After Damon returned to his seat, the ceremony continued.
Or at least, it tried to.
The problem was that everyone had already witnessed the biggest shock of the day.
A White Core.
And then no element.
It was the kind of result nobody knew how to react to.
For a while, discussions filled the hall.
Some believed the monument had made a mistake.
Others thought Damon carried a hidden affinity.
A few had already decided he was a failure.
Eventually, one of the elders stepped forward and regained control of the ceremony.
The remaining assessments were completed quickly, but the atmosphere had already changed.
The spotlight that had followed Damon all day slowly shifted elsewhere.
And naturally, it settled on Kane.
The blonde youth sat straighter now.
The disappointment and frustration he carried earlier had completely disappeared.
His Violet Core had already been impressive.
Now that Damon had failed to awaken an element, Kane once again became the brightest talent in the room.
The Calloway elders were more than happy to encourage that.
Honestly, they needed it.
The humiliation from Damon’s result had hit them hard.
Thankfully, Kane gave them something to celebrate.
One of the elders stood proudly.
"As many of you witnessed, Kane Calloway has awakened a Violet Core alongside a rare lightning mutation."
The hall immediately quieted.
Kane stood up calmly.
There was pride in his expression, but he tried not to show too much of it.
"The affinity has been named Purple Storm Lightning."
Murmurs spread immediately.
"Purple Storm Lightning?"
"A lightning variant?"
"That sounds powerful."
Even the visiting nobles looked impressed.
Lightning was already one of the strongest elemental affinities.
A rare variant made it even more valuable.
The gifts started arriving almost immediately.
Rare herbs.
Aether crystals.
Weapons.
Cultivation resources.
Even marriage proposals.
A noblewoman from another city practically dragged her daughter toward Kane before he could sit back down.
Damon watched the scene quietly.
A few hours ago, those same people had been surrounding him.
Now they had completely moved on.
He couldn’t even blame them.
Strength was everything here.
Potential was even more important.
People naturally followed whichever direction promised the greatest return.
Still, Damon couldn’t help smiling.
"At least they’re not bothering me anymore."
For the first time that day, he could actually sit peacefully.
The ceremony gradually began winding down.
Many guests were already preparing to leave when another elder suddenly cleared his throat.
The loud sound instantly drew everyone’s attention.
The elder looked around the hall before speaking.
"The Calloway Family has another announcement."
That immediately stopped all movement.
The guests settled back into their seats.
Even Kane looked curious.
The elder smiled faintly.
"To celebrate this generation’s awakening and to strengthen the future of our family, the council has decided to open the Elemental Birthground."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then the entire hall erupted.
"What?!"
"The Birthground?"
"They’re opening it?"
Even Damon nearly sat upright.
Unlike the others, he had memories explaining exactly what that meant.
And because of that, he understood how ridiculous this announcement was.
The Elemental Birthground wasn’t simply a treasure ground.
It was far more valuable.
Long ago, the Calloway Family had conquered a powerful Lightning Distorted Zone.
Instead of destroying it completely, they had spent generations cultivating its core.
Over time, it evolved into a stable ecosystem where elemental spirits naturally formed and matured.
Lightning spirits.
Rare treasures.
Aether rich resources.
Everything connected to lightning affinity could be found there.
And most importantly...
Spirit contracts.
The possibility alone made countless people jealous.
The elder continued speaking.
"Those with lightning affinity will be granted the opportunity to seek a compatible spirit elemental."
The hall grew even louder.
A spirit elemental.
A real one.
Not an artificial construct.
Not a summoned beast.
An actual elemental lifeform.
Such companions could grow alongside their contractor for life.
Many powerful figures owed much of their strength to their spirit companions.
Meanwhile, those without lightning affinity would still be allowed to enter designated regions to seek treasures and resources.
The announcement instantly raised the value of every awakened youth present.
Damon understood why.
The Birthground only opened once every few decades.
Sometimes even longer.
The resources required to maintain it were enormous.
Opening it now was a huge investment.
The Calloways were clearly betting heavily on this generation.
Or more specifically...
On Kane.
The elder’s next words confirmed it.
"Participants will be given one week to prepare."
"One week later, the Birthground will officially open."
Kane immediately stood and bowed.
"Thank you, honored elders."
The elder nodded.
"Do not thank us yet."
His expression became serious.
"A spirit contract is not guaranteed."
Kane’s smile faded slightly.
Everyone knew that.
Finding a spirit was already difficult.
Getting one to acknowledge you was even harder.
A spirit chose its contractor.
Not the other way around.
The elder continued.
"Before entry, all participants must reach the Resonant Rank."
This time, the room became much quieter.
That condition wasn’t easy.
Damon understood exactly why.
Cultivation in this world followed eight major ranks.
Initiate.
Resonant.
Adept.
Master.
Lord.
Sovereign.
Saint.
Transcendent.
Every advancement required more Aether, greater understanding, and better control.
Most people spent years climbing through the early stages.
Now they were being given one week.
One week to reach Resonant Rank.
Many of the awakened youths looked nervous.
Others looked excited.
Kane simply nodded confidently.
"As expected."
Damon noticed he wasn’t worried at all.
Then again, why would he be?
A Violet Core holder with family support behind him could achieve things ordinary people couldn’t imagine.
Even Azure Core holders could advance at shocking speeds under the right conditions.
The elders clearly believed Kane could do it.
Otherwise they wouldn’t have opened the Birthground.
Soon afterward, personal instructors, servants, and family resources were assigned to the participants.
Kane immediately received one of the family’s senior butlers to oversee his preparation.
The other talented youths received similar treatment.
Everyone suddenly had a goal.
Reach Resonant Rank.
Enter the Birthground.
Find opportunities.
Obtain a spirit.
Grow stronger.
The motivation in the hall became almost tangible.
As for Damon...
Nobody came to assign him anything.
Nobody approached his seat.
Nobody discussed plans for his future.
It was almost funny.
A few hours ago, he had been treated like the future ruler of the world.
Now people acted as though he wasn’t even there.
Damon simply leaned back.
"Well... that’s convenient."
The ceremony officially came to an end shortly afterward.
Guests began leaving.
Nobles departed.
Representatives returned to their cities.
And before sunset had even arrived, news had already spread throughout Haven’s Edge.
The genius Damon Calloway had awakened a White Core...
But no element.
Meanwhile, another story spread alongside it.
Kane Calloway.
Violet Core.
Purple Storm Lightning.
Future pillar of the Calloway Family.
By nightfall, the city had already chosen which story it preferred.