Chapter 3: Strange Awakening
The Day That Changed Everything
The auditorium was packed with students, their whispers mingling into a low hum of anticipation. Rows upon rows of seats stretched back toward towering crystal screens that displayed a live feed of the Awakening Sphere at the front. Overhead, floating mana lanterns bathed the stage in bluish-white light, casting soft shadows that flickered across the crowd.
Among the throng sat Mike Connor Jason, his posture tense, fists curled rigidly on his lap. While many of his peers fidgeted with excitement or exchanged hushed jokes, Mike barely moved, his jaw clenched, his heart hammering so violently it drowned out the auditorium's murmur.
Today was the day—the moment that would determine whether he had any real future in this world, or if he would be forever left behind.
Ever since the Sevanah War, humanity had changed. Myths and legends of supernatural abilities had become indisputable reality. With guidance from the Cronus race, people discovered their latent potential, learning to harness internal energy and stepping onto the path of cultivation. Power now ruled above all. If you awakened an ability, you had a place. If you didn't—you became irrelevant.
Mike had battled for years to prove he wasn't just another failure; yet a deep-seated fear gnawed at him. He was different, and in a world demanding conformity to strength, different seldom spelled good news.
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The Path of Cultivation
The key to all cultivation lay within the energy center, an invisible core deep within every living being that stored mana—the fuel behind any supernatural power. Upon awakening, this core resonated with a person's true potential, revealing their innate ability.
Normal energy was nearly transparent—an off-white mist only cultivators could faintly perceive.
Upon awakening, however, the Awakening Sphere would show its true color, giving instructors insights into the ability's type and strength.
Through painstaking study, bolstered by Cronus knowledge, humanity recognized five major cultivation grades:
1. Mortal Grade – The bedrock of cultivation, granting enhanced strength, speed, stamina, and an extended lifespan after unlocking the energy center.
2. Spiritual Grade – A significant leap where internal energy becomes potent enough to wield elemental powers like fire, lightning, or wind.
3. Saint Grade – Cultivators at this level can freeze lakes, create storms, or shatter mountains, transcending ordinary limits entirely.
4. Divine Grade – A rarefied peak. Only two humans and six Cronus (including their Emperor) have reached this stage. They can reshape entire cities or tilt the balance of entire wars alone.
5. Eternal Grade? – Merely whispered rumor—an unconfirmed idea of power so absolute it could reshape reality itself. None had ever proven its existence.
For Mike, though, even Mortal Grade felt distant and uncertain.
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A Life of Struggle
Every youth under twenty was required to attend cultivation academies, structured programs covering combat, mana theory, and specialized training in controlling internal energy.
Most students unlocked their energy centers within a month.
Mike took three.
Initially, teachers expressed excitement: his energy center was far larger than average, an unprecedented phenomenon that seemed to herald exceptional potential.
But as weeks stretched on, confusion set in. Despite its massive capacity, Mike could barely summon any internal energy. Where classmates displayed brilliant auras cloaking their bodies, Mike's aura remained faint, a sputtering ember in a world of roaring flames.
The bullying soon followed, as it often did when someone struggled. A failed prodigy, they whispered. A fraud. And while laws protected those deemed ability-less, reality proved unkind: power shaped opinions, and the powerless were easy targets.
Yet Mike refused to bow. He would give today everything he had, because if the Awakening Ceremony confirmed his worst fears, there would be little left for him in this new era.
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The Awakening Ceremony
A resonant voice boomed across the vast hall, stilling the crowd's excited chatter:
Dean Alric Fenmore, a figure of composed authority, stood at the front. His deep-blue robes, embroidered with glowing gold sigils, gently swayed as he lifted his microphone.
> "Welcome, students," he said, his tone laced with both promise and challenge. "Today marks the beginning of your true journey. Some of you will ascend to greatness, others may struggle. But remember—your potential is yours to define. Let the awakening begin!"
With those words, a surge of anticipation coursed through the students. They lined up toward the Awakening Sphere—a massive, crystalline orb inscribed with ancient runes that glowed faintly in the mana lanterns' light.
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The Elites Emerge
First up were the elite candidates, children of noble or influential families—names already spoken with reverence.
Peter Franklin placed his palms on the sphere, igniting a crimson flare and a torrent of heat.
"Peter Franklin—Lava Manipulation, 2-Star," the dean announced, prompting gasps of admiration.
Alexander Rothwell followed, arcs of blue-white lightning dancing across his arms.
"Lightning Manipulation, 2-Star!"
Serena Valerian caused a spectral ice wyvern to materialize briefly, its image leaving a glowing tattoo on her forehead.
"Beast Summoning: Ice Wyvern, 3-Star!"
Liam Hunter triggered quakes beneath his feet, earth and stones rattling around him.
"Earth Manipulation, 2-Star!"
Celeste Orion flooded the air with radiant light, momentarily dazzling the front rows.
"Light Manipulation, 2-Star!"
Gasps and scattered applause echoed around the auditorium. A 3-Star awakening like Serena's was exceptionally rare, marking her as someone with immense prospects.
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Mike's Turn
After the elite group stepped away, more students approached. Each awakened abilities ranging from 1-Star Barrier or 2-Star Toxic Fog to Wind Manipulation and Healing Hands. The excitement in the hall built steadily—until the microphone crackled again.
> "Michael Connor Jason, step forward!"
All conversation abruptly hushed. Mike forced himself to rise, ignoring the pounding of his heart that echoed in his ears. Memories of snide remarks, months of doubt, and sleepless nights tumbled through his mind as he approached the orb. With a determined swallow, he pressed his trembling hands against its cool surface.
Nothing.
Murmurs flitted among the crowd. Had he failed completely? Shame and panic coiled in Mike's gut. Then—
The sphere shuddered, releasing a swirling glow of dark yellow, almost golden luminescence interlaced with erratic flickers of black. The aura pressed outward, a tangible force that drew startled gasps from the nearest onlookers. Even Dean Alric frowned, his posture rigid, as if sensing something beyond the norm.
Inside Mike's consciousness, he glimpsed an enormous golden sphere, pulsating like a tiny sun. Sparks of energy danced erratically around it. Opposite it lay a smaller black orb streaked with dark purple light, equally unsettling. No familiar rings denoted star level; it felt alien, unstable—raw potential on the edge of control.
A small, sharp whistling noise cut through the auditorium. Dozens of students momentarily froze, their minds blank for an instant. Dean Alric staggered, clutching his chest as though his own mana had been disrupted.
When he recovered, his voice trembled slightly:
"Novice. 0-Star Ability."
Disbelief flickered through the audience. Some smirked, viewing 0-Star as worthless. Others sensed the oppressive force emanating from Mike and found no humor in it.
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A Grim Demonstration
Dean Alric gestured for Mike to confirm his ability using standard test items:
1. Crystal Ball
Mike channeled the faint golden aura into his fingertips. The moment they touched the crystal, it shattered into fine powder. Gasps and stifled exclamations followed.
2. Stone Pillar
Slipping on reinforced gloves, Mike struck a waist-high stone column. It crumbled instantly, debris scattering across the stage. Even the more seasoned cultivators in the crowd shifted uneasily.
3. Magical Beast
Reluctantly, a caged creature—used for verifying harmful abilities—was placed before him. Mike hesitated, then placed a trembling hand on its fur, focusing only a thread of energy. The beast let out a bloodcurdling scream, vomited blood, then died. The entire hall recoiled in horror.
With an ashen face, Dean Alric summoned a healer. She checked the creature, her expression growing grave.
"All its organs are ruptured… and its core is shattered,"
What Cursed Power Is This?
A swirl of self-doubt and guilt roiled inside him. Is this a blessing or a curse? The beast's pitiful shrieks echoed in his ears, and he could almost feel the eyes of the entire university fixated on him with a mixture of awe and apprehension.
One thought rose above the rest—he would not let this define him. Whether he had stumbled upon an uncharted, potentially disastrous power or not, he was alive, awakened, and determined to understand it. No matter how twisted or lethal his ability seemed at first, he wouldn't surrender to fear or mockery.
And so, in the silent aftermath of a creature's death and the crowd's stunned disbelief, Mike Connor Jason stood at the crossroads of a future as unimaginable as it was dangerous, wondering if he'd just discovered his greatness or an curse