“Hoho… It’s Ariel’s turn. I bet everyone here is waiting to see her Spirit.”

The Clan Master had long distanced herself from the altar and stood beside the First Elder. When Ariel knocked out a Spirit Apostle even before she awakened her Spirit, it caused shockwaves in the Clan. A physical talent of her calibre was scarce, even when the Frie Clan were at its peak.

Since she had the potential to become the Frie Clan’s most powerful fighter, whatever Spirit Ariel awakens, a significant amount of resources and guidance was already planned for her future. However, it was still beneficial to prepare her training around what Spirit she awakens.

“...”

The First Elder was silent. Even though he seemed nonchalant, it was him putting up a brave face. In actual fact, he was slightly nervous. After all, Ariel was his only granddaughter.

“What Spirit do you think she will awaken senior?”

The Clan Master questioned the First Elder.

“It matters not. Whatever Spirit she has, I will ensure that she becomes the strongest warrior the Frie Clan has ever seen.”

“Such confidence. But you are right. That girl isn’t normal. I really wonder what have you been feeding her?”

“If there really were a special diet that could make our members stronger, I would have shared it immediately. But this little girl is really an enigma. I wonder where she gets her super strength from.”

“Hmmm… It’s not something you fed her?”

“Surely you jest.”

“Of course. Just making small talk.”

No one in the Frie Clan could unravel the mystery that was Ariel. How could she have superhuman power even as a child? The Clan Master had even called in the majority of her connections to find the answer, but no one could understand her physique. In the end, the conclusion the Frie Clan had come to was that Ariel was born with an innate body type that was far superior to any human.

“It’s Ariel...”

“Ariel is awakening her Spirit now?”

“Now this is getting interesting!”

Ariel was a celebrity in the Frie Clan. After all, she was a monster wrapped in human skin. All those present were eagerly anticipating her awakening.

“Quiet please!”

Aggravated by the constant chit-chat, the Shrine Maiden hollered out. Instantaneously, the everybody kept their mouth shut. If a pin were to drop on the floor right now, one could even hear the echoes of the impact.

“Ariel, please kneel in front of the altar and close your eyes.”

As she had done it many times before Ariel, the Shrine Maiden kept the briefing short as she assumed Ariel would have a clear understanding of the procedure by now. Ariel, hearing the Shrine Maiden, immediately followed the steps of her peers before her and entrusted her body to the white-robed woman.

“Ariel...”

The Shrine Maiden started gathering spiritual energy again and it enveloped the entire room once more. Whispering words of guidance into her ear, the Shrine Maiden instructed Ariel on the steps to take.

In less than half a minute, a scarlet red light started emitting out of Ariel. The vibrant glow started growing stronger and stronger by the second and eventually, the Shrine Room was filled with the light. Not only was the room dyed crimson, but the temperature started rising drastically.

“Wha...”

“Why is it getting hotter?”

The children who were nearest to the altar could feel the dramatic heat increase. Soon, it felt like their face was melting.

“Ahh!!! Hot! Hot!”

“Don’t stand close to the altar!”

“Run away from Ariel!”

“My goodness! I’m going to melt!”

Panic ensued as the children scrambled to run away.

“No way! Natural phenomenon?!”

The Clan Master exclaimed in shock. Usually, Spirit Awakening would not cause any harm to the surroundings as everything occurred in the psyche of the child. However, there are times when the unusual would happen. In some rare cases, the Spirit of the child would cause a physical reaction in the material world.

“Ariel invoked a natural phenomenon?!”

Even the First Elder was shocked. When a child awakened their Spirit and triggered a natural phenomenon, it was a harbinger of dominance. A Spirit that was baptised with the natural phenomenon was many times stronger than an average Spirit. At the same rank, it was unbeatable.

While the people in the room were scared out of their wits, the floor in front of Ariel started to form a puddle. It was not a water puddle though. The source of the heat in the room came from this very puddle. It was not a puddle of water but a puddle of molten lava. The Shrine Maiden immediately retreated from the scene and left Ariel to complete the ceremony on her own. From her experience, she knew that any help she gave Ariel was useless at this point.

The heat coming out of the lava puddle was strong enough to melt the flesh off everyone present. However, Ariel remained unfazed.

“So you are my Spirit?”

Knowing that the lava could never hurt her, Ariel placed her right hand in the centre of the puddle and reached in. Ignoring the sounds of shock and horror around her, she smiled and grasped the object lying inside the pool.

“Hiyahh!!!”

With a warcry, Ariel lifted her Spirit out of the puddle of lava into the many eyes in the Shrine Room. In her hands was a 1.5-meter long Warhammer. The black hammerhead was easily the size of three fully grown adult heads. Red markings on the bludgeon gave the Spirit a primal feel and the aura emitting from Ariel made her look like an ancient Amazonian which could take on hundreds of warriors by herself.

“Amazing...”

“Looks like Ariel will become a pillar of the Frie Clan.”

Many of those present remarked. As numerous praise was being flung in Ariel’s direction, a silent curse was muttered by the boy shaking in the corner while looking at the little girl wielding a weapon that was too big for her.

‘OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! THE HEAVENS HAVE ABANDONED ME!!! WHICH SICK GOD GAVE ARIEL THIS SPIRIT?!?! IS HE TRYING TO KILL ME?!’

Shin was shivering as he recalled the promise Ariel made a few nights prior.

“Next week, after we awaken our spirits, then we can fight!”

Looking back, it would have been better to just let Ariel beat him up then. At least he would not have to face the wrath of the monster equipped with a dreadful Spirit.

“Shin… My condolences...”

“I will pray for your safety.”

All of the orphans knew that Shin was Ariel’s training partner. Naturally, they would have heard of the arrangement Ariel made a week before. Knowing that Ella and Emma looked at Shin with sadness as if he was already dead.

“NOOOO!!!”

Shin shivered at his future prospects. No matter how he saw it, he would have at least one limb broken.