Born In Ashes: The Enigma Chapter 32: Awakening (Part 2)

"The awakening is basically the process of condensing the dormant power within your body into a source core..." Ashara explained.

"When you use an awakening stone, the source power within the stone will stimulate the dormant power inside your body. At that ti, to condense the source core, your body will utilize your own cosmic energy. The higher your cosmic energy during the condensation of the source core, the larger and more powerful it will be. If you reach the mid-level of the breathing thod before your awakening, your cosmic energy will undergo another significant leap. But the high amount of cosmic energy isn’t the main point here."

Ashara paused for a mont, and after confirming that Azrael was paying attention, she continued.

"The main point is the increase in the power of your cosmic energy. When you reach the entry level, the breathing thod increases your cosmic energy’s power by 5%, and at mid-level, it increases to 15%."

"If you reach the mid-level of the breathing thod and use your cosmic energy—which is 15% more powerful than normal to condense your source core, it will provide imnse benefits. Even if soone has a low amount of cosmic energy at the ti of awakening and their source core isn’t as strong as others’, there are many ways to improve it later. But a difference in the quality of the source core, especially one ford using cosmic energy that is 15% more powerful, is sothing that cannot be bridged later."

"So that’s how it is..." Azrael nodded thoughtfully.

’Is the reason I received the task to reach the mid-level of the breathing thod because whatever this thing is that’s giving these tasks wants to beco stronger than others?’

Azrael still had no idea what the thing giving him tasks really was. He had considered asking Ashara and Silas about it over the past two months, but thinking it might land him in trouble—especially since he was technically an imposter among them—he decided to keep it to himself.

Seeing that he now understood the value of reaching the mid-level of the breathing thod before awakening, Ashara thought for a mont before adding.

"If you really reach the mid-level before your awakening, I will take you to a special place."

Azrael raised an eyebrow.

"Where and why?" He asked curiously.

"There is sothing in that place that belongs to you. If you reach the mid-level, you might be able to use it," Ashara said with a serious look replacing her usual carefree expression. "If you obtain that thing, it will be incredibly helpful—not just for your first entry into Eonrift, but for your entire life."

’Sothing that belongs to ...’ Azrael wanted to ask more, but seeing her expression, he realized she wouldn’t reveal anything right now. So instead, he changed the topic to sothing he had been more curious about.

"Mom, can you tell more about Eonrift?"

Ashara leaned back, caught a grape, and answered casually.

"If I have to put it in simple terms, then Eonrift is a training ground."

"Training ground?" Azrael raised an eyebrow.

"When a person enters Eonrift for the first ti, they receive a trial. It doesn’t matter whether you are human, monster, elf, or from another race—the first ti you enter Eonrift, you will be given a trial based on the level of the token you use to enter," Ashara explained.

"Once you complete the trial, you’ll receive rewards based on your performance and the trial’s level. For us humans, the basic reward is the full activation of our source core, which finally allows us to use our powers. Of course, that’s just the basic reward—if your performance is exceptional, you may receive an attribute, rune, substance, skill, or sothing else useful."

"You said ’basic reward for humans’..." Azrael frowned. "Does that an people of other races get different rewards?"

Ashara nodded. "Let’s take the monster race for example. From birth, monsters have monster cores in their bodies that act as their source cores. Since they already possess source cores, they don’t need to undergo awakening or need to activate their power like us by entering Eonrift. When monsters enter Eonrift for the first ti and complete their trials, they typically receive rewards like enhancents to their physical body or sothing else suitable to their race."

She paused, then added.

"The world is not fair, but everything has a balance. Monsters may have the advantage of a built-in core, but they also face their own limitations. First, the majority of monsters act purely on instinct, and only a few ever fully develop their consciousness. Second, unlike us, monsters cannot use ’Substances’ to boost their power."

Ashara paused again and continued.

"Humans have many disadvantages compared to the higher races. But if you look at it from a different perspective, we’re not doing too bad. We can use Substances and Runes to enhance our strength. Our reproduction rate is high, and talented individuals erge regularly. We can develop technology to take our power to the next level, and so much more..." She looked at Azrael and said calmly.

"In short, you don’t need to think that you’re inferior to other species. We may start slower than so, but as we move forward, there aren’t many species that can keep up with us."

Azrael was surprised by Ashara’s explanation. He had indeed considered more than once that humans were at a disadvantage. But—

"Don’t worry, Mom. I’ve never felt inferior to anyone... and I never will."

He knew that humans had their own advantages and disadvantages. He welcod the advantages wholeheartedly. As for the disadvantages—

’I’ll simply find a way to overco them.’

In fact, over the last two months, he had read through various techniques and skills and already devised a plan that could help him transcend the limits of the human race through the help of his Eternal Grade Trait. However, he was still too weak to carry it out and would have to wait until after his awakening.

As Azrael thought about his plan, his blood began to boil with excitent.

Ashara smiled at his response and nodded.

"Indeed, how can my son have the fragile ntality of the weak?" She said, returning to the topic.

"Anyway, when you enter Eonrift for the first ti, just focus on giving your best during your trial. Because it’s a personal trial, you won’t encounter any other participant during that ti. But everything will change after you complete your trial and leave Eonrift," She paused, then smiled.

"When you enter Eonrift for the second ti, that’s when it truly becos a training ground—where people from all over the Genesis gather."

(*A/N: Genesis is the na of the World Azrael is in. Don’t confuse it with Aetherion Expanse, which is the na of the galaxy where the planet Azrael resides on is located.)

Azrael listened carefully to Ashara’s explanation, and the more he heard, the more fascinated he beca with Eonrift.

Soon, their conversation ended, and as they were chatting, they saw Kael finally returning from the training room.

Kael looked at Ashara with narrowed eyes, as if engraving the image of his mortal enemy into his mind, his chubby cheeks slightly puffed.

Ashara received his stare indifferently and calmly picked up a fresh mango from the fruit basket that had arrived that morning.

Waving the mango left and right, she teased him.

Kael narrowed his eyes and followed the juicy fruit with laser focus. After a mont of hesitation, he ran to Ashara, snatched the mango, sat on her lap, and began eating like a squirrel.

A man needs a full stomach before facing his greatest enemy.

He would continue his crusade of revenge against Ashara after eating one—no! Two mangoes.