Chapter 142: Chapter 142: All Gathered to Witness

As his words echoed, Aelira and the rest suddenly furrowed their brows in thought.

"Breakthrough?" Aelira muttered, lost in thought. After seeing a glimpse of all his monstrous feats, she had almost forgotten he was just an E-rank being.

Which was just astounding as she looked back. Inhaling sharply, she took a step back to appraise the figure once more. Another thought took root.

If he was already this strong while at E-rank, what about when he took the leap to D-rank? Amber and the rest seemed to share her train of thought.

Slowly shifting their attention back to the black-robed figure, they couldn’t help but sigh helplessly. The gap between them was already massive. Now it was just getting bigger.

But not for long. Amber mused, her breath growing heavy. She wouldn’t be left behind for long. That aside, a tinge of curiosity glinted across her eyes.

Wondering how a breakthrough of a figure such as him would unfold.

"Can I come?" Aelira muttered as she slowly found her breath. Being a D-rank, she understood the full process of breaking through. Which, if gone wrong, could turn fatal.

"Yes... I must... I have to." She continued, not waiting for him to reply. She would protect him as he advanced to D-rank. "I’m coming with you." She finally declared.

Unable to shake off the thought taking root at the back of her mind. She had seen how he had managed to acquire a super advanced version of her Raging Bull talent.

Once it bloomed into an art... maybe she could pick up a few insights to polish hers even more. The opportunity was too enticing to let go of so easily.

"I’m coming too." Amber chimed in, her figure rushing forward to tug at his arm tightly as if afraid of being left behind.

"Me too."

"Hmm, I’ve never seen anybody break into D-rank. Can I come too?"

Hearing their excited voices and eyes filled with curiosity, Ulric sighed quietly before nodding. A faint smile stretching across his lips.

Seeing the gesture, excited squeals echoed out before they rushed off to clean up, coming back after a little while and breaking into an endless chatter.

"I heard when one breaks into D-rank their strength increases at least ten times over."

"Woah... isn’t that incredible... what kind of power will he wield after breaking through?"

"I don’t know... but I bet it’s going to be incredible!"

"I can’t wait to see what the new talents he has will turn into. Will they all bloom into arts?"

"Haha, it’ll be awesome! I don’t think there’s a precedence for dual awakened or more talents before that could explain this. At least not in Tempest."

***

As they made their way, the endless questions only fueled their curiosity as they couldn’t wait to see what Ulric’s strength would turn out to be after his breakthrough.

Calling them exhilarated on his behalf wouldn’t even be an exaggeration.

And as Ulric walked through the Greyson residence alongside Aelira and the rest, his figure caught the attention of many clansmen. Murmurs breaking out before news of his impending breakthrough leaked. Spreading like wildfire across the Greyson Residence and the whole of Tempest City. Not that he was trying to keep it a secret. He had a feeling this time’s breakthrough would be a... little different from his previous ones.

***

"Wait, did you hear what I just heard?"

"That you were caught sneaking around last night..."

"Uh... cough... what do you mean... the other thing. There’s news that the Lord is about to advance from E-rank to D-rank!"

"Huh? Wait... that doesn’t make sense. What do you mean advance to D-rank. Wasn’t the lord a peak D-rank expert all along?" One youth muttered as he gulped audibly.

It was the only feasible explanation to the young Lord’s genius. At least his monstrous strength. There was no way he could ever bring himself to believe the young lord had defeated Thunderblade, a C-rank expert, all while being an E-rank being!

Even for the lord... this was just too impossible. At least they chose to believe that to preserve the last bit of sanity.

Everyone knew the massive gap between an E-rank being and a D-rank. Let alone a C-rank. The power to bridge two realms would be too... unthinkable.

As the youth sank deeper into his thoughts, all motivation to grow stronger fizzled out. All his life had been a lie. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

"Peak D-rank expert my ass! Everyone knows the lord has always been an E-rank monster. That’s just how awesome he is."

"Yeah. Where have you been living this whole time? A rock?"

"Agh, he’s one of those people who measure the lord by normal power standards. Poor bastard."

As the murmurs intensified, they soon spiraled out of control.

At another edge in the battlefield, the figure of a simple-robed youth came into sight. Clutching an intricately curved bow as he sighed quietly.

The murmurs from the crowd filling his ears.

"Haha... interesting." Kaeden chuckled. A wry smile stretching across his face. It was interesting how time passed so fast.

Just a little over a month ago, they had all started their journey to power together.

He had dedicated most of his time to clearing dungeons and doing everything he could to get stronger. Yet now he had only managed to level up to the peak of F-rank.

Something that perhaps others would have praised as beyond impressive before. He didn’t think much about it now. He had been disillusioned as his eyes had been opened to the true path of power. All by one youth who leveled peaks he could only dream of repeatedly.

All of it reminded him of the battle back in the Wolf Den Dungeon with the Sanguine Blood Moon Wolf. The battle had allowed him a wealth of insights. Even influencing part of his battle style.

Ever since, he had been yearning to see more of the lord’s battles. Partly because of his quest to pick up more insights and a bit of curiosity that lingered at the back of his mind. He wanted to see the full extent of the dark-robed youth’s power.

The light in his eyes shone brilliantly at just the thought as a faint smile carved across his lips. Perhaps before it would have been impossible, but now with this occurrence, he could steal a glimpse.

The energy released would be more than enough to tell him. Could he even aspire to it anymore?

At yet another point in the crowd, a girl clutching a huge shield looked up to the black-robed figure making his way out of the crowd to exit the Greyson residence as she mused inwardly.

Even knowing the stars could never be touched, countless still gazed upon them with longing.

She was no different and upon seeing his frame, she couldn’t restrain herself. Following behind him alongside the crowd as they were all eager to witness his breakthrough.

The figures among the crowd grew in number with every passing minute. Soon their numbers exceeded thousands and kept rising.

All gathered to watch the rise of a legend.

As the commotion spread, it soon drew the attention of the elders gathered inside the Grand Hall.

Peering outside, their eyes narrowed upon seeing the figure of a dark-robed youth surrounded by a rapidly growing crowd of thousands.

The chants and murmurs echoing into their ears caused their hearts to almost skip a beat.

Rushing forward, Rysten made his way through the crowd, followed by the Greyson elders and the elders of the forces under them.

Finally appearing before the dark-robed youth, Rysten lowered his head slightly, an uncontainable excitement threatening to break out across his face.

"Is it true what I’m hearing, Lord? Are you pressing for a breakthrough to D-rank?"

If it was just another figure, they wouldn’t have paid much attention to it. But it was the lord. With his insane combat power, once he took the leap, he could only imagine the power he would wield.

The lord’s power was the clan’s power. Even if he were to leave, that would still make them happy as it would guarantee the lord’s safety in his future ventures.

Seeing the dark-robed youth nod slightly, Rysten inhaled sharply, barely suppressing a chuckle from ripping from his throat.

"Good, good, good." He muttered. "Should I disperse the crowd and prepare the clan’s ground for your advancement?"

"No need." Ulric breathed, relaying part of his plans to them.

"Huh?" Rysten’s brows furrowed a little, dumbfounded. The energy raging within the lord was too vast to be contained in the Greyson residence.

If it was other times, he would have discarded it as gibberish nonsense. But this was the young lord. His monstrous feats having no end.

With no doubt forming across his face, the excitement in him only grew, growing just as eager and curious as the crowd behind him to watch the youth advance.

Escorting him to the city gates, the elders kept the crowd behind, preventing any of them from interrupting.

Watching as Ulric walked into the open wastelands, making his way a few thousand meters in before plopping to the ground.

Smiling faintly, Ulric pulled up a bunch of notifications he had pushed away.

[Ding! You have leveled up.]

[Level 49: ...]

[Ding! Congratulations, you have reached peak E-rank and meet all conditions for advancement. Do you wish to evolve?]

<<Yes>> <<No>>

"Yes." Ulric muttered as he clenched his fingers, bracing himself for the evolution.