Chapter 6- I Needed Some Relief
After he finished eating, Rein went back to his room and sat down on the bed. He was so exhausted that he already felt very sleepy, even though it was still the middle of the day and nowhere near evening. However, he knew that his body needed to recover, so a nap was necessary.
"Before doing that. I need to register for this test to begin with. I think registration only lasts till next week before it's closed."
Rein didn't want to risk missing out just because he forgot, so he sat at his computer and entered the link.
"Hmmm, the 'Awakened Society', huh? That's the name of the governing body for the Awakened." He muttered as he opened another tab and looked it up.
The Awakened Society is the highest authority in the world. They're akin to the government that keeps the awakened in check. They're politically above the clans, who are very influential in their own right. But the one who sets the law is the Society.
"It's composed of all the Clans and organization leaders, and they vote for all the major decisions being taken. Sounds about as democratic as it can get." He rubbed his chin. "But, I really doubt it's all rainbows and sunshines. For these clans to even be this influential, they cannot be fully playing by the rules."
As every nation back on Earth, being a major power required twisting and even breaking the rules to get benefits others can't, or else, none of these clans would even be as strong as they are right now.
"The Society can't fully control that many variables either. So, most likely, it's customary more than anything."
Rein didn't require much knowledge to figure out that humans will always be humans, no matter how supernatural they get. They still feel greed and anger and belief and bloodlust, and as long as those feelings remain within the human psyche, they won't change their behavior… The scale of it is the only thing that changes.
"That Zerath clan seems to be no less than Nightfall in terms of power. Both control massive industries and conduct large operations… Just like the temple expedition, they sent their main squad to. The amount of money they earned from that expedition alone probably exceeds the GDP of entire countries back on Earth." He rubbed his chin. "Sherry is a really big person in this world… Way bigger than I anticipated."
To reach her, he not only had to be an Awakened but also one influential enough to earn that position. It wasn't that straightforward.
After looking up more details, Rein finally opened the site and entered the 'registration' section.
He filled in normal information like his name, age, ID, and other details before he reached the section of options.
"Hmm? There are different types of Awakened. Combat Awakened, Medical Awakened, Craftsmanship Awakened, and Engineering Awakened."
"Each one of these is a different field from the other. The combat awakened, where naturally the ones that get most of the action, fighting monsters, expeditions, adventures, missions, all the good stuff." Rein muttered. "But, since Life Essence is extremely versatile, there are many other fields."
For example, Medical Awakened are usually the ones who have healing skills as their main abilities. They are responsible for healing, potion-making, and other such things. Craftsmanship Awakened are the ones responsible for blacksmithing, armor crafting, and all kinds of fields related to craftsmanship.
"And, Engineering Awakened are basically the ones who manipulate Life Essence to create advanced technology. It seems that's the reason why this world is as advanced as it is." Rein spoke to himself, taking notes of all these details. "Well, it is nice to know, and I guess since each is a field of its own, the tests must be different depending on your choice."
Rein's choice was naturally very straightforward. As much as he was good with computers and even has a good medical and craftsmanship knowledge, he was always a man who preferred on-ground missions. That was where he thrived the most and where he made a name for himself.
"Combat Awakened it is."
Choosing that option, he filled in several more pieces of information before he finally registered and received a receipt.
"Hmm, 'Visit the town hall on the 25th of December to undergo assessment before being eligible for the main test.' I see." He mused. "I guess you can't trick your way into the main test if you aren't a real awakened. Neat."
The 25th of December is in a week, so Rein still has time to train and get ready.
"I will have to travel for the main test, so that's going to be fun."
The original owner of this body had never traveled outside this city before. What lies beyond the massive walls that surround the city are large stretches of the desert.
Travelling through it on foot was suicide, as it was infested with horrific monsters, so the only way to travel was either through Sonic Trains, Planes, or on special animals called 'Sand Ships'. These are creatures that are akin to horses, with far longer legs and a lot more stamina and strength.
They could cross countless miles without breaks or water, so they worked perfectly.
"Well, for now, I should focus on the assessment. I'm not the only one who possibly awakened in this city, after all."
With that settled, the boy stood up and walked to the bed. Lying there, he sucked a deep breath as he stared at the ceiling. His eyes slowly lost focus as he fell into deep thought.
He had been so active for the past several hours that he didn't actually have the time to contemplate what truly happened to him. He had been reincarnated in a different magical world, and somehow, his wife could be here too.
If Rein had been told about this before he died, he would've thought it was an unfunny joke. Yet, here he was, in a different body, a different environment, and different goals.
"Different…" He muttered under his breath as he slowly started closing his eyes out of exhaustion. Eventually, sleep overwhelmed his mind, and he drifted into slumber.
"Sherry…"
An image of his wife appeared within his mind for one last second.
***
Rein woke up several hours later, when it was almost evening, and the sun was going down on the horizon. Rising up from the bed, he stared out of the window, his eyes heavy.
He had dreamt of his wife… again. This has become a daily occurrence for him, so he wasn't surprised. Except that, each time, the dream was unpleasant. A dream that starts so beautifully and ends in the most horrific way possible.
It haunted him every single moment he closed his eyes.
"..."
However, for better or worse, Rein didn't feel as horrible this time. With the knowledge of his wife being here, he was able to swallow the deep guilt.
"Sigh…" Rubbing his head, he stood up and walked into the shower. After that, Rein ate dinner and started training again.
He wanted to spend every moment of his day training if possible, but his body can't handle that, so he opted for a slower approach to maximize results.
The nap has energized him quite a bit, and while his muscles felt extremely sore, he was able to work with it somewhat.
"46… 47… 48… 49… 50!!"
Rein dropped to the floor when he finally finished the last squats.
[You have gained +1 point in Strength.]
[You have gained +1 point in Stamina.]
"... Only 2 points after doing the same exercises all over again." Rein muttered with a hint of disappointment. He expected this outcome before, but it still wasn't optimal.
'It seems I have to up the intensity way more to gain points more consistently.'
For now, that was more than enough progress. He had improved his powers quite a bit, but he was still far from the strength of an average human. That was how bad it was.
After finishing that, Rein took another shower and sat down at his computer.
"Now, while this boy knows stuff, he for sure lacks a lot of necessary knowledge about this world. How it works, and what kind of powers are in motion."
Rein needed that knowledge. How these clans behaved, their relationships, the important individuals within these clans, and many other details, he needed to learn about this world.
However, as he started diving deep into these topics, he realized something…
"The information is so scarce about these clans and even the society itself. It all feels very surface-level and nothing deep about it."
There was news about conflicts between the clans, but there was no concrete information and certainly no insider knowledge.
"Hm, it seems I underestimated them quite a bit. They know how to keep their secrets." He crossed his arms. "Tsk, well, it seems I have to do it the old-fashioned way."
Investigate in person. That was the method Rein used when things weren't easily accessible. After all, what's better than getting water straight from the source?