Novel Full Chapter 226: Where did you find it...
Chapter 226: Where did you find it…
“Who asked to see me, professor?” Elion asked as they walked, his hands resting smoothly inside his pockets as he followed George up through the interior of the coliseum.
They took a winding path that took them higher and higher, away from the noise of the arena and into quieter, more refined sections of the structure.
George glanced back at him briefly before responding, his expression neutral.
“I wouldn’t want to be blamed for your ignorance if you happen to act foolishly,” he said, then paused deliberately, letting the silence stretch just long enough for Elion to stew a bit.
“The Principal.” He took another step before adding, “Master Maximus wants to see you.”
Elion’s eyes narrowed slightly. That… was unexpected. It was shocking, to say the least.
He had seen Maximus before, of course, everyone had, but only from a distance, like yesterday when he had appeared on the screens, seated calmly above the arena like a figure out of some sort of legend, but never personally.
George did not give him time to dwell on it.
“When we get there, be respectful,” he continued calmly, his tone now more instructive, “when you are asked a question, answer honestly, there will be other academy professors present as well, so I don’t think I need to tell you what that means.”
Elion nodded once, “I understand.”
Maximus was not just anyone. The man was a legend who was respected and feared in equal measure. Someone whose mere presence carried weight.
Elion had no intention of being disrespectful. But at the same time, ’I’m not bowing my head for no reason.’
If they expected him to grovel in awe, to act like he was beneath them simply because of their status, then they would be disappointed, because while others might see Maximus as an unreachable figure, Elion did not see him that way.
He respected him, but he did not revere him, because deep down, he believed he could reach that level.
No, surpass it.
Some might call that arrogance, delusion, or unwarranted pride. But Elion did not see it that way.
To him, it was simply the truth. And if people knew the kind of strength he carried, the kind of potential he held with this system, they would likely think the same.
By now, they had stopped ascending stairs entirely and instead stepped into a long, immaculate corridor that curved gently, almost endlessly.
Its polished floor reflected the soft ambient light that lined the walls, with evenly spaced doors placed at intervals along the curve, each one crafted with care, and each one radiating a quiet sense of importance.
Elion’s gaze swept across the hallway briefly.
’So this is it…’ The highest level of The Great Arena, where the most important figures watched from.
George continued walking without pause, his steps steady as he led the way deeper into the corridor.
Eventually, they stopped at a door spaced much further from the other doors, and George stopped in front of it before speaking calmly, “We are here, remember what I said,” then he placed his hand on the handle and turned it softly before walking in.
Elion followed right after him, but the moment he stepped inside, the air seemed to get thinner, and it became harder for him to breathe.
Yet he stayed as calm as he could, forcing himself to take steady breaths as he stepped further in, and immediately, many pairs of scrutinizing eyes landed on him all at once.
He let out a shuddering breath because, unfortunately, he did not possess any abilities or objects to shield himself against presence and passive aura, and so he had to endure it all directly.
After a moment, he finally looked around, noticing that George had already walked further in, but was now beckoning for him to follow toward the slightly lowered front.
As Elion observed the room, he saw that it was rather simple in design, neither big nor small, and built in a curved rectangular shape with terraced seats.
The professors who were eyeing him up and down were likely the lower-ranked ones, since they had a slightly inferior view of the battlefield down below, even though the terraced design ensured that everyone could still see clearly.
Further down, right in front of the large transparent panel that shielded the room from the outside elements, the more powerful figures were seated.
Unlike the others, they did not bother sparing George or Elion a glance when they entered, their attention still directed outward.
Of course, Elion quickly recognised Selene and Eveline in the closest row. Both of them gave him subtle nods of acknowledgement, which he returned.
Selene added a thumbs up and a playful wink, while Eveline simply nodded, which was more than enough since there was no love lost between them.
A row of stairs separated the seating into two sections, and Elion followed after George toward the front, feeling many eyes on his back as he walked.
Since there were about forty people in the room and more than half of them were scrutinizing him closely, Elion did not make any effort to glance back, and of course, this did not go unnoticed.
Because while some people found his composure admirable and raised their opinion of him slightly in their hearts, others saw it as arrogance and disrespect, especially since everyone here had once been called a genius at some point in their lives, it felt as though Elion was looking down on them, even more so because he kept his chin up as he walked.
They all knew that he was a commoner, and so they could not understand how he carried himself with such a noble aura, nor where this confidence was coming from, and while a few of them frowned at him, none dared voice their displeasure out of respect for Maximus.
As Elion continued forward, he could finally make out the figures seated at the very front, lounging rather leisurely on plush couches.
There were seven of them with quite some distance between each seat. Four on the left side and three on the right. On the right side, there was a leisurely old man whom Elion immediately recognised even from this sideways angle.
George stopped a short distance away so as not to disrupt their view, just as Elion stepped off the last step, and then he spoke respectfully, “I have brought him, master.”
In that instant, all seven figures turned at once, though Maximus was the slowest among them, and suddenly, every eye in the room was on Elion.
Of course, the pressure multiplied twice-fold when these figures at the front looked at him, but when Maximus’ old, wizened gaze landed on him, Elion felt his knees buckle slightly, and in the same instant, his back was suddenly drenched in sweat beneath his tunic and jacket.
He grit his teeth so hard that his jaw began to ache, because just standing there took all of his willpower, and he could clearly tell that the old man was not even trying to pressure him, that this was merely a passive effect of his presence.
But then, something shocking happened.
Maximus’s eyes, which had remained closed this entire time, suddenly opened, and Elion did not know whether he was hallucinating or not.
Because those abyssal black eyes, which had obviously grown used to always appearing calm, were now trembling in shock, and the crow’s feet wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seemed to stretch and disappear.
His black gaze suddenly reflected every color in the spectrum as if something impossible was being seen, and in that moment, Elion felt something pierce through him.
Through his body.
Through his mind.
Through his very being.
It felt as though the old man was peering directly into his soul.
His mind went blank. His willpower broke as his legs gave out under him. Elion crashed to the floor as his knees slammed against the solid floor.
“Argh—!”
Elion groaned in pain, his vision shaking as the pressure overwhelmed him, and in the next instant, Maximus moved so quickly that his body seemed to flicker and reappear right in front of him.
One moment, he was seated; the next, he was standing right in front of Elion.
Even then, Elion forced himself to keep his eyes locked onto the old man as he struggled to get back up, refusing to look away despite everything. Just staying conscious was already everything he could manage.
“Where did you… Find it?”
Maximus asked in shock, his old voice trembling slightly, and Elion could not tell if it was shock or fear, or perhaps both, but he did not have the time or the mental capacity to think about it.