Chapter 863: The Celestial realm III
The elderly man wiped the corners of his amused eyes, feeling a pang of melancholy as he thought about how long it had been since he had laughed so heartily.
"I typically discipline those who exhibit disrespect. But I will not punish you. I find your aura intriguing. It is rare to see such a pure one from the lower universes."
He smiled briefly, but in the next moment, his voice dropped to a cold, emotionless tone as he pointed at the fist-sized, round orb resting on the counter between them.
"Greetings done, young man. Now, place your right hand on the orb. So, this humble one can create an identity card for you."
Kyle could only stare at the old man, a shiver running down his spine. The sudden shift in the elder’s tone was unnerving, the playful tone replaced by an icy seriousness. It was as if a different being had taken over, a stark contrast to the smiling old Celestial who had talked to him moments before.
He wanted to vanish from the hall, but he didn’t even try it. After all, he knew he would fail. The Celestial before him was watching him with eyes that made it clear he knew exactly what was going on in his head.
By this time, every single old Celestial seated behind the counters in the Golden Hall of Light was looking at him curiously. They wanted to know why one of their own had talked to him so much, especially since they rarely paid attention to newcomers.
Not just the old Celestials, every single person in the Hall was staring at him.
Amidst the many murmurs and eyes on him, Kyle covered the lower half of his face with his hand. He looked at the Giants clad in gold armor, guarding the massive Doors leading out of the Golden Hall of Light.
He wondered how strong they were. If, like his instant teleportation, he couldn’t utilize the natural law of space within this hall, could he stand a chance against them?
No, it was clear he would lose.
They were too many. Even if he could handle one or two, what about the many Celestials surrounding him? At times like this, he truly felt he was still too weak.
’Let’s calm down. No need to make a big scene here. I will get an identity card and leave normally, like every newcomer.’
He thought and glanced back at the old Celestial before him, only to see the old man staring at him with a cautious look.
’Hmm?’
Kyle tilted his head, confused about what had happened, completely unaware of the chill the old man had felt because of him.
The old man stopped him when he tried to place his hand on the orb, as instructed. He stared at him with a solemn expression.
"Why were you smiling?"
Kyle blinked, unsure where it came from.
"Oh... was I?"
He shrugged as he glanced at the orb.
"Does it matter? I would like to get my identity card so I can leave this hall."
The old Celestial’s eyes narrowed, certain he was right. He had seen Kyle smile when the young man should have been terrified, knowing he wouldn’t be able to survive or escape this hall if he angered the elders.
His smile held something he was all too familiar with: a daring intent to one day overthrow those who stood in his way.
’This kid is more dangerous than the Dark Celestial who showed up earlier. That one’s eyes held only one goal: revenge. Then the rest would be meaningless to him. But this one... he simply wants to get stronger.’
The elder shook his head, not wanting to think anymore. This kid was too weak and would barely survive in the Celestial realm. There was no need to worry about him, like the Dark Celestial, who should have already been captured by the Giants since the man entered the Celestial realm forcefully.
He gestured for the young man to put his hand on the orb, and Kyle complied.
The commotion in the Golden Hall of Light was subsiding after the old Celestial sitting before Kyle fell silent. But then, something even more shocking unfolded.
As Kyle’s fingers brushed against the fist-sized orb on the counter, it pulsed with a brilliant blue light. It would have been fine if it had stayed that way, but then another color emerged, mingling with the blue. And then another, and another. With each new color that appeared on the orb, the old man before Kyle grew increasingly pale.
Ultimately, with a cracking sound that silenced the entire Hall, the core shattered into tiny pieces that fell onto the counter.
"Ah... it broke."
Kyle muttered, worried he had to pay for it. He didn’t know what currency was used in the Celestial realm, since mana stones were probably useless for the Celestials.
He looked at the old Celestial, only to find the latter staring at him like he was some kind of monster. The old man stuttered.
"How...? How do you have so many colors in your Celestial lake! That’s impossible!"
He stood up abruptly.
"You are only a second stage Celestial, so why the hell do you have nature’s blessing to rule so many natural laws!"
Kyle stepped back, a frown creasing his brows. At least, he knew about the Celestial lake—the one he had seen when he reached the Celestial rank. However, he had thought it was common for it to have many colors.
"Isn’t it because I learned a lot of natural laws in the supreme rank? That’s why my Celestial lake has so many colors. I believe everyone learns many natural laws at that rank to control as many as possible."
He wanted to add that all the natural laws he had learned up to this point had given a color to his lake. That’s what he observed. But he held back, letting the thought linger.
The old Celestial laughed at his words. It was the only sound that broke the silence that shrouded the Golden Hall of Light.
Many eyes in the space were fixed on Kyle, their gazes filled with a chilling animosity.
It was as if he were a threat they had to eliminate immediately. Those people who were in the Hall to recruit people for their Clans were actually poised to attack him.