Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Awakening (2)
Chapter 5: Awakening (2)
Slurp. Slurp. Slurp.
Noah groaned in his sleep.
"Neko... stop licking me."
Slurp. Slurp. Slurp.
"Damn it, Neko!!"
His silver eyes snapped open, glaring at the small black cat perched on his chest. Neko stared back at him, tongue out, as if ready to go for another lick.
Noah let out a sigh, rubbing his face. He barely got any sleep last night. His mind had been racing, the sheer excitement of obtaining an SSS-rank talent keeping him wide awake.
But despite his exhaustion, he couldn't help but grin.
He grabbed Neko, pulling her into a tight hug.
"You're too cute. Your purple eyes match my hair perfectly—just like fate. You and I, we're going to steal some hearts, alright?"
He smirked.
"Just act cute when I tell you to."
Neko blinked at him. Then, without warning—
She snarled and started clawing at his face.
"Argh! Damn it, Neko! Just say no if you don't want to! Why go straight for my face? My greatest asset, you brute!"
Noah frantically tried to pry her off, but the little feline showed no mercy.
Knock. Knock.
A voice interrupted their battle.
"Young Master, Lady Selene is waiting for you in the Awakening Room."
Noah exhaled, defeated. He set Neko down and climbed out of bed.
"I'll be there in five minutes."
His expression shifted. His playful energy faded, replaced with quiet determination.
Today was the beginning of everything.
...
Noah stood before an ornate door.
Perched on his head, Neko's violet eyes gleamed under the dim light, perfectly mirroring his hair.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room was simple yet mesmerizing—walls dyed in a deep shade of purple, silver threads woven into intricate patterns.
But as his eyes roamed the room, they widened slightly.
One of the woven designs stood out—a cat, intricately crafted into the silver embroidery.
Noah glanced up at Neko, narrowing his eyes.
"I knew it. You cliche thing. What's your relation with our family?"
The original novel never mentioned this detail.
I wonder why.
But he shook the thought away and refocused. In the center of the room stood a crystal orb, resting on an ornate platform.
This was the Awakening Crystal—a relic discovered in an ancient ruin, later replicated by master artificers and runesmiths.
Its purpose?
To seamlessly infuse the body with mana, forming a core, and awakening one's innate talent—then take the first step into the realm of the extraordinary.
A simple process.
"You're here, my baby."
Noah turned to his right.
Selene stood there, adorned in a breathtaking purple gown, her silver-white hair cascading over her shoulders. Her presence was both graceful and commanding.
For a moment, he couldn't help but note—
"This family, they really do love purple, huh?"
But then—he noticed something strange.
Selene's gaze was locked onto Neko.
Her violet eyes flickered with something rare—surprise.
'Why is your daughter with my son, Luminara?'
She spoke inwardly, directing the thought to someone unseen.
Neko held her gaze, unflinching, even looking a bit smug as she made herself comfortable atop Noah's head.
A voice—silken yet cold—answered in her mind.
'She wouldn't let me rest last night. She insisted on seeing Noah, no matter what. I feared I might freeze her solid if she kept annoying me, so I let her go.'
Selene's eyes darkened.
'And you didn't think to inform me?'
'It's a matter between the young ones. Stop acting like a mother hen, Selene.'
Just as Selene was about to argue—
"Mother, what's wrong? Can we start now or not?"
Noah's voice cut through her thoughts, bringing her back to the present.
She let out a soft sigh and smiled.
"Of course. Just place your hand on the crystal. I've made all the necessary preparations."
But her mind whispered one final thought—
'Luminara, this isn't over.'
A soft huff of amusement echoed in response.
Selene's voice turned instructional.
"As soon as you touch the crystal, mana will begin flowing into your body."
"The type of mana depends on your affinity—our Weaverheart bloodline has always wielded Ice Mana."
"Your task is to take control of that mana and form a core within your dantian."
"Once your core stabilizes, your talent will awaken."
"Do you understand?"
Noah nodded.
"Yes, Mother."
Not that he needed the explanation—he already knew all of this.
Selene gestured towards the crystal.
"Then begin."
Noah stepped forward, standing before the Awakening Crystal.
Huuuu...
He took a deep breath, steadying himself.
This was it.
He placed his hand on the crystal.
Seconds passed. The crystal flickered, as if analyzing him—then, Ice Mana surged into his body.
A sharp cold spread through him. His body shuddered involuntarily.
"Focus, Noah! Control it and form your core!"
Selene's voice rang out.
Noah gritted his teeth.
He grasped at the mana within him—and to his surprise, it felt... effortless.
Natural.
His eyes widened.
"This is because of my SSS-rank affinity..."
His confidence soared. He commanded the ice mana with ease, molding it, compressing it—
And after mere minutes, a brilliant blue core formed in his dantian.
It pulsed, exuding a soft, frosty glow.
Then—
Something shifted.
Deep within him, something stirred—as if waking from a long slumber.
Noah's entire body trembled.
Then—
BOOOM !!
The entire room exploded with ice.
The Awakening Crystal frozen then shattered into a thousand pieces.
Frost erupted, crawling up the walls, splitting them apart.
The air itself turned frigid, crackling with overwhelming power.
Everything was consumed by ice.
And at the center of it all—
Noah stood, completely untouched, his purple hair glistening with frost.
It was as if Ice itself had embraced him.
Selene's breath hitched. Her pupils constricted.
The temperature in the room plummeted even further—not from Noah, but from her own sheer disbelief.
"...This can't be..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The shattered remains of the mana crystal crunched under her heel as she instinctively stepped back. She had seen countless awakenings in her lifetime—great prodigies, monstrous talents, those who defied expectations... but this... this was on another level entirely.
SSS rank?
For the first time in years, her hands trembled. She clenched them into fists to steady herself.
'Luminara... tell me this is real.'
'Oh, it's real,' the voice inside her chuckled, utterly amused. 'Your son has just become something the world hasn't seen in centuries.'
Selene's shock slowly morphed into something else.
A wild, overwhelming sense of pride.
Her lips curled into a smile—not just beautiful, but breathtaking. A smile filled with triumph, dominance, and the unshakable conviction of a mother who had always believed in her son.
She exhaled, eyes gleaming like the sharpest of ice shards.
"As expected of my baby."
Noah, however, felt something else entirely.
A chime echoed in his mind—different from his system's notifications.
Ding!
A golden panel appeared before his eyes.
{Congratulations, Noah Weaverheart.}
{You are now connected to the Akashic Records.}
{You have awakened two talents:}
— Hand of Ice (D-rank)
— Sovereign of Ice (SSS-rank)
{Your D-rank talent has been absorbed by Sovereign of Ice.}
{Assessing your existence...}
{Ding! Ding! Ding!}
{EXCEPTIONAL.}
{You have received a title.}
{Title Obtained: "The Reincarnator."}
{Your existence has been greatly elevated.}
Noah stared at the glowing words.
Then, slowly—his lips curled into a smirk.
Things just got a lot more interesting.
—End of Chapter 5—
A/N:
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