Chapter Seven: True Awakening
[You have absorbed Hope's Essence.]
[Awakening Abyssal Core with the absorbed essence…]
[Awakening… is a success.]
Twilight's face twisted in complete shock. This was his first time hearing of an Abyssal Core. Every cultivator needed a vital core to cultivate, but never before had anyone awakened something other than a vital core.
But that was not all. After taking two steps forward, the black specks of light abruptly shifted once more to a resplendent white hue, flowing into his body in waves.
Once again, Twilight heard a series of notifications from the Sovereign System, ringing in his ears:
[You have absorbed Hope's Essence.]
[Awakening Spirit Heart with the absorbed essence…]
[Awakening successful.]
Twilight almost stumbled in his profound disbelief. Not only had he awakened a strange and ominous Abyssal Core, but he had also gained another mysterious power: a Spirit Heart.
Struggling to suppress his excitement, Twilight realized that the odd phenomenon of Hope's Essence changing from green to black, and then to white, would surely invite chaos. He needed to complete his awakening as quickly as possible.
Step by step, the pressure mounted, pressing down on him with crushing intensity. Even with his unwavering determination, Twilight struggled greatly. Yet, through gritted teeth, he persevered.
Eighty-five steps. Eighty-six. Eighty-eight.
"Hah," Twilight panted heavily, his breathing ragged. He felt as though he'd run a marathon. His legs trembled beneath him, threatening to give out.
Even so, the thought of quitting never entered his mind. He didn't know why, but today, something deep within him had shifted.
He no longer wanted to be that helpless, weak youth of the past. He had to keep moving.
Eighty-nine steps. Ninety steps!
'M-grade potential…' Twilight thought, exhilaration coursing through him. 'I HAVE AN M-GRADE POTENTIAL!'
Though he doubted he could reach the end of the pond, coming this far was no small feat.
He paused briefly, allowing the swirling black and white lights to nourish his Abyssal Core and Spirit Heart. After taking a deep breath, he forced himself to take another step, then another, and another.
When he reached the ninety-fourth step, blood trickled down the side of his mouth. Twilight's vision spun, disorienting him.
Only six steps remained before he could awaken the legendary AX potential, yet these steps felt like the gap between heaven and earth.
'So… this is my limit,' Twilight thought, a bitter smile twisting his lips.
He knew his limits well. Pushing further would risk core detonation, an event that could destroy both his soul and body. It wasn't worth the price.
Even so, Twilight gritted his teeth and took half a step forward onto the ninety-fifth step. Just as he was about to place his other foot forward, Wilson's anxious voice boomed across the area:
"Young lad, stop! Your vital core will detonate if you push yourself too far!"
Twilight sneered inwardly, utterly disregarding the assassin's warning.
With defiant resolve, he placed his second foot onto the ninety-fifth step. It was an open provocation, a blatant sign that he did not care for the assassin's words.
Behind his cloak, Wilson's expression darkened, his eyes radiating a bone-chilling light. He was clearly enraged by Twilight's behavior.
'Brat… I would've escorted you back to the lord without trouble, but now…' Wilson thought, his lips curling into a low chuckle.
Meanwhile, the crowd was stunned into silence. Envy, awe, and disbelief were written across their faces.
But their shock turned to complete astonishment when Twilight brazenly ignored the cloaked assassin's warning.
'That young man is truly insane!' This was the shared thought of the onlookers.
Yet Twilight paid them no mind, focusing instead on devouring as much Hope's Essence as possible. Progressing further would be tantamount to suicide at this point.
A good cultivator never gave up on their goals, no matter the cost.
A great cultivator, however, knew when to advance and when to retreat. To live today was to grow stronger tomorrow, and to survive was to deal a bigger blow next time.
Twilight wouldn't throw his life away just to reach the end of the pond. Initially, that had been his goal, but now that it seemed unattainable, he would settle for what he had gained.
After all, even if he reached the end of the pond and his body detonated, what would be the point of awakening AX potential? At best, he'd become a tragic myth—the first human to awaken AX potential, only to die moments later.
To Twilight, this would be the height of foolishness. Dying before he could savor the fruits of his labor? What a joke.
And so, he focused entirely on absorbing Hope's Essence. There was always the slim chance—less than 10%—that he could upgrade his potential later, once he entered the Astral Realm.
[You have absorbed Hope's Essence.]
[Nourishing Abyssal Core.]
[You have absorbed Hope's Essence.]
[Purifying Spirit Heart.]
Now that he wasn't burdened by the pressure to finish his awakening, Twilight clearly felt the warm, euphoric sensation brought by the Hope's Essence as it flowed through his body.
For the first time in his life, he felt at peace. He wished he could remain in the pond forever.
It was then that the middle-aged administrator spoke, his voice trembling:
"T-Twilight Nightfall: 95 steps passed. Potential: M-M-grade."
The administrator's shaky voice made it clear that even he couldn't believe Twilight's results.
Upon hearing those words, Twilight let out a silent sigh and turned to leave the pond. As he walked back to the starting point, he couldn't help but wonder why no one seemed curious about the change in Hope's Essence's color.
After some thought, he realized his worries were unfounded. Perhaps they simply assumed the color changed naturally after crossing the eightieth step.
And even if they were suspicious, he could feign ignorance and claim it was normal.
…
It didn't take long for Twilight to step out of the pond. Immediately, he noticed the stares directed at him.
Some gazes were filled with admiration. Others were cold and emotionless. But the rest were heavy with envy and hatred.
Among the envious, Twilight recognized two familiar faces.
One was a hulking young man with sharp eyebrows. The other was a lean, athletic youth.
These two were the ones who had bet on his failure, even declaring they'd call him "daddy" if he passed the twentieth step.
Their faces now burned with blazing fury, their eyes blazing with unconcealed hate.
Twilight smirked and approached them slowly.
When he stood before their trembling figures, he tilted his head, a crooked smile twisting his lips.
"Oh. If it isn't my sons. When are you going to acknowledge this daddy of yours?..."