The recruits and the knights were all discussing the incident that took place in the third phase of the trial, where Faul refused to participate. The knights kept discussing the incident because such a rare occurrence had never happened before. "Hey... What happened? Why didn't you participate in the trial?" Phil whispered in Faul’s ear. "I didn't see any reason to because those ace skills, I know them very well," Faul replied as they kept walking toward the room for the final phase of the trial. The last trial was called the Pagoda Fire of Nine Realms. It was called so because a participant was expected to enter the chamber and light the fire, provided they had the potential to hold a large amount of Qi. The chamber was a circular structure that resembled the ancient Pagoda of the Heavens. When an individual managed to light the fire, they would instantly unlock the first stage of Qi. Otherwise, the participant would have to undergo hard training to unlock their Qi. Talented recru

The trial came to an end with an extraordinary occurrence: a recruit almost defeating a Sapphire knight. That same recruit survived a mighty fire in the Pagoda chamber. From the day the recruits were selected, things had been happening. From the training camp to their arrival in Alora, it seemed like every day brought something new. Faul had been unconscious for a few days, but he was not dead. Everyone kept talking about him. Even those at higher levels had heard about the strange boy who almost defeated a Sapphire knight. Some were already making plans on how to defeat him. The title of being the strongest and most skillful had existed ever since Alora Knight Academy was founded. So, when they heard about the boy who nearly defeated a Sapphire knight, everyone wanted to be the one to bring him down. "Why is this so hard to fully absorb this power? This weak body is a hindrance to me," Faul thought as he struggled to fully absorb his brother's essence. Faul had been sweating non-

Walking down the passage towards the dormitory, Faul expected to meet others once he arrived. As he reached the door, he noticed how quiet everything seemed. He didn’t think much of it and opened the door, stepping inside and closing it behind him. "Welcome. I've been waiting for you," Narme said, her voice smooth and unsettling as she walked slowly toward Faul. Faul scanned the dormitory. His friends were lying still in their beds, and a sense of unease crept over him. He wondered if the witch had done something to them. "What did you do to my friends?" Faul asked sternly, his voice hoarse, though his gaze never wavered from her. "Oh... Them? Don’t worry. They’re alive, just sleeping soundly," Narme replied, sitting down on Faul's bed as if she owned the place. Faul couldn’t help but stare at her, trying to gauge her intentions. The last time they met, they had been in the village when they were attacked by the Griffin beast. Now, here she was, with no explanation for her sudden

Faul arrived in the arena with his friends, and they went straight to the area designated for the recruits to make themselves comfortable. Lots of eyes were cast on the four friends, especially on Faul who seemed as calm as always. Many were wondering what might be going on in his head because each time he appeared, he always put up a new surprise. Those who were participating in the competition for Silver Knight King were all staring at him. Some who had seen what he could do were praying that he wouldn't change his mind about participating in the competition. Some were training hard for the competition, while others were in a meditative state, getting ready for what was to come after the knighting ceremony. Due to the attention the four teenagers attracted, some of the newly promoted Golden Knights were growing jealous because they believed they should be the ones getting the attention instead. Some of the attention was admiration, while some were hostile gazes from many

Morbius walked straight to a young man who was twice his size. "Hey Zee, do you want to make a deal in this competition? Because it seems you will be the only worthy opponent," Morbius said, waiting to hear Zee's response. Zee was a burly young man twice the size of others his age. He had spiked red hair and fiery brown eyes that always seemed like they never had enough sleep. His muscles and biceps were so well-developed that you’d think he was a thirty-year-old gladiator. Zee was Logan's younger brother, and Faul had broken every bone in Logan's body with one punch. That made Zee hold a grudge against Faul for what he did to his brother. Zee raised his head and stared at Morbius for a few seconds before placing his head on his palm once again. "What do you want?" Zee asked in a hoarse tone that even creeped Morbius out. Morbius cleared his throat and whispered his plans in his ear. Zee’s eyes lit up instantly—those eyes that always seemed sleep-deprived now shone like