Kapitel 10: The Chosen Ones
Stark whistled softly, his impression of the angel renewed.
"Envy kills, darling" the angel rolled his eyes, his expression calm and serene, though still managing a little complaint.
"I still can't believe they got so lucky. The two idiots who dove into a place full of monsters much larger than them not only survived but also awakened," Stark looked at him with amusement at his reaction.
"What can I say, the father is awesome," Alice, by his side, couldn't help but laugh, as their suffering and torment were finally about to end.
"What's the White Tower like? Is the salary good?" The angel scratched his head before replying.
"Well... as we've said before, talent, effort, and most of all, achievements are always appreciated. The salary varies with all that in mind. Your tasks will be varied, but you'll always have food and drink once you become a member, in addition to a minimum salary. You could say the White Tower is more like a city-state with its own laws and rules for living." They brightened up at that. Stark focused on the mention that they'd be treated well, and the angel's jealousy didn't go unnoticed by him.
"And why will we be treated well?"
"Simple, you're certainly useful. I couldn't identify Alice's ability, but she's already proven useful in combat, and you were able to detect someone who was invisible, which is, at the very least, an extremely useful ability for a guard or security. These abilities, even though we don't yet know their limitations or if there are more, have already proven their worth... As for the new 'aspect' it's quite simple—my relic was unable to identify your aspect, the form of your soul. Meaning, this aspect isn't in our database, which means there's no one in the White Tower with the same abilities. This makes you valuable for study and research."
"I'm unique!" The two shouted, realizing what this meant. Stark hugged her and lifted her into the air, spinning her around as they celebrated, laughing like two drunken youths. They kept dancing, ignoring the angel's concerned gaze. He cleared his throat to get the two clowns' attention.
"I'd like to remind you that your other companions probably died miserably. I've been out of the loop on what's happening at the main camp, but judging by how things were going, it was a massacre, and we may have to leave with fewer than 10 people." Stark wanted to shout a big, loud "who cares," but out of respect for the dead, he tried to show some reverence and calmed down.
"We need to head to the center, where we'll gather the survivors and make the final selection. It's been fifteen human days since the selection process began, and I'm very tired and want to collapse in my bed, so let's get going..." Stark raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"How have fifteen days passed?" The angel had no way of measuring time, something he'd mentioned in the past.
"We base it on the sleep cycles of ordinary people, which are regular. Basically, except for the awakened, everyone else slept deeply 15 times." Stark counted on his fingers and was sure he hadn't slept that many times. Seeing this, the angel sighed.
"The closer you are to awakening, the less human you become. You've gone days without sleeping and didn't even notice. I mean, how long do you think it took to craft so many tools? There are at least twenty spears ready for use, made of stone and bone. How long did you think it would take to make those?" He shrugged as he followed the angel, and the narrative made sense now. Realizing what the awakening process entailed, Stark understood that some of the effects he attributed to the poison were simply part of the awakening.
"Damn, I never want to go through that again..." The angel laughed at him.
"Don't worry, it's just the first stage. Most people realize it's better to keep progressing once they reach the White Tower… I should also warn you that, just as it's possible to evolve, it's also possible to regress, lose your sanity, get sick, die, etc."
"You're kidding... right?" His face fell when he realized the angel was serious, not even bothering to turn around. Stark lagged behind a bit. They were at least days away from the camp.
"The journey is going to be long, so there's no need to rush... just kidding, we're here!" The two were in shock to see that in just a few minutes, they were standing in front of the huts they had abandoned days ago. Their long, arduous journey had been just a few minutes away from the camp.
"What the hell is this?" The angel puffed out his chest, his radiant and warm pride bringing light to everyone's hearts.
"Time and space distorts itself in a Death Zone. We're able to see these distortions to take shortcuts. In fact, if you tried to walk here without a guide, you'd never have left the Death Zone." The camp was almost completely empty. Instead of being greeted by hundreds of people, they were met by angels who applauded and whistled in celebration.
"Congratulations on your awakening and for becoming members," the leader, standing nearly two meters tall with four wings, approached, clapping. His expression had softened, but not Stark's. Several tents had been burned, and dried blood stained the ground violently.
In front of them, eight people looked at one another. Their expressions, which should have been joyful and festive, were somber and saddened. Seeing the two travelers, they showed no reaction.
The first two were easily recognizable. It was the camp 'chief,' a retired army officer, with a large scar running across his face now, and the middle-aged woman with mental manipulation abilities. Her once-confident demeanor and persuasiveness seemed to have vanished with the end of the trial, replaced by a gray pallor.
Among the group, few stood out. Their appearances were largely the same as when they entered, with no major changes beyond occasional injuries. One of them seemed particularly wounded, his face wrapped in cloth with only space for his eyes, the little skin revealed showing grotesque signs of burns.
Another standout was a gothic girl. Unlike the others, her skin appeared porcelain-like, and like Stark and Alice, her appearance had undergone a complete transformation. She stood out entirely from the scene, her long black dark hair with pale yellow locks and dark green dress who was completely clean with frills spotless, as were her white stockings and black ballet flats.
With glazed eyes, the same feminist girl with colored hair was crouched on the ground, her appearance completely disheveled,her hair reddened with blood as messy as her hands and face.
"It wasn't my fault, I didn't want to do it, they provoked..." She whispered incessantly, and while inaudible to everyone else, it was as clear as day to Stark. Noticing his gaze, she shuddered.
"DON'T LOOK AT ME!" Her mental instability was terrible, and yet she had been chosen. Judging by the satisfied expressions of the angels and the final result, it was easy to conclude that more than 10 people had awakened. There had been more military personnel than this, and they all awakened on the first day. Sacrifices had been made; hundreds of people died to produce a good harvest, and despite her instability, she clearly had something interesting.
The other three looked like teenagers, two boys and one girl. fear was evident in their eyes, his clothes tattered, his back and belly as well as arms and legs exposed, various scratches and marks spread as a whole. They seemed to have some kind of intimacy with each other.
'Either they teamed up early on because they were the same age, or they probably knew each other before all this.' One of them stepped forward, his expression grim.
"What are you looking at? Did you lose your ass in my face?" His teeth were clenched. The boy had been through a lot and seemed ready to protect his friends. A lazy, slow voice echoed inside Stark.
"Are you going to let that slide?" The voice was supernatural, and Stark still didn't understand what it was, but to be safe, he preferred not to displease it. Gathering as much courage as possible and acting his best, he deepened his voice and narrowed his eyes.
"You don't want to make another enemy, kid, especially one who kills demons and eats them for breakfast." The sensation of satisfaction and amusement came from within. His soul seemed to be enjoying it, but he knew it wasn't him. There was something more, something that almost was him, but wasn't. A thin line separated him from that voice, and he knew it.
The boy was about to shout when one of the angels, the leader, interrupted him. The boy felt heavy and had to struggle to stay on his feet. Meeting the angel's threatening gaze, he chose to back down.
"Everyone is finally gathered here. I once again congratulate you on your success and celebrate your entry into the White Tower organization. Unfortunately, we still have much to do, and leaving the Death Zone won't be easy, so let's speed things up and save the party and introductions for later, in safe and fertile ground."
There were fifteen angels, as well as a leader. They were instructed to form a circle, ten of the angels would carry the chosen ones while flying with them, and the rest would surround and protect them from any attackers. The true Death Zone would finally reveal itself.
"Stay alert and never let your guard down. Most creatures haven't attacked us so far because they didn't know if we were edible or not..." With one last deep sigh.
"To those who will come to us, we're a first-class meal..."
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