Chapter Ten: Monster
"Call your superiors. If they don't show up personally to recruit me, then I can only say this… none of you are worthy."
Silence. Absolute silence.
The pressure in the air doubled as the representatives directed their overwhelming auras toward Twilight.
Then, the silence was shattered by the pained groans of several awakeners who collapsed to their knees.
Terror gripped their hearts as they inwardly cursed Twilight for dragging them into his problems. They had only one collective thought about him—insane.
To them, Twilight had to be out of his mind. Only someone with a death wish would speak so rudely to these arrogant cultivators.
Meanwhile, Twilight, the primary target of the crushing pressure, struggled greatly to stay on his feet.
The mounting force threatened to break him, yet he stood his ground, albeit with great difficulty.
Through it all, he maintained a calm smile—a peaceful expression that taunted the representatives, daring them to act.
But none of them moved.
These cultivators weren't mindless brutes. Deep down, they knew Twilight was right. An M-grade potential awakener wasn't something one could claim like a common trinket.
The term 'extremely rare' was an understatement. Those who awakened such potential had limitless futures, making them invaluable assets.
Yet, despite knowing this, the representatives had their own pride. They refused to acknowledge that this mortal—someone they could squash with a sneeze—was speaking the truth.
"Young brat! Watch your mouth, or I'll slice you into countless pieces!" a short, bald man roared in fury.
Twilight sneered while asking:
"Do you dare?"
"Y-you!" The man's face flushed with rage as he trembled violently, his fists clenching and unclenching in barely restrained fury.
Twilight's gaze swept across the gathered representatives. "Let's stop this farce, shall we?" His voice carried cold confidence, as if he had already seen through their schemes.
In truth, Twilight had been bluffing. But now, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Moments ago, he hadn't been certain how much weight his words held as an M-grade potential awakener.
Now, he was sure.
These representatives had only been trying to intimidate him. If they truly dared to harm him, their superiors would undoubtedly have them skinned alive.
Of course, they couldn't touch him until he picked a sponsor. The moment he rejected them, all bets were off.
However, Twilight noticed a flaw in their tactics.
If he chose a sponsor, how could one representative protect him from the hostility of all the others?
The answer was simple: reinforcements. A high-ranking figure from each faction had likely escorted their representative, waiting in the shadows to intervene if necessary.
But Twilight wanted them to show up. And what better excuse than demanding their presence in person?
His gamble relied on two factors:
One was that the representatives would not take immediate action to kill him.
While the second relied on their fear of angering their own superiors.
The bald man's barely concealed frustration confirmed his suspicions—his bluff had worked.
A sinister idea formed in Twilight's mind, and a slight smirk crept onto his lips.
"I'll give you all ten minutes," he declared. "Call your superiors. If they don't show up personally within that time, I'll deem you all insincere and choose a sponsor from the Central Continent."
He paused for effect, then added while grinning:
"After all, Earth's Ruler can provide far more resources and aid than any of your backwater sects or kingdoms."
With that, Twilight shook off Wilson's grip from his shoulder and sat down, closing his eyes.
---
Twilight's words left the representatives speechless.
Not only had he just casually revealed that even Earth's Ruler wanted him, but he had also insulted their factions—calling them backwater.
They wanted to lash out, to threaten him into submission, but they knew it would be futile.
Their eyebrows twitched in frustration. These were high-ranking envoys, cultivators who commanded fear wherever they went. Yet, they found themselves utterly helpless… against a sixteen-year-old boy.
They had controlled the conversation up until now. But in the blink of an eye, the balance shifted.
Instead of an overconfident youth, Twilight now felt like a scheming old monster.
But they had no choice. One by one, they activated their communication devices, relaying Twilight's challenge to their superiors.
---
"Haha. What an interesting lad."
A soothing, melodic voice rippled through the air, sending a chill down the spines of everyone present.
"However, why ten minutes? I'm already here. So, you'll be coming with me, right?"
Twilight's eyes snapped open.
He wasn't the only one. The representatives and other awakeners frantically scanned the skies, searching for the source of the voice.
Then, they saw her.
Floating above them was a red-haired woman, her golden-embroidered robe fluttering in the wind. Her warm amber eyes glowed with unconcealed interest, and the gentle smile on her lips sent shivers down the crowd's spines.
'Flame Empress!'
Twilight's stomach dropped.
Never in his worst nightmares did he expect her to be the superior sent by the Fiery Phoenix Sect.
A cold sweat broke out across his skin. The worst-case scenario had just unfolded.
No one in the Red Dragon Empire was ignorant of the Flame Empress's reputation.
She was overbearing. She never took no for an answer.
Now that she had personally appeared, many of the weaker representatives immediately abandoned their cause and fled.
Only those from the strongest backgrounds remained, frantically urging their own superiors to hurry. If they didn't, no one would be able to stop the Flame Empress if she decided to rampage.
"What do you say, young one?" she asked Twilight, her smile disarmingly warm as she slowly descended.
"Want me to be your sponsor? Don't worry about benefits. I know plenty of experts who could tutor you, ones capable of raising your combat prowess to the next level. Surviving the entry phase of the Astral Realm would be a breeze."
Twilight gulped, his back drenched in sweat.
No matter how he looked at it, he had no choice.
And the guarantee of surviving the entry phase of the Astral Realm… was a temptation he couldn't ignore.
Just as he opened his mouth to respond, a sudden pulse of energy flashed in his vision.
His eyes flickered with a tint of purple as a soft whisper echoed in his mind:
[Activating passive innate ability: Omniscient God's Eye]
[Locking on target…]
[Target locked.]
[Revealing accessible information…]
[Name: Alice]
[Innate Name: Flames of Sorrow]
[Race: Human]
[Potential: S+]
[Cultivation Base: Fifth Stage Magic King…]
Twilight's breath hitched.
The Sovereign System had just identified the Flame Empress… and for the first time since awakening, he truly understood the weight of the situation.
He was standing before a monster.
***
A/N: Thanks to you all who have supported this book till now. We're at the tenth chapter and though it's a small achievement, it has still been ten days since we began this journey. Please keep supporting the book while you can, and comment on some ideas of the story so I can know.