After a few moments, Jacob descended from the stage, basking in the cheers of the villagers. His smug smile lingered, but the excitement quickly shifted.
Now… only one contestant remained.
At first, the crowd murmured curiously, expecting some youth they had overlooked — perhaps another son of a hunter, or a farmer's boy. Nobody recognized him outright. To them, Leon's face carried faint familiarity, but the resemblance faltered against his changed frame and aura.
Only a handful knew him at a glance: Amelia, who had watched every step of his growth; Denny, who still sat sulking after his failure; and his parents, Emma and Alfred, their eyes quietly steady.
The rest of the crowd dismissed the thought. That can't be Leon. The boy was thin, quiet, and plain. This one… This one walked with too much weight in his steps, too much shadow in his eyes.
Leon had become unrecognizable.
The reason was simple: he hadn't registered like the others. Participants normally submitted their names two weeks before the ceremony. Leon, however, had chosen at the last moment, slipping his name onto the list like an afterthought.
And yet now, before the coliseum, every eye was fixed on him.
Even before the announcer spoke, anticipation swelled like a storm. Dozens of whispers buzzed through the stands.
Finally, the announcer raised his scroll and called out, his voice echoing with a hint of confusion.
"…Our final participant — Leon Sears!"
A ripple spread through the audience. The announcer himself faltered for an instant, his brows knitting together. He knew Leon — not closely, but enough to recognize the boy. Yet the name in his list and the youth walking toward the stage didn't match.
It wasn't just him. Across the coliseum, the same reaction played out on countless faces. Leon? That's Leon?
The boy they remembered was gone. In his place walked a figure taller, sharper, exuding a quiet pressure that set him apart from every youth before him.
Leon ascended the steps slowly, each stride deliberate, steady, unshaken. Confidence radiated from him — not arrogance, but the calm of someone who had faced storms unseen. The murmur of the crowd grew louder with every step.
On the balcony of elders, one of the women leaned forward. Elder Selene Varrow, the middle-aged elder of Stoneford, her auburn hair streaked faintly with silver, narrowed her eyes.
Her voice carried softly, almost disbelieving. "Amelia… is that Leon?"
Amelia's lips curved faintly, her eyes never leaving him. "Yes. That's Leon."
Her words were quiet, but the weight behind them was unshakable.
Elder Selene's brows furrowed deeply as she leaned forward, her sharp gaze fixed on the youth standing before the Awakening Stone.
She prided herself on knowing every talented youth in Stoneford and even many from neighboring villages. It was her duty as an elder to recognize potential early, to guide the seedlings of tomorrow. Leon had never been on that list. She knew, he was son of Alfred and Emma, an average lazy boy , quiet and unremarkable.
But this youth… this youth did not match the Leon in her memory. The presence he carried, the sharpness in his frame, even the weight of his steps — it was like watching an entirely different person.
Selene's lips parted slightly, her voice low and uncertain. "This boy… is this truly Leon?"
Down on the stage, the announcer cleared his throat, his voice breaking the tense murmurs.
"Ah—well, it seems young Leon has been training diligently these past months! H-hehe, no wonder he looks so different now." His words stumbled awkwardly, but his smile strained as he gestured toward Leon. "A strong body is the foundation of cultivation, after all!"
The murmurs among the audience softened.
"Ah, that makes sense."
"Training, of course. That explains the change."
"Looks like the boy worked harder than anyone realized."
The excuse was convenient, reasonable enough to soothe most of their doubts. The crowd, eager for the spectacle of the ceremony, let their confusion slip away and refocused their attention on the Awakening Stone.
But not all were convinced.
Among the participants, Jacob's sharp eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. William too frowned slightly, his mind unable to reconcile the Leon he knew with the one standing so calmly before them.
For them, the change was not just strange — it was unsettling.
Leon now stood before the Awakening Stone.
In the corner seats of the audience, Emma's fingers tightened around the edge of her robe, her knuckles pale. Alfred sat rigid beside her, his jaw clenched, eyes never leaving his son's figure. Both were anxious, but a small relief eased their hearts — no one had pressed too hard about Leon's changes. The ceremony had gone on without suspicion.
Leon slowly extended his hand and pressed his palm against the flawless surface of the stone.
For several seconds… nothing happened.
A wave of whispers spread through the stands.
The announcer opened his mouth, his tone almost pitying. "Ah, it seems like—"
But his words froze in his throat.
Because the Awakening Stone stirred.
At first, faint sparks crackled across its surface, tiny veins of silver light flickering to life. Then the sparks grew brighter, sharper, twisting into dazzling arcs of lightning. The orb's white glow blazed with streaks of violet-gold lightning, each crackle splitting the silence with a snap.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
"Lightning—! It's lightning affinity!"
"One of the strongest elements!"
The cheers rose, but before they could reach their peak, the orb trembled again.
Heat rippled outward. A fiery glow surged through the lightning, red-gold flames blooming like a roaring inferno. The Awakening Stone blazed, its surface awash with fire and thunder entwined together, their radiance flooding the entire coliseum.
The audience fell silent.
Not from awe alone, but from disbelief.
The announcer's jaw hung open. The elders stared, wide-eyed. Even the chiefs leaned forward, their smug pride shattering into shock.
Because they all knew what this meant.
Leon hadn't just awakened lightning. He hadn't just awakened fire.
He had awakened both.
A dual-element awakener.
Something no one in Stoneford had ever seen.
Even the emotionless Elder Eleice of Astralis Academy tilted her head slightly, the faintest glimmer of interest flickering in her otherwise cold eyes. For a figure of her status, even that was equivalent to thunder.
The silence held for a heartbeat more, heavy, suffocating. Then—
BOOOOOOM!
The crowd erupted like a thunderclap.
"Two elements—!!"
"Impossible!"
"Lightning and fire together—what kind of monster is this?!"
"History… this is history!"
The coliseum shook with cheers, disbelief, and cries of awe. Children shouted, elders gasped, even hardened warriors stood frozen in their seats.
The announcer finally regained his voice, his face flushed as he shouted over the chaos.
"It seems—no, it is certain! Today, we have witnessed a historical miracle in Stoneford Village! Leon Sears has awakened not just one, but two elements! Lightning — one of the most powerful affinities! And Fire — equally fierce and destructive! Together, they form an unprecedented awakening, the likes of which has never been seen before in our village's history!"
His words rolled across the coliseum like thunder, and the crowd roared again, the sound deafening, the atmosphere feverish.
And at the center of it all, Leon stood calmly, his obsidian eyes steady, as if the storm around him could not touch the shadow that lingered within.
On the high balcony, silence hung for a moment, broken only by the deafening cheers of the crowd. Then, the chiefs stirred.
Chief Harren of Greenhollow leaned forward, his voice laced with disbelief. "Two elements… Lightning and Fire. By the heavens, Robert… Stoneford truly has birthed a monster this year."
Chief Varkas of Ironhill scowled faintly, his thick fingers drumming against the armrest. "Monster indeed. Lightning is one of the strongest affinities under the heavens. To pair it with fire… tsk. Even in the capital, such dual awakenings are spoken of in rumors, not seen with our own eyes."
Chief Malric of Windvale chuckled dryly, though his eyes gleamed with unease. "Looks like fate is smiling on you, Robert. First your son with earth affinity, and now this boy… Tell me, are you hiding some divine spring under Stoneford? Hahaha."
Robert's lips curved into a faint, controlled smile. He inclined his head but said nothing, his eyes never leaving Leon's figure on the stage. Inside, his thoughts churned like a storm.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side, the elders exchanged glances.
Elder Selene Varrow, her sharp gaze unblinking, whispered, "This is no ordinary awakening. Dual-element wielders are rarer than phoenix feathers… and far more dangerous."
Elder Kaelen stroked his beard slowly, awe clear in his tone. "Dangerous, yes. But with proper guidance, such a youth could bring Stoneford honor the likes of which we have never seen."
Elder Roderic grunted, his arms crossed. "Or bring calamity. A boy wielding fire and lightning… such power cannot remain hidden for long. Sooner or later, others will come sniffing around. Sect recruiters… and worse."
Elder Mariel exhaled softly, her expression a mix of pride and worry. "Still, to see such a miracle in our lifetime… it is truly the will of the heavens. But what path will he walk with that strength?"
Amelia's eyes softened, her smile faint but proud. "That… depends on him."
And beside her, Elder Eleice of Astralis Academy finally stirred, her emotionless face tilting ever so slightly. Her voice was calm, smooth, yet carried weight enough to silence the balcony.
"Interesting. Very… interesting."
The chiefs and elders alike glanced at her, the weight of her words sinking deep. For someone of Astralis Academy to show even this much reaction was equivalent to thunder shaking the heavens.