Aldrick regretted his recklessness. He hoped to be able to win this battle without using up the scarce vitality that was left in his body, but now, as he stood before the large creature that sat on it’s throne at the end of the giant hall, Aldrick realized that he had no other options to win over this monster.

A large creature still sat there, making an expression of examining the intruders. It had the same metallic body as it's lesser kin, with a height that reached around three and a half meters. It did not have sensory organs nor did it have any other similarities with humans other than the humanoid form of it’s body, though the way it turned to the intruders but did not attack right away showed that the creature was definitely sentient. Finally, it slowly stood up from the throne, taking a hold of the giant sword that obviously served as it’s weapon.

As Aldrick continued going towards the enemy, he gestured for the party to stop at some distance, which they did. The weapons that until that moment were slowly being dragged by Aldrick’s mana on the ground, floated up into formation and started rotating. The creature pounced forward, starting the battle first.

Aldrick, being aware of his weak body, held a distance from the metallic warrior, constantly pouring out mana to pressure it with telekinesis into accepting his attacks head on and, at the same time, not to let it get close. Though his attacks did not yield the results Aldrick wanted.

Some time into the fight the creature, having suffered from a few wounds, changed it's battle tactic. It pounced on Aldrick, ignoring his swords and smashing at his location with the giant sword. Aldrick, though belatedly, reacted by throwing himself out of the way by telekinesis, but now he had no way to stop the creature's attacks as he kept pacing around, desperately evading the attacks, any of which would be critical for him, if not deadly.

A few more minutes have passed as Aldrick was forced to defend himself. His stamina got exhausted, he started having trouble rounding up his mana, his body felt heavy. There came a moment when the monster’s attack finally connected with Aldrick’s frail body.

He was kicked out of the monster’s way, getting ruthlessly smashed into the decorated wall of the hall. The pain of getting his bones fractured nearly made Aldrick pass out for a moment as he fell to the ground, powerless. The adventurers that were carefully watching the fight with anxious expressions up until then, now got strangely quiet.

They steadily took their battle stances, but did not move from their places, looking out for the monster’s attack, not for Aldrick’s state. The creature, though, didn’t even glance in their direction, as though their existence could not pose any threat to it. It only kept carefully approaching Aldrick, who was now trying to get up.

As Aldrick was standing up, coughing up blood, he briefly noticed the group’s behavior. He remembered his sisters’ proposal. Suppressed rage quickly settled in his mind again. He was expected to die here.

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Judging the situation, Aldrick cast the die. He began raising up the mana. His broken body started spasming and his heart raced, screaming for the torture to end. Then, the red storm of mana rose, tearing out pieces out of the walls and raising spikes out of the ground. It surrounded the creature, chewing on the metallic alloy, covering the body, opening the wounds it already sustained and tearing out pieces of flesh out of them.

Spikes and boulders smashed into the monster, immobilizing it as Aldrick kept pouring out his mana, while blood freely flowed from his seven orifices and open wounds of his body.

An ear-splitting, heart-wrenching roar escaped from the throat of the monster which desperately tried to charge at the source of danger, not realizing that it’s end has already come. The still raging mana tore off it’s legs, chewed off it's arms, leaving a bloody torso behind as the creature kept roaring out of pain, before the beast, that was Aldrick’s mana, twisted it’s neck before blasting the head off the body. This was the end.

The raging mana quickly started scattering, leaving the battered monster’s body behind. Aldrick, who was barely standing up with the support of the seething mana up till then, collapsed to the floor. In the absolute silence which ensued with the death of the creature, desperation started settling in Aldrick. He did not feel any changes in his body, aside from the pain that flooded his consciousness. He still had not awakened, even after the deadly battle that left him on the death’s door. At that moment he heard a familiar voice.

“You won. Aldrick Bludsworth. You won, yet you did not awaken. Was it worth it?”

Alec was approaching him with a spear at the ready, already coated in aura. Aldrick could feel the hostility emanating from the old acquaintance. Now, he was angry. He was angry at himself for believing others even just for a few days. He was angry at Alec, who was ready to kill him even though he was already nearly dead. He was resentful of the world which deprived him of the power he was rightful to have. Aldrick was indignant. At that moment, he heard a voice. A voice he had longed for far too long.

[The Awakener has overcome the trial. The Awakening is in progress.]

A sweet feeling flooded through Aldrick’s body. It felt as if he was being born again as his wounds healed themselves and limitations stopped bearing down on him. He raised the mana again while leaping up away from Alec and still listening in on the voice that told him the news he craved for. Or so he thought.

[The Awakener’s ability - Sacrifice. The Awakener is given ten years’ worth of life force. Every day Awakener’s overall characteristics will rise by 1%. Each sacrificed day will improve the Awakener’s characteristics by 2%. The user of the ability may sacrifice lifes of others in turn for 1% of their physical abilities. The sacrifice will only be counted if the Awakener kills it himself.]

“He’s still able to fight. Surround him and get ready for battle.” Alec’s voice sounded disturbed now.

Aldrick's eyes that were filled with joy a moment ago, dimmed, then burned with rage again. His awakening was futile. The only thing that he thought he could rely on, let him down as he was still going to die even though he had finally awakened. Alec’s words played in his mind. Was it worth it? His hair was reddening.

“Two months. I give them up.”

The ground shook as Aldrick rounded up his mana with no reservations, looking at the party with his eyes that burned with a reddish hue.

“Shit, he awakened! Get away everyone, now!” Frightened voices broke out as a group tried to escape.

Was everything worth it? Aldrick didn’t know anymore. Now, he wanted to kill.