Chapter 26: El Lira Vethar [4]
"Strange," one of the elders muttered, stepping closer to examine the pedestal. "It seems the essence is too complex to be immediately identified or it hasn't been before."
Max felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. He remembered Harry's words and kept his expression neutral, hiding his nervousness.
Meanwhile, Harry watched intently from his spot, his eyes narrowing slightly. 'What kind of essence could be so mysterious that even the system can't identify it?' he thought, feeling a mix of curiosity and concern for his friend. 'Could it be it is an S rank or... even above?'
Meanwhile, Max blinked as a flurry of messages appeared in his vision, one after the other.
[Warning: Unknown energy is trying to invade your being.]
[Alert: Unknown energy is attempting to forcibly draw out your essence.]
Max's heart raced as he read numerous warning messages. He felt a strange sensation, like something was probing inside him, trying to pull at something deep within. A cold sweat broke out across his forehead. He could barely notice few of the messages.
[....]
[Your essence has already been awakened...]
[Your essence has noticed the unknown energy.]
[...]
Max's bewilderment grew with each message.
He had no idea what was happening or how to react. He desperately wanted to ask someone, but he remembered Harry's advice and forced himself to remain calm, his face betraying none of his inner turmoil.
Thankfully it stopped with this final message.
[Your essence has tricked the unknown energy. Rest in ease, Unyielding Traveler.]
Suddenly, the screen above him flickered again, and new words appeared:
[Essence: Traveler]
[Rank: F]
The crowd was silent for a moment, processing what they were seeing. The elders, the teachers, and Lord Elias exchanged puzzled glances, clearly unfamiliar with the "Traveler" essence. The students, too, murmured in confusion, unsure what to make of it.
Max, meanwhile, sighed inwardly with relief. He didn't understand what had just happened, but the messages had stopped, and the pressure he had felt earlier was gone. The fact that his essence was identified, even if it was an F-rank, seemed to calm his nerves. Not to mention that fact his essence might not be as ordinary as it seems.
The elder closest to Max looked back at the screen, frowning slightly. "Traveler?" he muttered under his breath. "I've never heard of such an essence. But seeing its rank... F, it's likely nothing to be concerned about."
Lord Elias nodded in agreement, although he still seemed intrigued. "Unusual, but an F-rank nonetheless. Let's move on. Next!"
Max quickly descended from the platform, feeling the weight of the crowd's eyes following him. He tried to keep his composure, but his mind was racing with questions. What had just happened in there? What was this "Traveler" essence? And why had there been such a strange reaction? Was his true essence Traveler at all?
As he walked back toward his spot, Max's eyes suddenly met with a pair of enchanting blue eyes in the crowd. For a moment, the world seemed to slow down. The owner of those eyes—a girl with long black hair—stared directly at him, her gaze piercing and intense. Max felt a shiver run down his spine, and he gulped, tearing his eyes away and hurrying to Harry.
Harry was waiting with a smile, his usual carefree demeanor masking any concern he might have felt. "Nice job up there," he whispered, giving Max a pat on the back. "You handled that well."
Max nodded, trying to steady his breathing. "T-Thanks, Harry." he replied quietly, his voice trembling slightly. "It was suffocating."
Harry's eyes flicked around to make sure no one was listening before he leaned in closer. "I'm not sure, but..." he admitted, his tone unusually serious. "Something happened there just now, right? We'll talk about it later."
Max nodded, surprised about how Harry seemed to know about it. "O-Ok."
"By the way, are you familiar with the prez?" Harry asked curiously.
"W-Who?" Max asked not sure who he was talking about.
"The girl who looked at you just now. That's our student council president, Leila." Harry said. "Didn't I tell you yesterday?"
"Ah, I forgot." Max smiled awkwardly. And his eyes wandered to the person of their topic. 'Why did she look at me like that? Did we know each other?'
"Speak of the devil, it's her turn now," Harry muttered following Max's gaze. "Wonder if she gets the Saintess class or the Heroine. She will surprise everyone for sure."
"Uh-huh." Max nodded, he had a feeling she would certainly do.
Meanwhile, Leila stepped forward, her expression calm and composed as she approached the pedestal. Despite the whispering crowd and the excited chatter that followed each new awakening, she seemed unbothered, her face a mask of serenity. The air around her almost seemed to ripple with a subtle, intangible energy.
Max watched her closely, still rattled by their brief eye contact. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different about her, something that set her apart from the others. Harry had said she was the student council president, but there had to be more to it than that. He glanced at Harry, who was watching with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation.
"She's not like the others, is she?" Max whispered to Harry.
Harry shook his head, his eyes never leaving Leila. "No, she's not. She's always been a bit of a mystery. Super smart, top of her class in every subject, and she's got this… aura about her. It's hard to explain, but you'll see."
Leila placed her hand on the crystal pedestal, her eyes closing briefly as if to center herself. The moment her hand made contact, the pedestal began to glow, but this time, the light was different. A deep, dark purple hue began to swirl within the crystal, casting shadows across the hall. It was as if the darkness itself was alive, pulsing with an ominous energy.
The window above her flickered to life, revealing her essence and rank:
[Essence: Princess of Darkness]
[Rank: S]
"..."
A stunned silence fell over the hall.
For a moment, no one spoke, the weight of the revelation sinking in. An S-rank essence was a rarity, something that most people only heard about in stories or legends. To have one appear here, today, was beyond anyone's expectations.
Max's eyes widened, and he glanced at Harry, who was staring at the screen in shock. "S-rank… That's… That's…" Harry stuttered, his usual composure completely shattered. "...fricking amazing!"
Lord Elias stepped forward, his face a mix of astonishment and awe. Even he started stuttering when speaking. "An S-rank essence… The Princess of Darkness… This is truly unprecedented. To think we would witness this here today…"
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