After a brief moment of overwhelming silence, finally, one by one, all the young ones managed to overcome the primal fear innate of a prey facing a predator much stronger than them, caused by the aura that Valeria deliberately exuded to test their psyche. The determined looks and the firmness in their postures demonstrated a shared resolve. Those with the most intense crimson tone in their hair, a symbol of the purity of their lineage, stood with even more pronounced confidence, forming the vanguard of the group.
Valeria, scrutinizing each face carefully, nodded approvingly at the display of courage from the young ones. "Well, I see you are ready to face your destiny with determination. The journey you are about to undertake will be arduous and, in many cases, ruthless. But those who overcome the trials ahead will become the future pillars of our family, carrying the Montalvo banner with honor and glory."
Valeria stepped forward towards the "Ignis Expergiscor" artifact, which shone brightly in the room. "This artifact is more than a relic; it is the key that will unlock your hidden potential. On this day, the ancestral ether flowing through your veins will manifest, and your destinies will be entwined with the Montalvo lineage. Fear not death, young ones, for in this moment, you will be reborn as the future pillars of our family."
The supreme elders, witnesses to countless awakening ceremonies throughout the centuries, observed with unruffled expressions as Valeria continued with instructions and warnings for the young ones. The solemnity of the moment resonated in every spoken word, creating a tense and transcendent atmosphere in the Awakening Hall.
Valeria, still casting a slightly reproachful glance at a certain youth, continued with her firm direction. "Everyone, take a position around the artifact and assume the lotus position," she commanded with authority. After hearing the intensity of her words, the singled-out youth couldn't help but feel a shiver down his spine.
"Once the artifact is activated, you will feel great pressure, as well as an unimaginable amount of pain," Valeria warned with a stern expression. "After a while, you will begin to have all sorts of visions, but as long as you remain steadfast, you will overcome the trial and see the world in a different light."
The young man, aware of the special attention he had garnered, struggled to hide his concerns under a mask of determination. The room, enveloped in expectant tension, awaited the start of the process. Valeria, though still wearing a reproachful look as she observed him, knew that each of them faced a unique and personal experience on the path to their awakening.
After everyone was in the correct position, the elders and the patriarch took a formation, forming a nine-pointed star around the young ones with the artifact in the center. They began extracting fist-sized violet crystals from their storage rings; these crystals gleamed with a faint purple light, placing them in a peculiar pattern all over the floor. As if by magic, lines reminiscent of the intricate matrices placed on the rampart and other places began to manifest.
"Close your eyes and calm your minds; the ceremony is about to begin," said the patriarch as he injected his spiritual power into the matrix, followed by the elders who mimicked his example. The room was filled with intense and mystical energy as the ether lines wove an invisible web connecting everyone present in a mystical dance, marking the beginning of the awakening ceremony.
The Supreme Elders of the Montalvo family, surrounding the artifact in a starry formation, exchanged casual remarks while Patriarch Maximus Montalvo directed the awakening ceremony.
"There are always variations in the survival rate," commented Elder Marcos from the second branch in a low voice, his penetrating gaze sweeping the room. "This generation seems promising. How many do you think will survive this time?"
While the elders shared their expectations about the awakening ceremony, Patriarch Maximus, with his usual serenity, paused and glanced out the window as if he could see through the thickness of the wall separating them from the outside world.
"I hope as many as possible survive this time," he expressed with a meditative tone. "Not only because each new life strengthens our House, but because we are facing a unique opportunity. Gaia is preparing to integrate another world, and the Guardians, with the help of the artifact we secured in the dungeon last time, are confident that this integration will be on a much larger scale than the other Oligarchs believe."
The Elders exchanged looks of astonishment and anticipation, and Maximus continued with a low but firm voice, revealing information that only the highest-ranking members knew.
"If we seize this opportunity to gain all possible benefits before the other Oligarchs react, we can place our family in an undisputed leadership position. Imagine the power we would have over this world. Our words would become the absolute law, and the Montalvo House would become the dominant force in the entire world."
All the elders, after processing the patriarch's words, took deep breaths to calm their emotions as they envisioned a future where they would rise above all. No one questioned the authenticity of Maximus's words; even he wouldn't dare mention the Guardians lightly.
After a brief pause, the elders turned their gaze to their young ones, eagerly awaiting the survival of as many as possible, knowing that this would influence the future distribution of family resources among the branches. This, in turn, would affect opportunities to increase their cultivation levels and approach the elusive Realm of Faith, which the Guardians were said to have already entered.
Tensions and rivalries between the branches surfaced when an elder from the second branch commented on the quality of the young ones from the first branch.
"It seems the first branch will add another excellent seedling to their ranks," murmured an elder from the second branch with an envious tone, his eyes fixed on Gabriel, the eldest son of the late second wife of the patriarch.
"Despite the immense pain he is currently undergoing, he maintains a calm expression. Surely, he is an excellent seedling," remarked Octavius, an elder from the first branch, with a boastful tone.
As the elders shared these impressions, Valeria, seemingly indifferent to the discussion, kept her eyes fixed on Alejandro, Gabriel's younger brother. Despite his efforts to conceal his concern, her gaze betrayed the anguish she felt as she watched Alejandro's evident suffering, whose expression showed signs of extreme pain, and whose mouth had begun to be stained with the presence of blood.
At that moment, Lucius, the elder from the second branch who had spoken earlier, flashed a subtle smile and commented with a mocking voice, "It's a pity not all of them are equally promising," as he looked towards Alejandro with an expression of schadenfreude. The veiled cruelty in his words resonated in the air, hinting at the perceived inferiority of Alejandro.
Valeria, upon hearing these words, slowly turned her gaze towards Lucius. A chill ran down his spine as he felt the intensity of the killing intent emanating from Valeria. The usually imperturbable Supreme Elder's gaze now reflected a coldness capable of freezing the soul. It was evident that any disdain towards Alejandro would not be tolerated by Valeria, who protected the young man as if he were her own offspring.
After a moment of hesitation, Lucius, feeling angered by being intimidated by Valeria's killing intent, returned her gaze with cruelty. "Elder Valeria seems overly sensitive; perhaps you should calm down, or some might start to think Alejandro is your illegitimate son," he provocatively said, laughing mockingly and looking suggestively between the patriarch and Valeria.
In response to Lucius's provocation, Valeria turned her gaze coldly towards him, her eyes sparkling with a light anger that made it clear she would not tolerate any disrespect towards Alejandro. Lucius, feeling the intensity of Valeria's gaze, again retreated slightly, although his mocking expression did not completely disappear.
It was at that moment that the patriarch, Maximus, intervened seemingly indifferent, "Valeria, Lucius, calm yourselves and do not disrupt the ceremony." His tone was serene, as if he were commenting about the weather, showing no interest in whether his children were being discussed or in the insinuations the elder had thrown between him and Valeria. Reluctantly, both elders accepted the warning and, with tense expressions, turned their attention back to the seemingly unaffected ceremony of the discussion of the elders and the patriarch.
…
After an indeterminate amount of time, the ceremony finally came to an end. The Elders, including Maximus, lay with severe and perplexed expressions. Around eighty percent of the participants, including the promising Gabriel, had not survived. The room was filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the restrained sighs of those present.
Valeria, however, felt a palpable relief upon seeing that Alejandro had somehow managed to survive. Her gaze settled on him with a mix of pride and concern, acknowledging the courage he had demonstrated.
Alejandro, with a pale face and clear signs of fatigue, surveyed the room with his eyes. However, his eyes, which previously reflected doubts, anxieties, hesitations, and other ineffable emotions, now radiated serenity and self-confidence. Valeria, the only one paying attention to him at that moment, noticed this seemingly small but crucial shift in his mindset. This adjustment did not go unnoticed by her, triggering a deep interest in what he might have experienced during the hallucinations of the ceremony.
Valeria, who had overcome that ceremony in the past, knew that they faced their deepest fears and insecurities during it. Surrendering at a critical point increased the chances of dying during the ceremony. She also knew that standing firm against these trials offered the opportunity for a complete awakening. Only the greatest geniuses, fewer than five people in the family's history, had not only resisted but completely overcome their fears and insecurities, becoming fundamental pillars that supported the family for generations.
Valeria, being from a much higher realm, could accurately perceive the aura of those weaker than herself. After sensing the aura Alejandro now exuded, Valeria understood that he had achieved a complete awakening, entering the first realm of the Bone Refinement realm. The mix of pride and concern in Valeria's gaze towards Alejandro reflected the understanding of the magnitude of the challenge he had just overcome and the confidence that now shone in the eyes of the young man from the first branch.
On the patriarch's and Octavius's faces, the elder from the first branch, a mixture of concern and bewilderment was reflected as they observed the outcome of the ceremony. Out of the fifty young participants, only eleven managed to survive. Among them, four came from the first branch, and of those, only Alejandro achieved a complete awakening. In the second branch, five young ones survived, of whom three achieved a complete awakening. The third branch had two survivors, both with a complete awakening, while in the fourth branch, none of the participants survived.
The uneven distribution of survivors stirred various emotions among the elders. The patriarch and Lucius were concerned about the possible consequences this might generate in the near future and a potential power struggle within the family. The second branch, being the main winner in terms of the number of survivors, experienced a complex mix of emotions, celebrating their success while lamenting the loss of many of their youth. The third branch sank into a somber mood, aware that only two young ones survived, but relieved that both achieved a complete awakening.
Finally, the fourth branch expressed not only concern for the future of their lineage but also caution, harboring a firm belief in the possibility of a plot behind the unfavorable survival figures in their lineage. Faced with this dark outlook, they prepared to forge alliances immediately with another branch, seeking to avoid at all costs the downfall of their lineage and being affected by external machinations.
