The day had finally come—a day whispered about among the noble houses and anticipated by every ambitious heir. Within the grand training hall, where power met pride, the dukes assembled with their prodigious children, each bearing the weight of lineage and expectation. The air was thick with restrained energy, a tension that hummed quietly beneath the polite greetings and measured smiles.
....
Ray had been training under Robert for the past two days. Robert was beyond shock—no normal genius could possibly possess the kind of strength Ray displayed. To jump four to five levels within a single stage was utterly unheard of.
So while Robert was training him, he discovered that Ray could actually fight several levels above his current stage.
Robert really wanted to know what had happened. How did Ray become this strong?
When he asked, Ray only said it had been a one-time encounter—something so rare and unrepeatable that even if he told the story, no one would ever be able to experience that same lucky chance again.
Robert could only sigh, then focus on helping Ray adapt to his rapidly evolving body.
Diana, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but laugh as Ray stumbled through his newfound power. Her laughter, however, hid her astonishment. She was shocked, and yet deeply delighted, to see her son transform into someone so extraordinary.
Ray, meanwhile, began to notice something odd about this world. There was no proper system for measuring a person's core level. Is my core really that strong? he wondered. Does it have different levels?
A thought sparked in his mind—he needed to study people's cores, to classify them, to create a path for others to follow. A ranking system that could define true genius… or the barrier one must cross to become legendary.
There was also no structured method for body cultivation in this world. It was as if he had arrived in an era that was still primitive in spiritual understanding—not the cave era, but something slightly more advanced. A world where everything was still being discovered, updated at a slow, uncertain pace.
A world of sword and sorcery maniacs, obsessed with battle and pride.
But with Ray's arrival, everything began to change. His presence alone was like a spark leaping across time, accelerating this world's evolution by hundreds of thousands of years—pushing it forward from a medieval fantasy age toward something akin to Earth's modern future.
…..
Finally, the long-awaited day arrived. The day when Robert and the other dukes would meet, bringing their genius children to challenge one another.
Ray and Robert arrived at a grand training center, one of those private grounds that could be rented by the elite. The air inside hummed faintly with residual spiritual energy from countless past duels.
The other three dukes were already waiting. Since it wasn't an official competition, they had rented this place simply to boast—to show off their children's talents.
Robert was confident. He had witnessed Ray's power firsthand, and he knew no one here could match it. Ray could defeat anyone within three levels of his strength—and those were precisely the rules.
When Robert and Ray entered the hall, a faint echo of footsteps followed them across the polished stone floor. The light filtering through the high windows gleamed off the silver-trimmed uniforms of the other noble houses.
To Robert's surprise, all three dukes—Alexander Ravenscroft, Edward Ashford, and Leonardo Montclair—were already present with some of their children.
Duke Alexander Ravenscroft stepped forward, a genial smile on his sharp face.
"Haha, Duke Robert, you came last today."
Then Edward Ashford joined in, chuckling. "Get this! Duke Leonardo came first today—he who usually comes last."
He wasn't shocked to see Alexander and Edward, but Leonardo Montclair's early arrival drew a flicker of suspicion. The man who always came last was here first.
Robert's expression shifted subtly. Leonardo came first? His eyes narrowed in quiet suspicion.
Although things had seemed peaceful among the dukes since the defeat of Jack, there were still whispers—rumors that Duke Leonardo had been involved with Jack during his time as vice leader at Montclair. Both Robert and the king held their doubts, but without proof, all they could do was watch carefully.
Robert chuckled lightly, masking the tension. "Haha! The situation is shocking indeed. I cannot let such an event happen next time. I'd better come early as well."
His tone eased the heaviness in the air, though the undercurrent of suspicion still lingered beneath the laughter.
Leonardo's gaze sharpened as it fell on Ray, then flicked back to Robert.
"You brought only your genius son? Where are the rest of your children?"
Robert met the question with calm confidence, answering evenly, "They're all at the academy. Since the academy registration won't begin for another six months, Ray will have to wait. Otherwise, he'd already be there."
Ray glanced at his father, understanding now why no one had rushed him into the academy. Six months—that was his window.
He needed to use that time to strengthen his spiritual cultivation and also to tend to the inventors and the shops in his city.
Duke Edward Ashford leaned forward slightly, curiosity glinting in his eyes.
"You're right," he said. "We also brought the ones who'll be joining the academy this year with Ray. Speaking of which, I heard Ray didn't go to the academy's awakening hall… but judging from his aura, he's clearly awakened. How did that happen?"
Robert smiled, pride flickering across his face. "It's because I stumbled upon a place saturated with spiritual energy—enough for one person to awaken. So, I took Ray there in secret and helped him awaken his cultivation."
He glanced at his son, his voice warm with pride. "And as you can see, he not only awakened but managed to solidify his foundation as well."
Edward's brow lifted. "Dear brother-in-law," he said, his tone half-joking but edged with genuine curiosity, "where is that place? Why not share it with us?"
Edward Ashford was the brother of Robert's third wife, Selene Ashford, and that connection allowed him to speak so directly.
Leonardo, too, was related to Robert through marriage, but after the Jack incident, their relationship had soured beyond repair.
Robert shook his head, his smile faint but firm. "It was for one person only. The place I'm talking about is completely drained of spiritual energy now. It was enough for a single awakening, or else I'd have taken all my children there to cultivate as well."
The other two dukes, who had been listening intently, sighed in disappointment. Their curiosity dimmed.
Thereafter, the four dukes gathered to finalize the rules—what techniques and weapons their children could use, how the matches would proceed, and the boundaries of the duels.
Ray stood silently, preparing himself.
The air thickened with the quiet pulse of spiritual pressure. The nobles' children across the room watched him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
And in that hush that settled over the hall, Ray's eyes gleamed with quiet intensity—a storm bound in human form, waiting for the signal to be set free.