As the Herald vanished, the divine presence left me standing in the now dim and silent temple. Alnaria and Caldia resumed their movements as if nothing had happened.

"Axis?" Caldia's voice was filled with concern as she looked at me. "Are you alright? You seem... different."

I nodded slowly, the weight of the encounter settling in. "Yes, I'm fine. Something extraordinary just happened. I'll explain everything, but first, I need to understand it myself."

Alnaria studied me with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "What did you see, boy? You seem... changed."

' could it be a blessing… '

"Well considering the size of the measure of destiny, I'd say it would be more weird if he didnt receive a blessing right, Cal?" Alnaria said, pulling Caldia out of her thoughts.

Calidia nodded thoughtfully, her eyes fixed on me with renewed intensity. "You're right, Alnaria. Given Axis's potential, it makes sense. But two blessings? That's unprecedented."

Alnaria raised an eyebrow. "Two blessings? Now you've really piqued my interest, boy. Tell us everything."

Taking a deep breath, I recounted the encounter with the Herald, the withdrawal of the initial blessings, and the bestowal of the blessings from the Sleeper and the Anonymous One. Alnaria and Caldia listened intently, their expressions shifting from curiosity to amazement.

"The Sleeper and the Anonymous One..." Caldia murmured. "I've never heard of such gods giving their blessings before. This is truly remarkable."

"Now before we get into it Axis, let's finish the integration."

The final phase, Integration, was the most crucial. It was the process of merging the awakened mana and blessings with my being. The orb began to glow with an intense light, and I felt the mana and divine blessings flow into me, filling every fiber of my being.

The pain was intense, like fire coursing through my veins, but I gritted my teeth and held on. I could feel the mana awakening within me, a storm of energy waiting to be unleashed.

Usually in the integration it should only sting a little, but this pain akin to stabbing me with a dagger. it's the testament to the power I was bestowed upon.

"Focus, channel the energy," Caldia's voice guided me through the blinding pain. "You are the master of this power, not its slave."

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I focused on her words, visualizing the energy flowing through me, bending it to my will.

I would fail from time to time making the mana to go haywire and it resulted in me feeling more pain. Through it I had to make mana follow a predetermined path as if I knew where it should flow.

Gradually, the pain subsided, replaced by a sense of clarity and strength I had never known.

When I opened my eyes, the orb had returned to its original state, but I felt different—stronger, more aware of the world around me. Caldia smiled, a mix of pride and relief in her eyes and Alnaria gave a nod as if acknowledging me.

"Congratulations, you are now a mana user." Caldia's voice assured me that it was over.

"F…finally it's over…" As if waiting for this moment, exhaustion washed over me and I drifted asleep.

"You have done well, Axis… Take some rest now…"

A Few Moments Later

Under the soft glow of the altar, Caldia sat on a nearby fallen stone pillar, using it as a bench after cutting it in half, of course. Axis lay on her lap, sleeping, as she caressed his hair softly.

"You know, the boy has gotten used to you, Caldia..." Alnaria spoke, sitting nearby.

"Yes, I have grown attached to him too." Caldia spoke softly so as not to disturb Axis's sleep.

"I can't help but say, though, this boy is monstrous. I can't believe he passed all the steps on his first try. His mother can be considered a once-in-a-century talent and she needed a month to complete the awakening ceremony. Even us, the so-called monsters and geniuses of millennia, I haven't seen anyone like him before."

"You are right, it took two weeks for my awakening," Caldia said.

"And for my awakening, I took ten days and was considered unparalleled," Alnaria mused, thinking of her past glory.

And him... he barely took half a day for the awakening. Compared to him, we can be called ordinary, yes?" Caldia spoke, gently brushing Axis's hair away from his forehead.

"Hahaha! Yes, if he had been born in our era, we would be ordinary, and maybe we wouldn't be stuck here." Alnaria stretched, cracking her neck and flexing her fingers as if preparing for action.

"How about we prepare a parting gift for him, Cal?" Alnaria suggested, a rare note of satisfaction in her voice. She stood up and began pacing, her eyes scanning the temple as if searching for inspiration.

"That's unusually thoughtful of you, Alnaria," Caldia replied, her tone light yet sincere. She shifted slightly, careful not to wake Axis, and looked up at her companion. "But if we leave, who will watch over him?"

"Are you forgetting, Cal? Among those who reside here, there are very few who can come up to the altar, and even fewer who would try to harm him." Alnaria stopped pacing and faced Caldia, her expression serious.

"Yes, you're right. Especially considering the measure of destiny hasn't finished yet. They won't dare to come up to the altar." Caldia glanced around the temple, as if assuring herself of its sanctity and safety.

"Come, let's go then, Cal," Alnaria said, moving towards the entrance of the temple. She paused, looking back at Caldia and Axis.

"Coming. Just let me leave a note in case he wakes up." Caldia gently lifted Axis's head and placed a folded cloth beneath it as a pillow. She stood up and walked to a nearby pedestal, tearing a small piece of parchment from a larger scroll. With a quick, fluid motion, she wrote a few lines, then placed the note beside Axis.

"Let's go," she whispered, casting one last fond glance at the sleeping boy before joining Alnaria. Together, they walked out of the altar, their footsteps echoing softly in the vast, silent temple.