Shaana began to explain in a clear and audible voice, knowing that individuals like Rin and Million might not be familiar with the details: "When the Great Fall began, humanity endured this calamity for several years without being able to do much about it, despite a few awakened. The creatures had developed natural combat techniques far more effective than our stigmata, which need time to develop."
She moistened her lips and continued, "One day, an awakened made an incredible discovery. We were able to attempt to copy the beasts. It all started from his studies to find the weaknesses of different monsters. He discovered that in rare cases, they leave behind a stone that we call an inheritance stone. Inside, a part of the mana behavior memories is inscribed."
Shaana noticed that Rin and Million were listening attentively, both focused on her.
However, Million seemed not to be listening and was captivated by Shaana's face: "She is so kind and beautiful..."
Unaware that one of her listeners was lost in thought, Shaana continued, "Unfortunately, the one who discovered this died in horrible agony because inheritance stones have prerequisites. First, it must be of the same rank as the awakened who wants to read it. Then, the awakened must not have an inheritance of the same rank already in their memory, and finally, the monster must be compatible with the nature of the stigmata."
Rin was puzzled, "I understand the first two, but how do we determine compatibility?"
Shin, who stood not far behind, spoke up, "Body, talent, Mana, and stigmata shape who we are. If someone with a weak body and an aquatic stigmata takes the inheritance of a great infernal primate relying on physical strength and mastery of Fire, you can imagine that the incompatibility is at its maximum in such cases. That's probably what happened to the one who discovered this." His clear and well-articulated explanation caught the attention even of those who already knew the story.
Rin replied, "I see, thank you. But how do we know about compatibility?"
Shaana resumed speaking: "I'm getting to that, I'm getting to that, big brother Rin, don't be impatient."
"After several years of deliberation and collaboration, the major powers of humanity reached a consensus. They embarked on a monumental project: the creation of a mana-powered machine specifically designed to decipher the enigmatic inheritance stones. This machine, equipped with cutting-edge technology and infused with the collective mana knowledge of humankind, would serve as a beacon of hope in an uncertain world."
Shaana paused briefly, allowing the weight of her words to sink in before continuing. "This ingenious invention possesses the remarkable ability to analyze the complex patterns inscribed in the stones and determine their compatibility with the unique essence of each, much like their mana fingerprint. While it doesn't cover the entirety of our knowledge, the database encompasses an impressive 80% of the discovered stones, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation."
Seeing Rin understanding and Million not asking any questions and continuing to gaze at her, she continued, enjoying the feeling of helping her fellow beings, "But all of this is only half of the mana exercise. In the inheritance, there is the way mana moves in the body, but there is no capacity as such. Thus, several generations sacrificed themselves to create stimulations with the appropriate mana movement, which creates a capacity. Today, there are three types of mana exercises differentiated simply by the number of possible skills, ranging from one to three. None is worse than the other; it's all about compatibility and synergy with the stigmata. But one thing is certain: it represents, according to individuals, between 40 and 60% of combat strength and is practically impossible to change once inherited. So, the choice must be thought through to the maximum."
As she finished speaking, they arrived in an immensely glassed room, even the floor, where they saw below, at the center, a stone of at least 5 meters high, in shades of red, floating.
Above was a disk with exactly ten mats and even above that, a glass ceiling in which they saw the candidates ranked in the silver panels begin to sit, several meters above countless mats, surely the floor of the other candidates. The lower the ranking, the further away from the center of the room.
As they all nervously settled on their mats, Lieutenant Jin arrived, but a few steps behind, an elderly man, quite well-built, with a straight back and a fierce look.
Lieutenant Jin spoke, "I request everyone's attention! You are currently in the 'sanctuary'! Each of the 18 Bastions has a Sanctuary, and it's the opposite: it's only because there is a sanctuary that the Bastion can exist. So, we ask everyone to respect the place! I present to you Commander Rengoku, who is the chief of the Bastion's armies."
The old man looked at the young people from the top down and finally slightly lowered his head to observe the first ten, then finished his observation on the purple stone. Then, with a slightly gravelly and dusty voice, he spoke, but even if he didn't speak loudly, it was audible to everyone.
"Young people, there are very few awakened, and every day we lose brothers in combat outside the walls so that you, the next generation, can reach this moment... this moment where the torch is passed... to protect the majority non-awakened and especially to protect this stone."
He pointed his finger at the stone, "This, young people, is what we call a relic, an object so charged with pure mana that it can flow into an entire ecosystem. For some bastions, their relics are weapons, for others they are bones, and for us, it's this dragon heart... It is the reason why we can fight because, without it, awakening will occur randomly between sixteen years and probable death."
He gestured to the soldier at the entrance to the three floors divided by simple thick glass: "Awakening forced by the relic is a major risk. The mortality rate in the first circle is minimal, practically 0, in the second circle it is about 10%, and for you up there... 70%."
Gasps and swallowing sounds were heard, and some started to panic.
"Keep calm, young people, I allow you to leave now. However, as someone who has been fighting for over fifty-five years, I consider you a traitor to humanity. Every day, men and women with families go out to explore, kill, and protect at the risk of their lives, but you, faced with an uncertain death, are starting to panic, huh? Well, I'll turn a blind eye to any deserters." He closed his eyes and waited.
Rin didn't agree because fear is normal, but he understood the commander's point.
He saw several people, boys and girls, leave, at least a hundred, from the upper room.
After a few minutes, the soldiers closed the doors, and the commander opened his eyes and, with a piercing look, asked Lieutenant Jin behind him, "How many participants fled?"
The lieutenant felt fear grip him and a lump formed in his throat, "113, sir!"
The commander nodded and replied coldly, "Enlist them, no matter their profession. They will serve the army! No mouths are waiting to be fed in this Bastion. Everyone participates in survival."
Lieutenant Jin nodded and left quickly.
The commander sighed and raised his head with a gentle look, "Children, the mortality rate is only 45% for you. I lied and I'm sorry, but outside the walls, it's not easy, and without a firm heart, we can lead an expedition team to death. So, I tested your will." He bowed slightly as a sign of apology.
"All right, let's get down to business," he straightened up and spoke clearly. "In a few moments, we will tease the relic with mana. It will then send pure mana into the sanctuary. The closer you are, the purer and more concentrated the mana... When your body is saturated, you will experience something that varies from one individual to another."
As he made his way out of the room, his words echoed behind him, carrying a weight of significance. "This is your test," he continued, his voice steady and resolute, "the one that will define your stigmata—the embodiment of your inner self, your hopes, sufferings, dreams, ambitions. Everything is taken into account." His tone carried a sense of solemnity, a reminder of the gravity of the moment. "Good luck, young people," he concluded, his words offering encouragement and support to those about to embark on their journey.
The door closed as he left.
At that moment, the red stone, which the commander described as the heart of a dragon, began to hum softly. It was attached at the bottom to a stone pedestal and various semi-transparent cables, through which colorless smoke could be seen flowing faster and faster.
Within seconds, the noise from the heart became extremely loud, vibrating the bodies of all the students.
After a few moments, the heart calmed down.
TADUM!
A beat, just one beat, but all the students felt a tremor in their minds, then the stone began to emit red smoke that rose.
Rin watched as the stone turned increasingly red and spewed more and more smoke until no one could see anything anymore. His heart raced, a mixture of apprehension and excitement coursing through him, anticipation swelling within him like an uncontrollable storm.
As the smoke enveloped the room, shrouding everything in its crimson mist, Rin felt a strong determination wash over him. Whatever happened, he was ready to face the unknown of forced awakening. After a resolute glance, he closed his eyes, prepared to confront all the obstacles that the test would place in his path.