First Awakening

"Finally!"

Levi exhaled in relief as he held the final core needed to completely fill his dormant core. The black demonic crystal felt cool in his palm as he glanced at his status.

[Demonic Essence: 199/200]

Only one essence remained before his core reached its capacity limit. Levi's excitement bubbled up as he anticipated what would happen next. 

Yet, despite his progress, a small twinge of disappointment nagged at him. Even after relentlessly hunting the black cocoons, he hadn't managed to obtain a single artifact. 

"Let's not think about it now," Levi muttered, pushing the thought aside. Maybe his luck was piling up, and he'd eventually stumble upon a powerful artifact...hopefully.

Refocusing, Levi crushed the crystal in his hand without hesitation and activated Lunacy. 

Over time, he had become so proficient in absorbing demonic crystals that the once taxing process now felt almost effortless. The essence flowed smoothly into his core, filling the final gap, and the liquid within his soul core gleamed a vibrant grey as it reached full capacity.

Levi opened his eyes, hope flickering within them.

For a moment nothing happened, but then the Providence spoke.

[Your dormant core is overflowing with power.]

[Your core is starting to take shape.]

Suddenly, an unbearable heat erupted from deep within his soul. It started as a mere flicker, but in a split second, it swelled into a searing, molten blaze. His chest tightened as the heat spread rapidly, crawling through his veins, igniting every nerve, every fiber, every muscle.

"Crap!" Levi cursed aloud, clutching his chest with trembling hands.

Then it hit him—the pain. Fierce and unrelenting, it was far worse than anything he had experienced before. The searing heat that had been contained within his soul now exploded outward, spreading like wildfire throughout his entire body. 

His skin felt like it was being scorched, every inch of it alive with burning agony. Muscles twisted and contorted, and bones felt as if they were grinding against each other, as though they were trying to tear themselves apart under the pressure of this new force.

His very blood boiled as the heat surged through him.

"Arghhh!!!" 

Levi's scream tore through the air. His voice cracked under the intensity of the pain. This agony wasn't sharp like a blade but heavy and oppressive, like being submerged in molten metal. Every nerve in his body fired at once, overwhelmed with sensations of fire and pressure.

The heat was unbearable, like a furnace consuming him from the inside out, burning him alive. His entire being trembled, his limbs convulsing uncontrollably as if his body was fighting against the transformation, rejecting the sheer magnitude of power flooding his system.

Levi fell to his knees, gasping. His mind struggled to cling to reality as the overwhelming pain threatened to drag him under. Each breath he took was ragged, each inhale like dragging razors down his throat. But it wasn't just his body that suffered—his soul was burning.

The sensation was far worse than any physical torment. It felt as though his very essence was being torn apart, unraveled piece by piece. There was no respite, no way to ease the fire in his soul. It was as if invisible hands were digging into his core, ripping at him, trying to reshape the very essence of his being.

The core seemed to be consuming him, devouring everything he was in the process of its formation.

But through the agony, something stirred within him.

Levi sensed something awakening. 

A power, something just as terrifying as his demonic transformation, radiated from the core of his being, flooding him with overwhelming heat. 

It was trying to shape him, to mold him into something stronger—something greater. But it did so with fire and pain, with no mercy for his human fragility.

As the fire coursed through his veins, Levi collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing in response to the excruciating pain. He felt like he was being torn apart from the inside, as if his muscles were splitting, his bones cracking under the weight of this unbearable transformation.

His skin burned, his mind screamed, but deep within the confines of his soul, Levi felt it—his core was taking shape.

The searing heat began to fade, replaced by an icy coldness that washed over him like a soothing balm after the firestorm that had ravaged his body. His breath came easier now, though his chest still heaved with the remnants of pain.

[The first awakening is beginning.]

Just when Levi thought the worst had passed, a new pain, stronger and deeper, gripped him. But this time, it wasn't his physical body that suffered—it was something far more profound. 

His soul itself felt like it was being ripped apart.

It was as though needles were being driven into the very core of his existence, pricking every corner of his soul. Each poke brought fresh waves of torment, and though it wasn't as agonizing as when he drank the Essence of Lunacy, it was deeper. 

The pain radiated through every corner of his being, like a thousand tiny hooks embedded into his essence, pulling, twisting, reshaping.

His soul sea was changing, and with each moment. He felt exposed, vulnerable, as if the very fabric of his identity was being unwoven and rewoven with fire and ice. The agony ran deeper than anything physical—it felt eternal, as though the process would never end.

But Levi endured. He gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain, refusing to let it break him. 

Slowly, mercifully, the pain began to fade away. The needles pulling at his soul retracted, leaving behind a strange, comforting warmth. It felt natural, like he was returning to a state he was always meant to be in—as if this was his true form.

And finally, peace.

The waves of torment retreated, replaced by soothing cold. Levi felt calm, more composed than he had ever been. His mind was tranquil, his body strengthened, and deep within, he sensed it: the first awakening had completed.

His soul had survived the fire. He had survived the fire.

He exhaled slowly and opened his eyes. 

His body felt stronger, faster, and more enduring. It was a new feeling, one he hadn't experienced before.

But that wasn't the main difference.

Levi could now feel a new power dwelling within him, and as if to respond to his unspoken questions, Providence spoke once again.

[Your Core has taken shape.]

[You have completed your first awakening.]

[Your soul has grown stronger.]

[Your body has grown stronger.]

[You have awakened a new Trait Ability—Domination.]

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