The Unawakened Porter's Divine System

What Exactly Are You

The Holy Maiden's gaze remained fixed on the boy crawling across the blood-soaked floor.

He barely moved anymore.

One hand dragged weakly against the stone.

Then stopped.

His fingers twitched.

His body went still.

“He's unconscious,” Alexandria said.

She stepped forward.

“I'll apprehend him.”

The Holy Maiden finally looked at her.

“Apprehend?”

Alexandria nodded.

“He entered a dungeon reserved for your party without authorization. Judging from the state of this place, he is responsible for...”

“Alexandria.”

The guard stopped.

The Holy Maiden's eyes returned to Xavier.

“Can't you see he's wounded?”

Alexandria glanced at the boy.

His clothes were torn apart.

Blood covered nearly every inch of him.

His sword lay several feet away, and his shield was cracked almost completely through.

For a moment, Alexandria said nothing.

“My lady, I only meant...”

“I know.”

The Holy Maiden's voice remained gentle.

“There is no need to apologize.”

Alexandria lowered her head.

“Yes, my lady.”

The Holy Maiden turned her attention back to Xavier.

She hadn't taken her eyes off him for more than a few seconds since entering the chamber.

Something was wrong.

Not with his injuries.

Those were obvious.

Not with his exhaustion.

That was equally obvious.

It was what lay beneath them.

Her Divine Eyes could see things ordinary eyes could never perceive.

Life force.

Energy.

The flow of aether.

The faint traces left by abilities.

The nature of wounds.

Even the hidden abnormalities within a person's body.

But this boy...

Her eyes narrowed.

Nothing fit.

There was something there.

Something impossibly deep.

Something her eyes could see, but could not understand.

The Holy Maiden slowly walked toward him.

Her golden armaments made barely a sound against the stone.

One step.

Then another.

Alexandria followed closely behind.

The Holy Maiden stopped beside Xavier.

Up close, he looked even younger than she had expected.

His black hair was matted with sweat and blood, falling across his face.

But beneath it...

Those crimson eyes.

Even half-conscious, they seemed strangely vivid.

The Holy Maiden crouched beside him.

Xavier's eyelids trembled.

He tried to open them more.

For a moment, everything was nothing but darkness.

Then light entered his vision.

A figure.

White.

Golden.

Beautiful.

He couldn't make out her face.

His vision blurred again.

The Holy Maiden placed her palm above his back.

A soft golden radiance gathered beneath her hand.

The Holy Maiden leaned closer.

“You have quite a lot to explain.”

Her voice was barely a whisper.

Then her palm touched his back.

Golden light flooded through him.

Xavier's eyes widened for a brief moment.

The last thing he saw was that golden glow.

Then darkness swallowed him.

---

Xavier was running.

His lungs burned.

His legs refused to move fast enough.

Behind him came the goblins.

Too many.

Always too many.

He looked back.

A blade swung toward his head.

He raised his shield.

Too slow.

Pain exploded through his skull.

He fell on his chest.

Hands grabbed him.

Claws tore into his flesh.

He screamed.

He tried to crawl away.

Something slammed into his back.

Then again.

And again.

His sword was gone.

His shield was gone.

There was nowhere left to run.

A goblin stood over him.

Its mouth opened.

Its crude blade rose.

Xavier's body wouldn't move.

‘No...’

‘No...’

He didn't want to die.

He tried to scream.

“I WILL NOT...”

The blade came down.

Xavier jolted awake.

His chest heaved.

His hands shot forward.

Nothing.

No goblin.

No dungeon.

No blood.

He stared at his surroundings.

A ceiling.

Dark.

For several seconds, he simply breathed.

Then his eyes moved.

A chandelier hung above him.

Soft sunlight filtered through curtains.

The room smelled faintly of incense.

He slowly turned his head.

A woman was sitting beside the bed.

Golden eyes stared directly into his.

Xavier froze.

The memories returned all at once.

The dungeon.

The goblins.

The blood.

The bodies.

His final collapse.

And then...

Her.

Xavier's eyes widened.

He recognized that face.

Everyone did.

The golden eyes.

The white garments.

The golden armaments.

The Holy Maiden of the Church of Seraphiel.

The youngest person to ever bear the title.

One of the most famous Awakened in the world.

Xavier instinctively pushed himself backward.

Pain shot through his body.

He winced.

The Holy Maiden didn't move.

She simply watched him.

Xavier's gaze darted around the room.

It wasn't a hospital.

It was some kind of luxurious lounge.

A large sitting area occupied the other side of the room, with expensive furniture arranged around a low table.

Tall windows overlooked the city outside.

His breathing slowed.

Then realization struck him.

The dungeon.

He had entered a dungeon reserved for the Holy Maiden.

He had trespassed.

Xavier swallowed.

“I...”

His eyes flicked toward the door.

Then back to her.

There was no way out.

Even if he somehow managed to escape her, Alexandria was probably nearby.

The Holy Maiden's personal guard.

The woman was infamous for how fiercely she protected her.

And if the rumors about her were true...

He had absolutely no chance.

“I apologize...”

The Holy Maiden blinked.

‘So he recognizes me.’

“...f...for entering the dungeon.”

His voice was weak.

His head was low.

“I didn't know it belonged to you.”

A faint smile touched her lips.

“You don't need to apologize for that.”

Xavier stared at her confused.

She leaned slightly forward.

“That isn't what I want to talk about.”

The Holy Maiden's smile disappeared.

Her golden eyes remained fixed on him.

“I have questions.”

Xavier's fingers tightened against the sheets.

He swallowed.

“Wh...what kind?”

She was silent for a moment.

Then her gaze seemed to pierce straight through him.

Her expression wondering what the hell she was looking at.

“Who are you?”

Xavier didn't answer.

The Holy Maiden continued.

“And what exactly are you?”

“I...”

‘Fuck. I don't understand the question.’

Xavier panicked internally.

[Host Heart Rate Has Notably Increased.]

‘Shut Up! Now isn't the time for this.’

“I asked you a question Xavier Reed...”

Her voice remained calm.

But the pressure was intense.

‘Sh...she knows my name?’