Awakening!

[Volume 3: A Step Into A New Word, begins]

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Chapter 12 — Awakening!

"This is Glorybound City?"

As I entered the city gates, I saw many buildings that reached the sky accompanied by beautiful modern sceneries. This city was clearly far larger and grander than a small town.

Glorybound City was at the border between the ocean and eastern coast of Sun Moon Federation situated in Douluo Continent.

There are currently three continents known to mankind. The Douluo Continent was ruled by the Sun Moon Federation. This place was where I was born and raised.

"I guess reading books was really a good idea…"

If I didn't start reading, I would've remained clueless about the world.

I walked across the streets that were packed to the brim with people. All of them were looking with hope and excitement.

The Glory City was bustling with various activities. After all, today was a special event that signified the annual awakening day for the children. If they awakened under the guide of a spirit master, the children would unleash their martial souls and soul power.

As far as I know, martial souls existed in everyone, but it was not the same for the soul power.

In essence, whether you have soul power or not would determine your status and future in this world.

If you have soul power, it will make you entirely different from normal people. As a result, Soul Master became the most noble profession that existed. Fortunately, the rapid development of technology was able to ease the differences between normal people and soul masters.

After asking for directions, I was able to learn where the awakening ceremony would be held.

As dawn arrived, I went to the location of Red Mountain Academy. Approaching one of the staff outside, I quickly signed up for the awakening ceremony.

The staff asked for my personal information like my parents or guardians. In the end, I could only mention that I was a wandering orphan. Fortunately, I was accepted shortly afterward. The awakening ceremony was free due to the Federation's Law.

Next, I was told to line up and wait for my turn patiently on the street. As I lined up, I was able to see many children that were accompanied by their parents. The children looked excited and anxious with their parents.

After seeing the various families that looked close to each other, I felt my heart growing very heavy.

The street was soon completely packed to the brim. The atmosphere felt very hot and uncomfortable.

I didn't mind since I was already used to heat from constantly handling flames when forging.

As I glanced in front of me, there was a black-haired boy whose appearance was higher than average. He was taller than average, but he bears resemblance to a cute girl.

Besides him, I could see his father and mother looking very anxious. Meanwhile, I saw the boy looking extremely curious, anxious, and excited like the rest of the kids.

As if noticing my gaze, the boy turned to look at me curiously. However, upon instantly seeing my face, he shrunk back like a terrified rabbit.

"Father, the guy behind us looks so scary…" The boy whispered in a hushed tone, but I was still able to hear it.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Wulin, don't be so rude!" The father berated him quickly. He then turned around to apologize to me, his eyes soon widening afraidly while gasping inwardly.

He then shook his head.

"I'm sorry for my kid's rude mouth." He then glared at the boy.

"I'm sorry, too…" Wulin bowed apologetically.

I glanced at them for a moment before nodding my head.

To be honest, I didn't care much about their reactions to my face.

It was true that I looked very scary to others.

After seeing my reflection in a mirror, I was able to see my wild and sharp facial features that oozed with iciness. I was also taller and very muscular than kids of my age. A natural pressure of oppression also wrapped around my body from slaughtering so many people. At the same time, it was also a testament to my beastly body. The scariest part about me were my dead blood-red eyes and wild messy black hair.

To other people, I was like a wild lion preying on domesticated rabbits.

Time slowly passed. It was spent with various emotions when people either left disappointedly or joyfully.

The line gradually shortened with each passing minute. After an hour or so, it was finally my turn along with the boy from before.

The boy was called first. After him, I was soon called to enter a building.

"Next, Nai An!"

A staff member walked out from the Red Mountain Academy with a list in his hand, loudly calling out my name.

I silently raised my hand to signal my presence.

Even without needing to do so, the staff member was already looking at my appearance that screams pure brutal masculinity.

"You two, follow me." He motioned towards the boy and me.

Maybe due to the excessive workload on awakening day, the staff member seemed somewhat exhausted.

The boy and I soon followed. As we walked along the small path inside of the academy, I silently wondered about everything. The inside was full of novelty to someone like me who's spent most of my time in the streets.

Red Mountain Academy was an elementary grade academy. The academy grounds were exceptionally clean and quiet. The awakening day was right before the start of a new term. In comparison to the clamor outside of the walls, the academy seemed unusually peaceful.

In fact, I favored this kind of clean and quiet environment.

The staff member brought us to the front of a circular building. Every academy has this circular building. It was called the Awakening Chamber that was specifically used to aid six year old children in the awakening of their martial soul.

There wasn't just a single awakening area within the Awakening Chamber, rather there were seven floors and within each one was an Awakening Chamber.

This was where I separated from the boy, as I was brought to the Awakening Chamber on the fourth floor, whilst the boy was on the third floor.

As soon as I entered the Awakening Chamber, I felt my eyes stinging from the excessive decorations.

All of the floors, the walls, and even the ceiling had inscriptions carved into them to create an elegant, decorative design.

Inside the chamber, there was a middle-aged man wearing a simple orange robe that featured the embroidered form of a soul beast.

"Boy, come here. Stand in the middle." The Soul Master wore a gentle smile.

Nodding my head, I stood in the middle of the chamber to the front of the man.

"Don't get scared. I'll awaken you now."

"Okay."

At this moment, a gentle resplendent white light shone from the Soul Master's hands and attracted my attention.

'Soul Power…'

Under my scrutinizing gaze, the Soul Master raised his right arm. The white light flew off towards the sky and blossomed into fireworks that illuminated the chamber with its splendor.

And starting from the ceiling, the inscription lines filled with light as it moved towards the wall. It was as if it possessed a strong and revitalizing energy. The lines kept lightning up until they converged below my feet.

"...!"

A soothing energy crept up my legs before entering my body. My body couldn't help but tremble as I struggled to stand up. It felt as if my body was being thoroughly massaged by invisible hands.

A vague sensation of something awakening from within the deepest depths of my body arose.

I soon saw everything blurring before my eyes, an unclear image unceasingly flickering within my mind. I focused my mind to take a clear look at it, but I could only see a vague shadowy silhouette.

'Is that my Martial Soul…?'

The vague image gradually began to grow clearer inside my mind, forming a realistic image that started to look familiar.

From the viewpoint of the Soul Master, it looked like my body appeared normal on the outside without changing. But internally, I felt radical changes occurring as my red eyes released faint reddish light that made its shade to deepen further.

Soon, the Soul Master gradually saw an extremely dense network of reddish lines glowing beneath my pale skin.

The Soul Master frowned upon witnessing this change since it was different from usual awakening, making him feel somewhat intrigued.

However, he was certain that my Martial Soul was proceeding to awaken.

As for why—

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

A thunderous sound resembling the firm and sharp sound of steel were constantly resounding, causing the entire chamber to tremble from the sound. It was accompanied by the raging sound of a gushing river.

The Soul Master's eyes lit up. This felt like a powerful Martial Soul!

The image inside my mind slowly became clearer and clearer. I could hear the thunderous sound receding back into my body.

At the same time, I could feel my body bathing with extremely powerful vitality and stamina. A powerful life attribute started to spread over my body that amplified my blood essence to become extremely vigorous and richer with energy. It strengthened my body to a new level.

I then clearly saw the image from before.

It was a Heart.

My previous normal heart turned into a glowing crimson heart that throbbed with a powerful sound akin to a steel being tempered unceasingly.

The heart was extremely realistic to the point of even extending to my circulation system that now shone with red light.

I slowly opened my eyes with brilliant red light emerging from it. Shortly afterward, I removed my shirt.

Looking over my chest, I saw a faint red light coming from the middle that gradually extended into a dense network of red lines throughout my body.

The burnt mark on my chest that vaguely resembled a sun looks more like a real sun now that it glowed with crimson light.

"Spirit Heart!! A Body Martial Soul that hasn't been seen before!" The Soul Master exclaimed upon seeing it.

"But why can't I sense your soul power signature?" The Soul Master approached me confusedly. He grabbed my hand before probing my internal body using his spiritual power to sense my rank.

As I got examined, I felt uncomfortable to feel the energy invading me. I then realized it was the same energy as my mind. (He still doesn't know about Spiritual Power.)

And then upon examination the mass of energy located within my lower belly, his eyes dilated even more.

"F-F-Full Innate Rank!"

I also widened my eyes.

…

Spirit Heart

Enhanced Body Conditions

Life Attribute

Heartbeat Control

Enhanced Adaptation

Users possess a characteristic vigor in one's heart, which grants an indomitable strength, or abilities, that's well beyond that of ordinary members.

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