Adventurer of Many Professions

Raymond's fists pounded down relentlessly, each punch landing with a force that made Seth cry out in pain.

"Andre! Mike! Don't just stand there; get him off me!" Seth wailed, barely able to protect his face as Raymond's blows kept coming.

Finally jolted into action, Andre and Mike charged forward, their boots connecting with Raymond's side as they kicked him off Seth. The sudden impact sent Raymond tumbling, and Seth seized the moment to scramble up, rage smoldering in his eyes.

"Seth, you alright?" Andre asked, helping him up.

Seth's face was red with fury, his cheek already swelling where Raymond's punch had landed. He glared at Raymond, now lying on the floor, and spat, "You'll pay for this, Raymond. I'll make sure you regret ever crossing me."

"Is that so?" Raymond's voice cut through the tension, calm and unwavering.

Seth, Andre, and Mike all froze, taken aback by Raymond's steady gaze. He wasn't panicking. In fact, there was a strange look of confidence in his eyes as he rose slowly to his feet, glancing at something they couldn't see.

On a glowing blue panel that only he could perceive, a message had appeared:

"Fighter Awakening Requirements Complete: Surrounded and attacked by at least three people, knock one down."

"Profession Awakened: Fighter!"

Raymond felt a surge of energy, a new strength coursing through his body as if he'd unlocked a hidden reserve. This was it, the awakening he'd been waiting for. Yet, to Seth and his cronies, it only looked like Raymond was trying to bluff his way through.

Seth sneered and launched himself forward, aiming a kick at Raymond's chest.

But this time, Raymond's body moved instinctively, a rush of fighting techniques flashing through his mind. He didn't think; he just reacted. With perfect precision, he lifted his leg, meeting Seth's attack head-on with a powerful kick of his own.

The force of Raymond's kick sent Seth flying backward, slamming him against the wooden wall with a loud crash. Seth crumpled to the ground, dazed, his eyes rolling back as he slumped down, unconscious.

The room fell into stunned silence.

Andre and Mike stood frozen, jaws slack, eyes wide. They couldn't believe what they'd just witnessed. Even Raymond himself blinked in shock, his leg still raised in mid-air, trying to process the newfound power that had guided his movements.

Then, as they all stood there in stunned disbelief, a faint light began to glow in the dark room. It emanated from the back of Raymond's right hand, casting a dim, otherworldly glow.

The symbol was unmistakable; a pair of fists, locked in combat, etched into his skin.

"This… this is the mark of an awakened!" Andre stammered, backing away, his face pale. "No… it can't be! You; weren't you rejected by the temple? You said you couldn't awaken!"

A realization dawned on Andre, his mind spinning. He pointed a trembling finger at Raymond, voice filled with accusation. "You lied to us! You've been an awakened all along, haven't you? You… you pretended you weren't just to trick us!"

Raymond let out a low chuckle. "Believe what you want, Andre," he said, allowing Andre's wild assumption to settle. It was better this way. Let them think he'd been hiding his powers all along; it would keep people from wondering why he'd suddenly awakened.

As the reality of his new power sank in, Raymond felt his resolve harden.

Raymond realized that letting them misunderstand might actually work to his advantage, so he kept his tone cold and steady.

"I'll be honest," he began, his voice like ice. "Despite everything, the bullying, the humiliation—I wasn't planning on taking revenge once I awakened. I thought maybe, just maybe, I'd let it all go. I figured if you left me alone, I could pretend the past didn't happen."

He paused, letting his words sink in. Of course, Raymond knew he didn't mean it; he wasn't some naive hero who forgave people without a second thought. The truth was, if he hadn't sensed something off and followed them to the East District tonight, Arya would have been left to face an unimaginable fate. And these guys? They weren't sorry; they were caught.

Turning his gaze to Arya, who was still deeply asleep, he clenched his fists. "But you didn't change. You went further, and tonight, you attacked Arya! You crossed a line you can't come back from. I'm done hiding anything from you."

"Raymond, please!" Mike's voice quivered as he pressed himself against the doorframe, trying to hold himself upright. "This… this was all Seth's idea! Andre and I didn't want to get involved. We were forced!"

Raymond fixed him with a glare, and Mike's face paled further. The power of an awakened person was not something they could ever hope to fight against.

Mike suddenly seemed to grasp for a strategy. "You know, Raymond, you're bound to become an adventurer soon. If you hurt us here, and the Adventurer's Guild finds out… well, it could damage your future chances."

Andre seized on the idea like a lifeline. "Exactly! If the Knights or the Guild discover this, it'll ruin your career before it even starts! Let us go, and we swear we won't report you for what you did to Seth."

"Yeah, yeah," Mike added hastily, nodding. "We'll keep quiet about what happened here tonight; as long as you don't turn us in, either. We both know we've got dirt on each other now."

Raymond's eyes narrowed, and he paused, as if weighing their words. It was true that the Adventurer's Guild took any violence against ordinary people seriously. An awakened individual who attacked someone without justification faced severe consequences, from imprisonment by the Knights to a permanent black mark that could stall or even end their career as an adventurer.

This system existed to protect the people from awakened individuals who might abuse their power.

Raymond finally gave a small chuckle, a sly smile playing at his lips. "You know what?" he said smoothly. "You're right. You actually make a pretty good point."

Relieved, Mike and Andre exchanged glances, and a tentative smile crept onto their faces. They thought they'd managed to get away unscathed.

But before they could take a breath, Raymond moved with lightning speed.

Bang! Bang!

He struck them down, Andre with a sweeping kick to the side, and Mike with a fierce uppercut that sent him sprawling to the ground.

As the two groaned in pain, Raymond stood over them, his eyes flashing with cold, fierce resolve. "But you see," he said calmly, "I wasn't attacking without reason. I was acting in self-defense… and defending someone who couldn't defend herself."

Mike and Andre stared up in stunned silence, their plan crushed and their confidence shattered.