50 Awakening Time 2

Vicente and Rory awoke early the next day and quickly prepared to get their first meal for this glorious day.

Today was the day Rory would awaken his powers!

Vicente was not only excited that his friend had reached this milestone in his journey, but he was also looking forward to seeing the powers Rory would manifest after undergoing the Awakening.

Since no one knew who Rory's father was, his powers were very likely to be a surprise to all of them.

Nonetheless, all of them refrained from setting high expectations regarding Rory's talent and rather were more interested in discovering what ability he would possess.

No one believed his talent would surpass the ordinary and probably fall somewhere between the ranks of Orange and Yellow.

However, in this world, the Magic Gem wasn't just associated with the innate magical aptitude of its owner but also with how their powers might develop along their journey.

One could develop unique powers by connecting a Magic Gem to one or more Magic Pentagrams.

For example, someone with an elemental affinity for water but without any Pentagrams might more easily use their mana to manipulate that element. However, by adding Pentagrams, the affinity for water could evolve and form water-based attack forms.

Throughout their journey, one could, for example, form a water avatar, thereby creating a form of power that would be hard to find similar in the world, like a unique power form.

Some could form weapons. Others might develop special powers capable of foreseeing the future, controlling objects, and so on.

There were no limits to this, and it all depended on how far one could go!

So all of Vicente's group was anxious with all these thoughts in their minds by the time they finished eating at a local tavern and went to the local Awakening Temple!

...

Upon arriving in front of the temple in the heart of Millfall, Vicente noticed that the building resembled the one in Saltstar City.

The Awakening Temple was a part of the Congregation of Revelations, so all their buildings across the Polaris Realm followed the same architectural model.

Because of this, what one could achieve in this temple in Millfall, Saltstar City, or any other temple in the continent would face the same results.

However, one's powers depended more on one's own characteristics than on the temple within which they awakened their powers.

The difference was the presence of specialists who were capable of identifying talented individuals and offering unique opportunities that might change their fate.

As such, for people who did not want to be recruited by influential organizations, regardless of their talents, smaller places like Millfall proved to be a viable alternative.

Rory intended to stay by Vicente's side and had no qualms with Awakening his powers in Millfall. As he observed the coliseum-shaped temple in front of him, he felt a mixture of nervousness and curiosity as to what kind of powers he would get there.

"Shall we go there?" Vicente smiled at him, giving Rory a light slap on the back.

Rory nodded and climbed the stairs that would lead him to the temple's entrance.

Vicente observed the families gathering, accompanying the young people who were preparing for their Awakening in the surrounding area, but he was not so moved.

There wasn't a day that Vicente didn't think about Lauren and the day his father died. Still, he didn't see this place as a weakness or a source of problems that would make him feel distressed.

He understood what had happened to Lauren could have happened anywhere else. After all, Magic Gems were always visible on the foreheads of magicians, so sooner or later, those interested in his sister's powers could take her.

He walked up the stairs in front of the Awakening Temple with Rory without having any lingering concerns about what had happened about 3 years ago. Instead, he focused on the sight of temple members guiding the people gathered there, ready for the day's Awakening ceremonies.

"Who among you will awaken your powers today?" A woman dressed in the temple uniform asked their group after they had stood there for a few minutes.

Rory raised his right hand and smiled, saying, "I will. I turned 14 last night."

"Okay, follow..." She quickly pointed Rory in the direction he should proceed.

After that, she directed Vicente and his men to proceed to the spectators' area.

"Boss, are you anxious? It will soon be your day to follow the path Rory is taking today," one of the young men following Vicente expressed.

The older man among Vicente's warriors looked at the son of his former boss with a little apprehension, knowing that although it was a critical moment for their group, it was also a delicate matter for Vice.

But Vicente replied softly, his words filled with sincerity, "Yes, indeed I am. I look forward to the day when I will discover my limits and adjust my plans accordingly. My talents are probably not exceptional, but I believe with my weapons, I can go further than many imagine. The same goes for all of you."

Seeing their boss' genuine concern and encouragement, these men nodded in response to Vicente, feeling reassured their leader cared about them and was even providing opportunities for them to challenge their destinies.

As they exchanged smiles, they soon reached the second level of the coliseum, where they secured one of the galleries with a good view of where Rory was standing.

Rory was already standing on the Awakening Platform alongside more than a dozen other nervous youths, all looking around anxiously.

This was particularly true for Rory, who, unlike Vicente, had never witnessed any Awakenings before.

However, as time passed, his nervousness gradually subsided. When midday arrived, the same voice Vicente had heard in Saltstar City resonated through the place, marking the beginning of the ceremony.

"That voice... I heard it when I was in the Awakening Temple in Saltstar City," Vicente commented, his brows furrowing with curiosity.

A nearby individual overheard Vicente and commented. "That's natural. It's the voice of the Temple Master. All temples around the continent are activated by him daily in the middle of the day."

Vicente and his men turned their attention to the young blond man with an unusual Magic Gem on his forehead, intrigued by this explanation.

"I didn't know that," Vice admitted. "Thanks for the information."

"It's nothing, haha," that blond young man responded with a smile. "Is anyone from your group Awakening today? My little sister is here for her Awakening. I'm looking forward to seeing her great powers manifest themselves!"

"I hope she succeeds," Vicente expressed. "My friend is going to awaken his powers in this group... I am also looking forward to it.

By the way, my name is Vicente."

"Pleasure to meet you, Vicente. I am Lukas," that young man introduced himself, moving his hat, greeting this young man who didn't look simple but was accompanied by ordinary people. "Are you far from your Awakening?"

"No, I'll be down there soon," Vice replied, his gaze fixed on the Awakening Platform.

"Good for you... If fate brings us together again, I'll be eager to learn about your results."

After saying that, that blond young man shifted his attention back to the platform, where the Awakening Ceremony had just commenced!