Chapter 20 Humiliation comes in shades
Vandal stepped onto the altar full of confidence. He was at stage-two resonance with abundant and powerful energy, strengthened by his dual cores. The berserker core inside him pulsed with violent flux. He believed that with just a bit of quiet time, he could break through to stage three whenever he wished.
The cold surface immediately began absorbing strands of his resonance energy.
Nothing happened.
The stone bell remained dull and colorless. No light wave appeared. Not even the faintest glow.
Vandal frowned and pushed two more strands of resonance energy into the bell. Still nothing. The luminous meter stayed completely dark.
Damn. What is this?. He had inherited powerful Force Echo techniques and absorbed Alarik’s resonance energy.
Maybe it is because I have not broken through to stage three yet. He focused harder, preparing to force a breakthrough right there.
By now, soft chuckles had already started spreading through the hall. Soon the laughter grew louder.
A dark-skinned matron sitting among the elders looked at Clara with cold eyes. “Why did you bring this weak nobody into our sect for testing? Sabine at least has some talent, but this….dirty bum has nothing. I hope he is not another one of your bastard children,” Shekini said with open contempt.
Clara’s expression hardened. “Enough, Shekini. We hold equal rank. I will not allow you to humiliate me with your words.”
“You humiliate yourself, Clara,” Shekini replied with a smile.
Yung let out a sharp, mocking laugh. He pointed a thick finger at Vandal, his voice cutting across the hall.
“So this is the great hero who supposedly killed a Wind Echo Leopard with one shot!” He looked at Clara with mocking pity. “Clara, you’ve truly gone senile. You dragged this hopeless boy in here and claimed he destroyed a Wind Echo Leopard? With what exactly?”
He turned to the crowd, sneering. “The stone shows nothing. No color, no tier, no resonance at all.This boy is completely hollow.”
Several people in the hall snickered. Jaden folded his arms and shook his head with a smirk.
A grand elder wearing a golden robe suddenly spoke. Everyone turned toward him in shock. No one had noticed his presence before.
“Take this trash out of the hall. Clara, you will be reprimanded for this error.”
Sabine’s face turned pale. “He is not useless! He saved my life! He killed the Wind Echo Leopard that attacked me!” she yelled.
“Sabine, keep quiet!” Clara snapped.
“Forgive her foolishness, Father Duncan,” Clara said, bowing her head immediately.
“Strength is everything here,” the golden-robed elder said coldly. “Without strength, he will die before he even becomes an adult.”
The other elders turned their gazes on Vandal, their eyes filled with disdain.
“Clara, we the Fathers think highly of you,” Duncan continued. “But you must never bring strays into this sect again. If you do, you will be demoted, confined to train your replacement, and then you shall commit suicide.”
Vandal’s blood boiled. He wanted to shout back, but the grand elder’s aura was suffocating, heavy with disregard for life. He knew speaking now would be dangerous.
A man sitting quietly in the enforcer section watched everything in silence. As he focused on Vandal, his expression changed drastically.
Is this real?
A thin web-like crack was spreading across the stone bell at a gradual pace.
How did he damage the stone bell with just his resonance energy?. In his mind’s eye, he saw a violent, hurricane-like resonance aura swirling wildly around Vandal’s small frame.
“Guards, throw this boy into a cell,” the golden-robed elder ordered. “We will decide his fate in the morning. He might be a spy sent to trick Matron Clara and bypass our defenses.”
“No-” Sabine started, but one sharp look from Clara made her voice die in her throat. She trembled, clearly terrified of her mother.
Just then, the grand double doors opened. Two guards walked in escorting a man who carried a satchel and a bag that jingled with coins. The man knelt on one knee.
“I seek an audience with a priest of the Unseeing Faith,” he said respectfully.
“You stand before one. Speak quickly,” Duncan replied.
“My master wishes to hire an enforcer. He is willing to pay one hundred thousand denamies.”
Duncan scoffed. “That is too cheap. An enforcer is not someone you can hire with such a measly amount. Take your offer to a bounty hunter.”
The man hesitated, then carefully said, “What about three hundred thousand denamies? My master will also offer his services to your esteemed sect for one year.”
“Five hundred thousand denamies,” Duncan countered coldly, “and I will send my weakest enforcer. He must also work for us for one year.”
The man nearly collapsed on the spot. His face twisted in disbelief. For a moment, it looked as though he would vomit blood from the sheer audacity of the extortion.
“I will relay your message to my master,” he said through gritted teeth, bowing before turning to leave.
“Hold on. Why does this boy possess a space ring?” Duncan suddenly asked, turning to Clara.
“Father, I do not know. All I know is that he saved my daughter’s life from a Wind Echo Leopard.”
“With what strength?” Duncan said, clearly finding the whole thing ridiculous. “Clearly he is so weak. I suspect his talent tier would be tier zero.”
“I don’t know why you decided to cover for this boy, but it doesn’t matter. I think I might have him executed once I learn how he was able to trick you into bringing him into this sect.”
“I-”
“Do not speak unless I give you permission. I will not permit insubordination and cover-ups.”
“Take away his ring.”
“No… you can’t,” Vandal stammered, his composure shattering.
“Oh, so you can speak,” Duncan said. “I thought you were also dumb in addition to having no talent. You dared to test yourself with no resonance. Appalling. You need to be made an example of. Take him away.”
“Give me back my ring!” Vandal yelled, but the guards firmly held him in place as they dragged him away.
As the guards dragged Vandal past him, the man’s eyes suddenly widened in recognition.
“You!”