CHAPTER 14: CH 14: AWAKENING

One important knowledge I gained in this planet after my two days stay was that people awaken elements.

Yes, the elements that I saw those students using on my first day here.

However what was more interesting and even unexpected was that each and every single person can awaken elements. No exceptions.

That wasn’t even the cherry on the top. In this reality, you don’t even receive talents on your element. Or in other words, every single person has equal talent in their respective elements.

No element here cares about the ancient bloodline, heritage-filled shit background of yours.

Umm wait...I am the son of an Earl right now... I shouldn’t exactly be cursing myself...

Coughing off my own hypocrisy, I looked forward. The hallway I walked in was dead silent but that only made it more peaceful.

There wasn’t much sunlight filling the halls and yet the darkness here felt welcoming. According to the janitor, the floor was originally made of milky white travertine that now looked slightly greyish, aged by the inevitability of time.

As I came across the large oak door, I raised the door ring and banged on the door.

Moments later an old, weary voice answered my knock. "Come in."

Pushing with both my hands, I opened the door and slipped through the opening.

The sight that greeted me inside made my breath catch. Travertine floors and walls,greyed out as well. Large windows at the left with translucent glass panes allowing faint sunlight to filter in the room. Terracotta designs depicting figures which I assumed to be religious figures were drawn beautifully on these smoked walls.

The sight was incredibly soothing to the soul.

My eyes darted to the middle of the room where on the floor, a forelimb made out of solid stone protruded out of the floor. It’s huge palm was open as if asking for an offering and it’s length ran parallel to the floor.

On the palm was a single crystal ball. It was transparent and from this far, I could make out the glistening of the surface as sunlight poured on it from different angles.

An elderly man in pristine white robes approached me. "It’s you again, Mr. Mordant?"

"Yes..." I couldn’t complete my sentence. Afterall I didn’t know what title are these people referred to.

And titles seemed to be of huge importance here.

The man raised an eyebrow at my incomplete sentence but to my relief he let it go and asked me again. "So what can I do for you today?"

I replied with a composed face, "I would like to go through the Awakening Ceremony."

Internally though I felt like fainting from the rapid drumming of my heart. I was both nervous and filled with anticipation, eager to see what I could unlock.

"But didn’t you already have the light element? Why do this again?" He asked me in a confused manner.

So, Henry was a light user... That’s some protagonist stuff right there.

Luckily enough, I have come prepared as I said, "That’s definitely true. But you see I think I have dual elements in me. And thus, I want to awaken the ofher one."

His neck snapped forward on hearing my words. In an almost surprised voice, he asked me. "Are you sure?"

"I am certain."

"I see."

The old man walked towards the centre of the room, beckoning me to follow him which I did.

As we neared the limb holding the crystal, the old man stopped. Then he carefully touched all the finger tips and to my surprise, each of them closed on the crystal just like how the petals of a Mimosa Pudica folds inwardly on being touched.

Suddenly, the crystal darkened.

No...

On a closer look, the glass was still transparent but beneath it, s creepy shadow writhed in it and slowly filled up the entire volume of the ball.

The man took a step back and held out his hand as he said, "I, TrailBlazer Roman, have initiated the process. Now place your hand on it."

I nodded and stepped toward the ball. If one gave it some proper thought, I am not returning empty-handed.

Henry and Karl were two different people and I deeply acknowledged that fact. Now Henry already had his light element and thus, as a separate individual I am bound to unlock my own element.

Furthermore, in case the crystal recognises me and Henry as the same person and doesn’t unlock another element for me, it shall still display the light element.

And if the result is the latter, I could simply excuse myself saying that I must have imagined the second element. TrailBlazer might get mildly irritated but nothing I can’t handle with a bit of flattery.

I placed my palm on the smooth surface of the crystal, the edges of my hand touching the enclosed stone fingers.

Suddenly the crystal heated up and in front of us, the shadows within it writhed fanatically as if trying to break out of it.

However the crystal didn’t even crack under the onslaught of the shadows.

All of a sudden I felt something trying to suck in my hand in the crystal. Alarmed, I tried yanking away my hand.

But it didn’t budge.

I looked at the old man with wide eyes but all I saw was a questioning stare.

’So this is normal...’ I quickly forced my expression to be neutral as I looked away from him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

I opened my mouth to reply but before I could, a chilling cold spread through my arms.

My neck snapped towards the crsytal.

It was now covered in ice accompanied with a bright light that reflected off the surface of the ice.

"Oh oh oh, Ice element!! You are indeed a dual elemental!! Congratulations, Young Master." A stunned voice almost blasted my eardrums as I groaned from the chills still spreading up my arms.

After a slight pause, I asked. "Umm can you remove it? The cold... it’s getting unbearable ."

"Right. I almost forgot." Roman almost tripped on the floor ridges as he hurriedly came to my side.

He touched the top of the enclosed stone palm. Slowly the fingers stretched open and the ice melted into cold water that dripped on the floor.

The shadows within the crystal dimmed as the ball soon turned back into its original state.

Suddenly Roman extended his hand towards me.

"Young Master Mordant, it seems you just got another achievement under your belt. It’s good to meet a rising prodigy like you."

Not seeing any reason to deny it, I shook his hand.

However in my mind I was laughing.

Prodigy, my ass!