"Don’t hold back..." Lucien said as he walked to the middle of the training ground.
Lucien and the four men stood a few meters apart.
"Don’t worry, boss—we won’t," Jeff replied with a grin.
Only a fool would hold back, Jeff thought. In truth, he was even more excited. As a retired mercenary, he had once only wanted to live out the rest of his life peacefully and die.
He had already accomplished what any human mercenary could.
He thought there was nothing more for him.
But now, with this new world opening his eyes to the path of power, he would be a fool not to seize the opportunity. And better yet, Lucien was someone who valued his people.
What more could he ask for?
Now, this was his chance to see just how strong a One-Star Awakener truly was.
They all took fighting stances as Lucien removed his shirt.
He was bare-chested, his muscles defined like forged steel.
Lucien stepped forward and took a stance.
Instantly, the four men felt their backs drenched in sweat.
One moment, Lucien had been smiling—their leader.
The next, he felt like something else entirely.
Even Jeff, the most experienced among them, felt his body go on high alert, instinctively warning him of danger.
The four of them felt it.
They were being watched.
Hunted.
By a terrifying predator.
Their legs trembled slightly.
But they knew they couldn’t back down now.
The other three were veterans, men who had served years in the military. They had combat experience, which made it easier for them to resist the pressure.
"We... should be able to beat him. It’s four against one... Even the half-step One-Star Zombie was killed by just Mai and boss..." Jeff thought, narrowing his eyes.
"I’m attacking now," Lucien said.
And then
He disappeared.
The four were left stunned.
Jeff only felt an intense force rushing from his side.
"Dodge!" he shouted.
The other three reacted instantly but it was too late.
Bang!
One of them was sent flying, crashing into a wall dozens of meters away.
For a moment, everyone froze.
Their bodies were too shocked to move.
But Lucien didn’t give them time to think.
Bang!
Bang!
The other two were blown away.
Jeff turned.
Behind him...
No one.
Just three attacks.
And it was over.
Only he remained.
Jeff turned back—and his eyes widened.
A fist hovered right in front of his face.
Just an inch away.
"We... lost," Jeff said quietly.
Even he found it unbelievable.
Lucien lowered his fist and stepped back, walking over to where he had dropped his shirt.
Picking it up, he glanced at Jeff and smiled.
"It’s fine, Jeff. You did well. But that’s the gap between a One-Star Awakener and the Beginner Level," Lucien said before turning to leave.
"This... this easily..." Jeff muttered as he finally snapped out of his shock.
He had expected Lucien to win.
After all, it was the next realm.
But not like this.
This wasn’t just shocking, it was eye-opening.
They were like children facing an adult.
No...
It was worse.
They hadn’t even seen him move.
Only where he stopped.
Was that the gap between them?
Jeff slowly walked to where Lucien had been standing earlier.
"No wonder..." he let out a dry laugh as he looked down.
The ground had sunk several inches.
And this was Lucien who had just broken through.
He hadn’t even mastered his strength yet.
When he did...
He would become even more terrifying.
"Boss... you’ve taken a massive step," Jeff muttered.
He was happy.
Very happy.
The stronger Lucien became, the safer the shelter was.
Why wouldn’t he be?
Jeff turned to the three unconscious men.
They had minor bruises and bleeding from their noses possibly slight concussions but nothing serious.
Awakeners were far stronger than normal humans, not just in strength, but in durability and healing.
They would be back on their feet soon enough.
---
"Hmm... I’ve grown so strong..." Lucien murmured as he walked further into the city.
He had tried to hold back, but even that had been too much for them.
Then again, looking at their stats...
It was expected.
Host: ???
Rank: Beginner-Level Awakener (Peak)
Strength: 20
Speed: 20
Stamina: 20
Host: ???
Rank: Beginner-Level Awakener (Peak)
Strength: 22
Speed: 22
Stamina: 22
Host: ???
Rank: Beginner-Level Awakener (Peak)
Strength: 25
Speed: 25
Stamina: 25
Host: Jeff
Rank: Beginner-Level Awakener (Peak)
Strength: 30
Speed: 30
Stamina: 30
---
These were their stats.
Lucien was more than four times stronger than them.
Even at the Beginner Level, he could have defeated them—but now...
The gap was overwhelming.
But something still puzzled him.
Why didn’t they all have the same stats at their peak?
Some stopped at lower levels than others.
At his peak, he had 50 in all attributes.
Mai had 40.
But these soldiers ranged around 20.
Some were even as low as 15.
He had asked the system multiple times, but it never answered.
He would have to figure it out himself.
But not now.
Thinking about it wouldn’t solve anything.
One step at a time.
Finally, he reached the back of the shelter.
He took a deep breath.
His leg sank slightly into the ground as he clenched his fists.
This area was the most destroyed part of the city, the perfect place to train without holding back.
Boom!
Lucien vanished, moving dozens of meters in an instant.
Bang!
Bang!
The air compressed violently as his fists tore through the wind.
Loud explosions echoed across the area.
************
Far away from Lucien’s shelter, a similar city could be seen—though slightly larger, with a much greater population.
At its center stood a luxurious residence.
Deep inside, within a dimly lit bedroom, a pair of crossed legs rested elegantly as a beautiful woman sipped her wine.
Her face was hidden behind flowing curtains as she slowly savored the taste.
"The Half-Step Zombie... is dead?" she spoke, her voice soft, alluring, and laced with calm authority.
"Who killed it...?"
She gently swirled the wine in her glass as she whispered.
She and the other powerhouses of the city had already noticed Lucien’s shelter. More importantly, they had sensed the immense energy of the Half-Step Zombie on the verge of breaking into the One-Star realm.
They had intentionally allowed it to grow.
A One-Star Zombie was valuable.
If properly handled, it could serve as a stepping stone—its core capable of pushing one of her subordinates into the One-Star realm. And having another One-Star Awakener would greatly strengthen their city.
But now...
That energy had vanished.
Which could only mean one thing.
The zombie was dead.
"Heh..."
"Now this is interesting..." she murmured, bringing the glass to her lips.
A faint smile spread across her rosy red lips.