The entire chamber felt the ripple of the impact. The protective barrier that enveloped the stage trembled under the strain, distorting as if it might shatter at any moment. The instructor and Eldrin watched in horror, expecting the worst.
And there, at the center, stood Liam, unharmed. A giant hammer hovered in front of him, having completely blocked the golem's attack. The remnant energy of the attack spilled around him and meaninglessly hit the barrier just like the rest of the attack.
On the other side, the golem now stood completely powerless, all of the runes dimmed back to zero. The golem itself was decorated with many cracks and fissures. Everything stood still for a moment before the entire golem collapsed and crumbled into dust.
"He… actually… did… it…" Eldrin opened and closed his mouth.
"Marvelous!" The instructor looked flabbergasted, his earlier panic replaced by a mix of admiration and disbelief.
As the dust settled, literally and metaphorically, the instructor approached Liam, hurriedly, almost fumbling in his steps. His face looked deliriously happy as he started shouting praises.
"Young master, that was a display of power and control the likes of which we have rarely seen within these walls. You've passed the trial with flying colors!" "You are a genius!" "You are a one in a billion talent!" "Young master your future is limitless!" "It would be the honor of our academy to have you as a part of our esteemed institution. Please come with me. I can personally escort you and finish all the essential trivialities."
Eldrin, now completely over his initial shock, beamed with pride and puffed his chest out. "Did you hear that, my Lord? A genius! But of course, I always knew that. The academy is lucky to have you."
The instructor gave him a look but did not say anything. He only smiled a little with a polite nod.
Eldrin immediately became overjoyed. "Anyway. What do we do now? I would also like to test but your dummy is…" He clicked his tongue.
The instructor's face twitched. He wanted to say 'You can spar with me instead' but he tactfully did not respond, once again giving a polite smile and a nod.
"Does that mean-" Eldrin opened his mouth again with a big grin when suddenly the elf froze in the spot, unable to finish with words, even unable to breathe freely.
Even the instructor became pale-faced as the two of them stood like statues. Only the person who was standing still on the stage up until now turned his head towards the entrance of the room.
Liam's eyes widened in shock as he watched the familiar figure walking in. This was the very same man he had met on the last floor. He had spoken briefly and then departed in a mysterious way but now he was once again standing in front of him?
"How is this…" Words got stuck in his throat as an enormous amount of pressure fell on him, gripping him from head to toe.
"You have no idea how narrowly you have avoided death." The man's voice boomed.
Liam shivered. He had no idea why but the atmosphere had definitely changed. The previous time it was a friendly casual meeting, one where the person even gave him some pointers and helped him.
But now the same person was standing in front of him and he was filled with killing intent. Liam could feel the massive unbridled bloodlust in the man's words. He could tell that the person actually did not want to kill him. Otherwise, he would have definitely been dead by now. Yet, his anger alone radiated so much bloodlust to make him feel suffocated and breathless.
What did he do wrong? Why was this person angry with him?
"Rejoice, young chickling. I do not intend to kill you today. My employee has after all accepted you as a member of the academy. As a founder, I cannot go around killing my own students." The man laughed and Liam felt a cold shiver run down his spine. This person was definitely not joking. He meant what he said. Feeling the pressure enveloping him lower a little, Liam quickly used this chance to thank him.
"Thanks to master's advice, I was able to make progress in my bloodline and successfully overcome the trial." He managed to say, despite the overwhelming aura emanating from the man. "Your guidance was invaluable. It helped me see my path more clearly."
A moment of silence followed, during which the man seemed to be pondering something deeply. His face then broke into a vicious smile. "Who is your master? Don't try to pucker up to me, young chickling. I want nothing to do with you. Just because the warden is pushing you on my head doesn't mean I will obey her. Do you understand?"
"Warden?" Liam was confused.
"You probably know her by the name 'system'."
Liam's eyes widened. Was the system helping him? So far he had never stopped to think about the system or anything related to the system for that matter. He had just taken it all as it came. Now he was shocked. Snapping him out of his thoughts, the man's voice cut through again. "Enough about that. You have cleared the Dao trial so you are now officially part of the academy. Use this opportunity however you want. You might even find what you are looking for here. We will not meet again. We are not fated and we have no karma between us."
Liam stood dazed for a moment. He did not understand what happened as the next second the room was once again empty save for Eldrin and the instructor. That person had once again vanished. Everything was back to normal and the overwhelming pressure had completely disappeared. But his mind was a jumbled mess. Liam stood still for a few minutes before he turned to the instructor. "Do you have any techniques or skill books or a library for the students to use? Or perhaps a pill house? I am looking for anything related to soul healing."