Gazing

The promotion process wasn't overly complicated for Lu Cang.

Ultimately, it just involved placing his hand on a crystal ball, which then lit up.

During the magic control test, he cast a few spells.

Finally, he presented the prepared snake eyes, and that was it.

The promotion ceremony was no different than taking a stroll after breakfast.

However, for Rhein Town, it was a huge event.

The news of a magic prodigy, surpassing Izpalut, being born...

Spread from Rhein Town to all corners of the world.

[Rhein Hotel]

A simple, unpretentious name, yet it was the largest hotel in Rhein Town and where Lu Cang and the others were staying.

Currently, Lu Cang was in Kumiloni's suite.

Kumiloni's hand rested gently on Lu Cang's back, Life Force flowing within him.

Lu Cang could feel damaged parts of his body being repaired and impurities being expelled.

The official explanation was that before the age of 16, development was incomplete, and awakening would cause irreversible damage to the body.

This was common knowledge.

But Lu Cang now felt...

It might not be that simple.

After presiding over the ceremony, Kumiloni whispered something to Iz immediately.

Iz then grabbed him and, breaking through the crowd, rushed him back to the hotel.

"Kumiloni..."

Kumiloni's voice was still gentle as she softly said, "It'll be alright~"

"The attention on you during the ceremony was more intense than expected."

"If it were a normal person promoting to a Level 2 Mage, I could have completely eliminated the side effects."

"But... your performance was too outstanding."

As a Level 2 Mage, Lu Cang could sense various things within his body.

These "various things" weren't just his internal organs like his heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys.

Lu Cang could also feel his magic, his blood energy, and other substances moving within him.

Among them were some dark things clinging to his body.

Kumiloni was in the process of removing them.

These things resembled the roots of some plant, burrowed into his body.

Like tadpoles, they tried to swim deeper into his body.

But they were newcomers...

They didn't get the chance to burrow deep into Lu Cang's body before Kumiloni absorbed them using some method.

He had a feeling...

This early awakening brought more than just physical damage.

It was something akin to being cursed.

However, this was just a feeling. Lu Cang only knew some basic common sense and didn't have a deep understanding of these strange things.

"Kumiloni, what exactly are these?"

Kumiloni hesitated.

"A kind of..."

She seemed unsure whether to tell him.

Although Lu Cang couldn't see behind him, he could sense her wanting to speak twice before closing her mouth.

"Kumiloni, this is happening inside my body. I want to know the truth..." Lu Cang insisted.

Finally, she sighed, "Spiritual Pollution."

"Spiritual Pollution?" Lu Cang asked, confused.

Kumiloni slowly explained, "In early theories, the younger the child, the better their performance after awakening their profession."

"Warriors would have more vigorous blood energy, Mages could sense more elements, Assassins would be more agile and better at concealing their presence... Each profession would show outstanding performance when awakened at a young age, and had a higher chance of awakening high-tier talents."

"Furthermore, awakening earlier meant embarking on the professional path sooner, giving them a head start in life."

"Therefore, even though such awakenings could cause backlash to the body, even leading to incurable disabilities and injuries, parents still flocked to have their children awaken early."

An incurable disability and illness? Just hearing about it sounds terrifying.

Parents forcing...

As expected, no matter the world, there are obsessive parents who would sacrifice their child's health for their fame.

"But if it's just an injury or illness, it's not a reason to prohibit early awakening."

"Compared to a powerful 'talent,' this side effect is acceptable."

"After all, with demonic beasts rampaging, insufficient strength could still lead to injury or severe wounds from them."

Huh... I suddenly understand the parents' feelings.

After all, this world isn't the one I transmigrated from; being weak truly can lead to death.

"What truly led to the strict prohibition of early awakening stems from a major research report by the Life Church 30 years ago."

"These children who awakened early almost invariably became obsessive and insane after becoming high-level professionals."

"They even became sinister, their personalities changing drastically."

"People who were originally kind would inexplicably become twisted and evil."

"At first, everyone believed it was just because they suddenly went through something, or perhaps they became insane out of some desire for the demonic path."

"After all, there are quite a few obsessive mages."

"Until that report pointed out..."

"The reason for their drastic change was the pollution of their spirituality."

"Initially, the major kingdoms dismissed the report, believing it to be groundless worry that wouldn't cause much impact."

"Until... three years after the report was issued, a large-scale blood sacrifice incident occurred."

"A mage pursuing the demonic path, in order to get closer to the source and present a satisfactory answer for his promotion, chose to complete his research through a blood sacrifice."

"That blood sacrifice event resulted in the deaths of three billion people, and two kingdoms collapsed completely. It was classified as the largest-scale evil sacrificial event of the century."

"Subsequent investigations revealed that this mage was a genius who awakened as a mage at the age of 9. Before the blood sacrifice incident, he had always been a kind lord of the Mercia territory."

"This incident served as a wake-up call, shocking the surrounding continents and hundreds of kingdoms."

"Related conferences were frequently held during that time, and one of the major resolutions passed was that professional awakening was not permitted before the age of 16."

"After the incident, those who completed their awakening before the age of 16 and had already reached level 4 or higher were closely monitored by the major kingdoms."

"The Life Church conducted further in-depth research on this matter and made good progress."

"The current research progress indicates: Spirituality before the age of 16 is more potent, and during the job transfer ceremony, it will attract more attention. This attention will unknowingly erode their souls."

"As their professional levels increase, it will also make them more and more obsessive on this path."

"Ultimately, their obsessions will turn them into seekers who will stop at nothing."

"They will do anything to ascend to a higher tier, anything that goes against humanity."

"They will become the purest of villains."

Lu Cang listened, his heart stirred...

Such a thing had happened in this world. It seemed the rule prohibiting awakening before 16 wasn't made out of thin air; there was truly a bloody lesson behind it.

"Kumiloni... then I..."

Kumiloni smiled, "It's alright."

"I am one of the few healers capable of clearing such influences."

"It's just... little Lu Cang."

"The attention you received during this promotion ceremony was far more than I imagined."

"What kind of response did you receive?"