The Cathedral of the Eternal Flame was a masterpiece of arrogance.
Soaring marble arches reached toward the sky, and stained-glass windows depicted the First King receiving the gift of Mana from the Heavens. To the common folk, it was a holy site. To Lucian, it was a graveyard of dreams. In his past life, he had walked out of these doors as a pariah, the "Thorne Shame" whispered on every lip.
"Keep your head up, Lucian," his father, Duke Alistair Thorne, commanded as they stepped out of the carriage.
The Duke was a man of iron and shadow. His presence alone was enough to make the air feel heavy. He didn't look at Lucian; he never did. His eyes were fixed on the High Priest waiting at the altar.
"The King's advisors are watching," the Duke continued, his voice low. "If you fail to manifest even a flicker of light, you will be sent to the borderlands by sunset. We cannot have a Null in the main house during the succession trials."
Lucian felt a surge of cold fury. The borderlands. In his previous life, that exile was what had left him vulnerable when the betrayal began.
"I understand, Father," Lucian said.
As they entered the sanctuary, a hush fell over the gathered nobles. The Awakening Ceremony was a public affair, a way for the Great Houses to flex their genetic superiority. Lucian could feel the gazes—pitying from the ladies, mocking from the men.
"Is that the youngest Thorne?"
"The one born without a pulse of mana? Why even bring him?"
"Tradition. Though it's more of a funeral than an awakening."
Lucian ignored them. His eyes were on the Awakening Stone—a massive, jagged obsidian pillar at the center of the hall. It was designed to resonate with a person's internal mana, glowing different colors based on their elemental affinity and intensity.
[Notice: Detection Pulse Active.]
[Scanning Awakening Stone...]
[Item: Ancient Resonator (Rank: S)]
[Composition: Compressed Mana Essence (100,000+ Units)]
Lucian's breath hitched. 100,000 units? To the System, this wasn't a holy relic. It was a buffet.
"Lucian Thorne," the High Priest announced, his voice echoing through the hall. "Step forward and claim your destiny."
Lucian walked up the stone steps. Beside the pillar, Cassian stood with the other young elites who had already awakened. Cassian's face was still slightly pale from the "extraction" earlier, but he managed a smug grin. He was waiting for the moment the stone stayed dark, confirming Lucian's worthlessness.
Lucian reached out. His hand trembled, not from fear, but from the System's sudden, violent reaction.
[Warning! High-density Mana source detected.]
[The Gluttony System is reacting to the 'Ancient Resonator'.]
[Mission: Total Consumption.]
[Objective: Do not just 'Awaken'. Take it all.]
If I take it all, the stone will break, Lucian realized. But if I don't, I'm just a Null.
He pressed his palm against the cold, smooth obsidian.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened. A soft titter of laughter rippled through the congregation. The Duke closed his eyes, his face a mask of disappointment.
Then, the world turned white.
A low hum started deep within the earth, vibrating through the soles of Lucian's boots. The Awakening Stone didn't just glow; it began to throb like a beating heart. A dark, violet light started at the base and raced upward, turning into a blinding, jagged flare.
[Mana Absorption Initiated...]
[+500 Soul Points...]
[+1,200 Soul Points...]
[+5,000 Soul Points...]
"What... what is this?" the High Priest stammered, backing away. "The light... it's the wrong color! It's too bright!"
The violet light turned into a vortex, spiraling into Lucian's palm. He felt like his arm was being shredded and rebuilt simultaneously. The "trace" of Frost magic he had stolen from Cassian earlier acted like a catalyst, freezing the air around him until frost coated the pews.
CRACK.
A hairline fracture appeared on the surface of the obsidian pillar.
"Stop!" the Duke shouted, stepping forward, his hand on his sword. "Lucian, let go!"
Lucian couldn't. He was a vacuum, and the stone was the atmosphere.
[System Level Up!]
[Level 2... Level 5... Level 10!]
[New Passive Gained: Void Veins (Allows for 10x Mana throughput)]
[Final Extraction in progress...]
With a sound like a thunderclap, the Awakening Stone—a relic that had stood for a thousand years—shattered into a million pieces.
A shockwave of pure mana blasted outward, knocking the High Priest off the dais and sending the nobles scrambling. When the dust settled, the center of the hall was silent.
Lucian stood in the middle of the debris. He was glowing. Faint, purple wisps of energy licked off his skin like dying embers. His eyes, once a dull brown, now held a hint of violet at the center of the iris.
He looked at his palm. The stone was gone, replaced by a pile of gray, inert sand.
"The stone..." Cassian whispered, his voice trembling. "He destroyed the stone..."
Lucian turned to look at his family. The Duke was staring at him with a mixture of horror and something Lucian had never seen before: fear.
[Current Soul Points: 12,450]
[Hidden Quest Complete: 'The Death of Tradition']
[Reward: Class Selection Unlocked.]
Lucian wiped a stray drop of blood from his nose and smiled at his brother.
"Sorry, Cassian," Lucian said, his voice echoing in the stunned silence. "I think I overdid it. Does this mean I passed?"
The High Priest looked at the pile of sand, then at the boy who had just consumed a kingdom's worth of mana. "Passed? My boy... you've just committed a heresy. Or a miracle."
Lucian didn't care which one they called it. He could feel the power roiling under his skin, waiting for his command. The hunt had officially begun.