Chapter 12: The Third Awakening

Asterion’s hand shot up, along with many others, but his teacher pointed at him.

"Yes, Asterion?"

"Since the trees represent our powers, the intertwining branches mean that our branches interact and combine with our other abilities to create unique effects," he answered.

"Excellently put!" Seitz nodded in approval. "It’s worth noting again that the trees are merely a visualization tool. While each powerset is unique, there are overlaps and similarities that we can draw inspiration from—one of which I wish to address today, as we have multiple individuals with the beast essencia among us."

Mr. Seitz paused, scanning the students in question. "Are you all willing to share your newly awakened aspects, or would you prefer that I use generalized examples?"

Asterion turned to look at them, noting Alexius in particular. He seemed hesitant, his posture rigid as he mulled over the decision. But after a brief pause, he relented, giving a small nod before joining the others in agreement.

"Alexius, why don’t you tell us your aspect and show us what you can do?" Seitz prompted.

Alexius winced but managed to summon his courage as he rose from his seat.

"I awakened the concept of the tortoise…" he admitted, his voice hesitant.

Asterion watched in amazement as a deep green tortoiseshell began forming over Alexius’ torso and back, its surface smooth and sturdy. Despite the impressive display, Alexius' face flushed with embarrassment, his gaze flickering downward as if bracing for ridicule.

While there were some whispers and the occasional snicker, they quickly died down as Mr. Seitz swept his gaze over the class, his disapproving look enough to silence them.

"The Beast Essencia is one of the more common and reliably inherited essencias, but it is also one of the most diverse," he explained. "It allows individuals to awaken aspects of animals, beasts, and occasionally even magical or mythical creatures, granting them the ability to partially or fully transform—just as Alexius did."

He gestured toward Alexius, who still looked uncomfortable under the attention.

"Eventually, he will be able to manifest these shells over any part of his body, shaping them as he sees fit. With time, he may even eliminate the need for armor entirely. At least, that would be my recommendation for advancing his power. His own shell will be far more adaptable and durable than even the finest conventional or magical armor."

He let the words hang, and Asterion couldn’t help but marvel at the shell. He thought it already looked cool, though he hadn’t missed the unspoken implication his teacher had made.

"As most of you know, during the last month, Alexius and the others were sent to the capital to experience the Beastarium and other sights. Many of them awakened their aspects upon encountering creatures and places that resonated with their being," Seitz explained.

He glanced around the room before continuing.

"But why do you think I bring this up now?"

Katina’s hand shot up immediately—Alexius’ sister was always quick to answer—and Mr. Seitz signaled for her to speak.

"Because we can combine our different awakened beast aspects with each other!" she replied, her excitement bubbling over.

"Precisely," Seitz said. "Individuals with the Beast essencia rarely awaken only one type of beast aspect, meaning they have the potential to combine them. That particular type of branch power falls under what we scholars call Chimera abilities.

"Alexius, for example, will be able to merge his tortoise’s defensive shell with whatever other beast aspect he eventually awakens. Meanwhile, Katina, with both her Falcon and Lioness aspects, will be able to merge them into what we call a Gryphon Variant—a particularly powerful branch power."

"Each branch will allow them to further elevate and merge the strengths of their respective aspects. To begin with, her power will likely take the form of a Demigryph, but the more she intertwines those abilities, the greater the chance she will eventually take on the full form of a Gryphon.

Excited murmurs rushed through the class, and Asterion couldn’t help but wonder what kind of Chimera Alexius would become. If he awakened the aspect of something big—like an elephant, a Yutid, or even a bear, like Uncle Arkuda—he could turn into a towering, armored beast.

"Of course, she may awaken a third beast aspect that could take her in an entirely different direction," Seitz continued. "In the end, it will be her choice how she shapes and progresses her power. After all, many with the Beast essencia prefer to stick to partial transformations, maintaining their humanoid form and the ability to wield weapons and armor, rather than fully embracing a bestial shape."

The earlier chuckles had turned to admiration and wonder as many in the class stared, their imaginations running wild with possibilities—not just for the siblings' powers but for their own as well.

Asterion’s own excitement, however, was slightly tempered. While his two abilities were closely connected and greatly complemented each other, there weren’t many known truly unique interactions between them.

He found that having access to his spatial sense made it significantly easier for him to designate areas and zones with his gravity power—something that would have been much harder and likely only possible at higher tiers. But he knew it was just a natural synergy between two related abilities rather than true progress with either of his powers, which sat at the early and middle stages, respectively.

Still, he held high hopes of awakening at least one more power. A fourth would be incredible, though he knew it was rare. Perhaps, in time, he could even obtain a compatible awakening stone to expand his abilities further.

Either way, he would grasp this opportunity with both hands; he still had a little over four years under Mr. Seitz’s instruction. He had a lot of time to think during the last month, keenly aware of how time passed by as he studied by himself, bedbound.

The past month had given him far too much time to think, making him keenly aware of how quickly time could slip away while he remained stuck in place. He refocused as Mr. Seitz continued his lecture, intent on absorbing everything he could.

He had been given an opportunity—one he refused to waste. And so, as the days turned to months and the months to years, he maintained that mentality as he continued to push himself.

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3 Years Later

Asterion ducked under Theos’ swing, subtly bending space to send the attack wide. He lashed out in response, but Theos leaped back with a grace that belied his massive, muscular frame.

Asterion took a sharp breath of the winter air as he was forced to bend backward to avoid the retaliatory swing, Theos’ reach far surpassing his own. His friend had always been strong, but now he truly embodied his Titan aspect—his sheer size and overwhelming presence made him look like a warrior of legend, despite them having only just reached their 17th winter.

In contrast, Asterion was smaller and leaner, his build lacking the raw bulk of Theos. Despite his dedication to training, his body had remained somewhere between athletic and toned—efficient, but far from imposing.

This became even more evident as a much larger portion of the girls in the crowd reserved their cheers and admiration for Theos.

Asterion exhaled, watching as his breath turned to mist in the cold air while he and Theos eyed each other.

He frowned. None of his abilities gave him a true edge in this fight, aside from his ability to bend space—but Theos was intimately familiar with both it and its limitations. Unless he advanced past the Peak Stage and shattered those limits, he wouldn’t win this bout.

He began to circle Theos, who mirrored him. I could try to manipulate gravity again to enhance the power of my swing… perhaps this time it’ll work, he mused.

But before he could shake the idea, Theos lunged forward. Asterion barely had time to parry the incoming strike, the precarious frozen ground making his usual rapid maneuvering unwise. The angle of attack made it useless to bend space, leaving him with no choice but to meet the blow head-on.

Pouring everything he had into the swing, he tried once again to increase its weight with gravity—but something felt off. A strange sense of wrongness settled over him as he willed it to work.

WORK! his mind screamed as he saw Theos' practice weapon racing toward him.

And then—it happened.

A surge of magic, both familiar and entirely new, coursed through him. His weapon suddenly grew absurdly heavy, his strike crashing through Theos’ attack with brutal force. The impact shattered Theos’ weapon upon contact, his eyes widening as Asterion’s blade carved through his gambeson and into his chest.

Before Asterion could even process what was happening, the weapon ripped itself from his grasp, slamming into the ground with a spray of snow and earth, burying itself deep into the frozen dirt, eliciting more surprised screams from the crowd.

Asterion stood frozen, breath caught in his throat, shock, and surprise marring his features.

He knew this sensation—he had awakened his third power. But there was no time to dwell on it. He turned to Theos and quickly bent down as his friend clutched his bloody chest with a grunt.

“Fuck, you got me good,” Theos chuckled through clenched teeth.

Lucia was already hurrying toward them, but Theos raised a hand to ward her off. “Spare your healing for him. I don’t need it.”

Asterion blinked in confusion. He hadn’t even registered any pain, his hands already aching from the fight and numbed by the cold. But as he glanced down, he realized why Theos had spoken up—his training weapon had torn his callused hands as it ripped itself free from his grip, leaving them a raw, bloody mess.

He exhaled, watching as Theos’ wounds slowly knitted themselves back together, his panic easing as he remembered his friend’s Vitality aspect—allowing him to recover from most injuries at a frankly ridiculous rate.

He then watched as his wounds too stitched themselves, green light emanating from his hands before Lucia even reached them.

He didn’t even wince, both the cold and Lucia’s power suppressing the pain as his hands stopped bleeding and skin regrew. He observed the changes with fascination.

"One would think your fascination with getting healed would eventually fade," Lucia muttered as she approached, taking his hands in hers and inspecting her handiwork.

“Well, I had hoped to awaken a life power for my third awakening,” Asterion replied with a wry smile, “but it looks like I got something else.”

Lucia’s face scrunched as she looked at the wooden sword stuck in the ground. "Wait, that wasn’t you having a breakthrough with gravity?"

He gently pulled his hands from hers. "Gravity doesn’t work like that."

"Then what the hell was that?" Theos cut in, his eyes still fixed on the weapon. "Your sword felt like it was made of the hardest and heaviest steel I’ve ever clashed with—and I’ve smashed a lot of metal weapons in the last two years."

Asterion paused, introspecting as he stepped toward the weapon, pulling it free with some effort. He had wanted to make it heavier, but the weapon had also become denser. There was only one aspect he knew that would affect both density and weight while keeping its size unchanged.

“A change in density and weight, but not in size,” Mr. Seitz’s contemplative voice came from behind, letting the words linger.

Asterion had already sensed his approach through his Spatial Perception, but both Lucia and Theos, caught off guard, turned in surprise.

Theos quickly picked himself up from the ground, dusting himself off, seemingly impervious to the cold despite his ripped gambeson.

Asterion nodded in affirmation but remained unwilling to share the details of his new aspect with the small crowd gathered around the practice arena. Utilizing what he knew and the intrinsic link to his new power, he had a strong suspicion of what it was.

Trying to replicate the sensation and test its limits, he stretched out his arm, holding the wooden weapon aloft. He drew on his new power—the weapon’s mass shifted instantly, its weight skyrocketing as its density surged. Unable to hold his arm straight for more than a fraction of a second, the wooden blade crashed into the ground once again, carving another deep groove into the earth.

Mass Shift.

His thoughts churned as new possibilities took shape. Mass wasn’t the Aspect he had expected—but it didn’t matter. It would change everything—his combat style, his strategy, the way he applied his power.

A whole new path had opened before him, uncharted and full of potential. And the fact that Mass Shift’s first foundational ability allowed him to alter density? Perfect. Exactly what he needed.

For a moment, the sheer scope of it all pressed in on him.

Then, a wild grin broke across his face.

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