When Fergie came to, the first thing the woman felt was joy. After so many years, she had finally broken through the barrier that held her from reaching the Grandmaster stage!
She was only partly through the door, her awakened skill having reached there, but it would take a while for her body to adapt and climb as well.
This was the benefit of Sparking over Awakening. Mages had to do a ceremony and use certain methods that were stringent and specific before being able to reach the next stage, but their power would increase totally afterward.
On the other hand, those who had Sparked, be it naturally or artificially, could simply upgrade whenever and wherever as long as their special ability had gathered 'enough experience'.