Julian listened attentively to the genie who was stating the rules really fast and also giving him tips. The genie really seems to be really friendly to him. You really can't judge a book by its cover.
"Okay child do you have any questions?"
"Oh then can I ask you what do you mean by mana compatability to my body?"
The genie stared at Julian and thought that this kid was joking because all of those kids before who took the awakening ceremony all seem to know the basics. However, seeing that the kid seemed sincere on asking the question, he just sighed and patiently explained it.
"Mana compatability... hmm how can I simply describe it? Hmm let's just say that I am eating and there many kinds of food in the table. There are some foods that I like and some foods that I don't like but it is ultimately my body who will decide what I will eat. For example, I like spicy food but my body is allergic to it so I can't eat it spicy food because I will get sick. That can easily explain what mana compatability is."
"So you're saying that my body will reject some of the elements and I can only use one type of element?" Julian asked again.
"Well yes but also no. You see there are cases that a single body can be suitable to almost all the elements and cases where you are not suitable to any element. That's why this is only the first phase of the awakening ceremony and that's why they prepare generic rings outside."
"Wait this is only the first phase? How many phases do I need to go through?"
"Hey kid, didn't you listen to the lectures outside before coming here. Those persons outside really need to be stricter to their kids. If my brother Prima was here, he will ban you for two years before taking this ceremony again. Or maybe he really banned you before, maybe that's the reason you are a bit old being here."
"Sir , uh, I am from the borders so I was a little late coming here to take my ceremony." Julian made up an excuse for his lack of knowledge by using what he heard from Kristine.
"Oh a sapling? Well that explains it. Well there are three phases but depending on the situation you only need to do two of them. I really can't tell you more until you finish the first phase. Now go start the first phase."
"Wait how many levels do I need to do to be, you know, a powerful mage? I guess I could 50 levels right?"
"Hahahaha kid you crack me up so good. Let me tell you that the optimal age that you should take this awakening ceremony should be 8 years old that's because the difficulty of breaking the crystal pearl becomes harder and harder after that. Not to mention 50, it's pretty good if you can do it until 15 levels. Kid you are so funny."
"Ok Phantasma will summon me back if you finish the first phase. Good luck kid you going to need it. Right my name is Pascal. Don't call me sir next time." Pascal disappeared after he introduced himself.
Julian was startled by the revelation but the infamous smile on his face actually reflected that he was getting excited to prove Pascal wrong. He turned his head to the floating crystal pearls and he placed his right hand above the water pearl.
_So I need to imagine pouring water in here and if my analysis is correct, when a certain amount of water was poured in, then the crystal pearl will break. Seems pretty easy._
At the exact moment he imagined pouring a drop of water in, the pearl instantly exploded. The same thing happened to the other balls when tried pouring in a small amount, it just was so easy to break it. He finally broke the pearls and another batch of it appeared with a number two inside indicating the level he was in. He broke the pearls with such ease level after level that he started sitting down when reached the sixteenth level.
"Fifteen levels, my ass. It doesn't seem broken so maybe that genie was trying to frighten me or something. With the pace I'm doing, I can do two hundred pearls, easy, too easy."
If Pascal was here and heard what he said, the genie will be angry and gobsmacked at the same time. Julian didn't know that what he was doing right now is breaking all the records that Pascal ever knew about the awakening ceremony on his entire existence.
On the two hundred fifty first level, Julian started feeling a little bit of difficulty breaking the pearls. On the three hundredth level the earth pearl vanished when he reached the time limit of two minutes and the next level didn't have the earth pearl anymore. It was in the nine hundred and twenty sixth level that the lightning element was the only remaining pearl that he needed to break. After one thousand levels of breaking crystal pearls, Julian finally finished the first phase of the ceremony.