"These cores were not mere organs, they were living concentrations of raw, pure mana, crystalline structures that powered their abilities and sustained their advanced biology.
Various other complex research was carried out on the Watcher’s physiology and technology.
The eventual conclusion was startling, this core was the fundamental difference between the SSS-ranked individuals and the true EX-ranked elites.
The core was the reason Watchers were so overwhelmingly powerful, why they had almost ten times the number of EX-ranked individuals at that time than we even currently possess at this point of time"
William paused, allowing the weight of this revelation to sink in.
"So, in our desperate struggle for survival, we came up with a solution, a radical, dangerous idea of integrating the Watcher core with the human body.
We didn’t have any other way to bridge the immense power gap. It was a desperate gamble and also our last hope."
"The first and only person to volunteer for this incredibly dangerous integration was my grandfather, Thomas Bennet."
William’s voice softened slightly, a hint of pride reflected on his face
"His procedure was brutal. It followed a crude, surgical method, directly implanting the Watcher core into his body, near his chest.
The risks immediate organ failure, mana overload, and complete physical disintegration. The odds of success were astronomically low."
"But miraculously," William continued, a rare smile appearing on his face, "they managed to succeed in the very first attempt.
My grandfather genuinely reached the EX-rank, breaking through the conventional limits of human power.
And, perhaps even more importantly, he gained an EX-ranked skill, a unique ability that the Watcher he absorbed had possessed. This was an unprecedented feat for humanity."
"With his newfound, terrifying power, he immediately breached through the enemy defences, taking the Watchers by surprise.
He became the first true Paragon of humanity, the beacon of hope.
He single-handedly defeated several EX-ranked Watchers and more importantly, brought back more watcher corpses for research.
That is when the integration process was further refined.
Our scientists, using the additional Watcher bodies, were able to purify the cores, making the integration process much less painful and significantly less hazardous compared to what Thomas went through.
It became a viable, albeit still exclusive, path to EX-rank."
"In this way," William concluded, "humanity discovered its first method to reach the EX-rank surprisingly this discovery came only when humans were almost pushed to extinction.
But nowadays, every Legacy Family has discovered its own methods to advance to EX rank through various means.
Some acquired their methods through deals with demons, like the Cromwell’s and their human sacrifices, as I told you earlier.
Some gained theirs through relentless, unethical scientific research, pushing the boundaries of biology.
Others stumbled upon ancient techniques or inheritances.
Each Legacy Family, the ones you saw at the conclave, now possesses their own secret methods for cultivating EX-ranked individuals."
"The Association, the Academy, and the Church," William explained, clarifying their unique positions," also have their original and foundational methods, passed down from our forefathers.
Our methods are clean, ethical, and rooted in the defence of humanity." He paused, his gaze fixed on Klaus.
"I don’t know about the Academy’s and Church’s exact methods,
but Klaus you will be delighted to know that the Bennet family, our family, now possesses the original, uncorrupted method used by the Watchers themselves to reach the EX-rank.
It was a method gained through unimaginable blood and sacrifice. Thomas didn’t die a peaceful death unfortunately but at least he lived with dignity" William’s tone saddened as he recounted the history.
William looked at Klaus, his gaze firm.
"Tomorrow," he stated, his voice direct,
"come with me to the old mansion. I will reveal to you that method, the true path to EX-rank that my family has guarded for years."
Klaus absorbed every word. His mind raced, processing the immense implications of what he had just learned.
The entire history of this world, the true nature of power, the reason for the Legacy Families’ dominance, it was all laid bare before him.
He now understood the pervasive layers of secrets that governed this planet, extending far beyond what he could have ever imagined.
The fact that the Bennet family held the "original method" used by the Watchers themselves to reach EX-rank was a crucial piece of information.
"System, we need to have a talk later" Klaus stated internally
The conversation with William had revealed new facets of the world, new truths about power and its acquisition, which undoubtedly affected his future plans.
He knew this discussion would be extensive, requiring a clear mind and uninterrupted time. He decided to postpone it until after he had seen the EX-rank method.
Tomorrow was going to be a momentous and likely tiring day, filled with profound revelations.
He needed to be at his absolute best. "I should get full sleep before that," he decided.
Klaus returned to his luxurious room in the mansion, he had got used to the vast expanse of the house and all the servants that worked here.
Klaus slumped onto the soft bed, its plush mattress and crisp sheets a stark contrast to the hard worn in beds he was accustomed to.
He closed his eyes, and the exhaustion of the past days, combined with the mental processing of the day’s revelations, claimed him.
He slept like a baby the whole night, undergoing a deep restorative sleep.
In his dreams, however, the familiar, serene landscape materialized. A cute girl, her features soft and innocent, waited for him. It was Julie.
But unlike their usual joyful encounters, she stood with her back to him, her head slightly turned, clearly pouting.
"Julie, are you angry at me?" Klaus asked in the dream, his voice tinged with genuine puzzlement.
He had just woken up into this dream, only to find his usual cheerful companion and chatterbox silently pouting, her body language radiating annoyance.
He had no memory of anything he might have done in this dream realm to upset her. Now he would have to apologize for a reason he didn’t even know.
"Sigh! What a hassle" Klaus thought in his dream, a wave of resignation washing over him.
This was exactly the kind of social complexity he usually avoided in his waking life.
He didn’t understand girls or their subtle cues. He had always been too pragmatic, too focused on survival to learn such nuances.
Still, he approached her, his dream-self compelled by an unknown force to soothe her.
"Dear Julie, I am so sorry for what I did earlier. I shouldn’t have done that. It was an absolutely irresponsible thing to do on my part."
Klaus said, his voice earnest.
Even though he didn’t know what he had done, the subconscious time he had spent with Julie in previous dreams had allowed him to ’read her like a book.
He now instinctively knew how to verbally appease her, how to use words to soften her anger, even if the underlying reason remained a mystery.
Klaus then spent the entire duration of the dream trying to elevate Julie’s mood.
He continued asking for apologies, expressing regret for actions he didn’t even know the reason for.
He tried to engage her in playful banter, to distract her, to bring back her usual cheerfulness.
The dream unfolded as a complex, frustrating, yet strangely endearing exercise in verbal appeasement.
He tried various tactics, some from old web novels, some from pure instinct, slowly learning the intricate art of placating a displeased girl.