Supreme Awakener

Chapter 6 I’ll be a wonder

Suddenly, Edward caught the telltale grumble of Yvonne's stomach.

"You're hungry, aren't you, Yvonne?" Edward said with a smile, "Settling scores with those enemies can wait, but your hunger can’t. Let me cook something for you now.”

"Sure, I am. I'm actually famished!” Yvonne replied. “You know, the bath and all that ruckus really took it out of me!"

"What are you in the mood for?" Edward asked, his tone light.

"I'd kill for some noodles with meatballs," she said, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

"Noodles are a piece of cake," Edward replied with a wry grin, "But meatballs, well..."

Edward hesitated, the reality of their situation setting like a stone in his gut.

Ever since their parents passed away, Yvonne had been enduring hardship right alongside him. He recalled the last time Yvonne had indulged in meatballs—two long years before.

At that moment, he made a silent vow that he would one day offer her a better life—a life where she could dine like royalty and rest in opulence. But for now…

"How about meat slivers instead?" Edward ventured, his voice tinged with embarrassment.

"Sure, noodles with meat slivers are fine too," Yvonne agreed, her eyes curving into crescents, a sight that never failed to captivate.

Edward returned her smile, his fingers gently pinching her cheek. “I’m on it.”

With that, he turned and strode towards their weather-beaten home.

"I want to help too, wait up," Yvonne called after him.

In no time, Edward was immersed in the family routine of preparing a meal.

From a large, black jar by the door, he retrieved a piece of cured meat that had been stored for what felt like an eternity. After washing it clean, he sliced off a small portion and cut it into delicate shreds.

Palpably, Edward had long grown accustomed to these mundane tasks; poverty had a way of making children grow up fast.

Yvonne, on the other hand, picked a plump, round pumpkin from their meagre vegetable patch, intent on crafting a dish to celebrate Edward’s awakening.

In what they called their kitchen—a cramped space of barely two square meters, equipped with little more than a small stove and a few chipped bowls—the siblings set about preparing their feast.

Forty-five minutes later, two steaming dishes were ready.

They didn't even have a dining table.

What passed for a table was a makeshift structure held up by two pieces of wood and a wooden board that wobbled precariously as they placed the dishes on it.

"Yvonne, try the noodles with meatballs, or rather, meat slivers," Edward urged.

Yvonne inhaled the steam rising from the bowl, nodding vigorously, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"It smells so good."

She swiftly picked up a few strands of noodles with her chopsticks and popped them into her mouth.

"Wow, how delicious! Everything my brother cooks is amazing!" she mumbled with a mouthful of food.

"Really? Having you as my sister makes me feel like the happiest brother alive," Edward said, his heart swelling with affection.

Then Edward himself took a bite of a few noodles from the bowl, but his face contorted as he clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"That’s too salty! I'm sorry, Yvonne, how silly I am! I can’t even make a bowl of noodles properly," Edward said, his face falling.

Yvonne chuckled, "It’s okay, my dear brother. Perhaps the noodles are a bit salty, but the meat slivers are not bad! Trust me, try it."

Edward took a meat shred, and indeed, it was perfect.

"Well, it looks like I still have a knack for cooking," Edward joked.

They looked at each other and laughed, a moment of levity in their otherwise sombre lives.

"Of course. I'm always proud of my brother. Now try the pumpkin with salted eggs I made for you. The pumpkin is fresh from our yard," said Yvonne, pushing her dish towards Edward.

The pumpkin, mixed with slated eggs, was a perfect symphony of colour, aroma, and taste.

The yellow of the pumpkin contrasted beautifully with the white of the salted eggs, layered like a delicate cake.

"You truly are gifted, Yvonne. I’m outmatched in the kitchen," Edward gave Yvonne a thumbs-up.

The ‘cake’ was so beautiful that Edward could not even spoil its beauty. But with Yvonne's urging, he took a small spoonful and savoured it, the sweetness of the pumpkin exploding on his palate.

"It's divine, Yvonne, you are born a gourmet," Edward exclaimed. "I just wish you could live a life of ease. Even if you work as a chef in the future, I’ll be very pleased. I believe our parents would be proud too. As a brother, I’ve failed to provide for you as I should."

Suddenly, his voice caught, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"No, brother, you've tried your best to look after me," Yvonne’s eyes shimmered with emotion as she assured him, "I really appreciate it. Okay now, let’s celebrate your awakening."

They didn't have wine, so Yvonne filled two cups with water from the nearby tank.

Yvonne handed a cup to Edward, who grasped it eagerly. With a gentle clink of their cups, Yvonne's voice rang out with joy,

"Congratulations, brother. Now that you've become an awakener, may you rise to become a Supreme Awakener—the most powerful awakener in this world. I too aspire to be a top awakener, to bring justice to this unjust world. Together, we'll vanquish all the villains."

"But I'd rather see you as a carefree gourmet. Then I'd never lack for delicious food," Edward added with a chuckle.

After draining his cup of water, Edward suddenly asked,

"Yvonne, what's your take on the Awakening Ritual scheduled for the day after tomorrow?"

Edward decided it was time to discuss something weighty with his sister.

Yvonne pondered for a moment, then spoke,

"As the great strategist in this world said, the best strategy is to avoid battle when possible. So…, I’m ready to pack up and leave any moment!"

"What?" Edward's brows knitted, "You're doubting me? But you just said you hoped I'd become a Supreme Awakener, and that you're proud of me. Are you thinking of fleeing now?"

A twitch played at the corner of Edward's mouth.

"You can’t go to attend the family's Awakening Trial. It's undoubtedly a trap. Didn't that damned Larry just warn us that the master of the Gold family would stop at nothing to deal with us? It's too dangerous!"

"But I must reclaim what our mother left for us," Edward stated resolutely.

"Where there's life, there's hope, brother. We can find another way later, brother."

"If I don't show up for the so-called awakening test, they'll seize our inheritance, and reclaiming it will be even more challenging."

Their mother had left them six relics, rumoured to be top-tier treasures that would make the greedy drool, including the head of the Gold family. Without driving Edward and his sister away or resorting to murder, they couldn't swallow these treasures whole.

"But you've only just awakened, and you haven't mastered any combat skills. With just you and me, we can't compete with the head of the family, Charles. He's a master-level awakener. Moreover, he has four powerful awakeners at ordinary level seven or above. For us, it's impossible to easily reclaim our mother's relics from them. I think we should reconsider."

"Give me one night."

"What do you intend to do?" Yvonne asked, her eyes wide as she gazed at Edward's handsome face.

"I intend to train. I aim to break through to a higher level as an awakener."

Yvonne immediately touched Edward's forehead.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked, puzzled.

"Checking if you have a fever."

Feeling that her brother showed no signs of a fever, Yvonne sighed,

"Since you're not running a fever, I think you must be crazy."

"You know, it takes an ordinary awakener a year to progress from level one to level two, and three years to go from two to three, not to mention the countless pills refined with precious herbs you have to take and diligent practice every day. You say you want to level up in one night; aren't you crazy?"

"But remember, Grandma Emma said before that my awakening root was broken, and I couldn't awaken. Yet here I am, awakened, aren't I? I will be a miracle."

Grandma Emma wasn't their real grandmother but the only maid left by their mother. After their mother’s death, she had been taking care of them.

Yet, it seemed she did a lousy job. She only occasionally brought some food, but most of the time, Edward and Yvonne could even barely see her.

No one knew where she was now.

"Well, this should be just a stroke of luck," Yvonne said, “You can’t be lucky all the time!

Come on, be realistic, brother!" Yvonne said, her voice firm but her eyes filled with concern.

Yvonne was well aware that what Edward spoke of as a miracle was nothing but a one-in-a-million occurrence among awakeners, a sign of extraordinary talent.

To break through to a new level in a single night would mark him as a prodigy. Palpably, Edward, who had taken a decade to awaken, hardly fit the bill.

If he was not crazy, then who was?

"Don't look at me like that, sis. I'm not crazy, I assure you. Besides, haven't you reached a new level yourself?" Edward asked, his tone earnest.

"That's true. The strange energy you channelled me, and then the breakthrough just happened," Yvonne admitted, recalling the distinctive energy from Edward.

‘Could it be that my brother was indeed a prodigy?’ thought Yvonne, ‘Oh no, Yvonne, you are crazy, too.’

"Come on, sis, let's make a bet. If I can break through to a new level in one night, you'll cook for me every day, deal?" Edward proposed, a grin playing on his lips.

"Haha, that's a piece of cake for me, you little foodie. But if you fail, you'll have to take my advice, and we'll have to leave under the cover of night," Yvonne retorted, her eyes sparkling with a mix of worry and excitement.

"Deal," Edward agreed without any hesitation. “I’ll be a wonder.”