I Can Evolve Spirit Elementals

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: The Ceremony Begins

Damon had barely stepped out of his room before the attention started.

”Young Master Damon!”

A maid hurried over with a smile that looked a little too practiced.

Another quickly fixed the collar of his outfit even though there was nothing wrong with it.

One of the younger servants nearly bumped into a wall because she kept staring at him instead of where she was walking.

Damon noticed all of it.

And honestly?

He couldn’t even blame them.

A week ago, he was just another young noble.

Now he was the genius who awakened the White Core.

The same White Core most people only heard about in stories.

As he walked through the mansion halls, more people greeted him. Some respectfully lowered their heads while others tried starting conversations.

”Young Master Damon, your appearance today is truly outstanding.”

”I heard even nobles from Ironcrest City arrived this morning.”

”Young Master, would you like refreshments before the ceremony?”

Damon answered politely when necessary, but he kept moving.

He wasn’t the social type in his past life and apparently that hadn’t changed.

Still, he would be lying if he said he disliked the attention.

Back on Earth, the only notifications he got consistently were game updates and electricity bills.

Now people looked at him like he was some future legend.

Life really changed fast.

The closer he got to the ceremony hall, the busier things became.

Servants moved around carefully while nobles and guests filled the corridors in expensive clothing. Some ladies openly stared at him without trying to hide it.

One even smiled while slowly brushing a finger against the rim of her wine glass.

Damon calmly looked away.

”Dangerous place,” he muttered.

Soon, he entered the grand hall.

And the entire place quieted slightly.

It wasn’t instant silence.

More like conversations slowly breaking apart one after another as eyes turned toward him.

”So that’s him?”

”The White Core...”

”He’s younger than I expected.”

”I heard the resonance reached the upper crystal.”

”Impossible...”

Whispers spread across the hall like a wave.

Damon scanned the place calmly.

The hall itself was massive, almost like a royal ballroom mixed with a modern conference center. Large crystal lights floated near the ceiling while silver pillars lined both sides of the room. Aether screens displayed the names of awakened participants near the stage.

At the center stood a large platform prepared for the ceremony.

And behind it...

An ancient monument towered quietly.

Unlike everything else in the hall, it looked old.

Truly old.

Dark stone covered in glowing lines and strange carvings. The air around it felt heavier somehow.

The Resonance Monument.

Damon recognized it immediately from his memories.

The artifact used to confirm a person’s core and elemental affinity.

Before he could observe longer, people began approaching him from every direction.

An elder from the Calloway family laughed warmly.

”Damon! You’ve made this old man proud.”

Another noble stepped forward immediately after.

”Young Master Damon, my family recently obtained a rare Aether herb. I would be honored to present it to you.”

A middle aged woman smiled brightly while pulling her daughter slightly forward.

”My daughter has always admired talented young men...”

Damon almost admired the speed.

Nobody wasted time.

Some offered gifts.

Others proposed partnerships.

One old man started talking about future marriage ties less than thirty seconds into the conversation.

It became very obvious very quickly.

Nobody cared about Damon himself.

They cared about what he would become.

A White Core holder.

A future powerhouse.

If they secured even a little goodwill now, it could change their family’s future later.

Damon understood that instantly.

Strength ruled this world.

Potential was currency.

And right now, he was basically walking around as a legendary investment.

Still, Damon handled the conversations surprisingly well.

Not because he enjoyed them.

Mostly because years of avoiding annoying people online had prepared him mentally.

”I appreciate it.”

”Thank you for your kindness.”

”I’ll consider it.”

Simple.

Polite.

Short.

Escape immediately after.

Eventually, he finally reached his reserved seat near the front.

Damon sat down quietly and exhaled internally.

”Social interaction really is exhausting.”

”You seem calmer than expected.”

Damon glanced sideways.

A blonde young man sat nearby staring at him coldly.

Kane Calloway.

Branch family member.

Talented.

Proud.

And currently looking at Damon like he personally ruined his life.

Damon understood why.

Before his awakening, Kane had been one of the younger generation’s main stars.

Now?

Nobody even talked about him anymore.

Damon simply smiled lightly.

”You seem disappointed.”

Kane’s expression stiffened.

”Hmph.”

That was the only response Damon got before Kane looked away.

Damon shrugged calmly.

Not his problem.

Thankfully, the ceremony finally began before another noble could approach him.

Music filled the hall while attendants moved into position. Several performers gave brief introductions while guests settled into their seats.

The atmosphere gradually became more serious.

Then the lights dimmed slightly.

And the Resonance Monument was finally revealed completely.

Cheers erupted across the hall.

Even Damon leaned forward slightly.

Up close, the monument looked even more impressive. Ancient symbols glowed faintly across its surface while streams of pale Aether flowed around it like mist.

It looked less like technology and more like something taken straight out of mythology.

Soon, an elder stepped onto the stage.

His voice spread clearly through the hall.

”We will now begin the confirmation ceremony.”

One by one, the awakened youths were called forward.

The first boy nervously stepped onto the stage while the elder guided him calmly.

”Place your hand on the monument.”

The boy obeyed immediately.

The moment his hand touched the stone, the monument reacted.

Aether surged outward.

Light spread across the boy’s veins while pressure filled the stage briefly.

Then the monument released a stable silver glow.

The crowd nodded lightly.

”Silver Core.”

”Not bad.”

”A decent future.”

The boy himself looked far less excited though.

Damon understood why immediately.

There were seven known core grades.

Gray.

Bronze.

Silver.

Gold.

Azure.

Violet.

And White.

Each grade affected a person’s future completely.

The purity of their affinity.

Their Aether reserves.

Growth speed.

Potential.

Even the quality of their spells later on.

Silver wasn’t weak.

For ordinary people, it was already good enough to live comfortably.

But among noble families?

It wasn’t exceptional.

Not enough to stand at the top.

The boy probably already knew his result before today.

Still, people always hoped for miracles.

The monument glowed again.

This time, wind currents formed around the boy’s body.

”Wind affinity confirmed.”

The elder nodded.

”Next.”

The process continued smoothly afterward.

One person after another stepped onto the stage.

Bronze Core.

Silver Core.

Gold Core.

Different lights.

Different reactions.

Different elements manifested around them.

Fire danced through the air.

Water flowed gently.

Earth trembled faintly.

The excitement inside the hall only kept growing.

And through it all, Damon watched quietly.

Waiting for his turn.