“Correct.” Senton had just replied to Solus when he noticed a red spark.

The pitch-black darkness of his body made even the faintest light shine like a sun. Rena’s core, instead, was already powerful, and she didn’t notice anything until its radiance grew significantly stronger.

It took Elina a few minutes to realize that the rhythm marked by the bell was two beats slower than her core’s. Once she did, she immediately adjusted her breathing technique and managed to Awaken, breaking through the bright orange and achieving the dull yellow.

Thanks to Lith’s regular rejuvenation treatments, she painlessly released a few impurities that the tower cleansed before their stench could stink up the air.

Rena needed even longer, while Senton failed to understand the significance of what he was doing.

“My mana core has been burning bright for a while now, but nothing happens.” He said. “What am I doing wrong?”

“Your mana core has its own unique rhythm.” Tista said. “Breathing in synch to the sound of the bell stimulates your core, but it’s not enough to Awaken. You need to tweak your breathing rhythm until it matches your mana flow.”