Chapter 5(edited)
A soft breeze drifted through the half-open window, rustling velvet curtains embroidered with silver threads.
Arthur's golden eyes snapped open.
He lay in a massive, lavish room that reeked of nobility. Everything around him—from the carved obsidian pillars to the hovering mana lamps—screamed luxury and power. The kind of room built not just for comfort… but to remind anyone who entered that its owner was elite.
Arthur sat up slowly. His muscles should've ached from the brutal training earlier, but they didn't. Not even a scar remained.
"Healing magic…" he muttered, glancing at his smooth arms.
Of course. His mother, Rubina Valerian, wasn't just anyone—she was a Rank 7 Archmage, one of the strongest women in the empire.
"Can't even get a proper scar around here," he joked under his breath.
Beside the bed, a crystal jug sat filled with chilled water. Arthur poured a glass and took a long drink, his reflection dancing in the liquid—black hair like midnight, sharp eyes gleaming with quiet fire.
"I've opened all nine mana circuits," he whispered. "Now the real journey begins."
He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the faint pulse of mana in his body.
In Aetherion, unlocking the nine circuits was only the beginning. The next step was forming a Core—the crystalline center of mana inside one's body. It was the gateway to becoming Rank 1… to becoming an Awakener.
"Where should I form it?" he wondered aloud.
The heart? The spine? Behind the eyes?
Mages preferred cerebral cores; knights, the heart or solar plexus. But Arthur… his instincts pulled him toward something else. Something unorthodox.
He clenched his fists and took a deep breath, feeling the mana swirl inside him like a restless beast.
Then he recalled Alex's voice—sharp, commanding, from one of their late-night talks:
"Form your Core wrong, and you'll regret it for life. Form it right… and you'll carve your name into the stars."
The path ahead was steep, cruel even. But there was no turning back now.
He stood and walked to the balcony, the wind brushing against his face. Mana shimmered faintly in the air, responding to his presence.
Then his thoughts shifted, remembering what every noble child was drilled to memorize—the nine ranks of Awakening.
⸻
Ranks of Awakening
•Rank 1: Initiate of the Core
Focus: Soul-Core Formation
Lifespan: No increase
A new path begins. Power awakens.
•Rank 2: Wielder of Flow
Focus: Mana Skill Mastery
Lifespan: No increase
Spells become extensions of will. Power flows like instinct.
•Rank 3: Soul-Forged
Focus: Soul Awareness & Minor Illusions
Lifespan: +20 years
A bridge between strength and spirit.
•Rank 4: Mindbound Seer
Focus: Mental Domain
Lifespan: +50 years
Mental manipulation, resistance, and communication begin.
•Rank 5: Scion of Essence
Focus: Bloodline Awakening
Lifespan: +100 years
True gifts emerge—uniquely terrifying.
•Rank 6: Realmshaper
Focus: Domain Control
Lifespan: +200 years
The world bends around them. They shape reality itself.
He paused, heartbeat slowing.
"And then comes the domain of gods…"
•Rank 7: He Who Commands Laws
Lifespan: Unknown
Bend one law of nature. Rule your own reality.
"Few ever reach this realm… like Mother."
•Rank 8: The Myriad
Lifespan: Unknown
Control over multiple laws. Almost untouchable.
•Rank 9: Herald of Eternity
Lifespan: Timeless
Legends speak of them. None dare challenge them.
Just then—knock-knock.
A knock at the door stirred him from his thoughts.
"Come in," Arthur called.
The door opened, and in stepped a tall man in a sharp butler's uniform—Rein, his loyal attendant. But behind that polite face was a Rank 5 warrior with hands that had once crushed boulders barehanded.
"Young Master," Rein said with a respectful bow. "The Patriarch has summoned you."
Arthur stretched a little. "It's about time. Guess I kept him waiting."
"I assured him you needed rest after your training."
Arthur gave a faint grin. "You always cover for me, huh?"
"Someone must," Rein replied with a rare smirk. "Though your sister would call it coddling."
Arthur groaned. "She's back?"
"Yes. She arrived this morning."
"Great," Arthur muttered, walking toward the hallway. "Prepare the insults."
They walked through the estate—past glowing flowerbeds, levitating runes, and shimmering waterfalls. Arthur didn't spare them a glance. He'd grown up surrounded by magic and wonder. What mattered now was what lay beyond these peaceful walls.
Finally, they reached the top floor.
Rein opened the grand oak doors with a nod.
Arthur stepped into the room—and froze.
His father stood near the tall windows in his commanding black-and-silver military coat. His mother sat on a side sofa, sipping wine with elegance and quiet menace.
But it was the third figure that broke his composure.
"Arthur!"
A blur tackled him.
"Gah—can't—breathe—"
"Deal with it!" came the teasing reply.
Elyra Valerian. His older sister, fierce and beautiful, with silver hair tied in a braid and a glint of mischief in her eyes. A Rank 4 warrior and business genius.
She set him down and grinned. "You're taller."
"You're heavier," Arthur shot back.
"Oh, the brat's still got teeth." She ruffled his hair mercilessly.
Rubina chuckled behind her glass. "Children…"
Even Count Valerian allowed the ghost of a smile.
Then the Count's voice turned firm. "Arthur."
Arthur straightened.
"Your training results… especially your execution of Heaven's Descent—they were beyond expectation."
Arthur didn't let the rare praise go to his head. "It wasn't perfect. I nearly overdrawn my mana pool."
pool."
"Which is why we gave you that," Rubina said, nodding at a velvet box on the table.
Arthur opened it.
A glowing silver badge lay inside.
[Blood bound earring ] – Rank 3 Defensive Artifact
Creates a one-time mana barrier. Rechargeable with Core essence.
His eyes widened. "This is… incredible."
Arthur bowed. "I won't waste it."
Then Elyra stepped forward again, arms crossed.
"Now that you've been spoiled," she said with a grin, "I have one question."
Arthur sighed. "Let me guess…"
"Will you enter the Young Champions Tournament?"
The room fell silent.
Arthur's golden eyes sharpened.
"That's why I trained," he said.
Elyra smirked. "Good. It starts the day after tomorrow. Don't disappoint me."
Count Valerian added, "This is your chance. The world watches. Do your best."
Arthur nodded, his voice steady.
"I'll rise to the top."
As he left the chamber, the halls seemed quieter. More sacred.
"Finally time to meet other geniuses"
Arthur said with little excitement as he proceeded towards his room.