Chapter 85: A Sword Between His Teeth (2)

A silence followed Blake’s question. In this quiet moment, Dexter came to a realization.

They’re trying…to discredit Louis.

Dexter bit his lip.

Until now, there had been only two ways for humans to transcend their limits: mastering holy or martial magic by utilizing Attribute Power. Because it was extremely difficult, those who could manipulate Attribute Power were always treated as special. Over time, these mages and warriors became known as the Chosen Ones.

In such a world, the emergence of technology that any ordinary person could use threatened not only martial artists but also mage society.

Thus, they had to discredit Transcendence Engine technology by any means necessary, just to preserve their own privileges and influence.

Hah…

Dexter felt utterly defeated. Had he really devoted his entire life’s work toward gaining recognition from these narrow-minded people? Realizing how futile his goal was made him feel dizzy and disoriented.

But Dexter gritted his teeth and tried to think of a way to persuade them about the effectiveness of the Transcendence Engine despite their stubbornness.

“That is—” Just as Dexter opened his mouth—

“This question seems odd.” A booming voice echoed through the hall.

“What?”

“What?” People scanned the area for the source of the voice.

It definitely came from within the presentation hall, but they couldn’t locate its origin. Amidst the murmurs…

“Are you thinking before asking questions?”

As the voice rang out again, everyone turned toward it simultaneously. And at that moment:

Fssshhh.

Smoke billowed as the Transcendence Engine’s hatch opened wide, revealing a shock of white hair. Louis emerged with some difficulty amidst grunts and groans, capturing everyone’s attention.

Finally free, he complained, “Man, I need to make this entrance wider someday.”

The voice that echoed now matched what everyone had just heard moments ago, confirming to all present that this small child was indeed the protagonist who interrupted Dexter’s speech. The crowd erupted into murmurs.

”…A kid?”

“That little one controlled that thing?”

Everyone was astonished to see such a young boy, seemingly not even ten years old, piloting the colossal trascendence. However, there were three individuals more shocked than anyone else.

“L-Louis!”

“Our Louis!”

“Huh…? Why is he emerging from there?”

Logan, Aiden, and Ron stared wide-eyed at Louis unexpectedly appearing from within the Transcendence Engine.

Louis paid no heed to the crowd’s reaction and simply focused on his task at hand.

“Whoosh!” Louis leaped onto various parts of the Transcendence Engine before landing lightly on the ground.

Blake’s cold voice cut through the air toward him. “It was you who rudely interrupted our conversation earlier.”

“I can’t deny it. Yes, that was me. Oh, allow me to introduce myself first. I am Louis from the Wish Tower.”

“Tsk, I’ll let this slide for now, so step aside. This is not a matter for someone as young as you.”

“But why?”

“…What?”

Louis’s audacity rendered Blake speechless. The flustered organizers looked desperately at Dexter, but he was equally taken aback.

Why would he suddenly act like this?!

Louis’s sudden outburst concerned Dexter, but at the same time, he felt a glimmer of hope.

This kid wouldn’t have said this without thinking it through.

As Dexter pondered Louis’s intentions, Louis turned to Blake and continued.

“Why not? I’m one of the developers who created the Transcendence Engine. Am I still not qualified?”

“…?!” This was another bombshell statement.

Blake and many others stared at Louis in shock before their eyes shifted toward Dexter, questioning whether what the boy had claimed was true.

Dexter let out a small sigh.

Hmm…I don’t know why he’s doing this, but…

Dexter’s intuition kicked in. For now, he decided to follow Louis’s lead and nodded accordingly based on his gut feeling.

“It is true. This young man is indeed a talented mage who contributed to developing the Transcendence Engine.”

With Dexter’s confirmation, Blake’s expression soured slightly. He turned to address Louis.

“Young man, although you may have been involved in creating this device, these matters should be discussed among adults…”

Before Blake could finish, Louis interrupted him.

“Just because I’m young, does that mean I can’t explain something I created?”

“That’s not what I meant, but…”

Louis stared intently at Blake. He knew exactly why Blake was asking such absurd questions.

This was a petty question aimed at undermining Dexter’s decades-long efforts to preserve their interests rather than embracing change. Having worked alongside Dexter, albeit briefly, Louis couldn’t let this slide. He glanced at the chairmen seated in the front row before speaking up.

“As I mentioned earlier, there is one thing we must address.”

“…?”

“The question Lord Blake posed just now… Did you not find it odd?”

“My question was odd?”

“Yes.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You asked if bending a steel bar was all I could manage with the Transcendence Engine.”

“That’s right.”

“In that case, allow me to ask: How many warriors who have trained in martial arts for less than a year can effortlessly bend such a steel bar like I did?”

“…?!” Blake was rendered speechless by Louis’s question.

Martial arts indeed allowed humans to surpass their limits, but within just one year? Few could achieve such Attribute Power and bend steel bars with ease in that short span of time. It required at least a high-rank fourth-tier level, which wasn’t attainable for someone with average talent within twelve months.

Moreover, the chairmen understood why Louis specifically mentioned “one year.”

It takes exactly a year to create a Transcendence Engine, so…

Louis posed his question based on this fact. Essentially, he was asking if they could match the power of a fourth-tier trascendence ready for use after only a year. With no immediate response, Blake evaded answering directly.

Meanwhile, Louis continued his questioning.

“Furthermore, can Transcendence Engines move as quickly as warriors? To be honest, currently, it’s not possible.”

”…But?”

“But what does that matter? We just need to keep improving them.”

“The chairman couldn’t explain how long it would take for these improvements. Can you provide any insight?”

“No, I cannot.”

“As you see, talismans are merely tools… They have inherent limitations from the start.”

“Well…I don’t think so,” Louis swiftly countered, causing Blake’s expression to stiffen.

Louis then turned to the other chairmen seated at the front row and asked, “What are your thoughts on this?”

However, no one spoke up. Some agreed with Blake but remained silent, while others disagreed yet chose not to voice their opinion. Still, some were simply observing the situation unfold.

Louis smiled slightly and continued. “Improving the Transcendence Engine won’t be easy. In fact, it will undoubtedly prove challenging, as there is always room for enhancement.”

“…”

“But just as we have done until now, the Wish Tower will continue passing down knowledge about talismans across generations, refining the engine over time. Although at present, it may only bend a steel bar, who knows if this invention might someday rewrite history on the continent?”

“…”

“Although holy and martial arts have been systematized and widely spread today, was it always like this?”

”…What are you trying to say?”

“In the distant past, before theories of holy and martial arts were even established… consider if techniques involving Attribute Power were praised as greatly back then as they are now. Perhaps, in those ancient times, manipulating Attribute Power might have been seen merely as possessing a slightly extraordinary ability.”

”…”

“However, over time, holy and martial arts became firmly established as disciplines enabling humans to transcend their limits. This transformation occurred due to generations of pioneers discovering, refining, and passing down these practices from the distant past to our present era. Isn’t that akin to the role of the Wish Tower?”

“…”

“It’s similar with Transcendence Engines.” Louis gestured toward the Transcendence Engine. “Currently, it may just seem like a slightly larger chunk of iron armor moving around like a puppet…” He scanned the crowd and confidently declared his vision despite being under the gaze of five thousand people. “But if we continually improve them over time, they could become a unique force that transcends human limitations, much like holy magic and martial arts today.”

Louis’s voice resonated throughout the auditorium. His bold words, infused with mana, captivated everyone present.

“That’s why neither I nor Lord Dexter could make any definitive claims about it. Holy magic and martial arts took centuries to be recognized as distinct skills, so we cannot predict how long it will take for Transcendence Engine users to achieve superhuman abilities like warriors.”

”…Indeed, who knows how much time that’ll take?” The derision was clear on Blake’s face.

Louis responded with a similar smirk. “As I’ve already stated, there is no way to determine when that might happen. However, I firmly believe this artificial construct called the Transcendence Engine has the potential to surpass existing limitations and open up new possibilities.”

His voice echoed loudly throughout the auditorium.

Dexter stared blankly at Louis as 5,000 spectators watched them closely. Seeing Louis confidently represent the Wish Tower stirred something deep within Dexter’s emotions.

You’re…better than me…

Both Dexter and Louis aimed to transcend the limitations imposed on talismans, seeking recognition for their craft equal to holy magic or martial arts. However, Dexter had been flustered by Fractured Mind’s question, desperately trying to persuade him from the perspective and logic of those who studied holy magic and martial arts.

Louis, on the other hand, approached it differently. Despite being relatively new to the Wish Tower, he argued based on the research conducted there rather than through the lens of traditional disciplines.

Yes, that’s right! We study talismans, not holy magic!

Despite this being the stage for the Holy Tower’s Academic Festival, Louis firmly believed he was correct at that moment.

As the mental battle between Louis and Fractured Mind continued, the anxious host finally intervened.

“I-I’ve heard enough from both sides! Is there anyone else with questions?” However, no one responded.

Relieved, the host hastily concluded the session. “Then we’ll conclude the presentation by the Wish Tower. Lord Blake, if you please?”

At the host’s prompt, Blake softened his hardened expression slightly. He smirked as he glanced at Louis.

“Ha… Yes, I got too worked up over what a mere child said.” With those words, Blake took his seat, seemingly implying that he had to tolerate Louis because he was merely a youngster.

This irked Louis, causing a faint vein to pop on his forehead.

That old man…

Louis wanted to retort immediately, but he quickly boarded the Transcendence Engine as prompted by the host’s gaze, indicating it was time for him to vacate the stage for the next presentation.

The Transcendence Engine rose once more into the air.

Boom! Boom!

With loud noises, it departed from the stage.

“We’ll now take a short break before the next presentation!”

The center of the venue emptied out.

Thus ended the first session of the Fall Continental Academic Festival held after five years: the presentation on the Wish Tower left people astonished for various reasons. They believed all conflicts had been peacefully resolved.

However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

You old fool, just wait until later.

A subtle sneer twisted Louis’s lips. It was the moment when the young dragon’s simmering resentment erupted.