Chapter 7 - 7: Awakening

"Krr...."

A young Aron currently stood in what looked to be a vast never ending desert. In front of him was a collapsed and bloody gigantic worm like creature that was releasing weak noises from its oddly shaped mouth.

"I'm done...." Aron muttered as the worm began glowing before completely vanishing.

Aron's body was in no better condition, his fists were extremely bloody with even part of his bones exposed on the knuckles. He also had multiple fresh wounds on his chest, back and arms but the expression he wore remained composed. His already cold grey eyes looked to be even more lifeless from lack of rest.

Meanwhile in a gigantic plain hall housing only a large dome, Argos stood with a smile on his face and his arms crossed.

'Funny to think another six months has passed already, the rate at which this boy is growing is really impressive...beast mongers are truly a frightening bunch no matter the world.' Argo's thought with a bright smile on his face.

Argos's pondering came to an end when an opening appeared on the large dome he stood in front of. A moment later, Aron walked out with close to no injuries. The most he had were slight cuts that grew smaller and smaller as a white mist emanated from them.

"Hmm, already done? You keep surpassing my expectations for you, perhaps I should raise the bar again don't you think?" Argos inquired in a friendly manner but Aron simply gave him an unamused look.

"Do as you please, you damn sadist..." Aron muttered in a low tone, clearly tired from back to back sparring.

"Considering what you do to my summonings, you're the sadist here. Anyway, take a short break and we can finally proceed to your mental training" Argos advised but Aron didn't hesitate shaking his head in disagreement.

"I don't need to take a break" Aron responded confidently as all his injuries finished healing. Argos sighed at this but maintained a smile as he gestured for Aron to follow him.

Aron and Argos stood on a neatly carved magic circle that immediately began to glow when they made contact with it.

Soon light completely engulfed them and blurred their vision. When the light faded they were in a much smaller room. It was a small beautiful garden with assorted flora surrounding a crystal clear pond.

"What is this place?" Aron asked while looking around the tranquil garden.

"This is where you'll learn to manipulate mana outside of your body. In other words...you'll become a mage as well. Just think about it, as a mage you'll increase the number of strengths you excel in but more importantly...as a mage you'll be able to expel the Luna mana within your body on your own." Argo's explanation caused Aron to immediately show interest in the training.

Argos gave Aron a small nod before gesturing for him to sit on lush grass beneath them. After he did so, Argos placed his hand on Aron's back and began to mutter a chant.

"Please endure..." Argos muttered in a low and sympathetic tone before his eyes shone brightly.

"Gah!" Not even a second later, Aron's eyes also began to glow while his body jerked violently.

"It's extremely difficult for beast mongers to control surrounding mana due to how they shape their bodies. To overcome this you'll need to undergo reconstruction then metamorphosis and then finally awakening. This taboo way of awakening holds more benefits than any other method...the stronger the body the more horrendously painful the experience will be, but if you endure...the mental growth you'll experience is unlike any other. So stay strong child...please..." Argos encouragement before placing another hand on Aron's back.

What followed was the sound of multiple bones cracking fiercely and non stop. Aron's body was undergoing changes from the very lowest levels. Every part of his body would first be destroyed before slowly being reconstructed forcefully with mana.

This process was taxing on both parties as Argos had to be extremely precise and focused on how he handled the technique. As for Aron, his mind was in a state of complete disarray, every fiber of his being was telling him to just die as the pain was too much to bear. However Aron grit his teeth and tried to endure for as long as he could.

"Almost there...." Argos muttered as he shifted one hand to the back of Aron's head.

What followed was Aron entering a dead like state. He could neither feel or do anything. For just a short time...Aron had truly died.

Argos soon pulled his hands away from Aron's body which soon collapsed to the ground in a bloodied state.

Argos looked at Aron's unmoving body with a bit of worry before coming closer and placing a finger on his neck. He remained doing this for hours until he finally felt a pulse.

"....he's successfully entered metamorphosis" Argos muttered before sighing in relief and retracting his finger.

Argos who was still breathing raised his trembling hands towards Aron before performing a short gesture. What happened next was Aron's body began hovering from the ground before slowly floating towards the pond.

Once there the body slowly began to descend into the water without any signs of stopping. Before long the body was completely out of sight.

'You survived the first trial of this technique...but the next part is the most important. The longer you can endure it, the greater the growth you'll experience...a few months is a lot to ask but I believe you can do it...' Argos thought to himself before standing up weakly and leaving the room.

Days would soon pass, followed by weeks and then months but Aron was yet to awaken. Everyday Argos would visit the garden to check if he showed any signs of awakening.

"The first few months you didn't show signs of awakening I was really excited...but now even after 8 months, you show no signs of awakening. Just how long are you willing to endure whatever grueling torture you must be experiencing child?...." Argos stated as he stood at the edge of the pond in which Aron's body was submerged.

Argos stood there for a good while and just observed the still water. Some time passed before Argos shook his head and released a sigh before walking away from the pond.

'Seems today isn't the day either...I will wait for as long as I need to child. Please continue to surpass my expectations' Argos thought to himself before exiting the garden completely.

Once again time began to fly by. Month after month continued to pass with Aron still showing no signs of awakening. Many times Argos worried that Aron may have died but everytime he checked that wasn't the case. His metamorphosis was simply still ongoing and it remained that way for more years to come.

9 years and 3 months had passed since Aron entered metamorphosis. Argos was once again standing in front of the pond like any other day. Over the years, Argos's frame had grown slimmer while his hair had grown longer and messy. He had a staff in hand and a smile on his face as he looked at the glowing white pond in front of him.

Yes, unlike all the other days he stood before the pond, today was different. For the first time the pond was no longer still. The water was constantly rippling as light began to emerge from below the water. This continued for a short while before the pond was completely engulfed by white light.

The ripples on the surface of the pond became more vigorous and rough. What followed was a shadowy figure being seen from below the water. When Argos saw this, the smile on his wrinkly face grew wider and let out a relaxed sigh.

"Once again, my expectations for you have been completely shattered...." Argos muttered before the light in the pond spread across the entire garden along with a loud humming sound.

The light faded slowly and Argos soon opened his eyes. However what he saw in front of him wasn't the pond but a muscular and toned chest. Argos slowly began raising his head before stopping when his gaze met a face.

A perfectly sculpted jaw with strong facial features to match and long black hair. The figure in front of Argos looked nothing like the boy that had entered the pond many years ago...well most nothing. One feature remained the same, it was this one feature that caused Argos to show a bright smile.

'Those cold grey eyes...they still carry the same determination as that fateful day....' Argos thought to himself before giving the figure in front of him a nod.

"Well done...Aron" Argos praised sincerely while holding a staff in both his hands.

"You've changed..." Were the first words Aron spoke after so many years towards Argos. This caused the old mage to break out in laughter while shaking his head.

"Haha, ever so blunt I see. You're one to talk child...no, it would be more accurate to call you a man from now." Argos replied, causing Aron to turn his attention to the ripped clothes covering only parts of his body.

He didn't seem all that taken aback by the immense changes his body had undergone. He instead looked at his own hands before clenching them and releasing a sigh.

"How long?...." Aron asked in a deep yet smooth voice.

"Close to a decade..." Argos replied before giving Aron a worried look.

"A decade huh...a small price to pay for greater power." Aron replied in an uncaring tone before turning his gaze away from his clenched fist.

"What comes next?" He asked Argos in a casual tone while still inspecting his own body.

"Now, you're ready to fully inherit my legacy"