The Awakening of the Abyss

The day of the Ability Selection Ceremony had finally dawned. Looking back, time had passed with such indifferent, relentless speed. I had spent my days tempering my body by alternating between Kalia’s aggressive swordsmanship and the orthodox techniques of my family, enduring the tedious lectures of my tutors, and sitting through the suffocating dinners with my parents every evening. My schedule was as precise as a clockwork gear. Whenever I felt a hollow emptiness in the corner of my heart, I would visit Mary’s flower shop. Mary and I had become something akin to friends by now. Though there was a slight age gap, it hadn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠been much of a barrier. I still felt a strange, lingering distance that made me hesitate to call her a "friend" outright, but I knew that would naturally fade as time passed and our meetings continued. But now was not the time to be lost in such leisurely sentiment. The scene unfolding before me was enough to snap me back to reality.

"Young Master, please look at this formal wear!"

"No! For the Selection Ceremony, this cold blue tone better suits the spirit of the Valenvalt house!"

The maids and servants had occupied my room since early morning, moving about with frantic energy. Seeing their movements, which seemed twice as urgent as usual, made me realize that today was truly 'the day.' The numerous formal outfits and accessories spread across the bed seemed to urge me on, reminding me that I was the protagonist who had to stand on stage today. In the corner of the room, Kalia stood in her usual, unwavering posture, watching the scene. I turned my gaze away, surrendering my body to the maids' ministrations, and decided to just blankly think about the Ability Selection Ceremony until the preparations were complete.

The Ability Selection Ceremony was, quite literally, a "life gacha." Everyone received the inspection, but only a tiny fraction were born holding something of value. Even if you had an ability, if it turned out to be something useless like "lowering the surrounding temperature by 1 degree," your life would remain unchanged. But if you hit the jackpot with something like "Space Severance" or "Holy Power Amplification," it was a complete life reversal. If you were a commoner, the Empire would support your academy tuition, and if you were a noble, your chances of rising to a high-ranking position in the Empire skyrocketed. For a child of a high-ranking noble like me, the benefits weren't as life-altering, but having something was still better than having nothing.

'At first, I wondered why it was called a Selection Ceremony instead of an Inspection Ceremony.'

When I read the original novel, I had just brushed it off as an "event where the protagonist awakens." But after transmigrating and experiencing it firsthand, the meaning of the name felt far more realistic and cold. It was a national project to sift through the raw stones, a process of "selecting" children with superior abilities for the Empire and the Aillan Church. The Aillan Church didn't lose out, either; they reportedly took in commoner children with high holy power or related abilities as acolytes.

'Truly, the affairs of adults.'

The maids' storm-like ministrations finally ceased. In the mirror stood a boy who looked sharper and more noble than usual, his eyes resembling the cold snow of the North. I could understand why the maids had been so fussed; today, my parents would be watching with eyes like burning coals—especially my mother. From their perspective, they couldn't allow even a single strand of the Young Master's hair to be out of place.

"Let us head to the place where the ceremony will be held."

Following the butler's guidance, I left the room. As I walked down the hallway, I searched my memories of the original novel. 'Cassian definitely had an ability. He was one of the four main male leads, after all.' Although his specific scenes were faint because he had less screen time compared to the other leads, he certainly possessed some special power. But what was strange was the sensation I had felt when I faced the goblin subjugation or Rona Scott. The power that flowed through my body then felt quite different in texture from the ability described in the original work.

'Did my ability twist because my soul transmigrated, or is there a separate, true power that hasn't bloomed yet?'

There was no point in thinking about it; you only know the results of a gacha once you pull it. Following the butler, I arrived at the annex. It was a place specifically prepared for the Ability Selection Ceremony. Though smaller in scale compared to the main mansion, it was a building so splendid and sturdy that commoners would spend their entire lives just to live in it. Most powerful nobles had such independent selection halls within their estates. I had heard that the existence and splendor of this building were a measure of a family's wealth and power, and the Valenvalt selection hall certainly boasted the dignity of the rulers of the North.

'I heard this was built a long time ago...'

As I stepped inside the hall, a cold and mysterious aura of mana enveloped my entire body. A priest stood in the center.

'Is that the holy relic?'

I glanced at Kalia, who stood beside me. Kalia had her lips pressed tighter than usual, observing every single movement in the surroundings. Perhaps because of her constitution, which was called a "curse," the waves emitted by the selection stone seemed a bit uncomfortable for her. Suddenly, I felt the gaze of my parents sitting in the seats of honor far away. My father was expressionless, but an undeniable pressure lingered in his eyes, and my mother was fidgeting with her fingers as if anxious. Seeing my mother like that, I thought that no matter how dignified a high noble might be, a parent worrying about their child is still a parent.

"Cassian Valenvalt, please step up to the altar."

A solemn voice echoed through the annex. I gave Kalia a light nod and slowly climbed the stairs. With every step I took, my heartbeat quickened. I was human, after all; even though I knew I already possessed a unique ability, facing the actual result made my heart pound as if it might burst.

"You may place your hand here."

I stared down at the selection stone the priest pointed to. As if a piece of the vast universe had been torn off and placed there, countless stardust-like particles were swirling inside the dark, navy-blue sphere. Seeing its mysterious appearance, I finally realized it was a holy relic. 'Honestly, from a distance, it just looked like a rock.'

I reached out without hesitation. The moment my palm touched the cold surface of the stone, the stardust inside the sphere, which had seemed to hold the universe, began to churn madly.

A soft, silvery-white light bloomed from deep within the selection stone, and then, a pitch-black shadow that seemed ready to swallow it whole swirled along with it. The air in the hall turned sharply cold, and it felt as if the 'universe' the stone had been holding was pouring out through my hand. I could almost hear my father, sitting in the seat of honor, gripping the armrests of his chair tightly.

"...This light?"

My vision was filled with the contrast between the starlight pouring down like the Milky Way and the pitch-black darkness ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that sharpened that light even further. It was an overwhelming sight, so much so that even the priest's shocked scream felt distant. And then, a sensation ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like a sharp awl piercing my nerves penetrated my brain. My sense of reality faded, and my consciousness was sucked into a strange, abyssal space at an uncontrollable speed.

A mysterious voice, neither male nor female, its gender shifting depending on the listener, echoed through the space that resembled the universe. I could only look around the vast space with a sense of novelty. It was a situation where fear should have naturally arisen, but strangely, my heart felt as comfortable as if I were in my mother's arms.

"You've schemed again. Knowing you would be caught, is it that precious to you? I don't know. I cannot understand it at all. But since things have changed this time, perhaps you might succeed."

The words "things have changed" uttered by the ambiguous figure. It seemed to mean that my soul and Cassian's had been swapped. Otherwise, there would be no reason for it to mutter like that in front of me. Without time to ponder further, the figure reached out toward me.

"It seems this will be the last time. This tedious, tiresome connection ends here. You are truly not very lucky."

Countless starlight poured down over my head, and the most dazzling one among them flew toward me. I just watched the scene blankly, as if bewitched by its beauty.

"I hope for failure, but that is not something I can control. It depends on you..."

"Huk...!"

I gasped, catching my breath as I regained my senses, finding myself ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back in the familiar selection hall. Cold sweat ran down my back.

"It is certainly enough to be surprised."

At the priest's words, I looked at him, wondering for a moment if he had been in that space with me. But hearing his subsequent praise, I realized I had jumped to conclusions.

"It is definitely a top-tier ability. In all my time traveling to conduct selections, I have never seen such a sight. To think I would be present at such a historic moment; I am honored."

The priest's face was flushed red with excitement. I looked down at my hands, still feeling dazed. The selection stone was already silent, having lost its usual light. Looking toward the seats of honor, my father was sitting there, still dignified but expressionless, and my mother had stood up from her seat, rejoicing. I turned my gaze back to the selection stone. The enigmatic words left by that figure earlier lingered in my ears. An existence not seen in the original work. What could it be? In novels or webtoons, such beings were usually depicted as spirits? Or gods? ...I didn't know.

It didn't seem like an existence I could understand just by thinking about it. It wasn't a problem I could solve. So, I put it aside for now and began to think about my ability, which had been imprinted in my mind through the selection stone.