Water trailed down Ângelo's head, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the moment. It had been a few days since his last hot bath, so this felt incredibly refreshing. His worries faded away, and for a moment, he could only feel the warm sensation surrounding his body. The blood coating his skin slowly dripped down, flowing into the drain. His wounds did sting with the water and soap, but cleaning himself was necessary.
"I think my regeneration got better too… Almost all the cuts closed by themselves…" Ângelo thought while running his fingers over his body.
The minor wounds had already healed, and the ones that hadn't were at least no longer bleeding. He was finally able to catch his breath.
But something was bothering him.
Ângelo began to think about the situation. He wasn't exactly out of danger yet. Luna seemed like a nice person—her kind nature and gentle smile almost made him want to lower his guard. But he simply couldn't. Even roses have thorns; if that girl had any ill intentions, he would be in a tight spot.
"Then why did you ask for a bath in the first place?…" Whisp interjected. He didn't understand Ângelo's reasoning at all. "If it's risky, putting yourself in danger is unnecessary, no?"
"Yes and no." Ângelo sighed, shaking his head. "Yes, it was risky, but I needed the bath. Cleaning up without water would've taken too long and left me with a bloody smell, even if faint. I couldn't risk attracting a monster—especially that gorilla."
Whisp appeared on top of the shower, his tail swaying lazily. "I suppose I can't argue with that."
"There are other reasons too, like not wanting to risk an infection, and… I really wanted a warm bath." Ângelo scratched his cheek, letting out a hollow laugh. "But it's not like I'm letting my guard down here. I can still hear what's outside the room, even if the shower muffles it. And she doesn't seem to be up to anything suspicious… yet."
All Ângelo could hear were faint sounds of doors opening and closing, and footsteps. He had two major concerns: whether she grabbed any kind of weapon, and her abilities.
"If she really is an Awakened… she should have more than I do." Ângelo considered carefully. "Maybe she doesn't even have that section called 'Ordeal' on her system screen." He sighed.
"In the end, it's a gamble," Ângelo muttered as he scratched his head, finally turning the shower off. "And sometimes, we need to gamble to get shit done."
Ângelo grabbed a towel, and before he could even start drying off, Luna knocked on the door. He wasn't surprised, but hearing that well… It still made him uncomfortable. The constant stimulus was intense, making his head throb from time to time.
"Are you finished?…" Luna's faint voice came from the other side of the door.
Ângelo stepped closer as he started drying his body. "Not yet, but I'm almost done."
"… I found some clothes for you." Luna held several pieces of clothing in both hands. A simple shirt, jeans, shoes, and underwear—all neatly folded.
"Oh, right, I forgot about that," Ângelo said while rubbing his hair.
But before Luna could say anything else, the door opened abruptly. Ângelo had the towel wrapped around his waist, his muscles exposed, showing off his athletic build. All the wounds were now shallow, though several deep cuts still marked his body. His tattoo seemed to glow and, with his hair down, the only word that could describe him was… beautiful.
Luna's jaw dropped. Now that all the blood was washed away and his gaze was calmer, he was actually… hot!?
"E-err…" She stuttered, holding out the folded clothes. "Here…"
Ângelo carefully took them, nodding. "Thank you," he said before closing the door. He didn't say anything or address the way he was shamelessly showing skin, just dead silence.
Luna was left speechless, staring at the floor. At first, he looked like some thug who might try to rob her, but maybe he was actually her knight in shining armor?
Ângelo didn't take long to come out of the bathroom. The clothes were a little loose, but they would do just fine. Looking around, he noticed the curtains on the broken window were drawn shut, and that made him smile.
"She seems capable."
It didn't take long to find Luna, who was waiting beside the kitchen counter.
"Hey." Ângelo waved, his calm smile giving off a very different impression now that he was clean.
Luna jumped, not expecting him so soon. She turned around, placing both hands behind her back. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye after what she'd just seen, nor manage to speak.
He sat down, clearing his throat. "You should sit. I don't know how long our talk will be."
"O-okay." Luna nodded, taking the seat across from him.
"So, first off…" Ângelo rested both hands on the table, staring straight at her. His expression turned serious. "You saw the system screen, right?"
Luna gulped. His gaze wasn't hostile, but it made him seem more intimidating. "Yes," she nodded.
"Can you show me?" Ângelo asked calmly, though his stare felt like it was burning a hole through her.
Luna nodded again and, after a moment of fidgeting, the golden glow filled the room. Ângelo wasn't surprised—she must've figured out how to use it the same way he did; it was fairly intuitive.
His eyes scanned the letters, reading the screen's content. Nothing surprised him, but he couldn't help clicking his tongue.
[ Holy path to the stars ]
Name – Luna Halliwell
Race – Human
Class – Priestess
Title – ?
Talent – Natural Holy Body
Trait – Pure Soul
Ordeal – ?
Skills
[ "May your light shine like a star" ]
"This was expected. But it looks like my 'title' is more special than I thought," Ângelo mused as he rubbed his chin. "And why… does she have her surname? Mine didn't show up." He frowned for a moment but didn't dwell on it.
No Ordeal or Title. Ângelo was partially right—other Awakened probably didn't have the same disadvantages weighing down their abilities, but it was still too early to say. After all, he'd only seen Luna's first page.
"It does look like mine," Ângelo said absently, not paying attention to his surroundings. "Did you check the other pages?"
"Yes. It took me a while to figure it out." She looked down, clearly embarrassed. "I didn't have any clue how to use it, haha…"
Ângelo tried tapping her class, but his finger passed right through it. He quickly pulled his hand back. Expected, but still surprising.
"Can you change it for me? I want to see your class."
Luna tapped the screen, making it shift immediately.
[ Class – Priestess: With innate holy aptitude, your soul is as pure as snow. Grace follows where you go, and broken souls find rest. The divine gazes at you with curiosity, and constellations eagerly await. ]
[ Characteristics: Innate understanding of holy magic, natural aptitude for holy power, your body is resistant to curses and dark magic, you already have holy power flowing through your body. ]
[ Drawbacks: Your physique is average, you can only use holy magic, your evolution tree is dependent on a constellation. ]
"Constellation?…" Ângelo pondered. That was new. He didn't remember the system mentioning anything like that. What did it even mean? What was a constellation in this context—besides the literal meaning?
"Uhm… do you… want to see the other screens?" Luna's question burst out of nowhere, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Ah, sure. Sorry, I spaced out." Ângelo gave an awkward smile.
"It's all right. Well, the only other page I found was the skills screen. And another one about guilds, but it didn't do anything, so… I'll show you the skills I have!" Luna tapped the word with a smile.
Suddenly, the screen changed, revealing information Ângelo didn't have when he checked his own system.
[ Holy Power: A sacred source of energy runs through your veins. You may not have mana, but you possess a natural force of the universe by your side. ]
[ Healing: By concentrating your energy on a wound, you can quickly mend it. ]
[ Blessing: By focusing on another person or yourself, you can grant a brief boost in strength and protection. ]
"So you could heal me, huh?…" Ângelo chuckled, feeling mildly annoyed.
"I-I didn't really know how, and I was nervous, and you were a stranger, so—so—" Luna began rambling, her face growing redder.
"It's all right, calm down. I'm just teasing you." Ângelo chuckled, her reactions were actually quite funny.
"Oh… right." Luna scratched her head, smiling. "So… Ângelo… can I see your system screen?" she asked hopefully. It only seemed fair.
"Sure." Ângelo didn't think much of it and pulled up his own system for her to see.
"Isn't it risky showing your info to her?" Whisp chimed in, concerned about his contractor's choices.
"A little risky. But I don't have much to hide anyway." Ângelo shrugged. "And I think I'm stronger. Maybe I'm not at such an advantage after all."
But Luna was stunned. He wasn't human!? His screen was so different… He had things she didn't.
"Err… why isn't your race human?…" Her voice was cautious; now she had even more reason to be cautious around him.
"Oh, that. It's nothing important really—I'm still a person. It's just… I'd rather not talk about it." Ângelo couldn't find a way to explain it. It wasn't easy to say, "Hey, I came back from the dead!" And he didn't want to relive that experience.
Luna nodded. She wasn't satisfied with the answer, but seeing his expression, she decided not to insist.
"And Ordeal, Title… those are new…"
Ângelo showed her whatever she requested, the descriptions surprising her even more. The title in particular was ominous.
"Why do you have so many disadvantages and advantages at the same time?.." She was speechless. Even if he had many restrictions, the rewards were quite generous.
"Again, I'd rather not talk about it." Ângelo replied bluntly, but with a faint smile. "Let's move on to the skills, shall we?"
Luna nodded, curious as to how he had abilities if he supposedly shouldn't have any.
Ângelo quickly shifted the subject, tapping the screen. He was eager to get to this part. After making his contract with Whisp, he gained his first skill, but he hadn't had the chance to check it out. Now he was excited—this could be what had helped him escape that monster.
"If I get a skill that gives me a physical boost like that… it could improve my odds of survival." Ângelo's smile widened.
"You should thank me for it." Whisp proudly declared.
Ângelo stayed silent, chuckling. Honestly, he owed Whisp quite a lot. He hadn't even had time to adjust to having him around, but it felt… natural. Probably because their memories and souls were connected, but Ângelo felt an unnatural bond with him, like they'd known each other their whole lives.
And technically, they had—their memories were slowly merging. Ângelo still hadn't taken the time to sort through them, but he felt their bond would only grow deeper.
"Anyway…" Ângelo tapped the screen, making it shift instantly. There it was.
[ Mana Sensing: You are naturally able to feel the mana within your body and your surroundings by focusing your senses. All mana becomes visible if you concentrate hard enough. ]
Ângelo stared at the skill with a raised brow. This had nothing to do with what happened earlier… So how had he performed those feats?
"This only raises more questions… And don't think I forgot how I got this skill." Ângelo spoke coldly to Whisp, making the cat freeze.
"I'm sorry about that. I didn't know touching you would cause so much pain," Whisp chuckled nervously.
"Hmmm… this is really interesting," Luna spoke up first. "Do you see anything different, what exactly is mana, Ângelo?" She was getting comfortable using his name.
"I didn't really have time to test it out, to be honest." Ângelo scratched his head, then took a deep breath. "Let's see…"
Closing his eyes, he tried focusing on… well, nothing. He didn't know what he was searching for, so it felt like groping around in the dark. There was nothing unusual—just the feeling of his body and breathing.
"Try remembering that feeling from when you first touched me," Whisp's voice echoed deep within his mind, a faint glimmer in the dark.
Ângelo nodded, trying to recall that overwhelming sensation. It had been sharp and sudden, like being struck by lightning, yet heavy, like being crushed underwater. His body felt weighed down by pressure, and even breathing had become difficult.
Soon, a faint spark caught his attention. It came from his chest. Then another. And another. Before he realized it, he could feel an entire sea of sparks throughout his body. They tingled and pressed against his flesh, like a mantle wrapped around him.
"So this is mana… I can feel the power in it—it's denser than my blood…" Ângelo inhaled slowly, overwhelmed by the sensation.
The only word he could use to describe this was supernatural. Yes, he had felt things beyond normal before, but this? This was entirely different. He could feel the energy moving through his body with every breath, flowing out with each exhale. Concentrating a little more, he felt it in the air as well—the faint sparks colliding with his skin.
"I think this is some type of magical energy… If I have to describe it, Luna." Ângelo kept his eyes shut, maintaining his focus.
"Like in those fantasy books? This is actually awesome! Maybe I can see it too, or use it…" Luna was really interested in what Ângelo felt. It was quite literally magic.
She didn't have the chance or courage to use her skills, but seeing him use it and appear just fine made her more confident.
"I can't sense very far… but this is insane." Ângelo took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes, still focused.
A faint blue glow lit his irises, like hidden gems in a dark cave. The whole room looked different—he could literally see the energy seeping from every corner, but the most striking was Luna herself. She was radiant, yet even that word fell short. It was like staring at the sun—a beacon of light that burned his sight.
"So bright…" He tried lifting a hand to shield his eyes, but it made no difference. Before he could close them—
Blood began to run down the sides of his eyes, trailing over his face like crimson tears. Before it could get worse, Ângelo stopped trying to see the mana, and his vision returned to normal.
"Oh my God, are you okay!?" Luna panicked. One moment, his eyes glowed; the next, he was crying blood. She even stood up, but Ângelo raised a hand.
"It's fine, you don't need to worry." He rubbed his eyes, wiping the blood on his arm.
"I must've overdone it… My eyes couldn't handle the stimulus…" He groaned, feeling them throb.
"Are you sure? I can get some towels for you." Luna pressed on. Even if he was a stranger, she couldn't just watch him bleed.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Thank you." Ângelo reassured her, showing the bleeding had already stopped. "We shouldn't waste time with something like this… We're getting to the good part of our talk."
"Huh?" Luna blinked, confused. What could be so important for him to brush off something like that?
Ângelo stopped rubbing his eyes and smiled.
"I think I have a deal to offer you."