Time moved swiftly. Ash is now nine years old, standing at 5'7", the Neyru emblem gleaming on his regal robes under the soft morning light.
He steps into the corridor, where bustling staff greet him with hushed reverence:
"Good morning, Young Prince." A maid gently adjusts his sleeve.
Guards bow respectfully as he walks by.
Ash nods with a polite smile and strides forward, the marble floor echoing beneath his steps.
In the Grand Throne Room
Vaerion, Selyra, and Selene sit awaiting him. Ash bows, easily slipping into his role with playful grace.
"Mother, Father, Master. Hello."
In an instant—snap!—Selyra plucks him onto her lap, cradling his cheeks.
"My little mischief-maker," she coos. "You don't need to approach us like strangers."
Ash lets out a soft laugh.
"Of course not, Mother. I just like to joke around."
Vaerion's voice cuts in, calm but firm.
"Selene reports you've surpassed your eldest brother's level and finished early. Remarkable."
Ash bows slightly.
"Thanks to Master Selene and Toron, I've improved greatly."
Vaerion drifts into a rare warm smile.
"You have one year until your Awakening. What will you do?"
Ash's gaze turns steady.
"I'd like to enter the Imperial Library and study for the year."
Vaerion and Selyra exchange a knowing glance.
"So be it."
Within the Imperial Library
The doors clack closed behind Ash as he entered the silent sanctuary. Floating tomes pulsed softly, maintaining the hush of ancient knowledge.
In one hand, he carried a storage token from his mother—packed with a year's worth of meals. As he walked he sat down and in front of him floated a glowing orb, flickering like a heartbeat, eager to assist. This was they key to the library, with a thought he could access exactly what he was looking for.
"Hey, Riya… you've been awfully quiet."
[Master, you've been focused lately. What do you intend to study while here?]
His gaze settled on the orb.
"Everything. I want to understand mana, the cultivation levels, and the Awakening process."
He placed a palm over the orb.
"Cultivation levels."
The orb lit up in response. A projection shimmered into view.
Cultivation Realms
Body Tempering Realm
▸ Lifespan: ~150 years
▸ Builds the body
Core Formation Realm
▸ Lifespan: ~300–500 years
▸ Establishes a stable Mana Core
Spirit Foundation Realm
▸ Lifespan: ~800–1,200 years
▸ Awakens the Soul traits and spiritual power
Domain Forging Realm
▸ Lifespan: ~2,000–3,000 years
▸ Grants a personal Domain shaping localized reality
Planetborn Realm
▸ Lifespan: ~5,000–8,000 years
▸ Planet-level Mana mastery and Law affinity
The list halted there. Ash frowned with curiosity.
"So Planetborn is the highest realm of our world?"
[No, it seems as if some information is being hidden or kept from the public eye.] Riya explained. [Anyways beyond Planetborn lies realms you can't yet access, so don't worry too much right now.]
"Figures," Ash said, rubbing his chin.
But he didn't mind. He dove in.
He leaned forward, beginning his long dive into the study of each realm—how they were achieved, what changed within the cultivator, and the common pitfalls.
Hours passed. He read of bones turning to steel, of mana cores shattering from imbalance, of souls burning too brightly, too soon. He learned of domain compression, of failures, of deaths.
He only stopped briefly to eat, stretch, and wash—then returned to the orb.
By evening, he was ready for the next topic.
"Awakening process."
A new projection begins, softly glowing:
"At age ten, Cultivators stand at the edge of their unique potential.
An Innate Ability—unseen by eyes or ears—stirs.
This marks their true journey."
Ash leaned back slightly as the projection of the cultivation realms faded away, his thoughts spinning.
"So that's the foundation… now let's see what this Awakening is really about."
He pressed his hand to the orb again.
The orb pulsed with a deeper golden hue this time.
WHUUMMMMM.
The air shimmered as a new projection formed before him. Unlike the cultivation levels, this diagram was more symbolic. It showed a figure seated in meditation, surrounded by spinning rings of energy — soul, body, and blood intertwining.
Golden text appeared beneath it.
Awakening Process
-The Awakening is a phenomenon that occurs to every living being at the age of ten across the Mortal Cosmos.
-It is not influenced by will or status but is instead triggered by the convergence of three core pillars:
-Soul Potential
-Bloodline Depth
-Life Thread (Destiny)
Once these elements synchronize, the individual receives their Innate Ability.
-Each Innate Ability is entirely unique.
-It cannot be copied, replicated, or removed — as it is a manifestation of one's deepest truth.
-These abilities determine the path of cultivation, elemental and conceptual affinities, and even the individual's potential for ascension.
-Factors influencing Awakening strength include:
-Talent Grade (A rank derived from the soul, bloodline, and fate)
-Foundation (The physical, spiritual, and mental state prior to Awakening)
-Lineage Blessings (Certain bloodlines carry dormant ancestral boosts)
Ash furrowed his brow as he read every word, eyes sharpening.
"So that's what the Awakening really is… unlocking your true self."
He leaned back slightly, letting the words sink in.
"And here I thought it'd just be some flashy power-up moment. But this—this is deeper. Soul potential, bloodline depth… life thread? Just how far down does this go?"
[Quite deep, Master,] Riya's voice chimed gently in his mind. [Your Awakening will be... special.]
"You always say that," he said, rolling his eyes. "But how exactly will it work? You know I created all my abilities…"
[And that's exactly why it'll be… quite the spectacle....]
[...Just a heads-up. your Awakening won't be much.]
...Silence.
Ash paused, his hand frozen above the orb.
"Uhh… what do you mean, Riya?"
[Well, Master, the things you created were absurd. You must remember — they're locked behind quests and trials. Upon Awakening, you'll gain the next weakest ability after Recursion, alongside your unlocked Neyru bloodline and your foundational strength.]
Ash slumped a little.
"…fuck…"
His dreams of soaring into godhood right at Awakening—crushed under the weight of his own overambition. He let out a long sigh.
"At least tell me this isn't some universe filled with people who all got cheats and divine luck," he muttered, half-joking, remembering the overpowered characters from novels he once read.
[Hehe… then I won't tell you, Master.]
Inside her hidden white realm, Riya barely contained her laughter.
"You're kidding, right?" Ash narrowed his eyes.
[I wish. This is a world of fantasy where anything — and I mean anything — can happen. Don't be surprised if someone shows up with a system that alters reality itself.]
"Fuck this…" he groaned — half annoyed, half thrilled. Because beneath the frustration, something stirred:
Excitement.
Adventure. Uncertainty. Combat. Challenge.
If he didn't start at the top, he'd climb his way there — one bloody step at a time.
Ash inhaled deeply and returned his attention to the floating diagram. The three rings—Soul, Blood, and Destiny—spun in harmonic sync, glowing until they triggered a final spark.
The Awakening.
He studied every layer, every flicker, until the visuals burned into his mind.
Some individuals awakened with low-tier abilities. Others awakened divine affinities. But the rarest… they awakened fragments of universal laws — incomplete concepts that could take millennia to understand.
He reached out and adjusted the orb:
"Show me examples of known Innate Abilities."
The orb shimmered. New silhouettes emerged:
One controlled shadow clones of his thoughts, mimicking his mental states.
Another summoned adaptive blades, each shaped by his emotions.
A woman wielded Chrono Bloom — a power that could freeze the natural growth of life, or rewind damage within a limited time window.
Ash leaned forward, awe rising in his chest.
"So that's what's waiting in a year…"
He opened his notebook and began jotting everything down — names, diagrams, theories, edge cases. He didn't just read. He dissected.
The first night in the Imperial Library passed in focused silence.
Outside, the Empire basked in peace.
But beyond the stars… new destinies stirred — and old ones began to unravel.