Chapter 4: The Silver-Haired Deity Walked Out
The Ye Family Estate.
06:30 AM.
The hallway leading to the Young Master's bedroom was usually quiet. Today, it was silent as a grave.
Xiao Mei, the head maid who had served the main house for twenty years, stood frozen outside the door. Her hand, raised to knock, was trembling. It wasn't fear of punishment—the Young Master had always been quiet and withdrawn—it was a biological reaction.
The air seeping from the gap under the door was wrong.
It wasn't just cold. It was a heavy, oppressive chill that made her lungs constrict. The potted plant near the door had withered, its leaves turned brown and stiff with frost.
Click.
The door handle turned. The brass knob was coated in a thin layer of white rime.
"I am ready," a voice spoke from inside.
The door swung open.
Xiao Mei prepared her usual polite greeting. "Good morning, Young Mas—"
The words died in her throat. Her tray, loaded with breakfast tea, slipped from her fingers.
Crash.
Fine porcelain shattered against the floor, splashing hot tea everywhere. The tea didn't steam; it froze into brown slush within seconds of hitting the floorboards.
Xiao Mei didn't notice the mess. She was staring up.
The young man standing in the doorway was Ye Han. She recognized his face—the sharp jawline, the aristocratic nose. But everything else was... alien.
He was taller. Much taller. He towered over her, his shoulders broader, his posture exuding a terrifying, innate nobility. His skin was no longer the sickly pale of an invalid; it was a lustrous, semi-translucent white, like a statue carved from moonstone.
But it was the hair.
His once jet-black hair was gone. In its place flowed a waterfall of Silver-Diamond. It wasn't a flat color. Each strand seemed to be a fiber-optic cable made of starlight, refracting the hallway lights into tiny spectrums of violet and ice-blue.
"Y-Young Master?" Xiao Mei stammered, falling to her knees. She felt an overwhelming urge to kowtow. "Your... your hair..."
Ye Han stepped out. His movements were fluid, lacking the lethargy of yesterday.
"A side effect," Ye Han said calmly, stepping over the frozen tea. He didn't explain what it was a side effect of. "Clean this up. Do not touch the ice with your bare hands; it will burn you."
He walked past her toward the grand staircase.
As he descended, the temperature of the entire house plummeted. The condensation on the windows turned into intricate frost patterns of dragons and hydras.
The Grand Foyer.
Ye Tian, the S-Rank Berserker and Patriarch of the Ye Family, was pacing.
He was agitated. The report about Ye Long's hand had kept him up all night. The doctors had to amputate two fingers because the tissue death was absolute. No healing spell worked. The mana residue in the wound was... unknown. It defied analysis.
"If Han really used a Forbidden Artifact," Ye Tian muttered to himself, "I will have to bribe the judges today. We cannot afford a scandal."
He looked up as footsteps echoed on the stairs.
"Han, you are late. The car is—"
Ye Tian stopped.
His pupils, honed by decades of fighting high-tier monsters, contracted to pinpoints.
He saw the silver hair. He saw the glowing skin. But more importantly, his S-Rank Instincts screamed.
Danger.
Predator.
Run.
Ye Tian took an involuntary step back, his hand reaching for the spatial ring where he kept his battle axe. He caught himself immediately, but the shock remained.
"Who are you?" Ye Tian barked, his voice laced with mana.
Ye Han reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked at his father.
For the first time in eighteen years, Ye Tian felt that his son was looking down on him. Not physically, but spiritually. The gaze from those heterochromatic eyes—one deep blue, one fading gold—felt like a god looking at an insect.
"I am your son, Father," Ye Han replied. His voice was deep, resonant, and calm. "Unless you have forgotten what I look like?"
"My son has black hair," Ye Tian growled, walking closer to inspect him. "And my son has no mana. You... you are leaking energy like a broken reactor. What is this appearance? Did you dye your hair? Is this some alchemy trick to impress the judges?"
Ye Han touched a strand of his diamond-like hair.
"Puberty," Ye Han said dryly. "It hits hard."
Ye Tian frowned. He reached out to grab Ye Han's shoulder, intending to use his mana to scan the boy's body structure.
Ye Han didn't dodge.
Ye Tian's hand landed on Ye Han's shoulder.
Hiss.
Ye Tian flinched. It felt like touching dry ice. The cold bit through his mana defenses instantly.
"Your body temperature..." Ye Tian withdrew his hand, staring at his numb fingertips. "It's below -50 degrees. How are you alive?"
"I feel fine. Better than fine," Ye Han adjusted his collar. "We are going to be late for the Awakening. Do you want to discuss dermatology, or do you want to go?"
Ye Tian stared at this stranger who wore his son's face. The "trash" label he had affixed to Ye Han for thirteen years was peeling off. This presence... it wasn't weak. It was strange, yes, but it wasn't weak.
"Fine," Ye Tian composed himself, putting his patriarch mask back on. "Get in the car. But keep a low profile. That hair... wear a hood. You look like a mutant."
Ye Han smirked. "As you wish."
He didn't put on a hood.
Azure Dragon City Stadium.
07:45 AM.
The Awakening Ceremony was the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and a religious festival rolled into one.
The stadium, a massive structure built of reinforced mana-concrete, seated 100,000 people. It was packed. Giant holographic screens floated in the air, broadcasting the event to the entire city.
Drones buzzed overhead. The flags of the Human Alliance snapped in the wind.
Down in the waiting area—the "Pit"—thousands of eighteen-year-olds stood in nervous clusters. They were separated by class. The commoners stood in the open sun. The wealthy and the nobles stood under the shaded VIP awnings, sipping energy drinks.
"Did you hear about Ye Long?"
"Yeah, he's in the infirmary tent. They say he lost two fingers in a 'training accident' yesterday."
"Accident? My cousin was there. He said Ye Han did it."
"Ye Han? The trash? Impossible. Ye Long is a fire user. Ice melts against fire. It's basic physics."
In the center of the VIP group, Ye Long stood with his arm in a complex medical sling. His face was pale, his eyes darting around with a mixture of rage and paranoia.
"It was a trick," Ye Long hissed to his lackeys. "He used a scroll. Or a one-time artifact. That's why he's not here yet. He's scared I'll expose him."
"Look! The Ye Family limo!"
A hush fell over the noble section.
A sleek, black, armored limousine with the Azure Dragon crest glided into the VIP drop-off zone. The anti-gravity engines hummed as it lowered to the ground.
The door opened.
Ye Tian stepped out first. The crowd murmured in respect. An S-Rank Hunter was a celebrity. He waved stoically, then turned to the open door.
"Get out," Ye Tian commanded.
A leg stepped out.
The pants were the standard academy uniform, but the shoes were custom leather.
Then, the figure emerged.
The sunlight hit him.
Gasp.
It started as a ripple near the car, then spread outward like a wave. The whispers stopped. The chatter died. Even the commentator on the holographic screen paused mid-sentence.
Ye Han stood under the morning sun.
His silver-diamond hair blazed with light, creating a natural halo around his head. His skin was flawless. He stood a full head taller than most of the other students. He didn't look like a student. He looked like an Elven Prince from a High-Tier Fantasy World who had accidentally teleported into a high school parking lot.
He didn't look nervous. He looked bored.
"Who... who is that?"
"Is that a transfer student?"
"Look at the crest on the car. It's the Ye Family."
"Wait... is that Ye Han? The invalid?"
"No way. Ye Han is a gloomy, sickly kid. That guy looks like he eats models for breakfast."
Ye Han ignored the stares. He felt the Sovereign's Pride bleeding into his personality. To a dragon, the stares of sheep meant nothing.
He walked toward the waiting area. The crowd of students parted automatically, creating a wide path for him. No one wanted to get too close. The air around him was noticeably cooler, like walking past an open freezer door in a supermarket.
He walked straight up to Ye Long.
Ye Long flinched, stepping back behind his lackeys. "Y-You..."
Ye Han looked at the bandaged hand.
"They saved three fingers?" Ye Han asked, his tone sounding like polite curiosity. "Impressive doctors."
"You monster!" Ye Long shouted, his fear turning into bravado because of the crowd. "You dyed your hair? You think looking flashy will save you? The Awakening Stone doesn't care about your looks! It sees your mana! And you have none!"
"We shall see," Ye Han said.
He walked past Ye Long, taking a seat on a bench in the shade. He closed his eyes, crossing his arms.
Ye Long was left trembling, his face red. He had been ignored. Completely disregarded.
08:00 AM.
The Ceremony Begins.
A boom of mana echoed through the stadium.
On the central stage, a massive crystal descended from the ceiling. It was the Awakening Monolith. It was a relic excavated from a Red-Rank Dungeon, capable of measuring potential up to SS-Rank.
The Headmaster of the Academy, a bald man with a booming voice, stepped up to the microphone.
"Students! Today, you ascend! Today, you shed your childhood and become weapons for humanity!"
Cheers erupted.
"The process is simple. Step up. Place your hand on the Monolith. Inject your will. The Monolith will display your Class, your Element, and your Rank."
"First Group: Class 3-A!"
Ye Han's class.
The names were called alphabetically.
"An Bing!"
...D-Rank Warrior.
"Chen Wei!"
...E-Rank Support.
"Guo Lin!"
...Failed.
The atmosphere was tense. The failure rate was high. Tears were shed. Cheers were screamed.
Finally, the announcer reached the Y's.
"Ye Long!"
Ye Long stepped up, glaring at Ye Han one last time before marching to the stage. He placed his good hand on the crystal.
ROAR!
The crystal turned a vibrant, aggressive orange. Flames erupted from the top of the monolith, forming the shape of a lion.
[Class: Pyromancer]
[Element: Fire]
[Rank: A-Grade]
"A-Rank!" The crowd went wild. An A-Rank awakening was rare. It guaranteed a spot in the elite universities and a future as a high-ranking Hunter.
Ye Long pumped his fist, bathing in the applause. He grabbed the microphone.
"I dedicate this awakening to the Ye Family!" He shouted, his eyes locking onto Ye Han in the waiting area. "And I want to say... talent is in the blood! But some people in my family are just water trash diluted by bad luck! Don't be fooled by pretty hair!"
The crowd laughed. They knew who he was talking about.
Ye Tian, in the VIP box, nodded approvingly. "A-Rank. Good. The branch family has produced a solid heir."
"Next..." The announcer looked at the list. He paused. He looked at the silver-haired figure sitting calmly on the bench.
"Ye Han."
The stadium went quiet again. This was the moment everyone was waiting for. The "Fallen Prince."
Ye Han opened his eyes.
He stood up.
As he walked toward the stage, the frost spread.
Step. The grass under his shoe turned white.
Step. The metal ramp to the stage creaked as the temperature dropped.
Step. The air around the stage began to condense into mist.
"He's using an artifact!" Ye Long shouted from the side of the stage. "Check him for artifacts! He's freezing the air!"
The Headmaster frowned. He scanned Ye Han with his mana.
"No artifacts detected," the Headmaster announced, looking confused. "This is... his natural aura?"
Ye Han stepped up to the Monolith.
Up close, the Monolith hummed. It was a semi-sentient object. It usually vibrated with energy.
But as Ye Han approached, the Monolith went silent.
It was the silence of a prey animal freezing before a predator.
Ye Han looked at the crystal. He felt the Dragon Queen inside him stir.
'Touch it,' Tiamat's voice echoed in his head. 'But be gentle. This rock is fragile. It is a piece of trash from a Red World. It cannot handle the Eternal Truth.'
Ye Han raised his hand.
His hand was elegant, pale, and glowing with that faint diamond light.
He placed it on the crystal.
0.1 Seconds:
The crystal flashed Blue.
* Crowd: "Oh? Ice element?"
0.5 Seconds:
The Blue turned Deep Indigo. The temperature in the stadium dropped 10 degrees instantly. People gasped, seeing their breath misting in the air.
* Headmaster: "High purity! Is it B-Rank? A-Rank?"
1.0 Seconds:
The Indigo turned Black.
Not the black of darkness, but the black of a void where light cannot escape.
* Ye Long: "What... what color is that?"
2.0 Seconds:
CRACK.
A sound like a gunshot rang out.
A fissure appeared on the surface of the indestructible Awakening Monolith.
"Wait!" The Headmaster shouted. "Stop! It's overloading!"
3.0 Seconds:
The black light exploded outward.
It didn't shoot up into the sky. It shot out, forming a massive, spectral illusion that covered the entire stadium.
The sky above the stadium turned dark. The sun was blotted out. In the darkness, three frozen moons appeared.
And then, two eyes opened in the sky.
Golden. Vertical. Ancient.
A pressure—Primal Fear—descended.
100,000 people froze. Not physically, but spiritually. Their souls screamed at them to kneel. The A-Rank Ye Long collapsed, foaming at the mouth. Ye Tian, the S-Rank, was forced to his knees, his bones creaking under the weight of the aura.
The holographic screens glitching out, displaying only one message in ancient, unknown runes that the system frantically tried to translate.
[ERROR]
[Tier: UNKNOWN]
[Class: SOVEREIGN]
[WARNING: ENTITY EXCEEDS WORLD PARAMETERS]
BOOM!
The Awakening Monolith shattered into dust.
Ye Han stood amidst the sparkling dust of the destroyed relic. He withdrew his hand and brushed some diamond dust off his shoulder.
He looked at the
Headmaster, who was lying on the floor, trembling.
"Oops," Ye Han said, his voice amplified by the silence of the terrified crowd.
"I think your machine was defective."
Chapter 4 End.