3 Awaken

The reason I confronted my father in such a manner was due to his personality. He admired individuals with strong will and those who weren't afraid in the presence of greatness. I believe I'm starting to understand why Thorin, my father, despised Jayden. As Jayden grew more fearful and timid in front of Thorin, he lost all respect for his own son. But my recent act should have at least intrigued him, even if only slightly.

In the vast mansion we resided in, I set out to find Jason. Navigating through the sprawling estate was challenging, but thanks to Jayden's memories, I managed to avoid getting lost as soon as I left my room. I climbed a flight of stairs and reached Jason's room, where I knocked on the door several times. No response came from within, and a maid noticed my presence.

"Are you looking for Young Master Jason?" she asked.

"Yes, do you know where he is?" I inquired.

"He left to practice his fighting at the Tower of Fights," she informed me.

"I see. Well then, thank you very much," I replied.

The maid bowed, and I left the upper floor of the estate, making my way to the front door and stepping out onto the streets. Our estate was situated near the royal palace, and both properties towered over the empire. As I strolled down the streets, I marveled at the view. Although I possessed Jayden's memories, experiencing the country firsthand was still a novel experience, akin to watching a video of a place and then actually being there.

The world's setting blended archaic elements with modern advancements, such as mana-powered cars, phones, televisions, and fashionable clothing. It wasn't uncommon to come across weapon shops or magic books along the streets. The functioning of this world amazed me, evoking a sense of wonder. I admired my surroundings while continuing towards my destination, which was the teleportation gate.

Upon reaching the gate, it appeared just as it did in the anime, but seeing it in person was an entirely different level of awe.

I ascended the stairs that led up to the blue portal, surrounded by rocks adorned with intricate runes. Beside the portal stood a person in a white robe, who immediately bowed upon noticing my presence.

"Young Master! Where is it you'd like to go?" the white-robed man asked, displaying utmost respect.

"I'm heading to the Empire of Grandorium," I replied, waiting for the robed individual to work his magic.

"Understood!" he acknowledged.

Placing his palms together, the runes on the rocks began to glow red, and even the portal itself changed color from blue to red.

"It is ready, Young Master," he informed me.

"Thank you."

I stepped through the portal, experiencing a momentary migraine due to the sound and light within. However, it quickly subsided, and I found myself in an entirely new environment. Across from the portal, a man in a tan robe greeted me.

"Welcome to the Grandorium Empire," he said.

Each empire had portals connecting them to the others, facilitating travel between them. Additionally, there were small villages that lacked portal connections due to the significant cost associated with constructing them.

The Grandorium Empire was situated in a desert, surrounded by sand. In contrast, the Imperium Empire, where Jayden originated, resided on solid rock ground. The third empire, Regnum, was surrounded by water. These empires had waged war over land thousands of years ago but eventually reached a peace treaty.

Expressing gratitude to the robed man, I descended the portal steps onto the sand, which surprisingly wasn't scorching despite the direct sun exposure. This was due to the implementation of magic spells.

'The Asgard Temple should be that massive structure over there,' I thought to myself.

I noticed a colossal tower with religious undertones, stretching the length of a football field. That was the place where everyone would gather to worship their respective gods.

As I envisioned my power level in my mind, it felt as if the world itself responded, and I could sense the magnitude of my power.

***

[Jayden Ashbourne]

[God of Sight| 1st Awakening]

[Magic Level| Fully Awakened]

[Mana Level| 1st Awakening]

***

'Huh?!'

I was taken aback. My magic level had fully awakened.

Typically, it took one hundred awakenings to reach a full awakening. However, in order to achieve a full awakening, one must possess complete comprehension of magic, knowing every aspect of it.

'Could it be because of the YouTube videos?'

While waiting for new episodes of the anime to be released, I would watch YouTube videos that explained every detail about the show. I delved so deeply into it that I became familiar with every god and even obscure magic spells that were not widely known to any of their characters in the anime.

'Does this mean that my knowledge from my previous life is applicable here?'

Joy surged through me. Although I may be behind others in terms of power during the golden age, I now possessed a trump card for myself.

Lost in my thoughts, I accidentally collided with someone, causing both of us to fall to the ground.

Rubbing my bottom in slight pain, I muttered, "Ouch."

When I opened my eyes to see who I had bumped into, I discovered a girl around my age accompanied by her parents.

Instantly, her parents recognized me and bowed down, seeking forgiveness. Fear was evident in their tone.

"My Lord! Please forgive our daughter for her clumsiness!"

The commotion attracted a crowd.

"Isn't that Jayden Ashbourne?"

"The Jayden Ashbourne? The one who was once seen as a great talent but eventually became a weakling, relying solely on his family name for power?"

"Yes, but hush! If he hears you, he might retaliate!"

'I can hear you, you know.'

Internally sighing, I couldn't help but acknowledge their words. Despite their attempts to speak softly, I caught every word, and I couldn't entirely disagree with their sentiments.

Since his blessing day, Jayden's progress had stagnated, and he merely used his family name as leverage to fulfill his desires. He had become a true scoundrel. However, I appreciated the way his character developed throughout the story, making him my favorite character.

But setting aside their comments, the girl I accidentally bumped into is...

'Aria...'