4 Ch. 4 [World Change]

This morning it was very quiet. Noah walked alone without anyone passing. It is very quiet, even the sound of the vehicles that have become his routine now can only be heard one by one.

'It looks like people don't dare to go out,' thought Noah, who had guts for the dangers that loomed.

"Has the government issued a stay-at-home policy?" he continued thinking after he looked at the man in the marigold coat standing under the bus stop.

"Yo. Alan," said Noah who did not forget to wave his hand at the man.

Feeling called, Alan Woods turned to the source of the sound and caught a man in black with midnight express irises staring at him. His face was always cold and the look in his eyes when he was angry was terrible.

"Altair Noah Ortiz! You're in college too ?!" asked with a beaming face. It is very different from the meaning of his parent's dream, which is 'quiet, patient, friendly '.

Noah nodded his head when he was beside Alan waiting for the bus that now seemed like a long time to wait.

"Oh!" Alan seemed to remember something. "You know what happened last night, right?"

Again, Noah only nodded in response. He looked at the sky which was now cloudy and felt tense for him.

"I experienced [Awakening] and I got the role of [Tank]!"

Noah finally looked at Alan after he had ignored him for so long just to stare at the cloudy sky.

"Can you see [Status]?" he asked in return with a nod of Alan's head.

"Yep. You want to see it?" asked Alan. However, before Noah answered, that man had already opened his [Status Window].

"[Status]!"

[TRING!]

[Status

Mana: 180

Status: Tank

Element: Wood

Strength: 20

Durability: 35

Agility: 7

Defense: 37

Intelligence: 11

Senses: 7]

Noah saw the new inscription appearing in front of him, the words [Element], [Strength], and also [Status] were on Alan, whereas he didn't have them.

'Does this have anything to do with [Awakening]?' Noah thought as he widened his eyes at the floating screen before him. Then, he turned to stare at Alan's [Element] which was [Wood].

He smiled slightly. As if holding back laughter. 'Even the [Element] lives up to its name.'

"Alan, you had a [Awakening] when--"

"It's because you're weak, Loser!"

The harsh baritone voice interrupted Noah's conversation with Alan. From a distance, a man with brown hair and eyes that match the color of his hair walked up to them. With his hands tucked into the pockets of his branded jeans and his arrogant face, he looked down at Alan.

He approached Noah. Looked him down from the top, then laughed,

"Look at this, Ethan! He hasn't changed at all after last night!"

Ethan Sullivan. Is the person who had the accident yesterday and forced Noah to replace him during a basketball match; even though he is not a member of the basketball team. His left leg was still bandaged and he walked with a cane to go to the same campus as the man beside his.

"Hey-"

Noah stretched his hand to the side to stop Alan from speaking. Seeing Noah's attitude, Alan could only be sad when his friend teased him like that.

"He's grown up, but he's acting childish," thought Noah, choosing to sigh silently. he was tired of serving the man in front of him, Jack Reuv Smith who always teased him for being weak.

"Don't make fun of him. If he's not around, somehow the fate of our team."

Ethan scolds his friend, Jack, who is beside him. Upon hearing his reprimand, Jack was immediately silenced. He was sobbing and at the same time the bus came, he got into the bus first.

"I'm sorry, he just meant to be kidding," Ethan said. He grabbed Noah's shoulder which was glaring at him.

"Oh, I also have to thank you for volunteering to help our team," he continued when he felt bad seeing Noah gloomy.

"No need." Noah brushed Ethan's hand off his shoulder roughly.

He got into the bus and the grumpy Alan, he said,

"Geez! You guys are big, but you don't use your brains at all," he grumbled, which turned out to be Ethan and Jack.

Jack who did not accept it with sarcasm -he thought it that way- Alan felt emotional. He was about to make his voice and forward his footsteps, but was blocked by Ethan.

"You-!"

Ethan stretched a hand in front of Jack; block his path and forbid him. And Alan sneered as soon as he got on the bus which made Jack even more emotional.

Jack, whose emotions he had to endure because of Ethan, could only grieve and get on the bus with an unclear grunt.

Besides, Ethan stared at Noah's back which made him feel bad. His eyes winced and his mind wandered far away.

'Has Altair Noah Ortiz experienced [Awakening]?' he thought. He felt goosebumps around him when he was near Noah.

[][][][][]

The noise of the crowd began to be heard when Noah and his college friend got off the bus. With those relaxed and inaudible footsteps, Noah walked towards his campus and was followed by Alan, who had been living just like that.

"Hey, Noah! Wait for me!" Alan ran over to Noah with his voice made strange. Makes people around him turn to him.

"What else?" asked Noah who was getting annoyed with his friend's behavior. He suddenly got goosebumps with the attitude of his friend who had caught up with him.

"You know, the minister of defense created a Hunter Group?" asked Alan.

Noah casually replied. "I know."

Alan said oh my joy. Then, he continued his sentence which turned out to be unfinished.

"But, before entering the group we have to undergo the academy," he continued.

Noah, who was initially not interested in Alan's conversation, gasped. He looked at Alan questioningly. His eyes widened slightly with the information he just heard.

"Where did you get such information?" asked Noah.

Alan showed a blooming smile.

"I just read the latest article. Just updated about a few minutes ago."

With a smile that showed a proud expression, Alan showed his cellphone screen that revealed the article he was reading to his friend.

The one staring at the screen read the title of the article, then he nodded his head with a face that showed no interest. His hand moved to Alan's stocky shoulder and the other gave him a thumbs up.

"You are a useful informant for me," said Noah which made Alan confused as to what Noah meant.

"But maybe you've misunderstood me, because I didn't experience [Awakening] that day," Noah explained, smiling bitterly.

Alan widened his eyes and his mouth fell open at what Noah had just said. He didn't mean to look down on his friend like the two people who just met them this morning. After all, Alan did not think that Noah had not experienced [Awakening].

"Ah sorry, I didn't mean that!" he said panicked. "I thought that you also experienced it, seen from the change in your aura which is very different from before."

Noah frowned. He didn't understand what Alan meant.

"What aura?" asked Noah.

"Ah, you can't see it, can you?" guessed Alan. Of course, because Noah did not experience [Awakening].

"Since experiencing [Awakening], I can see the aura surrounding each person. You know [Sense]? [Sense] is the same as we play [Game], the higher [Sense Points] the wider our vision."

Noah spontaneously nodded his head.

"[Sense] is what allows me to see each person's aura. You know, every human has a different aura! Even I was surprised that my aura is brown!"

Again, Noah nodded his head. Now he is like a school child taught by his teacher about mathematics.

"And I see your aura is black. Oh! There is blue!" Alan looked closely at Noah. Makes the black-haired man feel strange.

"You sure have a terrible aura, Noah! It's even stronger than mine!" Alan explained that at the end of his sentence he felt goosebumps.

"From there I thought that you experienced [Awakening] and obtained this superpower!"

He punched the wind and his movements got even stranger. Noah who saw it just stared confusedly at his friend.

After hearing Alan's explanation and now ignoring Alan's words that had gone off topic, Noah thought of something. He looked at Alan whose body was enveloped in a thin Royal Brown colored light.