Before the sun even rose, the city of Iserra buzzed like a living circuit, wires of excitement running through every alley. People from every corner of the kingdom were heading to the same place—
The Awakening Tower.
It wasn't just a tower—it was a ruin-like monument, older than memory, built from shimmering crystal veins laced with ancient metals. Its base spread wide like a fortress, each corner etched with symbols no one could fully read. The center spiraled up into the sky like a drill trying to pierce the heavens. Lightning sometimes struck it for no reason, and the air around it shimmered like heat rising off stone.
The structure itself was like a giant magical circuit. Inside the tower were orbs—each one representing an element. The whole place was built to conduct energy, blood, and fate.
To awaken, one had to press their palm to a bloodstone altar. A sharp slit opened in the center. The stone would draw blood. That blood would then travel like glowing veins into the elemental circuit. One by one, it would test each orb. If an orb accepted the blood—it would light up, and a unique force would surround the user. That was how one's element—or elements—were chosen.
A boy named Kyle was sprinting through the cobblestone roads, a half-eaten apple clenched in his teeth. His chest heaved with every step.
He wasn't late, but something told him: Don't stop. Don't be slow. Today decides everything.
"Don't trip on hope, boy!" laughed a fruit seller, tossing him another apple. Kyle caught it mid-run, bit into it, and gave a thumbs-up without slowing down.
When he reached the tower plaza, he skidded to a halt.
Thousands had gathered.
Two massive lines stretched before the gate. One short and quiet—those were the Arken bloodlines, ancient clans blessed with power, privilege, and prestige. Their clothes sparkled with runes and gems, their eyes full of inherited pride.
The other line? Long. Crowded. Dusty. That was Kyle's line.
A guard stepped up with a ledger.
"Name?"
"Kyle."
"Payment."
Kyle handed over 100 bronze coins—everything he had ever earned.
The guard dropped a dull iron token in his hand: 179.
"Drop this and you're out."
Kyle nodded and stepped into the crowd of hopefuls.
Time passed. Slowly.
Someone bumped into him roughly.
"Ah—sorry!" said a boy with wild black hair and sharp eyes. "Didn't see you."
"No harm done."
"I'm Lein."
"Kyle."
As the line moved, they talked.
"I just want to awaken something strong," Kyle said. "Void. Lightning. Something rare."
Lein chuckled. "Rare doesn't mean strong. And you don't choose your element. The altar chooses you."
Kyle looked confused.
"You press your palm to the altar," Lein explained. "It draws your blood and sends it through the circuit to the orbs. If the orb reacts, it lights up. That means it accepts you. That becomes your element."
"But what if I get something useless?" Kyle asked.
"No such thing," Lein said. "Water can drown a forest. Fire can purify. Even Wind can cut steel. It all depends on how strong you become."
"So strength comes from cultivation?"
"Exactly. Everyone starts at Novice, then goes to F, E, D, all the way up. The more you train, fight, and understand your path, the more powerful you become."
"And what's a Kreis?"
Lein's eyes lit up. "That's something else. The Kreis is a cultivation ring that forms when your body, mind, and spirit align perfectly. It's not tied to any element. It's rare. And powerful."
Just then, someone shoved past them in line.
The crowd hushed.
The boy had simple clothes. His aura? Not so simple.
"L-Lord Raizen Enzai Lizak!" the guards stammered. "Why are you here?! You should be in the Arken gate!"
"I'll wait here," Raizen said coldly. "I want to see how the real world smells."
Raizen Enzai Lizak. That name made people shudder.
From the Lizak clan—an elite Rank 0 Arken family that worshipped the Sword God. Their fortress was surrounded by fire-element temples, blessing seals, and ancient training halls where swords danced by themselves.
Raizen was expected to awaken Sword, Fire, and something rare like Sealing Magic.
Some people clapped in respect.
Others laughed at Kyle.
"Hope you awaken 'Potato'!" one brat sneered.
"He probably gets 'Fart' element!" another laughed.
Kyle stayed silent.
He had something to prove.
Inside, people stepped forward one at a time. They touched the altar. Blood flowed. One orb would light. Two if they were lucky.
When Raizen stepped up, four orbs lit up almost instantly: Sword, Earth, Fire, and Sealing Magic.
A beautiful Golden Kreis formed beneath him—glowing with patterns of fire and ancient swords, spinning calmly.
The crowd went wild.
The judge bowed.
Then—
"Token 179!"
Kyle stepped inside.
The doors closed.
He walked to the altar. It pulsed like a heartbeat. The judge stared, bored.
Kyle placed his palm on the center slit.
A sharp pain—then his blood was pulled into the altar.
The veins lit up, like a living circuit coming to life. Energy moved through the floor like lightning inside glass.
One orb lit.
Then another.
Then five. Seven. Nine. Ten. Twelve , their was no end
Each orb that accepted him glowed brightly, surrounding Kyle with strange elemental power—wind rushed, fire circled, water hovered.
The judge stood up. "Impossible..."
Then—
**One of the final three orbs—**ones that no novice had ever awakened—flickered.
And then—it ignited.
The altar cracked.
Light exploded.
Every orb in the room glowed.
A Kreis began forming—but it didn't have a color.
It wasn't golden. It was... everything.
Symbols kept changing. Fire. Void. Storm. Chains. Light. Something alive formed around Kyle.
Outside, the tower began to vibrate. Every orb on every floor started glowing in reaction.
Lein looked on in awe. "He awakened... all of them."
Raizen stood frozen. The crowd had gone silent.
Then—chaos.
"WHO IS HE?!"
"WHAT KIND OF MONSTER?!"
"IS HE EVEN HUMAN?!"
Inside, the judge barely managed to hand Kyle his approval card. His hands shook.
"Kyle," he whispered. "You... what are you?"
Kyle didn't answer.
He pulled up his hood, turned, and ran. Not out of fear.
But because the world had just seen a power it wasn't ready for.
And he had no idea what he just became.