It was only when the system notification popped up that John realized how much time had passed.
His eyes flickered as they landed on the trial task. Indeed, the final trial required the elimination of all players, meaning that to inherit the Crimson Demon's legacy, one must kill everyone!
Such trials were exceedingly rare, typically reserved for the selection of successors by malevolent deities.
The Crimson Demon was no benign entity, and its legacy could very well corrupt a person's mind.
This was precisely why John harbored little interest in the Crimson Demon's inheritance.
He sought power that he could wield, not power that wielded him.
As these thoughts crossed John's mind, a sudden "swoosh" sound pierced the air.
An arrow, glowing with a green luminescence and whistling through the air, shot out from an unseen corner.
John seemed caught off guard as the arrow struck him squarely in the chest.
A dull thud resonated through the palace corridors, causing the lights illuminating the hallway to flicker.
The arrow did not harm John but transformed upon impact into a vine as thick as a wrist, binding him tightly within its grasp.
John stood before the mural, his eyes devoid of emotion beneath the black mask.
Alex, gripping a vine bow, slowly emerged from around the corner of the palace corridor.
He looked at John with arrogance and said, "Is this the level of vigilance the folks from Hidden Stars possess? Distracted in such a moment, during a trial no less. Aren't you afraid of dying here?"
John glanced at Alex, slightly surprised.
Though he appeared relaxed, his psychic senses had been activated, alerting him to the other's presence well in advance; he just hadn't expected it to be Alex.
How did this guy get here? John was familiar with Alex's capabilities.
The fellow couldn't even break through Daniel's defenses, and when attacked by him, John didn't even trigger a danger premonition.
This spoke volumes about Alex's weakness...
Seeing John silent, Alex thought he had intimidated him.
With a snort, he said, "I'll give you a chance now. Just give up the Heritage Trial, and I'll spare your life. Otherwise, don't blame me for not being merciful!"
John remained unmoved, clearly not taking Alex's words seriously.
A rich kid who hasn't even killed a chicken, let alone a person, was hardly a threat.
And given Alex's strength, John was far from concerned.
Alex's face darkened as he realized John was not taking him seriously.
Though he appeared brash, his hand clutching the bow was tight, betraying his inner tension.
Alex had initially thought to try his luck in the trial and then leave.
But just as he was about to exit, he found himself inexplicably teleported to the twelfth level and thrust into the final trial task.
Outside, with his father's backing, Alex wouldn't have cared about a newcomer from Hidden Stars like John.
But here, in the trial, his family background was worthless.
And the man before him, a newcomer though he might be, had to have substantial strength to be chosen by Hidden Stars.
Without any confidence in a confrontation, Alex had hoped to intimidate him, but it seemed futile.
Alex's face twisted with indecision, about to speak again when suddenly, "Boom!"
The vines binding John shattered into pieces!
He turned, his eyes emotionless beneath the black mask, and said coldly, "So, you wish to die?"
As his words fell, an overwhelming aura burst forth from John.
The formidable killing intent, honed in real combat, felt like a giant hand gripping Alex's throat, halting his breath and engulfing him in suffocation.
Fear filled his eyes, his body trembling uncontrollably.
In that moment, Alex felt overshadowed by the specter of death, as if surrounded by a mountain of grinning skeletons.
Death seemed imminent if he provoked further—a frantic voice screamed within him.
John's imposing aura receded as quickly as it had appeared. Without another glance at Alex, he turned and walked away.
Alex wasn't even worth the effort; John had treasures to find and no time to waste.
Left utterly ignored, Alex's pale face turned red with humiliation, veins bulging on his neck.
He watched John's retreating figure, trembling hands lifting his bow, attempting several times to draw the string but finding himself utterly devoid of the courage to do so.
Alex's eyes brimmed with shame and rage.
His anger was directed not only at John but more so at his own cowardice and incompetence.
Even with John's back turned to him, he couldn't muster the courage to attack.
In that moment, John had utterly crushed Alex's pride.
Standing for what seemed an eternity, Alex watched until John's silhouette vanished from his sight.
Suddenly, he threw his bow to the ground, roaring with a lowered head, "Worthless!"
He gasped for air, his eyes bloodshot with frustration.
He knew that from this day forward, that retreating figure would haunt him for life, a nightmare he couldn't escape.
Even if he were to become a top-tier awakener, unless he defeated John, he would always live in his shadow.
...
Unbeknownst to Alex, this scene was also witnessed by those outside.
As the final trial commenced, the outside world's Bones Tower and the twelve blood moons in the sky simultaneously burst into dazzling blood light.
Four screens appeared in the sky, broadcasting the scene live.
Such an occurrence was rare, seen only in a few legacies, and many present had never witnessed it before.
The four figures displayed were familiar to all: John, Lucas, Seraphina, and Alex.
Seeing the first three did not surprise the crowd, as all three had received high evaluations in the trials, making their presence in the final trial expected.
However, the sight of Alex left everyone dumbfounded.
Could Alex be a hidden master?
How else could he have made it into the final trial?
Everyone's gaze shifted to Maximilian, only to find him equally astonished.
He seemed just as shocked that his son had made it into the final trial.
Then, as if a thought struck him, his expression soured.
Baron, oblivious to Maximilian's discomfort, clapped him on the shoulder and laughed, "To enter the final trial is to be a genius among geniuses. I hadn't realized your son possessed such talent. House Foster has a bright future; congratulations."
Maximilian, running a hand over his balding head, chuckled awkwardly, "Chief Baron flatters too much. My son, a genius? I know his true colors all too well. I suspect he's only here because of the life-saving artifact I gave him a few days ago, which he must have used to snag a spot."
With a grimace, Maximilian added, "That wasteful boy, that artifact was meant to save his life, not for this frivolity. What a waste."
Hearing Maximilian's explanation, the others caught on and struggled to stifle their laughter.
Life-saving artifacts were incredibly precious, and Maximilian had likely paid a hefty price for it, only for Alex to use it here.
Only the deep pockets of House Foster could withstand such squandering.
Any other wealthy family would be livid at such reckless spending by their offspring.
After all, whether it's John, Lucas, or Seraphina, they were top-tier talents.
Alex might have made it this far with the artifact, but without the requisite personal strength, it was all for naught.
Baron, realizing his potential misunderstanding, quickly added, "There's no need for Maximilian to be upset, this might well be a blessing in disguise. Who knows, Alex might just secure the inheritance..."
His words trailed off as the scene playing out on the screen showed Alex attempting to ambush John, only for John to completely ignore him and walk away.
Even Baron, seasoned as he was in navigating turbulent waters, couldn't hide a flicker of embarrassment on his face.
Maximilian, too, saw the scene unfold.
He didn't exhibit any disappointment, seemingly already aware of his son's character.
Seeing Baron's embarrassment, Maximilian smoothly continued, "Whether he secures the inheritance or not is beside the point. The truth is, I've spoiled Alex too much. I'm worried he might offend the talents in the trial. I'd like to apologize in advance here. Should any unfortunate incident occur, I hope you won't take it to heart."
Though his words seemed like mere formalities, they held a ring of truth.
Alex's temperament did indeed make it easy for him to offend others, much like the sneak attack on John.
It was fortunate that John wasn't harmed, but if something serious had happened, Hidden Stars wouldn't have let it slide, given John's evident potential and promising future.
For Maximilian, whether Alex received the inheritance was inconsequential.
The real concern was the potential fallout from offending any of the talents within the trial and the dignitaries present.
Such a scenario would spell disaster for House Foster.