Fortunately, the Family Head chose that moment to step forward.
The noise immediately died down.
Silence returned.
The Family Head’s gaze briefly stopped on Damon.
The disappointment was still there.
Clearer than ever.
Then his attention moved away.
He addressed everyone present.
"Today, some of you succeeded."
"Some of you failed."
"No matter which group you belong to, remember this."
"The path ahead has only begun."
The crowd listened quietly.
The Family Head nodded.
"I congratulate those who formed contracts."
His eyes rested on Kane for a moment.
"And I congratulate those who returned safely."
Several people relaxed slightly.
Then his expression became serious.
"But don’t celebrate too early."
The atmosphere changed immediately.
"The mandatory mission begins next week."
The words hit the crowd like cold water.
Many smiles vanished.
Several faces turned pale.
Even Kane’s expression became more serious.
Because everyone knew exactly what that meant.
The Birthground was an opportunity.
The mandatory mission was reality.
And reality had a habit of killing talented people.
For the first time since returning from the Birthground...
The entire gathering fell silent.
The excitement from the Birthground vanished.
Several awakened youths swallowed nervously.
Even some of the newly contracted spirit owners looked far less excited than before.
Because unlike the Birthground, this wasn’t an opportunity.
It was danger.
Real danger.
The mandatory mission was organized jointly by the cities surrounding the distorted zones.
Every newly awakened Elemental user was required to participate.
There were no exceptions.
The purpose was simple.
Throw them into reality early.
Distorted zones were not training grounds.
They were the reason humanity had changed in the first place.
Areas filled with unstable Aether.
Places where elemental beasts, disasters, and elemental storms existed together.
And they never stopped growing.
If left alone, they expanded little by little until they swallowed everything around them.
That was why Elemental users existed.
To fight.
To suppress.
To survive.
The mission served several purposes at once.
It exposed young awakened users to danger.
It strengthened their combat experience.
It hardened their mentality.
And at the same time, it provided extra manpower for zone suppression.
The experienced Elemental users would lead the operation, but the younger generation would still have to contribute.
Everyone understood the importance of it.
That didn’t stop them from being nervous.
Most of them had spent their lives inside city walls.
They had trained.
Studied.
Dreamed about becoming powerful.
But dreaming and fighting were very different things.
The Family Head seemed to understand what they were feeling.
His voice remained calm.
"This week is your final preparation period."
His eyes swept across the crowd.
"Train harder."
"Strengthen yourselves."
"Because distorted zones do not care about your talent."
The hall remained silent.
Nobody argued.
Nobody laughed.
Because everyone knew it was true.
A genius could still die.
Talent only increased your chances.
It didn’t guarantee survival.
The Family Head continued.
"This mission is also a chance to represent your family."
That immediately caught everyone’s attention.
Representing their family meant resources.
Recognition.
Future investments.
Distorted zones contained valuable materials and treasures.
The better a family performed, the larger their share could become.
Naturally, competition existed even during cooperation.
Families from neighboring cities would participate.
Everyone would be watching.
The Family Head’s gaze briefly landed on Kane.
Only for a moment.
But everyone understood.
The Calloways were placing their hopes on him.
Kane straightened slightly.
The pride on his face faded and was replaced by seriousness.
For the first time that day, he looked less like a spoiled genius and more like someone carrying responsibility.
Damon noticed it but didn’t think much about it.
That burden wasn’t his.
At least not anymore.
When the Family Head finally dismissed everyone, the hall slowly emptied.
Groups formed immediately.
People discussed training plans.
Spirit contracts.
Resources.
The upcoming mission.
Damon quietly left on his own.
Nobody stopped him.
Nobody called his name.
Nobody cared where he was going.
A week ago, people had practically fought for his attention.
Now they acted as if he didn’t exist.
Damon wasn’t surprised.
He had already accepted reality.
The family had lost interest in him.
And eventually, they would probably stop supporting him entirely.
Honestly?
That was fine.
He had spent most of his previous life depending on nobody.
He could adapt again.
The bigger problem was strength.
As he walked through the corridors, his thoughts drifted toward the mission.
Aether reinforcement was useful.
Very useful.
But it had limits.
Without an element, he was already at a disadvantage.
And that gap would only become more obvious in actual combat.
Then his hand touched something inside his pocket.
The Spark Seed.
Damon stopped walking as he pulled it out.
The small crystal floated quietly in his palm.
Then...
Pulse.
A tiny spark of lightning flickered across its surface.
At the same time, something inside him responded.
That familiar resonance appeared again.
Damon’s eyes narrowed.
"There it is."
The feeling wasn’t strong.
But it was real.
For the first time since his awakening ceremony, he felt something close to hope.
Not certainty or confidence.
Just possibility.
And right now, possibility was enough.
Without wasting time, Damon headed even quicker for his room.
The moment he entered, he shut the door behind him.
His jacket landed on a chair.
His boots followed shortly after.
Then he sat cross-legged on the floor.
The Spark Seed floated in front of him.
Damon took a deep breath.
"Let’s see what you’re hiding."
He closed his eyes.
Slowly, he circulated his Aether.
The process wasn’t difficult anymore.
After days of cultivation, controlling his Aether had become second nature.
The harder part came next.
The mysterious core.
The second core-like structure he had discovered during cultivation.
Until now, he had never managed to interact with it properly.
This time, he focused on it.
Carefully.
Patiently.
Little by little.
At first, nothing happened.
Then...
A faint response.
Damon’s concentration sharpened.
He guided his Aether toward the mysterious core.
Then from the core...
Into the Spark Seed.
The reaction was immediate.
Crackle.
Tiny arcs of lightning appeared around the floating crystal.
The Spark Seed glowed brighter.
And for the first time, Damon felt a clear connection.
A/N:
We’re getting to the fun part. Stick with me.. Send comments and Reviews as well as Powerstones🙏🏻. THANK YOU❤️