The Rise of Max bladeheart

Chapter 7 - Xeon Awakening

Chapter 7 - Xeon Awakening

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Principal Wren introduced Cedric Vale as the top middle school student who possesses an A-grade Xeon ability to manipulate space. His A-grade Xeon ability enables him to control space with complete freedom. Principal Wren made the announcement with a touch of school pride in his voice. "It's a fusion of telekinesis, gravity control, and partial spatial manipulation. His Powerflow Channeling reached four points at age eight which made him the youngest Zeta-ranked Xeon user in history.

The two XAO inspectors watched the young boy fight humanoid AI droids with complete surprise on their faces.

Cedric launched himself two meters upward while his black hair followed the motion of his jump. He dropped while pushing his hand downward.

A powerful energy emanated from his palm.

Boom!

The approaching droid met its demise when the invisible force crushed its knees to the ground. Two more bots with identical designs approached Cedric from both sides while he was unable to finish his attack.

Twin beams of concentrated energy shot out from the blaster cannons that formed after their metal arms reshaped into weaponized forms.

Cedric performed a quick backward arc to escape the burning attacks which barely missed him.

The rumor claims he possesses mental abilities to control objects weighing 800 kilograms within a two-kilometer radius. Is that accurate?" His voice revealed his intense interest when he spoke to Inspector Bronn.

"Even better," Principal Wren smirked. "Just keep watching. The principal revealed that his student still had another powerful ability to show.

The inspectors shared a look that showed their growing fascination. The boy seemed to have reached the limit of his abilities.

During training Cedric performed two quick backflips which he executed with the agility of an acrobat. His agile movements helped him dodge multiple projectiles while he landed with precision before sliding backward a short distance.

The three droids wasted no time in resuming their attack.

One of them launched a net crackling with electricity.

Cedric extended his right hand, palm out.

The net, instead of ensnaring him, suddenly reversed direction and wrapped around the very droid that had deployed it. Sparks erupted as the bot convulsed, struggling to break free.

The remaining two droids rushed in with their arms now transformed into twin glowing blades. They swung in perfect synchronization, aiming to cut Cedric down.

But Cedric merely flicked his wrist.

A force yanked the droid on the left ever so slightly—just enough for its blade to collide with the weapon of its ally.

Clang!

The blue energy blade carved deep into its companion’s arm, severing part of the limb in the process. The injured droid recoiled, attempting to withdraw the embedded weapon, but it had gotten lodged within the damaged joint.

Cedric pressed two fingers to his temple, his gaze sharpening.

‘Structure Analysis.’

A flood of information filled his mind as his perception scanned the inner framework of the droids. His lips curled into a grin.

"Found it."

He stretched out both hands, fingers curling into a gripping motion.

The droids had just managed to free themselves when an eerie sensation coursed through their metallic bodies, as though unseen tendrils were worming their way inside them.

Then, Cedric clenched his fists.

Rip! Rip!

Their chests ruptured from within, and two circular, glowing blue cores shot out into the air.

Thud! Thud!

Both droids collapsed instantly, their illuminated optics fading to black.

The cores, no larger than a child’s palm, floated toward Cedric’s hand. He could feel the residual energy pulsing within them.

Pew! Pew!

Two sudden beams lanced toward him from the front.

Cedric dodged effortlessly, pivoting to the side. Even though it had been a surprise attack from the final droid, he had already sensed the danger in advance.

The third droid surged forward, having torn free from the electrified net.

Cedric raised his hand, mimicking the motion of gripping an object, and then yanked his arm back.

Rip!

Once again, the droid’s chest was forcefully torn open from the inside, its core extracted with precision. The glowing sphere levitated toward Cedric before settling into his palm.

The last droid collapsed lifelessly beside its fallen counterparts.

Cheers erupted from the spectators.

Students seated in the stands began chanting his name, particularly the female students, whose voices were the loudest.

Cedric ran a hand through his hair in a practiced, effortless manner, reveling in the admiration. Then, without another word, he turned and strode toward the northwestern section of the training ground, the three extracted cores hovering above his palm.

“How did he do that?” Inspector Dalen marveled. “His willpower extracted their cores without physically touching them?”

“His telekinesis passes through solid objects?” Inspector Bronn appeared equally stunned.

Principal Wren chuckled. “I told you—his ability isn’t just telekinesis. There’s a spatial component woven into it. That’s what makes him special.”

Cedric finally reached the edge of the arena, lifting his gaze toward the viewing platform where the inspectors and principal sat.

“I believe these belong to you,” he said coolly, raising his hand slightly.

The three cores drifted upward, floating toward the seated officials.

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Class 3C – High School Section

Miss Raelyn had just finished evaluating the second-to-last student, a broad-shouldered young man who shuffled away from the front of the classroom with a dejected expression.

Despite possessing a D-grade Xeon ability, he had failed to channel his energy through the third point, which had immediately made him the target of ridicule.

"Tom Boa is useless!"

"He couldn't even reach the third point—what a joke!"

"I'm breaking up with this loser."

The words cut deep. The bulky teen hunched his shoulders, looking far smaller than his physique suggested.

"Silence!" Miss Raelyn’s voice carried across the room with authority.

The class instantly fell quiet.

"The last student on the list," she continued, glancing at her tablet, "Max Bladeheart."

At the mention of his name, the entire classroom buzzed with murmurs.

"M-Me?" Max blinked in surprise.

He hadn’t expected to be called. Unlike the others, he lacked a proper Xeon ability. His dormant potential hadn’t even activated, making him a complete anomaly among his peers.

"Are you not a student in this class?" Miss Raelyn asked, her expression unreadable.

"Y-Ye—"

Before Max could finish his response, a male student at the front row abruptly stood up.

"Miss Raelyn, this is a waste of time!" he declared.

"Yeah, there's no point in testing him!"

"His Xeon ability is considered worse than an F-grade! Don't waste your energy on someone who has no future!"

The classroom erupted with similar taunts.

Max was used to this. He had endured it for years. But that didn’t mean it hurt any less.

"Enough!" Miss Raelyn’s voice sliced through the noise like a blade.

"None of you brats will tell me how to conduct my class. Know your place!"

A hush fell over the students. They knew better than to push her patience.

"Max, step forward."

Max hesitated before finally making his way to the front, aware of every stare burning into him.

"Stretch out your hand," Miss Raelyn instructed.

Max complied, extending his arm toward her.

She placed two fingers against his wrist.

Instantly, a flood of notifications filled Max’s vision.

[Host has made contact with a Xeon user.]

[Xeon energy detected in bloodstream.]

[Requirements for Xeon Awakening met.]

Max’s breath caught in his throat as a final notification appeared.

[Would you like to steal this ability?]

[Yes / No]

His heart pounded.

Steal Miss Raelyn’s ability?