When someone turned fifteen, they were given the opportunity to awaken their Talent Root by shaping their Soul Space, a critical step in tempering their connection to the world's essence. The quality of one's Talent Root determined their potential, and the higher the grade, the greater their future accomplishments could be.
Talent Roots were classified by the seven colours of the spectrum, ranked from highest to lowest: Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.
Simply put, a person's Talent was measured by the colour and strength of their root; the higher it was in the spectrum, the more potential it held.
And awakening the roots also comes with the innate talent of the said individuals.
The overall power system was divided into nine known tiers:
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Master
Grandmaster / Great Mage
Great Grandmaster / Archmage
The final three tiers, beyond even Archmage, were veiled in myth and legend, spoken of only in ancient texts and lost history.
Each tier was further split into nine sub-levels, whether for Aura Masters or Mages.
Crucially, the Soul Space, the inner realm of the soul, played a pivotal role.
It determined one's ability to absorb and refine mana from the world.
Soul Space was categorised into four levels: Low Grade, Middle Grade, High Grade, and Peak Grade.
Only those with at least a high-grade Soul Space could hope to become Mages. Without it, most individuals could only walk the path of Aura, not magic.
Naturally, most Mages were born with high-grade or peak-grade Talent Roots, a rare gift tied to both fate and heritage.
One would instantly become a Mage. Specifically, a Novice Mage, the moment they successfully formed their Soul Space.
The ceremony was conducted inside the Awakening Hall, located near the town.
A middle-aged man dressed in a clean white robe, embroidered with golden patterns that clearly marked his affiliation with the Church, stood at the front and addressed the crowd. His voice rang clearly as he looked around at the gathered people.
Astrael yawned quietly. He had heard all this before. Thanks to Miss Greta's thorough education, the priest's words were nothing new to him. He let his gaze drift across the massive hall, where nearly a hundred children, each around the age of fifteen, were present.
Some of them stood apart from him, keeping a respectful distance. Astrael didn't mind. He understood well enough—it was the natural divide between nobles and commoners, something even children recognised without being taught.
Despite his tall frame, Astrael didn't particularly stand out in the crowd. Many children here matched his height. And though his black robe, detailed with silver embroidery, was striking, it wasn't the most lavish. A few boys and girls wore fancier clothes than he did.
"So, you may enter this room. The further you can walk, the larger your Soul Space will be," the middle-aged man announced, his voice was calm and practised as if he repeated the same words many times.
A low rumble echoed through the hall as the ground trembled faintly. All eyes turned toward the source, with a deep grinding noise, an enormous door slowly opened, revealing a staircase that spiralled upward into a dim, metallic chamber. The entire interior shimmered faintly, reflecting light with a dull, silvery gleam. Inside, the space was empty, cold and sterile, with a metallic glint.
"Remember not to push yourselves while climbing," the man's voice rang out again.
"It's useless, and if you faint, no one will come to save you, so act within the limits of your own capabilities." His voice silenced the murmurs in the hall as their expression turned serious.
"The moment you step onto the stairs, the world's mana will begin tempering your mind and forming your Soul Space. If you can take twenty steps, you will awaken with a middle-grade Soul Space. Fifty steps will earn you a high grade, and ninety steps... that means peak grade," he announced with a glint in his eyes.
"But don't get your hopes up. Not a single peak-grade has appeared in this county in over a decade. Even Sir Count himself only has a high-grade Soul Space. Keep your expectations realistic. Am I clear?" His voice rang sharp through the air, reverberating around the vast hall.
"Yes!" came from the united voice of children with some nervous and while determined. Except one.
"Yes," the voices of all the children resounded in unison except one.
The man's eyes narrowed slightly, landing on a single boy calmly raising his hand.
"Speak," the man stated.
Everyone's eyes turned toward the lone figure standing calmly in the center of the crowd. Who else could it be but Astrael?
"What about the hundredth step? What would happen if someone reached the very top?" Astrael said with a look of genuine curiosity.
The hall fell into a brief silence.
Chuckle
A faint, mocking sound broke the tension in the hall. Someone from the crowd couldn't hold back the amusement. Following that, a few snickers also sounded.
Astrael, however, didn't seem fazed in the slightest.
The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow, his gaze landed on Astrael. For a moment, he said nothing.
"You ask an interesting question, " the man said. "No one's ever taken the hundredth step. The pressure alone would crush a normal mind long before that. So, we don't speculate on fantasies." He paused for a moment.
"Any more questions?" He scanned the crowd before continuing.
"Alright," the man nodded with a satisfied expression.
"Now, step forward when your assigned number is called and enter the room. Let's see who among you will walk beyond the tenth step."
"Number 1."
"Yes," a boy stepped forward, standing at the height of six feet, roughly the same height as Astrael, but unlike Astrael's lean, compact physique, his frame was broader and more heavily muscled, more like a bodybuilder.
Murmurs immediately filled the air as the other children turned to get a better look at the boy.
"Isn't that Baron Avalon's son? Gary?"
"Yeah, that's him. I heard he's been training since childhood."
"And a genius too, right?"
"I bet he can go past twenty steps easily."
"Maybe even more."
"Yeah."
Gary's brow twitched slightly at the whisper, but his proud expression didn't waver in the slightest. In fact, he enjoyed the attention he was gaining. With a confident, almost smug stride, he walked forward into the room with an air of arrogance on his face. He stood before the staircase.
"Let's see how far I can go," he muttered, his voice full of self-assurance, then he lifted his left foot and placed it firmly on the first step.
Boonm!