Chapter 32: Frightening Answers

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Frightening Answers

The moment the crimson book materialized behind Aegon’s back, a wave of commotion broke out among the surrounding applicants.

"Whoa! Is that the Blood Berserker Grimoire?"

"Ha, now that you say it like that, it indeed seems like it."

"Wow! Who is he? How can he have such good luck?"

"No kidding! I heard it’s super strong. And the infamous Blood Emperor had it once. Using it, he caused half of the world to bend to his knees."

"Haha, then it seems we have something worthy to look forward to."

Besides some curious participants, some of the nobles from the city also took notice of Aegon’s presence.

The boy was young now, but if he somehow possessed Supreme Mana Aptitude, then they would have to think twice before provoking him.

Not everyone was a well-wisher, after all.

Aegon had long understood the consequences of possessing extraordinary talent. However, unlike those who feared attracting unwanted attention, he had no intention of hiding his abilities.

If the world wanted to come after him because of his talent, then so be it.

He would simply crush anyone who stood in his way.

Besides, this was merely the beginning of his journey. If he wanted to survive the coming calamities in this world, he needed to know exactly how powerful he could become.

But honestly, he doubted his Mana Aptitude would be that high. It wasn’t like the ATUM Grimoire had also elevated his mana capacity, right?

...

To tell the truth, he wasn’t sure what his actual limit was.

Could he get the answer from the Pillars of Solomon?

Convinced that a maximum Mana stat of 20 might not be enough to trigger the highest threshold of the obelisk, Aegon decided to pour his energy in without holding back. If the world wanted to judge his talent, then he would give it something worth remembering.

Hum!

The moment Aegon opened his mana channels, a torrent of energy rushed from his core, passed through his palm, and flooded straight into the heart of Pillar 415.

What happened next caught even Aegon off guard.

There was no resistance inside the crystal whatsoever. The two Clear-Sky Elixirs he had consumed the night before had scrubbed every trace of mortal sediment from his veins, leaving his energy as clear as glacial glass.

More importantly, although ATUM remained hidden deep within his soul space, the mere presence of the God-Rank Grimoire had silently altered the fundamental density of his mana, elevating each drop of his power to a level that defied common sense.

In less than a single second, the base of Pillar 415 flashed past White and Green.

By the second mark, a brilliant Blue light swallowed the middle of the obelisk, already surpassing the scores of Marcus, Zane, and Clara without the slightest pause.

By the fourth second, the blue radiance shattered into a blazing column of Red light that shot all the way to the top of the ten-meter spire, bathing the surrounding applicants in a vivid crimson glow.

"Red tier! He reached the Red tier in four seconds!"

"An A-Rank Blood Berserker Grimoire paired with Excellent mana aptitude... Which royal house did this kid come from?"

Beside the adjacent pillars, Marcus and Zane stared up at the towering crimson obelisk with wide eyes, while Clara let out a soft gasp of disbelief.

Yet, standing with his palm pressed against the vibrating crystal, Aegon was not smiling.

His heart skipped a beat.

Only five seconds into the test, he had barely used half of his output capacity, and the Red tier was already completely maxed out.

Crackle.

At the seventh second, a deep, ancient hum echoed from the very core of Pillar 415. At the pinnacle of the ten-meter crystal, the silver runes began to tremble violently as blinding threads of Gold light started bleeding through the crimson aura.

The surrounding obelisks also began to vibrate in faint resonance, preparing to salute the birth of a second Supreme talent.

"So ATUM didn’t just expand my capacity. It mutated the quality of my mana to the Supreme level!"

He had gotten his answer from the Pillar of Solomon, and it was far more terrifying than he had expected.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aegon noticed several high-ranking nobles and palace observers in the upper stands rising from their seats. Their expressions were no longer merely curious. Some eyes were cold, some were calculating, and some were filled with killing intent.

A Red-tier talent from a minor kingdom could be recruited or ignored, but a Supreme Gold-tier heir bearing the Grimoire of the Blood Emperor was a threat to the imperial throne itself.

Aegon noticed their reactions, but instead of feeling afraid, a faint smile crept onto his face.

So what if they were threatened?

So what if the imperial family considered him a potential enemy?

He had no intention of suppressing his talent just to make others feel comfortable. If anything, he wanted to see just how far he could push this world.

"Let’s see how high this thing can go."

With three seconds left on the clock, Aegon poured even more mana into the crystal, showing no intention of holding back.

Instantly, the thirty-two microscopic runes along the inner band of his Ring of the Focused Mind pulsed with an icy azure chill, enhancing his control over the surging energy.

Ordinarily, a sudden surge of mana at this stage might overwhelm an inexperienced sorcerer. However, with his control enhanced by thirty percent, Aegon guided the torrent through his spiritual pathways with astonishing precision.

Like a master swordsman swinging his blade toward the heavens, Aegon unleashed the full might of his mana at the eighth second.

As a result...

The emerging golden light at the peak of the pillar exploded into dazzling brilliance, illuminating the entire plaza with a majestic golden radiance.

The ten-meter crystal trembled violently as ancient runes appeared across its surface. A deep, resonant hum spread through the testing grounds, and the surrounding obelisks shook in response.

For a brief moment, the entire plaza fell silent.

Then came the cries of disbelief.

"Gold tier!"

"Impossible! That’s the Supreme threshold!"

"Another Supreme talent? How is that possible?"

The golden radiance continued to surge until the ten-second chime echoed across the plaza.

Beep!

"Pillar 415, Aegon Noiré Delacroix! Mana Purity: Supreme. Reserve Capacity: Supreme. Output Control: Excellent. Overall evaluation: Gold Tier! Advance to the waiting pavilion!"

Around the square, the aristocrats from the capital sat frozen in their seats, struggling to process what they had just witnessed.

A Supreme talent had appeared before their eyes.

And unlike Lady Aria Everlight, whose extraordinary status was already known throughout the empire, this young man came from a subordinate kingdom.

"Who exactly is he?"

"Find out everything about him immediately!"

"Notify the palace. This matter must be reported to His Majesty!"

Whispers spread through the stands, while some observers looked at Aegon with undisguised greed and others with barely concealed hostility.

Withdrawing his hand from the warm crystal, Aegon let his Blood Berserker Grimoire fade away and calmly adjusted his red scarf.

He had learned his true limit, and he had done so without hiding a single thing.

If the world wanted to place its attention on him, then let it.

He would welcome every challenge that came his way.

Yet, as he turned to walk toward the winners’ pavilion alongside his stunned cousins, a familiar pair of crystal-blue eyes watched him closely from the upper marble terrace.

Aria Everlight tilted her head, a tiny knowing smile appearing on her lips as she murmured softly to the wind.

"So you really have no intention of hiding, do you?"

Her smile widened slightly.

"How interesting."