Chapter 1246 Awakening [4]

Arianne gave a small laugh.

"Instant power sounds amazing. Seriously, it does. Becoming as strong as Princess Priscilla right now? That's no small temptation."

For most of her life, Priscilla had represented a level of talent and power that seemed almost unreachable. To be told she could stand near that level almost immediately was something she didn't even know was possible until she met Michael.

Yes, everything started changing after she met him.

Arianne's expression became more determined.

"I want something more, Michael. Something truly more solid and deserving."

"I want to prove something."

"To who?" Michael interrupted.

Arianne smiled at him.

"Me. I want to prove something to me." Then, after a short pause, she added, "And you too."

Michael's expression became strange.

"Why me?"

"Because you're ridiculous."

Arianne continued before he could interrupt.

"Everything about you is ridiculous. Every time I think I understand how strong you are or what you're capable of, you show me something else."

She gestured around them.

"Like this."

Michael glanced at the territory.

Arianne's smile became slightly embarrassed.

"I know I'm probably never going to catch up to you."

"You don't know that."

"I do."

"You really don't."

Arianne ignored him.

"But I don't want to just stand beside you because you made me strong enough to."

That made Michael quiet.

"I want to know I can grow too."

Her hand moved to her chest.

"I want something that's mine."

"Isn't your awakening still going to come from me?"

Arianne gave him an annoyed look.

"You know what I mean."

Michael did. At least, somewhat. He still didn't fully understand why the distinction mattered so much to her. From his perspective, power was power. If he could give someone a better body, evolve them, improve their race, or increase their strength, he didn't see why accepting it made what they achieved afterward any less meaningful.

Or was it that he did understand, but because it was Arianne, his selfishness made him stubborn about accepting it?

In the end, Michael nodded helplessly, knowing he couldn't change Arianne's choice.

"Alright."

Arianne's eyes brightened.

"Really?"

"As long as it's what you want, I'll respect it. Regardless, I'm always here."

Arianne smiled widely.

Michael sighed and shook his head.

"But don't complain to me later when you're Level One and getting beaten up by things you could have crushed if you picked the other option."

Her smile immediately became smug.

"Then I'll just come to you for help, no? What? Why are you looking at me like that? I'm stubborn, not stupid."

After several seconds of speechlessness, Michael shook his head.

Michael reached out and pulled her against him, one arm settling firmly around her waist. Before Arianne could react, the world blurred, and a moment later they were standing before the temple's entrance instead.

Arianne stumbled slightly against him, blinking up at the structure towering overhead. She had seen this place earlier but hadn't had the opportunity to observe it fully.

The staircase alone stretched wide enough to fit a large group of people, each step carved from flawless white crystal. The massive crystal gates stood open at the top, runes shifting endlessly across their surface, and above the entrance hung a circular golden emblem the size of a small house, an eye ringed by countless concentric circles.

"…What is this place?"

"The Awakening Temple." Michael guided her up the stairs without slowing. "This is where it happens, if you're serious."

The moment they crossed the threshold, Arianne froze entirely.

What had looked like a modest chapel from outside opened into something closer to a palace hall. No, it was even bigger. The space inside the temple looked nothing like what the outside would suggest at all!

"Michael," Arianne whispered, "this is…"

"Don't pay too much attention to these things. They're hard to explain." Michael kept walking.

At the far end of the hall stood two enormous statues, facing each other across the empty floor. On the left, a warrior wrapped in layered armor, weapons strapped across every inch of him: sword, spear, axe, daggers lining his belt, as if he'd been built to wield anything put in his hands. On the right, a mage draped in long robes, a wand resting in one palm, an ancient scroll held in the other.

Both faces remained blurred. Beneath each statue, a circular blue vortex turned in complete silence.

Michael stopped a short distance from both portals and finally released her.

"These are the two paths," he said. "The Physical Path, under the warrior. The Magical Path, under the mage."

Arianne studied them both, uncertain.

"Whichever one you enter, you'll go through a trial," Michael continued. "If you succeed in the physical path, you will awaken a physical-type class. Knight, Warrior, Assassin, Guardian, Hunter, there's no fixed outcome. It depends entirely on how well you perform during the trial itself."

He gestured toward the mage statue.

"The Magical Path works the same way. Succeed, and you awaken a mage-type class."

"Outstanding performance in either path can earn you something extra, on top of the class itself. So you need to do your best. But don't worry. It's totally safe."

At least for the first time, Michael thought.

Arianne's gaze moved between the two portals, weighing them.

"There's no favoritism here," Michael added quietly. "What you walk out with depends entirely on you."

He stepped back, giving her room.

"So. Which one calls to you, Arianne?"

"What path do you think would give me something related to taming?"

Michael thought for a moment and replied honestly.

"I don't know."

Arianne looked mildly disappointed.

Michael smiled and continued.

"If I had to guess, Mage is probably your best chance. Taming isn't limited to one type of Class."

There were Awakeners with physical Classes who could tame creatures too. There were even stranger physical Classes that mixed martial combat with animal bonds.

So taming itself clearly wasn't something that belonged exclusively to magic, but if he had to choose one, if the trial allowed one to choose a class, a Beast Tamer was more of a magic-type class than physical.