CHAPTER 212: CHAPTER 212: THE ARCHITECT [2]

Alexander turned, flashing a sheepish smile amidst the dispersing clouds of grey smoke and distraction caused around him.

"Oops."

His snowy white hair slowly fluttered and he chuckled softly.

Instructor Wells drew a breath, restraining the intensity of his emotions. His emerald green eyes glowing brightly as he directed an almost piercing gaze towards the male cadet with white hair and ghostly blue eyes.

The Researcher shifted his gaze past Alexander and focused his attention on the details of the destruction, pressing his lips together as a closely approached with quick steps.

He pulled out a pair of glasses, his female assistant silently following behind him with a bead of sweat rolling fown her face. Even now, the residue heat from the area still stung in the air.

Instructor Wells stopped a few paces next to Alex and turned to him, his voice pitched with awe and emotion.

"Such incredible firepower. This was the power you awakened?"

Alexander, his smile receding slightly, nodded.

"I think so."

Despite it being a couple weeks already, the Academy was still sorting through the aftermath of the Dark Castle incident, at the same time, while trying to control the waves and ripples. One of them being the casualty level of the victims s, specifically being the First years.

Unfortunately, there were a few deaths, and even more injuries and traumas sustained — even some missing numbers — among the First Level cadets. This dealt a wrench to the working system of Aegis partially, as even if they tried to completely hide whatever that happened in the Dungeon as a secret,. there really wasn’t much they could do about the dead, or missing, or injured cadets.

During all of this, Alexander had revealed his awakening of a new Aspect — a curious and powerful ability. At the very least, perhaps, in all of everything that happened, there was some level of good that came from the incident, perhaps (?).

It seemed that Alexander had Awakened a Stigma in his time of struggle and desperation.

Instructor Wells adjusted his frames, regaining composure as the smoke cleared from his face. He received a small tablet from his female assistant that displayed specifics and readings recorded and transmitted from the white vest while Alex was using his ability.

"As expected of a Re-Awakening, it was a spectacle." He glanced briefly at Alex — "You do know what it means to Re-Awaken, right?"

Alexander lingered three seconds in consideration to his words before nodding with a little uncertainty.

"Isn’t that when an Awakened manifests a new ability or aspect ? A Stigma, right?"

The green eyed instructor nodded before adding.

"Yes, putting it lightly, Stigmas are unique and extraordinary abilities much different from Skills or any other Awakened’s powers. But only a small percentage of Awakened or Heroes can tap into that power by themselves — this process is called a ’Re-Awakening.’" the instructor spoke, his voice rising with such vigour.

"O-oh, i see."

Alexander nodded.

In truth, he didn’t really understand much, but it was hard to go against the flow of the vigor and enthusiasm the middle aged researcher was brimming with.

Of course, as a resident of this world, and even more so, an Awakani— Alexander had heard about a Stigma and a ’Re-awakening’ once in a while. In fact, it was also mentioned at some points during his classes or lectures.

"The same way creatures, like Humans Awaken, Stigmas ’manifest’ in an Awakened. But not many are successfully capable of manifesting or awakening a Stigma on their own. And during this process, those who do achieve such a feat, it is called a ’Second Awakening,’ or ’Re-awakening’ for short. Huhu. It’s kind of like a conceptual, or even physical manifestation of the Cosmic Will— ah, but i guess you wouldn’t know what that is yet, so nevermind."

Alexander only blinked, various different trout and words bounced around his head. In the end, he could only nod again, making some little sense from the words of the instructor, matter how slight.

He turned forward and faced the destruction caused in front of him — most of the grey smoke had dispersed considerably. Alexander still held the heated and boiling long sword.

"So, I’m one of those Re-Awakeners by Manifesting my Stigma on my own, then?"

Just as Instructor Wells had briefly explained and summarised, indeed, only a small percentage and few of the Awakened Society managed to Re-awaken by Manifesting a Stigma all on their own.

While there actually were also other ways a Stigma could be obtained, this process was more commonly known as a ’Second Awakening.’ Those who managed to achieve this throughout Awakened history qere considered the best of the best talents and prodigies amongst prodigies of different times.

And Alexander was now one of those.

And as if that wasn’t more than impressive on it’s own already...the Instructor continued. He raised the tablet, the screen bathing his face in its reflective rays, and nodded again. Instructor Wells stared intently at the tablet screen in his hand.

"Yes, indeed. Stigmas, unlike other facets of Awakened powers, are Unique to their Aspects, you see. And additionally, there can be various natures of Stigmas and the abilities they provide, some more unique, and even more omnipotent, than others. You seem to have Manifested one such extraordinary and unique Stigma yourself."

Alexander stared at the Instructor speechlessly, waiting for him to continue — the mental image of the ghostly pale white and illusionary flames burgeoning from his body was recalled vividly in his mind, carrying even the sensation as of he could feel it crawl against his skin in real time even then.

An Awakened possessing a Stigma was considered a big boon, and depending on the type or nature of its aspect, it could even serve as a trump card in their arsenals or abilities.

As such, most Awakened throughout the word hid the secrets and nature of their Stigma — if they even revealed they possessed a Stigma in the first place. There were a handful of those who weren’t afraid to reveal the nature and abilities of their Stigma to the public, but it was a more general and unspoken rule not to, as doing so could hold various disadvantages.

Even Aegis didn’t have the right to know about the Stigmas of their Cadets, unless they willingly wished to reveal it to the academy. Aegis as the foremost institute and organisation in Awakened research and in grooming prospective talents had incredible resources that could further help to develop Stigmas and abilities, however.