That morning, after completing his workout and finishing breakfast as if it were any other day, Antonio summoned Tiffany.
She arrived instantly.
"I'm ready," he said, his voice steady and emotionless. "Prepare the awakening chamber. You will assist me."
For the first time in a long while, Tiffany hesitated.
"Young Master," she said carefully, her usually calm tone tightening, "please wait. At the very least, we should inform the family head and Madam. Awakening is not a trivial process. Even a slight mistake can damage your mana core—crippling you for life."
Antonio turned to her slowly. His crimson eyes were cold, unwavering.
"I know the risks."
His voice did not rise. It did not need to.
"That is precisely why I'm doing it now," he continued. "No observers. No interference. No pressure to succeed for anyone else's expectations."
Tiffany clenched her fists at her sides. "You are asking me to gamble your future," she said, a rare crack in her composure. "I won't watch you destroy yourself."
"You won't," Antonio replied calmly. "You'll make sure I don't."
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Tiffany exhaled, her eyes dark with conflict. "If something goes wrong—"
"It won't," Antonio interrupted, stepping past her. "And if it does, I accept the consequences."
She looked at his back, at the boy she had protected for years, and realized this decision had already been made.
"…Very well," Tiffany said quietly. "I will assist you. But I won't leave your side—not for a second."
Antonio didn't turn around.
"That's why I chose you."
This really is the perfect time.
Antonio's expression remained unchanged, but his thoughts moved with cold clarity.
Mom and Dad aren't here.
If they knew he was attempting to awaken now, there would be no hesitation. S-rank mana gems are rare, yet his father possessed one—reserved for himself, meant to push his already peak S-rank strength toward SS-rank.
And yet, if Antonio showed even the slightest intent to awaken, that gem would be handed to him without question, which would be a waste.
Not because he couldn't handle it—but because this stage doesn't require it.
I don't need excess. I need precision.
If his parents discovered his plan now, everything would change. The process would be slowed, overprotected, and overcomplicated.
Tiffany solves all of that.
With her present, his awakening would be seen as calculated, supervised, and reasonable. No panic. No upgrades. No delays.
He didn't actually need Tiffany's help. Every step of the awakening process was etched into his memory—the dangers, the thresholds, the precise balance required. He had already experienced awakening once, in his previous life.
That was his true advantage.
But awakening completely on his own would invite questions he couldn't answer.
How did it succeed so smoothly? Why was it so stable?
Suspicion would follow, and suspicion led to scrutiny.
Tiffany is necessary—not for the ritual, but for the explanation.
If his parents believed the awakening had been conducted with the assistance of an A-rank hunter, they would accept the result without doubt. No unnecessary probing. No dangerous curiosity.
Control the narrative first. Power comes second.