Damon had already been sitting there for a long time.
And somehow...
It still wasn’t his turn.
At first, he didn’t really mind it. He already understood what was happening.
The main attraction always came last.
Still, the longer he waited, the more impatient he became.
Not outwardly of course.
He still sat calmly in his seat while the ceremony continued, but internally?
He was dying of curiosity.
Every awakening made him want his turn faster.
The reactions.
The lights.
The pressure.
The elements manifesting out of nowhere.
Everything still felt unreal to him.
Back on Earth, people argued online about whether magic could exist.
Now he was sitting in a giant hall watching teenagers summon storms and fire with their bare hands.
Honestly, he could never get bored of it.
One by one, members of the younger generation stepped onto the stage.
And as expected from noble families, the quality kept increasing.
Bronze cores became less common.
Silver appeared more frequently.
Even several Gold core users caused excitement throughout the hall.
The atmosphere only kept getting hotter.
Then another name was called.
"Selene Valtier."
A young girl with long blue hair stepped onto the stage gracefully.
The moment she appeared, quite a number of eyes lit up.
Beautiful.
Elegant.
Confident.
Damon leaned back slightly.
"She already looks expensive," he muttered.
The girl calmly placed her hand on the monument.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then—
BOOOOM.
The entire monument released a deep vibration.
Aether surged violently around her body while blue veins of light spread beneath her skin. The pressure that followed was instantly heavier than the previous awakenings.
People straightened in their seats immediately.
The monument suddenly exploded with bright azure light.
The hall shook slightly.
An Azure Core.
Gasps echoed everywhere.
"That pressure..."
"She’s this young?"
"Incredible..."
Even Damon’s eyes sharpened slightly.
Unlike Silver or Gold, Azure felt completely different.
The moment the light appeared, everyone could feel it.
The density.
The purity.
The potential.
Then the air around the girl suddenly became colder.
Frost spread lightly across the stage floor while streams of icy blue wind circled around her body.
Ice element.
And not an ordinary one either.
The frost looked unnaturally pure.
Beautiful enough to make people stare.
The elder overseeing the ceremony smiled widely.
"Azure Core confirmed. High purity ice affinity."
The hall immediately erupted into applause.
"She’s talented and beautiful..."
"The Valtier family truly hid a monster."
"That affinity alone guarantees her future."
Damon watched quietly as Selene stepped off the stage.
Unlike him, she clearly enjoyed the attention.
The moment she came down, elders and nobles approached her almost instantly.
One gifted her a crystal bracelet that carried cold Aether.
Another offered rare ice attributed resources for cultivation.
Even marriage proposals started appearing immediately.
One old man nearly dragged his grandson forward.
"My grandson has admired Lady Selene for years!"
The poor boy looked completely unprepared.
Selene herself handled things smoothly though.
She smiled politely while accepting gifts one after another.
Damon watched the scene with amusement.
"This world really moves fast."
A core awakening.
A few minutes later, people were already planning marriages.
The ceremony continued afterward.
More awakenings happened quickly.
Some excited the crowd.
Others disappointed.
Still, every talented youth gained attention one way or another. Even a useful element alone could earn gifts from nobles hoping to build future ties.
Resources.
Connections.
Influence.
Everything started from talent.
And soon...
"Kane Calloway."
The hall immediately reacted.
The blonde boy beside Damon finally stood up.
Unlike earlier, Kane now carried himself with complete confidence.
His steps were slow and steady as he walked toward the stage.
The murmurs returned instantly.
"That’s the Violet Core user."
"He would’ve been the star today..."
"Unfortunate timing."
"A Violet Core in Haven’s Edge is already unbelievable."
Damon understood the reactions perfectly.
Before Damon awakened, Kane had been the genius everyone focused on.
A Violet Core wasn’t something a medium city normally produced.
It was the kind of talent powerful inatitutions personally recruited.
But then Damon awakened.
And suddenly everyone forgot about Kane.
Honestly, Damon would probably be annoyed too.
Still, Kane wasn’t weak.
Not even close.
The respect in people’s eyes made that obvious.
Some families already looked eager to approach him later, but unlike before, nobody interrupted his walk toward the stage.
The atmosphere naturally became heavier.
Kane reached the monument and placed his hand on it immediately.
The response came instantly.
BOOOOM.
The monument shook violently.
A powerful wave of Aether burst outward while glowing purple veins spread across Kane’s body.
Then came the pressure.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Oppressive enough that even Damon felt it clearly from his seat.
The monument exploded with deep violet radiance.
The entire hall went silent for a second.
Violet Core.
Even after seeing it already once before, the sight still shocked people.
That level of talent was simply too rare.
Especially here.
Several guests unconsciously stood up slightly.
The pressure pouring from the monument made it impossible to ignore Kane’s potential.
Damon watched quietly.
Kane noticed.
And when he saw Damon still carrying the same calm expression as before, his lips twitched faintly.
Then...
CRACK.
Purple lightning exploded around the stage.
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Bolts of electricity lashed violently through the air while the monument trembled again.
But this wasn’t ordinary lightning.
It was darker.
Heavier.
The purple color alone carried a strange sense of danger.
Every strike looked unstable and destructive.
Even the air smelled burnt.
The elders of the Calloway family stood up immediately.
Shock flashed across their faces.
"That lightning..."
"I’ve never seen this variation before."
"A mutated affinity?"
Even Damon raised an eyebrow now.
His memories didn’t contain anything about purple lightning either.
That alone made it special.
Kane slowly looked around the hall again.
This time, the reactions finally satisfied him.
Shock.
Respect.
Excitement.
Fear.
It was all there again.
And when he noticed even Damon reacting slightly this time, the corner of his lips rose proudly.
For the first time since the ceremony started, Kane truly smiled.
Clearly, he wasn’t planning to disappear behind Damon’s shadow so easily.
The purple lightning continued crackling around the stage for several more seconds before finally calming down.
And immediately afterward...
The hall exploded into noise.
"Incredible!"
"The Calloways produced two monsters in one generation?"
"That lightning is absolutely abnormal."
"Quickly, notify the family head!"
Several nobles instantly called over attendants.
Some already started preparing gifts.
Others sent messengers rushing out of the hall entirely.
Treasure.
Resources.
Contracts.
Everyone wanted to move first.
Kane stepped down from the stage slowly while enjoying every second of it.
And honestly?
Damon couldn’t even blame him.
That entrance had been ridiculously cool.