**CHAPTER 2:GRADES**
Damon looked into the mirror as he got ready for his awakening ceremony, an important event that occurred when children turned ten to reveal their bloodline grade. He felt a wave of excitement at the prospect of meeting peers his age he was ten but looked fifteen.
"Emily, we need to leave now," he called out as he rushed to his sister's room.
In response, Emily threw a slipper at him, exclaiming, "Can't you respect a woman's privacy?" She displayed an unusual strength for someone who was twenty years old. Emily had the unique ability to see various creatures from the abyss and summon them into the physical world, all of which were bound to obey her commands. Damon chuckled at this, appreciating the uniqueness of his family.
"What has my handsome devil so cheerful?" Dora asked cheerfully as she approached her son, requesting that he sit down so she could help him tie his long black hair.
"Just don't cause too much trouble for your sister," she added, her tone slightly concerned.
"Don't worry, Mama; your son couldn't hurt a fly,"
he assured her, while the household staff prepared for any potential chaos.
"I wish you would behave as you claim you will,"
Emily interjected as she entered the room, looking more beautiful than ever. Together, she and Damon got ready to leave the manor as their grandfather, Thomas, approached them, wishing them good luck before he attended to a beast herd that needed his attention. After saying their goodbyes, they made their way to the demon beast shelter, where they encountered a creature known as the Mist Eater. These beings resembled ravens and were famous for their incredible escape skills. As they moved forward, Damon noticed his father watching him from the battle room. A slight nod from Damon provided his father with reassurance.
As the siblings journeyed together, Emily asked,
"Damon, why do I always sense an overwhelming confidence in you as if no challenge is too great? You could have dodged the slipper I threw earlier, but you chose to take it head-on. Why?"
Damon looked at his sister and replied, "Don't you have other things to focus on instead of prying into my secrets?"He then turned away, disregarding her presence. The journey spanned two days, during which he was determined to fully embrace the experience, feeling a profound connection within his spirit sea. This was his inaugural encounter in this realm, and it was nothing short of extraordinary. His spirit sea was a vivid red, dominated by a central willow tree, with scattered skulls surrounding it. A wave of joy washed over him, knowing that his most treasured possession had accompanied him into this dimension. In that moment, he understood he had everything necessary to claim his power.
As the two days concluded, they arrived at the ceremony, where they were met with disdainful glances. Damon was unsettled by the way they regarded him and felt a surge of anger and disrespect. He was on the verge of unleashing his ancient aura upon the crowd when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he was confronted by a stout figure, a boy from the Buddha clan, whose aura suggested he could one day rival Damon's strength. "Should I eliminate him now?" Damon pondered, as the urge to kill intensified within him. Yet, he recognized that allowing the boy to live might jeopardize his future plans. In his mind, he had envisioned the boy's demise countless times, but the multitude of eyes on them held him back.
"Hello, friend! I am Pyo from the Ruthless Buddha Clan," he said, beaming with a welcoming smile. Despite the friendly demeanor, Damon could sense the boy's underlying hostility. Fear coursed through Pyo, urging him to flee, yet he had already committed to forging a connection with Damon.
"I am Damon Rim from the Void Dragon Clan," he replied, reciprocating the smile as they took their seats. Pyo's thoughts were consumed by the word "DEVIL" as he distanced himself, eager to keep a safe space between them.
While waiting for the ceremony to commence, Damon observed his peers. He noted that they were all exceptionally gifted, totaling twenty o children present. Among them, four hailed from the ten prestigious families, eight were from prominent clans, and the remaining eight were of unknown lineage. Activating his heavenly wheel eyes, Damon sensed the origins of each individual. He recognized that one boy from a great clan shared a bloodline with his own family. He felt an urge to approach him, but his sister's hand on his arm restrained him, signaling him to stay put.
"During the fall of the Void Dragon Clan, our people were captured. They were tortured, killed, and their bloodlines were drained and shared among the larger clans," Emily stated calmly, trying not to draw attention. However, Damon was filled with rage.
"How could they do such a thing to our people?!"
Pyo shivered as his gaze met Damon's, instantly aware that the source of his unease was Damon himself. Understanding that the stout Buddha had recognized him as well as some other formidable experts, Damon retracted his heavenly wheel, choosing to observe the unfolding events with caution. Emily started explaining to him the Grades of bloodline known in Aoki continent
- White, recognized as the weakest Grade.
- Green, acknowledged as a common Grade.
- Blue, regarded as a rare Grade.
- Grey, classified as a special Grade.
- Gold, considered a domain Grade.
- Red, considered as Ancestor.
"When you walk up the stage please Damon don't drop any heads"Emily pleaded with her brother she didn't want to be in a tight As he walked down to the stage, he simply nodded in response to the crowd's insults that surrounded him.
"Why does he act so superior since his arrival?"
"Does he believe he is some kind of genius?"
"Handsome, but disturbed."
Some individuals regarded him with extreme caution, sensing a shift in the atmosphere as Damon took the stage. He turned to the audience and confidently declared, "Today marks the return of the Void Clan." With that, he dismissed both the participants and spectators from his mind and approached the stone where he was meant to place his hand.
As he glanced at Pyo, who was also undergoing his test, a radiant cyan light illuminated the sky. Everyone was astonished; they had never witnessed such a powerful bloodline before. Just as they were about to celebrate, another beam erupted from Pyo's palm, this time dual in nature, with the second being a gold grade—an exceptional grade that commanded respect for the ruthless Buddha sect.
Unfazed by his competitor's results, Damon placed his hand on the stone. Suddenly, a red light shot up into the sky, casting everything in a crimson hue, followed by a black beam. "What is happening here?" Damon wondered, feeling an intense energy surging within him. Then, his entire being erupted with a golden beam, flooding the sky with its brilliance.
"How can a demon like him possess such immense power?" shouted a boy from the Lin family. He was of gold and grey grade and was consumed by anger. Despite his family's gift of Void Dragon blood, he had only managed to unlock gold, while his primary grade remained grey. Consumed by jealousy, he longed to eliminate Damon and claim his bloodline.