Chapter 21 - The Awakening (III)

"There you are. You finally woke up. This is just getting more and more interesting, right?"

Raven felt a profound power gushing out of him. At that moment, his mind entered a mystical state and his body moved instinctively. Everything about him seemed hyped up beyond reason. His connection to the world. His physicality. His ether control. Everything seemingly at an unadulterated peak.

'Ahhh, this feeling… I can't get enough of it. I want more. More.'.

A series of information appeared in his mind. His green eyes beamed intensely as he processed the information.

"Oh, aren't you underestimating me too much? I don't know what you are thinking about, but we are in battle. You would be a fool to get lost!" chided Kase. 

Meanwhile, Blaike whispered as she took a backseat, watching the scene unfold with great excitement. "So, it is finally happening. Sheesh, I wonder what he has in store for us this time around." 

Kase approached Raven, unveiling his aura in a bid to unsettle the latter. His hand moved rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, an unstoppable force flew toward Raven.

 "What a letdown. You lost control. This battle–"

Suddenly, Raven glanced at Kase with an unnatural gaze. Even in the face of danger, the coldness in his eyes was undisturbed.

His mouth opened, and an ancient voice sounded, "❰Arcane Sigil: Immoral Garden of the Wild❱."

The ancient voice was indiscernible to Kase. The language spoken was something he hadn't heard before, yet as the voice flew into his ears, it resonated with the world and shook his aura. This was the manifestation of an immemorial language that predated thousands of ancient civilizations. The moment they were spoken, the world bent in perfect compliance.

Immediately, grey vines sprouted from the ground, binding Kase before he could even react. Raven vanished into a green streak. He soon appeared near Kase, smashing the old man into the ground. The stone ground cracked under pressure and a hole quickly appeared as the two fell onto the lower floor.

Kase channelled ether into his body and jumped away before Raven could lead with another attack.

'What the hell was that? The brat got at least five times faster and stronger. How is that even possible? Shit! What an annoying brat! I should have expected nothing less from him. Let's fucking go!' 

The punch from Raven had done a great deal of pain. Most importantly, Raven's attack damaged his base form. It had to be done that Kase was a top-tier Meister. He could even fight other Meisters with just his physique, yet he was badly hurt by an incomplete Initiate.

"Hahahaha, bring it on, stinky brat. Now I definitely have to beat you to a pulp otherwise you would get too cocky! Don't blame me for this."

As Kase got ready for another round, Raven's wounds closed miraculously. The boy flipped his hands which caused an eruption of gigantic vines that rushed at Kase at lightning speed.

"A secret art already? Hahaha, this is too exciting. You asked for it. ❰First Form: Chop!❱"

Before the vines could reach Kase, the old man raised his hand in the air and unleashed a terrifying hand swipe. A terrifying energy burst from him as a ferocious slash appeared in the air, destroying everything in its path without stopping.

*Puchi!*

Raven suddenly unleashed a flurry of vines from all angles. Kase executed the same attack, warding off the vines, but just as he was about to smile, the figure of Raven reflected across his eyes. 

"Fast… I gotta–" Kase readied himself for the attack but the vines emerged from the ground, binding him temporarily. The vines weren't strong, but they proved to be an effective distraction. 

A fleeting moment was all Raven needed!

Raven jumped in the air, twisting his body for a spinning kick.

*Boom!*

Kase flew through the air. Raven followed through with a mid-air slam and was about to land a dropkick when his green eyes pulsated. His aura waned instantly like melted ice cream.

"Ahhh!" Raven moaned in pain as the feeling of power left him. He crumbled to the ground, wheezing heavily. He felt absolutely wrecked.

"It's over," murmured Raven. He had overused his sigil which led to his current burnt out. 

"Good fight, boy."

Kase carried him up and met up with Blaike who chastised them. "You two idiots. I just got this place and now you have messed it up. We have to find another location for training now."

Although she said that, a smile was etched on her face as she glanced at Raven. She knew she had found a gem that bore similarities to her. Now that he had awakened his sigil, she would show him a whole new world. One that was befitting of a genius.

"No need. He is ready. Tomorrow, he will go with the others for the registration," replied Kase. What he didn't say was that he was already impressed even before Raven had revealed his sigil. 

"Others? What are you talking about?" questioned Raven.

Kase shook his head. "Our workplace. It's a— uhh, well you will find out tomorrow. In the meantime, how do you feel?"

"Weak. I didn't think the side-effects would be this…"

"Annoying? Can't blame the sigil on that one, lil bro. I mean, you are a real smart one, aren't you? You just awakened after coming out of a challenging fight and then you decided it was a good idea to use your sigil. Really, you must be careful next time. Sigils are definitive devices. Activating your sigil must always be the last resort."

Raven nodded attentively. The backlash was gruelling, to say the least. In this state, even an insect could kill him.

Kase added, "Listen to Blaike. Although you have become a real Initiate, you still have a lot of work to do in regard to your physique. To be honest, your body can't stand the massive eruption of power yet. With disciplined practice, that would not be a problem at all. In fact, if you are skilled enough, you would be able to fight with just the body… like me, hahaha."

Raven rolled his eyes. He understood Kase had a point tho. Throughout the fight, he could barely keep up even though he augmented his body with ether. Yet, Blaike and Kase effortlessly warded him off with their mere physique.

'There is still a long way to go, but for now, I can be happy!' Raven mentally fist-bumped the air.

He was finally an Initiate. This opened the door to many avenues in his plans.

'No. No. I can't get complacent. There's still a lot to be done. After registration, I have to begin crafting my beacon and secret arts. Yes, there is always room for growth!'