"First things first, you're too weak!"
Looking at his son, who managed to pass his test, Theron was quite surprised
You know he was a venerable eighth order, even if the shadow bind he just cast was a first order spell, based on the quality and quantity of his mana, it shouldn't be something that a mere third order can escape from.
Even some fourth orders wouldn't be able to escape, yes, his twelve-year-old third-order son managed to do it
In such a situation, how could he not be surprised?
However, it was also because of this that he knew he shouldn't let Damien in front of him go astray
After all, if care isn't taken, pride can easily set in with geniuses
*Like my father used to say, a genius without sufficient strength sooner or later will become a dead genius*
Thinking of this, Theron began to explain slowly.
"Damien, my son, don't rush to refute me, let me explain," he paused
"In the world of Elias we live in, although third order can be called strong, but that is only among the human race."
"Just like the elf race you want to visit, looking at them individually, they're much more talented than we humans."
"Among the human race, a dual third order at twelve years old can be called a once in a century talent, but for elves born close to nature and life magic, as long as they reach adulthood, they're bound to reach fifth order."
"As he spoke, Theron manipulated tendrils of shadow mana, each transforming into a different race.
"The dragons in the west, rumor has it that as long as they grow into adulthood, they can even become gods."
"The dwarves in the north, our spies just told us their mechanical creations can barely match eighth orders, and while not terrifying, if they manage to reach large-scale production…."
Speaking secrets that most people in the world didn't know, it could be said that Theron felt his goal of eliminating any seeds of pride in Damien's heart had been achieved
However, what he didn't know was that Damien, in front of him, already knew all this
*Sigh.. Father, do you think I a regressor, don't know how crazy this damn world is?*
*wait till the protagonist and his group start making chaos everywhere, then that'll be the real chaos*"
*The demon invasion, the revival of ancient forces, the dusk of God's, the return of the outer gods*
*If in this era the third order is an ant, then in that era, eighth order is more of an ant*
Thinking of this, Damien remained silent.
Since he couldn't tell Theron he already knew what he was saying, he just sat there pretending to be shocked and engrossed
A move that made him nod in satisfaction.
*It seems Damien is the listening type; luckily, he's not emotional like his mother."
Looking at his wife drinking tea beside him, he let out a light chuckle before continuing to speak.
"However, all this is not for you to be afraid, on this continent apart from the dragons, our human race is supreme."
"What we lose in pure talent, we have in numbers."
"We might not be as gifted in magic and as intelligent as the elves, we might not live as long as the dragons, we might not craft as well as the dwarves."
"We might not even be blessed by mana like the demons."
"However! Unlike the others, we human beings don't have racial limits! Unlike those who take years to have children, with dragons taking hundreds of years, humans only take nine months."
"You understand what I mean?" asked Theron
And as expected of a genius, hearing this, Damien instantly understood what he was saying
"I understand, so while Elves, dragons, and the rest have few clansmen, maybe a few thousand."
"We humans have millions, if not tens of millions"
"With that sort of number, even if the probability per person to reach seventh or eighth order is much lower, but based on the overall population, the human race overwhelms, creating a situation where the human race can dominate due to the sheer number of their top powerhouses," Said Damien
As he spoke, he finally answered one of the major questions he had had in his past life
On why the human race, being so weak, could practically dominate the whole continent at one point
Had it not been for the demon invasion, the world would have become the human race's backyard at some point
However, now in this discussion with his father, he finally understood why
Numbers! With sheer numbers, the human race had managed to overwhelm the world to a point where only a being of immense power could contend with them
And in the future, this happens to be the heavenly demon lord.
Lost in thought, Damien began to think of his future and how the human race would fall into his plans
Not to mention, he was going to the Elven Empire to make some moves before the Elven slave capture era started.
A lot of his ideas involved going against the major powers of the human race.
For such a powerful race, he secretly reminded himself to be more cautious when dealing with affairs regarding his race.
"Sigh… hopefully, after this trip, things will end up easier and I can take a long vacation," he sighed
Unfortunately, before he could even think about relaxing, his father suddenly spoke up, attracting his attention
"Here, before you go, take this."
"to break through fourth order, unlike the first three orders, where you just accumulate and compress mana"
"From fourth order, you undergo a metamorphosis, where you need a certain technique to break through."
"and while you cannot use this technique with your aura core still intact, but if you do decide to abandon it and focus on being a mage, use this"
"This is the technique used by all patriarchs of the Voss family, The Midnight Tome."
"Not only does it lead to the eighth order, but as long as you practice it, it says you can be invincible under the night sky."
Stretching out his hand, Theron handed Damien three items
A pitch black book with a moon on its cover, a silver gemstone, and a silver necklace with a pure black gem at its center