A Blaring Difference

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At first, Apollo was bewildered, thinking to have bumped into someone of the older generation or even wall, but contrary to his thoughts, the person he bumped into wasn't much larger than him at all!

In fact, she was nearly the same size as him, only half a head taller. 

Meanwhile, she turned around after feeling the light bump to inspect the culprit. But, she was surprised to learn that it was Apollo, who was unsurprisingly rebounded to the ground.

"Oof! Dammit, why is there a wall there? Eh?" Apollo blinked with a complex expression. After all, this little girl was by no means a wall. She was Lily, the family's new belle! 

"My bad," Apollo mumbled.

"Oh, it's ok. Just watch where you are walking next time," Lily replied before walking off. Judging by her response, she didn't seem to have any thoughts about what just transpired. After her brief words, she continued her steps, headed in the same direction as Apollo—the Dining Hall.

As he gazed at her back, Apollo grew curious. He was sure he didn't walk with much momentum because he slowed down to think. Yet, when he collided with Lily, Apollo felt as if he bumped into a stone wall. In return, he asked himself a question.

'Hm, I wonder; what level of the Mortal Realm has she attained? Although it may not be much, I'm capable of wielding 3 Zuls, yet a casual bump ended with me being on the ground. Is the difference between me and other kids this large?'

His curiosity was piqued. So, Apollo rebounded to his feet and caught up to Lily at a brisk pace. The questions on his mind were getting the better of him.

"Lily, if you don't mind, care to answer another question?" Apollo rubbed his head with an awkward chuckle.

"What is it?" Lily asked. She also stopped to turn towards Apollo.

"Ah, what is your cultivation realm?"

"4th Rank Mortal," Lily curtly replied. Like earlier, her response was short. Although her attitude wasn't cold, it couldn't be considered warm either. It was simply casual.

'4th? What the-... that means she can wield at least 31 Zuls of Force?'

"Wow, but I figured as much," Apollo nodded, rubbing his chin and falling into silence once again.

However, there was an odd look on Lily's face now. She wasn't used to Apollo approaching her. In fact, she was only used to Aaron conversing with Aaron or the elders.

"You seem...different. What rank are you, Rank 2?" Lily asked, this time her tone was more curious.

"Nope, that's impossible. Thanks to my illness, I'm a glorified Rank 1 Mortal; probably on par with a toddler. For now," Apollo said, mumbling the last part. His tone came off as playful, but in truth, it was very matter-of-fact.

It had to be known even the weakest of children were born as Rank 1 Mortals. However, as they aged and their physiques slowly matured, their body would naturally absorb trace amounts of the atmospheric Natural Essence.

By the age of the first awakening; age 10, a child should be well into being a Rank 2 Mortal almost reaching the cusp of becoming a Rank 3. Of course, depending on the talent the situation could vary. For example, Apollo's and Lily's.

Lily's expression shifted for a moment but then remembered Apollo's situation, "Rank 1? How many Zuls can you wield?" 

Initially, Apollo was going to respond he didn't know. But, the system generated a number before his eyes.

〈System: Estimated Zul Count is 3.〉

"About 3 or so." Apollo shrugged. It wasn't a secret. His Zul Count was something that could be easily discerned by the training equipment he used. Since it was still somewhat difficult, the range couldn't be greater than 4 or less than 2.

"Oh okay, I see. Um, just work hard. Don't be discouraged," Lily consoled with an awkward expression. It would be a lie if she said hearing this number wasn't depressing. Nevertheless, she soon turned her head; there was another person incoming.

In the distance, Aaron cupped his mouth, "Oi! Lily, Apollo; wait for me!" Needless to say, they slowed down allowing Aaron to catch up.

When he did, he gave his greetings but immediately targeted Apollo with a question, "Have you used your Foundation Strengthening pills yet Apollo?" 

"No, not yet. I'll do it when I go back to my room. By the way, what rank are you in cultivation?"

The longer Apollo looked at Aaron, the more curious he grew. He wanted to understand how he fared against all the other children besides the extremely talented Lily. Although he read the information in the book, he now wondered what each level of talent did.

"Oh, me? I'm at the late stage of Rank 3 Mortal stage. I can wield 27 Zuls," Aaron replied.

Immediately after receiving an answer, Apollo matched it against Lily's ability. It wasn't long before he got an idea of what talents did. Although it was too early to call it concrete, he could vaguely calculate the difference between talent levels.

'There should be roughly a 50% increase in strength accumulation speed between large meridian grades. Then shouldn't Lily be around…'

Apollo turned toward Lily with a zealous light in his eyes, he questioned once again. "Lily, you can wield around 34 Zuls?"

"Mn," Lily nodded, partly taken aback due to Apollo's accurate assumption.

Aaron leaned closer between the two, "Whoa, did she tell you before? When did you two get so close?!" 

Apollo glanced at him shaking his head, "No, I just guessed."

"That was a great guess then. Looks like we have a little genius here," Aaron chuckled as he ruffled Apollo's hair.

Lily silently inspected Apollo's small figure. A slightly curious look appeared on her face as she wondered about his comprehensive ability.

'Perhaps his mind is strong while the body is weak as a consequence,' Lily inwardly mused.

On the other hand, Apollo thought about other matters as they entered the Dining Hall. His eyes fell on the figure of Axel.

'Based on Lily's and Aaron's power level, Axel should be around 29-31 Zuls. In other words, like Lily, he is at least 10 times stronger than me at the moment.'

Due to his thoughts, Apollo's eyes filled with the desire for revenge coupled with tightly clenched fists. He wanted to make Axel and everyone in his circle cower. However, he calmed down after contemplation. His rational mind told him the difference was currently far too great.

Similar to the other, the trio claimed their seats. Before them, everyone in the younger generation could be seen walking to a large window. One by one, based on their identity card which was delivered to their residences earlier in the day, they received a sumptuous meal.

It had to be known, the cards came in different styles, indicating the kids' cultivation talent along with their privileges.

Upon witnessing the youths using these cards, Apollo patted his pockets with a blank expression. As he left the assessment early, he didn't hear about these new items being delivered. "I... don't have one of those on me."

"Don't worry, we'll share my meal," Aaron waved his hand, dismissing the issue.

The menu today was slightly special—Rank 0 Spirit Beast meat. Depending on its maturity, it could be equivalent to a Rank 3 to 5 Mortal. Thus, its flesh is extremely nourishing to those who are Rank 5 and lower.

Shockingly, Apollo shook his head, "Wait, let me try to get my own."

Once he reached the serving area, he put on an amicable expression, "Hello, can I have one serving plea-"

"Save it, present your identity card to receive your meal," brusquely replied the male dressed in a chef uniform. While he wasn't born within the family, due to his skill with handling Spirit Beast meat, he possessed a decent status within the family.

"I don't have one of those," Apollo muttered. Unlike the rest, he didn't have a card, nor did anyone drop one off at his door. It was as if they simply forgot about him.

Regardless, the chef seemed to be extremely irritated with his presence, "Then simply go get it."

"How would I know if I have one? And, by the time I get back from checking, the service window will have closed," Apollo rebutted.

"Well, whose problem is that? Next time, don't forget your identity card," retorted the chef, causing Apollo to frown.

"Excuse me," a voice sounded behind Apollo, directed towards the family chef, "Forget him, esteemed family chef, may I have a serving?"