World Awakening: The Legendary Player
Chapter 46: Friendly Competition

Chapter 46: Friendly Competition

Serian’s eyes opened. She mumbled something soft, words lost even to herself. The room was darker than before, the last light of day just a memory outside. She sat up, stretching her arms above her head. A feeling of good rest had settled into her muscles, and she felt ready for what was next. She looked over to the corner.

Nox was still there, sitting cross-legged, his back against the wall. There was a faint, dark vapor around him. It seemed to move with his breath.

’He’s doing something with that power again,’ she thought. That strange energy he’d shown against the mercenary. It was a bit unsettling, how quickly he changed, how that darkness clung to him. ’But he didn’t hurt me. He even fought for me.’ A small smile touched her lips. ’Maybe it’s alright. No need to worry so much about it.’

She stood up, moving quietly across the floor, her steps light. She knelt beside him. "Nox?" she asked, her voice gentle.

His eyes opened, and the faint vapor around him seemed to draw back into him, then it was gone. He looked at her, his expression neutral. "You’re awake."

"Yes," she confirmed, pushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "It is almost night. You were... doing something." She gestured vaguely towards him.

He just nodded. "Trying to figure some things out." He pushed himself to his feet, a little stiffly but without the earlier signs of extreme pain. "You seem better."

"I am well rested," she told him. She noticed he didn’t look as worn out as before either. "And you?"

"Good enough," he replied, rolling his shoulders.

"That power you were using... it is potent."

He just looked at her. "It gets the job done."

"It does," she agreed. She paused, then took a small breath. "Nox, we should probably leave this place soon. We cannot stay here indefinitely." She had dropped the ’Human’ from his name without thinking about it.

He met her gaze, and for a moment, he seemed to consider her words, or maybe her tone. "Yeah, you’re right. No point sitting around in this dump. We need to make it to city center before night time."

He leaned forward slightly. "You sound different, princess."

Serian blinked, her brow furrowing just a little. "Different? In what manner?" She touched her throat absently, a questioning look on her face. ’What does he mean by that?’

"Less... stiff," he clarified, a small smirk on his face. "Almost like a normal person." He stretched his arms above his head again. The movement pulled at the scars on his chest, but it didn’t bother him much.

She looked down for a second, then back at him. "Perhaps your... directness is contagious." A hint of a smile touched her own lips, fleeting but there. ’He noticed such a small thing.’

He chuckled. "Maybe." He walked towards the door, then paused, turning back to her with a new glint in his eyes. "Tell you what. Last one to the city center has to do one thing the winner wants. No questions asked." He raised an eyebrow, a clear challenge in his posture.

Serian’s eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed in playful consideration. The idea was unexpected, but a spark of her own competitive spirit ignited. "You believe you can outpace me, Nox?" She stood a little straighter, her hands finding her hips.

"Maybe," he shrugged, his smirk widening. "Guess we’ll find out." He already had one foot out the door. "Unless you’re scared."

That little taunt did it. "I accept your challenge," she declared, a genuine smile spreading across her face now. This felt... fun. Different from the constant running and fighting for survival.

"Good." He pushed the door open wider. "On my mark. Get set..." He glanced back at her, his eyes bright. "Go!" He bolted out of the room and down the stairs.

Serian shot out of the room right after him. Her steps were light on the old wooden stairs, not making nearly as much noise as his own heavy boots. She reached the bottom just as he was pushing the front door open and stepping out onto the street.

He took off without a backward glance, a dark shape moving quickly down the broken sidewalk. She followed, her new clothes allowing for an ease of movement that her old armor never could. The city air felt cool as she picked up her pace.

Nox glanced back, a cocky smirk on his face. "You’re falling behind, princess!" He called out. ’She’s not bad, but she can’t keep up.’

He focused inward, pushing a small amount of that dark, corrupted mana into his legs. The power felt good, a familiar thrum that gave his muscles an extra kick. He accelerated, the distance between them growing as he easily leaped over a pile of rubble that blocked the road.

He landed on the other side and turned, expecting to see her struggling to get over the obstacle.

She didn’t climb it. She just ran up the side of a nearby busted car, her feet finding purchase where there should have been none. She launched herself from its hood, sailing over the rubble with a grace that made his own jump look clumsy. She landed lightly, not even breaking stride.

’What the hell?’ he thought.

She was closing the distance now, and she wasn’t even breathing hard. He pushed more mana into his legs, trying to pull away again, but it was no use. She drew level with him, her pace matching his effortlessly.

She turned her head to look at him, a genuine, playful smile on her face. Her hair whipped around her as she ran. "Is this the best speed you possess, Nox?" she asked, her voice carrying easily over the sound of their footsteps. "It is... adequate, I suppose."

Before he could even think of a comeback, she pushed off. It wasn’t just running faster. One moment she was beside him, the next she was a blur that shot past him down the street. He blinked, and she was already a hundred feet ahead, then she rounded a corner and was just... gone.

He skidded to a stop, staring at the empty street where she had vanished. He was breathing hard, the mana in his legs sputtering out. He just stood there for a second, completely stunned.

’No way,’ he thought, his brain trying to catch up. ’She was just toying with me.’

He remembered her level. ’how could I forget about that.’ He let out a short laugh He had been so proud of his own speed, his new power.

The god chat, of course, had opinions.

[Trickster God Hermes IV] OOF! Smoked him! 😂 She left him in the dust! That was amazing! Go, elf girl, go!

[Lord of Carnage] The kid got humbled. Good. Maybe he’ll learn not to underestimate people just because they’re pretty.

[Auraelia, Goddess of Resilient Sparks] That was so fun! See, Nox? You’re making friends! And having fun! Isn’t this better than being angry all the time? 🥰

[Baron Von Cynic] His face when she passed him was priceless. A perfect blend of shock and wounded pride. I do so enjoy these moments.

He ignored them. He looked down the street where Serian had disappeared. A slow grin spread across his own face. It wasn’t the cold, angry one from before. This was different.

"Okay, princess," he said to the empty air. "You win this one."

He felt a new kind of energy, not from mana, but from the challenge itself. He had a lot to learn. A lot to overcome. And for some reason, that didn’t feel daunting. It felt... exciting.

He started running again, not with the desperate speed of the race, but with a steady, determined pace. He had to get to the city center. He had a promise to keep, and now, a race to finish, even if he’d already lost.