After a while, we both were back in Lylia's laboratory. The sound of machinery and faint smell of herbs lingered in the air.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice etched with concern.
"Fine, there is slight pain, but it's bearable, nothing serious."
"That's good. But from now on, refrain from pushing your body like that. You were fortunate this time. Had it not been for Kristen, the consequences would have been severe, and you would have suffered significant damage."
I felt a pair of eyes staring at me from the side. I-I'm sorry, I'll be more careful.
"You'd better be." Her eyes fixated on me. "Your body has already suffered serious damage, don't worsen it by making such reckless decisions."
"I won't. I apologize for being reckless."
A gentle smile formed on Lylia's face.
"On the bright side, you finally succeeded in forming a core," Kristen replied.
"I couldn't have done it without your help. I truly appreciate it."
"So," She leaned forward slightly, "how do you feel?"
"Something is pulsing at the center of my heart." I pressed lightly against my chest. "It's cold yet comforting. My body feels stronger than before, but beyond that, there is no significant change."
"I see." She nodded. "It seems like your body is adapting well, that's good news. If you feel anything strange, tell me immediately."
"I understand."
Turning to Kristen, I asked, "What's the next step?"
"No need to be hasty." He replied. "For now, rest and recover fully before resuming any kind of training."
"But I'm fine, I would like to continue." I insisted.
"Your body might look fine on the outside," He interrupted, "but internally it's undergoing significant changes and needs time to adapt to its new core. A few days will suffice. We will resume your training after that."
"I'll make sure he gets plenty of rest," Zei said, intervening and pulling me out of the lab.
I sighed, conceding. The rest of the day went by like a calm haze. I spent most of the time lying in my room as my body recovered slowly.
At night, I trained with Azier, trying to replicate the first phase of the Nightreaver's legacy. It was gruelling and frustrating, but with each strike of my sword, it felt like I was grasping the concept, reaching closer to it. My blade cut through the cold air, growing more precise and lethal with each swing.
The first phase seemed ordinary and deceptively straightforward at first sight, but it was anything but that. According to Azeir, to perform the first phase of Nightghreaver's legacy, you must have your core and body in complete harmony and your mind calm as the night sky. Only after aligning all three of them together can you perfectly replicate the sword movement.
After forming my core, my control over Ember had improved significantly, it felt different, sharper. My strikes were faster and carried more power than before. My perception had grown sharper, allowing me to follow each strike aimed at me.
"Your movement is getting faster and more precise." Azier nodded. "But your control over your sword is still lacking."
He folded his arms.
"It's about time you get some actual combat experience."
"How am I supposed to achieve that?"
"The first step will be to awaken your Attribute," he replied.
"Attribute, or as we Revenants call it, origin, is the manifestation of one's soul. The Runic core pulsing within you channels the Ember, which acts as a fuel and allows your origin to manifest into reality."
"So how do I awaken my origin?"
"It's quite simple, actually. You have to control the Ember flowing through your core and channel it throughout your body. When the Ember merges with every fibre of your body, your origin will naturally awaken." His tone shifted. "However, for people with Revenants residing in their soul, it's a little different."
"Different? How so?" I asked, puzzled.
"Indeed. Like in your case, if you try to awaken your origin straightaway without any preparations, you will most certainly fail." He continued," It's not because the method is flawed, but because of the nature of your soul."
"My soul? What does that mean?"
"Since Nightreaver has merged with your soul, it now holds a part of your soul. Awakening your origin requires a complete soul, otherwise, you won't be able to awaken it. For Carriers such as yourself, you need to use your blade as a medium for awakening, which requires letting it consume the Ember residing within your core. The blade, along with your body, will respond to the call and awaken your origin."
"I see"
"It's easier said than done," He replied. "Even in the past, Carriers were extremely rare, most of them failed even to awaken their origin properly. In the worst-case scenario, failure during the awakening process could result in permanent damage to their soul and body"
"Only a few were capable enough to cross the threshold and embed their names in the pages of history."
"Then how am I supposed to awaken my origin?"
"Of course we won't use the method I explained to you. The current circumstances require us to remain hidden until you are strong enough to protect yourself.
"So what should we do?"
"It's quite simple actually," Azier murmured, and flicked his hand. I felt warmth on my left wrist. When I turned it around, a rune was imprinted on it. Unlike the runes I had seen before, this one contained multiple symbols and stretched till my elbow. A moment later, the rune was gone, as if it never existed in the first place.
"What I just gave you is a Rune of Covenant. It will bind the Nightreaver inside of it, allowing you to summon it anywhere at any time."
"That's amazing. I can now carry my weapon anywhere without anyone noticing. "
When you wake up, hold the rune close to your blade, and it will be imprinted in the rune. From that point forward, no matter where you are or how far away, you can summon your blade as long as you have enough Ember. Since the room itself isn't visible to the naked eye, no one will suspect anything and think you are undergoing a normal awakening process like everyone else."
"That's great." I let out a heavy sigh. I was tired of lying to everyone about so many things, it felt like a burden I couldn't get rid of.
"Once you can unleash your origin at your will, you can learn to conjure various runic spells," He explained.
"I would recommend starting by learning basic healing spells such as Sacred Grace and offensive spells like Crystal Shards or Frost Veil. Since you can't use the Legacy of Nightreaver when many eyes are watching, it would be better to learn a secondary weapon art as well, which you can use as an alternative most of the time.
"What kind of weapon art?"
"Hmm, it would be better to acquire one which specialises in movement and speed. Your agility is your biggest advantage after all."
" I see." It seems like I won't have much idle time soon. "Where can I find such weapon arts? Do you have any idea?"
"Since weapon arts are quite rare, it would be hard for you to procure them on your own. The best place I would suggest is the Library of Zephyrion or the Central Military Academy of Eleithiya. But I don't think you will be able to gain access to either of them on your own."
"Looks like I will have to ask Asher and Kristen for help."
Waking up the next day, I quickly showered and got ready. My gaze fell on Nightreaver resting on the wooden table. I took a deep breath and held my wrist above its black blade, the rune flared to life, and an instant later the blade dissolved into motes of silver light, drifting upward before vanishing entirely. I looked at my hand as the rune disappeared into oblivion.
The next three days passed quietly. I spent most of the time buried in books and learning the fundamentals of runic spells. Zei seemed to have grown somewhat attached to Lylia and would help her with the household chores and go around the city for sightseeing and shopping. Meanwhile, I learned the basics of spell casting from the books provided by Kristen along with help from Azier. On the fourth day, I headed down to Lylia's laboratory along with Zei.
Lylia and Kristen greeted us with a warm smile. After a brief conversation, Kristen explained the next step to me.
"Now that your core is stable, the next step is to awaken your attribute," he explained. "The process itself is relatively straightforward. You have to channel the Ember residing in your core to every part, every fibre of your being, allowing it to integrate with your body. Once the Ember is integrated into your very being, your attribute will naturally awaken."
"But it's easier said than done," Lylia interrupted. "Many people fail to control their attributes, which results in internal damage to one's body, so it's better to be careful and do it under supervision," she warned.
"Once you have succeeded, you'll be able to use runic sorcery and decide which field you want to pursue in the future."
"In the academy, you can choose to focus solely on combat and join one of the five existing grand battalions, becoming a soldier and helping in the war against profane beings and helping people affected by the chaos and war, or you can dedicate yourself to exploring old ruins, finding ancient runes and mastering the art of inscribing runes, or you can choose to join the guardians, who have highest authority in Eliethiya and are under the direct command of the Nine voices."
"Nine voices?"
"They are beings who have merged their very soul with the divine essence of Yggdrasil and watch over Eleithiya. Their power is immeasurable, and their judgment is absolute, which no one can defy. Many people believe them to be merely myths."
"Each of these professions is highly sought after. General Reinne, whom you saw at the ball, is counted among the best warriors of this generation, while General Zen is a master inscriber capable of conjuring multiple complex runic incantations in a blink of an eye. Wherever they go, they are met with respect and admiration."
"That's amazing," Zei murmured
Kristen glanced at me. "So are you ready?" he asked.
"Yeah," I took a deep breath. "Let's do it."
"You don't have to be nervous," Lylia said softly. "Just focus on controlling Ember from your core to your body. If you feel something is off, stop immediately."
"I got it." I nodded, brought out Nightreaver, and held it in my hand.
I consumed the liquified ember and closed my eyes. Feeling the Ember swirling around my core, restless and turbulent.
I guided the Ember from my core through my body and toward the sword. Nightreaver responded to the call. A deep, chilling wave swept across my body. It was cold yet comforting.
Silver runes flared to life across my body, and a wave of cold air swept through the lab as the temperature plummeted.
Ice crystals erupted beneath my feet, spreading outward on the stone floor. Frost encased the walls in a thin, gleaming layer of ice. Before I could register what happened, a surge of Ember erupted from my right hand where the rule of covenant was imprinted. The explosion tore through the room, shattering the glass and cracking the floor, debris scattering everywhere. So much destruction was caused in a mere second. I glanced at my arms, countless runes gleaming in silver radiance before fading a moment later. I had finally awakened my attribute.
I staggered and fell onto my knees, breathing raggedly. As the smoke subsided, my gaze fell onto Zei, she was fine. Kristen and Lylia had conjured a protective shield just in case.
"I….I'm sorry, I didn't know something like this would happen."
"Don't fret about it," Kristen simply waved his hand, his gaze falling on Lylia. They stared at each other for a moment before returning to me.
"I just had the floor fixed recently."
"Rayne…" Lylia said.
"Y-yes."
"Well, first of all, congratulations on awakening your attribute"
"I really succeeded?" I asked in disbelief.
"You did indeed." She nodded. "However, your attribute is very potent and rampant. I assume it's because of your Aerith blood, if it's not controlled, it can be disastrous."
"Then I guess I have to learn to control it, right?"
"Exactly". She confirmed. "Your attribute is similar to Zeilona's in nature. While hers is more controlled, yours is more unrestrained, but with time, you'll learn to control it."
"I understand" I nodded.
"Well, all that can wait. Let's celebrate first, shall we?" Kristen replied with a smile etched on his face.