Chapter 419 - 419 A Threat

419: A Threat 419: A Threat “How is this possible?!” Princess Lenavira exclaimed, her composed demeanor cracking for the first time as genuine shock washed over her face.

Her eyes were fixed on the second line of the monolith, where the name Alice Phoenixheart now glowed with an undeniable brilliance, etched beside the rare few who had been deemed worthy by the Pillar of Divine Appraisal.

For a moment, even she—calm, poised, and ever-graceful—stood frozen in disbelief.

She had always known Alice was strong, especially after watching her progress since her arrival on the tenth floor, but to see her name ascend to the second line so swiftly, so decisively, was beyond what she had anticipated.

Lenavira had reached that very line herself, but it had come with years of training, immense pressure, and the full nurturing of her royal lineage.

To see another name appear there—so soon after hers—was something that sent tremors down even her spine.

In truth, the second line wasn’t just a mark of talent—it was a proof to destiny itself.

Generally, only one name appeared there every few decades, maybe two if the world was in turmoil or great change was near.

Lenavira had been hailed as a once-in-a-generation prodigy when her name landed on that line.

And now, barely a handful of years later, another had risen to meet her—and not just anyone, but a human.

A girl from another continent.

The sheer rarity of it made her chest tighten with wonder and disbelief.

She wasn’t jealous—no, not at all.

But she was stunned, completely and utterly, by what the monolith had revealed.

The realization that she wasn’t alone in that tier anymore, that someone else walked the same path of brilliance she did, left her heart pounding in a way no battle ever had.

“What are you so shocked about?” Max said with a proud sneer tugging at the corner of his lips, his voice filled with a rare smugness as he turned to face Princess Lenavira.

His arms were folded, his eyes glinting with satisfaction.

“She has a unique phoenix bloodline, one that’s not even fully awakened yet.

Of course her talent should be in the second line—among the legends.

Anything less would’ve been a disgrace to what she carries.” There was no hesitation in his words, no doubt—only pride, firm and unwavering.

He had believed in Alice from the very beginning.

Yet despite his confident tone, Lenavira could only look at him in stunned silence, her expression torn between disbelief and awe.

“I’m shocked, yes—but you can’t blame me,” Princess Lenavira said, her voice regaining its usual grace, though the disbelief still lingered in her eyes.

She gestured subtly around them, and Max followed her hand.

“But I’m not the only one.

Look around you.” Max did—and what he saw confirmed her words.

The area surrounding the Pillar of Divine Appraisal, once filled with idle chatter and casual indifference, was now cloaked in a heavy silence, broken only by the low murmurs of disbelief.

Experts of every race—elves, demons, humans—stood still, their gazes locked on the glowing name etched on the second line.

Some had furrowed brows, others had wide eyes, and many whispered to their companions, trying to make sense of what they were witnessing.

This wasn’t just another name on a stone—this was a shift.

A ripple across the structure of expectation that governed the Tower of Truth.

“The appearance of a second-line genius on the pillar doesn’t happen often,” Lenavira continued, her tone now carrying a quiet seriousness.

“And when it does, it’s never taken lightly.

The presence of someone with that level of talent could change the very structure of power in the Lost Continent.

It reshapes alliances, stirs ambition, ignites fear.

All the major forces will begin to take notice.” She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“But that’s not what makes this situation so complicated.” She turned to Max, her expression unreadable.

“It’s because she’s from the Valora Continent.

A place most here still see as lesser.

Her rising to this level here, in this tower, under their watchful eyes… it’s going to rattle more than pride.

It’s going to rattle status.

It’ll challenge the superiority they’ve long believed they held.

And those kinds of challenges…” she trailed off, letting the weight of her words settle between them.

Max remained silent, but inside, he understood perfectly.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said calmly, his gaze still fixed on the pillar, unshaken by the sudden shift in the atmosphere around them.

“Now that her performance in the Pillar of Divine Appraisal has reached the second line, people are going to challenge her more often, trying to test her, to measure their worth against someone recognized by the tower itself.” He turned his eyes slightly toward Lenavira.

“But it really doesn’t matter.

She has the right to reject any challenge.

No one can force her into a fight she doesn’t accept.” His words were steady, unbothered by the inevitable stir that would follow Alice’s rise.

“Besides,” Max continued, a faint smirk playing on his lips, “I haven’t shown my full strength yet.

Not even close.

And when I do…” he paused, letting his words hang in the air for a moment, “the so-called experts of the Lost Continent will have their eyes on me.” His voice didn’t rise, but the weight behind it was undeniable.

There was no boast, no arrogance—only absolute confidence.

Princess Lenavira looked at Max, studying him with quiet intensity, her expression unreadable.

She couldn’t help but wonder how he could remain so calm in a moment like this—so composed when the implications were so immense.

Alice’s ascent to the second line wasn’t just a personal victory; it was a seismic shift in the established order of the Lost Continent.

The races here—especially the demons and elves—guarded their superiority fiercely.

They wouldn’t take this lightly.

If worst came to worst, Alice could be targeted, isolated, or even attacked—not just by jealous rivals but by entire factions who saw her presence as a threat to their dominance.

CREATORS’ THOUGHTS ShinGotLost Your gift is the motivation for my creation.

Give me more motivation!