As the wave of weakness slowly began to fade, though still lingering at the edges of his senses, Max felt control returning to his body.
’I have to act now.’
Without hesitation, he called upon his strongest technique—
Ten Hands of Lightning God.
The moment he activated it, lightning surged violently around his body.
Crackling. Writhing. Coiling like a storm waiting to explode.
"You think lightning will help you? Naive!"
The creature sneered, its disdain dripping from its voice.
But Max ignored it.
He had already committed.
The lightning gathered, forming thick arcs that wrapped around his entire being, spiraling with unrelenting intensity.
And then—
A massive ring of lightning as large as his head materialized at his left side.
It glowed in pure, searing purple, its energy pulsating like a miniature storm of destruction, condensing more and more with each passing second.
Max’s body screamed from the sheer mana drain—
But he didn’t care.
This was his only chance.
With all the power left in his body, he roared—
"Take this!"
And then—
He unleashed it.
CRACKLE!
BOOM!
A massive wave of purple lightning erupted from the ring of lightning, streaking forward like a divine punishment and hitting the creature point-blank.
The sheer force of the attack blasted the creature backward like a ragdoll, its blackened form sent spiraling through the air.
But—
The lightning didn’t stop.
Like an endless laser beam, the purple lightning continued to strike, crackling with furious intensity, each bolt hammering into the creature relentlessly, preventing it from stabilizing.
The air boiled with electricity, and the very space around the battlefield shuddered under the weight of Max’s attack.
Then—
Something unexpected happened.
A white tile—seemingly descending from nowhere—came crashing down from the sky.
BANG!
It landed directly on top of the creature, slamming it into the ground with impossible force.
A grotesque splat echoed across the stage.
The creature’s form twisted, shattered—
And in the blink of an eye—
It was nothing more than a paste of mangled flesh beneath the tile.
Max’s eyes widened in shock.
’What…?’
He didn’t lower his guard.
His instincts screamed at him—was this a trick? Was this another one of the creature’s games?
Then—
"Max, you’re fine. I disqualified Veylin. You won."
The familiar voice of the blob rang through the battlefield.
Max’s body finally relaxed.
The purple lightning ring that had been crackling beside him vanished instantly, the sheer strain of maintaining the technique fading away.
His legs wobbled, and without warning, he fell back onto the stage, catching his breath, his entire body drenched in sweat.
As if it had never existed, the meat paste that was once the creature suddenly vanished from the stage, leaving no trace behind.
Max’s gaze shifted, his mind still racing with thoughts.
Then, his eyes locked onto one of the pillars.
There—Veylin lay motionless, unconscious, his body sprawled on the platform, completely unaware of what had just transpired.
"What will happen to him?" Max asked, turning his attention toward the blob on the screen.
The blob shrugged.
"Nothing. Like the others, he’ll be kicked out of the temple since the chosen one has been decided."
Max’s frown deepened, his thoughts darkening.
"But what had happened to him?"
Something about Veylin’s transformation—that eerie black mask, the white ring, the sheer unnatural aura—felt wrong.
The blob’s usually casual demeanor shifted.
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For the first time, its expression turned solemn.
"We’ll talk about this later. But first, I need to send the others away."
It then turned its floating gaze toward the remaining geniuses standing on their respective pillars.
"It’s time for you all to leave. Remember, the temple will stop functioning from now on—its purpose is fulfilled."
The other geniuses nodded.
They had been informed of this long before, so there were no protests.
As the geniuses prepared to leave, Crown Prince Aelric suddenly shouted, his voice carrying across the fading battlefield.
"Max! Be sure to visit the West if you ever have time!"
His usual grin remained on his face as he waved his hand in farewell.
Max turned to him, his expression relaxed, despite the exhaustion weighing on his body.
He raised a thumbs-up in response.
"I will."
At that moment, the blob flicked its fingers, and small portals appeared on each of their respective pillars.
The shimmering gateways pulsed with a soft, ancient energy, signaling the final step of the trial.
The blob’s voice echoed once more, explaining their exit.
"Step through the portal, and you will find yourselves on the fourth floor of the temple."
Its tone remained calm and authoritative, ensuring there was no confusion.
"Once there, another portal will be waiting for you. That one will take you back to the outside world."
Some of the geniuses looked hesitant, still processing the battle they had just witnessed, while others simply nodded.
"And don’t worry," the blob added with a knowing smirk, "each of you will return to the exact place you came from."
Max smiled as he watched the geniuses leave.
Despite everything—the brutal battles, the impossible challenges—this experience had been valuable.
Meeting the strongest prodigies from all over the continent, clashing with them, learning from them—it had all changed him in ways he hadn’t expected.
Crown Prince Aelric turned to him one last time, his signature grin unwavering.
"Max, I will wait for you."
With those final words, he stepped into the portal and vanished.
Then—
Arthur Gale.
He gave Max a mocking gesture, dragging his thumb across his neck before disappearing as well.
Max sneered back in response, not the least bit intimidated.
One by one, the others followed.
Bruce gave him a long look, as if contemplating something—then he too left without a word.
Amelia paused at her portal.
"We will battle again."
Her voice was calm, but her eyes burned with determination before she stepped through.
Revenna, ever the enigma, left Max with a cryptic warning.
"Watch out for the North and the South."
Then—she was gone.
Now, only two figures remained atop the pillars—
Five and the unconscious Veylin.
Five turned his gaze toward the blob on the screen.
"Can I?" he asked.
The blob simply shrugged.
Taking that as permission, Five flew over to Veylin’s pillar and lifted the unconscious prodigy onto his shoulder.
But before stepping into the portal, he looked at Max—his expression serious.
"If the Ascendants ever come for you, no matter what happens—do not join them."
Max’s frown deepened at those words.
Then Five disappeared, carrying Veylin with him.
For a moment, Max just stood there, his mind swirling with questions.
"Ascendants…?"
The name felt familiar.
Then—he remembered.
A while ago, he had been invited to join a group called the Ascendants.
At the time, he had thought it was a joke—a stupid prank—and had ignored it completely.
But now—
Why did Five sound so serious?
And more importantly—
Why was there absolutely nothing about them on the Extranet?
Even Monarch, as infamous as he was, had traces of information scattered across the Extranet.
But the Ascendants?
Nothing.
That kind of absence wasn’t just rare—
It was intentional.
’Who the hell are they?’ Max wondered, his frown deepening.