Chapter 24: Tier 4
Ember froze as a spasm of electricity ran through his body. His mana surged through his channels as a wild flood of energy rushed through his blood and veins.
Perhaps Desir was a place of luck for him, as even his last advancement had come here, albeit in much better circumstances. He barely caught his breath when the Tier 4 evolution brought another strum of trepidation to his heart.
Remembering what his mother went through during her advancement, Ember sat up quickly and set his jaw, trying to enter a meditative state.
“What's wrong, nephew?” Sunny asked. “Did the bear scare you too much?”
Ember didn't bother to reply. His whole attention was spent on the upheaval unfolding in his body. But the boy had taken the wrong cue, slapping him on the shoulder to awaken him.
Ember glared at him. “Leave me be!”
The boy still didn't seem to get it until Zephyr came to stand next to him, alerting all the other kids. “Everyone, move away a little. He seems to be going through an advancement.”
“He's ascending to Tier 4?” Talon asked. “That can't be. It must be his mana foundation.”
Ember paid their talk no heed, and closed his eyes, slipping into a meditative state. A searing swelling rushed throughout his body, but the torment was not yet unbearable. His mana charged through him wildly, flooding all his apertures and channels in waves, adding to his pain.