The candidates were blowing off steam. Some of them gathered in groups to chat, while some went out shopping, or grabbed something nice to eat. They were steeling themselves for tomorrow's exam. Night soon arrived, and the candidates returned to their rooms for a good night's sleep. The stars of the six venues were each doing their own thing. Juno was reading a book, Polaris was meditating, Zack gazed out the window at the horizon, Remy gazed at the moon, Jerome continued to draw his imaginary parents, and Sage was thinking of her own. Late into the night, the candidates slowly fell asleep…***That night, all of the staff throughout the six venues and Songton headquarters pushed on through the night, working overtime in preparation for the exam.Adrian sat in the surveillance room. Mya walked in and asked, "The exam's tomorrow, sir. Do you have any orders before then?"As he twirled a pen between his fingers, he shook his head."All of Novemton is paying close attention to th
Adrian fell silent. Shortly after hanging up, he quickly made another call. He understood that the enemies laying in hiding were about to make their appearance, and the selection was about to run into some hiccups."Mya!" Adrian called out. Mya walked in and asked, "Is something wrong?""Notify the venues and Wyvern Peak headquarters that I want all radar, surveillance, and staff to be on the lookout for any and all underlying threats. They are to deal with anything abnormal the moment they notice it. Also, get everyone prepared for battle in case we come under fire.” "Did something happen?" Mya, being the observant woman that she was, could sense the danger.However, Adrian did not explain the situation. Instead, he said, "Just do what I say." Mya nodded. She knew Adrian would only be so restless because something unexpected had happened. The selection was no trivial matter, so it was impossible for it to go off without a hitch. Adrian was the only one who knew what was abo
As the other candidates happily entered the exam hall, she was forced to face her future all alone.Upon seeing her disappointment, Garret softly urged, "The exam's about to start, Sage. You should hurry along."A surge of emotions welled up inside of her. She began to question whether she made the right decision in coming there. Maybe it would have been better for her to be an obedient daughter rather than going against her family's wishes.‘Have I made the wrong decision?’Sage stopped and turned toward Garret. "I don't want to take the exam anymore.""What?!" Garret was taken aback. “My parents didn’t want me to come here. Maybe I shouldn't have…" Sage wiped her tears.Garret tried to dissuade. "Why would you think like that, Sage? Have you forgotten about your dreams? Where’s your passion? Are you going to back down when your future's right ahead of you?""But my parents aren't here to support me…" Sage cried. "Still…" Garret could not think of the words to say. Sage b
The sails of everyone’s dreams were hoisted as the six venues entered their final preparation phase. The candidates arrived at their respective halls, prepared to take on the exam that awaited them.Before Jerome entered the exam hall in Rivton, he spotted Sierra waiting for him outside with a smile on her face. When he saw that she had come to cheer him on, he revealed a rare smile and gestured to show he would do his best before entering the hall. At Rusouth , Juno waved at Samantha, Gloria, Rue, and Joanna and walked into the exams hall.Before Remy entered the exam hall in Drogoton, he saw a fourteen-year-old girl silently watching him, along with a ten-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl."Good luck," the girl told him. Remy was nineteen this year and had two little sisters and a little brother. The Johnstons were once happy and complete. Remy’s parents worked as tradesmen in Azure Creek, but during the war, they were killed by Luposians. The responsibility of taking care
Zack’s siblings were there too. He gave them a thumbs up and charged toward his journey passionately.***In Dillonia, one of the few Adrian had his eyes on and also the most extraordinary out of all of them, Polaris Ryan, also entered the exam hall. When Polaris was thirteen years old, his parents divorced due to problems in their marriage. It had been the most painful year of his life, and he went into a full-scale rebellion phase after the divorce went through.One day, he got locked up after being involved in a fight. The station called his parents, and he got an earful from them when they picked him up. This caused his rebelling to worsen, but this was also the year his life took a huge turn.Draco, the newly appointed legate of Wyvern Peak, led his men against the enemies in the Battle of Azure Creek. The battle lasted for months and ended with tens of thousands of casualties. When Polaris saw War Legate Draco on television and saw how glorious War Legate Draco looked, he d
Such were the thoughts every legate had when selecting a successor. Adrian, too, was eager to see the younger generation surpass him. Just like how humans had to improve along with the times, the new legate of Wyvern Peak had to surpass their predecessor. Mya could not contain her laughter when she heard this. She brought Adrian a cup of coffee and said, "You should stop staring at these six. Shouldn't you be paying attention to the other candidates as well? What if, and I mean what if, none of the six you chose makes it through to the next round?"Adrian took a sip of his coffee and replied, "The chances of that happening are less than 50 percent. Of course, I'm hoping to see others pass with flying colors as well, but I think the new legate will emerge from among these six.""Who do you think has the best chance?" Mya asked.Adrian's interests were piqued. "How about you tell me who you favor instead?""Juno, of course. I think she’ll become the next legate since it's written i
Remy nodded and answered whatever questions Will asked about the exams. Polaris and his parents left the hall together. They wanted to treat him to something delicious.Zack and Sage also left with their family.Jerome stood before Sierra. She had been waiting for him for a long time. She smiled when he finally showed up. "How did it go? Did you give it your best shot?"Jerome nodded. He was touched that Sierra had shown up. "Thank you for being here, Sierra. I did really well in my exams."Sierra smiled. "Why are you thanking me? You make it sound like we're strangers." She chuckled when she saw how speechless Jerome was and held out her hand. After a moment of surprise, he accepted her hand and felt static running through their arms. Sierra even blushed."Let me buy you something nice to eat."Sierra nodded with a smile. "Sure, let's go. I'm starving!" The two of them looked like a couple who had just got together. They seemed to be trying to get closer to each other but we
Mya agreed with what Adrian said. Humans truly improved along with the times. Despite the exam questions getting more difficult, more candidates were nonetheless scoring full marks. Wyvern Peak would grow even stronger when these youngsters took over."It's lunchtime. The candidates have all gone out to eat, and we should too," Mya said to Adrian, knowing that the results for the second and third exams would only be out later this afternoon. Adrian was in a good mood after seeing that the candidates' results had exceeded his expectations. He nodded and headed to the cafeteria with Mya, while the Songton headquarters staff discussed the results of the first exam. Of course, only core members were allowed to see the results, so it was a long wait for the rest.The results from the second and third exams were estimated to come out after lunch, and Adrian and Mya returned to the surveillance room to check on them. As expected, the results had been uploaded. They sat down to read it thr
The Daemon Emperor was startled."What is happening? This power..."Formless energy was surging forward, pressuring his nerves and senses.Below, Andy and the others trembled uncontrollably."Who is it?" Finnian stared into the crimson mist.Even Andy was horrified, his gaze locked on the unfolding scene in disbelief, and asked, "What is this? What exactly is happening?" At this moment, Adrian abruptly opened his eyes.Apparently, the Daemon Emperor had once conspired with Adrian's subordinates to ambush him.However, Adrian had managed to annihilate the traitors and sealed this Daemon Emperor. Now, fate had brought them together again."If I killed you once, I can kill you again." Adrian stood tall, his white robes fluttering in the air.The Daemon Emperor was stunned into silence."This is impossible! You're not that mortal boy!""Is that so? In this life, your end has come, and so has the era of the daemons." Adrian's voice was calm yet resolute. He stretched out his han
Adrian's face hardened at the words. He despised threats above all else. While he understood what the mysterious entity desired, he couldn't yet fully comprehend its implications or find a way to counter it. His only choice was to focus on growing stronger.Within the hot spring, waves of raw, terrifying power surged and crashed violently against Adrian's body.The force, though beneficial, was brutal and overwhelming. Adrian's body struggled to endure, cracking as though it were disintegrating."Arghhh!"A heart-wrenching scream echoed as Adrian's flesh was torn apart and his aura gradually dimmed."Ahhh!"His agonized cries echoed once more. He could no longer withstand the pain.In the distance, a towering figure appeared and sneered. "What's this? Can't take it anymore? Pathetic. Humans are truly the epitome of stupidity."Suddenly, Adrian erupted with an explosive surge of energy, and in that instant, he broke through to the pinnacle of the Void Stage."Hmm? He actually b
At that moment, the crowd was speechless.Adrian had ascended as if it were the easiest thing in the world.Faced with such a sight, no one could say much beyond admiration. Even if the Holy Son claimed Adrian had cheated, many secretly wished they could cheat the same way.Lacking Adrian's means, all they could do was envy him.Finnian chuckled. "Haha! You really caught us all by surprise, kid. Still, I'll count this as you repaying me a favor."For Finnian, the outcome couldn't have been better. With a broad smile, he seemed to have achieved his desired result. Adrian's successful climb was all that mattered to him.Once Adrian had vanished, the focus shifted to the rest of the group and their trials.When Adrian opened his eyes again, his entire body ached, but an oddly comforting sensation flowed through him. Surveying his surroundings, he realized he was now in a pond."Where am I?" he asked.Though uncertain about the place, Adrian knew he had cleared the trial and arriv
The onlookers stared in bewilderment, their faces etched with confusion as they struggled to grasp the unfolding events.Meanwhile, Adrian seethed with barely contained rage. This wasn't his first encounter with such torment. Every few steps he ascended, another trial awaited.To Adrian, the relentless punishments felt suffocating. Yet he pressed on—this was the final stretch of the climb. "Adrian, hang in there!" Andy shouted, urging him to conquer the last step. To Andy, reaching that final step symbolized Adrian's growth. He had witnessed Adrian's remarkable resilience countless times and held unwavering faith in his potential. In Andy's eyes, Adrian was destined for greatness. Adrian's expression turned cold as he locked his gaze on the steps ahead. Determination flickered in his eyes. "If reaching the top guarantees a reward, it doesn't have to be me up there. As long as someone makes it, that's enough." With that, he shifted his focus to the void above and formed
Adrian felt as if every nerve in his body was beyond his control. A deep sense of grievance filled his heart as the divine thunder from the void relentlessly crashed down.Rage surged within him, but under the onslaught of endless forces, he felt weak and constrained.Still, he had no choice but to press forward. He knew victory was within reach if he could endure a little longer—giving up now would mean death.If he fell, the shame and humiliation would crush him.Below, the Holy Son and others waited, eager to see him fail and mock him. This left Adrian no option but to push forward, striving toward the void above and his ultimate goal.The violent forces continued to bombard him from the sky.With every step, the thunder's impact intensified tenfold. His soul, already battered from a fierce battle with a horde of beasts, now felt as though it was dragging his exhausted body forward.Anyone else would likely have succumbed to despair. After all, under such immense pressure, ev
The oppressive forces descending from the void seemed determined to halt Adrian’s ascent up the staircase.Yet he refused to yield. To him, these overwhelming challenges were merely obstacles to conquer.He pressed forward with relentless determination.Thunderbolts continued to rain down, but the ominous red light from before did not return—a relief, as he never wished to endure its crushing weight again.The memory of that light still haunted him, leaving a lingering sense of helplessness. Its suffocating pressure had drained his strength, reducing him to a gasping, powerless state.Despite the toll on his body and mind, Adrian remained singularly focused on reaching the final step. His burning desire for greater power drove him forward, unwavering and resolute.Step by step, he ascended, reaching the 95th step in what felt like an instant.Only five steps remained. His gaze locked onto the summit, and a wild glint lit his eyes. A daring idea sparked within him, consuming his
Adrian pondered his situation, his cold gaze reflecting simmering frustration. Yet deep down, he recognized that whoever had designed the staircase was far from ordinary.Creating such a formidable trial required unimaginable power.Even a pinnacle Void Stage expert—or perhaps someone of the Multiply Stage—might bow in reverence before the ladder's creator."He won't last much longer. The divine lightning in this void is utterly destructive. In moments, he'll be reduced to ashes," sneered the Holy Son, his sharp eyes gleaming with malice.To the Holy Son, Adrian's demise was inevitable. Adrian had dared to offend him, and he was certain such audacity could only lead to death.Adrian caught the Holy Son's words and cast him a frosty glare. His intent to kill was unmistakable, though now wasn't the time.The staircase was no place for personal vendettas—eliminating him here would require careful planning.He also knew the Holy Son carried seals of immense power. A reckless move co
Finnian's sharp gaze reflected a hint of admiration. "Kid, you owe me a big favor this time. You'd better treasure this opportunity."Adrian remained silent, unsure how to respond. His cold eyes revealed no emotion, though he fully grasped the challenges ahead.Fear was a luxury he couldn't afford—he'd come too far to back down now.Suddenly, a streak of red light surged from the void, hurtling toward Adrian with terrifying speed. His eyes widened in shock as the crimson beam struck him, slamming him against the staircase.Caught off guard, Adrian collapsed, sprawled helplessly on the steps.The crowd below watched in astonishment. No one had expected his seemingly indestructible body to be overwhelmed so easily.The Holy Son sneered. "Haha! It seems he's triggered some kind of taboo. Let's see how arrogant he is now!"His voice dripped with schadenfreude, his eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction as he relished Adrian's struggle.Despite the crushing force, Adrian refused
"What exactly is up there pulling me so strongly?" Adrian's expression hardened as he pondered the mysterious force drawing him upward.A surge of violent energy erupted across the sky, crashing down like a raging storm.Adrian advanced cautiously, each step deliberate and precise.Gone were the reckless strides of before—now he moved with steely determination, fully aware of the lurking dangers.He'd learned that the void's formidable forces seemed to target him directly, compelling him to proceed step by step. Any attempt to bypass its unseen barriers would provoke a devastating strike."Ridiculous," Adrian muttered. "If I've chosen to climb, nothing will stop me."The void's relentless power intensified.Bolts of thunder hammered down mercilessly, battering Adrian's body. Yet fear never crossed his mind.What was there to be afraid of?To him, the divine thunder wasn't an obstacle—it was a crucible, a tool to temper his body and strengthen his resolve.Despite the storm, A