The excitement surrounding Kane’s assessment continued for several minutes.
Guests discussed his strange purple lightning.
The elders of the Calloway family were still arguing quietly among themselves.
Even the representatives from other cities had begun making plans.
Then the elder on stage spoke again.
"Damon Calloway."
The hall instantly fell silent.
Every conversation died.
Every head turned.
Even the nobles who had been speaking moments ago stopped midway through their sentences.
It was finally time.
The real reason most of them had come.
The White Core holder.
The boy who had shaken Haven’s Edge before anyone had even seen his true resonance.
Damon slowly stood from his seat.
And immediately, thousands of eyes landed on him.
For some reason, it felt more terrifying than being struck by lightning.
Twice.
He could feel his heart beating faster.
His legs suddenly felt strangely heavy.
What if he tripped?
What if he slipped on the stairs?
Out of all the possibilities running through his head, that was somehow the one bothering him the most.
"Relax," he muttered to himself.
"You survived two lightning strikes."
That somehow helped. A little.
Damon straightened his back and began walking toward the stage.
The hall remained completely silent.
Every step echoed clearly.
Nobody wanted to miss a single moment.
As he passed Kane, he noticed the blonde boy watching him carefully.
The confidence from earlier was still there.
But there was something else now.
Expectation.
Curiosity.
Maybe even a little nervousness.
Damon simply nodded.
Kane hesitated before nodding back.
Then Damon continued walking.
Soon he stood before the Resonance Monument.
Up close, the ancient structure felt even larger than before.
The cracks of age.
The glowing runes.
The pressure it naturally emitted.
Everything about it screamed ancient power.
Damon took a deep breath.
Then he placed his hand against the monument.
The moment contact was made—
BOOOOOOM!
The entire hall shook.
People nearly jumped from their seats.
Aether exploded from Damon like a tidal wave.
His veins lit up instantly.
Not gradually.
Not slowly.
Instantly.
Pure white light spread throughout his body while the monument trembled violently beneath his hand.
Then came the pressure.
A heavy invisible force swept through the hall.
Several younger attendees lost their balance.
The pressure continued growing.
And growing.
And growing.
The smiles on many faces slowly disappeared.
This wasn’t normal.
Even the pressure from Kane’s Violet Core began to feel insignificant in comparison.
The elder standing closest to the monument turned pale.
His robes fluttered wildly as the force poured from Damon.
"W-What..."
The pressure kept increasing.
Some guests subconsciously stood from their seats.
Others found breathing becoming slightly difficult.
The entire hall felt heavier.
Like a mountain had appeared overhead.
Then the monument itself began to groan.
Crack.
A small fracture appeared across its surface.
Everyone froze.
Crack.
Another one followed.
The ancient monument was struggling.
For the first time in anyone’s memory.
The pressure finally stopped increasing.
And then...
Light erupted.
Blinding white radiance exploded from the monument.
Many spectators instinctively shielded their eyes.
The entire stage disappeared beneath the glow.
For several seconds, all they could see was white.
Pure white.
A White Core.
No.
A Prismatic Core.
Living proof standing before them.
When the light finally began fading, the hall remained silent.
Nobody knew what to say.
Even the Calloway elders looked stunned.
Kane stared at the stage with a blank expression.
The pride he carried moments ago had completely vanished.
Compared to this...
His Violet Core suddenly felt much smaller.
Damon looked around and couldn’t help smiling slightly.
A small part of him still found the whole thing unbelievable.
Back on Earth, he couldn’t even get a rare drop after a hundred boss runs.
Now he was apparently carrying a talent that could shake an entire city.
Life really was strange.
But then came the part he actually cared about.
His element.
The White Core was impressive.
Sure.
But everyone already knew he had one.
What he wanted to know was his affinity.
What kind of element would a White Core awaken?
Lightning?
Something legendary?
Something completely unique?
The hall slowly regained its excitement.
Everyone leaned forward.
The elders watched without blinking.
Even Kane looked curious now.
The monument suddenly trembled again.
The crowd held its breath.
The element manifestation was starting.
Damon felt anticipation rising.
The monument shook.
The runes glowed.
The cracks across its surface widened slightly.
Then—
Nothing.
A small puff of dust drifted from one of the cracks.
The monument became still.
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The elder closest to the stage frowned.
The monument remained motionless.
No fire.
No lightning.
No ice.
Nothing.
Damon blinked.
The elder blinked.
Everyone blinked.
Then the elder checked the monument again.
And again.
His face slowly changed.
"No... element?"
His voice wasn’t loud.
But in the silent hall, everyone heard it.
Immediately, murmurs exploded everywhere.
"No element?"
"That’s impossible."
"A White Core without an affinity?"
"There must be a mistake."
The elders quickly began discussing among themselves.
Some checked records.
Others stared at the monument.
A few looked at Damon as if hoping he would suddenly produce an element on his own.
But nothing happened.
Damon stood there quietly.
Staring at the monument.
Trying to process everything.
Strangely enough...
It didn’t feel completely shocking.
Disappointing?
Absolutely.
But shocking?
Not really.
This was Damon.
Or Philip.
The guy who got struck by lightning right after obtaining the rare drop he’d spent days farming.
Bad luck had practically followed him his entire life.
He quietly rubbed his forehead.
"I knew it."
A bitter smile appeared.
"I really did use up all my luck."
The murmurs continued spreading.
And slowly...
The atmosphere changed.
Damon noticed it immediately.
The excitement disappeared.
The admiration disappeared.
The reverence disappeared.
The same people who had looked at him like a future legend moments ago were already looking elsewhere.
Representatives who had prepared gifts quietly lowered them.
Several messengers hurried away.
One noble who had discussed marriage alliances earlier suddenly became very interested in another talented youth.
The shift happened fast.
Painfully fast.
Damon finally understood better.
People weren’t interested in him.
They were interested in his potential.
And without an element...
That potential suddenly became uncertain.
The Calloway elders looked especially ugly.
Some couldn’t hide their disappointment.
Others simply avoided looking at him altogether.
To them, this wasn’t just a failed awakening.
It was humiliation.
The city had gathered.
Guests had traveled from afar.
Expectations had reached the heavens.
And now?
A White Core without an affinity.
Something nobody understood.
Something nobody wanted to gamble on.
The elder on stage eventually cleared his throat.
"Assessment complete."
The words sounded strangely cold.
Damon simply nodded.
Then he turned around.
The same stage that had felt glorious moments ago now felt much longer.
The same spotlight that had followed him earlier now felt uncomfortable.
And under countless complicated gazes...
Damon slowly walked back toward his seat.
Leaving the center of attention behind.
A/N:
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