CHAPTER 39: ATTACKED!

The stranger’s eyes shone as he looked at Kieran’s figure.

"I’ve seen a lot of energy, but his own... it’s different, it’s fierce... excess potential! I must get him to join the Nelkons. Finally, I’ll be able to prove the worth of my ability! And still gain rewards from the family... And the young lad will be indebted to me for adding him to the family," the recruiter could visualize his life after he recruited Kieran into the faction.

As they neared the main entrance of the AFO, their path was suddenly blocked by a figure.

A black-haired man, wrapped in a cape that added an air of mystery to his looks—even his sudden appearance was quite inconspicuous.

"Hold it there, young lad. Orion’s light has reached you today, you should be proud," the man said, his voice steaming with arrogance and pride.

Jacob looked at the figure with a frown.

It seemed some of the awakened had forgotten that they all held ranks in their respective factions.

’The band he has on his hand, he’s clearly a steel-ranked awakened,’ Jacob felt slightly insulted that someone still dared to try come up to Kieran despite the fact that he was being escorted by a gold-ranked awakened.

"I will be joining the Blue Fang faction," Kieran stated calmly, unfazed by the man’s sudden appearance and declarations.

The man looked at Kieran, scoffing at his words with a face that showed, ’You don’t know what you’re saying.’

"Let me explain. I am a recruit from the Nelkon family... I don’t believe that you would want to miss the opportunity to join our family," the man said, puffing out his chest with pride, his hands placed confidently by the sides of his waist.

The other recruiters who were gathered there gasped upon hearing the stranger openly declare he was from the Nelkon family.

"Crazy! When did the Nelkon family start bringing recruiters here as well?!"

"Scrap that, it doesn’t matter! That young boy is really lucky to be offered to be recruited into the Origin family! There’s no way he’ll join the Blue Fangs now."

"Hahaha, what a loss for the Blue Fangs, thinking they could stop us by bringing a silver-band awakened along with the boy. Now they’ve met an even stronger competitor... There’s no way the boy would join them after getting an offer from an Origin family."

The crowd of recruits burst into a whisper of arguments, their eyes all fixed on Kieran and Jacob.

From the onset, Jacob’s presence had already drawn a lot of attention toward them.

They were all angry at the fact that they weren’t given the opportunity to try altering Kieran’s decision with Jacob’s presence, but now they all watched with a slight sheen of satisfaction in their eyes as the Nelkon family would soon snatch the young boy.

Even if they didn’t get the opportunity, they were happy to see how it turned out for Jacob.

While they kept whispering their several thoughts to themselves, Jacob was more shocked by the fact that the Nelkon family had shown interest in Kieran.

’I always knew they sent their own recruiters to the AFO... but they never actually recruited anyone... this is a first.’

Jacob sent a subtle glance through the surroundings. He could sense several stronger presences all staring at him and Kieran, and it made him all the more curious.

He knew all those people that were staring were from the Origin families.

Although they didn’t do it openly like the factions—as they were looked at with high regard—each of the Origin families had recruits placed in front of the AFO. Although it wasn’t necessarily for recruitment, it was more like for spying.

This was the first time one had openly come out to try recruiting a person.

However, Jacob wasn’t worried. Rather, he even felt like laughing.

If it were any other family, then maybe.

But the Nelkon family?

He looked towards Kieran; his scrunched face answered it all.

"Don’t you have ears? Or does the Nelkon family sell the ears of their brains? I said I would be joining the Blue Fangs," Kieran said, his fists clenched tightly by his sides.

He restrained the urge to directly lash out at the recruiter.

The recruiter stood with a shocked face.

Gasps of shock escaped from the lips of all the others who were close enough to hear what Kieran had said.

Far from the scene but quite close to the AFO building, a figure could be seen, clothed in a white sweater with hoods.

The figure’s eyes were locked on the scene that was unfolding, his ears perked up, picking up what Kieran had said.

"Interesting... his Aether energy isn’t strong enough yet, but he looks like a good competitor. Let his energy grow, then I’ll come for him," the figure said, licking his lips.

The figure disappeared, leaving streaks of lines where he once was.

Jacob, who felt the presence, turned his head toward the direction.

’What was that... a disturbance in the mana flow, the mana density increased.’

"You little brat, do you have any idea what you just did?!" the Nelkon recruiter yelled, a vein popping on the side of his head.

Jacob’s attention shifted to the scene.

"Yes, I declined your request. Please excuse us," Kieran said, anger simmering underneath his voice.

He avoided locking gaze with the recruiter, his hands still squeezed into fists as he wanted to continue his walk up the stairs.

Jacob followed, seeing there was no need for him to act.

The recruiter was still left in shock at Kieran’s words; he failed to stop them as they walked past him.

When he came out of his daze, he turned to find Kieran and Jacob about to enter into the AFO building.

"You brat, openly insulting an Origin family! That’s treason... Pay for your crimes!" the recruiter shouted. He brought out a flame blaster gun.

BOOM

The smoke slowly left from the tip of the gun. The blazing hot blast shot right at Kieran’s back.

A nobody like you insulting the Nelkon family! Die, you insignificant pest—you and your talent!

Jacob, who didn’t expect things to turn into a direct assault, was caught unprepared for an attack like that.

’I’ll have to take the hit!’ he thought, about to move, but even before he did...

"ARRRGH!"

---