My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse - Chapter 945

Capítulo 945: Chapter 943 Rakan’s Awakening

Kisha didn’t hold onto the fruit for long. Without hesitation, she extended it toward Rakan.

The moment Rakan realized she was truly offering it to him, his breath hitched. With trembling hands, he accepted the fruit as though it were a sacred relic, his entire body quivering from disbelief and gratitude.

Then, overwhelmed by emotion, he sank to his knees and bowed low before Kisha, pressing his forehead to the floor as if he were receiving a divine favor from the gods themselves.

[You received Devotion from mortals +10]

Or maybe… she really was receiving devotion the way deities did.

As Kisha stared at the notification that kept appearing, understanding slowly dawned on her. Perhaps this was the reason she had accumulated so much devotion, and why she had even gained this attribute in the first place.

In this apocalyptic world, where chaos reigned and faith had crumbled, it made sense.

Once, people prayed to countless gods. But when the world fell apart, when their families died, when their loved ones turned into the very monsters that haunted them, where were those gods? Their prayers went unanswered. Their faith was shattered.

And human hearts, fragile and fickle as they were, sought new anchors to cling to. In the face of despair, they turned to whoever could give them hope, safety, and salvation.

Kisha had done the impossible and led them to refuge, given them order when the world drowned in ruin. To them, she was the light in the dark, their answered prayer, their new divine.

Whether she liked it or not, in their eyes… she had become what the gods failed to be.

To humans, gods and goddesses have always symbolized many things — power, strength, hope, love, peace, and even death. And right now, Kisha embodied all of those in their eyes.

To them, she was no different from the deities of old — except that, unlike the unseen gods of legend, she was real, tangible, a living proof of divine existence. So why would they worship distant figures when they had her, someone who could do what the gods once did?

In the end, their faith shifted toward her, their devotion following soon after. Yet that realization stirred an uneasy thought: if one day Kisha failed to give them the protection and peace they sought, would their faith also waver?

Would their devotion simply move to someone else? If so, could such faith ever truly be trusted?

Thinking about it, Kisha’s mood dimmed for a moment. Yet she reminded herself that not all humans were like that. In times of desperation, people simply sought something, or someone, they could place their faith in.

And since the gods no longer answered their prayers, it was only natural for them to turn toward her, the one who led them to survival, provided for them, and gave them hope.

Realizing this, her thoughts about devotion and authority slowly faded. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder about the new power she’d gained, this mysterious “Authority.” She didn’t yet understand what it could truly do, and she didn’t wish to dwell too deeply on it. After all, overthinking might only darken her mood again, just as it had moments ago.

Kisha quietly watched as Rakan stared at the fruit with near-reverence, almost afraid to eat it, as if merely biting into it would somehow defile its purity. The sight made her lips curl in faint amusement.

Then, noticing her gaze, Rakan let out an awkward chuckle before stammering, “C-City Lord, are you sure it’s really alright for me to have this? T-This treasure… it must be priceless. If you give it to me, then…”

He trailed off, unable to finish his words. Though his mouth voiced hesitation, his heart longed for it, knowing that the fruit symbolized more than power. It was a chance to grow stronger, to become someone truly worthy of the one who had saved and guided him.

Yet, at the same time, a deep sense of unworthiness stirred within him. What could he possibly offer in return for such grace from his benefactor, Kisha?

While Rakan wrestled with self-doubt, Kisha simply nodded. Though she only had a limited number of Awakening Fruits, she believed using them wisely on the right people was far better than letting them sit unused in her inventory.

After all, even if the fruits were rare, there was always a chance the system would reward her with more in the future, and if not, she could always strive for greater achievements to earn the million points needed to buy more from the achievement shop.

Keeping the fruit hidden away would yield nothing, but giving it to Rakan was already bearing results. In offering it to him, she had not only empowered a loyal subordinate but also gained his unwavering devotion.

From the way his eyes shone with reverence, it was clear that Rakan had become her devotee. In a sense, this wasn’t just a gift; it was a blessing bestowed by a higher being upon her follower. And to Kisha, that felt far from a loss.

Thinking that, Kisha smiled and urged Rakan to eat.

“Stop overthinking and just eat it. I’ll keep watch while you awaken your ability. Besides, you can think of this as an experiment, let’s see for ourselves if this Awakening Fruit actually works,” she said with a half-joking tone to ease the tension and stop him from doubting his own worth.

Hearing her tease that he’d be her experimental subject surprisingly calmed Rakan’s nerves. He nodded with newfound determination and took a firm bite of the fruit, as if it were his mission to finish it.

Despite its size, which was about as big as his fist, it didn’t take him long. The fruit was juicy and sweet, with a hint of tang that made every bite burst with layers of flavor, as though a dozen different fruits had mingled in his mouth.

It wasn’t hard to eat at all; in fact, he found himself enjoying it more than he expected.

When Rakan swallowed the last bite of the fruit, nothing seemed to happen. He blinked in confusion and stared blankly at Kisha, as if waiting for something miraculous to occur. Kisha, in turn, looked equally bewildered.

The system’s products had never failed her before, yet seeing no reaction from Rakan made a flicker of worry cross her mind.

“Don’t tell me the Awakening Fruit’s expired? Is that why the system gave me five of them even though they’re supposed to be rare?” Kisha muttered under her breath, suspicion flashing in her eyes. “Maybe the system wasn’t being generous after all, maybe it was just dumping useless junk on me.”

As she eyed Rakan, who still showed no reaction, her expression turned skeptical. Behind her, Duke tilted his head curiously, watching Rakan as if trying to figure out what on earth was happening.

It took several long minutes of silent staring before anything happened. Rakan showed no sign of change, and Kisha’s suspicion only deepened with every passing second. Just when she was about to conclude that the Awakening Fruit was a dud, Rakan suddenly convulsed and dropped to the ground, writhing like a worm in agony.

He clutched his body tightly, shivering as though plunged into freezing water, yet sweat poured down his skin in heavy drops. His body’s defenses had clearly collapsed, and he was burning up, just like the others who experienced their awakening.

Kisha finally exhaled in relief. ‘So it works after all.’

Since Duke was with her, she didn’t even need to move. With a wave of his hand, shimmering ‘Ice Particles’ surrounded Rakan, cooling the air around him. But when that wasn’t enough to tame the scorching heat radiating from Rakan’s body, Duke conjured several six-inch ‘Ice Spikes’ around him instead.

The frost from the spikes spread a comforting chill, helping lower his body temperature as his awakening raged on.

Feeling the sudden chill in the air, Rakan’s body shuddered uncontrollably. He couldn’t tell whether he was freezing or burning alive; all he knew was that it felt as though he had been plunged into the heart of an active volcano, molten magma devouring his body, only for it to be doused moments later by the icy waters of the far north.

His teeth clattered violently as his face drained of color. It felt like thousands of needles were stabbing into his skin, each one sharper than the last.

He writhed on the ground, gritting his teeth to keep himself from screaming, his body arching in agony. His eyes rolled back as he clenched his jaw tight, desperately trying to stop the relentless chattering of his teeth.

His only comfort now was the thought that this agony meant he was awakening, that this torment was a necessary step toward gaining that strength, that power he longed for. So he endured.

“Argh!” A strained groan escaped his throat despite his efforts to hold it in. It felt as though molten magma was coursing through his veins, burning so fiercely it threatened to sear them shut.

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