Keiren could hide many things from many people, but in front of the emperor, he was practically an open book, just as all the people in the empire had to answer to the true owner of this entire territory. This was the perfect opportunity for Kayden to get out of this family and start developing at a much faster speed. He could reach the third realm whenever he wanted, just waiting for the right moment to correct his mistakes.
The place where everything would take place was the emperor’s seat, a colossal city suspended 100 kilometers above the ground, so high that its buildings projected beyond the clouds. Imagine a floating city that defies logic itself, suspended in the air, with towers that pierce the sky and bridges of magical energy that connect the buildings, allowing residents to travel between different areas without ever touching the ground.
The city’s architecture is both magnificent and menacing. The buildings are decorated with living gargoyles, whose eyes follow passers-by with a watchful gaze, ready to attack at any sign of danger. The streets are wide and paved with blocks of polished obsidian, reflecting the greenish glow of the magic lanterns suspended from wrought-iron poles. At the heart of the city stands the emperor’s palace, an impenetrable fortress with high walls reinforced by protective spells that repel any attempted invasion.
The sky above the city is perpetually shrouded in black clouds and greenish lightning, which dance at regular intervals as if the atmosphere itself were charged with magical energy. Below the clouds, a dense fog shrouds the base of the city, obscuring the view of the distant ground and giving the impression that the city is floating on an ocean of vapor. The air is heavy, heavy with the smell of ozone and a constant sense of impending doom.
Despite the oppressive atmosphere, the city is vibrant and full of life. Floating markets sell magical artifacts, exotic ingredients, and mystical creatures captured from distant worlds. The public squares are training grounds for the empire’s warriors, where duels of dark magic take place under the supervision of the masters of darkness. The residents, dressed in long black robes, walk in silence, aware of the constant surveillance of the emperor and his minions. This is a place where brute force and magical power rule, and only the strongest survive to serve the emperor and perpetuate his rule over the world below.
The imperial academy was located at one end of the city and followed the same decor as the rest, made entirely of black stone and decorated with gargoyles with menacing light green eyes. Only the best teachers in the empire were housed here. About 100 people passed through there each year, an incredibly small number considering that there were about 1 billion invitations. All of the teachers were in the fifth kingdom, and even the weakest of them had the strength of a high-level noble.
Few in the Harner family had any hope that Kayden would pass, as the world of the imperial academy seemed far away to them. Even if Kayden had great talent, it was not particularly visible. Only mages with seven or eight rays, an incredibly rare thing, could pass. Eight rays was practically a one-time occurrence every decade, while nine rays had never been seen before. Kayden, according to his account, passed the ascension process with only five rays. Although he was talented, this made the patriarch wary of his endless devotion to Kayden. Even so, the entire family went to the capital, as a direct invitation was not to be refused.
Kayden meditated the whole way and didn’t even pay attention to his surroundings. In a moment, he found himself in front of a huge maze. The first test was very simple, eliminating 99% of all competitors. All they had to do was pass through the maze, located below the city, to enter it. It was simple for most people, but not for a ten-year-old child with normal development. Those who couldn’t do it were eliminated right away, without knowing the other stages. Keiren wished Kayden good luck and flew with the rest of the family to the other side.
"Shall we enter together?" Beside Kayden were two other family members who had also received the invitation. The minimum age was ten, but the maximum was twenty, so many ended up trying more than once.
"No." Kayden stepped into the labyrinth made of endless black walls, disappearing without any help from his cousins. It wasn’t hard for him to understand what was happening there. It was simply a ball of mana that needed to be unwound until it reached the tip and continued to the next point. To Kayden, this was practically a child’s joke. He needed to make a good impression to receive the direct invitation and...
"Hey! What’s that kid doing? Is he cheating?" The judges started pointing at Kayden and whispering to each other. Kayden simply broke the skeins of yarn and followed their ends. The maze should have taken at least an hour at the fastest time, but Kayden made it to the end in an incredible five minutes, flying at top speed, a milestone and a record never before seen.
"Who is he?"
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"Which family did this monster come from?"
The onlookers began to whisper as they waited for Kayden to join his family. To the surprise of many, he was merely part of a high-ranking noble family in a mid-ranking city, nothing special. To everyone, it was obvious that Kayden was the greatest treasure that this family had produced in its entire history. In just a few seconds, the boy’s name became known to everyone, and his presence even overshadowed that of one of the greatest geniuses that this planet had ever seen.
Lucas Jardem hoped to be the first to finish this race with a completely insane new record of half an hour, he was an authentic eight-ray wizard, something unique among all.
Most expected that he would be abducted by the gods, but contact with the outside world was pretty bad, this world was practically growing in an empty way and without any observation at that moment.