OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Emir knew of that story; it was one of the first things he had asked about when Elijah joined them after judgment day.

Before then, he had always wondered how they gained access to such a thing, as it was never mentioned in the 'novel.'

Was it truly a reaction to his existence, like he thought? Did everyone really get stronger because of him?

Those questions might never be answered, and he accepted that, calming his burning curiosity.

Regardless, he too expected this result from his little brother, so he didn't react.

'I would've been disappointed otherwise...'

He watched as Elijah took a moment to compose himself before moving on to the third machine.

The students did the same, staring in silent anticipation, each one internally gauging their own abilities against what they had witnessed.

Elijah looked at Emir, who nodded at him, signaling for him to begin.

Aether Purity and Aether Control had been tested; both were difficult, but this upcoming machine was something entirely different.

As he sat on the chair that Junior had prepared, Elijah took the helmet-like contraption and placed it on his head.

"You ready?"

Glancing at his professor, Elijah blinked softly, too focused and nervous to even say yes. Emir chuckled and tapped the machine.

It took a moment, but eventually, the electrodes on the surface lit green, and the machine connected to his neural network as he accepted its request.

This 'thing' was about to give him hell, and he was allowing it to.

In fact, he had to fully open himself to the pain for the test to work.

"Gah!"

Elijah let out a small whimper as the device injected its first drop of pain, dreading what was to come.

"Ughh..."

He groaned as another wave hit him.

It felt like he was struggling to get out of the deepest ocean, his breath stolen by the agony coursing through his body.

"Grade E."

Elijah braced himself for the next wave.

"АНН-!"

The pain intensified, like hot needles pressing into his skull, causing him to scream, but he managed to clamp his mouth shut, keeping himself in check.

His muscles tensed involuntarily, and sweat began to form on his brow.

The only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"Grade D."

The next hit of pain was even worse.

Elijah's vision whitened, and he bit down even harder, trying to keep himself from crying out.

His hands gripped the arms of the chair tightly, knuckles white from the strain.

Each breath was a struggle, his chest heaving as if he were trying to breathe through a straw. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to stop, but he pushed through, determined. "Grade C."

The machine seemed to sense his determination, and the next wave of pain almost made him tap out just as it began.

Elijah's entire body shook, his teeth grinding together as he fought to keep himself together.

Tears formed in the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

He could feel the exhaustion about to knock him out, but he hurt himself awake.

His mind tried to focus on anything but the pain.

Memories, mental exercises—just anything to distract himself from the burning sensation. "Ready for Grade B..."

Emir announced calmly, though the worry in his voice was clear.

He might've been considered a villain by all, but even he would feel a semblance of pain when seeing his non-blood family suffer.

And his little brother was truly suffering at that moment.

The next wave of pain hit him like a sledgehammer.

Elijah's body convulsed, his back arching involuntarily.

It felt like fire coursing through his veins, every nerve ending alight with agony.

He struggled to maintain control, his mind teetering on the edge of surrender.

The room seemed to darken and dance, the edges of his vision becoming completely white. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his chest heaving as he fought to stay conscious. Sweat poured down his face, mingling with the tears he could no longer hold back.

The electrodes on the helmet glowed brighter, reflecting the increasing intensity of the test. Elijah's hands, still gripping the chair, began to tremble uncontrollably, and the sharp stabbing pain he felt in his temples got worse, as if the burning needles drove deeper into his

skull.

"Almost there..."

He forced himself to focus on those words, using them as an anchor.

Each second felt like an hour, the pain unending.

The urge to tap out, to end the torment, was overwhelming, but he resisted.

Slowly, agonizingly, he began to adjust.

His body, though wracked with pain, started to find a rhythm.

His breathing steadied; each inhale and exhale measured and controlled.

He visualized the pain as a tangible entity, something he could compartmentalize and push

away.

'...Hm.'

Emir watched closely, noting the change in Elijah's demeanor.

The boy was fighting through the pain, refusing to let it break him.

"Hold on, Elijah. This'll be the last push."

Emir encouraged and the pain peaked once more, a final surge that left Elijah screaming:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

His body convulsed, but he held on, teeth gritted and eyes squeezed shut.

He could feel the edge of his endurance-the absolute limit of what he could bear.

But then, all of a sudden, the intensity overwhelmed him.

His grip on the chair loosened, his muscles refusing to obey.

His mind, though resilient, could no longer withstand the relentless assault.

With a final, pained scream, he tapped the chair twice, signaling an end to the test.

The machine powered down, the electrodes dimming as the pain began to recede, leaving a

lingering ache in its wake.

Elijah's body went limp, slumping back into the chair as he fought to catch his breath.

"Grade C. Excellent effort, Elijah."

Emir stepped forward, gently removing the helmet.

Elijah managed a weak nod, his eyes barely open.

The room slowly came back into focus, the concerned faces of his classmates surrounding

him.

He had pushed himself to his limit and had almost made it to Grade B.

It was there... in his grasp. But he failed. He fumbled the last step.

"You see that?! He almost made it. That's insane!"

"Not even second years can handle it!"

"I can't believe he held on for so long. I would've tapped out at D."

"Cursed or not, I can't deny that he deserves the first rank." "True, his toughness is something else. No wonder Emir picked him."

"Yeah, he's stronger than I thought. I need to step up my game."

"That was brutal. Just watching it made me sweat."

"The Prof must be training him privately, no way he did that with no help."

"I know right? He's lucky. If I had his backing, I'd be that strong too."

"Exactly. We could've gone just as far."

"Nah, even so, look at him now, barely standing. Is it really worth it?"

"It is. It proved his rank, his will of iron. No way any of you could endure that."

The students, previously silent as mice, now buzzed with murmurs of all kinds. They expected something special out of their first ranker, but this... it was something else.

None of the second years had even managed to last a moment in grade B without tapping out,

and he almost did it. Truly unheard of.

Emir was right. The records noted today will rock the Academy.

"Hmph, it's not like I was worried or anything. I knew he could handle it..."

Aria crossed her arms while looking away from him, trying to hide the admiration in her eyes.

"But he better not get cocky. I'll easily match his grades."

Next to her, Max clenched his fists, his eyes burning with competitive pride.

"Damn it, you creepy bastard! I'll catch up to you, just wait!"

Despite his words, he did feel genuine respect for Elijah's feat. Quite unlike Ava, who twirled a

strand of her brightly colored hair, her expression annoyed.

"Ugh, he's such a show-off. But... I guess that was kinda cool. Still, I bet I could do that if I

really tried. Maybe..."

Sofia observed the scene with her usual icy demeanor, her face revealing no emotion.

"...Adequate."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, picked up by none but Emir.

Even she, the best of the 'named,' couldn't help but look at him in a new light.

Elijah had set the bar high, and each of them knew they would have to dig deep to match his

performance.

Quinn and Arthur did as well, but they remained closed off as usual.

"Go sit down and rest, you've earned it."

Emir placed a reassuring hand on Elijah's shoulder and gestured for Junior to drag him back to

his seat.

Showing a weak smile, Elijah nodded, unable to speak, and let his body get pulled up from the

chair.

"Great job, as expected of my best friend!"

Elijah would've smacked his head if he could, but all he could do was stare at him in

annoyance as he slowly limped to his seat.

While that happened, Emir reset the machines and looked at Sofia, who was quietly staring at

Elijah a few moments ago.

"You're up next."