"That was a little more than I expected." The testing location was in front of Kayden’s building. The boy had to admit that the king was not stingy. The building was a mansion with more than 100 rooms and all the luxuries the boy could ask for, from swimming pools to private training areas.
The entire building was equipped with the best technology and comforts money could buy. Furthermore, he also had several employees ready to respond to any order Kayden gave. The boy rose from nowhere to the top of the hierarchy in a short time. This was unbelievable.
He only came to see the building today, as the previous day’s event lasted until late at night and it would be disrespectful to leave early. The boy scheduled the test for noon. The entire Britten family, apart from the Duke, were with him viewing the mansion.
As soon as he gave the time, a crowd of people appeared in front of Kayden. Mostly commoners who didn’t have many options or nobles who didn’t have full support from their families.
Surprisingly, one person who was there was Locke, along with Luan. The two were, without a doubt, the people who least needed a patron in the entire crowd. This made most people think they were there to cause trouble.
"Hello everyone," Kayden used mana to raise his voice. "First, I will tell you the terms and those who accept will be able to know the benefits. I’m not just looking for protégés, but people to be part of my home. So, I already made it clear that it will be a master and servant contract." The boy paused and saw more than half of the people simply leave.
"The terms are simple: obedience and absolute loyalty to the Heart house." Another group of people left. "Now that we have a smaller group, I will present the benefits. First, you will have to give up any current form of cultivation and adopt the mana heart." His sentence took most people by surprise and a few more people left. Few were willing to throw away everything they learned.
The mana heart was something coveted by those who stayed. Everyone knew that Kayden had used it within the academy’s third test and knew that it would be worth it, even if they had to start their cultivation from scratch.
"I will personally train everyone and provide all the resources that money can buy. I will also protect to the best of my capabilities." Finally, Kayden fell silent as he stared at the group of approximately 200 people left.
"Since everyone is clear about their decision, I will explain the test." The boy opened a smile. "The test is to damage your mana core and destroy any foundation you have." Kayden’s sentence took everyone by surprise.
They didn’t know that the mana heart would already force them to do this anyway. So it seemed like the kid was asking for a completely ridiculous leap of faith. This time, of the 200 people, only 30 remained in the place with conflicted looks.
"You have five minutes to decide what you are going to do." As time passed, the number of people decreased. Most were geniuses who represented the pinnacle of the kingdom in terms of power and genius.
Giving up everything for an uncertain future was not something most people would even dare to dream about. And incredible as it may seem, one of the people who remained in the crowd was Locke, the only person who, without a doubt, had a guaranteed future.
" Ugh !" A person groaned in pain as he fell to the ground. His entire body was full of bulging veins. It was obvious that he was going through immense pain, and yet the boy continued until all remnants of his cultivation were undone.
After him, a sequence of people took the Kayden test. In the end, only 15 people remained. All of them were covered in sweat as they looked at Kayden. At this moment, they were their last hope.
That was complete madness. No one in their right mind would have done that to follow a 14-year-old boy. But they all saw what Kayden accomplished, and not only that, but he offered a new path that had never been shown to the world before.
"Very well," Kayden threw a healing pill to each of the 15 that remained. "Follow me." The boy took them to the entrance of the mansion, which was a gigantic living room full of sofas. Along with the living room, there was a fully furnished kitchen, where some employees were preparing several different foods.
After everyone was seated comfortably and food and drinks were served to everyone, Sarah put up a sound barrier so they had a little more privacy. He then left the bubble along with Heimer and the other members of the Britten family.
"First, I would like to thank you for putting so much faith in me," Kayden was surprised that there were so many people. "Here is the bond contract." Once again, he took several contracts out of his pocket, causing people to look at him strangely. Type? Who was the madman carrying so many contracts like that?
The terms of the contract were quite simple:
3)Kayden would defend and support them to the best of his ability.
"Kayden, I can accept the first two terms as long as they are more lenient," Locke spoke for the first time. The boy seemed much calmer than when Kayden met him the other times.
"I won’t accept anything less," his tone was harsh, even though he knew who the boy was. Locke seemed to be making the most difficult decision of his life. "Don’t worry, I will never send you to your death or give ridiculous orders." The boy included this in the contract to make the 15 more comfortable.
Locke was thoughtful for just a few seconds before accepting, it might not seem like it, but he was the person with the biggest pressure on his shoulders in that room, mainly because that pressure came from himself.
After a few minutes, everyone signed the contract. Kayden’s performance is stuck in his memories. They were mesmerized by his power. Admiration and respect for Kayden were at the top of his emotions.