Apocalypse: Starting With Three Unique Blessings-Chapter 60: A Moment Of Peace.

Magnus groaned, his eyes fluttering open against the insistent sunlight that spilled into the room. He blinked, slowly adjusting to the brightness.

"Lord Magnus, you’re awake," a voice said softly from beside his bed.

Turning his head, Magnus saw Seraphina perched on a stool, her expression filled with concern.

"How are you feeling, Lord Magnus?" she asked.

"I’m fine, nothing to worry about," Magnus replied. Then, a frown creased his brow. "How long have I been out?"

"It’s been five days since you lost consciousness," Seraphina answered.

"Five days!" Magnus exclaimed internally, a wave of surprise washing over him.

"What happened while I was unconscious?" he asked, his frown deepening.

"Not much, Lord Magnus..." Seraphina began, proceeding to fill him in on the events of the past few days.

Apparently, an hour or so after he’d collapsed, a divine aura had descended upon the territory. Magnus recognized this as the divine blessing bestowed upon completion of the fifth tier of the trial – the riddle with the gods. This realization made him frown further. It meant that the remaining time, until he regained consciousness just a few hours ago for his awakening, had been spent enduring the pain of the gods’ curse which had kept him unconscious.

The thought of awakening brought back the memory of the strange card he had chosen. He was eager to examine it and discover its secrets, but decided to wait until Seraphina had left.

Seraphina continued her briefing. A smile spread across Magnus’s face as he learned of the blessings bestowed upon his territory. Almost ninety percent of the population of the appropriate age – twelve and older – had awakened. Remarkably, this had happened without them having to complete even the first floor of the trial tower, a testament to the benefits of completing the highest difficulty tier of the territory trial.

She went on to detail the nature of these blessings, from weapons received to numerous other treasures.

Magnus continued to smile, but his mood shifted as the conversation turned to the casualties of the trial. He had lost consciousness just as the final stage ended, so he remained unaware of the death toll, which, it turned out, was the highest of any of the beast waves. The Armored Apes, in particular, had inflicted devastating losses.

According to Seraphina, the total death count exceeded six hundred. This included losses from among Magnus’s summon which numbered over two hundred, with the remainder coming from the territory’s own troops.

Magnus gritted his teeth at the grim news, then sighed and forced himself to continue listening.

He learned that Augustus had organized a memorial service for the fallen soldiers a few nights prior, sparing Magnus the burden of arranging it himself.

Taking a deep breath, Magnus absorbed all the information, his expression fluctuating with a range of emotions. Finally, he sighed and dismissed Seraphina. What was done was done. There was nothing he could do for the dead. The best course of action now was to focus on the future.

"Status," Magnus murmured.

-----

-[Status]

Name: Magnus Lancaster

Age: 18

Health: 100% (Full Health)

Title: (Cursed Son of Arthur Lancaster)

Level: 6

Trial Status: —

Magic Affinity: Conceptual Manipulation

Mana: 1,000

[EVOLUTION POINTS: 1,008,230]

[Attributes]

Strength: 1,000

Agility: 1,000

Defense: 1,000

Charm: 1,000

Endurance: 1,000

Luck: —]

〔Attribute Points: 5,233〕

[Skills]

>General Skills:

×10 Reward [SS], Empyrean Codex [#??#], Synthesis [SS], Summoning [SSS], Aegis of Mind [S]

>Combat Skills:

Unarmed Combat [Lvl 7/10], Archery [Lvl 3/10], Swordsmanship [Lvl 3/10], Blade Mastery [Lvl 8/10]

>Magic Skills:

None

>Crafting Skills:

Apothecary [Lvl 7/10], Cooking [Lvl 7/10]

-----

Magnus stared at his status, his emotions a turbulent mix.

First, his gaze landed on his affinity. Conceptual Manipulation. Shock coursed through him. He’d read fantasy novels back on Earth about people with this kind of power. It was overwhelmingly potent. No wonder the affinity card had radiated the aura of an emperor among the others. It was an ability that surpassed all other affinities.

Then, his brow furrowed as he registered several other changes. His trial status and luck were both displayed as dashes (—). He wasn’t sure what this signified, but considering his new title, he suspected it was a consequence of the curse placed upon him by the gods.

Gritting his teeth, Magnus vowed to make them pay for this transgression once he possessed sufficient power. He would not forget their cruelty.

Turning his attention from his attributes, Magnus focused on the changes to his skills. [Akashic Insight] was gone, replaced by a new skill: [Empyrean Codex].

Frowning, Magnus asked, "System, please explain this skill."

-[Affirmative.]

>Empyrean Codex [#??#] — a significantly improved version of Akashic Insight. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Magnus stared at the screen, his frown deepening.

"Is that it?" he muttered, disappointed. He’d expected a more detailed explanation, similar to the descriptions of his other skills, outlining their functions and capabilities.

-[Affirmative. This is all I can provide.]

Magnus continued to frown at the System’s reply.

’What do you mean, all you can provide? Wasn’t this skill given as a reward by you?’ he mused, confused.

After a moment, he sighed and pushed the matter to the back of his mind, resolving to investigate it later.

Sitting up, Magnus left his room and headed to the bathing area for a much-needed wash. Although he suspected he’d been regularly cleaned while unconscious, he still felt the need to cleanse himself.

Refreshed and dressed in clean clothes, Magnus returned to his room, only to be greeted by his commanders, Augustus and Kael.

"Lord Magnus!" they exclaimed in unison, relief evident in their voices as they saw him on his feet and approaching them. They had been deeply worried about him during his five-day unconsciousness.

Magnus smiled. He had asked Seraphina to inform them of his awakening, knowing how anxious they were about his well-being.

"How are you all doing?" Magnus asked, his smile widening.

"Fine, Lord Magnus!" they echoed, their voices filled with excitement.

"It seems you both have awakened as well," Magnus observed, turning to Robert and Augustus. Their auras clearly indicated their newly awakened status.

"Yes, Lord Magnus. I have fully awakened my wind ability," Robert declared, his towering figure radiating pride in his newfound power.

Magnus smiled, pleased for Robert. He knew Robert’s loyalty to him, his father, and the entire Lancaster territory was unwavering. This was evident in Robert’s dedication and hard work.

After Magnus had appointed Godiva, William, and Kelvin as the new commanders, Robert had begun to feel insecure. The three new commanders were all powerful awakened individuals, while he remained only partially awakened. This feeling had gnawed at him, although he tried to hide it. Magnus, and anyone else who knew Robert well, could sense his unease. Now that he had fully awakened, Robert’s aura radiated pride, confident that he wouldn’t be left behind.

"That’s excellent news, Robert. I know you’ll achieve great things with your new ability, as you always do," Magnus said warmly.

"Thank you for your kind words, Lord Magnus," Robert replied, bowing slightly with a smile.

Magnus returned the smile, then turned to Augustus. "How are you feeling after awakening?" he asked.

"Never been better! This old body has more vitality than I’ve had in my entire life," Augustus declared, beaming.

Magnus smiled. Everyone strived for awakening, not only for the abilities and strength it granted, but also for the increased vitality. Awakened individuals healed faster, recovered from illness more quickly, and, most importantly, enjoyed a longer lifespan than ordinary people. The surge of vitality Augustus felt was a common experience after awakening.

"This old man can do cool tricks now. Watch this!" Augustus continued, a ball of flame suddenly materializing in his hands. A wide smile spread across his face.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Old man, you don’t want to burn down Lord Magnus’s house, do you?" William interjected jokingly, causing the room to erupt in laughter. Magnus, however, remained confused by the joke, while Augustus fumed.

"Shut up! I have much more control over my ability now," Augustus retorted, glaring at the others.

Still puzzled, Magnus asked for an explanation, and they recounted the incident.

It turned out that immediately after awakening, Augustus had thought it wise to test a magical ability he had absolutely no control over inside his house. As expected, the spell went haywire, setting the house ablaze. Luckily, one of Magnus’s summon, a water mage, had been nearby and managed to extinguish the fire before it caused significant damage.

Magnus joined in the laughter. Giving a man nearing the end of his life a sudden surge of power often resulted in such foolish acts. Of course, Augustus wasn’t that old, being only in his early sixties, but the principle still applied.

Augustus grew even more enraged as the laughter continued. Margaret hadn’t spoken to him since the incident, and now he was being mocked for it. It was infuriating. Speaking of Margaret, she too had awakened, predictably with a healing ability.

The group continued to linger in Magnus’s room, laughing and joking, the atmosphere brimming with excitement.

Magnus observed the scene, realizing that this was the first time since his transmigration that he had felt such genuine warmth and happiness. Pushing aside his worries, he focused on the people around him, enjoying the camaraderie and laughter. The mood was infectious, and everyone seemed to forget their troubles, even Kael, could be seen cracking a rare smile.