Chapter 509: Awakening, Player Exposed?

Chapter 509: Chapter 509: Awakening, Player Exposed?

Apparently, they hadn’t expected three women to suddenly appear here either.

But soon, the leader’s gaze fell on Lamb, who was standing beside Seraphina Sullivan.

His eyes lit up, like a hungry wolf spotting a juicy piece of meat.

"Ma’am."

The man spoke, his voice deep and strong, filled with an undeniable certainty. "That fat sheep next to you is the prey we saw first."

Seraphina Sullivan said nothing.

Her Eye of Resume quietly activated, scanning the group.

A moment later, her pupils constricted slightly.

’These people... they aren’t Players.’

There were no special markers for Players on the system panel, nor was there any information related to them.

But their information fields contained strange content—

[Name: Kyle Kane]

[Gender: Male]

[Professional Skills · Awakened: Earthquake Perception—By touching the ground, can perceive surrounding terrain and traces of biological activity, and track prey based on ground vibrations.]

[Status: Normal]

[Name: Leroy Stone]

[Gender: Male]

[Professional Skills · Awakened: Rock Skin—Can briefly transform skin into a rock-like texture, greatly increasing defense.]

[Status: Normal]

[Name: Ironhide]

[Gender: Male]

[Professional Skills · Awakened: Wild Bull’s Strength—Can unleash extraordinary power for a short time, but will be weakened afterward.]

[Status: Normal]

...Seven people, and each of them had a different "Awakened" skill.

Seraphina’s brow furrowed even deeper.

’Awakened?’

’They’re not Players, but they have special powers?’

’Is it some kind of ability unique to the Native People of this world?’

’Or... does the influence of Demonization not only affect plants and animals, but humans are starting to mutate too?’

’Just like those demonized animals, humans are also undergoing Evolution—or rather, Demonization?’

When Kyle Kane saw that Seraphina remained silent, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of impatience and vigilance.

"Ma’am?" he spoke again, his voice lower and tinged with a subtle threat. "I’m talking to you. Are you trying to steal our food?"

Seraphina was still silent.

She needed time to think, to gauge their attitude and strength, to decide how to respond.

But Flora Sullivan didn’t.

"What do you mean, ’your food’?"

She took a step forward, her long hair moving as if stirred by an unseen wind, her sharp gaze sweeping over the men. "This sheep is my sister’s pet. You chased our pet all this way, and now you want us to hand it over?"

Lamb froze for a second.

’Pet?’

It subconsciously glanced at Flora Sullivan, then at Seraphina, a complex light flashing in its sheepish eyes.

But in the next moment, the will to survive conquered all.

"BAA!!!" It nodded emphatically, rubbing its head against Seraphina’s leg, putting on an act of ’I’m a pet, I’m very well-behaved’.

Kyle Kane: "..."

The men behind him looked at each other in dismay.

’That sheep... is really their pet?’

Kyle Kane’s expression turned ugly.

He stared at the three women, then at the sheep that was desperately playing cute, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

The atmosphere grew tense.

"Since it’s your pet, I guess it’s just our bad luck."

Kyle Kane waved his hand, his tone carrying a sense of helplessness and resignation.

He turned to signal for his team to leave—

"Boss! How can we just let it go like this?!"

A burly man from behind him grew anxious and strode forward, his face full of indignation. "We chased that sheep for half the day! The kids are waiting for us to bring back food! If we go back empty-handed, what will they eat?!"

Kyle Kane frowned and was about to speak.

Just then, a skinny man in the group wearing a pair of strange glasses suddenly raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

A faint blue light flickered on the lenses of his glasses. He stared at Seraphina and the other two for a few seconds, and his expression suddenly changed.

"Captain King," he said in a low voice, his tone grave. "Something’s not right."

Kyle Kane was taken aback. "What is it?"

The man with the glasses fixed his gaze on Seraphina Sullivan, Crystal Lynn, and Flora Sullivan, his voice dropping even lower. "Those three women... their level of Demonization is extremely low. So low it’s almost negligible."

He paused, then said, word by word, "They aren’t from around here. They are—"

"Players."

The moment that word was spoken, the expressions on both Seraphina’s and Crystal Lynn’s faces changed drastically!

Crystal Lynn subconsciously took half a step back, her hand already on the short blade at her waist.

Although Seraphina’s expression remained calm, her pupils constricted slightly, and the Energy in her body began to circulate, ready to summon Tubbs or activate a Skill at any moment.

’Our identity as Players has been exposed?’

’In this instance, the Native People know about the existence of Players?’

’How will the system handle this?’

’Will it be considered a rule violation?’

’Will it increase the instance’s difficulty? Will there be some kind of penalty?’

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Seraphina’s mind.

But the expected system notification never came.

No warning.

No penalty.

Nothing at all.

When Kyle Kane saw the sudden change in Seraphina’s and Crystal Lynn’s expressions, his previous confusion instantly turned to understanding.

The annoyance and disappointment on his face vanished, replaced by an irrepressible, joyous surprise.

"You... you’re really Players?"

He took a step forward, his eyes shining with an almost desperate craving.

Seraphina didn’t answer, but her lack of denial was an answer in itself.

Kyle Kane took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but his voice still trembled. "This is great... This is great..."

His team members behind him also grew restless. Some clenched their fists in excitement, others whispered amongst themselves. The burly man who had just been complaining was now wide-eyed, staring at the three women in disbelief.

Seraphina finally spoke, her voice calm but wary. "You know about Players?"

"We do! Of course we do!" Kyle Kane nodded repeatedly, then realized he was losing his composure. He took a deep breath and slowed his tone. "To be honest with you, we’ve had... Players here before."

’They’ve been here before?’

Seraphina’s brow furrowed slightly.

Kyle Kane was about to say more, but the man with the glasses stepped forward and reminded him in a low voice, "Captain King, it’s too dangerous here. The commotion just now might attract Demonic Creatures."

"We should head back first. We can talk more once we’re somewhere safe."

Kyle Kane slapped his forehead. "Right, right! Look at me, I get so excited I forget what’s important!"

He looked at Seraphina, his expression sincere. "Ladies, it really isn’t safe here. If you don’t mind, why not come back to our camp with us? We have food... uh..."

He suddenly remembered they had been chasing the sheep, which meant they also needed food, and quickly corrected himself. "We can trade! We’ll trade supplies for your information. Or if there’s anything you need, we can help with that too!"