NOVEL WEB Chapter 165- A Good Sleep
"Leave," Avendial commanded, and upon hearing Aria's words, he gestured for the servants to exit the room. They nodded obediently before closing the door behind them.
Once they were alone, Avendial turned his attention back to Aria, who was watching him intently, eager for answers. In a swift motion, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward.
"W-wait!" Aria exclaimed, caught off guard by the sudden pull. She tumbled directly onto his lap, her surprise evident as he encircled her waist with his strong hands, before resting his head against her shoulder.
"Shh, now ask me what you want to know," Avendial murmured, his voice low and soothing. He intended to keep her mind occupied, preventing her from bombarding him with too many questions.
As his grip around her waist tightened, Aria trembled, her gaze darting toward the couch where Avendial lay unconscious.
"Th-this... w-wait, I mean…" she stammered, her voice wavering as the warmth of his breath lingered near her neck, sending a tingling sensation through her. Clenching her jaws in realization that she was powerless in this situation, she hesitated for a moment before asking, "How did you awaken him?"
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Name: Rendian
Title: The Vanguard (Effect of Ability)
Race: Human
Age: 36
Class: Enforcer
Level: 8
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Attributes
Vitality: 150 / 150 --⟩ Switch the comparison to others.
Synergy Level: 1,000,000 --⟩ (Not usable until bloodline awakening.)
Stamina: 150 / 150 --⟩ Switch the comparison to others.
Strength: 75 / 75 --⟩ Switch the comparison to others.
Agility: 130 / 150 --⟩ Switch the comparison to others.
Mental Strength: 130 / 150 --⟩ Switch the comparison to others.
Intelligence: 125 / 150 --⟩ Switch the comparison to others.
Your adventure continues at empire
Charm: 76/100 --⟩ (:- Compare with other races)
Emotional State: Confused, Anxious
Physical Condition: Unconscious
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Ability
Faithbound Command:
It grants the ability to empower soldiers under the commander based on their Faith Value (FV), which measures the strength of their belief in a higher existence.
For every 1 FV, soldiers gain +10 to all stats, with greater faith unlocking three key abilities: Telepathic Bond (instant communication and shared awareness), Divine Fortitude (enhanced durability, stamina, and resistance to curses), and God's Vanguard (semi-divine powers like empowered strikes, regenerative healing, and fear-inducing auras).
This ability requires the commander to maintain unwavering faith towards his ideal, while soldiers must share that belief and trust in their leader to sustain and amplify the effects.
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Aria's gaze fixated on Rendian as she tried to comprehend the sudden shift in status. Moments ago, she had read that she wouldn't be able to discern his awakening condition due to insufficient Synergy, yet here he was, awakened.
"What is his ability?" Avendial interjected, setting aside her questions to pursue his own. With her eyes closed and resting on his shoulder, he simply wanted to confirm whether Avendial had awakened with the ability he was hoping for.
"But..." Aria began to protest, believing she should be the one to get answers first. However, realizing Avendial was comfortably resting against her, she pursed her lips and stated, "His ability is called 'Faith Bound Command,' and it's written..."
As she started to read the description beneath the title, she absorbed the information detailing how the ability functioned—from its faith point to the effects it had on Avendial's capacity to boost the overall strength of those who believed in him.
'Hm...' Avendial thought, feeling comforted as he rested his hand on her waist. He appreciated the softness of the moment, especially after his exhausting day.
Hearing Aria's reading, he clearly understood that this ability was akin to what he had experienced in his past life.
According to this ability, all Avendial needed was unwavering faith in someone, and the more faith he had, the more potent his ability would become.
"Now it's your turn," Aria finally asserted, having absorbed all the information. She clenched the fabric of her jeans, feeling his hands rove over her as if she were merely dough, but she composed herself.
She had dealt with enough of this playful teasing the night before, and while it didn't truly bother her, she felt compelled to inquire about his part in all this.
"I didn't notice, but it seems you've got a bit of belly fat too. You should exercise, will you?" Avendial teased, turning his head to sneak a small bite near her earlobe.
The playful nip made her flinch, but in response, he felt her place her hands over his, gripping them tightly as if to restrict his movement.
"Leave me!" Aria exclaimed, tightening her grip on his hands. Her words suggested he should free her, yet she still held onto him, knowing full well that if she insisted he leave, he might actually do so.
"Fine," he finally relented, amusement dancing in his voice. "My blood has the property to awaken an individual."
At his words, Aria's eyes widened in surprise. "W-wait..."
The revelation puzzled her.
If he could genuinely awaken individuals without meeting any conditions, didn't that imply he possessed an extraordinarily powerful ability?
Yet, she didn't see anything like that reflected in his status.
"It's not an ability, Aria," Avendial continued, his voice calm but edged with a finality that made her stiffen slightly in his lap. "What I possess is… a curse."
"A curse?" Aria echoed, her voice faltering as curiosity overpowered her embarrassment. She craned her neck to look at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "But how can a curse awaken others? That doesn't make sense."
Avendial let out a low chuckle, his warm breath brushing against her ear. "You're quick to doubt yet slow to listen. Let me explain."
He shifted slightly, keeping her firmly in place as his fingers traced idle patterns along her waist, making it clear he had no intention of letting her go just yet. "The curse I bear makes me immune to Synergy. It nullifies it entirely when it comes into contact with my blood or any fluid from me."
Aria furrowed her brow as she processed his words. "Then… how does that awaken others?"
Avendial's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "By breaking down Synergy, my curse creates a reset in the person I come into contact with. It acts as a catalyst, first destroying the existing Synergy to pave the way for awakening their latent abilities."
'!?'
A sudden thump echoed in her chest.
"W-wait, then, about last night?!" Aria stumbled over her words, her heart racing as she finally processed his explanation. A wave of emotions washed over her, and the realization hit hard—that he had done so much more than just inject his blood; he had altered her very being.
"Pfft, I just wanted to love you, that's all," Avendial murmured, narrowing his gaze as he spoke near her ear. The way he said it made her flinch; her lips twitched as she clenched her eyes shut, recalling the pain she had endured the previous night. She stood abruptly, feeling overwhelmed.
"Y-you!" she stammered. Aria raised her right hand as if to strike him, completely embarrassed and shocked by his words. Her eyes trembled for a fleeting moment, but then she noticed the playful smile on his face. That smile only deepened her desire to leave this place, now that he had so brazenly revealed how he had deceived her.
"Hey, wait! I was kidding! You didn't have AB+ blood type, that's why," Avendial quickly clarified, the tone of his voice shifting as he gestured for her to stop. He seemed to realize the embarrassment his words had caused and wanted to reveal the actual reason for everything.
"Huh? What?" Aria was initially taken aback, wanting to flee the situation. But as he tightened his grip on her wrist, he explained that the reason was her blood type. This revelation brought her a measure of relief as she contemplated the implications.
"Alright, fine. Come on," Avendial said with a shrug, pulling her closer. Reluctantly, she nodded and settled onto his lap.
'Eh?' Aria suddenly realized what she had just done; it looked as though she was interested in being there, sitting on his lap willingly.
"....You could have just kissed me..." Aria blurted out, halting mid-sentence as she recognized the gravity of her words. The embarrassment washed over her, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that what she had suggested was much more intimate—and frankly, far more vulgar—than she had initially considered. She had thought that kissing was an option, but quickly she realized that imagining him using his saliva was even more distasteful.
"Pervert," Avendial whispered near her ear in a hushed tone, causing her to look down with her eyes closed and her mouth shut tight. Her lips pressed together in a thin line, she couldn't ignore the fact that this situation had turned into something quite embarrassing for her.
Now, it seemed, she had also earned the undesired title of 'pervert' in his eyes.
"So, should we get some good sleep?" he asked, though his words hung in the air, overshadowed by the exhaustion he felt. It had been a long night, filled with the exertion of lifting Aya, who had nestled her head against his shoulder. After being whisked away from the private jet without so much as a moment to catch her breath, it was high time for her to rest.
She instinctively shut her eyes as he moved toward a wall that slid open, granting him entry.
The room was small, a haven of sorts, featuring a modest drawer, a bed, and a collection of books. It served as his private retreat, a sanctuary where he could find solace whenever he craved silence, even from a young age.
As he carefully laid Aria down on the bed, he settled himself beside her, both of them succumbing to a well-deserved sleep, drifting into a peaceful oblivion.