Born In Ashes: The Enigma

---) Name: Azrael Thorne

---) Age: 15 Years

---) Level: 0

---) Status: Unawakened

---) Traits: Infinite Comprehension (Eternal Grade), Cold Blooded (White Grade—Evolvable)

---) Attribute: None

---) Rune: None

---) Substance: None

---) Title: ??? [Locked]

---) Bloodline: None

---) Strength: 1.7

---) Agility: 1.5

---) Stamina: 2

---) Cosmic Energy: 13

---) Shop [Locked]

---) Inventory [Locked]

---) Current Task: None

---) Task Points: None

=====

Azrael looked at his status window and couldn't help but marvel as he watched his stats increase in real-time.

It had been around two hours since he took the Cosmic Energy Affinity Pill.

Thanks to the constant nourishment of cosmic energy, his body was steadily evolving, and his previously slightly skinny figure was becoming that of a naturally healthy boy.

After taking the pill and resolving the issue of someone possibly noticing that he was absorbing cosmic energy from the surroundings, Azrael had originally planned to go and see his younger brother—Kael Thorne.

However, just after making up his mind, he realized a problem.

He didn't know where Kael's room was.

The room he was currently in was somewhat similar to the one he used to live in before everything went wrong. But it was much bigger and far more luxurious than the room he remembered.

Not only that, the back garden visible through his room window was at least five times larger than the one at his previous home.

In simple terms, while the house resembled the one he once lived in, it was significantly grander in size and design.

Due to his excellent memory, he remembered where Kael's room used to be, but he worried that with how the house had changed, Kael's room might now be located elsewhere.

After thinking things over carefully, he decided it was better to wait for Lia to come and check on his condition rather than going out and possibly creating unnecessary problems for himself.

====

---) Status: Unawakened

---) Traits: Infinite Comprehension (Eternal Grade), Cold Blooded (White Grade—Evolvable)

---) Attribute: None

---) Rune: None

---) Substance: None

---) Title: ??? [Locked]

====

He looked at his status window once again, wondering about things like his "Unawakened" status, the meaning of Runes, Substance, and other unknown terms.

"Just what are these things?" He muttered under his breath and sighed.

He closed the status window and walked over to the window in his room, looking out at the monster he had seen earlier.

The creature was still unconscious due to the immense pressure that had swept over the area earlier. Over the past two hours, he had seen several people doing strange things to it—feeding it pills that were somewhat different from the Cosmic Energy Affinity Pill he had taken, or even a woman using some kind of skill to heal it.

"Too bad there aren't any books or even a smartphone in this room. Otherwise, I could at least get a basic idea about what kind of world I'm in..." Azrael muttered with a shake of his head and was about to return to bed when he suddenly noticed that the previously unconscious monster had finally started to move.

"Even such a big monster was unconscious for hours because of that pressure. If it weren't for the pocket watch that protected me, I might have ended up dead because of it."

As Azrael continued observing the creature, the monster suddenly lifted its head—and looked directly at him.

Azrael raised an eyebrow when he noticed the beast staring at him and briefly considered closing the window in case it tried to attack.

However—

Flap!

The monster suddenly flapped its massive wings and flew straight toward him, arriving in front of his window in just a few seconds.

Azrael calmly took a few steps back, positioning himself in a way that would allow him to run if the monster broke the window and charged into the room.

If it had been a normal person in his place, they would definitely have panicked at the sight of such a massive beast right outside the window.

But Azrael's mindset hadn't changed, even after arriving in this world.

In other words—he wasn't afraid of death. He had stopped fearing it long ago.

That was why, even after seeing the giant beast flying just outside his window, not a single ripple of emotion appeared on his face.

The worst the monster could do was rip him apart or chew him alive.

'Hmm… I don't think it'll hurt more than having boiling liquid alloy poured into your bones, having your eyes replaced with high-definition lenses, or getting a nano-furnace implanted directly into your heart.'

Just when Azrael was wondering what kind of action the monster would take—

Rawr! Rawr!

The creature let out soft, puppy-like roars, and its tail swayed from side to side as though it were a happy dog.

"Could it be that it's not a monster but a pet? One of those exotic animals that rich people in this world keep?" Azrael speculated and took a few cautious steps forward, stopping just before the window.

He reached out and gently touched its head. As he petted it, the beast closed its eyes, clearly enjoying the affection.

"It's really acting like a puppy."

Rawr!

The monster made another soft sound and swiftly turned around, dropping a little in altitude—just enough to gesture with its head for Azrael to climb on its back.

"Hm?" Azrael looked down curiously from the window and noticed the gesture clearly. The monster was inviting him to ride.

"Interesting..." He muttered, studying the large backyard outside with a thoughtful expression.

"If it's asking me to ride it... then does that mean the original Azrael—who seems to have disappeared when I ended up here—used to ride around on it often?"

What made the situation strange was that, when he was on Earth, neither he nor Kael were allowed to even step outside the house.

The first time he had ever left the house was when Kael died—and even then, it was only because those two people had decided to put their plan into motion and toss him into that living hell.

"Although I already had my suspicions... it seems things really are different here."

Just as Azrael was contemplating whether to accept the monster's offer and go for a ride—

Tak!

The sound of the doorknob turning echoed behind him as someone entered the room.