Chapter 232: Probing Information
"Your talent is amazing. To think that you are the person behind the creation of the gathering techniques... Isn’t that right, Sunlight?"
"!!!" Auric certainly didn’t expect this topic would come up in this discussion. It was no wonder Chief Lucas had made sure that no one heard about it.
Lindwurm gasped. "Are we exposed already?"
"First of all, to be able to reach that level at your age requires a very strong sensitivity. This sensitivity can be trained, but it’s also a talent that you get from birth.
"That’s why I know that your sensitivity is innate. After reading your research, I realize that your sensitivity is something else.
"The Sun Store also appeared around the time you became an evolution master. This was more than enough for me to conclude that you are the person who made the gathering techniques possible.
"The Sun Store only published the rank 2 gathering techniques recently, but after checking your record, especially the time you were acknowledged as a silver-grade evolution master, it’s easy to link them up.
"In other words, before you became a silver-grade evolution master, the Sun Store didn’t produce a rank 2 gathering technique because it couldn’t. Your sensitivity was upgraded alongside your power. You could produce a rank 3 gathering technique... only after you evolved one more time. Isn’t that right?
"Now, this is a question. There is contradictory information about you. In the record, the awakening ceremony didn’t show anything about you having awakened an avatar. However, you claimed that you possessed a unique element.
"Those two created a contradiction. If it were the former, I was wondering how you could evolve at all. This was the first time someone didn’t awaken an avatar even when everyone, no matter how untalented they were, managed to become one.
"If it were the latter, it was a bit confusing because the ceremony should at least recognize your avatar. If it were an avatar that specialized in hiding things and somehow fooled everyone, it would be good at hiding, not all elements."
Lindwurm gasped. "This old man can realize all that? I guess he has that position for a reason."
Auric thought for a moment. Should he tell him the truth, or should he play dumb about it?
Auric shook his head. "You overpraised me. I was just doing my best under my teacher’s guidance."
Chief Lucas smiled as if understanding that was how Auric wanted to play it. "Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Very well. You don’t have to worry about this secret. I’m probably the only one who can realize this because of the unfiltered information that I receive as the supreme chief.
"However, I have locked all that information or presented it in a way that they won’t be able to reach the same conclusion. At the very least, this will buy you some time to grow.
"If I release that kind of information, I don’t know how messy your life will become. Something must have happened to you recently. If not, General Lunaria wouldn’t have escorted you personally.
"Even when they haven’t realized your identity, your life is already this messy. So, I can’t imagine how hard it will be for you once people know about this. It will be hard to hide your brilliance, so it’s just a means to stall for time.
"Use that time wisely and grow to the point where you won’t have to be bothered by it anymore."
Chief Lucas’s treatment was definitely the kind of treatment to nurture talent. It didn’t have to be him. He would protect the evolution masters.
Auric nodded carefully. "I thank you for doing so much."
"Not at all." Chief Lucas raised one finger. "Do you have anything you’d like to ask? It doesn’t matter if it’s a request or a question."
Auric thought for a moment before shaking his head. "None. If it’s a question, I will find a way to discover the answer myself. If it’s a request, I will just have to handle it myself."
"Very good. You’re not dependent on others. I don’t have to worry about your growth then." Chief Lucas raised two fingers. "However, I want to give you a piece of advice."
"Please."
"Although I don’t know about your circumstances, I will tell you my opinion regarding your condition. It looks like you intend to become a strong person. Most evolution masters choose to abandon that path because it’s dangerous.
"I can tell you how dangerous it is as someone who has reached this level. At the same time, it’s because this path is dangerous that you need to know a flaw in your condition."
"A flaw?" Auric raised his eyebrows. He wondered what kind of flaw Chief Lucas planned to point at. He intended to learn from it and correct that flaw.
"Yes. If you actually possess a unique-element avatar, that would be good. After all, if you are the person behind the gathering techniques, you can definitely reach the top.
"After all, I’m sure you can create a unique-element gathering technique. I have investigated the people around you. Milinda Kompo, Ellia Stroph Astler... Ellia Stroph Astler could fool everyone by using artifacts, but Milinda Kompo searched for people who could help her evolve due to her condition.
"The fact that these two evolved and now stand beside you was more than enough to tell me that you are a unique-element evolution master.
"If you help one more person, people will start suspecting it. If that is not your intention, then please stop showing that you are a unique evolution master. Instead, you should create a mysterious persona that will help other people without them meeting you.
"This will hide that identity for a while."
Chief Lucas was spot-on. He truly did it in such a way that his identity wasn’t exposed. He had done it with Maya this whole time, so it was safe. But eventually, rumors would be created.
"In that case, how about this?" Chief Lucas raised one finger. "I will officially create your unique-element evolution master identity. This way, people will believe you.
"However, I will lock this information at the highest level. This means only the president of this country and I can access that information.
"Still, all tests require proof. So, I will need a unique-element gathering technique as proof. But because this information is locked, no one will know it. If that information is ever revealed, I can just show that gathering technique."
"This..." Auric looked down, contemplating.
"Are you worried that the president will know about it? And if he knows about it, you will be growing in luxury that you won’t be able to improve as you like anymore.
"You don’t have to worry about that. I have warned the president not to search anything regarding Sunlight. Besides, that guy usually asks his subordinates to find other people’s information.
"Meanwhile, this kind of information can only be accessed by the code granted to me and the president. That way, unless he’s specifically searching for your information, he won’t know about you."
Chief Lucas was willing to go that far for him. As he said, the president of this country wouldn’t search for his information directly. He would just instruct his subordinates to handle the problem.
Still, Auric had to reject this proposal. "While it’s good, I think it’s best for me to stay like this for the time being."
"Very well. I don’t intend to force you into something you don’t want to do. Whether it’s a mistake or not, we won’t know until it happens anyway. However, this offer is still valid as long as I’m still the supreme chief. I guess this offer will remain for about nine to ten years." Chief Lucas chuckled.
"I thank you for thinking so highly of me." Auric smiled. Chief Lucas, despite his position, felt like someone he could talk to.
"That’s right. There is also the second possibility, right? The possibility of you not awakening an avatar. This is the flaw I’m talking about. If you truly didn’t awaken an avatar in the awakening ceremony, you would soon face a wall.
"As you know, there are seven formal forms of the avatars: Baby, Juvenile, Adult, Mature, Senior, Elder, and Ascendant.
"A baby-form avatar allows you to access magical energy and elements. Once that avatar evolves to juvenile form, that power fully assimilates with your body, resulting in your element’s intensity increasing by approximately five times.
"There is research on this. People estimate the reason it’s five times more is that humans possess five senses. We have five senses, so each sense is enhanced. Why do people think this way?
"It’s because of the adult-form avatar. Once your avatar evolves to this level, your senses will be directly enhanced. If the previous evolution is called assimilation, this process is called integration. The avatar fully integrates with your body.
"After this, your flaws will become apparent." Chief Lucas turned grim. "If your avatar evolves to the mature form, there is a process called transformation.
"Now that your avatar is fully integrated with your body, you can access more of its power in this form.
"You have probably seen people suddenly transform a part of their bodies. Those transformed parts will closely resemble their avatars."
"!!!" Auric raised his head. He had definitely seen it.
"Of course, people can also transform those parts into something like armor or something else. By borrowing that power, you can enhance your power to a whole new level. However, if you don’t have an avatar, it means you won’t be able to access that power, which will make you significantly weaker than your peers."
Auric thought for a moment. ’Now that I think about it, he mentioned something about senses... When I evolved my element, the best I could do was see through something if I squinted my eyes. I couldn’t exactly say that this was the enhancement of a proper evolution.
’I thought it would change after I evolved all my elements... but would it really change?’
If that continued, it meant that his only advantage was the fact that he had multiple elements.
In this way, people could say, ’God is fair.’ After all, he had overwhelming talents with all those elements, but he couldn’t access the power from the avatar.
"After that, you will be able to manifest your own avatar into the real world, which allows it to fight alongside you or even become a beacon to empower your abilities. Have you seen it?"
Auric had the recording about the Lightning Emperor’s avatar. It was definitely overwhelming. His avatar enhanced his power, allowing him to crush all beasts that were trying to enter the city.
"Yes."
"Last but not least, Fusion. Once your avatar reaches the elder form, you can fuse with your own avatar. You can think of it as combining the ’Transformation’ and the ’Manifestation.’
"With a mature-form avatar, you can transform it, while a senior-form avatar allows you to manifest it. Combining them will allow you to fuse with your avatar fully."
Auric had seen that power with his own eyes.
Mathias combined with his phoenix avatar. That power could only be described as overwhelming. It was no wonder that a single rank 6 human was more than enough to create a powerful family.
"Well, there is one more level above that, but right now, there are only 7 humans who have reached that level."
Auric nodded.
"That’s all I want to say to you. If you don’t have any questions for me, I guess that’s it. Unless you want to accompany an old man like me with a light chat..." Chief Lucas smiled.
Auric thought for a moment before saying, "I apologize. I have promised to open my store, so I will do that."
"That is fine with me as well." Chief Lucas nodded. "In that case, good luck to you."
"Yes. Thank you for everything, Chief Lucas." Auric smiled politely.
"Not at all. It was a very productive conversation for me as well." Chief Lucas stood up, leading Auric outside.
Auric and Lunaria bid farewell to Chief Lucas and left the association.
Chief Lucas smiled. It was indeed a productive conversation for him. Despite showing his support, he was also probing Auric for information.
"I see. That kid doesn’t have a teacher... at least, one that belongs to this system, judging from his reaction. However, he might have someone who teaches him. One thing is certain. That kid is Sunlight, and he is also a unique-element evolution master. Judging from his reaction alone, he is someone who possesses no avatar, but he might be able to wield all elements, merely disguising them as a unique element.
"It was a very productive conversation. I guess I will see him around." Chief Lucas chuckled as he walked back to his office.
