Novel Full Chapter 166: The Divine Academy’s Chairman, Dominik’s Speech
Chapter 166: Chapter 166: The Divine Academy’s Chairman, Dominik’s Speech
Fwoosh!
The moment Leon stepped into the [Event Hall], his eyes slowly swept across the entire room while he calmly analyzed everything around him.
The hall itself was enormous, with towering pillars rising toward the high ceiling and golden light illuminating the polished stone floor beneath their feet.
The atmosphere inside felt noticeably heavier than the rest of the academy.
Eight figures were already standing inside.
His gaze moved across them one by one, quickly recognizing several familiar faces among the group: [MightyElf] and [DemonBeast].
Both of them had been near the top of the rankings during the event, which meant the rest of the individuals present were most likely the remaining players who had secured spots within the top ten.
“We meet again, Celestial,” DemonBeast laughed loudly while crossing his arms.
Leon didn’t respond immediately, his expression remaining calm as he studied the man standing a few meters away.
“I knew he would be the one in first place the moment I saw him,” another player, LasagnaCat, spoke while adjusting the crimson robe resting on his shoulders, “It was quite obvious from the start.”
“He had a [Global Announcement] after all,” RulerOfVines added with a nod, he was surrounded by several twisting vines that slowly moved around his body, “Makes sense that he would dominate the event.”
A few others murmured in agreement while glancing toward Leon and Celeste.
As for Azaroth, known as [MightyElf], he didn’t say anything at all.
His sharp eyes briefly met Leon’s for a fraction of a second before looking away again.
The two of them had already encountered each other once before inside the [Poison Forest] located in [Lower Domain #1], but Azaroth didn’t make any effort to reveal that fact to the others.
Leon noticed the brief glance, though he didn’t react to it.
He didn’t particularly care whether the man acknowledged him or not.
At that moment, however, Leon could clearly feel something else.
Every single person in the hall was looking at him.
Their gazes contained curiosity, caution, and in some cases even a bit of competitive tension.
After all, he had just taken first place in an event involving tens of thousands of players.
Naturally, people would be interested.
“As for the girl beside him…” DemonBeast continued while his grin widened slightly, his sharp eyes shifting toward Celeste. “I think she’s strong too. I could feel an extremely powerful beast inside of her earlier.”
Celeste simply nodded slightly in response.
In truth, she didn’t trust a single person standing in that hall.
Without anyone noticing, Celeste quietly activated her ability and began examining the status panels of the surrounding players.
Her golden eyes briefly glowed with faint energy as the information appeared before her vision.
After a few seconds, she leaned slightly toward Leon.
“All of them are level 72 to 75,” she whispered quietly. “And their [Combat Power] values are pretty high.”
Leon nodded slowly when he heard that information.
Still, his expression didn’t change.
Even though the players present were strong, none of them made him feel particularly threatened.
Without saying anything else, Leon calmly walked forward toward the center of the room.
The others watched him move, but before anyone could start another conversation…
Fwoosh!
A violent explosion of energy suddenly erupted above them.
Everyone immediately reacted.
Several players instinctively stepped back while activating their skills or raising defensive stances.
Even DemonBeast’s expression hardened as he looked upward.
A thick cloud of mist spread across the ceiling of the hall.
And from within that mist… A figure slowly descended.
Leon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Appraisal!
—
[Divine Academy Chairman, Dominik]
[Level: 100]
[Talent: ???]
[Combat Power: ???]
[Details: The chairman of Divine Academy, very powerful and seems to be empowered by something.]
—
The moment the man fully appeared…
BOOM!
An overwhelming aura exploded throughout the entire hall.
The pressure crashed down on everyone like a massive wave, causing the air itself to feel heavier.
Several players instantly dropped to one knee.
Others trembled while struggling to stay standing.
“What the hell is this power…?”
“He’s level 100 so it makes sense but… holy hell…”
“This pressure is insane…”
Even Celeste’s legs momentarily buckled beneath the weight of the aura.
Still, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to remain standing.
As for Leon… He didn’t move at all.
Unshaken!
The passive effect of his title activated instantly, completely nullifying the fear effect radiating from Dominik’s aura.
Not even a trace of intimidation reached him.
The chairman noticed that immediately. A wide smile slowly spread across his face.
“Heh.”
Dominik let out a short laugh as he waved his hand casually, causing the overwhelming aura filling the hall to disappear instantly.
The players finally breathed again as the pressure vanished.
“Interesting.”
Dominik then dropped down to the ground with a quiet thud, allowing everyone to clearly see him for the first time.
He was a tall man, standing close to two meters in height, with neatly combed white hair and a short beard framing his sharp jawline.
His appearance gave off an air of refined elegance.
The uniform he wore was clearly the academy’s official attire, marked with an elaborate insignia across the chest.
“We usually host a celebration for those who successfully enter the academy,” Dominik began speaking while calmly clasping his hands behind his back. “But the top ten participants are a special case, so we prefer to meet them separately.”
The players slowly relaxed after hearing his words.
Some still looked cautious. Others already seemed impressed by his presence.
Only Leon and Celeste remained completely unreadable.
“As you may already know,” Dominik continued with a pleasant smile, “our academy is one of the greatest places to grow stronger across all the [Higher Domains].”
He slowly paced across the hall while speaking.
“And perhaps, if some of you stay here long enough… you might even become as strong as I am.”
Those words clearly caught the attention of several players.
The idea of reaching level 100 alone was enough to excite almost anyone.
After all, someone that powerful would enjoy wealth, status, and influence across the [Higher Domains].
“In fact…” Dominik suddenly snapped his fingers.
Snap!
A sword instantly appeared in his right hand.
And at the same time, a glowing sphere of flames formed above his left palm.
“I happen to be quite proficient in both swordsmanship and magic,” he said proudly. “Which means that the top ten participants of this event will receive something special in addition to their rewards.”
He paused briefly.
“You will have the opportunity to train under my guidance.”
The reaction was immediate. Several players looked genuinely excited.
The idea of receiving personal training from someone as powerful as Dominik seemed almost unbelievable.
For many of them, it was the opportunity of a lifetime.
Leon, however, remained completely neutral.
“Well,” Dominik finally said while clapping his hands together once. “That is everything I wanted to say for now.”
His smile widened slightly.
“I’m sure that one day… all of you will become very useful to the right cause.”
For a brief moment, his eyes shifted toward Leon.
Only for a split second. Yet the intensity within that gaze was unmistakable.
“Alright,” Dominik concluded calmly. “You may now collect your rewards.”
He gestured toward the front of the hall.
“Come one by one, starting from the lowest rank and finishing with the first place.”
The process began immediately.
One by one, each player stepped forward to receive their reward.
Each time someone returned, their reactions were similar.
“Wow!”
“That’s actually amazing…”
“Damn, this is really good…”
Clearly, the rewards were impressive.
And as the ranking increased, the quality of the rewards seemed to improve as well.
Eventually, the highest ranked players stepped forward.
RulerOfVines, LasagnaCat, MightyElf and DemonBeast.
Once they finished receiving their rewards, only two people remained.
“Our second place,” Dominik said with a grin while looking toward Celeste. “Come claim your reward.”
Celeste hesitated briefly.
But when she saw Leon nod calmly toward her, she took a deep breath and walked forward.
Dominik handed her a scroll glowing with faint golden energy: [Ascendant Skill Scroll].
Celeste grabbed it quickly before returning to Leon’s side.
And finally…
“Celestial,” Dominik called out as his smile grew wider, “The best reward of them all is reserved for you.”
Fwoosh!
A bright flash of light filled the hall.
A small ornate box materialized in the air before Dominik, slowly floating in place.
“The [Divine Box],” he explained. “Inside are five extremely powerful items. When you open it, one of those items will be granted to you.”
Leon stepped forward without hesitation.
He grabbed the box and immediately stored it inside his [Storage Space].
“And that concludes the ceremony,” Dominik said pleasantly. “You are free to enjoy your time here. And if any of you wish for my assistance…”
He smiled calmly, “You may always ask.”
With those final words, Dominik slowly floated upward.
A moment later—
Fwoosh!
He vanished in a cloud of smoke.
As soon as he disappeared, everyone immediately began inspecting their rewards.
Leon turned toward Celeste’s.
Ding!
[Ascendant Skill Scroll: Will grant the user an ascendant-rank skill that fits them.]
“Damn…” Leon muttered quietly while reading the description. “That’s actually insane.”
Celeste looked equally amazed. The reward was far better than she expected.
She was already preparing to use it immediately.
But before she could… Leon suddenly pulled the [Divine Box] out of his [Storage Space].
He stared at it carefully.
Appraisal!
[Divine Box (???): Holds 5 powerful items. Upon opening it, the user will receive one of them.]
Leon stared at the box for several seconds. Then a slow smile spread across his face.
’Heh, just one item?’ he thought, ’I don’t think so.’