Chapter 5: Awakening

Chapter 5: Awakening

A few days later, Bran, who was in his bedroom, finished reading The Book of Mana. He then fantasized about the arrival of the Awakening with both anticipation and anxiety. The Book of Mana did not give Bran a clear answer. It was more like a record book, listing various known abilities. But what popped into Bran’s mind were the words “parlor tricks.”

According to the book, the initial stage of Awakening did not transform a person completely. The beginning was just a hint. Summoned fire might only be as big as a candle flame, and called wind might feel like a gentle breeze from just a few feet away. Even maintaining these abilities was a problem. Afterwards, one needed to use them frequently to gradually become familiar with and understand Mana, thereby improving one’s own capabilities.

After Awakening, the body’s recovery ability, strength, and reflexes would all improve somewhat. Compared to Mana, physical training to improve one’s fitness seemed simpler and easier. So, after Awakening, most people were called into their family to receive training in martial skills. Their awakened abilities, on the other hand, often became somewhat useless.

Some abilities that directly affected oneself, like strength-based ones, could be effectively improved through martial skill training. However, the uncertainty and diversity of Awakenings meant that such Awakened individuals were almost one in a hundred. Once discovered, this kind of person would immediately be taken into the family for focused cultivation . The diversity of abilities meant that people still had not found a systematic and effective way to improve them. The value of an Awakened individual depended more on the ability itself. An interesting observation was that one ability could hardly directly affect another Awakened person. A clash of abilities was more like two people testing their strength against each other. Only when one side’s power was exhausted could the ability possibly take effect on the other person.

Bran shook his head and gave up thinking. He casually picked up the black cat beside him, held Huahua up to his eyes, shook her a little, and asked, “What ability will I awaken? You silly cat.”

The black cat Huahua stared with a pair of innocent eyes and meowed routinely, as if responding to Bran’s question. Bran was not willing to let her off so easily. He shook her again and said, “Wrong answer. I’ll give you another chance.”

The black cat wriggled a bit and let out a louder meow: “Mrow…”

Bran gave her another shake and said, “You little thing! Are you unhappy now?”

Right at that moment, the black cat Huahua struggled hard. There seemed to be a faint, low popping sound in the air. Huahua disappeared from Bran’s hands like that and then appeared on the floor a few feet in front of Bran. Both the person and the cat seemed startled, just staring at each other wide-eyed.

At this moment, Bran’s thoughts were chaotic. What about the promised Awakening? How could it be about Black Cat Huahua? Clearly, I was the one dreaming. Was Huahua just a supporting character in my dream, or was Huahua dreaming about me? Then all those troubling questions about the world’s reality and illusion surfaced again in Bran’s mind. Bran turned into an idiot again, standing there dazedly, motionless…

The first to discover that Bran had turned into an idiot again was a maidservant. While secretly observing Bran’s activities following Madam’s orders as usual, she found Bran still standing in his bedroom, holding his hands up as if gripping something, staring blankly. The black cat also seemed to be under a paralysis spell, staring at her master. So, chaos spread through the castle like ripples.

By the time Bran came back to his senses, he was already surrounded by people. Under his parents’ concerned gaze and the disdainful, curious stares of his siblings, Bran said softly, “I’m fine.”

Then he explained a bit excitedly, “Huahua awakened. Look.” As he spoke, he lifted Huahua up and shook her a little.

Under everyone’s gaze, Huahua’s pair of innocent big eyes met Bran’s…

Bran shook her again, then imitated her meow with a sound: “Mrow…” But he was still met with those same innocent big eyes.

Bran increased the shaking. He made a sound with his mouth: “Pop.”…

A light chuckle was heard. Sister was the first to roll her eyes and say, “Idiot.”

Bran looked back at her, speechless. A trace of annoyance appeared on Bran’s face. He said, “I’m telling the truth.”

Mother once again firmly stood by Bran’s side. With a smile on her face, she said, “I believe you.”

Facing this smile, Bran grew even more annoyed. He knew this was just to humor him. None of them actually believed him. This world, these people, and so on, and so on… The pressure of the past few years finally made this incident a trigger. In the end, it formed a surge of anger in Bran’s chest that began to burn fiercely. Bran, holding Huahua in his hands, cradled her in his arms and roared angrily, “I’m telling the truth! Ah!…”

This roar startled the black cat Huahua in his arms. She struggled hard and then disappeared from Bran’s embrace. Next, she appeared on the floor a few steps away from Bran. Following her angry owner, she arched her back, bared her teeth, and let out a threatening sound: “Hisss…”