A month passed. Anthony had settled into his new reality. The Millennium Soul was not just a source of power; it was a library of eternity. He spent his nights not sleeping, but meditating, exploring the depths of his own mind.
He learned how to breathe, not just to live, but to absorb the ambient energy of the world directly into his blood. His body was transforming from the inside out. His bones became harder than steel, his blood carried liquid light, but on the outside, he still looked like a thin, ordinary boy.
The school announced the Annual Assessment Examination. It was a big deal. Results would determine who got scholarships, who got into advanced programs, and who got scouted by the major factions.
"I heard the High Mages of the Tower of Truth are coming," Marcus said, preening. "They only take students with S-class souls. I'm going to show them my General's techniques."
Derek flexed his arms. "And I'll break the strength record. No weakling is going to take my spot."
They looked at Anthony with pity or disdain. He merely nodded, a slight, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. He knew what they didn't. He wasn't aiming for a scholarship; he was aiming for understanding.
The examination was divided into several parts: theoretical knowledge, practical application of awakened abilities, and physical prowess.
First up was theoretical knowledge. They were given holographic tablets that displayed intricate questions about magic, Qi cultivation, ancient history, and advanced physics.
Anthony breezed through it. The Millennium Soul was like having an infinite supercomputer in his head. Every question, every complex equation, every obscure historical fact was immediately accessible. He didn't even have to 'think' for answers; they simply manifested.
He finished in record time, submitting his tablet with a quiet click. Mr. Han, overseeing the Dregs class, raised an eyebrow. "Already done, Anthony? Did you even read the questions?"
"Yes, sir," Anthony replied respectfully. "They were quite straightforward."
Mr. Han grumbled, convinced Anthony had just given up. But when the results flashed on the main screen an hour later, a gasp swept through the hall. Anthony's score was perfect. Not just perfect, but he had also added annotations and alternative solutions that were so elegant and insightful, they stunned the examiners, including the High Mages of the Tower of Truth who were observing.
"Who is this boy?" A robed figure with eyes like burning coals, Archmage Eldrin, whispered to his associate. "His answers... they delve into principles that even our senior researchers struggle with."
Next was the practical application. This was where the Awakened truly shone. Marcus demonstrated his General's tactics, commanding holographic armies with chilling precision. Sarah healed simulated injuries with incredible speed. Derek shattered reinforced plasteel targets with a single punch.
When it was Anthony's turn, he stood in the center of the arena. "What will you demonstrate, young man?" Archmage Eldrin asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
"I will demonstrate... manipulation of elemental forces," Anthony said calmly.
"Ah, a budding elementalist," Archmage Eldrin nodded, unimpressed. "Common. Show us what you've got."
Anthony closed his eyes. He didn't conjure a fireball or a gust of wind. Instead, he reached out with his mind, not to the elements themselves, but to the fundamental forces that governed them.
The air around him shimmered, not with magic, but with pure, raw energy. A small pebble near his feet began to levitate. Then, it started to glow. It wasn't just light; it was light infused with gravitational fields, with electromagnetic pulses, with atomic vibrations.
The pebble spun faster and faster, changing colors from dull grey to fiery red, then to brilliant blue, then to an ethereal white. It hummed with a sound only dogs could hear. It was a miniature star, compressed and controlled.
Then, with a gentle mental command, he dissipated it. The pebble fell back to the ground, cool to the touch, but looking oddly pristine, as if it had been purified.
A silence fell over the arena. The Archmage's eyes were wide. "He didn't cast a spell," Eldrin breathed. "He manipulated the inherent properties of matter! That's... that's god-tier ability!"
The final test was physical prowess. This was where Anthony expected to flounder. He didn't have a physique cultivation soul.
"Let's see your strength, boy," a gruff instructor said, pointing to a strength-testing machine. It was a massive contraption designed to measure impact force. Derek had just set a new record, leaving a significant dent.
Anthony walked up to it. He closed his eyes. He didn't just push; he optimized. He calculated the perfect angle, the optimal energy transfer, the precise moment of impact. He channeled a minuscule amount of his inner energy, not to increase his muscle mass, but to make his existing muscles function at absolute peak efficiency, beyond normal human limits.
He threw a punch. It looked ordinary, almost weak. There was no theatrical roar, no bulging veins.
But the machine shrieked. The needle flew past Derek's record, shattering the gauge and embedding itself into the wall behind it. The entire contraption vibrated violently before finally groaning and sparking, then shutting down.
Everyone stared. Derek's jaw hung open.
"He broke the machine," someone whispered.
Anthony rubbed his knuckles. "Perhaps it wasn't designed for... efficient force application."
Archmage Eldrin stepped forward, his eyes burning with an intensity that could melt steel. He walked directly to Anthony, ignoring everyone else. "Anthony, was it? Tell me, boy. What are you?"
Anthony met his gaze, his own eyes calm and clear, like unfathomable oceans. "I am just Anthony," he said softly, yet the words carried an undeniable weight. "A boy who finally found his soul."