Lucius and Kael selected ten tools that were completely encased in stone. You couldn’t see anything, and if it weren’t for the vast amount of cursed energy emanating from within the rocks, they could easily be mistaken for ordinary stones.

However, they both knew there was something there. And what they had to do was find out what was inside.

Although it was just one small wager among the many taking place at that moment among the younger generation, it naturally drew attention.

Not only because of the risk involved in the potential expulsion of a talented young man from the academy, but also because of who was involved.

Lucius Asturias had just been named a Rising Star by the System itself.

Darius Asturias, currently the most prominent young master of the Asturias Family, Lucius’s younger brother, and also the most powerful member of the New Asturias Core at the Academy of New Creation.

Finally, there was Kael Vorren. He stands out as one of the most important young masters in the field of tool creation, but in reality, he is more dedicated to research than to creation. However, even on his own, he is quite powerful at 16 years old.

He is a strong contender to lead the Vorren Clan in the future, although his younger brother is more talented than he is. Nevertheless, the truth is that all three involved are highly respected, and this is a direct battle between brothers.

Valerius Asturias. The leader of the Vorren Clan, and other high-ranking figures were watching from afar as well.

Even those two S-Rankers...

"So he’s that Rising Star?" Gerard was astonished to find a young man so skinny he looked sick being honored by the system with such a lofty title.

’And on top of that, his name is Lucius...’ Gerard looked at Valerius.

"Is he your son?" he asked.

Valerius swallowed hard upon hearing that question, but nodded slightly. "He was recently expelled from the clan..." He said it bluntly.

Gerard’s mouth fell open in shock. "You expelled someone from the clan who was named a Rising Star? Wow, the people on this island really have some nerve."

"Haha..." Valerius laughed awkwardly. "Young Lord Gerard, he was expelled before being named a Rising Star because he broke the clan’s rules. Then... we suspected he had used some high-level magical tool to cheat the system and obtain the title that way."

"A tool to cheat the system?" Gerard laughed scornfully, but gave nothing away.

If cheating the system were that easy, earning that title would be a breeze. Lucius wouldn’t have been the top contender for the title of The EX, and his uncle would have managed to reach the coveted Number 1 Ranking.

Gerard sighed visibly. Things weren’t that easy.

He decided to take a closer look at this boy. He must have something special for the System to bestow upon him a title that only one person in an entire generation could officially hold—and right after the other one died!

"Are you interested in the Rising Star, Mr. Gerard?" Thalion Morwen asked.

Gerard looked at Thalion with a different gaze than the one he’d directed at Valerius. In his eyes, this Thalion was far more important than the Asturias.

Gerard laughed. "I changed my plans at the last minute. Why do you think that was, Mr. Thalion?"

Thalion understood immediately. He looked at Lucius. "I invited him here. If you’d like, I can introduce you two when this is over."

Although Gerard was curious to know what relationship Thalion might have with this boy, he didn’t ask. Instead, he shook his head.

"Remember this S-Rank saying: Forcing connections with entities chosen by the System can hasten your downfall. Seeing each other just once might be more than enough for you to become great friends in the future—as long as you don’t force anything."

Thalion, Valerius, and the others nodded slightly in understanding.

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Gerard. I will remember it," Thalion replied. Valerius and the others also thanked him.

Although not everyone agreed with that advice, if it came from an S-Rank, there had to be some truth to it.

After selecting the ten fossilized tools, Lucius and Kael set about studying them.

Kael’s study was thorough and was viewed favorably by the high-ranking officials. It was clear that he was a well-trained young man.

"That boy is quite good," said Thalion, glancing at the Vorren Clan Leader. "You have a fine son."

The gray-haired man, who was about 60 years old, laughed heartily. "He’s been a scatterbrain for a long time, but after so much trial and error, he’s learned well. Receiving Mr. Thalion’s praise will be a blessing to him for a long time."

"Don’t be modest. That boy is very talented, and I can see that his research is meticulous. He’s a talented young man with discipline. I’m afraid he’ll become one of the local leaders in the future," said Sylph, the woman from the group of two Rank Ss, suddenly.

She noticed every gesture and every change in Kael’s expression with frightening precision. Although she didn’t explain it, all the Vorren who heard her trembled.

She wasn’t just an S-Rank; it was Miss Sylph of Sun Island herself who was saying that.

The Vorren Leader bowed deeply to her. "T-thank you very much for your kind words, Miss Sylph. I will make sure my son lives up to your expectations."

"Hehe, he doesn’t need to live up to mine. It’s enough for him to live up to his own. Don’t force him. Be patient, and you’ll nurture a good seed."

"Y-y-yes, Miss Sylph."

It was the first time Leader Vorren had ever trembled in front of someone—not out of fear, but out of excitement.

"What do you think of the Rising Star?" Gerard asked suddenly, curious to hear Sylph’s verdict.

Sylph shook her head. "I don’t know. He’s a strange guy."

"Strange?" Gerard frowned.

"Do you see him studying the tools? I just see him looking at them and quickly switching. It’s almost as if he’s treating this like a game."

Gerard nodded. He agreed; that was precisely why he’d asked. He thought maybe that boy had something amazing in his eyes and only Sylph could see it, but then again, how could that be the case if they couldn’t even see his eyes because they were covered?

Still, there was no interference from magical tools, so maybe he was just playing around.

"Don’t you care if he gets expelled from the academy?" Gerard asked, looking at Valerius. "Or maybe it’s just a game between your sons?"

"Haha, no, Young Lord Gerard. It’s not a game. Darius and Lucius hate each other with a passion. The thing is, you have to understand something: Kael Vorren is in Class A in the Tool Creation Department. Lucius... is in Class F, and his actual rank is F."

"Oh... You’re saying Lucius already knows he won’t win, and that’s why he doesn’t care."

"That’s correct." Valerius smiled.

’I don’t know why that would make you happy, since he’s your son, but...’ Gerard shrugged at the thought.

"Why didn’t he choose someone else then?" Sylph asked, curiously.

"Because he doesn’t know anyone. That girl next to him isn’t very good at identifying tools. She was expelled from the Thorne Clan for exactly that reason," Valerius said, glancing at the Thorne Clan Leader standing beside them.

He was a quiet man, but ever since he’d seen Clara here, he’d been practically fuming. He simply nodded when Sylph and Gerard looked at him.

"Tsk, it’s so frustrating that all the Rising Stars have similar beginnings," Gerard muttered just loud enough for Sylph to hear.

She couldn’t agree more... Couldn’t it be the case that one of those with the most resources was chosen as a Rising Star?

The last time that happened was 500 years ago!

In the end, they sighed and decided to divert their attention away from those two.

Although there were still two people talking about it over there.

Elara Castelier and her father.

"Elara, was that boy really named a Rising Star? I saw the System’s announcement, the videos, and his profile, but I still can’t believe it. He doesn’t look like a Rising Star." Her father asked, looking at her quizzically.

Lucius was still skinny and looked sickly. Even though he looked ten times better than when he was expelled, he still looked ill.

Could someone like that become this world’s Rising Star?

Elara frowned. She sensed that her father was questioning something beyond that fact.

The fact that she was the one who made the decision to cut off all ties with Lucius, and that right after that, he revealed himself to be a great talent who would even attract the attention of the world’s major guilds.

She clenched her fists, and her eyes turned dangerous.

"...I saw him in person, but he’s not as imposing as he looks in the video. If you stand in front of him, you won’t feel any of his power—it’s as if he has none at all. That’s why everyone thinks he used a magical tool to pull it off," She replied.

Her father didn’t answer right away. He fell deep in thought, staring at Lucius.

"Don’t think it’s that easy to fool the System, Elara. However, what you say is true. I don’t sense any real power coming from him. He looks like a weak F-Rank. However..." The man frowned as he looked at the energy surrounding Lucius.

It was strange.

"However?" Elara turned to look at him.

"No. It’s nothing." He shook his head. "It seems the competition between the two of them is already beginning. Let’s see what happens."