Awakening (5)

Alex stepped back and waited for the display to indicate his power level; the higher the scale climbed, the more his heart raced.

As if by prior agreement, everyone present who was paying attention to Alex's group held their breath in nervous anticipation.

Was Alexander going to produce another miracle? Or was he going to be a flop? The tension on the floor grew as silence permeated the entire space.

Finally, the result arrived, and the first reaction of everyone observing was… "Eh?"

[647 units]

'647 units!'

Indeed, everyone was taken aback by the result. Was the machine broken? Some people wondered, their expression portraying how they felt.

Alex was utterly flabbergasted. After all, he had anticipated a normal result, and if he were being hopeful, at least something close to the results Julia achieved. 

But this… this was beyond their expectations! 

Alex turned to the instructor behind him and asked, "Em… Is this thing broken?" His words broke the instructor out of his reverie.

The instructor gazed at Alex with a puzzled smile before approaching the machine to inspect it. He had no words to tell the boy, as he was equally confused.

Everyone watching the instructor's actions held their breath anxiously, awaiting the verdict. They found it difficult to believe that such a result could be produced by a newly awakened.

The instructor quickly completed his check, looked back at Alex, and shook his head. "The machine is perfectly fine." he stated, unsure of himself.

Even now, the audience observing the event were too astonished to respond. They heard what the instructor said, but that only rendered it absurd. 

If the machine wasn't broken, did that mean the boy was that powerful? They wondered if something like that had ever happened before.

"Erm... Can I try again?" Alex proposed, and the instructor had no reason to say no, so he nodded and stepped back.

Alex took his place once more and prepared for another attempt.

Meanwhile, Alex's family, Eein and James glanced at each other. William turned to Eein and asked, "Is what my son recorded that special?"

Hearing his question, Eein thought momentarily before responding, "Mr. Gray, the result Alex produced is unheard of.

No one, at least publicly, has ever exceeded the set limit for the F-Class. What's even more astonishing is that his strength has reached the initial levels of an E-Class level."

He completed, to which William, Sarah and Olivia gasped in shock.

"Wow, I never thought my brother would be such a genius," Olivia commented on the side with a smile, happy for her brother's achievement.

"He's making another attempt, so we'd know if it was a fluke or a genuine result," Eein added, and silence fell once more on the floor as everyone paid close attention.

Taking another deep breath, Alex threw another punch, generating a small gust of wind as the fist moved forward. When it made contact, the resounding boom reverberated across the floor.

BOOM...!

Alex stepped back, looking up at the display, anxiously waiting for the readings.

Everyone else had varied expressions; some were hopeful, silently cheering for Alex, while others were sceptical about the whole affair, yet still found it interesting enough to pay attention.

[650 units]

"What…?"

It went up!

The thought resonated. As the realisation gradually sank in, there was no longer any room for denial. The evidence lay right before them.

Alexander was confused, and rightly so. He furrowed his brows in thought, considering what could account for this difference in set limits. His mind momentarily wandered to his experience in that dark space.

'No, it couldn't, could it?' he questioned internally. 'But that is the only thing that is different from everyone else.' 

At present, that was the only thing that came to mind, so he merely shrugged and proceeded to the speed test.

Behind him, Ross and Julia exchanged glances, each registering the surprise and shock on the other's face. They turned to Alex as he prepared to take the speed test.

"Is this really happening?" One of the spectators questioned no one in particular.

"This is insane. Does anyone know who he is?" Another person asked.

"I believe I heard him referred to as Alex."

"Alex… Hmm, why does that name sound familiar?" another person pondered before something came to mind. "Wait, do you guys remember the incident a few months back when a student survived a Cosmic Mana Wave?"

Once this question was raised, the people paused to remember the commotion that had occurred some time ago. 

A seemingly ordinary boy named Alexander Gray survived a Cosmic Mana Wave that no one had ever survived before. While most people found it unbelievable, the fact that the boy was alive and well was all the proof they needed.

Regrettably, Alexander declined to engage with any news outlets, and those who tried to approach his home were intercepted by an enigmatic group of hunters.

Consequently, there was no means to reach out and craft a narrative about the miraculous boy, leading the news to quickly fade away. 

"Are you saying that's the same boy?"

"I am saying this is the only thing that makes a difference. And I bet there's no one in the empire who has ever achieved such a record."

As the spectators continued their speculations, Alex took his speed test and once again broke the record.

[Top speed: 207 km/h]

At this point, Alex merely shrugged it off and moved to the area to manifest his ability. As there was no need to create a ruckus at this time, he set it aside for later. 

Standing in the middle of the room, Alex took a deep breath and exhaled.

'Let's get this over with. Too many people are already on me.' He pondered and surveyed his surroundings, noticing that nearly everyone was looking at him.

Alex channelled the mana within him and directed it to the palm of his right hand. Slowly, a slight glow began to grow in intensity and brightness till it completely covered his figure.

"Woah… A light-based ability…" Someone in the crowd stated the obvious.

Alex, recognising what his gift was, attempted to shape it like those he had seen using light-based abilities on the network. 

With some difficulty, he succeeded in making the light spread around him, condensing in his open palm. Although it was not what he intended to do, it was a start.

A small smile emerged on his lips as he ceased channelling his mana. He moved to join his mates, "I don't mean to brag, but who's the boss here?" he said with a wide grin.

Ross merely shook his head as Julia replied, "Fine, you won. Now let's get out of here."

Nodding in acknowledgement, the trio made their way to take their records.