Eldric nodded his head. "Alright then, stay back for a bit. Your Grandma and I will create an awakening spell."
Orion took a few steps back, giving them ample space to do as they wished.
Eldric took a deep breath before taking out a pouch filled with Silver Sand, a high-level material used for crafting unique spells.
Only nobles could afford to use only Silver Sand to craft a spell. Most average mages mixed it with other materials to increase its quantity and stretch its value.
Eldric carefully poured the Silver Sand onto the marble floor, meticulously drawing precise patterns and runes. His eyes shone sharply with absolute concentration as mana flowed from his fingertips, causing the sand to glow softly.
"Selene, your turn," he said calmly, finishing the intricate base pattern.
Selene nodded and stepped forward, reaching into her robe and retrieving several elemental gems that glowed brightly with radiant energy.
It wasn't her first time creating such a spell. In fact, she had made it far too many times. But this time, the significance was different. She was making it for her grandson, so she needed to do her best.
Each gem represented one of the core elemental affinities—Fire, Thunder, Wind, Earth, Water, and Ice. She carefully placed each gem into specific positions within Eldric's formation.
Orion's eyes sparkled subtly as he watched. Even from a distance, he could sense the overwhelming mana emanating from the rare gems.
After arranging the gems, Selene gently took out a vial containing a shimmering blue liquid. Orion instantly recognized it from its mana fluctuation alone.
"Isn't that…" Orion muttered softly.
"Indeed," Eldric nodded knowingly. "Pure Mana Essence. Extremely rare and precious, only the strongest noble houses have access to it."
Selene poured the Pure Mana Essence into the center of the formation, immediately intensifying the mana density within the hall.
It acted as the final catalyst of the entire spell, instantly bringing it to life as the runes and gems reacted at once, glowing vibrantly and connecting seamlessly with streams of flowing energy.
Finally, Eldric carefully retrieved a golden crystal radiating dazzling light, setting it at the formation's very center. Then, he took out nine High Grade Mana Crystals and placed them at key points across the formation.
Orion immediately recognized the golden mana crystal as an Exalted-grade Mana Crystal, one of the highest-grade crystals available within the Thunderpeak Kingdom. The rest were High Grade Mana Crystals, which were relatively rare even for noble circles.
The grades of mana crystals were divided into: Lesser Grade Mana Crystals, Common Grade Mana Crystals, High Grade Mana Crystals, and Exalted Grade Mana Crystals.
Most mages used Common Grade Mana Stones, while noble houses typically used High Grade ones.
Selene exhaled softly, taking a step back and gazing at their completed spell. "The spell is complete."
Eldric turned toward Orion, his eyes solemn and filled with concern. "Orion, before you step into the formation, remember the awakening process will be intensely painful, far more than normal, due to the potency of these materials. There is no stopping once the spell starts."
Selene approached gently, her expression tender yet worried. "Remember, dear. No matter how painful, you must endure and focus."
Orion met their concerned gazes and confidently nodded to calm them. "Don't worry. I understand, and I won't let you down."
Eldric smiled warmly, though a hint of worry couldn't help but flash through his eyes. "Good. Now, step into the center of the formation and sit down cross-legged. We'll activate the spell as soon as you're ready."
Orion took a deep breath and stepped forward, calmly settling himself at the formation's core. His draconic heart steadied as he recalled all the details he knew about the awakening spell.
It extracted mana from the crystals and the surroundings before forcefully channeling it into a person's body, guiding it toward the Sea of Consciousness.
The mana would crash down like a sea with violent waves, smashing into the Sea of Consciousness, trying to force it open and awaken it.
If a person possessed one of the common elements, the awakening process was somewhat smoother, due to the elemental-rich spell pumping compatible mana into the body.
However, if they had a rare or unique element—like Light or Darkness—they would need to rely on natural mana alone to awaken themselves.
Orion knew that his awakening would be much harder than others for two reasons, his age and his lineage.
He was too young, far too young. But he didn't want to grow slowly.
From his Dragon Inheritance, Orion already understood the risks—no, the absurdity—of what he was about to attempt.
The difficulty of forcefully awakening one's Sea of Consciousness depended greatly on innate potential. The stronger the potential, the thicker and more numerous the protective barriers.
Most average humans had only a single barrier that is fragile enough to break through easily, though it came with an equally fragile future. Talented individuals like noble-blooded humans or higher species such as Elves, Draconians, or Giants often had two to five barriers.
Breaking through them offered vastly greater potential, wider mana channels, and stronger elemental affinity…
…but failure meant permanent damage. A halted awakening. Crippled potential.
And True Dragons? They stood above all. Every single one was born with six formidable barriers—nearly impenetrable to all but time itself. They didn't need to awaken. They simply grew, and their Sea of Consciousness would bloom naturally over decades.
But he didn't have decades.
He couldn't afford to wait and risk losing control to his draconic instincts. If he didn't act now… he feared it would be too late.
And the only way out of this situation that he saw was this—awakening. He was taking a gamble here, not knowing whether the awakening would intensify his emotions or grant him more control over them.
Eldric and Selene probably allowed him to go through with this because they assumed he would awaken at most three or four mana channels. They had no idea what kind of absurd monster Primus Xal'Zaryon Drakonis truly was.
He controlled his breathing and looked at Eldric and Selene, his voice brimming with determination. "I'm ready."
Selene exchanged a final, reassuring glance with Eldric before gracefully raising her hands, guiding mana gently into the carefully constructed spell formation.
"Begin!" Selene declared firmly.
BOOM!!!