— Awakening Hall, Moments After Arthur Returned From the Null Dimension —
The Awakening Hall was dead silent.
Not a whisper.
Not a breath.
Not even the rustle of clothing.
While Arthur's consciousness drifted inside the unfathomable Null Dimension, the world outside had stopped in awe of what his physical body was becoming.
Every noble, every heir, every powerhouse in the grand hall stared as Arthur changed before their eyes—
no, evolved.
His height stretched upward, bones and flesh subtly reshaping until he stood at a sharp, powerful 6'1.
His skin smoothed, clearing into a pale, refined glow that shimmered faintly under the mana-lit chandeliers.
His snow-white hair grew brighter, gleaming with a silvery radiance like moonlight reflecting off a frozen lake.
And his face…
The murmurs rippled silently through the frozen crowd.
Is that still Arthur…?
How is this possible…?
Even Aldric… even Aldric would look plain next to him…
He no longer looked like someone who belonged to the mortal plane.
He looked… divine.
Untouchable.
As if he had been sculpted by a cosmic hand.
A final pulse of purplish-red aura erupted from his body—
a shockwave that distorted the air—
then dissipated as quickly as it came.
Arthur's body fell gently back to the stage, landing soundlessly.
Adsafa Rona, the immortal-rank overseer, took one step forward, instincts screaming to intervene…
but froze when Arthur's eyelids trembled.
Slowly—
delicately—
they opened.
A unified exhale spread through the hall like a wave.
He's awake…
Thank the gods…
What in the world happened to him…?
Adsafa let out a relieved sigh—
only for the breath to catch painfully in his throat.
Because Arthur's eyes…
Half deep crimson.
Half amethyst purple.
And in the center—a glowing, diamond-shaped sigil rotating slowly, like a living pattern carved into his soul.
Eyes that didn't belong to a simple human child.
Eyes that could belong only to something impossibly beyond.
Adsafa's hand trembled, just barely.
What… kind of awakening causes this…?
He swallowed his question.
Arthur steadied himself, feeling the dozens—no, hundreds—of gazes locked on him.
Shock.
Fear.
Curiosity.
Awe.
He had expected attention…
but not this.
A familiar voice, edged with anxiety, broke through the tension.
"Arthur! Are you alright!?"
Arthur turned.
Anastisia and Aldric were rushing toward him, their faces tight with worry and confusion.
Seeing them grounded him.
He managed a small, reassuring smile.
"I'm fine. I think…"
Both released identical sighs.
Adsafa walked closer, rubbing his temple as if dealing with a colossal headache.
"What in the world happened to you, boy?" he muttered. "Look at yourself."
With a flick of his fingers, he summoned a small mirror from his storage ring.
Arthur blinked, confused, and accepted it.
The moment he looked—
His own jaw nearly hit the floor.
"…What the—"
He looked the same… but not the same.
His features had refined into something ethereal, his bone structure sharpened subtly, his aura impossibly attractive.
His skin glowed faintly.
His hair looked like moonlit snow.
And his eyes—
'My physique…'
No wonder the hall looked like they'd witnessed a myth come alive.
He quickly forced his expression into something neutral.
Anything to avoid explaining the unexplainable.
"It's nothing serious," Arthur announced, loud enough for the hall to hear.
"I think I awakened a skill that increases charm."
Adsafa stared at him with the deadest, most exhausted expression ever seen on an immortal.
The nobles whispered immediately.
"A charm skill??"
"That's ridiculous—look at him!"
"Does he think we're fools?"
But it was at least something for them to grasp onto.
Arthur walked toward Aldric and Anastisia.
The princess immediately jabbed her finger at his forehead.
"You stupid idiot! You scared this big sister half to death! Your entire body was floating—FLOATING! Do you have any idea the panic you caused? And then you go and awaken SS-rank talent with dual affinity—fine, fantastic, BUT WHY are your looks suddenly rivaling this guy's!? And THESE EYES—!"
Arthur stared blankly.
'How… how can she say all that in one breath?'
He still smiled, though.
Aldric gave him a warm, proud grin.
"Seriously," Arthur added, "I have no idea what happened. Aside from a charm-related skill, nothing feels different. And quit calling yourself big sis—I'm a month older than you."
Anastisia narrowed her eyes like a predator spotting prey.
"I. Am. Big. Sis."
They glared at each other for three dramatic seconds—
then laughed, the tension melting away.
The hall felt lighter.
For now.
They turned back to the Awakening Stone as Adsafa continued calling names.
Two noble sons stepped forward in turn.
Both awakened S-rank talents—an impressive feat that sent ripples of murmurs through the hall.
But then—
The room fell silent.
Because the final name Adsafa called was one everyone had been waiting for.
"—Aldric Crestban."
A pressure rolled through the hall.
Arthure and Anastisia exchanged a look, then wished him luck.
Aldric smirked, confidence radiating from every step as he approached the stone.
Arthur watched his cousin's back and exhaled slowly.
'And now… here begins the rise of the inevitable.'