Awakening Power

Chapter 12 – Awakening Power

I Died Internally

I left the dining hall, my face calm, my steps measured—

But inside, I was screaming.

What the fuck.

They had heard everything.

Every moan, every slap of flesh, every sound from last night.

I had never been more humiliated in my life.

No, I refused to dwell on it.

I had more important things to focus on.

Like my planned training session with my mother.

---

Training Ground with Mother

I arrived at the training ground, where my mother was already waiting for me.

She stood there in her usual noble attire, her flowing silver hair cascading behind her.

Her expression was warm yet serious—the look of a mother who cared but would not tolerate nonsense.

"Sit here," she instructed.

I did as she said, sitting cross-legged before her.

"Undress your shirt."

I didn't hesitate.

Removing my shirt, I let the cool morning air brush against my skin.

Mother placed a gentle hand on my bare back.

"Now," she said, "focus on the flow of energy in your body."

I didn't understand, but before I could ask—

A warm burst of energy entered from my back, spreading through my body.

It felt like a river of heat, flowing through my veins.

Mother's voice was calm yet firm.

"Take it slow. Guide it toward your heart."

I followed her instructions, trying to move the energy in the direction of my heart.

At first, it felt smooth—but then—

Agonizing pain erupted inside me.

The energy collapsed violently.

My body convulsed, my breath hitched, and in the next second—

I was thrown back, landing several meters away.

"Gah!" I gasped, clutching my chest.

My body burned from the inside, my vision swam with pain.

Mother rushed forward, her hand immediately pressing over my heart.

A soothing energy poured into me, the unbearable pain fading rapidly.

I exhaled sharply, my body weak but healing.

Then, without hesitation, she pulled out a pill and pressed it to my lips.

"Swallow."

I obeyed.

The instant the pill entered my system—

My wounds vanished.

My body felt completely restored, as if nothing had happened.

I stared at my hands, completely baffled.

What the fuck just happened?

I had nearly died, and now I was sitting here as if nothing had happened?

---

Understanding the Power Within

Mother exhaled, brushing her hand over my head.

"Sit here again."

I hesitated, then did as she said.

"This time," she continued, "guide the energy to your belly, not your heart."

I nodded.

This time, I was more careful.

I focused on the flow of energy, moving it toward my lower abdomen instead of my chest.

The energy circulated smoothly.

And then—

I felt something new.

There wasn't just one energy.

There were two.

Two different forces, intertwining in a perfect cycle.

One was dense, powerful, and heavy, flowing with raw physical strength.

The other was fluid, vibrant, and mysterious, pulsating with pure magical essence.

I could feel them merging—but also remaining distinct.

Mother's hand tensed slightly.

Then she sighed.

"Relax now," she instructed.

I exhaled, allowing the energy to settle.

After a long moment, I finally asked—

"What… was that?"

Mother folded her arms, her expression unreadable.

"Maybe I was expecting a bit too much," she murmured.

Then she looked at me directly.

"But congratulations, Edric."

"You have awakened both your Aura Core and Mana Core."

---

A Rare Awakening

I froze.

That… was a big deal.

A very big deal.

Most people could only awaken one.

Aura was for warriors, enhancing physical abilities like speed, strength, and reflexes.

Mana was for mages, allowing them to cast powerful spells.

Only a handful of people in the entire world awakened both.

And yet… I had.

"Awakening both cores means you can become both a mage and a swordsman," Mother explained.

"But there's a catch."

I frowned. "What kind of catch?"

"You can only truly master one."

"If you choose the sword, your magic will be limited—only enough to use basic spells."

"If you choose magic, your physical strength will be significantly weaker, relying purely on spells."

My thoughts immediately went to Hero Leon.

The protagonist of this world.

He was one of the few who had awakened both cores.

And now—so had I.

Yet, something about Mother's reaction still bothered me.

She had said, "Maybe I was expecting a bit too much."

Was she disappointed?

I shook the thought away.

Nothing would happen by overthinking it.

I had awakened something powerful.

Now, I just needed to figure out how to use it.

---

The Power System

The world's power structure was simple.

Both Aura and Mana were divided into eight stages.

A person's strength was measured in stars:

1-Star: Beginner

2-Star: Novice

3-Star: Adept

4-Star: Expert

5-Star: Master

6-Star: Grandmaster

7-Star: Legendary

8-Star: Mythical

Aura was used for physical combat.

Mana was used for magic.

I had both.

Which meant…

My path was about to change drastically.