NOVEL FROG Awakening
Arthur took the sword from Nephis and examined it. It was pure black in color from the hilt to its razor-sharp blade. As he touched it, blood oozed from his finger. He smiled and weighed the sword. It felt a little heavy for his current self, but he was sure he would be able to lift it after his awakening.
He nodded in satisfaction and said, "Umu! This should do for now."
Nephis smiled and explained, "It's a Tier 1 artifact that I used when I was only at the Novice Rank. In fact, I continued using it even after becoming an Apprentice, but sadly, the effects of the enchantment weren't as great at the Apprentice Rank. You see, it has a very good enchantment called Abyssal Nullification, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of Abyssal energy attacks when wielded."
Arthur's eyes shone with delight as he exclaimed, "That's a crazy enchantment! If possible, I will keep it as long as I can."
"Same here. Unfortunately, it's a Tier 1 artifact. Actually, do you have any techniques or anything through which we can copy this enchantment or something?" Nephis asked.
"Hmm, I'll see. I have an idea, but I will need to work on it," Arthur said, rubbing his chin while looking at the black sword. It was really good, and its enchantment was the best.
"Anyways, tell me if you need anything else, and good luck. Just don't die on me," Nephis said, ruffling Arthur's black hair.
"Aye! I would have actually loved to go on a nice date with you now that we're together, but I don't have time," Arthur sighed in dejection.
"It's fine. Just come back alive, and we'll do it," Nephis smiled. "I'll have everything arranged; after all, I only have a single assignment this month, and I'll be free for some time. Once you return from Elferia, we'll spend some quality time together."
Arthur chuckled, hugged Nephis again, and kissed her head, feeling a strange warmth in his heart. Even after all this, he still couldn't completely believe that he was holding Nephis in his arms again.
'I will protect you this time, no matter what.' Arthur rubbed her head, and a look of determination flashed in his eyes.
"By the way, what do you plan to do with your family?" Nephis asked, enjoying the attention he was giving her. She felt a little sad that she wouldn't meet him for more than a month, but she couldn't do anything about it.
Arthur lingered for a while before sighing. "I honestly don't know. But one thing's for sure: I'm not going back, whether it's because I don't like it there or maybe because I don't want to cause trouble for them."
"At least talk to Ash later; she'll be worried if you go missing for a month," Nephis advised.
Arthur nodded in agreement.
After that, they spent some more time doing nothing but enjoying each other's company and reminiscing about the past.
Nephis looked at the time and stood up. She looked at Arthur and said, "Call me if you need anything. I'll be there for you in an instant."
"What are you? A Void Lord?" Arthur chuckled and also stood up. He smiled at Nephis and leaned in for a kiss. Nephis didn't reject him and circled her arms around his neck.
After sharing a passionate kiss, Nephis pulled away and said, "Now get ready for the Awakening, Bozo. I'll be going now."
Arthur smiled and kissed her once again. Sadly, the time for awakening was near, so he had to bid farewell to her.
After sending Nephis off, Arthur came to sit at the center of the room. He took off his shirt and pants, leaving only his underwear. He looked at the time and mumbled, "One minute!"
Arthur then closed his eyes, entering a complete state of calm. He counted the seconds in his mind as he awaited the terrible pain that would assault him during the awakening.
Normally, awakening was done under the supervision of others. Unfortunately, Arthur had none of those. He could have asked Nephis to stay, but it wouldn't really change anything, and he was also confident in his ability to handle the pain.
He took a deep breath, reaching one second, and then the all-too-familiar pain assaulted him. It started at a very light level, feeling as though many needles were poking his skin.
However, it didn't take long for the pain to intensify. Arthur had to clench his teeth to prevent himself from screaming under the agony he was experiencing.
Awakening not only granted humans the system core but also changed their entire bodies to make them compatible with the rapid evolution of leveling up. During awakening, the human body undergoes changes on a cellular level.
Each cell and DNA was influenced, and new veins formed throughout the body to allow Soul Energy to flow. It was a bizarre transformation that didn't change anything in appearance immediately, but it did affect future aspects.
The awakening essentially prepared the human body for evolution in any way, and it wasn't an easy task. The body remodeling was a painful process, and every human who awakened had to go through this transformation.
That was also why children were trained in many areas from childhood, with pain tolerance being one of them, even if they didn't intend to become Awakened. This was because awakening was random, and the system could choose anyone.
If they didn't prepare for the pain, they would simply collapse mentally from it during the awakening. In fact, there were many cases where individuals couldn't handle the pain and ended up with broken minds.
But the system was also lenient in a way and had a rule regarding awakening. Every Awakened individual would awaken on their 18th birthday at the exact time they were born. If they didn't awaken then, they would never awaken at all.
That was the single opportunity for awakening.
Arthur was experiencing that insane level of pain as he felt every part of his body changing. It was at a minuscule level, but he could feel himself getting stronger.
However, as more time passed during the awakening, the intensity of the pain increased, making him groan.