The amphitheatre of the Aeterna Academy was a hemicycle of stone and steel, descending to a central podium where a giant holographic screen stood. The new students, dressed in their midnight blue uniforms, sat in silence. The air smelled of ancient dust and static energy from the projectors.
Their teacher for this theory class was not a warrior, but a frail, elderly man, dressed in a simple tunic. His eyes, behind glasses with thick lenses, sparkled with a lively intelligence. He presented himself in a clear voice, which carried effortlessly.
"I'm Professor Aris. For fifty years, I have studied the phenomenon you call "Awakening." Today, I'm going to explain the rules of the game you just dived into."
He made a timeline appear on the screen, marked by the appearance of the Towers.
It all started 50 years ago. But the first documented human awakening, Samuel's, did not take place until six months later. Why this delay?" Aris let the question hover. "The prevailing hypothesis is that the appearance of the Towers has saturated our world with a new energy, which we call the Ether. This energy, in sufficient concentration, has acted as a catalyst for a latent genetic predisposition in a part of humanity."
Hakime listened, captivated. It was the first time that he was explained things in such a clinical way.
The first Awakened were isolated cases, accidents. They didn't understand their power. Many died, either by burning themselves or under the clutches of monsters, because they did not know how to use it." The screen displayed archival images, blurred and trembling, showing men and women projecting flames or light erratically, their faces twisted by fear and misunderstanding." Their sacrifice allowed us to understand. They were our first guinea pigs, our first martyrs."
Professor Aris changed the hologram to display a complex pattern of the human body, crossed by light channels.
The "Etheric System" is not an interface that we see, as in pre-Tower video games. It's an internal perception, a sixth sense. When you focus, you feel the energy flowing through you, don't you?"
Whispers of assent ran through the amphitheatre. Hakime nodded. He constantly felt this sea of light in him, calm or restless.
This energy is your reservoir. Your level is a measure of the capacity of this reservoir. To increase it, there is only one method: absorption."
The pattern changed to show a monster, with a shining crystal at its center, and a human whose energy channels lit up.
"Monsters are condensations of living ether. Their central crystal is a knot of pure energy. When you kill one, some of that ether is released. Your body, if it is compatible - that is, if you are awakened - absorbs it naturally. Your watch measures this accumulation. Once a threshold is reached, your reservoir expands. You're getting up in level."
Then Aris's face became very serious.
But this system is not fair. The rarer and more powerful your blessing, the larger and more difficult your reservoir is to fill."
Figures appeared on the screen, illustrating the ether cost for the first level.
A Common Rank (F) needs about 100 ether units for level 1. A Rare Rank (B), 200. A Legendary (A), 500. And a Mythic (SS)... of 1000 units."
A silence of amazement set in. Hakime felt a cold run down his spine. What about an SSS? he wondered, not daring to imagine the number.
"And at each level, the cost doubles," the professor added, delivering the coup de grace. "An Awakened F rank at level 2 needs 200 units. An SS rank at level 2 needs 2,000 units. It's the counterpart of your potential. You will become, at the same level, infinitely more powerful than the lower grades. But the path to that is a difficulty... exponential."
Hakime looked at his watch. Level 1. He now understood why the level rise was so slow and so crucial. Every statistical point gained would be a snatched victory.
"This law has shaped our society," Aris continued. "It explains why the great Awakened Ones are so rare and so precious. It also explains why we have to hunt constantly, why every expedition is vital. Ether is the ultimate resource. Your food. Your oxygen. Your future."
The end of class rings, brutal. The students remained silent for a moment, stunned by the weight of these revelations.
As they went out, Arthur whistled. "Doubling at every level? But it's hellish! You, with your rank..." He paused, realizing the enormity of the challenge.
Conor, on the other hand, had his eyebrows frowned." This means that every decision counts. Each statistical point must be placed carefully. Wasting ether in combat is a crime."
Hakime doesn't say anything. He looked at his hand, where a small light danced. He now understood why control was so important. Each piece of ether spent unnecessarily was a delay in its progress. The story of the first Awakened Ones, their confusion and sacrifice, took on a new meaning. They had led the way, and now it was up to his generation to walk it, knowing the rules.
Knowledge was a weapon. And for the first time, Hakime felt that he was learning to forge it.