For forty‑eight relentless hours, the courtyard of Arden’s palace became akin to a crucible where the old world had finally died, and the new one revealed its first truths.
After Neon’s command, the nobles stepped forward one by one, their faces lit by lantern‑fire and the pale glow of the towering white pillars that rose like monoliths.
The massive computer—an intricate machine of wires and wide screens—stood at the center, its purpose simple: measure strength, speed, and the limits of human evolution.
Although their training spanned a full two days, the initial portion was surprisingly brief, wrapping up in less than a single morning.
As Samuel More, the kingdom’s scholar, wrapped up his explanation of how everything functioned, he began summoning the first of the nobles.
From the shadows beyond the testing line, Neon, the King, Lea, and the Advisor observed in silence, their faces unmoving as they watched the man step forward toward the pillar.
The only directions given to the man were to hit it with a plain punch, nothing fancy.
The noble complied, taking in a deep breath and moving forward with the careful hesitation of someone convinced that the world still played by its usual rules.
The moment his knuckles grazed the pillar, the massive monolith shattered into pieces…
and that was just the start of what they began to uncover.
One by one, the nobles were called forth.
Each stepped up, delivered a blow to the next pillar, and each time the result was the same—destruction so absolute that before long, the courtyard looked less like a place of trials and more like the aftermath of a fierce battle.
Not only that…
the massive supercomputer became utterly useless early on.
After taking so many hits that the computer couldn’t even begin to register them, it became overwhelmed and shut down before it could properly track anything.
But for Atlas and Neon, by the end of that first hour, one fact was crystal clear: every noble there had strength so natural, so effortless, that no human-made machine could ever hope to measure it.
When strength proved immeasurable, they turned to speed.
Samuel set up markers across the courtyard, all linked to an emergency tablet.
Once everything was in place, he called over the first runner—a young noblewoman—and told her to dash to the far end and back.
She gave a determined nod, planting her feet clumsily, like someone who had never run a day in her life.
However, as soon as she launched forward, an explosive burst of force erupted beneath her, splintering the stone and tearing through the ground.
The shockwave ripped across the courtyard, demolishing the computer in an instant and knocking everyone around off balance while a thick cloud of dust and debris swirled through the air.
The noblewoman herself vanished in a streak of light, reappearing at the far end with terror and exhilaration etched across her face.
In that moment, in less than two hours, it was clear that speed, like strength, was beyond comprehension.
It was beyond anything Atlas had ever imagined, even in the wildest stories he’d read…
especially for beings who had only just gained their powers.
With the machines in ruins and the courtyard in shambles, Neon stepped forward to propose the next test.
If strength and speed surpassed mortal comprehension, his thoughts drifted toward the fantastical.
He remembered the Status compared stage-one life forms to Demi-God beings; not only that…
apparently they could all fly.
With that in mind, it was time for some practical testing.
At Neon’s command, a noble cautiously stepped forward, moving with uncertainty, lifting his hands as though expecting wings to suddenly spread from his back.
Instead, his body began to lift—slowly, awkwardly, swaying like a newborn creature taking its first, unsteady steps into the world.
And of course, once one person tried it, everyone else followed suit.
Before long, after the first noble took to the air, dozens of figures were floating above the courtyard, robes billowing as their faces shifted between awe and disbelief.
And in that moment, as nobles hovered beneath the lantern‑lit sky, it was as if Neon felt the world shift again.
This marked the official start of their true testing, the phase that consumed most of their time and focus.
With the newfound knowledge that they could all fly, Neon decided to relocate not far from the main capital of Arden, settling instead in a quiet, secluded forest where they could focus and test their power without restriction.
—- After a brief yet eventful flight, the group arrived in a quiet clearing deep within the forest.
The nobles clustered together beneath the towering pines, their flowing robes sweeping over the soft moss and scattering the fallen leaves with each step.
At the front stood Lucien and Maylene, Alan and Alice, Duchess Moria, Duke Rockelle, Lord Shanks, and Samuel.
Behind them trailed the rest of Arden’s most prominent families, numbering fifty in all.
Neon stood at the front alongside King Arden, Princess Lea, Atlas, and the Chief Advisor.
With their backs to the nobles, the five spoke in hushed tones as the forest breeze whispered through the branches above.
“Neon,” King Arden spoke as he broke the silence first, “So…
does any of this align with your expectations?” Neon tilted his head just a bit, his red gaze wandering lazily over the treeline.
Before he could get a word out, Atlas burst into laughter…
one loud, unfiltered, and tinged with sheer disbelief.
“Hell no…
I didn’t even expect this kind of power,” he said as his laughter slowly faded.
“Man, I thought we were in for some Solo Leveling stuff…
You know, monsters, dungeons, leveling up bit by bit.” He gestured toward the nobles behind them.
“But this?
I’m not sure what to think.” It wasn’t exactly uncommon for beings to become much stronger and faster than ordinary humans once they got their first taste of power—after all, that was the whole point.
But what really caught Atlas off guard was discovering that everyone could fly, and they seemed to master it almost instantly, as if it were just a natural extension of running.
Lea’s white eyes shifted back and forth between Neon and Atlas, narrowing with a blend of curiosity and doubt.
“Tell me how,” she said, her voice laced with challenge, “Atlas is supposed to be useful here.” The words lingered in the air, drawing the King’s and the Advisor’s gaze to Neon as they waited for his reply.
“Well,” Neon said with a smile and a shrug, “if anyone knows what to test… it’s Atlas.” Atlas grinned and casually threw an arm around Neon’s shoulders, only to be pushed away with a sharp breath as Neon brushed invisible dust from his clothes.
“Brother…
you’re way too close.” King Arden laughed, his voice echoing through the trees.
“If Neon is backing Atlas,” he said, “then it’s fine.” With the King’s go-ahead, Atlas clapped his hands together in excitement.
CLAPPP!!!!!
BOOOOOM!!!!!!
In that instant, the sound tore through the air like a thunderclap from a God, making the nobles flinch and cover their ears.
Even Atlas blinked in surprise, absently rubbing the back of his head.
“Umm… I definitely didn’t see that coming,” he muttered under his breath.
His gaze shifted to Neon, eyes narrowing with sudden focus, his demeanor turning sharp and calculating.
“The most important thing we need to figure out,” he said, “is the difference between Essence… and Authority.” Neon opened his mouth to respond, to call forward a noble, but Atlas raised a hand, stepping ahead with a confident smile.
“No need.
I’ll be the test dummy.” He stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders, the forest around him holding its breath.
Then, without a hint of warning or the slightest signal, Atlas spun toward the towering mountain and threw a punch…
BOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!
At the force of Atlas’s punch, the mountain did not merely shake—it convulsed, as though something ancient beneath its roots had been struck awake.
The punch landed with a force that rippled through stone and Earth alike, and the entire mountainside began to spiderweb with fractures.
The nobles reacted instantly, instinct overriding thought.
In that moment, they all began to ascend into the air in a chaotic rush, robes snapping in the wind as the mountain finally gave way.
RUMBBBLEEEEEE!!!!!
With a roar like the death cry of the world itself, the entire structure exploded, collapsing into a storm of boulders, dust, and pulverized Earth that surged outward in a violent wave.
“Atlas…
you idiot!” Neon said, gritting his teeth as he rose into the sky with the others.