Solo Max-Level Newbie – Pure Blood

Chapter 3: The Coming-of-Age Ceremony of Ataraxia (2)

“Hooh. You’ve got quite the spirit, befitting of a Prince. Well, it would indeed be laughable if one were to collapse without showing anything during a coming-of-age ceremony, after all.”

Cardmun’s mocking tone continued.

However, by now, Yohan no longer paid him the slightest attention.

He simply gazed silently at the stage before him—

the rare chance where he could finally unleash his full power.

Normally, when his mana was nearly nonexistent, it would have been difficult to use.

‘This much is enough.’

To be honest, he could barely contain the overflowing power.

Wooong!

The essence of the Dragon’s Blood quickly seeped into Yohan’s body.

Pure draconic mana coursed through his veins.

An indescribable torrent condensed within him.

“No matter what you try now, it’s already too late!”

The abilities of Cardmun and the rest of the blood clan were unleashed.

Kwak! Kwakwakwak!

And at that moment—

“Bloodline spell….”

Yohan’s lips parted slowly.

‘Blood of the Common Path.’

The flow of mana shifted.

The spears, spheres, and all manner of weapons that had been flying toward Yohan halted midair.

No, they didn’t simply stop.

Ku-ku-ku-ku-ku!

They were being absorbed.

Inferior, lower-ranked powers—

—were being devoured by one of a much higher order.

A storm of blood split apart to both sides.

Then, it began to take shape—

[Spatial Manifestation – ‘Graveyard of Blood Blades’ is activated!]

It was—

—a Bloodline Sword Formation composed of eleven greatswords.

Behind Yohan, crimson blades over five meters long rose, each connected by arcs of red lightning.

Pachichik! Patsutsu…!

A spectacle of blood that dominated every inch of his visible world.

The dragon’s blood that had surged from the lake drew a crimson circle around him.

The Judges watching from their seats shot to their feet.

Their astonishment and disbelief soon turned into gasps of awe.

It wasn’t mere [Release] or [Forming] of power.

Not even [Interference], a higher concept than those—

—but the realm of [Domination].

“U-unbelievable. He’s drawing out nearly 100% of the Dragon’s Blood’s potential.”

“Synchronizing Dragon’s Blood with one’s own bloodstream… is that even possible?”

“How high must his resonance rate be to achieve that?”

“To fully harness such power without resistance, even from the blood of a higher species….”

“The perfection of that formation… it’s beyond reason.”

“To witness it with our own eyes, yet still not believe it….”

It was a concept that overturned the very foundation of the coming-of-age ceremony itself.

In short—even the blood of a dragon could no longer suppress Yohan’s strength.

If this child were to awaken his powers fully and begin accumulating mana—

—just how strong would he become?

Alice von Ataraxia, the current Lord of Ataraxia, was praised as the strongest in recorded history.

For thousands of years before her—

—and, as everyone believed, for thousands of years to come—

no one would surpass her.

However—

—they were wrong.

This was the moment a true lineage capable of rewriting history was born.

＊＊＊

Ku-ku-ku-ku-ku!

The pressure was overwhelming—beyond imagination.

The crimson sparks that leapt between the blades began to scorch everything around them.

Kwakwang!

Tu-kwang!

Black smoke billowed from the lakebed struck by lightning.

“Ugh…!”

Cardmun stumbled backward, nearly wetting himself.

He fell on his backside, flailing his limbs desperately, caring little for shame.

It was only natural.

A being capable of such absurd power— was participating in the same coming-of-age ceremony as him?

He’d rather—

yes, he’d rather face the wrath of his House’s Lord himself.

The other blood clans weren’t much different.

“Sp-spare me!”

“Father!”

“Hiiik! Mercy! Please, mercy…!”

All of them cried out for help from their respective Houses, fleeing in disgrace.

If Yohan were to fully unleash the ‘Graveyard of Blood Blades’ here, the very landscape might be erased.

The veins on Yohan’s forehead bulged.

With his body overflowing with dragon’s blood, suppressing his strength was becoming increasingly difficult.

Paaat!

That was when Vermilion intervened.

The other Judges, sensing the danger, moved instantly.

“That’s enough….”

“Were you planning to kill everyone? My hands are trembling just from watching you.”

Vermilion drew his Black Coffin, while Ophelia unsheathed her rapier.

“I understand you’re brimming with bloodlust, but this is still an examination.”

“Hahaha. If we had been a moment later, things might’ve gotten out of hand.”

“I nearly missed my chance to step in because you were so absorbed.”

The remaining Judges of the Nine Black Wings also revealed their respective abilities and unique weapons, moving to restrain Yohan.

‘Maybe I went too far.’

Yohan smacked his lips after dispelling his power.

He’d gone a little overboard, thinking of what had happened to Scarlett.

A stone that stands out too much gets struck first— and his plan to keep a low profile was now in ruins.

Now, there would be no avoiding the attention and scrutiny of everyone.

Still—

—it wasn’t all bad.

At least he could now claim the prize he wanted most.

＊

Thus, the coming-of-age ceremony concluded.

The nine Judges offered their evaluations.

“Lady Scarlett was splendid as well.”

“Indeed, her skill was flawless. That kind of potential appears only once in a century.”

“Her ability—‘Blood Threads’—was quite fascinating too.”

That much was true.

However—

—the difference in class was absolute.

Skill could be judged by perspective,

but something of another dimension altogether rendered comparison meaningless.

“Any objections?”

“None.”

“I’m more curious about which Sacred Relic His Highness will choose.”

“Khahaha! A joyous day indeed. We must hold a grand feast when this is over!”

“For the future of Ataraxia!”

And with that, the winner was decided—

—by the unanimous vote of all nine Judges.

[The one with the greatest potential is ‘Kang Yohan.’]

Scarlet-red letters floated boldly in midair.

Naturally, not a single household voiced an objection.

Just then—

A large, broad-shouldered old man with a splendid white beard approached Yohan.

“Hohoho! Congratulations on your victory. Thanks to this, those who liked to grumble won’t be able to utter a single word for a while.”

It was the Lord of the Juliard Family.

“It seems you enjoyed the ceremony.”

Ophelia bowed her head slightly in greeting.

“Indeed! I found it very entertaining.”

Even though his daughter had lost the victory, his tone carried the nuance that such things didn’t matter to him in the slightest.

Rather—

“It’s been a long time since my eyes have been treated to something so delightful. Not to flatter you, but I can’t recall the last time the cold blood in this old body boiled like this. I thought it impossible to find a peer suitable for Scarlett.”

He seemed barely able to contain his excitement.

His crimson eyes scanned Yohan up and down, as if devouring him with his gaze.

And—

Slurp!

Was that a… licking sound?

…Surely, that was just his imagination.

Yohan rubbed his ear with a finger.

Churup!!

Damn it.

Apparently, it wasn’t his imagination.

“Thanks to you, I witnessed something incredible. Though, my dream of winning—after all that effort—has gone up in smoke.”

Scarlett, standing beside her father, added coldly, her expression composed yet sharp.

It seemed she still felt embarrassed for having acted like a savior before someone overwhelmingly stronger.

“I was lucky.”

That was the safest way to put it.

His ability to resonate with the dragon’s blood came from a forbidden tome—

—or more precisely, from a dragon within that forbidden tome.

Just remembering how that damned Red Dragon had made him suffer like a dog made his lips dry up.

He would absolutely avoid that in the next round.

Truly.

He never wanted to experience that hell again.

At his textbook-like answer, Scarlett puffed out her cheeks in irritation.

“Tch… I find your humility even more annoying.”

For a genius who had never lost first place, it was her first taste of humiliation.

Her disappointment was written all over her face.

Even the way she kept opening and closing her parasol showed just how sulky she was.

“A few years from now, I won’t give up so easily. The Blood Threads of the Juliard Family grow rapidly after the coming-of-age ceremony.”

Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.

He felt a little bad to crush her enthusiasm, but he had no intention of associating with her again.

“If you’re thinking of ignoring me, you’d better give up on that. I always get what I want.”

For a fleeting second—barely a heartbeat—Yohan thought he saw her mask slip.

Though she appeared polite and refined, there was something dark hidden beneath.

Moreover, he could swear that part of her Blood Threads twitched, brushing against the back of his left hand.

A chilling sensation.

A cold unlike anything he’d ever felt before ran down his spine.

That statement—

—it didn’t sound like a simple threat.

What was with this family?

Father and daughter alike, both reeked of madness.

Every instinct in his body screamed at him to run.

Just then—

“Sir Yohan. Shall we go?”

Ophelia extended her hand gently.

Now that the winner had been decided, it was time to choose his reward from the Treasure Vault.

“Of course.”

Perfect timing.

A way out from this bizarre girl.

Feeling her burning gaze on the back of his head, Yohan quickly turned away and walked off.

＊＊＊

He arrived at a familiar place.

“There are plenty of fine things here, but why that one, of all things…?”

“Are you really sure about this?”

“Sir Yohan, won’t you reconsider once more?”

Every face was filled with worry and anxiety.

It was almost like they had all copied and pasted the same expression.

Well, understandable.

Choosing something from within the Blood Vault would naturally make anyone’s hands tremble.

However—

“It was clearly stated that I may choose anything as a reward, wasn’t it?”

He wasn’t asking for something that didn’t exist. He was simply claiming what was written.

“T-that’s true, but… no one was ever expected to actually choose from there! Moreover, fewer than twenty people in the entire House even know of the Blood Vault’s existence.”

“Then it’s really unfortunate that I happen to be one of them.”

He intended to follow the rules to the letter— what could they possibly say to that?

Unless, of course, they planned to disobey the Lord’s command.

Which, frankly, he wouldn’t recommend— unless they happened to have a few extra lives stashed in their pockets.

In the end, Vermilion sighed and stepped aside from the entrance of the Blood Vault, as if resigning himself to fate.

“The treasures inside are protected by anti-theft magic. If you attempt to take more than one item, we’ll know immediately—”

“I’m not that stupid.”

“If you need guidance—”

“I’m fine alone. I’d like to take my time choosing.”

“…Understood.”

Those standing before the Blood Vault could only pray— that he wouldn’t pick something too outrageous.

Step.

Yohan walked quickly into the vault.

He had been pondering this decision ever since he learned he could take one item from the forbidden tome.

Which item would allow him to overcome that near-impossible difficulty?

[Condition 1: It must be usable immediately at the beginning.]

Many Sacred Relics and artifacts were powerful, but they couldn’t be used right away— burdened by too many restrictions.

Sure, later on he might be able to wield them, but by then, he could acquire similar items on his own anyway.

[Condition 2: It must prevent the troll protagonist’s monopoly.]

One of the main reasons he had kept failing— was because of his late start.

He needed to monopolize opportunities, but he had been forced to share them with that idiotic bastard— and to make matters worse, he’d started a whole week late.

He needed something that could create a variable strong enough to offset that severe handicap.

There was only one thing that met both conditions perfectly.

＊

Inside the lavish display cases lay numerous items.

[Spear of the Void]

Description: Designate a single target to banish into the “Rift of the Void.” A conditional cursed-type Sacred Relic. The stronger the being banished, the greater the backlash of the curse in return.

Every few steps, his eyes caught on another enticing treasure.

‘Honestly, that one’s pretty tempting too.’

The only drawback was how long it would take to gather enough items to nullify its curse.

[Scales of Life]

Description: Sacrifice a portion of your lifespan to unlock certain seals or restrictions.

[Mask of Itgashika]

Description: Upon wearing, the user can transform into a specific race. Their traits, habits, and even designated memories are perfectly reproduced.

Those two were also among his final candidates.

‘There’s a loophole with the Scales of Life that can be exploited… and the Mask would’ve been extremely useful against those guys.’

But they were only second-best.

They didn’t fully satisfy his conditions.

He passed by countless other Sacred Relics and magical artifacts— so many hidden pieces that he wished he could sweep them all up, if not for the limit of taking only one.

After walking deeper inside for a while—

‘Found it.’

Yohan’s steps finally came to a halt.