Inside the suffocating darkness, Adam seemed drowned in a boundless ocean. His breaths were slow, every cell in his body trembling—yet none retreated. Within him, a cold gleam flickered: At last… I will awaken. No mercy. No weakness. No stain of the first timeline clinging to me.
There was no fear, not even hope. Only a grim serenity—the serenity of a man who knew he had stepped onto a road with no return.
Outside the circle, Leon stood firm, as though the storm surrounding the palace weighed nothing before his presence. His voice pierced through the silence:
—"Adam… remember, awakening is not the end. It is the beginning of everything. Step forward."
Smith handed Leon a glowing mana stone, who in turn passed it to Adam. The stone flared with a blue radiance that cut through the dark like an arrow. From among the crowd, whispers slithered like curses:
—"That child will die…"
—"Even if he survives, he won't last a single day."
The words reached Adam sharp as blades, yet they carved only deeper resolve. Watching closely, Leon thought grimly: If this boy succeeds in awakening, he will step into the world of the Awakened—a world that spares no one but the strong. One misstep, and you're crushed beneath their feet.
Leon's gaze swept the audience, their eyes filled with fear and morbid curiosity, before returning to Adam. He does not know… he walks alone into a forest of wolves.
Adam raised the stone to his chest and let the mana flow. In his mind, he recited the paths like a surgeon reviewing steps of a deadly procedure. The natural path—absorbing mana slowly over decades in a rich environment, often incomplete and left to chance. The supported path—years of training under mentors, fueled by mana stones from rank F and above; the path of nobles, demanding patience, wealth, and time.
And then, the final path. The Mana Pit. The cruelest, most dangerous road—mana there was chaotic, poisonous, shredding the body and corrupting the core. Only those wielding at least a rank B stone could hope to resist the venom. The difference between this path and the others… was like heaven and abyss. Almost impossible.
He paused, a faint smile dying within him. Because I am who I am… I must choose the impossible.
First—the wealth; high-ranked stones were treasures the poor could never dream of. Second—the body; it must endure the venom. Third—the mana veins; their size, speed, and control would decide everything. And I… without arrogance, I understand mana more than anyone of this age. But my veins are too narrow. Any excess pressure… will tear them apart. If I fail, it all ends forever.
He pressed his fingers against his chest. That is why I forged the Mana Chains. Black crystals that absorbed mana and released it slowly into the core. The first step. He willed them forward. The first chain surged. Agony pierced his ribs like a blade.
The second step—forcing mana fast enough to pierce the core. My problem… is that my core is thicker than most. Yet that is also my advantage. If I open it… it will devour everything. His eyes did not waver. Inside, he carried the calm of a butcher before slaughter.
A muffled tremor shook his body—an inner detonation roaring like thunder. The first spike pierced the core. Blood burst from his mouth, hot and metallic. He did not stop. A second chain… a third… a fourth. Each time his body screamed, yet his eyes stayed stone-cold.
Outside, the crowd recoiled.
—"A mana wave?!"
—"How can a child release a wave?!"
The first wave was faint, but it rattled the chamber. The second nearly shattered the carved walls. The third sent sparks leaping from the surrounding mana stones. Adam collapsed to his knees, blood flooding his chest, but he clutched the stone tighter.
The fourth wave shook the ground.
The fifth forced even seasoned Awakened to cover their ears.
Silence froze the hall. Was this… a beast in the body of a child?
And then, amid the storm, it appeared. The core revealed itself—a black jewel, dense, eternal, like a fragment of primordial stone. Silence swallowed everything.
—"Impossible…"
—"That… that's a monster!"
Faces paled, eyes widened. Some even stepped back. Adam, however, lifted his head slowly. His face was carved from stone, but within him, a strange peace ignited.
A cold voice resounded in his mind:
[Main Quest: Awakening Complete – Success.]
[Reward: Bloodline Upgrade → The Unknown Blood.]
[Sub-Quest Unlocked: Mana Purity.]
[Requirement: Reach 97% purity.]
[Reward: Preservation of all bloodlines after upgrade.]
Adam inhaled slowly. Ninety-seven percent purity… so this is only the beginning. Good.
No joy touched his face, no surprise. Only a faint glimmer of cold desire.
This time, I will burn the world again. But slowly… so that none can escape.