Leaving An Impression

The first test was broadcast throughout all the regions in Aetheria, allowing the alpha families to observe the new generations of their races. This was done by creating viewing centers at strategic points in the cities of each race, allowing villagers and soldiers alike to gather in groups and watch with the addition of wine and assorted foods.

To disseminate the spectacle, witches conjured water spheres capable of mirroring everything witnessed by the Spectral Wisps.

[A/N: The Spectral Wisp spell manifests distinctive types of ethereal insects, specially crafted to serve as remote surveillance agents capable of monitoring individuals from considerable distances.]

The ranking exams could be considered one of the most important events in Aetheria and had become a joyous and exciting event for the people. The battle between Sol and Katherine happened to be the first major battle of the test, which caught the attention of many.

Before the fight began, old man Chamberlain, Lyra, Instructor Kane, Alicia, and numerous guards were tensed as they assumed Sol would be handicapped due to the seal but seeing him effortlessly dodge Katherine's attacks and launch counterattacks beautifully caught them by surprise. 

Even before they could cheer, loud cheers from Ark family villagers outside the castle boomed, shaking the entire Ark territory. The young master who they thought was weak turned out to be a dragon, just like his predecessors.

Their excitement had reached a peak when Sol revealed the demonic bloodline power. While the other regions belonging to the other alpha families fell silent due to fear, the Ark family cheered at the top of their lungs. Even though only one region was cheering, the entire Aetheria drowned in their loud voice.

The power that only belonged to the pure bloodline of the House of Ark had been displayed after a year. To crown it up, the defeated person was the daughter of the current lord of the vampire race. 

This was a major win for the Ark family, who needed a reason to hold their heads up high after enduring an entire year of shame. However, their joy quickly turned to anger as they watched the effects of the seal kick in and while Sol did not notice, these people could see faint blood-red chains flashing all over Sol's body.

Watching him lay in the bush while gasping for breath seemed to hurt the people just as much as it hurt Sol. Their resentment towards the other Alpha families of Aetheria grew twofold just because of that scene alone.

"Young master…" old man Chamberlain muttered as he clenched his fist. 

Pain and rage reflected in his eyes as he watched Sol struggle to his feet and stagger into the forest.

Meanwhile...

The Kahi'k sat in a dark room, flanked by numerous soldiers whose gaze was pinned on the floating water sphere. A deep frown was etched on his face after he watched Sol's recent performance. His memories of the little cowardly nature of Sol made him believe if this child took over the Ark family, they were doomed.

The Ark family always believed in strength, and he chose to rebel because the old chieftain put them in a messy situation and the only one who had what it takes to save them from this situation was him.

Unfortunately, as a member of the branch family, his bloodline wasn't pure enough for him to harness the power of his demonic origin. Sol believed people didn't know much about harnessing the demonic bloodline, but the truth was that this was general knowledge, members of the branch family couldn't do it.

"Sir?" a guard said in a low tone, and the Kahi'k casually waved him off.

"So what if he can harness the true power of the Ark family?" Vulcan sneered. "My son can do the same. Sol Ark will not make it out of the first exam alive,"

—-----------------

As Sol journeyed through the thick forest, he felt the tightening pain on his chest slowly loosen up with time, allowing his face to regain some color. Finding the cave wasn't hard, since there was a small army of goblins who came running from that location, so he simply followed their footprint.

Upon arrival, Sol was greeted with a shocking sight, that he only read about in books and seen in movies during his time on earth. The massive cave entrance stood as a colossal maw on the side of a mountain, a unique shape that almost made Sol second guess his decision to come here.

The entrance itself was a dark, gaping expanse, its depths shrouded in impenetrable darkness that created an air of mystery. The cave's mouth stretched wide. 

So glanced around a bit to make sure there was no hidden foe around, and even though he couldn't see any, he was still anxious. Goblins are said to be cunning beasts, so he found it hard to believe they would leave their treasures unprotected.

He simply didn't want to find himself in a situation where his only exit would be blocked out by enemies waiting for him to enter. On the other hand, he didn't want to spend so much time overthinking and only to end up losing the opportunity to get his hand on the treasures.

"Fuck it!" Sol sighed and began approaching the cave entrance while clutching his chest.

If anything goes wrong, he would just have to force his way out, even if it means drawing strength from his demonic bloodline one more time.

Arriving in front of the entrance, Sol was greeted with the air of the cave, which took on a cool, damp quality that carried with it the earthy scent of moist rock.

"Hak…" Sol muttered, and his right palm was engulfed in flames.

With his flames serving as a source of light, Sol strode forward, and his fire revealed rough textures that marked the cave's interior.

Moss and lichen clung tenaciously to the rocky edges that surrounded the entrance, and the ambient sounds of distant water droplets echoing within the cavernous depths resonated faintly.