The entire courtyard fell into a profound silence for a moment after Alex's bold declaration.
The servants and disciples held their breath, waiting for the sky to fall.
Then, Elyndros burst into a booming, thunderous laugh that rattled the windows of the estate.
"Hahaha! Brat, I like your spirit. Let me see if you are all talk and no essence or if you can actually back up those lofty words. But before I waste my breath on guidance, you will have to fight someone at your own level to show me your true prowess."
Alex maintained a calm, confident smile.
"Alright. Who is my opponent?" he asked curiously.
"Darion Celestus, Anna's cousin. He is a Grandmaster and a third-year student from the Zenith Martial Academy. I have heard reports of what you accomplished in the wilderness, but those were beasts. I want to see how you deal with a real human Martial Grandmaster who is also an accomplished Spirit Master," Elyndros said, his eyes narrowing with expectation.
Alex paused for a moment, his mind calculating the risks.
"I agree. But I have a single condition," Alex replied.
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"We will fight in a secluded location where no one can witness our battle except for you, Anna, and perhaps two or three absolutely trusted members of your choosing. My specific abilities must not become public knowledge," Alex said, his voice dropping into a tone of absolute seriousness.
He was well aware that the Monster Association was actively seeking his head.
Keeping his specific talents hidden from the world was his greatest strategic advantage.
Elyndros was surprised by the maturity of the request.
He, too, was dying to know the exact nature of the talent belonging to the top genius of the universe.
"Very well, I agree to your terms. Shall we begin?" Elyndros asked.
"Let's," Alex nodded.
From the group of inner disciples, a handsome young man stepped forward.
He moved with a feline grace that spoke of years of high-level martial arts training.
"Hello, I am Darion. I have been looking forward to fighting the man who Anna..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Anna's hand blurred.
She threw a throwing knife with lethal precision, aiming directly for his forehead.
The blade stopped abruptly, frozen by a telekinetic flick just an inch from Darion's skin.
Darion laughed excitedly, not even blinking at the near-death experience.
"See? Look at how much my baby sister loves me. You better be worthy, Alex, or she'll never forgive me for beating you."
A sister complex? Yikes, Alex thought, keeping his expression neutral as he activated his Eye of Revelation.
[Name: Darion Celestus
Talent: Illusion (SS-Grade)
Rank: Grandmaster Level 7
Note: He can manifest illusions so vivid they are indistinguishable from reality. It is nearly impossible for his enemies to differentiate between truth and falsehood during the heat of battle.]
Alex nodded inwardly.
An SS-rank Illusion talent was terrifyingly versatile, though he felt a pang of disappointment that it wasn't an elemental talent he could easily copy and master.
"I am looking forward to the fight, brother. I hope you will go easy on a newcomer like me," Alex said calmly.
Darion's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by the sharp focus of a hunter.
Behind Darion stood five other students, all clad in the prestigious gold-and-black uniforms of the Zenith Martial Academy.
They had clearly traveled with him to witness his homecoming.
A girl in the group, Emily, stared at Alex.
For a moment, her heart seemed to skip a beat at his sheer presence.
But as she regained her composure, she whispered to her companion, "He is probably the most handsome man alive, he even puts Darion to shame. But as good-looking as he is, he's up against The Darion Celestus, the demon among demons. Alex only awakened a few days ago; is he really ready for this?"
A male student beside her snickered.
"Emily, you really haven't been keeping up with the news, have you?"
"What? What did I miss?" she asked, confused.
"That boy just soloed sixty-seven berserk high-grade Grandmaster-level beasts. Every top martial academy on the planet is currently drawing up plans to snatch him away from the Aurora Martial Institution. He's not just a genius; he's a menace."
"Really? Do you know what his talent is?" Emily asked, her curiosity piqued.
"No one knows. The entire Martial Alliance is protecting his file like a mother hen. Every hidden family that tried to probe his background got a direct warning from the Vice President of the Alliance: stop looking, or consider it a declaration of war."
"That serious? Man, I really want to see him fight now. It's a shame he insisted on a private match," Emily said with a sigh of frustration.
Suddenly, Alex's communicator chirped.
He glanced at the ID and answered.
"Hello, Mr. Vice President?"
"Alex, are you planning to reveal your true talent in this fight?" Arthur's voice came through, clear and direct.
Alex wasn't surprised that Arthur was tracking his movements.
"Possibly. Darion looks very powerful. I might be forced to use everything I have."
"In that case, can I come and watch?" Arthur asked.
"Sure, if you want to," Alex replied flatly.
Arthur ended the call immediately.
Elyndros, whose hearing was sharp enough to catch the conversation, snorted with disdain.
"That old bastard can't control his curiosity anymore, can he?"
Within thirty seconds, a tremendous spiritual pressure descended upon the Celestus estate.
The three Emperor-level guards who had been tailoring Alex from the shadows suddenly manifested and bowed deeply toward the sky.
Arthur descended like a meteor, landing silently in the center of the courtyard.
Everyone present, save for Elyndros and Alex, knelt immediately.
"We welcome Vice President Arthur!"
"Are you a common robber, Arthur? Why have you entered my home without permission?" Elyndros asked, his voice dripping with mock annoyance.
"Shut up, you old fossil. If you think your clan doesn't have a secure enough facility to suppress the information of this battle, we can move it to the Alliance headquarters," Arthur countered coldly.
"What do you think the Celestus family is? A playground? I won't bicker with you further. Let's go," Elyndros said, turning on his heel.
As the group began to move toward the private training grounds, Anna's grandfather, Max, appeared out of nowhere.
"How can you leave me out of the fun?" Max asked, his eyes twinkling.
"Stop being childish, Max," Elyndros scolded him.
Max winced, bowing his head.
"Sorry, Father."
Alex looked at Max and felt his pulse quicken as the Eye of Revelation updated.
[Name: Max Celestus
Talent: Light Manipulation (SS-Grade)
Rank: Emperor Level 8
Note: He can manipulate photons for healing and combat. His most dangerous ability is Luminous Acceleration, which allows him to increase his movement speed five times unconditionally.]
"Five times unconditional speed?
I need that," Alex thought.
He didn't hesitate.
"Um, Grandpa Max, it's an honor. May I shake your hand?" Alex asked with an innocent, polite smile.
The entire group stopped in their tracks.
"You want to shake my hand?" Max asked, surprised.
"Sure, kid."
He reached out.
[Ding! Elemental Talent: Light Manipulation detected. Copy it?]
"Copy."
Alex felt the surge of new data integrate into his soul as he released the hand.
"Brat! You came here seeking guidance from me, yet you didn't ask to shake my hand," Elyndros barked, his eyes narrowing.
"Do you think Max's approval is the key to Anna's hand of marriage? Let me tell you, until I approve of you, no one takes her anywhere."
"What are you talking about, Master? Grandpa Max has a righteous, warm aura around him. As for you... you attacked me the moment I stepped off the airship. How would I dare ask for a handshake?"
Max felt a surge of immense pride and smirked at his father.
Elyndros snorted coldly, and a sudden, localized burst of spiritual pressure slammed into Max.
Immediately, Max was pinned to the ground like a pancake.
"What are you smirking at, you failure of a son?" Elyndros grumbled before walking away.
"I've changed my mind, Alex. You now have to soundly defeat Darion if you want a single word of guidance from me."
Alex smiled wryly and leaned toward Anna's ear, his breath tickling her skin.
"Is the geezer always this temperamental?"
Anna's face turned a violent shade of crimson at the proximity, her brain nearly short-circuiting.
Arthur burst into laughter.
"You hit the nail on the head, kid! He's an old, grumpy geezer. A sad, angry soul."
"Darion!" Elyndros shouted, pointing at his grandson.
"If you don't pummel this brat until I am satisfied, don't bother coming home for a year."
Darion looked like he was on the verge of tears.
"Why are you taking your anger out on me?" he muttered under his breath, though he didn't dare say it aloud.
"Alright, Great Grandpa... I'll do as you say."