Varian knew he was a bit more eager than other people for strength. A bit more hungry for improvement. A bit more thirsty for breakthroughs.
'I'm just a bit different,' He would tell himself through the back breaking training sessions throughout his childhood.
"I'm just a bit different," Varian explained to Enigma when she tried to stop him from immediately seeking another battle.
"You…"
The words brought unleashed a truck of memories.
Nights where Varian would collapse on the cold, hard floor after a torturous training session until Sia found him.
Vacations that turned into opportunities for joining free training camps by esteemed awakener organizations.
Weeks that went by with the same routine every single day.
Enigma parted her lips and looked at Varian in silence.
He's 19 now, but somehow, she felt like she was watching that little boy from all those years ago, who strived for something he couldn't even understand properly.
Uttering those same words, he pushed himself to where he's now. And now, even after all that he'd achieved, he's saying the same thing.
Enigma hooked her arms around him and gave him a deep kiss and looked at him with misty eyes. "I'll be watching you."
"…Okay." Varian was taken aback by her sudden shift of emotions.
She was pissed off just a moment ago and now it looked like she'd have done something more than kissing if not for the ocassion.
'I'll need to spend more time with her to understand her…but it's not going to be anytime soon. Sorry, Enigma.' Varian apologized and stepped forward.
Hortus responded to his call and teleported him to the strengthened planetoid.
Champion Gor was put to sleep. The injuries Varian caused him were already half-healed. The injuries with a glowing green light in them were taking longer.
As a Paragon, his body would sooner or later, deal with the invasive life force. Once that happened, the injuries inflicted by Varian wouldn't be that big of a problem.
"Keep him unconscious and weakened unti I instruct otherwise." Varian said.
"Affirmative," Oob said and Hortus' world will also hummed.
The next moment, the parts where the life force was being confronted by Gor's aura started getting bombarded by the world force. That gave the life force a breather and it started to fight back.
A stalemate was reached in Gor's body between the life force, his own aura and Hortus' power.
Hybrid Mor was kept in the same condition but far away in a formation that would isolate most of spiritual power fluctuations from outside world.
Finally, Varian came to maid Romanov. Red haired, red eyes and red armor. She was definitely pretty. But what Varian saw in front of him was a battle machine to help him rank up.
"Wake up, XP."
"Heed my call!"
"Thou shalt not sleep!"
Varian's powers slipped into her body and quickly healed some of her worst injuries, bringing her condition to a point where she could just use the strength of a rank 7 but nothing more.
Romanov's eyelashes fluttered and she nearly jumped back when she saw the burning desire in the man's eyes.
This wasn't lust.
This was…
"Come fight!" Varian laughed.
Romanov jumped onto her feet and stepped back, her vigilant eyes scanning him from head to toe.
'The ruler of this unknown civilization is this strong? How many secrets did he hide from everyone?'
Romanov's mind was filled with fear but her body moved on instinct and punched right at Varian's neck.
The man brushed off her fist and kicked, his leg aiming striaght for her abdomen. The space between his foot and her stomach began to rip apart due to the sheer force.
Romanov countered his kick with an elbow.
The air stilled for a moment as their attacks came into contact and then the surrounding space cracked apart like a broken mirror.
With his foot still in contact with her elbow, Varian jumped, his body horizontal to the ground and threw a sharp kick to her neck.
Romanov tilted her head and his foot passed right beside her skin. A large cut opened on her skin and blood spilled out. Paying it no heed, the maid raised her hand to grab his foot to slam him to the ground.
As she was about to grab a hold of him, Varian's foot turned into sparks of lightning which travelled back to his knees.
"W-What?" Romanov lost her mind for a moment at this ridiculous move.
Such a smooth transition was something only rank 6 energy awakeners could even attempt!
For a moment, Romanov's senses screamed that he was in fact a rank 6 energy awakener.
But when she came to her senses, they said he was and had always been a rank 6 Adept.
"Arghh, who the hell are you? Do you really wish to go against my Princess?"
Varian flipped back instead of landing, he stood in the air, looking down on her.
Romanov thought she had feared him off using her princess name and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
On the other hand, Varian did wonder how he should handle the maid of the princess.
"Enigma," Varian called out.
"Hm."
"Who are you?" Romanov assumed a fighting stance in fear and panic.
This woman exuded the aura of a rank 7!
Enigma ignored her completey and looked at Varian with a small smile. "You want to talk to her?"
"Are you reading my mind or what?" Varian chuckled a little. "Yes, please. Depending on her decision….how I treat this person will change."
In the middle of speaking, Varian bent to the side and dodged the deadly fist that would've otherwise punched through his heart.
Enigma looked at Romanov with a crazy killing intent but decided not to touch her.
'Just like he said, they're his XP pack.'
'Yes, you're just an XP pack.'
'I shouldn't damage Varian's XP packs.'
Taking a deep breath, Enigma called Isadora.
A beam of light enveloped her and the silver-haired, red-eyed Queen-like beauty stepped on in her regal black dress.
The moment she saw the newcomer, Romanov froze in mid-air. "I-Isadora?"
"Huh?" Varian jumped back and stood beside Isadora with an awkward smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were fri—"
"I want to kill that bitch!" Isadora didn't even let him finish. "Let me! Do it! Now!"
Varian felt her emotions and released her seal.
"W-Wait! I can explai—" Romanov backed off with a pale face, liquid running down her thighs.
Isadora didn't even let her finish and slapped into the void.
Romanov exploded into pieces.
