The crowd went wild at Max's announcent. They hadn't expected him to directly challenge Killian Blade, and never in their wildest dreams did they imagine he would do it in such a high-profile manner.
It stunned them for a mont.
The new monstrous genius, with his undefeatable winning streak, challenging the number one in the Novice Rankings drove everyone into a frenzy. Such events were rare in the Battle Realm, so Max's challenge shocked the entire Battle Realm.
After declaring his challenge, Max swiftly left the Battle Realm.
Outside the Battle Cube, in the Battle Hall, both Alice and Max erged.
"That's quite a bold challenge," Alice said, smiling.
Max nodded. "It has to be bold. Otherwise, Killian would just make excuses like 'I'm not strong enough' or 'First defeat those below ' or sothing like that. That's why I made the announcent. I believe he should accept my challenge now."
Alice nodded and was about to say sothing when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure observing them.
"Mother, what are you doing here?" Alice asked as she happily ran towards her.
Max turned to see a middle-aged woman with red hair standing on the other side of the hall, her eyes glaring daggers at him.
'How co Alice didn't notice the strange look she's giving ?' Max wondered as he quietly followed Alice.
Alice introduced her mother to Max. "Max, et my mother. She's the Leader of our guild."
Max nodded and bowed respectfully. "It's an honor to et you, Guild Leader."
Aurelia studied Max for a mont before speaking. "I've been hearing a lot about you lately."
Max smiled wryly. "Master Sophia asked to win as many battles as I could, and I did just that."
Aurelia glanced at him and turned to Alice. "You go and lead Max to Sophia. She told she had sothing for him."
Alice nodded and turned to Max. "Let's go." She said, leading the way.
Max glanced between Aurelia and Alice before quietly following Alice.
'That was intimidating,' Max thought, sighing. When he stood before Aurelia just a mont ago, he felt an intimidating aura pressing down on him, but strangely, the pressure was very light.
anwhile, Aurelia watched her daughter and Max disappear and thought. 'He is indeed a bit special, as Sophia ntioned.'
--- Discover stories with empire
Along the way to the Arcane Order, Max, with a tone that suggested mild complaint, said to Alice, "Your mother is the Guild Leader, and you didn't tell about it before."
Alice stuck her tongue out, saying, "I thought you already knew."
Max sighed wryly. "I only knew that the leader of the Phoenix Order was a lady called Aurelia."
He added, "And although I guessed you had a unique and high status in the guild, I couldn't be certain."
Alice smiled. "Everyone in the guild knows that."
Max shook his head. "Yeah, everyone." His expression grew serious as he added, "But your mother was looking at like she'd kill with her eyes."
Alice chuckled. "Hehe, my mother is like that with everyone."
Max sighed.
After so ti, they arrived at the Arcane Order.
"Big Sis told to bring you here after your ti in the Battle Realm," Alice said as she led Max towards the only castle-like modern building in the area.
Max beca curious. "Do you know what it's about?" he asked.
Alice smiled. "I know, but I won't tell you." With that, she sprinted away from Max.
Max smiled as he followed behind her.
---
In a world supported by red flas as pillars, the ground was made of black tiles, scorched by the flas. A small, cloud-like white bubble floated in the air, and atop it sat Sophia Ember, the Master of the Arcane Order.
Standing not too far from her was a young man with silver-white hair.
"Max, from now on, I will be teaching you anything you want to learn," Sophia said to Max, surprising him.
Max asked, "I thought that would only happen after I defeat Killian?"
Sophia chuckled. "That was the plan, but I underestimated your strength a little."
Max nodded in understanding. "I want to learn about Aura and Concepts."
Sophia leaned her head on her hand and asked, "Tell , what do you understand about Aura?"
Max pondered for a mont and said, "It's better if I show you." He extended his hand, and flas erupted from it.
Focusing on the flas, Max infused them with Fla Aura, causing the intensity of the flas to burn hotter and fiercer than before. If the previous flas on Max's hand were controlled, the Aura-augnted flas were like a surge of power on steroids.
"Level 1 Fla Aura?" Sophia exclaid, her voice laced with disbelief as she stared at Max in shock.
She had thought she might have underestimated his talent before, but now, seeing him effortlessly wield Fla Aura, she realized she had been completely mistaken. This wasn't just talent—it was sothing far beyond ordinary.
It wasn't simply a case of underestimating him. No, she had failed to recognize the truth: hidden deep within Max wasn't just potential—it was a monster, waiting to reveal itself.
Sophia composed herself and asked, "So, what did your Aura do to your flas?"
Max replied after so thought. "It amplified them."
Sophia nodded thoughtfully and began to explain. "Aura has three levels in total. Regardless of how advanced one's Aura might be, its primary purpose is to amplify attacks by infusing them with the essence of the Aura itself. However," she continued, her tone turning serious, "this is also where the limitations of Aura lie. It can only enhance—it cannot transcend."
"And that's where Concept cos in," Sophia continued, her voice tinged with reverence. "Concept is on an entirely different level. It's said to have five distinct stages, each unlocking incredible abilities. Once soone masters a Concept, they can achieve feats that defy imagination—like creating a domain that bends reality to their will, or striking down opponents from miles away with a re thought."
Max's expression turned full of astonishnt as he heard her.
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. "Concept isn't just about power; it's about control and understanding, a true mastery over the very essence of an elent or force."
Max nodded in understanding and asked, "What level of Concept do you have?"
Sophia smiled sweetly. "Kiddo, you sure have a sharp tongue but I will tell you I'm just at level 2 Concept of Flas."
"Level 2?" Max muttered, feeling that it was too low for soone of her strength.
Sophia saw Max's expression and glared. "You think my level of Concept is too low?"
Max gulped and shook his head. "Definitely not. I was just thinking the weather is nice today."
"Hehe, kid, I know what you're thinking," Sophia smirked at Max and said. "You will understand in the future why mastering a Concept is a hundred tis, if not a thousand tis, more difficult than Aura."
Max nodded, his brows furrowing in contemplation. "I have one more problem. How do I increase the level of Aura I've mastered? I've tried doing things, but nothing has worked so far."
"Hehe," Sophia chuckled. "That's where the real difficulty lies. Understanding an Aura and leveling it up are two different things."
She gave so advice. "For now, stabilize your Fla Aura. I've noticed your control over Fla Aura is still very unstable, likely because it hasn't been long since you learned it. So, I want you to have complete mastery over your level 1 Fla Aura. Focus on that first, and I'll tell you later on how to increase its level."
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