My 100th Rebirth a day before the Apocalypse-Chapter 951 - 949 Rakan’s Awakening 7

Chapter 951: Chapter 949 Rakan’s Awakening 7
Either way, she was lucky that her three energies weren’t acting up, otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the stamina to handle it and would have suffered once more. It took her a moment to catch her breath before she turned to 008.
"Why didn’t you remind me earlier?"
Kisha asked, though she wasn’t trying to blame him. 008 could sense that, and he didn’t take offense.
"Host, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t disrupt your focus... or you would’ve suffered a severe backlash from mana disruption..."
008’s voice wavered, almost like it was about to cry. It knew Kisha wasn’t reprimanding or blaming it, but the thought of her almost putting her life in danger again made it feel helpless.
Truly, although she had grasped the profound knowledge of mana cultivation, she hadn’t grown up in the fantasy world of mages. There would inevitably be gaps in her understanding, moments where she didn’t know what she was doing, and times when she acted without prior knowledge.
But who would have thought that, on her very first attempt, she would directly inscribe a teleportation scroll with a hundred-mile radius?
Well, Kisha had actually hesitated for a few seconds over the distance, but in the end, she decided on the hundred-mile radius. After all, inscribing a teleportation scroll was difficult, the materials were rare, the process complex, so why not make the most of it?
Who would have thought, though, that such a choice would trigger such a severe backlash? By a hair’s breadth, and perhaps thanks to her more than 700 points of luck, she had narrowly escaped disaster. She let out a sigh of relief and mentally buried the incident. If Duke ever found out, she’d be in for a lesson.
After all, Duke might be a sweet, clingy puppy most of the time, but when he got angry, he could easily become a Cerberus, a relentless hellhound who wouldn’t rest until she learned her lesson. And she shuddered at the thought of him spanking her until her butt "bloomed." Embarrassing as that would be, she decided to take this as her lesson and move on.
"Hmm... but then again, maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing after all," Kisha murmured to herself. "It’s good to know just how far my Luck stat really goes. I thought it only affected item draws, helping me get better rewards, but it seems like it does a lot more than that..."
She recalled catching a few system notifications earlier, though she had been too focused to read them properly. Still, she was sure her Luck stat had activated, proof that it really did save her this time.
That thought gave her a bit of confidence. Maybe she could push herself a little more next time... though not enough to risk her life again.
With that, Kisha took a short rest before carefully picking up the finished teleportation scroll. The scroll glowed faintly gold as the inscribed runes settled into place, a sign of a successful enchantment. Once the glow faded, she rolled it up, sealed it with wax and ribbon, and stored it safely in her inventory.
Since it was her first success, and she wasn’t sure if she had already used up all her luck for the day, she decided not to sell it yet on her Sales Channel. She’d test it later, after she’d fully recovered.
Satisfied with her decision, Kisha relaxed against Duke’s chest. Before she knew it, exhaustion took over, and she drifted into sleep in his arms.
As Kisha’s eyelids fluttered shut and sleep claimed her, Duke quietly watched her drift off in his arms. He could tell she had pushed herself again, just like before, and the sight filled him with a familiar ache of worry.
Part of him wanted to scold her for overexerting herself, but seeing how pale and exhausted she was, the words caught in his throat.
With a heavy sigh, Duke simply gathered her closer, wiping the sweat from her brow and gently brushing away the strands of hair that clung to her flushed skin. "You really are something else..." he murmured softly, his voice a mix of helpless affection and quiet frustration.
He adjusted her in his arms, letting her rest more comfortably, and stayed still as her breathing evened out. Listening to her calm rhythm soothed him as he continued his own work in silence.
Two hours passed before Duke finally lifted his gaze. The light outside had turned a deep red, the sun sinking low on the horizon.
By now, Grandpa Aldens and the others are returning from the cleanup, their faces tired but determined after clearing nearly a quarter of the zombie carcasses outside. Grandma Aldens, meanwhile, led the women in preparing dinner.
This time, no one felt embarrassed accepting the meal offered to them. Gratitude replaced hesitation, and in their hearts, they silently vowed to remain loyal to HOPE Base. This moment became the foundation of a lasting alliance, one that would endure for generations to come.
It was only then that Duke realized his legs had gone completely numb. He hadn’t moved for the past two hours, afraid to disturb Kisha’s sleep.
She hadn’t stirred once, her breathing soft and steady against him, so all he could do was gently massage her limbs now and then to keep her from cramping up. In doing so, he’d completely forgotten about himself.
Now, as he tried to shift a little, he felt the sharp sting of a thousand needles prickling through his legs. He gritted his teeth, his eyes twitching slightly from the pain, but he made no sound; he didn’t want Kisha to wake up feeling guilty.
Slowly, carefully, he began to move, supporting her with one arm while trying to get the blood flowing back to his legs.
He endured the discomfort in silence, determined that when Kisha finally woke up, he’d be able to stand and walk out with her as if nothing had happened.
"Hmmm..."
Before Kisha could even stir awake, the other person in the room, Rakan, began to move. He was lying on a mattress surrounded by
’Ice Shards’
and
’Ice Spikes’,
yet he looked as though he had just enjoyed a peaceful beauty sleep.
His face was refreshed, even radiant, but Duke immediately sensed the shift in the air.
Rakan’s aura had changed. There was something beastly about it now, untamed, wild, and brimming with strength. Duke raised an eyebrow, watching as Rakan shook his head to clear his thoughts and pushed himself upright.
Then, out of nowhere, Rakan wrinkled his nose as though catching a foul scent and made a face that looked like he was about to throw up.
At that, Duke almost burst out laughing. Rakan’s expression was so exaggerated that he looked exactly like a silly dog making a mess of its own dignity. But Duke restrained himself, biting back his amusement as he didn’t want to wake Kisha. Instead, he silently observed Rakan, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
Still groggy, Rakan looked down at his hands, then slowly traced his gaze along his arms, as if studying something unseen, or perhaps feeling the unfamiliar flow of his newly awakened power.
His brows furrowed slightly, confusion flickering in his eyes as he tried to make sense of the strange sensations coursing through him. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, a low, guttural sound escaped his throat.
"Grrr..."
Duke couldn’t help but wonder if Rakan’s brain had been fried by the force awakening. Glancing down at the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms, he felt a twinge of hesitation; he didn’t have the heart to let Kisha see this sight.
If she thought Rakan had turned into a failed test subject, it would surely dampen her enthusiasm and fill her with guilt for turning a capable warrior into a fool.
But before Duke could dwell on the thought, his eyes widened in surprise. Rakan’s fingernails suddenly elongated, transforming into razor-sharp claws like those of a great feline. Intrigued, Duke leaned forward slightly, his curiosity piqued.
Then, without warning, Kisha stirred awake. As her eyes fluttered open, she too froze in awe as Rakan’s body was shifting, his bones cracking and muscles expanding until a massive tiger stood where the man once was. The beast was twice the size of an ordinary tiger, its presence filling the entire meeting room and making the air feel thick and heavy.
Both Kisha and Duke fell silent, captivated by the sight. Rakan, now fully transformed, moved cautiously, his tail sweeping behind him as he turned in a slow circle, still clumsy on all fours as he tried to adjust to his new form.
They had expected Rakan’s awakening to take the whole day, just like the others before him. But to their astonishment, it had only taken him six hours at most, and now, seeing him transform into a tiger, confirmed Kisha’s earlier speculation about his potential awakened ability.
Her heart skipped with excitement as she quickly summoned his status window to confirm it with her own eyes.