Waking Of A World Chapter 14: Chapter 14: The White Crane.

Read chapter 14 of Waking Of A World by Victor_WIlliam on NovelPedia.

Liang Shen felt himself being dragged deeper into the black sea, half his body already swallowed by the viscous darkness. A rare flash of regret hit him. He normally wouldn’t have snapped like that. He would have tried to buy time and come up with a plan. Now, he had very little time left before he lost awareness again. “Wait!” he spoke through gritted teeth. “I’ll talk.” “Oh?” Evan’s hand paused mid-motion. The chains stopped pulling. Liang Shen felt his body rise slightly before the restraints tightened again, holding him in place. He quickly looked around. There were a large number of chains around him that hadn’t been there before. He noted that detail immediately. He also noted that despite being in this world, he could still sense his real body. Perhaps he could try to stand up. Without wasting a second, Liang Shen’s mind raced. First question: how had he managed to break out of the sea earlier? “Willpower?…” Evan himself had mentioned it. That meant he still had some ability to move and resist inside this world. Next, Evan’s Aspect itself. This place wasn’t real. It felt too crude, too imperfect to be a true Aspect Palace. Yet Evan could pull memories straight from his head with frightening precision. That suggested the power was tied directly to the mind… or more accurately, to memory itself. Evan raised an eyebrow. “So? Are you going to talk?” “Hmm?” Liang Shen answered calmly. “I’m waiting for you to ask the actual question.” “This is so dumb…” he thought. By now, Evan surely realized he was stalling. But he had already caught onto something crucial. Evan’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t play games with me. You already know exactly what I want. So spit it out.” Liang Shen continued his silent analysis. The fact that Evan couldn’t simply rip the information out as he wished proved he didn’t have full control over Liang Shen’s consciousness. Or rather, he didn’t have control over the dark space itself. There was a function that Liang Shen could exploit. That was the weakness. He might have a plan, but he would need to wait for the right moment. He needed to wait for it to return. Evan finally lost patience. “Tsk. Buying time won’t help you here. Time flows differently inside this world.” He waved his hand. The chains immediately resumed dragging Liang Shen downward. “No one is going to come save you.” Liang Shen closed his eyes and let the black sea take him without further resistance. Evan watched every movement carefully. The man was far too calm now, especially after losing control to raw rage just moments ago. “Just what are you planning, Liang Shen?” The dark surface closed over Liang Shen’s head once more, swallowing him completely as another memory of his began to unfold. This time, Liang Shen’s eyes opened to the sound of laughter, clinking glasses, and low conversation. He was sitting in a dimly lit corner of a luxurious casino, arms loosely crossed over his chest. His gaze swept slowly across the room. Well-dressed patrons sat at polished tables, eating, drinking, and pretending the night was nothing more than harmless entertainment. But nothing here was left to chance. Soft light spilled from crystal chandeliers, reflecting off stacks of chips and expensive watches. Behind the elegant façade, security was absolute. This was the Oasis Casino, the crown jewel of Tatius Entertainment, one of the Big Four powers in Veston City. Every table, every corner, and even the flick of a wrist was watched by unseen eyes. “Another hand,” a man said, his voice carefully steady. The dealer nodded politely. “Of course, sir.” Cards slid across the green felt. The player’s fingers hovered just a fraction too long. Both Liang Shen and the dealer noticed. A subtle signal passed, and then, from across the room near the man’s position, a voice murmured into a sleeve mic. “Table twelve. Confirmed.” The dealer’s pleasant smile never wavered. “Hit or stand?” “…Hit,” the man responded with a confident smile. The card turned, and wit