Awakeners weren't people forged by Essence energy, but people forged by pain.
Those quotes echoed once more in White's head as he lay there on his back, floating on the now half-depleted essence energy.
The golden notification panel flashed, depicting the message:
[Evolution Complete]!
Though his eyes could see it, it was like his mind couldn't register it.
The evolution reminded him:
When awakeners go on supernatural outbreak missions and succeed, the people, the ordinary humans, look at them as heroes, with some even aspiring to be like them.
But the truth behind that, behind every awakener, couldn't be any more different.
Every cultivation stage was an evolution that was accompanied by a mind-numbing level of pain.
Some awakeners, those with lower-grade genes, don't even succeed, and in the process, they go insane.
But even those who manage to stay stable lose a piece of their emotional intelligence that day.
And that was only the first level of cultivation.
As they progress from one level to the next, they're faced with an even more mind-numbing level of pain, and once more, they lose a piece of themselves.
As one progresses on the ladder of awakening, they also tear down their humanity to ascend to power.
Slowly, the human image goes hazy, and all you see through the glass is a monster of pain clothed in human skin.
As for those at the peak of power, the strongest awakeners, like the Commanders of the United Earth Federation,
Old monsters with devastating claw strikes that could erase an entire city.
They were insanity in human form.
If you knew every step to the top demanded unbearable pain and stripped away your humanity, would you see a chance to start over, regression, in his case, as a blessing or a curse?
'It will be worth it once I stop Draugr. Then...certainly, it'll be worth it.'
The reason why they risked insanity wasn't that they loved it.
No awakener in this world wants to shed away his humanity for the ability to grow stronger, faster.
Perhaps in the beginning, it was a nice feeling, but as you grow, it's not worth it, yet they press on regardless.
Why?
Because they were humans already facing against the true insanities, the Supernaturals.
To protect your family against the monsters, you must become a monster yourself.
This was what defined awakeners.
They did everything to conquer the Supernaturals.
Rising, his body moved with unnatural framing, tilting as if he controlled gravity and stepping on the pool's ground.
He calmly stepped out, and if anyone saw him, they would see the obvious change, the first being his height.
He had grown much taller, rising from his previous 1.8 meters to 1.9 meters.
His once-lean body was gone, replaced by a frame that wasn't quite lean, yet not overly muscular either.
The definition in his torso was sharp, as if sculpted by a Greek god.
His hair had also grown longer, falling behind his neck, and what used to be a dirty yellow-white now seemed closer to the white of snow.
White had been born with an unnatural hair color, white, but growing up in Dongard city had changed the color of his hair to somewhat yellow.
His footsteps were quiet yet held a hidden strength that made the air pause around his feet as he fully stepped out of the pool.
Essence energy wasn't water, but more like a gas, and the second he stepped out, he was already fully clean, the energy fading back into the air.
He didn't put on his old clothes, instead leaving for his bedroom and for the wardrobe.
There were about a dozen uniforms in there.
It was in the rules.
All the students were not allowed to wear normal clothing, only the uniforms, irrespective of whether there was a class for the day or not.
He brought out one of the uniforms, a simple, purple-colored shirt, long-sleeved, and a pair of equally ankle-length purple trousers.
The material was as thick as metal, yet flowy to the touch.
He donned it quickly, his eyes picking up on a coat in another area of the wardrobe.
There were three coats, knee-length, but White didn't wear them.
Those were only necessary for class.
Having fully evolved and now donning clean clothes, he felt lighter than ever, returning to the sofa and calling up the system.
[Congratulations on your Successful Evolution]
[Hidden Quest Completed: Reach the first stage of cultivation]
[Rewards:
1. New Cultivation Record Panel on System Interface Tab
2. +37 Increase in Points to all Stats
3. +2 New Abilities Awakening
4. +3 Ability Upgrade Cards!]
[System Interface]
[Name: White Sinclaw]
[Cultivation Stage: Early Star Realm]
[Level: 8]
[EXP: 0/2,000]
"Truly a new interface," White mused, sighting the new cultivation stage panel.
He had initially thought the system interface tab was low in number, but seeing how another panel appeared, perhaps more could appear in the future if he reached a significant milestone.
[STATS]
[Strength: 33 (+37)]
[Agility: 33 (+37)]
[Spirit: 29 (+37)]
[Combat Power: 160]
Though it was shocking to have his strength doubled once more, White wasn't much surprised by it.
When awakeners go through evolution and step into the Star Realm, they usually come out faster and stronger, incredibly stronger.
No awakener who has yet to reach the Star rank could hope to take on an awakener in the Star rank; it's why they were called true awakeners.
The increase in stats was essential.
Still, the thing he looked forward to the most was the next panel:
[Skills and Abilities]
Just what new abilities, actually, two new abilities, would he awaken after his limitless Skill?
[Skills and Abilities]
...