Chapter 4: Awakening Ceremony (I)
The vibe inside the dressing room was surprisingly chill. Eliza stood quietly behind Malrik, pulling off some final, high-tier tailoring magic on his formal gear while he silently judged his reflection in the mirror.
The black noble uniform fit him like a glove. Intricate silver embroidery traced elegant, incredibly expensive-looking patterns across the fabric, and the serpent-dragon emblem of House Vesperion sat proudly over his chest. Every stitch basically screamed, *"I have more money and muscle than your entire bloodline."*
Today was the day. The moment that would determine whether his new life would be a glorious speedrun or a total trainwreck.
Right on cue, a sharp, authoritative knock rattled the door.
*Knock. Knock. Knock.*
"Enter," Malrik said, instantly turning back into the stoic, unreachable young master.
The heavy door opened at a glacial pace, and an elderly man stepped inside. Despite having one foot in the grave, the guy’s posture was straighter than a steel rod. Dressed in an immaculate black tailcoat embroidered with the family crest, he carried himself with the kind of untouchable dignity you only get from surviving decades in a house full of apex predators.
Malrik’s inherited brain-files instantly pulled up the identity match. Cedric
Personal Butler to the Patriarch and Chief Butler of House Vesperion
Now, to any outsider, Cedric looked like a polite old servant. But inside these walls? Underestimating this man was a certified death wish. Every servant terrified of their own shadow respected him, every battle-hardened knight saluted him, and even the arrogant pricks of the younger generation used their best manners around him. Decades of unwavering loyalty to a literal warlord tended to give you that kind of street cred.
Cedric offered a perfectly executed, flawless bow. "Young Master Malrik. The Awakening Ceremony is about to begin."
Malrik gave a slow, minimal nod. "I understand."
Cedric stepped aside, clearing the path. "Please follow me."
---
Without another word, Malrik stepped out of his room. The moment he crossed the threshold of his private wing, his pace unconsciously slowed down.
Sure, Malrik’s brain had the memory files for this estate, but seeing it with his own eyes hit completely different. The hallways didn’t just feel long; they felt endless. Towering black marble pillars shot up toward vaulted ceilings covered in intricate, dramatic carvings. Priceless historical artifacts sat inside crystal displays along the walls, interspersed with humongous paintings immortalizing the various times House Vesperion had completely flattened their enemies.
Every single square inch of this place radiated obscene amounts of old wealth. More importantly, it radiated a terrifying history. This wasn’t just some mansion built over a few centuries; it was an absolute fortress. Honestly, calling it a fortress felt like a massive understatement. The place rivaled the imperial palace itself, and frankly, Malrik was pretty sure their property tax alone could fund a small country.
As they walked, Malrik checked out the knights stationed along the corridors. Every single one of them stood completely motionless, looking like a collection of dark metallic statues. Their breathing was perfectly synced, and not a single pair of eyes drifted toward him as he passed.
The level of discipline was bordering on creepy. *Yeah, these aren’t your average mall cops,* Malrik thought, keeping his face blank. *These are elite, high-level soldiers.*
His gaze drifted upward toward the massive black banners hanging between the pillars. They all bore the exact same terrifying logo: *The Devouring Dragon-Serpent.* A massive, cosmic-tier snake-dragon wrapping its coils around the entire planet, jaws unhinged toward the heavens as if it were trying to bite the sky in half.
According to family lore, the beast feared absolutely nothing between heaven and earth. Whether that was true or just an edgy marketing campaign, Malrik couldn’t say. But one thing was clear: the emblem perfectly matched the family’s unhinged ambition. No wonder House Vesperion had become one of the greatest superpowers in the entire Empire.
---
The deeper they walked into the estate, the quieter the air became. The regular domestic servants vanished completely, replaced by a massive spike in heavy armed security.
Eventually, Cedric stopped dead in front of a pair of monstrously large black doors. Ancient runes glowed faintly across the surface, but unlike the decorative stuff in the hallways, these runes were actively pulsing with unmistakable, heavy mana.
The Awakening Hall
Every Great House had one. It was a sacred relic passed down through generations, responsible for unlocking the classes of the family’s descendants. Losing a rock like this was the literal equivalent of cutting the throat of your entire lineage’s future. Even from several meters away, Malrik could feel the raw, dense mana radiating from the crystal. The energy felt entirely separate from anything he had ever experienced.
As Malrik kept his eyes glued to the stone, the remaining murmurs in the hall vanished entirely. One after another, every single member of the Vesperion bloodline fell into a solemn, heavy silence. Nobody dared breathe too loud. Nobody moved a muscle.
Once the room achieved absolute peak tension, Cedric took a single step forward. Despite being a butler, every single high-tier powerhouse in the room shifted their gaze to him without a second thought.
His calm, crisp voice echoed through the massive chamber like a bell. "The Awakening Ceremony shall now begin."
The words hung in the chilly air. Cedric slowly turned his gaze toward Malrik.
"Malrik Vesperion. Step forward."
For a fraction of a second, it felt like someone hit the pause button on time itself. Every single pair of eyes in the room—his monster brothers, the cutthroat Elders, the ancient Grand Elders—locked onto his figure, waiting to see what the family’s historical disappointment would pull off.
Malrik slowly raised his head, his emerald-green eyes reflecting the dark sheen of the black crystal.
Was he going to inherit the terrifying glory of House Vesperion? Or was he going to spend the rest of his life completely overshadowed by his ridiculous siblings? The universe was about to drop the answer.
Taking a slow, steady breath, he locked his panic away.
Then—he took his first step toward the abyss.
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