Chapter 25: Awakening

(Sunday, June 16, 2026 – 2:07 AM)

The moment Venin's dagger touched Adam's neck, the world shattered.

A tidal wave of pure mana erupted outward, the explosion roaring like a detonated Rune Stone.

The sheer force of it was terrifying.

Invisible pressure slammed into the walls, shaking the very foundation of the building. The air itself seemed to twist, distorting like heatwaves as raw energy surged outward, bright light blue mana swallowing everything in its path.

For a split second, the onlookers believed the city itself would be reduced to dust.

But then..

It stopped.

As if caught mid-destruction, the raging storm of mana froze, held back by an invisible force.

It didn't dissipate.

It coiled.

The wild mana, instead of spreading recklessly, compressed inward, twisting into a rotating sphere of controlled destruction.

At its center, floating untouched within the vortex, was Adam.

The entire auction hall fell silent.

Venin, the false ranker, clicked his tongue behind his mask, his poison-coated dagger retracting as he slashed at the sphere.

Nothing.

The blade met the spinning mana field, and instead of piercing through, it simply skidded off, repelled like an insect hitting glass.

For the first time, Venin hesitated.

Inside the sphere, Adam's body felt like it was being rebuilt.

His mind remained clear as he spoke inwardly.

'Awà, remove the disguise on my face and hair.'

[Processing.]

Instantly, the illusion faded. His black locks untied themselves from the altered form, returning to their natural texture. His dark eyes, hidden behind the mask's modifications, regained their depth.

Adam exhaled slowly.

It felt incredible.

His muscles stretched, expanded, then compacted again, filling with an almost unbearable lightness. His veins, once merely human, now hummed with raw energy, perfectly widened and reinforced to accommodate mana flow.

The sensation wasn't pain.

It was perfection.

'This feels… too good.'

[Your body's mana pathways are stabilizing. Veins and cells are being optimized to accommodate mana perfectly.]

Adam grinned slightly as he felt his own breath synchronize with the energy rushing through him. Every inhale pulled mana into him, every exhale refined it.

'It's because of the breathing method, isn't it?'

[Correct. The breathing technique you practiced was originally designed for optimal circulation of blood, oxygen, and any external energy source. You unknowingly widened and smoothed your pathways over time. Now, your mana flows at peak efficiency, with no wasted motion or leakages, not needing my help.]

No mana waste. No weakness.

Adam's fingers curled slightly. Even though his body should have been in critical condition from such a violent awakening, he felt stronger than ever.

'And my healing?'

[Unmatched.]

Awà's response was immediate.

[Your healing affinity, combined with your advanced knowledge of anatomy, makes you superior to any natural healer. You now understand how the human body repairs itself at a scientific and magical level, allowing for self-restoration at a rate far beyond hyper regeneration.]

[Additionally, the nano-machines' restoration abilities remain active, creating an even stronger layered effect.]

Adam smiled.

Not only had he awakened, but he had done so in absolute peak condition.

Outside the sphere, the auction guests had yet to process what they were witnessing.

What had once been a civilized event had turned into a scene out of legend.

A being had exploded into existence, nearly wiping out everything, only to control the chaos as if it were nothing.

Among the VIPs, Mattia Falcone's crimson eyes narrowed, his fingers tapping against the armrest.

"…Interesting."

Meanwhile, Petruccio Auditore leaned forward, his ever-present grin flickering slightly.

"A newborn monster, huh?"

Even Matteo De Luca, the man who had taken the A-Rank Essence Stone, felt something shift inside him, an instinctual understanding that something irreversible had just happened.

And in the center of it all, Adam simply stood within the sphere of his own power.

Venin tried one more time.

His whip-like hair, coated in his signature poison, lashed toward Adam's rotating mana field.

A single strand of venom-drenched fibers aimed directly for Adam's chest.

And then-

It disintegrated upon contact.

(2:08 AM)

Adam frowned slightly.

'Awà, why is this taking so long? You said awakening would take 0.002 seconds.'

[You have already awakened.]

A pause.

[You're simply enjoying the feeling of pure mana too much to stop.]

Adam blinked.

So he had been floating here, basking in his own mana field like some fool while everyone watched in stunned silence?

A quiet cough escaped him as he focused again.

He glanced around. The entire auction hall was frozen, all eyes locked on the swirling sphere. No one could see through it, but the oppressive mana radiating from within left no doubt.

His feet touched the ground calmly.

He adjusted his suit, straightening the fabric, ensuring he looked composed and majestic.

Then, he took a deep breath and willed the sphere to collapse.

The swirling mana, once a raging storm, condensed instantly, flowing back into his body.

A collective gasp echoed through the hall as the energy vanished, revealing him.

Adam exhale with his gaze locking onto Venin.

The false ranker stood three meters away, motionless. His dagger was still raised, but there was a noticeable stiffness in his stance now.

Adam tilted his head slightly.

With a single motion, he reached up and removed his mask.

Gasps rippled through the hall as his face was revealed. But instead of recognition, there was only confusion and respect for his appearance.

They had expected to see someone famous, someone known.

Instead, they saw a nobody, a handsome nobody.

A man they had never heard of.

Adam smiled politely, then bowed with elegance with his voice smooth and composed.

"Adam Sen." he said.

Then, after a brief pause-

"The Saint."

A sharp silence.

Many guests unconsciously held their breath.

"Remember my name." Adam continued, standing upright. "In case you ever need true healing."

No one moved.

No one dared to move.

Venin did.

His daggers flashed forward, slicing through the air with terrifying speed.

But the moment they reached Adam..

They slowed.

Slowed.

Then stopped.

Just centimeters from his body.

Venin's eyes widened slightly behind his mask.

Adam had folded space near himself infinitely.

He had copied what Gojo did.

Calmly, Adam lifted a hand and touched one of the suspended daggers.

The blade decayed instantly.

Venin reacted on instinct, dropping the weapon before the decay could reach him.

But he was too late.

The corruption spread.

His finger turned gray.

Then the color spread rapidly up his hand.

Without hesitation, Venin used the second dagger and severed the infected finger, letting it fall to the floor, where it crumbled into dust.

The entire sequence, from the moment he attacked to the moment he lost a finger, had taken place in less than a second.

A heavy silence fell over the hall.

The two S-Rank hunters watching narrowed their eyes.

Before anyone could react further-

A loud explosion shook the auction house.

A wall near the far side of the hall erupted outward, debris flying as a massive figure stepped through the wreckage.

A towering man with a vodka bottle in hand.

His wild brown hair and broad, scarred body made him look like a living mountain. His thick Russian accent boomed through the room.

"Venin!" he shouted, grinning.

"Looks like you need a hand!"

----

Gotta make Adam farm aura, he learned from Piccolo after all.

Now, the arc has ended, this chapter 25 is from the next arc but since you have supported this fic untill now i decided to post it anyway, but now i will take some time to rest as well prepare the next arc.

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