Everyone present was utterly dumbfounded.
Something like this should have been impossible, yet it was unfolding right before their eyes, far beyond anything they had ever imagined. Judging by the stunned expressions of the elders, even they had no prior knowledge of this newest creation of the Alliance.
Alex stared at the wrist band with undisguised hunger.
Just last night, he had completed a full one hundred percent integration with this world. He properly accepted the role of Alex Moriarty in this world.
Now, a single desire burned fiercely in his heart.
He wanted to become the most powerful being alive in existence, so that no one could harm his family or betray him ever.
He wanted his mother to live without worry, without fear, without ever bowing her head again.
And deep within his thoughts, a dangerous hypothesis slowly took shape. If he one day stood at the very peak, as a supreme ruler above all existence, then perhaps space and time themselves could be reversed.
If that day ever came, he would bring his father back, even if he was dead. And if he was alive somewhere in the wilderness out side of the light domain, he would bring him back, even if he needed to destory all the dark creatures alone.
"Are you ready to change your destiny and the destiny of the world?"
The voice echoed clearly across the hall.
But someone immediately raised a question.
"Sir, may I ask something?"
"Of course," the man replied calmly. "What do you want to know?"
"There are people close to fifteen years old here, and there are people like us who just turned fourteen," the young man from a Saint family said politely. "There is a definite power gap between us. How are we supposed to compete against them and win the wrist band?"
The man nodded, clearly satisfied with the question.
"That is a valid concern," he said patiently. "This training session will be held three times a year from now on. At the beginning, the middle, and the end of the year."
"You will have two more chances before you ascend the tower. Even if you fail this time, treat it as a valuable experience."
The moment those words were spoken, the tension vanished.
Those who had felt disadvantaged instantly relaxed, some even cheering. Their expressions shifted from worry to excitement. Now, they were happy to treat this as an opportunity to learn and enjoy the experience.
Many even turned to the heirs of the Emperor families, cheering them on with enthusiasm.
"Young Master Kael, I will be rooting for you," a young maiden said shyly, her cheeks flushed.
Kael Moriarty accepted the encouragement with an easy smile. He was clearly accustomed to this kind of attention.
More voices followed, wishing him luck. Other prodigies from different Emperor families received similar treatments.
Kael walked over to Anna and gently took her hand.
"Lady Anna, I hope we can have a good competition," he said warmly. "Please forgive me if I cannot hold back. That wrist band is extremely important to me."
Anna's face and neck instantly turned crimson.
"Young Master Kael, please do not worry," she replied with a smile. "But I will not go down easily."
Kael chuckled softly, then turned his gaze toward Alex.
He clearly intended to say something sharp.
But Alex yawned.
Without even looking at him properly, Alex turned and walked away.
"Not interested in your childish provocation," he said lazily. "Get lost, brat."
He left just like that.
For a brief moment, it felt as if something had been forcefully shoved into everyone's mouth.
Silence.
Who was this kid?
How dare he speak like that to Young Master Kael?
Surely, this boy was finished. Right?
But to everyone's shock, nothing happened.
Kael remained standing where he was, his expression dark and twisted. His fist clenched so tightly that blood began to seep from his palm.
Elizabeth could not help but smile.
Her son truly had matured.
She felt an overwhelming sense of pride.
"All right," the man announced. "All of you have received your helmets. You may return home and enter the virtual battlefield."
"But remember, do not leave Aurora City. The helmet will only function within the city."
There were only thirty minutes left before nine in the morning.
Everyone immediately rushed toward their hotels or homes.
The elders quickly distributed the individual helmets to their respective groups.
"Hey, Mom," Alex asked curiously as they walked. "What kind of monsters will be inside?"
"The virtual battlefield is a live simulation of one thousand kilometer radius around the light domain of the eastern continent this time," Elizabeth replied patiently. "You will encounter all kinds of monsters there."
"It will feel exactly like venturing into the wilderness. You must decide which monsters to hunt and when to retreat."
The surrounding youngsters listened intently.
Alex nodded.
"Then the battlefield would be in darkness too, right? Is there any function to see in the darkness in the virtual battlefield?"
Elizabeth nodded.
"You will gain the automatic ability to see in the darkness, so it wouldn't feel dark at all."
Alex nodded his after hearing this.
This was not going to be a simple feeding ground where weak monsters endlessly appeared. This was real combat.
A place to learn.
A place to sharpen his sword.
A place to win the wrist band.
After entering the hotel, Alex's third uncle gave a brief speech of encouragement to everyone. Soon after, they all returned to their rooms.
Alex lay down on the bed and placed the helmet over his head.
The moment he pressed the activation button, his consciousness was pulled inside the virtual battlefield.
It felt as though he was traveling through a dark tunnel.
When his vision cleared, he was standing before the gate of the Lien city, the border city of the eastern continent. Out side of the gate was wilderness.
Five thousand others stood nearby as well.
The massive gate of the city remained closed.
They waited.
"What a magnificent creation," Alex muttered. "I can feel the air. I can breathe. It feels like another life."
Exactly at nine o'clock, the gate began to open automatically.
Alex did not rush forward like the others.
He waited.
Only after everyone else had left the city did he remain standing there alone.
Outside, countless families watched the live feed as if it were a grand movie.
"What is that boy doing?"
"Why is he not moving?"
Confusion spread among the viewers.
Alex closed his eyes.
He focused inward, imagining his weapon, testing whether it would respond as intended.
In the next instant, his wrist band transformed into a finely crafted obsidian black sword.
Satisfied, he finally moved.
"The boy is cautious," one expert commented. "Checking his weapon first could save his life in the real world."
"But he is wasting time," another argued. "The others have already gone far and are hunting weaker monsters."
Many high-ranking figures were observing from the Alliance headquarters.
Alex glanced at the interface on his wrist.
Grade 0 monster, one point.
Grade 1 low level, five points.
Grade 1 mid level, ten points.
Grade 1 high level, twenty points.
Grade 2 low level, one hundred points.
Grade 2 monsters were Martial Master level beings.
Killing them was impossible for an unawakened person. But they still included the point system, who knew? An anomaly might appear.
Most participants would target Grade 0 monsters, equivalent to unwakened beasts. The prodies however targeted the low Grade 1 monsters, equvalent to Martial Warrior levels one to three.
But Alex had a different goal.
Grade 1 high level monsters.
They would give him points faster and temper his sword technique faster.
Boom.
Alex shot forward like a cannonball.
He had no intention of hiding his talent.
He would make it clear who ruled this generation.
"What was that speed?"
"Which family does that boy belong to?"
"Focus on him. Give him his own screen."
In an instant, Alex captured the attention of the higher-ups.
He activated his mental energy.
With his current power, he could sense everything within fifty meters.
Ignoring the outskirts, Alex plunged deeper into the battlefield.
Roar.
The moment he arrived, a massive sabertooth tiger lunged toward him.
A Grade 1 mid level monster.
Alex smiled.
"You are not my target, but...."
"Let's dance," he said with a maniacal look. "Shall we?"
It was clear now.
He was a battle maniac.