Chapter 53: Chapter53-The Allure of a Genius
By this time, Victor had arrived at the location of the Red Glove Squad.
He looked around and then frowned slightly, "The newbie came here? Where is he?"
The "newbie" referred to John, who was still an apprentice member of Hidden Stars and thus didn't have a code name.
Until his induction, he would be referred to as "the newbie."
Victor's talent allowed him to sense the aura of others, and John's aura was particularly distinctive, making it easy for Victor to detect that John had been there.
Upon mentioning John, Old Dog and the others exchanged glances, unsure how to broach the subject.
Seeing their hesitance, Victor seemed to grasp something. His expression darkened as he asked, "Did the newbie die?"
Old Dog was taken aback, realizing Victor might have misunderstood, and quickly stepped forward to explain, "The newbie is fine; he just went into the trial..."
As he spoke, Old Dog bowed deeply, filled with remorse, "I'm sorry, Captain. We couldn't keep an eye on him."
Although Victor might seem aloof, they all knew he was very protective of his team members; he just never expressed it openly.
Old Dog expected Victor to reprimand them for not taking good care of the newbie.
To their surprise, Victor merely fell silent for a moment, then hummed in acknowledgment without further inquiry.
Victor seemed not at all worried about John facing any harm inside, confident in his abilities.
The team members exchanged glances, seeing both surprise and understanding in each other's eyes.
Indeed, there was something extraordinary about John.
Otherwise, given Captain Victor's protective nature, he wouldn't be so unconcerned.
His reaction could only mean that John was capable enough to handle whatever monsters he encountered in the trial.
The group was filled with curiosity.
What was so special about John that Captain Victor regarded him so highly?
If they remembered correctly, wasn't he just an ordinary magus?
As they speculated wildly in their minds, the notification that had appeared for Victor's segment popped up again before them.
[An SSS-level evaluation has been achieved in this round of the trial, activating a highlight replay!]
Seeing this notification, everyone was visibly shocked.
Even Victor had only received an S-level evaluation for his trial, and now someone had achieved an SSS-level evaluation, suggesting this individual's talent was even more extraordinary than Victor's!
Eldritch, with a serious expression, said, "An SSS-level evaluation! In my memory, only a few individuals have ever achieved such a rating, and those who survived, without exception, became the top legendary powerhouses of the Federation!"
Baron, fiddling with his ring, squinted and smiled, "I didn't expect that among those we invited this time, there would be such a person. I just wonder which power's prodigy it might be."
Alexander snorted, "Baron, if you dare to poach their talent, be prepared for them to fight you tooth and nail!"
Baron remained silent with a smile.
Albertus, patting his belly, laughed, "If we could really bring such a genius into our family, who cares about fighting? I'd even stake the family tree!"
Baron's expression darkened instantly.
He slapped Albertus on the head, scolding, "You fool, what are you saying? Our House Fairfax already has few heirs, and you talk about staking the family tree? Do you want to exterminate our lineage?"
Baron's slap wasn't hard, and Albertus didn't seem to mind, just giggling foolishly like the silly son of a wealthy landlord.
At that moment, the highlight reel began to play before everyone.
The first scene was a colossal coliseum, where the wind whipped up the sand, creating a storm of dust.
Then the scene shifted, and a figure appeared before everyone's eyes, one that most hadn't anticipated.
He stood tall and straight, clad in the Hidden Stars uniform, wielding a staff, with eyes as vast and brilliant as the stars themselves visible beneath the black mask.
It was John!
A buzz of astonishment spread around those outside the Bones Tower.
Someone exclaimed in shock, "Damn, isn't that the first newbie who went in?"
A person beside him inhaled sharply, "No wonder he dared to enter the trial; it turns out it wasn't just bravery, but confidence!"
Suddenly, someone else realized, whispering, "Those who initially followed him in..."
Hearing this, many wore puzzled expressions.
Although the Hidden Stars' newbie might not be the strongest, he was a top-level super-genius, confident and capable of making a smooth escape unscathed.
But those who followed him were not the same!
An awakener, just emerged from the heritage secret realm, battered and severely injured, opened his eyes to this scene.
His eyes widened, and his breathing became rapid.
Recalling how he was pummeled by monsters in the secret realm, doubting his life choices, and then seeing John's clean and dazzling spear strike taking down the boss, the contrast was stark.
This awakener pointed at John, speechless for a moment, then his eyes rolled back, and he fainted right there!
It showed the immense shock John's performance had inflicted on his tender soul.
Everyone present, including Victor and others, had not anticipated that the person in the highlight reel would be John!
Eldritch, holding his staff, praised, "If I'm not mistaken, that youngster just used a skill fusion technique, and considering his variety of elemental skills, he's likely awakened the hidden class 'Element Magus'. Truly a prodigy with exceptional talent!"
Baron, looking towards Victor, remarked, "We thought having Victor in Hidden Stars was once-in-a-century luck, but who would've thought this year would bring another terrifyingly talented individual! The fortune of Hidden Stars is indeed enviable."
Alexander, watching John wield the light spear, decisively use Shadow Puppet to approach, and then cleanly take down the One-Eyed Lich King with a spear, couldn't help but clap in admiration, "Brilliant! His combat experience and courage are even better than many veterans, definitely a great potential soldier!"
Hearing Alexander's words, Baron and the others rolled their eyes.
With such talent, the kid would be a great prospect in any field, not just as a soldier...
Perhaps hearing Alexander's comment, or noticing Baron's gaze, Victor's calm voice carried over from a distance.
He said evenly, "Are you gentlemen considering poaching from Hidden Stars?"
Though Victor's tone was calm, it contained a hint of sharp, domineering sword intent, causing those who heard his words to stiffen.
When they looked towards Victor, they found he had already placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, seemingly ready to confront the other experts at a moment's notice.
Baron quickly tried to defuse the situation, "Hey, hey, hey, Captain Victor, no need to get worked up. We were just joking around. Hidden Stars is an official Federation entity; how could we possibly dare to poach your people? Please, don't be hasty."
After much coaxing from Baron, Victor finally retracted his hand from the sword hilt.
The others wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads, sensing that Victor had been seriously ready to act, not just bluffing.
A top-tier genius was indeed worth such a reaction from him!
Victor withdrew his gaze, admiring the textbook-level mastery of timing and adaptability displayed in the battle before him.
He couldn't help but be impressed. Although Victor, relying on his own talent, knew John was extraordinary, he hadn't anticipated John's talent to be of such a high caliber.
This time, they really had stumbled upon a treasure!
Meanwhile, in the crowd, the strong man with a goatee beard watched John's figure, his eyes filled with contemplation, pondering something unknown.
...
John, having proceeded to the second level, was naturally unaware of the situation outside. After clicking [Proceed to next level], a portal appeared before him.
Stepping through the portal, John found himself in a vast desert.
The sky was filled with swirling sands, and the endless expanse of the desert was devoid of life, save for the dried-up weeds and the bleached bones of unidentifiable animals.
The 12 blood suns that once adorned the sky had disappeared, replaced by a single massive crimson sun.
John could even make out the solar flares on its surface.
This colossal sun, with its rolling flames, seemed to take up half the sky, radiating intense heat that scorched all beings within this realm.
After just a brief moment, John began to feel his mouth dry and his tongue parched.
"-1!" "-1!" "-1!"...
Every second, a damage number would appear above John's head.
Simultaneously, a notification appeared before John's eyes.
[You have entered "Burning Sands." The second level of the trial is about to begin. Please prepare yourself!]
As the notification faded, whirlwinds suddenly arose in the desert.
Countless grains of sand were lifted by the fierce winds, forming a sandstorm in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, the rate at which damage numbers appeared above John's head nearly doubled!
"-1!" "-1!" "-1!"...
While individual grains of sand posed no threat, when countless grains were swept up by the hurricane, they instantly became sharp weapons.