind. After that, he extended his hand forward in a peaceful gesture and said:
"My name is Karl Dristen. I am from the Liberators Organization. Nice to meet you."
Morgan looked at Carl's hand extended toward him, that hand waiting for a handshake. His mind was filled with conflicting thoughts;
Should he shake his hand?
No… he did not trust Carl, how could he trust someone who had confessed to him openly that he was not ordinary?
Morgan's fear increased at that moment, and he felt a tightening in his chest, but he made sure not to show it on his face. He did not want to reveal his fear, especially in front of someone so mysterious. After a short moment of hesitation, he made his decision.
At least, I will shake his hand so I don't provoke his anger.
He finally extended his hand and shook Carl's, speaking in a tone he tried to make steady:
"I'm honored to meet you, Mr. Carl, my name is Morgan."
As soon as he finished his sentence, clear signs of astonishment appeared on Carl's face. He seemed to think deeply before saying in a hesitant tone:
"Isn't your name Ryan? That's strange… could they have told me the wrong name?"
At that moment, Morgan felt real panic.
He cursed himself quietly as he lowered his gaze slightly. He had made a mistake… he had pronounced his real name, Morgan, without realizing it. He had been so used to it that it slipped out of his mouth automatically, not the name of the owner of this body he had embodied—Ryan.
His thoughts raced, and he quickly searched for a convincing excuse before arousing suspicion. Then he said:
"Hmm… my apologies, I made a small mistake. You are right, my real name is Ryan. But some people call me Morgan, so I said the name without intent. I hope you forgive this confusion."
Morgan watched Carl's face with concern, before noticing that his expression had returned to normal. Then Carl said:
"I see. For a moment, I thought I had made a mistake about the name I was told."
Morgan breathed a sigh of relief and felt momentary comfort, but that comfort did not last long. Soon, a thought crossed his mind that deeply worried him:
How did he know my name in the first place?
He raised his eyes to Carl and said cautiously:
"Mr. Carl… can I know how you knew my name?"
Carl directed his eyes straight at him, and their gazes met in a silent moment that felt longer to Morgan than it actually was. Then Carl said in a serious tone:
"I was told to come to this place, because one of the editors would wake up here. I did not know it was you specifically. They only told me your name. If I had known it was you, I would have taken you from our first meeting this morning.
Fate is truly strange… I never expected I would be searching for you specifically."
Morgan swallowed in silence.
Now his suspicions were confirmed.
Carl was not searching for an ordinary person… but for the editor. And he had just become an editor, even though he did not know what this word meant…
His anxiety increased, and his breathing quickened, but Carl noticed his condition and said in a reassuring tone:
"Don't worry. I will not do anything to you. All I want is for you to follow me to the headquarters only."
Morgan stepped back two steps cautiously. He was not foolish enough to go with him so easily. He began thinking quickly, trying to find a way out of this situation, or at least a way to gain some time.
But before he could make any decision…
Something strange happened.
His body moved forward.
Step… forward
Without any will of his own… What is happening to me?
Morgan felt a sharp shiver run through his body, as if every hair stood on end at once. His heart raced violently, so much so that he could almost hear its beats in his ears.
I have to stop…
He said it urgently in his mind, trying to force his body to stop.
But to no avail.
He tried to tense his muscles, tried to plant his feet on the ground, tried to shout at his body to obey… yet his body continued moving forward, step by step, as if it no longer belonged to him.
"Stop… stop!"
He whispered it first, then screamed it in his mind, but his body did not respond.
He felt his clothes sticking to his body annoyingly. He was sweating profusely, until it felt as if he had just come out of a swimming pool, with drops of sweat running down his forehead and back without stopping. His breaths were uneven, and his mind was immersed in a chaos of panic and helplessness.
Carl noticed his condition and looked at him with clear astonishment. He could not understand why he was exaggerating his reaction.
All he wanted was to take him to the headquarters, nothing more.
Is he really this cowardly?
He wondered internally, unable to explain Morgan's sudden fear.
Morgan, on the other hand, could no longer bear this terrifying feeling… the feeling of losing control of his body.
He exploded, shouting in a trembling voice:
"What is happening to my body?! Did you do something to it?! Return my body to normal immediately!"
Carl looked at him silently for a few moments, while Morgan was still trying with all his strength to stop his body.
Morgan moved forward until he stood directly in front of Carl, and then…
He stopped.
His body finally ceased moving.
Morgan stood stiffly in place, looking at Carl with eyes full of clear fear. He tried to move his arm, then his leg, but without any response. His body was completely still, like a statue.
Carl sighed again,
"Stop resisting. You will not be able to move your body.
I am the one controlling it now. Don't worry, I will not do anything to you. All I want is just to take you to the headquarters… to be ready for the trial."
Upon hearing these words, Morgan finally surrendered.
But after realizing he could not control his body, fear no longer dominated him as it had at first. He accepted the matter, embraced the truth. He began to feel his usual self again, and accepted the new reality.
Silent moments passed, during which Morgan thought about the meaning of Carl's words, trying to comprehend what had been said. Then, in a low voice carrying a mix of fear and confusion, he said:
"What do you mean… by being ready for the trial?"
Carl did not answer Morgan's question immediately. He seemed to be thinking about what to say, which made Morgan feel annoyed. It seemed to him that Carl was acting on purpose, as if enjoying keeping things mysterious. Morgan felt irritation rise inside him and thought angrily:
Stop acting so mysterious… it just makes you look foolish.
Then Carl finally spoke in a calm tone:
"We will only make you know what to do when you face the trial, and we will teach you some things you will need. And if we have enough time, we will train you a little so you will be prepared."
Carl paused briefly, then added:
"How much time remains until the trial? You must have seen it, right?"
Morgan sat silently for a moment, hesitant.
Should I tell him? What if he's deceitful, like some characters in the novels? They always try to trick others to get information, and maybe he only wants to know the time to use it against me… for experiments or something I don't know.
Morgan's thoughts wandered far from the subject, but soon he returned to reality and cursed himself:
What am I thinking? Let's just tell him… and whatever happens, happens. Anyway, he controls my body.
Morgan answered in a hesitant voice,
"About twenty-four hours remain… I think. That's what I saw."
Carl smiled and said:
"Ah, well… we don't have much time then. Let's leave here quickly."
Then Carl grabbed Morgan's clothes, and Morgan shivered for a moment in surprise, before Carl moved at an incredible speed, jumping from one building to another. Morgan felt the night air hitting his face, a strange yet somewhat comforting feeling, before he turned and noticed the full moon in the sky. The sight of the moon was truly beautiful, enchanting enough to keep Morgan frozen for a moment, astonished by its beauty.
Carl suddenly stopped in the middle of a deserted street. If the street they had been in a short while ago was almost lifeless, this place was even darker and more ominous. There was no moonlight, and everything was almost completely dark. Then Carl pulled out a small black object from his pocket and immediately shattered it.
Morgan felt a strong sense of strangeness at his action, and could not help but ask:
"Why did you stop here? And why did you break that black thing? Was someone spying on us? If so, we should leave quickly before they chase us."
Carl looked at Morgan with genuine astonishment, as if he had not expected such imagination in the other's mind, and sighed before replying:
"Boy, you have a wide imagination… I am here for my friend. What I broke is Furios, so my friend can sense our presence and come to transport us. That's all there is to it."
Morgan nodded, as if he understood, then said excitedly:
"How will he transport us? Will he come from the sky? Or will he bring a luxury car for us? Or—"
Morgan did not finish his last sentence.
Suddenly, he felt something moving in the darkness around them. A hand emerged from the shadows… and then a full person appeared, standing in front of them