The Transmigrated Author

Chapter 26  Awakening

My heart pounded against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat accompanying the crackle of electricity coursing through me. For the first time, I unleashed the storm simmering within, my body thrumming with a power I'd only dreamt of. "Get out of the way; I'll take it from here now," I said to Jan and Louise, waving them off.

"Valencia, what's that surrounding you?" Jan asked out of the blue as he pointed at the electrical energy that sparked around me.

"I'm not too sure; this is the first time I've properly used it." I shrugged it off.

"Are you sure you can fight that thing on your own?" Louise questioned me, and to be honest, I wasn't sure, so I wanted to give this a try.

"Yeah," I replied swiftly without hesitating as Louise seemed to put his polearm to the ground, indicating his agreement.

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK

Jan and Louise scrambled back, eyes wide with a mixture of awe and terror. Good. Fewer accidents won't happen if they don't get struck by thunder.

The room began to echo with torrents of electricity flowing through it as my body was enveloped with my lightning attribute and my aura. I've never gotten the chance to use this special ability I had since I was young because my parents always told me that this could only be used in the worst-case scenarios if I felt I was in danger, and that feeling came.

That feeling of when my hands trembled for the first time, knowing I wasn't able to beat a monster within 10 swings of my sword, and that was when I knew I was facing great danger.

Everything I touched was electrified by my ability; though this was the first time I've ever properly tapped into this, I felt unbeatable.

As I lunged at the monster with unparalleled grace, my every step leaving trails of electricity, I began speeding up. The lightning storm I was causing danced around me like ethereal fireflies. With a swift, fluid motion, I raised my katana, and the crackles of lightning intensified.

The first swing was a spectacle of precision and power. The golden aura around my blade extended, leaving a trail of residual lightning in its wake.

DAGON!

Connecting my sword against the monster's right limb, thunder struck down from above as I cleanly cut the arm off the monster and then followed with a downward slash as electricity followed, triggering shocks within the body of the monster.

"Damn," Louise's voice, surprisingly steady, cut through the roar. "Was Valencia always this flashy?"

The monster tried to regenerate the damage it had taken from its lost limb, but I followed up with another attack.

SHING!

I unleashed another slash, a surge of electrical energy bursting forth from my katana. The luminous arc, charged with the intensity of my lightning attribute, seamlessly blended with the glow of my aura. With precision, the electrified arc found its mark, striking the monster directly. The cavern walls were illuminated with each powerful strike, the sparks creating a mesmerising display of lightning. The air crackled with energy as arcs of lightning-painted streaks hit the monster.

The monster caught off guard, roared in response. Its monstrous limbs flailed in an attempt to ward off my electrifying onslaught. Undeterred, I continued my assault with a series of acrobatic maneuvers. I leapt and spun, the golden aura extending the reach of my katana, leaving vivid arcs of lightning suspended in the air like frozen bolts of electricity...

/----\

Jan and Louise watched in awe as the movements of Valencia became a blur of electrifying grace. Her attacks were a symphony of destruction, each strike landing with a thunderous impact.

The room echoed as the lightning danced against the monster's demonic energy. \----/

The seconds ticked away, and my movements became more frenetic as the fifth minute approached.

I unleashed a flurry of strikes, the golden aura intensifying with each swing. The monster, battered and scorched, seemed on the verge of defeat.

With the monster turned to a charcoal black it sustained a huge amount of damage from all the lightning that struck in this room and as it stood still in front of me I held my katana up to the ceiling as electricity flowed into my sword once more.

As the final strike landed, the lightning erupted in a blinding display. The cavern was bathed in an otherworldly glow for a moment as the monster fell on its back absolutely cooked as I stood amid the aftermath of my electrifying onslaught. "she actually did it." Louise's face watched Valencia stand victorious against the demonised monster who couldn't lay a single finger on her.

I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. The strain of channelling such immense energy through my body became clear, and my limbs felt like lead. Despite the victory, the room began to blur around me.

As the cheers of Jan and Louise echoed in the distance, I stumbled backward. The monster, seemingly defeated, lay smouldering on the cavern floor. However, my vision wavered, and the edges of my consciousness began to fade.

Reality became a hazy dreamscape, and the cheers transformed into distant echoes. I realized the toll of using this ability had taken its toll on me. The electric high that surged through my veins was replaced by an overwhelming fatigue.

In that vulnerable state, I heard a sudden, guttural growl from the seemingly vanquished monster.

"VALENCIA, DODGE!" Louise and Jan screamed at the top of their lungs as I watched the monster I burnt to a crisp rise from the smoke. My instincts screamed at me, but my body refused to respond. It was as if I were trapped in slow motion.

Just as the monster launched a surprise attack, a strong force pushed me aside. I felt the rush of air as I tumbled away from the imminent danger. It took a moment for the reality of the situation to register that the monster wasn't dead. But who pushed me aside? But all I could hear was the impact of the attack, someone must've saved me. Then slight echoes of screaming became even louder. But. I can't keep awake.

[Valencia has fainted...]

***

Haah, what a relief to think that Valencia defeated it so easily seemed too good to be true. But at the very least, the demonized monster never manifested its demonic abilities. But why couldn't it use the abilities anyway?

I glanced at Valencia, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion. It was time to move. But as I took a step forward, a vicious migraine exploded behind my eyes. My knees buckled, and I clutched my head, gasping for breath. The world spun in a sickening kaleidoscope of colors.

Then, my system screen flickered to life.

[Due to- Error... Error-]

Each glitching message felt like a hammer blow to my skull. I watched in horror as the familiar blue hue of the screen twisted into a menacing blood red.

[Error, Error, Error]

[SYSTEM OVERIDE!]

[you... will... suffer...]

[System... Tool... Intervened.]

My heart pounded a frantic tattoo against my ribs. What was happening? What was A.T?

[A.T INTERFERENCE. MONSTER: SPECIAL HYBRID DEMONFIED M-5. SECOND PHASE HAS BEEN ADDED.]

Despair washed over me as the final message seared into my vision. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

[ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!]

[System will be temporarily down.]

[Please survive Mr. Axel.]

A deafening clap of thunder split the air, followed by a blinding flash. The room shuddered, smoke billowing from the spot where the monster had once stood. My ears rang with the silence that followed.

Panic clawed at my throat. I choked out a desperate plea, my voice trembling.

Something was intervening with the system I had.

"System..." I called for it once. "System, System, SYSTEM." I repeated the plea many times in my head, and I realized that what I saw was not a joke from the system itself but A.T had to be the assistant tool.

But why did this happen, and why the FUCK does it have a second phase? Is this some Dark Souls game bullshit?

Shit, Shit, Shit.

GROAR!

A roar pierced the ears of the room; the transformed monster, now more menacing than ever, rose from the dead. With a guttural roar, it lunged towards Valencia.

I didn't know why, but my body had never moved so quickly before. Time felt slow as I began running towards Valencia, struggling to stay conscious as she couldn't move from the impending attack.

I collided with Valencia, shoving her aside with a grunt that tasted like blood. The monster's claws, dripping with some slick, oily darkness, raked across my chest. Pain slammed into me, a white-hot explosion that sent me flying like a broken doll.

Dust choked me, the metallic tang of blood filling my mouth. My vision swam, the world a broken mirror reflecting my agony. My cloak's shield was gone. I looked below my chest to see a crimson-red X carved into my skin by those damn claws.

Clockwork of Time, my double-edged savior, had sucked me dry. My head spun, consciousness a flickering candle flame in the wind. And there, hanging in the air like a cruel joke.

F-W-ANG!

[HP: 1.2 -> 1.0 -> 0.9]

***

The message across the screen flickered, and I saw that the system even when down tried to show me something. A laugh hacked its way out of my throat, choked on blood and despair. This close, so damn close.

Fear felt like nothing compared to dying, the drowned-out numbness was slowly creeping up my limbs. Regrets pricked at the edges of my mind. But with the darkness closing in, I closed my eyes and slowly prayed I'd be in a better place than this.

***

\----/

Jan stood there, frozen, as the room crackled with the aftermath of Valencia's electrifying battle. The air was thick with the scent of burnt ozone and lingering adrenaline.

/----\

I watched in stunned silence as Rel pushed Valencia out of harm's way, taking the full force of the monster's attack. The room seemed to close in on me, and the weight of the moment pressed heavily on my shoulders.

My mind raced, and a torrent of emotions flooded my being. The echoes of the past haunted me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this was a cruel déjà vu.

- "RUN, JAN, QUICK, DON'T LET THEM CATCH YOU." Jan's mother's voice echoed in his head as he recalled a tragic event from the past.

- "JAN, WATCH OUT." Jan recalled an event from the past where his best friend was pierced in the stomach by an evil being.

- "Go, Jan... you need to live." Jan recalled the event of [???] pushing him away from lasers aimed at them.

Ouch... it hurts... so much... it's all the same. Is this the same thing that had happened before?

My heart dropped the moment I recalled that moment when she did that for me to live.

I felt broken. What even was my purpose of living a second life if people kept dying right before my eyes?

I wasn't fast enough to save Valencia, and Rel had to do something to stop her from being killed, and now he's just standing there lifeless. I couldn't feel any more guilty like this.

Why? The question rasped in my throat, raw and bitter. Why does it always have to be me? Why do they keep dying?

A cough, wet and bloody, shattered the silence. Rel's head lolled, eyelids fluttering open. "AhHck." A pile of blood came out of Rel's mouth "Please. Win this... I believe in you." Rel's breathing was heard from across the room.

_

A spark flickered in the ashes of Jan's despair. Valencia, though hurt, was alive. Hope, a fragile ember, flared within him. If he could save her, if he could do for someone what those others had done for him, then maybe… maybe that was it. His purpose.

_

Everyone was okay.

I felt relieved.

So if I could do all those people a favour back then, if I could save someone for once in my life, I needed to do it now. I'll save everyone no matter what.

I think I'll be okay now.

Thank you, Rel.

As I drew my sword once more I slowly approached the demonic monster that stood still gazing down at me.

I understand now, This had to be it, This feeling, what was it?

As I looked around me, a shimmering particle of energy glowed around me. Then Blue particles rose, weaving through the air like a celestial dance. A sudden power surged within me.

HWANG!

[The God of this world has given you their blessing... Special Ability: (ultimate skill) has touched the depths of your memory.]

[Ultimate Skill: Divine Conqueror (Unawaken): Attribute: Light has been added to the archive. To make space for this information, you will no longer possess the following attributes: Water, Earth, Fire, Wind, Ice, Darkness.]

The Lost Archives, a unique ability within me, triggered. The Information flooded my mind, a profound enlightenment washing over me.

This power of 'light' will help me extinguish this evil.

_________

Author Notes:

- Axel had terrible vision before entering his novel, but after receiving prescribed glasses to heal his vision, he occasionally doesn't need to wear his previous glasses that he wore before. He only wears them as a fashion trend when he goes out in the streets or during academy classes.

Rel when readers don't tell their friends about TTA ( ´-ω･)︻┻┳══━一 [Readers] - As long as Valencia's sword hits a target, the electricity built up from her surroundings would strike down. This happens every time her sword connects with something. To enhance Valencia's talents, her ability chain reaction would activate passively. This occurs because her abilities have an automated function connected to them during combat.

(´,,•ω•,,)♡ <- Valencia when Rel is not around.

- Divine Conqueror is Jan's Ultimate skill, but due to his Lost Archive not being able to fully grasp the knowledge handed down to him, it remains unawakened for that reason.

(╥_╥) - Jan when he can't awaken but awaken.

- The reason Louise stopped attacking mid-fight was that he realized his attacks were useless against the monster. Even if his weapon, a polearm axe, was able to damage the monster, it would immediately recover afterwards. This was because Louise was born with the sole attribute of Fire (Grade: Legendary) hence the purest flame. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

- Due to lazy writing Jan's original name from his other world is also Jan! what a coincidence ( ＾◡＾)っ ♡ <- Axel when he was thinking of Jan's past...