“Oh, what is it?”

If it is these two… maybe I can tell them what happened to Nyx. Maybe they can help me avenge him.

“Remember this, human.” The woman’s cold voice echoed in his head.

“I chose your brother because I knew he was strong. He was supposed to be my Chosen One. But he failed. He relied on and put his trust in his guildmates, which resulted in his death.”

“Remember this, human. I willingly came here and revived your dead soul because I expect you to succeed. So don’t fail me.”

The words that Axel wanted to say were stuck in his throat.

Right…

That woman warned him against trusting humans.

Axel hung his head. His brother… Nyx. He also trusted his teammates who had been with him for many years, and they still betrayed him.

The truth about Nyx’s death should not be known by anyone… except me.

Axel gathered his fingers into a fist. He looked up to see Marina and Uncle Tom looking at him worriedly.

“Just a few days ago, I almost died.”

“What?!” Both of them shouted before they stood up and aggressively checked his person. They removed his hood, lifted his jacket, checked his abdomen, and patted his legs.

“Are you okay?"

“Was it an accident?”

“Are you hurting somewhere? We should visit the hospital just to check.”

Axel shook his head.

“It’s okay. I just got back from there. Anyway, the help I need from you two is actually… Right after that incident, I awakened an ability.”

“Really?!”

These two are really a couple. Despite their age, they react like teenagers, making every little thing seem like a big deal.

“That’s good! What is it?”

Axel smiled. “I can heal any wounds. That’s the reason why the hospital let me leave early. But I really don’t know how to use it or strengthen my ability to help others… So Uncle, Auntie. Can you tell me what you did right after you discovered your abilities?”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Uncle Tom and Marina were taken aback by his request. They wanted to ask if the teachers in his school or his classmates weren’t able to explain these things to him.

But maybe his relationship with them is not good.

They knew that people with unawakened abilities were rare, but in this society, they would be unwelcomed. Nevertheless, they felt more than welcome to help this child.

That’s the least they could do for Nyx.

“My ability is actually an assassination skill. So my methods may not be helpful to healing types. But the first thing I did was to practice. My ability lets me run as fast as a moving train and it also makes me invisible to others.”

“I practiced running early in the morning using the ability. I also made myself invisible until I was too exhausted. Axel, in awakened abilities, there is actually what we call a ‘limiter’. Just think of it as a measuring tool for how much you can use your abilities to a limited extent. If you reach the limit, you will lose the strength to even stand up. This bottleneck is pretty common to all Challengers attempting to attack the Tower. And it’s also the reason why there are many deaths…”

Uncle Tom was taken aback; he was diverting from the main topic.

“Ahem, anyway. The first thing you have to find out, Axel, is your ‘limiter’. Try to use your power until you are exhausted. Figure out how many hours it takes for you to feel tired. Exercise, improve your physical body, and then repeat. In my case, I kept running and exercising, so I improved. But it’s not an instantaneous effect. It’s a slow process. It might take months or years.”

Axel listened as the couple gave him similar advice. Based on what they said, it’s a matter of exploration and practice.

Axel did not stay long, knowing that they were busy with the restaurant. After having his fill of pumpkin soup, he began making his way to the Masuda Dojo.

His finger pressed the book tattoo on his wrist, revealing the book floating in front of him. On the sixth page, he saw Uncle Tom’s skill.

[Skill Name: The Stealth]

[Skill Level: B Class.]

[Description: A skill gifted to the person rightfully chosen by a god. You can run at top speed for a total of one hour every twenty-four hours. You can make yourself invisible for one hour every twenty-four hours.]

Wow.

Axel did not notice his mouth was wide open as he looked at Uncle Tom’s skills. No wonder Nyx worked well with him. Uncle Tom is probably one of the best.

But when Axel remembered Uncle Tom’s decapitated leg, his hand clenched into a fist. A monster in the tower cut his leg because of his speed.

And that monster is at Level 9. No healer can restore his limbs. He also lost the chance to use his ability again.

[Skill Name: Consecutive Accuracy]

[Skill Level: C Class.]

[Description: Perfect to use with a bow or any weapon for shooting. As long as you manage to hit a target after five shots, this skill will be activated, letting you shoot targets as fast as possible without missing a single one.]

This skill made Axel doubt if he could still use it. He hasn’t tried shooting arrows or guns yet.

But he can practice. Anyway, he got what he wanted.

When he arrived at Masuda Skill Class, Ken Masuda and Luna were already in the hall. Whether they were waiting for him or not, Axel didn’t know.

When Ken saw him, he tossed a white kendo uniform at him.

“If you don’t finish changing in ten minutes, I’ll kick you out.”

“Huh?”

“Nine minutes.”

Axel rushed to the locker area.

When he got back, Luna was sitting with her knees folded and two wooden swords on her lap.

“Get one.”

“You both, practice your stance.”

For the whole afternoon until late evening, Ken tortured Axel and Luna until they were sore all over.