Five hours had passed since the commencement of the Awakening Ceremony.
The official proceedings had long concluded. Most of the graduates had already dispersed, leaving the grand hall to celebrate with their families or mourn their average results in private.
However, the center of the hall remained a hive of activity.
It all began with Aeron.
He had refused to vacate the Aura Gathering Circle, remaining seated in deep meditation with the sheer audacity of attempting to break through to the next tier immediately after awakening.
His stubbornness had sparked a chain reaction.
Leroy, the once-arrogant youth who had awakened Body Loci, had decided to follow Aeron’s example. He had managed to stabilize his foundation in three hours, a feat that had the instructors nodding in approval, and was now gritting his teeth through the harmonization phase.
Seeing the two top students pushing their limits, a few others had joined in.
Driven by competitive spirit or perhaps the fear of being left behind, they sat in the circle, turning the area into a silent battlefield of will and aura.
Principal Orlan watched the scene with a gleam in his eyes.
He had ordered the instructors to form a protective perimeter around the students and to be ready to intervene at the slightest sign of aura deviation.
’Let them strive,’ he thought, smoothing his beard. ’If they succeed, the Grand Arcanum Academy’s reputation will soar to new heights. The funding for next year will be secured.’
Meanwhile, high above the main floor in the shadowed corner of the VIP balcony, a pair of sharp emerald eyes watched the scene with intense interest.
A young woman with cascading green hair sat with one leg crossed over the other, a dossier open on her lap.
She traced the name on the paper: Aeron.
’Prodigy in swordsmanship. Awakened Dual Loci. Three elemental affinities: Darkness, Fire, and Wind.’
She tapped the paper thoughtfully.
’And judging by that abnormal control over the ambient aura, he definitely awakened a pretty powerful Resonance Gift as well.’
In short, the boy was a monster.
Exactly the kind of anomaly she had been sent to find.
’Hehe~’ She toyed with a heavy, metallic token in her hand. The insignia of a mysterious insigna was carved into its surface, shimmering with a faint, magical luster.
’I cannot believe my luck,’ she mused, a faint smile playing on her lips. ’I found a target at my very first stop. At this rate, I will finish my mission before the month ends.’
She leaned back, flipping the token between her fingers.
’Of course, that depends on whether he accepts the offer.’
She stifled a chuckle.
’Well, who would reject the chance to join the most powerful Resonator Academy in the world?’
The answer was simple: No one.
Still, her gaze flickered briefly toward the other VIP boxes. She knew the recruiters from the other two ’Great’ academies were lurking nearby. They would undoubtedly try to snatch him up the moment he opened his eyes. So, she had to be faster. She had to be more persuasive.
Sighing, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the velvet chair, deciding to rest her mind while the boy played with his limits.
Time crawled by.
Another hour passed in relative silence.
Suddenly, the hall erupted into a deafening uproar.
The green-haired woman snapped her eyes open.
Her smile widened into a grin as she looked down at the center of the circle, where a shockwave of condensed energy was currently rippling outward, knocking the dust off the floor.
The air around Aeron vibrated violently before snapping into a dense, solid layer of power that felt distinctly heavier than before.
’He really did it.’
The next moment, her figure blurred.
Swish!
She vanished from her spot on the balcony, reappearing instantaneously at the edge of the Aura Gathering Circle. Almost simultaneously, two other gusts of wind materialized beside her: a woman clad in gleaming gold and a man in pristine white robes.
The green-haired woman glanced at them out of the corner of her emerald eyes, her smile sharpening, before turning her full attention back to the center of the storm.
Aeron let out a deep, turbid breath, the dense pressure around him retracting into his body like a tide rolling back.
He opened his eyes.
Instead of joy or exhaustion, his gaze was clear and calm. However, he frowned faintly upon seeing three powerful strangers staring at him with the intensity of predators eyeing a prime meal.
He ignored them for a second, glancing over his shoulder.
The shockwave of his breakthrough had been too much for most. The other students who had tried to follow his lead had been forced out of the circle, panting and sweating on the sidelines.
Only two figures remained.
Leroy, sweating profusely but holding his ground with a savage grin, and Livia, who was meditating with a serene expression, her aura fluctuating as she approached her own limits.
Aeron’s lips curled into a faint, approving smile.
’Not bad.’
He stood up, dusting off his pants, and stepped out of the circle, instantly closing the distance between him and the three uninvited guests.
"What do you need?" he asked, his voice calm and devoid of the deference a student usually showed to seniors.
The green-haired woman remained silent, crossing her arms and leaning back on her heels. She seemingly had no intention of speaking first, content to let the others play their cards.
Taking the initiative, the woman on the left stepped forward.
She was clad in magnificent golden armor, the chest plate embossed with the roaring lion of the Empire. She radiated an aura of authority and unshakeable pride.
"I am Commander Rika from the Imperial Academy," she announced, her voice projecting clearly so the surrounding crowd could hear.
She looked Aeron up and down, nodding with satisfaction.
"You have talent, young man. The Empire needs prodigies of your caliber. On behalf of the Imperial Academy, I offer you instant admission. You will be granted a full scholarship, a personal instructor and training hall, massive resources, and access to the Royal Archives. Join us, and your future as a General of the Empire is all but guaranteed."
The crowd gasped. The Imperial Academy was the dream of every aspiring Resonator. To be offered a direct path to Generalship was a golden ticket.
However, before Aeron could even blink, the man on the right stepped forward.
He wore simple white robes that contrasted sharply with the woman’s flashy armor. A single, plain longsword hung at his waist.
"Resonance Nexus Academy."
His voice was quiet, yet it cut through the murmurs like a blade.
Instead of offering money or titles, he simply reached into his sleeve and tossed a wooden token toward Aeron.
Aeron caught it, a surprise flickering across his pupils.
On one side, it bore the image of a swirling vortex.
"You have been chosen as a candidate," the man said, his eyes boring into Aeron’s. "If you wish to see the peak of the sword, come to the Nexus. But be warned... admission is not guaranteed. You merely have the right to be tested."
The crowd buzzed with disbelief.
To receive an invitation from the Imperial Academy was an honor, but to be acknowledged by the Resonance Nexus was a dream that most wouldn’t dare to whisper. Even though it was merely a chance to take their entrance exam, the value of that wooden token almost exceeded the gold of the Empire.
Inside the circle, Leroy’s concentration finally broke.
His eyes snapped open, sweat dripping down his forehead as he stared at Aeron’s back with a mixture of shock and renewed competitive fire. He had just received an offer from another Great Academy!
’Damn it! So jealous!’
Livia also opened her eyes, staring at Aeron’s back with an encouraging and joyous expression.
’You did it!’
Aeron stared at the wooden token in his hand for a moment.
’The Resonance Nexus Academy...’
He chuckled inwardly. There was a time when he would have given his left arm just to touch this piece of wood. It was the summit he had always looked up to, the validation he had craved during his years of mediocrity.
But now, holding it in his palm, it felt surprisingly light.
’I guess I really have grown up,’ he mused, his thumb tracing the vortex carving. ’Or as he would say... I have finally entered adulthood.’
Maintaining his calm expression, he nodded respectfully to the white-robed man and pocketed the token.
Then, he turned his gaze to the final figure.
The green-haired woman stepped forward. Unlike the commanding presence of the General or the sharp aura of the Swordsman, she moved with the fluid grace of a phantom.
She smiled, a charming, dangerous expression that reached her emerald eyes.
Without a word of introduction, she flicked her wrist.
A heavy, black metal token spun through the air, catching the light before landing perfectly in Aeron’s hand.
She leaned in slightly, her voice a soft whisper that somehow drowned out the noise of the entire hall.