Awakening

As both Max and Selene reached the hall where Mimir had called them, they were greeted by the sight of a massive circle, but what truly caught their attention was a walking, talking straw doll.

"Well, don't be surprised. I thought you two would be more comfortable seeing me in a human-like form," the straw doll spoke. Max stared at the chibi straw man, while Selene said, "So cute!"

Mimir glanced at her for a moment. "I am sorry," she said, nodding.

"Anyway, leaving me aside, what happened to you two?" Mimir asked.

"Well, maybe the energy helped us awaken our hidden abilities?" Max said, sounding unsure of what he was even saying, As they say to deceive other deceive yourself first.

"Hmm, I will be the judge of that," Mimir said as his small black, gem-like eyes suddenly shined, examining them closely. "Hmm, you are somewhat right, but you've awakened a peculiar physique. Quite impressive," he said, sounding very pleased.

"From what I see, girl, your body is called the Cosmic Void Body, a very powerful one, peak of lines, closer to celestials"

"As for you, boy, it seems your body is still incomplete in its awakening, but nothing we can't fix," he said reassuringly.

"But before that, let's awaken the two of you," Mimir said as he pointed at the large magic circle, which seemed to be composed of countless intricate runes.

"This is a Summoning Circle," he explained. "I studied your world, where you come from, and I noticed your people bind with beasts to awaken your energy veins and embark on the path toward Celestials."

"So, I scoured through my vast collection of knowledge to find the right magic circle. This one allows you to summon a powerful beast that aligns with your soul frequency, meaning you can bind with the most compatible beast using this circle," Mimir continued, motioning to Selene. "You first. Come and drop a bit of your blood in the circle."

Selene nodded and stepped forward. She pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall into the center of the circle. The runes immediately lit up, humming with power.

'System, will this replace my familiar?' Max asked inwardly.

[It can, and it cannot. It depends on you,] the system replied.

"What's the advantage of adding it as my familiar?" Max inquired.

[The awakening process allows only one ability to be inherited by a partner, but a familiar bond, allow utilization all of its abilities,] the system clarified.

Max nodded in understanding, watching as Selene's summoning ritual unfolded.

Soon, the magic circle was fully activated, and a beautiful furry beast appeared. It looked like a mix between a rabbit and a fox, with two large rabbit-like ears that seemed almost too big for its small body and a gem on its forehead.

"A Carbuncle? I thought it would be a Void beast, not a creature related to gemstones and Earth," Mimir rubbed his head in confusion. Meanwhile, Selene's eyes sparkled as she looked at the cute little beast. She knelt and extended her hand, and the Carbuncle met her gaze with its small, curious eyes. It sniffed her hand cautiously and then moved closer, sniffing every part of Selene as she waited patiently. Finally, the Carbuncle reached her, wrapping its tail around her neck and nuzzling against her head as it affectionately climbed on her.

"Let's bind it with you," Mimir said as he opened another place in the hall. It was an altar-like structure with a small orb placed on top. "Just touch the orb and have the little guy touch it too. The contract will begin, and so will your awakening."

Selene nodded, listening carefully. She approached the altar, ready to make the connection with her new familiar.

Max watched carefully as Selene and the little Carbuncle touched the orb together. Both of them squirmed slightly as a drop of blood came out from each, mixing and forming a thin line of light that connected them.

"And it's finished," Mimir said.

"You never said it would be painful," Max frowned, noticing Selene wince slightly as she stroked her neck.

"Kid, if gaining power was easy, everyone would have it," Mimir replied simply.

"Well, it was easy for me," Max mumbled to himself.

[And that's why you're here,] the system chimed in, causing Max's smug expression to falter, his face returning to normal.

'Can't let me have my moment' Max grumbled while Mimir, motioned him to come and drip his blood on magic circle.

Max nodded and stepped forward, pricking his finger to let a drop of blood fall onto the summoning circle. The circle hummed with power as Mimir infused energy into it. Five minutes passed, then ten, with no sign of a summoned creature.

"How long is this gonna take?" Max asked after over ten minutes had passed with nothing appearing.

"Kid, either you're too talented, or you're so disgusting that the beasts are seeing you and rejecting you," Mimir replied. Max's face fell at the latter part, but he quickly composed himself.

"Today is just not my day," Max thought, blaming the system for his lack of luck. "I'm pretty sure it's the system's fault, as always," he mumbled under his breath.

[I heard that,] the system responded.

Finally, after half an hour, the circle began to glow, and a beast emerged from it.

"The moment of truth," Mimir said as a small wolf cub came into view.

"Woof!" It barked as it looked at Max and immediately ran towards him, licking his face all over affectionately.

"A Night Fenrir. I guess you were too talented after all," Mimir said with a hint of amazement.

"Tell me about him," Max asked, intrigued.

Mimir nodded and explained, "They're called the Bringers of Ragnarok because their bite can tear through anything, whether it's divine, abyssal, demonic, or undead. Nothing stands in front of these Perfect Predators. If there's a universal hierarchy of beasts, these creatures sit at the very top as Absolute Predators."

"But I'm guessing there's a catch?" Max asked, sensing there was more.

"Yes, there is a catch," Mimir replied. "They require a hundred times the resources of regular beasts to break through each stage."

"Great," Max sighed, nodding.

"But don't worry; for now, it's still manageable. The Night Fenrir is now bound to you, so we can handle the resource requirements for a while, at least," Mimir said, patting the cub's head.

"I will bind him as my Familiar," Max declared. "And then, I'm going to summon another one for my awakening."

"Familiar?" Mimir asked, intrigued. Max then explained the Cosmic Overlord body's specialty.

"Interesting... I've never heard of anything quite like this before," Mimir admitted, his interest piqued by Max's unique abilities.