The warm morning sun shone through the living room window, chasing away the gloom that had clung to the house for months. Owen took the last sip of his black coffee before putting the cup down and walking straight to Damian’s office, the door of which was now ajar.
Knock… Knock…
He knocked lightly on the door as a signal.
"Co in," a deep, firm, and confident voice replied. It was a voice Owen hadn't heard in a very long ti.
When the door opened, Owen couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. The image of his best friend sunk in a pile of beer cans with vacant eyes was gone. The man now sitting behind a neatly organized desk was the real "Damian Ward" he knew.
He was in a perfectly tailored, dark grey suit that accentuated his figure, making him look elegant. The once-ssy beard had been cleanly shaven, revealing a sharp jawline. His hair was stylishly cut, making him look like a capable and confident CEO once again. The once-despairing eyes were now filled with a new spark of determination and hope.
Owen walked in and gently patted his friend’s shoulder with a smile. "Ready?"
Damian nodded firmly. He stood to his full height, adjusting the collar of his suit slightly. "Always, my friend."
The two of them then walked out of the house to Owen’s SUV together, heading for Jessica’s coffee shop. The atmosphere in the car was quiet but not uncomfortable. It was filled with the gratitude and trust of two friends.
"I don't know what your boss is thinking, hiring a guy who just went bankrupt like . But I’ll do my best to live up to the faith you have in !" Damian said, breaking the silence. His voice held no trace of nervousness; it was laced with complete self-confidence.
Owen turned to look at his friend and gave a proud smile. He gave Damian a thumbs-up, showing his approval of this version of him.
"That's the top executive CEO I know," Owen replied firmly. "And that's what Jessica is about to see too. Don't worry, my friend."
Those words finally brought a wide smile to Damian’s face. The feeling of being himself again spread throughout his heart…
When the car parked in front of the coffee shop, the rich aroma of roasted coffee beans floated out to greet them. Jessica, in a clean white shirt and a black apron, was standing behind the counter, chatting with a custor with a professional smile. As soon as the bell on the front door chid, she turned to look.
Her gaze fell on Damian, who was the first to walk in. Her eyes imdiately showed her impression of his professionalism. She was a little surprised that this dignified and confident man was the friend Owen had told her was suffering from depression.
"Jessica, this is Damian Ward, the one I told you about," Owen made the formal introduction. "Damian, this is Ms. Jessica, the owner of this coffee shop."
"A pleasure to et you, Ms. Jessica," Damian said, holding out his hand politely. His smile was charming and professional.
"Likewise, Mr. Ward," she smiled back, shaking his hand firmly. The atmosphere of their first eting was filled with mutual respect.
After the initial introductions, Owen glanced at his watch and said, "I have so business to attend to, so I'll have to take my leave. Damian. Jessica." He looked at both of them with a confident gaze. "I'm sure you two will get along great…"
He gave Damian a slight wink of encouragent and a small nod to Jessica before turning and walking out of the shop. He left Jessica and Damian to discuss the details of the job and conduct the interview privately, so that Jessica could decide to hire Damian based on his own rits, and so the two of them could build a business relationship and trust with each other.
Owen glanced into the shop one last ti, seeing the two of them sitting down at a corner table and starting to talk animatedly… A new light of opportunity had been lit. And now, it was ti for him to go and accomplish his own mission.
The sound of the SUV's engine started up smoothly as Owen drove away from the familiar coffee shop district. The faint, fragrant sll of roasted coffee still lingered in his nose. A smile of relief appeared at the corner of his lips. The mission to give his friend a new life was one step closer to completion.
But as the car entered the bustling main road, the atmosphere changed instantly. The image of steel and glass skyscrapers piercing the sky periodically blocked out the sun. The clamor of the big city seeped into the cabin. The good feeling from a mont ago slowly faded, replaced by the heavy thoughts of his own problems. He gripped the leather steering wheel tighter without realizing it.
'I’ve taken care of soone else’s business, now it’s ti for my own,' Owen thought.
He was no longer Owen Marlowe, the ordinary strear. He was an "Awakened," with mana flowing through every particle of his body. But in this changed world, being an Awakened without being officially registered was no different from walking around carrying a weapon of war without a license. It wasn't just illegal; it was also bringing danger to himself and those around him.
His thoughts dove deep into the essence of the power he had just discovered… [Scales of Covenant].
Just thinking of its na, he could feel the imnse and formidable power sleeping within him. Nova had said his ability must be at least A-Rank, which was quite accurate because it was an S-Rank ability… But that was just the "Ability Rank." It was the maximum potential he could reach, not his current strength.
Assessing himself honestly, his evolved body was probably at the C-Rank level. Combined with his ability to use mana and his trained combat skills, his current "Awakened Rank" should be around B-Rank, which was already very high for soone who had only awakened a few days ago.
But the thing that would cause him problems wasn't his rank… but the "type" of his power.
The four main types of S-Rank powers, whether it was the strongest 'Power-Type,' the adaptable 'Body-Transformation Type,' the wide-area destructive 'Elental-Magic Type,' or the most annoying 'Control-Type'… all of them were formidable, but they were still things the world could sowhat understand and assess. But his power… [Scales of Covenant]… it was undoubtedly a "Special Type."
And an "S-Rank Special Type" power was the most dangerous and most sought-after thing in this world. It was a power that existed outside the rules, was unpredictable, and could warp reality. If this information were to leak, he would beco a target for the Awakened Association, secret governnt agencies, and major guilds hungry for power. He could be forced to beco soone's tool… The peaceful life for him and those around him would end instantly.
'No way… I will never reveal this trump card.'
Owen made a firm decision. He needed to register legally, but he had to have a "power to deceive" that didn't seem too outstanding or threatening. A B or C-Rank power should be enough to let him live as a mid-tier Awakened without drawing suspicion.
And luckily, his power could "create" a new power, through making a covenant with himself.
Having made his decision, Owen reached out and touched the large GPS screen on the car’s console. A blue light flashed. He typed in a new destination without hesitation.
"Awakened Association, Titan City Branch."
An image of a towering, futuristic building in the heart of the city appeared on the map. A new blue route was quickly calculated and displayed. Owen stepped on the gas, and the luxurious white SUV changed lanes and headed towards the heart of the tropolis… towards the beginning of a new identity he was about to create with his own hands.
…..
The luxurious white SUV turned onto the ramp of an underground parking garage of a building located near the Awakened Association. The musty sll of concrete and exhaust fus drifted over. Owen drove down to the lowest level, which was almost deserted. The light from old fluorescent bulbs shone in patches, leaving most of the area in shadow. He chose to park in the most secluded corner before killing the engine.
Suddenly, the world fell silent. The coldness of the concrete took over. There was only the faint hum of the light bulbs to keep him company in the dim darkness.
He sat still for a mont, his hands still on the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the empty concrete wall before him. He gathered his focus and his will. This was not a decision that could be made lightly. It was binding himself to a "rule" that would affect him for the rest of his life. In this gamble, failure was not an option.
When his mind was as firm as a rock, Owen closed his eyes. The noisy outside world of the big city slowly faded away. He focused on the mana flowing within his body… and activated his true ability.
Vwoosh!
In the dark void of Owen’s mind, the image of a massive, "ancient scales" slowly appeared. It looked sacred and too formidable to describe. The balance beam was made of a material that looked like jet-black marble but sparkled like a galaxy of stars. The two pans were made of a golden tal, engraved with intricate ancient patterns. It was the symbol of the greatest law… Equivalent Exchange.
He was here to make his first "permanent covenant." He voiced his vow in his mind, firm and clear with every word.
"From now on, I vow to always lend a hand to those in need before , as long as I have determined that they truly need help."
As soon as the vow was made, on the left pan of the scales… the side of sacrifice… a beautiful, clear, glowing orb appeared. It shone with a soft, warm light, like his own soul. The left pan slowly and heavily lowered, a confirmation that the "price" had been set.
Seeing this, Owen imdiately began to request his "reward."
"In exchange for… the ability [Avatar of Asura (Rank: B)], which allows
to condense my mana into an avatar form to aid in combat, effective from close to mid-range."
As Owen finished his request, on the right pan of the scales… the side of reward… the form of a six-ard "Asura" warrior made of dark red mana slowly appeared. It looked fierce and powerful, radiating a heat he could feel. The right pan began to lower… and lower… until it went past the balance point and tipped clearly to the right side.
The scales were not balanced…
It ant that the "reward" he had requested… was worth more than the vow he had paid.
Owen wasn't surprised by the unbalanced scales before him. On the contrary, he was as calm as if he had expected this. A vow that would make him a good person who helps others sounded troubleso and would make his life more difficult, true, but it was still too "abstract" to be exchanged for a concrete, high-level combat power like this. So he calmly began to add more "limitations" to balance the exchange.
"Add four more limitations to [Avatar of Asura (Rank: B)]," he announced in his mind, his voice echoing as if he were carving rules into stone.
"One, the created avatar cannot move more than 100 ters away from the user." As he finished the words, the red Asura on the pan was bound by a faint chain of energy, connecting it to the center of the scales, and the right pan moved up slightly.
"Two, the strength of the avatar will not exceed the strength of the user's own mana-reinforced body." The once-raging aura of the Asura dimd slightly, looking calr and more controlled. The pan moved up again.
"Three, I can only create up to nine partial manifestations, such as arms, legs, or palms, at the sa ti." The avatar was briefly superimposed with images of nine small limbs before they vanished. The pan lifted higher again, almost reaching a balance.
"And four… I can only create one full version of the Asura avatar, which can be no larger than 100 ters, depending on the user's amount of mana."
As he finished his final statent, the heavily tipped scales began to move back quickly. The right pan slowly lifted… higher… and higher… until…
Click…
The two pans of the scale ca to a perfect level. A clear, bell-like sound rang in his head, a signal that the covenant had been ford.
And in that mont, on the jet-black marble base of the scales, glowing crimson letters carved themselves into the stone as if with a red-hot iron. It was the "penalty" for if he broke the covenant.
“If you violate this covenant (each ti you fail to help soone in need before you), you must atone by performing public service every day for a full month. And if you continue to violate the covenant while you are still atoning, you will have the ability [Avatar of Asura (Rank: B)] confiscated, you will be cursed with “weakness” for 1 week, and this covenant will be considered void.”
Owen read the penalty carefully. It seed a bit harsh but fair. He accepted it without argunt.
The image of the sacred scales slowly faded. The silence was replaced by the humming of the lights in the parking garage once more. Owen opened his eyes to the real world. He could feel a new line of power circulating within him. It wasn't a raw, directionless power, but one that was forged and had a clear form… a power that was ready to be called forth into a shape according to his will.
He clenched his fists, feeling the hidden strength within. His eyes were filled with resolve…
His "mask" was now created. It was ti to walk into the Awakened Association…
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