His tone was even. Unshaken.
He turned on his heel and walked away, Crown Prince Aelric following beside him.
He didn't glance back.
But he could still feel Palace Master Hugh's gaze boring into his back.
As Max walked beside Aelric, his thoughts lingered on Palace Master Hugh's open hostility.
He muttered under his breath. "The Master of the Divine Palace hates for so reason."
Aelric chuckled. "Hehe. I know why he hates you."
Max turned to him, his curiosity piqued. "What?"
Aelric smirked, clearly enjoying the mystery. "Heh—"
But before he could finish his words...
BOOM!
A crushing pressure descended.
The air distorted. The very space shook.
The pressure slamd into Max—
But it was Aelric who, was walking beside him, was blown away.
Nothing happened to Max strangely.
No injuries. No pain.
Just a slight weight pressing on his shoulders.
But that didn't an he would do nothing.
His eyes narrowed.
Instantly—his Three-Dinsional Body reacted.
His senses flared.
He felt the source. The origin of this power.
His eyes flickered—
'South Region!'
A group stood ahead, watching him.
Arthur Gale. Tom. Nathan.
Three of the many geniuses of the South Region.
And they weren't alone.
Behind them—more figures. So were other well-known geniuses. Others? Their strength was completely unreadable.
They were all glaring at him.
Their expressions?
Mocking. Smug. Expectant.
They weren't just testing him.
They were expecting a show.
Max didn't move.
Didn't react.
He simply stared back.
The pressure remained, trying to suppress him. Trying to force him down.
But it wasn't enough.
Not even close.
The pressure bore down on Max. Heavy. Crushing.
Yet—he stood as if nothing had happened.
The crowd watched. No one spoke. No one interfered.
It wasn't that they didn't notice.
They simply wanted to see what would happen next.
But one person wasn't amused.
King Magnar.
His face darkened.
Because while Max had stood his ground—Aelric hadn't been so lucky.
The pressure had sent Crown Prince Aelric flying.
And that—was unacceptable.
For a mont, the King's rage flared. His hand twitched, ready to act.
Then—he stopped.
Because what he saw next surprised him.
Max moved.
Calm. Unrushed. Completely unaffected.
The pressure was still there. But he walked as if it didn't exist.
He reached Aelric and extended a hand.
Aelric took it. "Thanks."
Max nodded.
Then, with a perfectly straight face, he turned to the South Region's geniuses and spoke.
"Trash from the South Region is here… I think their stinking sll must have caused you to slip and fall."
Aelric almost fell again.
Not from pressure. From shock.
His eyes widened.
The surrounding crowd?
Dead silent.
Then—a wave of shock rippled through them.
It was genuine.
Not because Max had insulted the South Region.
But because he had done it so casually.
As if he wasn't talking to so of the strongest leaders of the Lower Domain—but to actual filth beneath his feet.
The South Region's warriors twitched.
Their mocking expressions vanished. Their sneers faded.
And the ones with unreadable strength?
Their gazes turned cold.
But at that mont—
The crowd erupted.
The realization hit them all at once.
"How did he do that? Crown Prince Aelric was blown away, but the sa pressure did nothing to him!"
"Yeah. This is truly astonishing!"
"The pressure from several Peak Expert Rank leaders… and he stood there like it was nothing?"
"Unbelievable!"
Whispers turned into exclamations. Disbelief spread like wildfire.
They had all witnessed it.
Several leaders of the South Region—each one a Peak Expert Rank warrior—had focused their pressure on Max.
And yet—he acted as if nothing had happened.
This wasn't normal.
Anyone below the Expert Rank—be it a genius or an elder—would have collapsed under such pressure.
At best? Forced to their knees.
At worst? Severe internal injuries. Broken bones.
But Max?
Nothing.
Not even a flinch.
Soone in the crowd murmured, voice filled with awe.
"Is this the difference between the strongest genius… and the peak geniuses?"
A chilling thought.
Because if this was just his presence, his natural resilience—
Then what about his true strength?
What about when he actually fought?
The hall buzzed with excitent.
For so—it was admiration.
For others—fear.
For the South Region?
It was humiliation.
"Now this," King Magnar spoke slowly, his voice carrying across the vast Divine Palace, "is truly deserving of the title of the strongest genius of Valora Continent."
His words echoed, reaching every corner of the grand hall.
He wasn't just making an observation.
He was declaring it.
A public acknowledgnt.
A recognition that would be impossible to ignore.
Beside him, Envoy Lucas chuckled. "Hehe, Magnar, for once, you're absolutely right." His laughter was light, but his eyes glead with interest.
So in the crowd smiled. So nodded in admiration.
But others? Not so pleased.
Palace Master Hugh remained neutral, but anyone watching closely could see it.
A flicker of sothing dark in his eyes.
A barely concealed hatred.
Seeing King Magnar and Envoy Lucas openly appreciate Max only deepened his disdain.
But it was the leaders of the South Region who were seething.
Trembling with rage.
Because monts ago—they had tried to humiliate Max.
They had pressed their combined might against him, expecting to watch him crumble.
Instead—
It was they who had been humiliated.
They had planned a display of dominance.
What they got was a public insult.
From Max. Loud. Clear. Unforgettable.
And worst of all?
They couldn't deny it.
The entire Divine Palace had witnessed it.
Their attempt had backfired spectacularly.
But Max?
He ignored everything.
He didn't glance back at the rage. The hostility. The boiling resentnt.
He simply walked away.
With Aelric at his side, he returned to the group of geniuses.
His mind already shifting gears.
He turned to Aelric, his voice calm but firm.
"So, what was the reason?"
Aelric raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
Max's eyes flickered.
"Palace Master Hugh's hatred."
The real mystery.
The one he needed an answer to.
Crown Prince Aelric smiled lightly, eyes gleaming with amusent. "You don't know, huh? To be fair, most of the experts present here don't know either."
Max remained silent, listening.
"Palace Master Hugh has a son."
That caught Max off guard.
A son?
Aelric continued, his tone asured. "His na is Mark Vandor."
Max frowned. "And?"
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