A sea of consciousness is like a storage space for Paragons, where they store their power and draw from it when needed. Right now, Alex already had a sea of consciousness, and Elder Rooney found himself standing inside it, examining Alex's path.
However, what Elder Rooney saw in Alex's sea of consciousness was unlike anything he had seen before. This unusual sight left him in a daze, his mind unable to process what was in front of him.
Elder Rooney stood frozen, staring at the four objects floating before him. These were not just ordinary objects; they were four orbs, each unique in its own way. They hovered next to one another, radiating an aura that filled the space around them.
The first orb caught his attention immediately. It glowed with a bright yellow light, so intense that it felt like staring at the sun up close. Its warmth and energy seemed endless, making it clear that this orb was fully active and powerful.
Next to it was a stark contrast—a dull, lifeless orb that lacked any light or energy. It looked like a turned-off light bulb, completely inactive. This orb seemed to carry no power at the moment, but Rooney could sense that it wasn't just empty—it was dormant, waiting for something to awaken it.
Then, there was the third orb, which was unlike the others. This one wasn't solid like the first two. Instead of glowing like a crystal, it was made entirely of mist. The mist swirled within the orb, constantly shifting and moving, almost as if it was alive. Rooney could see the fog in the space around them being pulled in and out of the misty orb, indicating that it, too, was active—though in a different way than the yellow one.
Rooney watched in silence, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Four orbs in one person's sea of consciousness? That was unheard of. Normally, Paragons only had one or two orbs at most, each representing their path or power. But Alex had four, and each seemed to represent something vastly different.
The last orb resembled the second one, but there was something different about it. While it appeared dull like the other, if one looked closely, they would notice a faint red line of light cutting across it diagonally, like a lightning bolt frozen in time.
Elder Rooney continued to stare at the four orbs, his mind racing to understand what he was seeing. Naturally, his instincts kicked in, and he relied on his vast knowledge to make sense of the situation. As he examined the scene, he began to mumble softly, his thoughts flowing into words.
"Usually, when someone is on the path to becoming a Paragon, they can follow one of two possible paths. They can either become a warrior or a mage. Each of these paths relies on different types of energy to power the person. Warriors use qi, also known as life energy, to enhance their strength and abilities. On the other hand, mages draw their power from mana, a mystical energy source that fuels their spells."
He paused for a moment, still observing the orbs in front of him, then continued, "A person can only follow one path. So, when entering someone's sea of consciousness, it's common to see only one orb, representing their chosen path. Sometimes, rare individuals might have two orbs, which means they can potentially follow both paths. However, that requires a lot of training or a unique circumstance."
Rooney began to calculate the odds of what Alex's four orbs meant. "But what happens if there are three orbs in someone's sea of consciousness? In most cases, the third orb would signify a bloodline power, a special ability inherited through family lineage," he explained, deep in thought.
Rooney was now considering the possibility that Alex might possess a qi core, a mana core, and a bloodline power. All these in one person were extremely rare, perhaps even unheard of. He rubbed his chin, still pondering over the unusual scene before him.
Elder Rooney stood deep in thought, his eyes shifting between the four orbs in Alex's sea of consciousness. "Now, let's put aside the idea of a bloodline power," he muttered. "What could the fourth energy be?" He had a theory forming in his mind, but he didn't want to believe it just yet.
"That particular energy hasn't appeared for thousands of years. Why would this boy possess it? But I guess I have no choice but to test it," Elder Rooney decided, walking toward the first orb.
This was the one radiating a bright yellow light, almost like a small sun hovering in the air.
"I don't even need to touch this core to know what it is," Elder Rooney thought, stopping just in front of it. "This is the boy's qi core, without a doubt. The amount of qi in him at such a young age without proper cultivation is astonishing."
Rooney could already tell that with this level of qi, Alex had enough potential to be accepted into their faction. It was clear why Stan had shown interest in training him.
Next, Rooney moved over to the second orb, the one that seemed completely lifeless with no light coming from it. He placed his hand on it, closing his eyes for a few moments as if feeling for something.
After a pause, he pulled his hand back and nodded to himself. "As I suspected, this is a mana core," he said aloud. "But it's empty—there isn't a trace of mana in it. It's like it hasn't awakened yet. So, it's not dead, just dormant." He paused, glancing back at the qi core. "This means Alex has the potential to learn magic in the future, but for now, it would be more likely for him to excel as a warrior rather than a mage."
Elder Rooney's mind raced as he analyzed what he had seen so far. He nodded to himself, then turned toward the third core.
Now standing in front of the core made out of fog, Elder Rooney reached his hand out to touch it. However, every time his hand got closer, he felt an invisible force pushing it back, like trying to move through a strong wind.
"This is peace energy," he muttered to himself, his voice filled with disbelief. "But how...? This energy was thought to be non-existent, erased from history when its origins were wiped out. How could this boy possess it?"
Elder Rooney's thoughts raced as the realization dawned on him. "If Alex has this energy within him, then at all costs, the Dragon Roar Faction needs this boy. We need him on our side."
His heart was already racing with excitement. The discovery of peace energy, something long thought lost, was monumental. It wasn't just about Alex anymore; this could change everything for the faction.
"I wonder what the others will think of this," Elder Rooney whispered to himself, imagining the reaction of the other elders. "I guess they'll be happy to know there is still hope, and that hope has come straight to us."
Satisfied with what he had discovered so far, he shifted his gaze to the final orb in the space. This one was dull, with a faint red line of light running through it like a lightning bolt frozen in time.
"This must be your bloodline power," Elder Rooney thought as his body moved toward it, almost as if drawn in by instinct.
A bloodline power, as its name suggests, is a unique ability passed down through a specific family line. Only those born into that bloodline can harness this kind of power, and it's often a mark of great significance and heritage.
Elder Rooney carefully observed the orb before him, knowing that this was something rare, yet not unheard of. However, it was still a valuable sign of Alex's potential.
"What did this boy say his family name is again? Wyndham... I've never heard of such a family," Elder Rooney thought as he slowly approached the orb. "Either they are not famous, or they are powerful enough to hide their presence. I'll have to assume the latter. A family with a bloodline power can't possibly be unknown."
As he drew closer to the orb, something unexpected happened. The small light inside it began to grow, becoming brighter as if it were awakening.
At the same time, something within Elder Rooney's own body started to react. A strange, powerful energy inside him was responding to the growing light in the orb. It wasn't just that he was reacting to it; the orb and his energy were reacting to each other.
"What is happening? Why is his bloodline power growing like this? And why is the energy inside me reacting to it?... No, this can't be controlled. It's like they are connected, calling out to each other."
Elder Rooney felt like he was on the brink of discovering the final piece of a puzzle when suddenly, something powerful yanked him out of the dark space. In the next instant, he found himself back in the room with the others. But as soon as he returned, he noticed that they didn't look pleased at all.
Meanwhile, Alex was lying unconscious on the floor, motionless as if he were dead.
"What were you thinking?!" Stan shouted, his voice filled with anger as his golden eyes glared at Elder Rooney. "What were you doing, activating your bloodline power like that?!"
The moment Stan's yellow-golden eyes fixed on him, the room became tense. Everyone else present took a step back, clearly startled by the intensity of Stan's gaze.