78 Roar (1/2)

During the test

91, 92, 93

Lumia set foot on the ninety-third step without a single bead of sweat. She had formed her staircase with the most seraphic expression on her face. There was nothing she wouldn't have done to gain a place by Helial's side. Her life would have been a low price to pay, let alone becoming frighteningly strong.

Helial's pupil shrank violently as he saw her stop on the ninety-third step.

”WOAH!”

The students and teachers clustered on the ground, who had been speechless up to the moment, suddenly erupted in an ear-splitting roar. They started screaming and shouting. A ten-year-old, a human girl, had just bulldozed the Goblins from every generation. Now she was sitting up there, still, as she smiled strangely at Snowflake.

”My goodness!”

”Did you see that? No single bead of sweat!”

”Then why did she stop?”

”Could she go even farther?!”

The shouts were drowning everything out.

Helial though didn't even notice. He was standing inside a cocoon-like bubble that muzzled all sounds. Only Helial and Lumia stood inside of it. Suddenly, Lumia turned and their eyes met. Helial felt a jolt of electricity through his body. What had just happened? Did his sister just break Circe's record? Without a single bead of sweat? What the heck was happening there?

Helial had learnt how Mana Control worked, but he definitely wouldn't have without the Devil's advice. It was all due to a Hidden Stat that was impossible to command freely. Despite everything, the Devil had revealed him all the principles needed to train it. It all depended on one's Dao of Mana as well as on the level of the Epiphany that heart and mind would gain. How could his sister, who had never shown such talent before, have possibly reached that level in a week time? Helial knew perfectly well how much hard work was required to accomplish that feat. He had been helped by his natural talents as well as by his past. After all, he had lived a lot of adventures before arriving in Orma. Lumia had had several near-miss with death and she had obviously matured, but Helial couldn't still come to terms with how his sister's Control could have reached such levels!

Snowflake appeared even more terrified; the girl didn't show the least sign of fatigue, not even for a second. On the contrary, Lumia had just begun to chat casually with him, as though her result didn't surprise her in the slightest.

Lulu and Frankenstein blushed in embarrassment. A younger girl than them had just outdone them completely.

Circe was about to cough up blood. How could possibly a little girl, far younger than she had been at the time of her test, outdo her results?

Helial heard the Seniors whisper as they glanced at her in terror.

”One still to go,” said one of them.

”Do you think he'll try? He really doesn't need to. He's the King's pupil, which gives him the right to be part of the Royal Academy anyway.”

”I can't tell. If he doesn't test this strength, how can we be sure he deserves his position?”

”What?! He razed half Senate to the ground when someone doubted his power. That's a monster!”

”He would certainly outdo the cat and the girl, but reach the last step…? I don't think he could. I mean, the last one who did that was Pseudonym.”

The Seniors started discussing. They were sure that Helial would outdo Snowflake and Lumia, since he was clearly the strongest of their group, but they didn't think he could actually reach the top. Legends had it that Pseudonym had reached the top effortlessly, but very few people had witnessed him, so many still doubted whether that must be true or not. What monster could possibly reach the shrine effortlessly?

Meanwhile, the King's Divine Sense was plumbing the training ground. Crispius was silent. He had sensed the King's presence, but he didn't react. Caesar only wanted to witness his pupil's test to see the outcome. It was legit; after all, the King didn't show up very often at events like that one, and he might have conditioned the contestants' mood.

”Will you try?” a voice resounded out inside Helial's mind. ”What score do you think you would do, Shithead?”

”Who knows?” Helial laughed. A moment later though, his expression turned gloomy. ”Lumia… why did she stop? She could have gone on, couldn't she? What training did she follow? No one could reach that level without going through the worst of hells.”

No answer followed. The Devil was too busy laying the table and cooking dinner. Helial shook his head. That Devil was far too weird.