For a primary awakener, this is indeed a bit dangerous. He took a sip, letting the burn settle in his throat.

  Besides… the city was getting worse. The Beast Kings had been letting their mutants push closer to the walls, and Krythos itself was more chaotic than ever. They didn’t have time to train people the slow way.

  A silence hung in the air.

  Vince finally sighed and set his glass down with a quiet clink. "The plan stays the same."

  ......

  When Axel opened his eyes, the afternoon sun was already streaming through his window. He wrinkled his nose—he reeked. A faint stench of sweat and exhaustion clung to his skin. But beneath that, he felt stronger than ever before.

  No wonder they never let me practice Body Forging before, he thought, stretching his sore muscles. He slipped into a state of introspection, scanning his internal stats.

  Physical Strength: 157. In just a single day, he had gained 10 points. That kind of progress was unheard of. Of course, the downside was that his Force was nearly depleted. Force: 37/162.

  Still, even that was an improvement. His increased physical power had pushed his Force limit up by three points.

  "For most people, recovering from this would take days," Axel murmured. "But..."

  He reached into his stash and pulled out a life crystal—one of the largest he had. He had been hoarding them carefully: two from infected creatures, one from an awakened, and the last from a killer. He had already used a little and saved some for Annabelle, but now it was his turn.

  As he gripped the crystal, he felt an overwhelming surge of energy flood into him, like a dried-up riverbed suddenly filled by a raging storm. His body hummed with power.

  He checked his stats again. Force: 162/162. Completely refilled. And the life crystal? Barely even dented—only about one-fifth depleted.

  "It actually works." Axel smirked. His perpetual motion machine theory was proving itself.

  Most people trained in Body Forging until their Force was drained, then spent agonizing amounts of time recovering before they could continue. He didn't have that problem. For him, it was endless—train, deplete, absorb, repeat.

  "First-class? This doesn’t seem so hard." After grabbing lunch with Annabelle and finally taking a shower, Axel jumped right back into his training.

  There were ten days left until the cultural exams. For most students, these exams were the defining moment of their lives—their one shot at a future beyond mediocrity. But Axel? He wasn’t worried. His grades were already solid, and those with exceptional Force levels had much lower academic requirements.

  So, he gave himself an hour a day to study. The rest? Body Forging. Meditation. Growth.

  .......

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  By the time Axel stepped out of the examination hall, his classmates were practically vibrating with relief. The cultural exams were over. For most, this was the most important turning point of their lives.

  That night, his classmates planned a celebration, a final hurrah before their paths diverged. Axel refused. Because deep down, he knew— Tonight, he was going to awaken.

  Ten days of non-stop training. His stats had skyrocketed:

  Physical Strength: 179

  Force: 182

  Spirit: 177

  He had consulted Skye, who told him that most people awakened when their Force hit 100-120. Their energy would surge post-awakening, boosting them to 140-160.

  After the initial fusion of body and Force, they typically peaked at 200—the threshold for a first-level middle-grade Awakener, capable of using their awakening skill twice in battle.

  But Axel? His Force was nearly at 200—and he hadn’t even awakened yet. And his abilities?

  He had tested them before: Recharge → Cost 70 Force; Healing → Cost 80 Force;

  By all accounts, he was already at first-level middle grade. And lately, his body had started buzzing with energy, a restless sensation thrumming in his bones. It was coming. It was just a matter of time.

  ........

  Axel slipped into a deep, almost magical sleep—more like a trance or a dream. In that state, he could clearly see his Force being absorbed by the ancient tree inside his body, flowing through its roots and then feeding back to every inch of his muscles and organs. The process seemed to stretch on forever. If Annabelle hadn’t woken him up, Axel thought he might have stayed like that indefinitely.

  The soft afternoon sunlight filtered in through the window, casting long shadows and making the dust in the room dance in the air. Annabelle sat beside him, a worried look on her face.

  "Brother," she said softly, her voice full of concern. "It's time to wake up. If you don’t, you’ll miss the registration time!"

  Her words were like a jolt to his system. Axel’s eyes snapped open, and he felt something different in the air—clearer, sharper.

  The world around him had shifted. His senses were now heightened—vision, hearing, even smell—everything felt sharper, more vivid. It was as if his body had been dipped in liquid clarity.

  Axel clenched his fists, and an overwhelming surge of power radiated from every muscle. He felt alive, more than ever before.

  "Is this what it feels like to be an awakener?" he muttered to himself, still processing the change.

  Annabelle stared at him, wide-eyed. "How long have I been asleep?" he asked, still adjusting to his newfound abilities.

  Annabelle pointed to the electronic clock on the wall. "Twelve days."

  Twelve days. If Axel hadn't looked so healthy, breathing evenly and with no signs of harm, Annabelle would've assumed something was wrong, maybe even called a doctor.

  "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

  Axel flashed her a reassuring smile, showing a mouthful of white teeth. "I’m fine," he said. "Better than fine, actually."

  This time, the improvements were far beyond what he had imagined. He immediately entered his inner vision state again. The towering ancient tree appeared before him once more, but this time, its roots were fully revived, pulsing with life. The once-dead tree seemed to come back to life in the spring, its leaves vibrant with green.

  Physical Strength: 221/222

  Force: 215/219

  Spirit: 217/220

  Axel had just reached the first-level lower grade, but this data is so high that Axel didn’t dare test. But there was something else—a more striking change. Two glowing skills hung on the branches of the ancient tree, like ripe fruit waiting to be plucked.

  Recharge: Primary (Upgradeable)

  Healing: Primary (Upgradeable)

  Axel’s heart skipped a beat. Just as he had hoped, his awakening skills had evolved, just like the changes in his body and Force. But there was one catch—he could only upgrade one skill for now. After thinking it over, he decided on Healing.

  Even though he had no interest in becoming a professional doctor, the ability to save life could never be a bad thing. The tree trembled again, and Axel felt a surge of power rush into the fruit of Healing, shifting its effects.

  Healing: Can greatly reduce adverse conditions such as cold, burning, and disease. It can also treat injuries like broken limbs, bleeding, and fractures, and restore a small amount of Force. Level: Intermediate.

  The healing effects had been enhanced, and now, it also had the ability to restore some Force—but only for others, not for Axel himself. Using it would cost him a fair amount of his own Force, after all.