[136] "Effect"

Kayden, Ares and Kartein were on the lookout, leaning on the railing, their gazes lost in the darkness of the night beach.

Suddenly, their gazes turned to Jiwoo, who was approaching them with slow steps and his face gaunt and pale, bearing visible wounds on his body.

"Jiwoo..." the voices of Kayden and Ares echoed in unison, laden with concern. In contrast, Kartein frowned, his face expressing surprise at seeing the state Jiwoo was in.

"What happened, Jiwoo?" asked Kayden with anxiety in his voice.

Ares left the railing and regained his human form, his concern evident in his expression.

"Did you run into someone?" inquired Ares cautiously, his eyes fixed on Jiwoo.

Jiwoo nodded slowly, but his words revealed a noticeable hesitation and bewilderment. "Yes, someone came to see me. And it was not a pleasant experience," Jiwoo uttered with a tone that seemed to escape his control.

The transformation of his face to one of doubt and confusion did not go unnoticed by Kartein and Kayden, who quickly converted to their human form.

"Who visited you?" the question from Kayden was direct and serious, reflecting the seriousness of the matter. Jiwoo shook his head, his eyes showing a mixture of insecurity and distress. "I don't know. She wore black, her hair was white, and she had one eye of the same color," he recounted.

"Amyeong," Kayden murmured, recognizing the person.

"Amyeong... Isn't that the killer?" Kartein's voice denoted his doubt at the name.

"Do you know him?" Jiwoo seemed intrigued by the reaction of the others.

Kartein nodded. "He's someone who tried to follow Kayden for a while..."

Jiwoo's look reflected astonishment, but before he could ask any more questions, Kayden interrupted him. "Did he do something to you?"

"We had a confrontation. But I believe his intention was not to kill me, but rather to scare me. Besides, I discovered that he possesses similar abilities to mine," Jiwoo replied, his voice shaky.

"Similar abilities?" Ares questioned.

"Yes..." Jiwoo confirmed with a slight nod.

"Explain to me what happened," Kayden requested in a firm voice.

Jiwoo nodded, his gaze lost in memory. "I was in the middle of training when he suddenly appeared. We had a brief conversation before he launched his attack...and at that moment, it became clear that I was not his equal. His strength was far greater than mine."

A tense silence fell over the place.

Kayden and Kartein shared a worried look, their brows furrowed in response to Jiwoo's state of mind.

"Someone was spying on us, and I didn't even perceive it. That's when, suddenly, he acted. Without mercy, he cut off all four of his limbs," Jiwoo explained, his voice trembling, still visibly affected by the scene he had witnessed. "When I saw his face, I met the World Academy teacher's gaze. The words he uttered chilled my blood. He told me that he had been sent on a mission to kill me."

Jiwoo's words caused Kartein, Ares and Kayden to frown with a shared sternness.

"Unfortunately, it is a common strategy of the World Academy. They don't hesitate to eradicate any threat that might undermine their dominance. But what really surprises me is the audacity to do so with Kayden's disciple, with no concern for the consequences," Kartein commented with a mixture of disapproval and astonishment in his tone.

"I guess I'll have to take care of some ants," Kayden pronounced in an icy tone, laden with barely contained menace.

"Apparently, some heads will have to roll," Ares added with a mischievous grin, implying his willingness to take drastic measures.

At that moment, Kayden's attention turned to Jiwoo. "It affects you to see the coldness and cruelty with which Amyeong treated that WAA teacher, doesn't it?" he inquired quietly.

Jiwoo nodded with an obvious pallor, his gesture confirming the deep emotions that afflicted him.

"That's the cruelty of the Awakened world. If you don't have the strength to defend yourself, you can be treated as waste by other Awakened Ones," Kayden stated in a somber tone, his words echoing in Jiwoo's mind like a haunting echo.

Jiwoo looked down, his expression filled with concern. "He told me something similar," he muttered, clenching his fist, as if trying to contain the overwhelming emotions that swept over him.

Kartein, Ares and Kayden kept their gaze fixed on Jiwoo, sensing his obvious state of distress.

Jiwoo forced a smile, trying to hide his shock and turmoil. "I think I need to rest," he announced abruptly before quickly walking away.

The three watched Jiwoo's figure walking away and then shared a meaningful glance at each other.

"His mental state is indeed worrisome," Kartein stated with a palpable seriousness in his tone.

Ares nodded in agreement, adding with a hint of regret, "The encounter with Amyeong's brutality has really shocked him."

Kayden remained silent, his brow furrowed as his gaze remained fixed on the path Jiwoo had taken as he walked away.

"We need to be very vigilant with Jiwoo for a while," Kartein suggested, aware of the bad time he is having.

....

Jiwoo dropped heavily onto the bed. With a sigh, he allowed his eyelids to close, giving way to the immediate flow of vivid images. The scenes he had experienced burst into his mind, carrying with them the anguish and fear that had been etched on the pleading face of the WAA teacher.

This particular memory sent a shiver through her body, like a shadow creeping across her skin.

It wasn't long before he relived the feeling of helplessness. The images overlapped, and once again he found himself witnessing Amyeong's immense power completely overpowering him. It was a gut-wrenching feeling of being caught in the clutches of the predator hunting its prey.

....

[A few hours later]

Through the window, Kayden, Ares and Kartein watched Jiwoo in bed, eyes wide and gaze fixed on the ceiling, with no trace of sleep.

"We need to intervene," Ares commented, his concern evident in his voice.

"He's probably reliving the traumatic scene over and over again," Kartein concluded in a reflective tone.

"We must help him free his mind and overcome this obstacle," Ares stated with determination.

Kayden's attention was fixed on Jiwoo as he spoke. "Jiwoo's personality is not the best fit for our world. He's too sensitive," he expressed, forcefully.

Kartein nodded, acknowledging the truth of Kayden's words. "Yes, that's why he's been so affected by this experience."

Ares sketched an intriguing smile. "There is only one thing we must accomplish, to help Jiwoo overcome this trauma and understand the true nature of the world we will live in."

"I have an idea," Kayden announced, capturing Ares and Kartein's attention. "Training. Weakness is what made him vulnerable to this situation. If he were stronger, he wouldn't feel so powerless."

Kartein turned his head in disagreement. "You two and your obsession with getting stronger? How could that help you?"

"Yes," Ares concurred, supporting the idea. "Let's make him see that we're here for him. That he has our support in his journey."

....

Jiwoo contemplates the ceiling of the room, immersed in thought. 'I can't fall asleep, my mind is cluttered with worries.'

Determined, Jiwoo gets out of bed and dresses in training clothes, gets into meditation position and begins to circulate his force control, causing a bright blue aura to begin to envelop his body.

As the hours pass, Jiwoo finally opens his eyes and takes a deep breath of air. Sitting up, he notices the time on his phone reading 5:30 AM.

'It's already late, and I haven't managed to fall asleep at all. I don't even feel tired,' Jiwoo muses as his gaze sweeps around the room. 'I haven't seen Mr. Kartein, Mr. Kayden or my brother, where could they be?'

The door suddenly opens, and in walks Kayden, Ares, carrying a bag over his shoulder, and Kartein.

"Master, Brother, Lord Kartein," Jiwoo greets.

All three nod, and Kayden declares, "Let's go train."

"Now?" asks Jiwoo, puzzled.

"Yes," Kayden replies without hesitation.

Jiwoo looks at the clothes they are wearing and poses with some hesitation. "In those clothes?"

Ares smiles and tosses the bag on the floor. "Here we have our clothes," he states.

Kartein silently directs his gaze to the bag and clenches his fist, as he muses, 'Why am I doing this...? Because I'm accompanying them'.

Kayden, Ares and Kartein change into black clothes tight to their bodies.

'Let's go,' Ares suggests, and the four leave the room.

At the edge of the beach, the four begin to stretch as they chat.

"We'll run around a bit and then practice combat," Kayden announces.

Jiwoo nods with a smile, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he looks at Kayden, Ares and Kartein.

"We're here to support you in everything, Jiwoo. You shouldn't have to carry everything by yourself, we're here to protect you," Kayden assures Kayden, causing Jiwoo's eyes to fill with tears and he pouts.

"Let's get started then, let's release those emotions with sweat," Ares says, encouraging the group to begin the workout.

The four began running along the shore of the beach, focusing on their strength control as the hours ticked by.

When they finally stopped the warm-up, Jiwoo was breathing deeply, sitting on the sand, gazing in awe at Ares, Kayden and Kartein, who stood in front of him without a drop of sweat, seemingly in the same condition as at the start of the workout.

"How are you feeling?" asked Ares.

"Better... I guess," replied Jiwoo.

Kartein watched the interaction and thought to himself. 'Better, what's that? He's just training, they're not even helping him release his thoughts'.

"Training will help you to free your thoughts and, little by little, you will be able to think more clearly and overcome the difficulties you face in life. And you will always have us for support," Kayden commented.

Jiwoo nodded earnestly. "I will try even harder."

.....

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