Three Months Later
Three months had passed since the evaluation.
Since that day, Lucien had been training relentlessly. Every morning, he stood in the training yard with a wooden sword in hand, facing off against his father. Caelum Vaelor was a calm, powerful man with sharp eyes that saw every mistake. Under his guidance, Lucien's swordsmanship had improved faster than he thought possible. His footwork became quicker, his strikes sharper, and his body stronger.
After sword training, Lucien would rest briefly before heading to another part of the estate where Maeve waited. She had taken charge of his mana training. Maeve didn't speak much, but her lessons were intense. She taught him how to feel mana flowing through his body, how to control it, and how to use it without wasting energy. At first, Lucien had struggled—mana was invisible and unpredictable—but with time, he had begun to understand it, little by little.
When he wasn't training, he spent time with Celeste. Their relationship had gotten much better since the evaluations. She smiled more now, and they often talked about their dreams, their worries, and the world around them. Lucien had started to enjoy those quiet moments with her. He didn't say it aloud, but her presence helped him feel more balanced.
He also took time to study the world. Books, scrolls, and ancient maps filled his room. He wanted to learn everything—about mana, about different races, about history. He read about the different mana types, the ancient wars, and the power struggles between the races.
But even with everything going well, there was something bothering him.
Lucien had started having strange dreams.
In each dream, a woman appeared. Her features were always unclear, like fog surrounded her. She would say the same words every time:
"It's not time yet."
Lucien didn't understand what she meant, but somehow… he felt she had helped him during the evaluation. Back then, when the evaluator's aura had nearly crushed him, he'd felt a warmth protect him. He was starting to believe it had been her.
And what bothered him even more—he felt like he had seen her somewhere before. But he couldn't remember where.
---
The World Around Him
Lucien had learned a lot about the world during the last three months.
Humans were the only race that could use all basic types of mana. That sounded like a big advantage, but it didn't make them the strongest.
Orcs were experts in aura and physical strength. They could use the energy of the Berserk God—an ancient orc king who was said to have killed a dragon just by looking at it. The story claimed the dragon exploded on the spot. When the Berserk God died—not because of age or injury, but because he got bored—his essence spread to all orcs present. Since then, orcs gained power the more damage they took. The more they bled, the stronger they became.
Elves controlled Arcane Mana, a rare and dangerous type of mana. It was also called the mana of miracles. Elves could kill without even being seen. Their spells were fast, precise, and silent. Arcane mana came from the hidden forces of the world, and only elves seemed to understand it fully.
Dwarves didn't have mana like other races, and their physical strength wasn't impressive either. But their minds were their greatest weapon. They were the best at creating weapons, traps, and magical machines. There was an old saying that Lucien liked:
"Giving a dwarf time is worse than giving him your head."
It meant that if a dwarf had enough time, he could find a way to defeat anything.
Demons were the strongest individuals in the world. But they didn't even have a Codex like other races. Not because they were weak—but because their mana was so tainted and powerful that it would destroy the Codex on contact. They could form contracts with others, turning them into half-demons. The power boost was massive, but the price was high: slowly, the person would lose their mind.
Every demon was connected to one of the Seven Deadly Sins:
Lust
Envy
Greed
Pride
Wrath
Sloth
Gluttony
Each sin granted different powers. The more corrupted the demon's mana, the stronger—and darker—their abilities became.
Lucien also learned that once someone mastered a type of mana, they entered the advanced stage of that element.
Fire would become Inferno.
Water could turn to Ice.
Wind would shift to Sound.
And swordsmen could evolve to wield Aura, a raw force that enhanced weapons far beyond their normal limits.
There were even more ways to grow stronger—like forming contracts with spirits, earning divine blessings, or awakening something called an Incarnate Core. But those were things for the future.
---
The Night Before His Awakening
It was the night before Lucien's birthday—and the day of his awakening ceremony.
Unlike the original Lucien, this one would awaken. The old Lucien had been lazy and unmotivated. Maybe he never awakened because he simply didn't care. His mother had died, and with her, his will to move forward had vanished.
But now, Lucien felt alive. Driven. He had goals. He had people he cared about. And there was a fire in his chest that had only grown stronger with each passing day.
That night, as he walked through the estate, a servant approached him near his father's office.
> "Please enter, young master," the servant said politely.
Lucien stepped inside. His father and Evelyne were standing at a large table with a map spread across it. They were discussing something in serious tones.
> "Oh, Lucien," Caelum said. "Can you wait a moment? I'm almost finished."
> "No problem, Father," Lucien replied, stepping aside.
Evelyne glanced at him, gave a slight scoff, and went back to pointing at areas on the map.
> "So, Evelyne," Caelum said, "I was thinking of sending troops to the southwest border. Bandit activity has increased near the hills."
> "Yes, that would be wise," Evelyne replied.
Lucien raised his hand slightly.
> "Father, do I have permission to speak?"
Evelyne turned, her expression annoyed.
> "It's not as easy as waking up and exercising, Lucien," she snapped.
Lucien kept calm, even though the comment stung.
> "I just want to understand the plan better."
Caelum raised a hand to stop the tension.
> "That's enough, Evelyne. Go ahead, Lucien."
Lucien stepped forward and looked at the map.
> "I was thinking… why are we sending troops to the southwest? There's already a magic tower there. Its defensive field should be enough to keep the bandits in check. Wouldn't it make more sense to send soldiers to the southeast valley instead? That's where the last two attacks came from. There's no tower there."
Evelyne narrowed her eyes.
> "So now you're a military strategist? The tower won't stop a serious threat."
Lucien met her gaze.
> "I'm not saying we ignore the threat. But I checked the patrol logs. The tower has never been breached. The attacks come from the southeast because it's the weakest point in our defenses. Moving troops from there to the southwest could create a bigger problem."
> "And what if the tower fails?" Evelyne shot back. "What then?"
> "Then we send backup. But spreading troops too thin could make things worse."
Evelyne was clearly getting irritated.
> "You think books and maps are enough? You've never led a real force—"
> "And you're ignoring the facts just to argue with me," Lucien said, his voice firm.
The room grew silent.
Caelum looked between them both, then sighed.
> "That's enough. Both of you."
He turned to Lucien.
> "You've made a fair point. We'll review the southeast defenses and decide tomorrow. Thank you."
Lucien nodded. Evelyne turned away, biting her tongue, her face unreadable.
---
That Night
Later that night, Lucien sat alone in his room. The moonlight poured through his window. He stared at the ceiling, heart still racing from the earlier argument.
But more than that, he couldn't stop thinking about the woman in his dreams.
"It's not time yet," she had said again and again.
Tonight's dream had been slightly different. She had told him something new:
> "Find the place where the seven meet."
He didn't know what that meant—but the phrase stayed with him. Seven what? Seven races? Seven powers? Seven sins?
And why did she feel so familiar?
He sat up in bed and looked at the sword resting beside him. Tomorrow was the ceremony. He would finally awaken. He had trained, studied, and grown. He was no longer the lazy boy the original Lucien had been.
He was ready.
A/N:Man ,who is the woman in the dreams?
Any idea because I have none and also if you are reading and enjoying please add this novel to your library it helps me more than you think.Thanks for reading.