The first descendant: My SSS Rank Awakening

Chapter 8

Elijah stared at Gorgon before suddenly bursting into laughter.

The sound echoed through the hall, growing louder as he tried to recover what remained of his pride.

“I understand that you are old, but you cannot walk in here and disregard everything we witnessed. The boy does not even have a magical core.”

Gorgon's eyes narrowed. “Choose your next words carefully.”

Elijah ignored the warning and pointed towards Henry.

“My son owns an SSS-ranked combat class, while Ron has nothing inside him. How can you claim that someone without a core produced enough force to defeat my son?”

The question made sense to everyone who needed it to make sense. Ron had been powerless before the ceremony, and they had watched his first class get extracted. Believing Gorgon was wrong still felt easier than believing Ron was stronger than Henry.

Gorgon did not answer immediately. His grey eyes returned to Ron and remained there.

Ron remembered what the old stories said about him. Gorgon was not only the city's strongest sorcerer; he could read the flow of aura through a person's body and sometimes see pieces of their memories.

Ron could not allow him to discover the First Descendant Class.

He focused inward and saw thin streams of golden aura leaking through several points in his body. Red's memories showed him what to do, so Ron closed each opening one after another until the power disappeared beneath his skin.

It took only a few seconds.

When Ron opened his eyes, Gorgon was still watching him. The old man's brow lifted slightly, and Ron could not tell whether he had hidden the power in time or confirmed everything Gorgon already suspected.

Gorgon moved close enough for only Ron to hear him.

“Last night, I felt a pure power rise from the North, completely different from the darkness stirring beneath the earth. I followed it here, and now you have sealed every point it was escaping from.”

Ron's expression remained unchanged, although his heart struck harder against his chest.

“Third-stage aura control takes most gifted awakeners three years,” Gorgon added. “You learned it in seconds, so perhaps you should stop worrying about whether I noticed.”

The old man stepped away before Ron could answer.

Gorgon finally faced Elijah.

“I have studied magical force for longer than you have been alive. Your son's attack did not rebound against him. The power that struck him came from Ron.”

Silence returned to the hall.

If those words had come from anyone else, the crowd would have laughed. This was Gorgon, a man rumoured to see things even ranking machines could not detect.

Elijah staggered backwards and looked from Ron to his injured son. Confusion remained on his face until another excuse came to him.

“Then it must have been sorcery.” His eyes brightened. “Ron used some kind of forbidden spell to cheat.”

The crowd immediately accepted the new explanation.

“That has to be what happened.”

“A powerless person could only win through sorcery.”

“He should be arrested.”

Ron stepped forward while their boos grew loud enough to bury his voice, but he continued until the people closest to him began to hear.

“Call it sorcery, cheating, or whatever else helps you sleep tonight. The fact remains that I won.”

He looked towards the Prince.

“Release my mother.”

Henry forced himself out of the chair and grabbed the front of Ron's torn shirt.

“You used a cheap trick. That does not make you the winner.”

Ron removed Henry's hand with two fingers and pushed him backwards.

“Do not touch me again. I won the fight, and your family will keep its end of the agreement.”

Elijah moved beside his son. “I would like to see you make us.”

Ron did not spare either of them another glance. His eyes remained on Prince Edward.

“You gave your word in front of every powerful family and guild in this city. If you break it now, nobody here will ever trust another promise that comes from your mouth.”

The Prince's expression darkened. He hated being forced into anything, especially by someone he considered beneath him, but every guest was waiting for his answer.

He finally looked towards Maria's guards.

“Release the woman immediately.”

Elijah tried to object, but the Prince raised his hand.

“I said release her.”

The chains fell from Maria's wrists. She rushed across the hall and wrapped both arms around Ron, holding him so tightly that he could feel her shaking.

“I thought I had lost you,” she whispered.

“You haven't lost me, Mother.”

Before they could move towards the doors, armed guards surrounded them.

Prince Edward settled back into his chair. “I promised to release your mother, and I have done that. I never promised to let you leave after using forbidden sorcery inside my palace.”

Ron's hands tightened as power began moving beneath his skin again.

Henry laughed, and several guests joined him.

“You thought winning was your ticket out of here,” Henry said. “Let us see how your little trick works against all the Prince's guards.”

As the soldiers moved forward, Gorgon struck his staff against the floor.

A wave of force exploded through the hall and drove every soldier several steps backwards. Chairs overturned and windows shook, yet Ron barely felt the pressure touch him.

“Let the boy and his mother leave,” Gorgon ordered.

Prince Edward's face tightened. “This matter does not concern you.”

“It concerned me the moment you accused someone of sorcery because accepting the truth embarrassed you.”

Gorgon walked towards Ron while everyone watched in confusion. They had expected the Seer to choose Henry, yet he had defended Ron twice and publicly challenged the Prince for him.

The old man stopped in front of Ron.

“How would you like to join the Southern Royal Academy of Awakeners, the most prestigious Awakening Academy in the world?”

More than one cup slipped from someone's hand.

The Southern Royal Academy accepted only the most promising awakened from the different kingdoms. Noble families spent fortunes preparing their children for its entrance examination, yet most still failed.

Prince Edward rose again, while the colour drained from Elijah's face. Henry had awakened an SSS-ranked class, but Gorgon had walked past him to offer Ron admission directly.

The Seer had also refused every request to take another personal student for more than twenty years.

Gorgon continued looking at Ron. “If you accept, I will oversee your training personally.”