Awakening Ceremony

V1 Chapter 4: Awakening Ceremony

Two years have passed since I started swordsmanship training with dad. It was really harsh at first, but then I got addicted to it. It was as if I had found something that was supposed to be mine. 

If anyone asked me in this world what I like the most, I would answer them Sword and Magic. 

I was five now, and this was the time of my awakening. To say that I was nervous was just an understatement. I was swinging my sword in the garden. Swords gave me peace of mind; it was like a trance-like state where I could peacefully introspect myself. 

I always diligently trained under my father. My addiction and the love I cultivated towards swords were part of that motivation. And another part of the reason was that I was horrified.

Yes, I was horrified to be a bottom-feeder in this world. I wanted to have choices (What good I would be if I became a failure in this second chance). I wanted to be the owner of my fate, free from burdens. 

I sometimes overexert myself so much that I couldn't even lift my arms anymore. (But getting massaged at night felt good though). It resulted in both of my parents scolding me.

(Today is the day), I was incredibly nervous today because it is my 5th birthday. That means I will awaken my magic today. 

It felt complicated; I was both excited and nervous simultaneously. So to clear my mind, I was aimlessly swinging my sword in the garden (What if I don't awaken a good potential?)

Despite my peace of mind, my arms were getting sore because I was constantly swinging my sword without care. Then a sound interrupted me. "Jake, we must go to the guild in an hour; stop practicing and get ready." 

It was my dad who said it. (It's time, I guess…) "Huff~ hah~ hah~... Yes, dad," I replied to him. I was panting because of my exercise. (let's just calm down) After a moment of relaxation, I stored my training sword and went inside my house. 

My mom was preparing some special food for the feast today. Although commoners do not have a concept of birthdays, the awakening ceremony is an essential part of everyone's life.

I went to my room on the first floor [UK system] and undressed to dry all the sweat. My room was spacious enough for any adult to live in, with a single bed, a closet, and a bookshelf; my room contained everything that I use. 

I looked at myself in the mirror, standing naked in front of it. My body was still glistening with sweat. I was just five but still quite tall for my age. Standing at 4'3", I was even taller than my older brother, who was eight.

My eyes were yellow, just like my father's. But I got my mother's hair, black. While yellow eyes sets on my father and my brother with his blonde hair. But my contrasting black hair and yellow eyes stand out more than they should, making one lost in my eyes. 

I changed out of my clothes and applied some fragrance so I did not smell unpleasant. Commoners here usually don't care about smells and odors, but dressing properly was my habit in the past life. (Dressing good always feels good)

I was ready to go to the Adventurer's Guild. The commoners are tested and awakened there. It wasn't meant for nobles; they had other facilities available to them.

(Fuuuu~ let's go!) I left the house with my dad walking beside me. It looked like he was a little nervous too. 

People shot glances at my dad and then me (He is famous as always). Being only one of the five A-ranked people, he was recognized in the whole town. Just by seeing us walk to the guild, people got an idea that it was my awakening ceremony. 

Many shop owners and pedestrians greeted my dad respectfully, to which he replied. (The town square is crowded as always). I looked around only to see people going about their daily routines. 

My vision also went through the beggars and weaker people with no talents. My nervousness flared up watching their state (I really don't want to end up there, I won't!!)

Through the market and crowd, for half an hour, we kept walking silently as a certain building came into our view. It looked like a tall building that was clearly visible from afar. 

We walked up to the massive wooden gate and entered the building (woaa~ it looks like a castle gate I saw in movies). It was as big as seen from the outside, with a very high roof with a huge hall where the reception was. 

The building looked three-storied from the inside. (It's huge!)  And just the ground floor was housing more than one hundred and fifty people and still looking spacious. 

There were a lot of people inside the guild. I could see adventurers bunched up together talking (maybe parties?) and many more searching for parties.

Almost all of them carried weapons; it was natural in this world for one to carry weapons in public. 

A huge crowd was formed near the quest board, where people were constantly taking quests and creating parties (I want to check that out.)

My dad was garnering a lot of attention from all sorts of people, then there was me; they were all looking at me with interested gazes (Agh~ I feel so awkward, feels like I am in the middle of a circus or something.) 

Walking towards the reception, I saw a big burly man approach us. He waved his hand at us with an amiable smile that contrasted with his body build. 

He came closer and said, "Yo! Andrew and Hello Jake!" (Uncle Graham is here too?) 

He was one of my dad's party members; he and my dad were like close friends, so we had met each other before. 

"Hello, Graham!" Dad said

"Hello, Uncle," I greeted him back

"Are you nervous?" The big man asked me

"A little," I replied (I am shitting bricks here) 

My whole life depended on today's results; the worst part was that none of it was in my control. I could potentially be discriminated against if I got a bad potential. 

"Haha! Don't worry, kid, it's gonna be fine," he said (I think he sensed my nervousness), and we moved away. 

On the desk, a lady with auburn hair was working. As we approached, she respectfully said, "Mr. Andrew, is it your son's awakening ceremony?" (I still don't feel attracted to anyone)

"Yes" 

"Okay, just fill up this form."

I took the form and fill it up with my and my family's names and gave it to her. She checked it up, stamped it, and gave us a token. (I have to wait for puberty, I guess…)

"Go to room number 14. It's on the right. Only the candidate is allowed inside the room," she instructed.

Father handed me the token and patted my back. "Go, son"

"Hmm," I meekly replied, honestly nervous as I walked towards the room.

-- -

I walked inside the marked room number 14 as instructed (Why do I feel so cold?)

I was nervous, and my heart was thumping. One could even hear it from miles away. I sat on the bench and looked around; kids my age were sitting (They all look half dead).

Soon, a kid with blond hair was called up on the stage, and a guild employee told him to touch the crystal orb on the stand. (Let's see how it's done…)

The blond head touched it, and after a few moments, the crystal started shining bluish yellow, with a light layer of bronze color on the outer surface.

Everyone gasped. "A bronze tier potential!" someone said in astonishment. I looked at the crystal with shining colors and thought (My father and my brother are bronze, so there should be a high chance of me getting it)

I was comfortable getting anything as long as people didn't discriminate against me. (I just want to live a happy, fulfilling life)

"YES!" The boy screamed in joy. 

The bronze potential is rare; only six or seven individuals out of a hundred have it. The silver is said to be more rare, about one in ten thousand or so. (Good for him)

A silver talent is said to be destined to become one of the strongest individuals of their time. But I have never heard of a silver-potential adventurer before (Are they coveted by nobles?). It was a valid thought guessing by the state of this world. 

I should've thought earlier that these people won't be allowed to live with commoners; I guess the noble take them away. (If yes, then this world just got worse.)

Then another thought hit me, (Wait, if they say silver is the strongest, how do they control the silver and covet them, though). It didn't make any sense. 

Why would one serve someone weaker? (Do nobles use some kind of trick?)

A voice woke me up from my thoughts, "Jake Hill," a slender-looking man called me up towards the crystal ball. (Fuuu~ It's all going to be okay)

I went up to the altar while comforting myself in my mind. 

"Place your hand on the crystal ball," the man said indifferently.

"Okay," I said and looked at the crystal ball.

(Alright, here goes nothing) I put my hands on the crystal ball and breathed out (Fuuu~), trying to relax my nerves. 

A tingling sensation ran up my body and then up to my chest. It felt cold and comfortable as if I was being embraced by Ice itself. 

I shut my eyes tightly, not wanting to know the result. And just waited for someone to announce it to me. 

A few minutes passed (What happened), and I was standing there, eyes closed, (Why aren't they saying anything?)

(Say something? My Element, my potential… anything)

Getting more desperate by the second I opened my eyes, my vision landed on the slender-looking guild employee. He was staring at me with mouth agape like I was some kind of exotic animal. (What happened?)

I looked around, only to find the whole room was silent. Everyone has the same horror or shock on the crowd's face (Did something go wrong?)

Nobody uttered a single word. 

Confused by their actions, I looked at the crystal ball I was touching, and what I saw shocked me so much that I could've jumped up, but I controlled myself. (W-what is this?)

It was a genuinely bizarre sight.

The crystal orb was shining in colors never seen before. The outer layer shone in bright silver. (That means silver potential, I read about it..)

A little deeper into it, I saw a blue, almost solid hue, depicting the converging property of the water element. (It means Ice, right? Its called a rare element)

And the most surprising part about it was that it wasn't the end yet! In the centermost part of the orb was a black hole. It was black as the void, sitting in the middle of the solid blue hue of the Ice. (Darkness! WTF)

It was a legendary auxiliary element… Darkness. Light and Darkness were called legendary auxiliary elements because they didn't exist on their own. 

They complimented and mixed with whatever Element the person awakened and gave them unique properties. 

A silver potential was rare, but if one added the auxiliary Element to it. The odds go down to one in a billion. (Holy fuck, what is going to happen to me now?) 

"Did I unlock Ice with Darkness?" I broke the silence in the room 

"A  S-S-SILVER POTENTIAL???!!!" One of the kids screamed after looking at the orb (Shut the fuck up, I know!)

I was nervous thinking about the amount of trouble coming my way.

The guild employee nodded to me, still in the previous shock. (I need to think about how to deal with this)

 "We need to inform the guild master about this," He said to me, to which I nodded. 

Then he leads me out of the room to the GuildMaster's office.