The door to his chambers opened smoothly, and Ariel stepped out into the wider estate for the first time since his transformation. What greeted him stole his breath.
The hallway beyond his room was enormous, easily twenty feet wide with ceilings that soared at least fifteen feet high. The walls were constructed from polished stone that gleamed like marble but held veins of what looked like solidified mana running through them, pulsing with faint blue and silver light. Tapestries depicting battles, ceremonies, and legendary figures hung at intervals, each one radiating subtle enchantments that made the scenes seem almost alive.
Windows lined one side of the corridor, tall and arched, allowing sunlight to stream through glass so clear it might as well have been absent. Through those windows, Ariel could see the true scope of the Crowcrest estate.
Gardens stretched in every direction, meticulously maintained, filled with plants he didn't recognize but could sense were suffused with mana. Training yards dotted the landscape, some occupied by figures moving through combat forms even at this hour. Buildings rose in the distance, each one architectural masterpiece, some traditional in design while others incorporated floating elements or impossible geometries that defied normal physics.
In the far distance, he could see walls, massive structures that enclosed the entire estate, easily forty feet tall and thick enough to march an army along the top. Towers rose at intervals, and he could make out figures patrolling, guards keeping eternal watch.
'This isn't just a family home. This is a fortress. A city unto itself. No wonder they're called ancient tier.'
The sheer scale of it all, the wealth and power on display in every direction, made his previous life feel even more pathetic by comparison. He'd lived in cramped apartments and shelters while people like the Crowcrest family resided in what amounted to kingdoms of their own.
"Young master?" Lyra said gently, noticing his pause. "This way, please. The matriarch's greenhouse is in the eastern gardens."
Ariel nodded and followed her down the hallway. As they walked, he became aware of other people. Servants moving through the corridors carrying supplies or performing maintenance. Attendants standing at attention outside various doors. Other family members, perhaps, though none close enough to identify clearly.
And every single one of them stopped what they were doing when they sensed him.
He could feel their attention like physical weight, dozens of eyes turning toward him, widening with shock. Some gasped audibly. Others whispered to companions. A few even bowed reflexively, uncertain but compelled by the aura he now carried.
They could sense it. His awakened core. The mana flowing through his meridians. The power that marked him as more than the dying child they'd known.
"Is that..."
"Young master Ariel?"
"He's awakened!"
"Impossible. The healers said..."
"Look at him. He's completely different."
"The Crown Crow has finally..."
The whispers followed him like a wave, spreading down corridors he passed, carried by servants who ran ahead to share the news with others. Within minutes, the entire estate would know. The dying prince had awakened.
Ariel paid them no attention whatsoever.
He kept his eyes forward, his expression neutral, his pace steady and unhurried. He didn't acknowledge the stares or react to the whispers. He simply walked as if none of them existed, as if their shock and speculation were beneath his notice.
Behind him, Lyra blazed with happiness.
He could see it in her reflection in the polished stone walls, the way her spine straightened with pride, the way her hand rested on her sword hilt with renewed confidence. Her golden eyes sparkled with fierce satisfaction every time another servant or attendant reacted with shock to his presence.
'This is what she's been waiting for,' Ariel realized. 'Not just for me to awaken, but for me to carry myself like I deserve to be here. Like I'm not ashamed or apologetic for existing.'
They passed through several corridors, descended a grand staircase with railings carved from single pieces of enchanted wood, and crossed a courtyard where a fountain of liquid mana danced in impossible patterns. Everything spoke of wealth beyond measure, of power accumulated over generations, of a bloodline that had stood at the peak for so long that luxury was simply expected rather than exceptional.
Finally, they reached the eastern gardens, and Lyra led him down a winding path through carefully cultivated landscape toward a structure that dominated the area.
The greenhouse was massive, easily the size of a large building, constructed primarily from glass reinforced with mana infused metal frameworks. Inside, through the transparent walls, Ariel could see an explosion of plant life, flowers and trees and vines in colors that shouldn't exist in nature, all thriving under carefully controlled conditions.
Two figures stood guard outside the main entrance. One was a stern looking older man in servant's attire but carrying himself with the bearing of a warrior. The other was a younger woman in similar dress, her eyes sharp and alert.
"Young master Ariel," the older man said, bowing respectfully. "We were not informed you would be visiting today. The matriarch is inside tending to her specimens."
"He wishes to see his grandmother," Lyra said firmly. "Please announce him."
The man's eyes widened slightly as he sensed Ariel's aura more fully. "You've... congratulations, young master. The matriarch will be overjoyed. Please, enter. I will remain here with your attendant."
"Thank you, Osborne," Lyra said, though she looked reluctant to leave Ariel's side.
Ariel gave her a small nod of acknowledgment, then pushed open the greenhouse door and stepped inside.
The temperature change was immediate and dramatic. Warm, humid air enveloped him, carrying scents of earth and growth and something sweet he couldn't identify. The interior was even more impressive than the exterior suggested, paths winding between raised beds and trellises, small streams flowing through channels in the floor, mana infused lighting providing perfect growing conditions.
And there, kneeling beside a bed of flowers that glowed with soft purple light, was his grandmother.
Ariel's enhanced memory provided her name immediately. Seraphina Crowcrest. Matriarch of the family. Wife of the Primarch. S rank cultivator. Ninety five years old.
And she looked thirty at most.
Her appearance was striking. Long silver hair pulled into a loose braid, a few strands escaping to frame a face that showed not a single wrinkle or blemish. Her features were elegant, aristocratic, the kind of beauty that transcended simple physical attractiveness to become something almost otherworldly. She wore a simple dress in pale blue, practical for gardening but still somehow elegant, and her hands were bare of jewelry except for a single ring on her left hand.
'This is what mana at this level can do,' Ariel thought, marveling. 'She's almost a century old but time has barely touched her. S rank cultivators don't age like normal humans. They can live for centuries.'
Seraphina looked up from her flowers, sensing the presence behind her. Her eyes, the same silver as her hair, widened as she took in Ariel's appearance.
For a moment, she simply stared, as if not trusting what she saw.
Then recognition and comprehension crashed together, and her face transformed with pure joy.
"Ariel," she breathed, then louder, "Ariel!"
She was on her feet instantly, moving with speed that belied her apparent age. Before Ariel could react, she had crossed the distance between them and pulled him into a tight embrace, her arms wrapping around him with surprising strength.
"My boy. My dear boy. You're out of bed. You're standing. You're..."
He felt her shaking, realized with shock that she was crying. Tears soaked into his jacket as she held him, and her breath came in gasps that sounded almost like sobs.
Love. Pure, unconditional, overwhelming love radiated from her in waves. Not because of what he could do or what position he held. Simply because he existed. Because he was her grandson, her son's child, and she loved him without reservation or condition.
It was a feeling Ariel had never experienced in either of his lives, and it hit him with unexpected force. His throat tightened, and for a moment, he had to fight against his own emotional response.
'Someone actually cares. Not about my power or potential. Just about me.'
"I'm fine, grandmother," he said softly, awkwardly patting her back. "I'm okay now. Everything's okay."
"You don't understand," Seraphina said, pulling back slightly to look up at him while still gripping his arms. "The healers said... they said you had weeks at most. They said the sickness was accelerating, that nothing could be done. I thought... I thought I was going to lose you like I lost your father."
Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, and Ariel found himself genuinely trying to console her, something that would have been unthinkable for his Earth self who'd learned early that emotions were weaknesses to be hidden.
"I'm not dying," he assured her. "I'm stronger than I've ever been. The sickness is gone."
Seraphina wiped at her eyes, then seemed to truly focus on him for the first time since the embrace. Her gaze sharpened, moving past the physical to something deeper.
Her breath caught.
"You've awakened," she whispered, voice filled with awe. "Your core. It's active. You're actually..."
Then she was crying again, but these were tears of happiness, of relief so profound it overwhelmed her composure. She pulled him into another embrace, laughing and crying simultaneously.
"Thank the heavens. Thank every god that listens. You've awakened. My grandson has awakened."
Ariel let her have the moment, understanding on some level that she needed this. Needed to release years of worry and grief and fear. He stood there, tall and solid and alive, letting her hold onto him as proof that he wasn't dying, wasn't gone, wasn't another loss she had to bear.
Finally, after several minutes, Seraphina composed herself. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, took several deep breaths, and managed a watery smile.
"I apologize," she said, though she didn't sound particularly sorry. "That was unseemly for a matriarch. But you must understand, Ariel. I've been preparing myself for your death for two years. To see you like this, awakened and healthy and strong... it's almost too much to believe."
"It's real," Ariel said simply. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
Seraphina's smile grew stronger, more genuine. She reached up and cupped his face with both hands, studying his transformed features. "You look so much like your father. He'd be so proud of you."
She gestured toward a sitting area deeper in the greenhouse, a small pavilion surrounded by flowering vines that provided shade and privacy. "Come. Sit with me. We have much to discuss."
They moved to the pavilion, settling onto cushioned benches that faced each other across a low table. Seraphina poured tea from a pot that had been sitting there, still steaming despite presumably having been poured long ago. Enchanted, obviously, to maintain perfect temperature.
"Tell me," she said, handing him a delicate cup. "How long have you been awakened? When did it happen?"
"Today," Ariel said, deciding honesty was safer than trying to construct elaborate lies. "Just a few hours ago, actually. I forced my core to awaken."
Seraphina's eyes widened. "Forced awakening? That's... Ariel, that's incredibly dangerous. The failure rate for forced awakening is substantial, especially for someone in your weakened condition. You could have died."
"I was dying anyway," Ariel said with a shrug. "At least this way I had a chance."
She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it, conceding the point with a reluctant nod. "You're right, of course. And you succeeded, which is what matters. Your awakening grade must be quite high for you to have recovered so completely from your illness."
"Superior," Ariel confirmed, seeing no reason to hide that fact.
"Superior?" Seraphina's expression shifted to one of genuine surprise. "That's exceptional, Ariel. Most awakened cultivators achieve common or uncommon grades. Superior is rare even among talented bloodlines. You must have extraordinary potential that your illness was suppressing all these years."
'Or I'm housing two divine wills that fundamentally rewrote my entire existence. But let's not mention that part.'
Seraphina's expression grew more serious, and she set down her tea cup. "Ariel, you need to understand the situation you're walking into. The family... things have changed during your illness. Decisions have been made, plans have been set in motion."
"Tell me," Ariel said, leaning forward slightly.
"There's a conference being held this afternoon," Seraphina said. "A family council meeting. Your grandfather has called it to address the succession issue once and for all."
Ariel's stomach tightened. "Succession issue."
"The position of Crown Crow," Seraphina explained gently. "You've held the title since your father's death, but everyone believed you would die before claiming it properly. The family has been in limbo, unable to formally address who should be the next Primarch because your grandfather refuses to strip you of your title while you live."
"But now I'm awakened," Ariel said, understanding dawning. "So that changes everything."
"It complicates everything," Seraphina corrected. "The conference is open to all Blood Crows aged fifteen and above, as well as all Pureblood Crows. They intend to argue for selecting a new Crown Crow, to pressure your grandfather into making a choice. The aim is to force him to name someone else as heir."
"Because his time as Primarch is running out," Ariel guessed.
Seraphina nodded sadly. "Your grandfather is transcendent rank. Such power comes with responsibilities beyond family leadership. There are duties, obligations, tasks that only those of transcendent power can perform. He's been delaying them to maintain stability in the family, but he cannot postpone indefinitely. Within the next few years at most, he'll have to step down as Primarch and focus on his greater responsibilities."
"And none of his children have reached S rank," Ariel said, the political situation becoming clearer. "So they can't take the position directly. They need someone to serve as Primarch until one of them advances."
"Exactly. The position will need to go to someone qualified, which means S rank minimum. Since none of the Pureblood Crows have achieved that, they've been positioning their own children, your cousins among the Blood Crows, as potential candidates. Whoever becomes Crown Crow will eventually become Primarch, and their parent among the Pureblood Crows will effectively control the family through them."
'A power struggle. Of course it is. Inheritance disputes in powerful families, tale as old as time.'
"You must attend this meeting," Seraphina said firmly. "You are the legitimate Crown Crow. Your awakening gives you the standing to claim your position properly. If you don't attend, they'll use your absence as evidence that you're unfit, that you should be replaced."
Ariel felt resistance rising in him. Walking into what amounted to a political battlefield, surrounded by relatives who wanted him dead or dismissed, seemed like asking for trouble. He was powerful now, yes, but inexperienced. He barely understood this world's cultivation system beyond the basics the system had told him.
'But if I don't go, I lose by default. They'll strip my title and I'll have no say in what happens to me or this family.'
"Have you forged your Soul Regalia yet?" Seraphina asked, apparently sensing his hesitation. "That's usually one of the first steps after awakening for Crowcrest bloodline members."
"Yes," Ariel said. "Just after I awakened my core."
Her eyes lit up. "May I see it? Every Regalia is unique. I'm curious what yours manifested as."
Ariel focused on the connection to his core, on the weapon that resided in the dimensional space within. He willed it to manifest.
Blue light coalesced in his right hand, flowing like liquid before solidifying. In less than a second, his katana materialized fully formed, silver blade gleaming, white veins pulsing with inner light.
Seraphina gasped audibly, her hand rising to her mouth. "Oh. Oh, Ariel. It's beautiful."
She stood and moved closer, examining the weapon with clear appreciation. "A katana. How fitting. Elegant, precise, requiring discipline and skill. And the coloring... silver and white with those veins of light. I've never seen a Regalia quite like this."
She looked at him with obvious pride. "Your father's Regalia was a greatsword, massive and overwhelming like his personality. But yours... yours reflects a different kind of strength. Controlled, refined, but no less deadly."
Ariel dismissed the weapon, letting it flow back into his core. The ability to summon and dismiss it at will was still deeply satisfying.
"Now," Seraphina said, returning to her seat, "show me your element. What did you awaken?"
This was where things got complicated. Ariel knew from the system that he'd awakened fire, but he didn't actually know how to manifest it. The memories he'd inherited from the original Ariel Crowcrest didn't include practical training in elemental manipulation because that body had never awakened.
'System,' he thought urgently, 'how do I manifest my fire element?'
The translucent screen appeared in his mind's eye, visible only to him.
[Elemental manifestation requires channeling mana through specific pathways aligned with your element. For fire, you must draw mana to your palm, concentrate it, and add the conceptual intent of heat and combustion. Think of fire, of burning, of the essence of flame, and your mana will respond accordingly.]
[Begin by holding your palm open and flat. Draw mana from your core up through your arm to your hand. Feel the energy pooling there. Now add intent. Fire. Heat. Flame. The mana will transform based on your will.]
Ariel held out his right hand, palm up, and focused. He could feel the mana in his core, could sense it flowing through his meridians. He directed it consciously, pushing it up through his torso, down his shoulder, along his arm, into his hand.
The energy pooled in his palm, a concentration of power waiting for direction.
Now for the hard part. Intent. The concept of fire. He thought about flames, about heat, about burning. He imagined fire dancing in his hand, tried to impose that image onto the formless mana.
Nothing happened.
The energy sat there, inert, refusing to transform. Ariel frowned, pushing harder, concentrating more intensely.
Still nothing.
'Come on. Fire. Burn. Ignite. Something.'
Seraphina watched patiently, her expression understanding. "It's alright. Elemental manifestation takes practice. Even awakened cultivators need time to develop the proper control."
Ariel barely heard her. He was too focused on the mana in his palm, on the stubborn energy that wouldn't respond. He thought back to what the system had said. Conceptual intent. Not just thinking about fire, but understanding it, feeling it, becoming it.
Fire was transformation. Matter changing state, releasing energy in the form of heat and light. Fire was destruction and renewal simultaneously. Fire was chaos made visible.
His Chaos Will stirred, resonating with that last thought. The chaotic energy in his system recognized fire as an expression of itself.
And suddenly, the mana in his palm ignited.
FWOOSH!
A small flame sprang to life, hovering just above his skin. It burned orange and yellow with hints of blue at its core, dancing and flickering like a living thing. Heat radiated from it, clearly real and not an illusion.
Ariel stared at the fire in his hand, watching it burn without consuming anything, fed purely by his mana. He could feel the drain on his reserves, small but steady. The flame responded to his will, growing larger when he pushed more energy into it, shrinking when he pulled back.
He'd done it. Manifested elemental energy. Created fire from nothing but his mana and intent.
A sound drew his attention up. Seraphina was crying again, but these were tears of joy and pride. She covered her mouth with both hands, her silver eyes shining with emotion.
"Talent," she whispered. "Just like your father. Only hours after awakening and you can already manifest your element. Most cultivators need days, even weeks. You have the gift, Ariel. You truly do."
She wiped at her eyes again, laughing at herself. "I'm sorry. I keep crying. It's just... after so many years of watching you suffer, unable to help, to see you like this now. You're ready, Ariel. You're actually ready to claim your place."
Ariel let the flame extinguish, the fire dying as he cut off the mana feeding it. The demonstration had cost him maybe fifty points of mana, barely noticeable against his total capacity.
'I did it. Actual magic. Real elemental manipulation. This is insane.'
Seraphina stood, her posture straightening, her expression hardening into something more determined. "The conference is in two hours. We have time to prepare you, to discuss strategy. But make no mistake, Ariel. This will not be easy. Your uncles and aunts will challenge your right to the Crown Crow position. Your cousins will argue they're more qualified. Some may even suggest you're still too weak, that awakening doesn't erase years of illness."
"Let them," Ariel said, surprised by his own confidence. "I'm not the dying child they remember. I'm awakened now. I have my Regalia. I can manifest my element. What more qualification do they want?"
Seraphina smiled, fierce and proud. "That's the spirit. Your father would have said the same thing." She moved toward the pavilion exit, then paused and looked back at him. "I'll accompany you to the meeting. As matriarch, my presence will lend weight to your claim and remind everyone that you have powerful support within the family."
"Thank you," Ariel said sincerely. "I appreciate it, grandmother."
"No thanks needed," Seraphina replied. "You're my grandson. Supporting you is both my duty and my privilege. Now come. We should return to your chambers so you can rest before the conference. You'll need all your strength for what's coming."