Chapter 14

"Don't forget to bring back two more packs of instant noodles!" As Winona opened the door to leave, Owen shouted at her back. Winona snorted as she closed the door, muttering under her breath in annoyance. "He never planned to leave me with a service fee." Owen turned to Hudson after Winona's footsteps faded completely. His gaze was entirely different from before. "Alright, young man. Let's talk." His voice was deep, carrying a hint of menace. "You'd better give me an explanation—what the hell are you?" Owen had been an Awakened for a long time. He'd fought in battles against beasts and understood their terrifying nature. Forget the Abyssal-Class, even Lord-Class Beasts were forces that most Awakened ones couldn't contend with. Not even Owen could claim he'd take the white creature from last night down. "I really don't know," Hudson replied with a resigned sigh. "I was hoping you could tell me why my body turned into that." "Ha! Ain't this a strange one." Owen set aside his finished instant noodles and scrutinized Hudson. "Wina told me about your situation, and I looked into it myself." As he spoke, he opened the old, noisy refrigerator and pulled out two cans of chilled beer. "You were attacked by an infected monster called Zyphros. Wina saved you, and she stated in the report that you have extraordinary regenerative abilities, right?" He handed a can of beer to Hudson, who wasn't accustomed to drinking beer this early but accepted it anyway. "Yes." "Bullshit!" Owen slapped the table and said seriously, "Not even Awakened ones with the strongest regenerative abilities can survive having their heart ripped out! Get your facts straight—there's a difference between regeneration and reconstruction!" "Sorry, I don't know much about Awakened ones," Hudson admitted after taking a sip of beer. "So, do you have any idea what I am?" Owen sighed and gulped the beer. "Do you really want me to say it?" "I think I have the right to know," was Hudson's response. After a brief hesitation, Owen nodded. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, but you're a beast." The words hit Hudson like a bolt from the blue. He didn't know much, but he'd seen a beast with his own eyes the night before. Was he one of those monsters? "Before you freak out, hear me out," Owen said. "The white creature you transformed into last night is indeed a beast. But right now, you don't carry even a trace of beastly force—you're completely human." Saying this, Owen irritably fished out a cigarette and lit it. "That's what baffles me the most." Then, as if remembering something, he looked at Hudson. "Can you control that power? Try transforming now." Hudson thought it was an unreasonable request. That transformation had only happened in his direst moments when he was the most enraged. But as soon as he entertained the thought and attempted to channel that power, he felt his body begin to change. Across from him, Owen's cigarette fell from his mouth and landed in his lap. "Shit!" Owen jumped up, brushed the cigarette off his pants, and pointed at Hudson. "What the hell are you?" Hudson, who had transformed into Bonewarden, sat obediently in his chair. But the next moment, the chair collapsed beneath him, and he landed heavily on the floor. Another crack followed as the floorboards splintered. "Sorry..." Bonewarden's voice was low and guttural as he reached out to steady himself with the table. The table shattered. Scratching his head, Bonewarden straightened up—his over-two-meter-tall frame promptly broke the hanging light. The room plunged into darkness. A loud series of crashes ensued. "Alright, enough! Cut it out! Change back already!" Three minutes later, Owen replaced the lightbulb in the overhead light. He sighed deeply when the room lit up again. "Tell Wina a burglar broke in when she's back later." "Mr. Jennings, Winona isn't an idiot." Owen looked pained but didn't argue. What could he even say otherwise? "Your case is definitely special. You don't remember how you saved Wina, do you?" With the table destroyed, the two were left sitting on the battered old couch. "No. It felt like pure instinct." Hearing this, Owen's gaze turned cold again. "I checked her body when she was unconscious last night. Her heart was indeed shattered but regenerated right before my eyes—just like what happened to you." He pulled out his phone, glancing at Hudson as he continued. "By all rights, I should report your case to the higher-ups. After all, you can transform into a beast, and we've never seen anything like this before." Hudson tensed. Winona had told him about Twilight Revenants. Although it was not a massive organization, it worked with the government. Twilight Revenants' members showed no mercy to the infected or beasts. If they got their hands on hHudson, he figured there were only two outcomes. The better one? A swift death. The worse? He'd end up dissected in a lab. His situation was far too unusual. Owen had made that abundantly clear. "Even if I let you go, the others won't. The energy you released last night was so powerful it likely alerted every organization in Liveria and its surroundings." Hudson didn't respond, lost in thought. Suddenly, a bold idea formed in his mind. "If I can't avoid them, could you recommend me to join Twilight Revenants?" Owen blinked, then burst into laughter. "You've got guts! Do you want to join them since you can't beat them? You'd need to pass different tests to join Twilight Revenants. If you transform into that skeleton thing, you'll be exposed instantly." "No, Mr. Jennings. I don't need to transform. Don't forget why I'm under observation." His words clicked for Owen, who now thought of him differently. "You're something else. Are you trying to say that you're an Awakened one with extraordinary regenerative abilities?" "Exactly." Hudson nodded. Owen exhaled a stream of smoke, his other hand gripping his phone. He grinned at Hudson. "Give me one good reason not to sell you out to the organization." Hudson hesitated before answering, "Your apprentice." A chill passed through Owen's eyes. "Is that a threat?" "It's not a threat, Mr. Jennings. I don't know how I brought Winona back to life, but I have a feeling that if I die, she won't survive either." This time, it was Hudson who stared Owen down. "So, Mr. Jennings, are you willing to gamble on my instincts?" The room grew tense, the only sound being the soft sizzle of a burning cigarette. After a long silence, Owen smirked. "You're not as innocent as you look, young man." Hudson felt a pang of guilt. He knew he was essentially using Winona's life to coerce Owen, no matter how he phrased it. But he had no choice, and neither did Winona. The choice now rested with Owen. "I've never been this passive in my life," Owen muttered, extinguishing his cigarette in his palm. Then, he added as if speaking to himself while looking at Hudson, "Damn it. What a loss. If I handed you over, who knows how much I'd earn? But for a stray girl I picked up years ago? Ha!" Owen shook his head with a bitter smile and finally said, "Deal."