Inside the dark ebony carriage, Henry was already awake. Fiddling with his fingers due to the text which the screen displayed.
There was some noise outside. The hustle and bustle of the guards outside, preparing to set of towards the Oblivion Order's HQ.
His lips were shivering. Struggling to form a smile which he struggled to contain. His breath and become rough and his eyes were becoming teary.
He was too after all. He had finally awaken his core!
[Congratulations!]
[You've completed the Quest: Awaken your Spirit Core!]
[You're the first to have achieved this great feat in centuries!]
[You'll be rewarded handsomely!]
[Please wait as an appropriate reward is designed for you!]
[Keep up the good work! And good luck on your ventures!]
[Your Ancestry congratulates you in becoming an Acolyte!]
"This is amazing just amazing! Wait lemme just check—"
[Mark: -1]
[Attribute: Dark]
[Spirit Core Density: Double Divine Grade]
[Spirit Energy: 1,500/∞]
[Property: undefined]
[Skills: Spirit Breathing, Spirit Sleeping]
[Reward:
"Wh- wha- what!!"
Henry's breathing stopped for a second. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Was this a dream?
He rubbed his eyes, hoping to come back to reality. He was in utter shock!
His hands were trembling. Sweat pouring down his neck. There were shivers sent through his spine.
Henry had never thought something other than fear could cause such reactions as well.
"Double Divine Grade?! Just wh- what in th- the actual hell?!"
"I remember there are meant to be only four grades! Just what is this Double Divine Grade density?!"
"And just what is that strange symbol next to it?"
"After the Bestowment Ritual, the academy ground lights up. The brighter the light the better the grade."
"From what I remember, there were Faint, Bright, Radiant and Divine Grades. Starting from worse to the best."
"The most common are Bright Grades, followed by Faint grade."
"Radiant and Divine Grades are relatively rare. With the Divine Grade being close to a myth!"
"And I just recieved a Double Divine Grade!! What does this mean?!"
"Surely it's better than a Divine Grade, right? Yes, that has to be it!"
"The Grade of one's Core determines the Spirit Energy it can hold. Each Grade is exponentially better than the previous one."
"The 5 Lords of the Royal Houses are each just at the Radiant Grade and they are all already unparalleled! Whare does that leave me at?"
"I shouldn't be too careless. I can't let others know. In my past life, Lyrielle Aurvane awakened a Divine Grade. She was later died mysteriously. It obviously had to have been done by her sisters!"
He calmed down. His thoughts turning rational once again. Although he couldn't hide the obvious signs of the shock his body displayed, he forced himself to sit still.
He feed though, continued to tap furiously.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
He was still in his thoughts but then suddenly the screen flickered. Its blue color by a faint but dreadful red.
[Warning!]
[Warning!]
[An anomaly has been found with you. Your Spirit Core has begun to crumble!]
[Address the problem immediately!]
[Your Spirit Core can only last for 1 more day!]
[Address the problem immediately!]
Just as Henry finished reading all this, a sharp pain permeated his chest.
He felt a piercing pain emerge in his heart. His head started throbbing and this vision became blurry.
He had already been trembling from the joy having awakened a Double Divine Grade Spirit Core. But now, the crumbling of that very same code brought him immeasurable agony.
His breath became shaky and he started coughing. His eyes gradually turned blood red.
His body became cold and he shivered from the chill that resulted. He immediately wore a cloak that hung inside the carriage.
Under the heat of the June summer, Henry barely felt relief from the shivers even with all the clothing he had adorned.
He steeled himself and forced control over his voice, saying,
"Sebren, I want to reach the Academy before tomorrow morning. Is that clear?"
The butler who had been readying himself to drive the carriage heard the voice as his expression turned into a confused one.
He opposed, "Young Master, that's would be difficult. We have many guards with us. Making such a long journey would take a toll, not only on the men, but the horses as well."
The trembling in Henry's voice increased like a violent beast, locked inside a cage.
He forced himself to speak in a loud and steady voice, "I do not care!"
He continued, "If you want to stay, you can. I'll leave on my own. Will you, Sebren, dare to stop me?"
Henry was bluffing of course. He was in no condition to even walk a few steps let alone cover such a long journey.
He was simply putting Sebren in a difficult spot. Hoping that the man would listen to the "young master"
Sebren thought for a moment. He looked at the guards and shifted his gaze back to the carriage. He hesitated for a bit and his voice came soon after.
"Yes, Young Master. We'll do as you wish."
"Good. Go and don't disturb me until tomorrow."
Henry heaved a sigh of relief. The pain though, still showing no signs of going away.
His whole body was trembling and he was gradually losing strength in his legs.
The pain in his chest intensifying, making him difficult to breath.
"I've taken care of one thing. That has to be the reason!"
"I was an unmarked in my past life and this damned world wants me to be that way!"
"Fuck it all! Only at the academy can I find some relief."
"Argh!"
"Fuck! This pain is killing me! My Spirit Core was crumbling, right?"
Henry struggled to lift his legs, sitting cross-legged with some difficulty. He got into the familiar position of Awakening which he had already performed many times.
"I'll just Awaken my core again!"
"Who can stop me? Let's see if my Core can crumble faster than I can rebuild it!"