Primordial Heir: Nine Stars

”Don’t be afraid of people’s jealousy; it simply means you’re doing well, surpassing what they can understand.” — Nero Adams

°°°

Nero marveled at the machine, while Adam began to fidget. He found the design remarkably crafted and wished he could dismantle it to examine its components, studying every rune. It’s important to note that this testing machine is a product of dwarven technology, developed in collaboration with the Mage Association, which inscribes the runes. The dwarves are responsible for all major technology in the world; they are truly gifted in crafting, unmatched by any other race. While they were once known primarily for creating weapons and occasionally dabbling in architecture, modern dwarves excel not only in crafting exceptional weapons but also as skilled architects and innovators in technology.

”Upon reaching the machine, you’ll need to punch it with everything you have—I’m talking about your physical strength, of course. It’s forbidden to manifest your Law,” Balrog warned before the first cadet, a male with dreadlocks, stepped forward.

Clenching his fists tightly until they turned white, the boy gathered all his strength and threw a punch.

Swoosh! Boom!

Ding~ Ling!

A score appeared on the digital screen: 195.

”Not bad! You’re almost at level two,” Balrog commented, pleased with the first result, while the young man with dreadlocks celebrated his victory.

”Yes!”

”Next!”

The next cadet was a girl whom Adam had been chatting with earlier. Like the previous cadet, she first gathered her strength before punching the machine.

Ding~ Ling!

[205]

”Good! Next!”

A few more cadets took their turns, their scores ranging between 185 and 210.

When it was Adam’s turn, he proudly walked forward, gathered his strength, and punched.

Ding~ Ling!

[295]

”Wow!”

The cadets exclaimed in shock at the number.

Happy with their reaction, Adam puffed his chest out proudly, looking almost feminine in his display.

’Seriously, this guy is something,’ Nero thought, amused as Adam threw a flirtatious glance at the women while sauntering back to his seat.

”Sigh! Excellent result. Next!” Balrog massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

’If you love puffing out your chest so much, why not get some surgery to enhance it?’ Balrog nearly blurted out but managed to restrain himself.

It was now Azalea’s turn. With her trademark smile, she leisurely walked forward, her hips swaying back and forth, drawing the attention of most male cadets. She punched the machine as soon as she arrived.

Bang!

Ding~ Ling!

[260]

Though she appeared frail, one should not mistake her for a fragile girl; she could easily sweep the floor with you. After all, she was a Knight.

Balrog nodded, thinking that this year’s batch of cadets was truly exceptional. A few other cadets took their turns, leaving only three remaining: Nero, the princess, and Barak.

Elreth stepped up next, her demeanor casual as she strode forward without feeling any pressure. She was confident that, among those present, if she didn’t have the most powerful physique, she would at least be second best.

Boom!

Ding~ Ling!

An astonishing score was displayed: [320].

This meant her physical strength was one step into the Red Knight domain. However, this didn’t mean she was a Red Knight; her core had to be suitable for her to enter that realm.

”No way, the princess has already surpassed level three!”

”As expected of the princess.”

”She is exceptional!”

Pah! Pah!

Balrog clapped, extremely pleased. It wasn’t a secret that members of the seven families, thanks to their resources, nurtured their children well through intense training and elixirs. Yet, he hadn’t expected the princess to surpass the required level of the Blue Knight physique realm. This couldn’t solely be attributed to her family’s dedication; she must have trained hard—very hard—to achieve such a level of physical strength at her current stage. One must remember that she was still a low-level Blue Knight, possibly nearer to the Intermediate level, but to possess that level of physique required immense effort, something he had to commend.

Elreth sighed as she walked back to her seat. Although she appreciated the compliments, her happiness was incomplete because, as usual, everyone attributed her accomplishments to her background and her genius.

’I can’t deny that my background has helped me reach this point; it would have been much harder to achieve my current level if I had been born into a normal family. But what frustrates me is that people think everything comes easy for me because of my background. I may be a genius, but I work hard—extremely hard. It’s not like being a genius or born into a great family gives you everything without effort. I want to be acknowledged solely for my hard work,’ Elreth lamented as she settled into her seat.

Azalea glanced at her for a moment before patting her shoulder and declaring, ”You work hard as always.”

This brought a smile back to the princess’s face. ”Thank you.”

She no longer felt down.

”Next!” Balrog ordered, and the classroom fell silent. Everyone was eager to see what kind of score Nero would produce. Unlike them, who were Low-level Blue Knights capable of using primordial energy and manifesting their Laws, Nero couldn’t do any of that. He had reached this point solely by relying on his physique—nothing else. This made them all the more curious about his level.

Of course, the thought of him being physically more powerful than the princess never crossed their minds. That would be absurd, after all. One was a princess with unlimited resources, while the other was a cursed child cast aside by his family, unable to access any resources. There was no way he could be physically stronger than the princess; it just didn’t make sense, or so they believed.

As Barak watched Nero step up to the test machine, he clenched his fists tightly. For some reason, an uneasy feeling clawed at his heart like the hands of a grim reaper poised to snatch a soul away.

’I wonder what his score will be—probably around 300,’ he anticipated, having resolved not to underestimate his half-brother any longer.

Finally, Nero delivered a punch to the machine.

Bang!

A dry sound echoed, followed by a digital beep, then an abrupt silence fell over the room.