I stood at the doorway.
And they were already there.
Waiting.
Elders.
Not one.
Not a few.
All of them.
At the center stood the man whose presence I recognized before I even met his eyes.
Grand Elder Vaelor.
The Patriarch.
My grandfather.
His expression was different.
No smile.
No warmth.
Only a calm, measured seriousness.
Beside him stood Caelion, slightly behind the line of elders.
Silent.
Observing.
Behind them, a crowd had gathered.
Trainees.
Staff.
And others.
Strangers.
Watching far too carefully.
Spies.
I dismissed them instantly.
Irrelevant.
My gaze returned to the figures before me.
The elders stood in formation.
Elder Kael.
Elder Varn.
Elder Ruun.
Elder Zeth.
Elder Myr.
Elder Thane.
Elder Orin.
Elder Drax.
Elder Lior.
Elder Fen.
And more.
Nineteen in total.
Every one of them was looking at me.
The pressure should have been crushing.
Overwhelming.
Suffocating.
But—
I felt nothing.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only calm.
And something else.
Something dangerous.
Indifference.
My eyes met theirs.
Unwavering.
For a brief moment, a few of them shifted.
Barely noticeable.
A slight adjustment of their posture.
A tightening around their eyes.
As if they had sensed something they hadn't expected.
What is this?
A flicker of clarity broke through my thoughts.
Why am I not nervous?
Any one of them could erase me instantly.
I wasn't foolish enough to believe otherwise.
My brows tightened slightly.
System… what did you do?
No response.
The silence stretched.
Behind the elders, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
A gathering like this was unheard of.
Even seeing the Patriarch alone was rare.
And yet—
Here he stood.
With all nineteen elders.
For me.
This is bad.
Finally, the system responded.
«[Reply]
…This is due to your bloodline 😅»
My expression didn't change.
But my thoughts sharpened.
Explain.
A pause.
«The stronger a being becomes…
The more their nature reveals itself.»
I frowned slightly.
Get to the point.
«Confidence grows.
Doubt fades.»
I cut it off immediately.
This isn't confidence.
The response came after another brief pause.
«…Arrogance follows.»
My eyes narrowed.
I am not arrogant.
The system continued anyway.
«It is not arrogance.
It is instinct.»
Silence.
Then—
«A superior bloodline naturally rejects inferiority.»
That made me pause.
Inferiority?
«Those weaker than you…
Will feel lesser.»
My gaze flickered briefly toward the elders.
Anyone here could kill me in an instant.
The system's reply appeared almost immediately.
«…Then you do not yet understand your own strength.»
That answer didn't sit right with me.
Not because I believed I was weak.
But because I knew the difference between confidence and ignorance.
I had seen powerful beings die.
I had survived situations where strength alone wasn't enough.
And I had no intention of forgetting those lessons simply because my bloodline had changed.
Before I could press the system further—
A voice cut through the silence.
"What is your name?"
I looked forward.
An unfamiliar elder had stepped slightly ahead of the others.
His presence was heavy.
Ancient.
The space around him seemed unusually still.
"…Velzahar."
My voice was steady.
Unshaken.
Not a hint of fear.
A few elders reacted.
Subtly.
Interest.
Surprise.
One of them chuckled softly.
"…Bold."
That smile irritated me.
I'm not some child performing for you.
I exhaled slowly.
Then—
I moved.
My arms unfolded.
My posture straightened.
The blue in my eyes faded.
My irises returned to black.
I bowed slightly.
Controlled.
Measured.
"Greetings, Elders."
I raised my head.
"May I ask the reason for this gathering?"
The words were respectful.
But not submissive.
Those who understood the distinction could see it clearly.
Respect—
Without surrender.
Behind the elders, the crowd began whispering louder.
Confused.
Curious.
Some seemed surprised that I had addressed the gathering so calmly.
Others watched me as though trying to determine whether I was brave, foolish, or simply unaware of the situation I had walked into.
Then—
The same elder stepped forward again.
A faint smile remained on his lips.
Suddenly, a blue screen appeared in my vision.
«[Unknown Elder Information]
Name: Solryn
Rank: High Beast Sovereign
Age: 3,412 Major Cycles
Divine Realm: 9th Stage, Universal Sovereign
Path: Soul, Realm Unifier
Laws: Space (Mid-Tier), Inferno, Lightning (Mid-Tier)
Title: The Ancient Sovereign
Bloodline Purity: 10%»
My pupils shrank.
…What?
A being who had reached the ninth stage of the Divine Realm.
A Universal Sovereign.
A cultivator who comprehended multiple laws, including space and lightning.
And yet—
He stood before me calmly.
Looking at me.
Amused.
I forced my expression to remain unchanged.
So this is the level of the people surrounding my grandfather.
Solryn studied me for another moment.
Then he spoke.
"…Interesting."
His voice was soft.
But it carried weight beyond measure.
"You don't bend."
A pause.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"…Even when you should."
The air grew heavier.
Not enough to crush me.
Just enough to make his meaning clear.
He was testing me.
Perhaps not with his full power.
Perhaps not even deliberately.
But the pressure was there, and every instinct in my body recognized the difference between standing before an ordinary opponent and standing before a being who had climbed to a level I could barely comprehend.
My tail flickered once behind me.
I kept my face still.
I would show respect.
I would listen.
But I wouldn't kneel simply because someone expected me to.
Before Solryn could continue—
Another voice cut through the gathering.
"…Enough."
The pressure disappeared.
All attention shifted.
The Patriarch stepped forward.
Grand Elder Vaelor.
His presence alone silenced everything.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
His gaze locked onto mine.
Deep.
Unfathomable.
For a moment, I saw neither warmth nor anger in his expression.
Only an intensity I couldn't read.
Then he spoke my name.
"…Velzahar."
He said it slowly.
As if testing its weight.
I met his gaze.
He took one measured step toward me.
The surrounding elders remained silent.
Even Solryn's faint smile disappeared.
Whatever this gathering had been before—
It was now in the Patriarch's hands.
Vaelor studied me.
Then asked—
"…Do you understand what you have done?"
Silence.
Heavy.
Final.