William did not wait long.
A few days later, he stood once again before his father, trying to convince him. His voice carried a mixture of pleading and stubborn determination.
"Dad… please. Let me go with her. The world is changing too fast. If we stay like this, we'll be crushed… and our fate won't be kind."
Jack lifted his gaze toward him from the modest couch where he usually rested after work.
His features were sharp, carved by years of exhaustion. His brown eyes still held the sternness of a man who had spent his entire life struggling to support his family.
He sighed slowly before speaking, his voice heavier than William expected.
"Ah… what am I supposed to do with you?"
He fell silent again before finally raising his hand in reluctant surrender.
"Go… but take responsibility."
William could not contain his happiness.
He looked at Victoria with obvious joy, then grabbed her hand with light excitement as they both hurried toward the nearest testing stone occupied by one of the sects.
That sect was known as The Black Cloud Sect, one of the demonic sects classified within the Middle Rank, according to the records the disciples had brought on the day the stones first appeared.
The first pages of those records contained precise classifications.
Sect Ranks:
Lowest RankLow RankMiddle RankHigh RankPeak Rank
Soul Power:
White → Red → Orange → Blue → Purple → Emerald → Black
Marrow Grade:
Low → Medium → High → Superior → Rare → Mythical → Unique
As for Willpower, it had no fixed classification.
However, everyone had noticed that the disciples' expressions changed whenever the number on the measuring device increased.
William and Victoria eventually arrived at that ill-fated place.
The road leading toward the testing stone looked like a passage between two worlds.
On both sides stretched collapsed buildings that had long lost their colors. Their walls were filled with cracks, and burned wires hung loosely from the ruins, occasionally sparking when touched by the wind—almost like a sorrowful groan echoing through the street.
Old posters and scattered papers clung to the dusty ground, trampled beneath hurried footsteps. No one paid attention to them; everyone was too focused on what awaited ahead.
Above their heads, the clouds were not merely clouds.
They were thick masses of darkness drifting slowly across the sky, as if deliberately hiding the sun from a world that had already betrayed itself.
Every gust of wind carried the smell of dust mixed with smoke—reminding them that the city was still dying.
And the line of people…
was a mixture of humanity itself.
Each person carried a story.
A child clung to his mother's clothes, staring fearfully at the disciples.
A young man clenched his fist tightly, trying to hide the trembling in his hands.
An old woman whispered prayers no one else could hear.
And others simply stared at the ground with lifeless eyes—as if they were no longer sure whether they even wanted to survive.
After hours of waiting…
The two of them finally stood before the testing platform.
The air was suffocating.
Sweat, dust, and anxiety filled every breath.
Occasional screams echoed from afar, and strange thuds struck the ground from time to time—almost as if something beneath the earth was moving.
To the right of the platform stood a black tent from which a faint violet glow leaked.
To the left sat a metal table covered with strange testing devices.
The demonic disciples wore dark robes, and their very presence alone was enough to frighten any normal person.
The examiner looked at them with clear disdain, saying nothing.
But his gaze changed when it turned toward Victoria.
His eyes lingered on her small figure for several long seconds, carrying a shameless lust he made no effort to hide.
The girl's face flushed with anger, yet she suppressed it. Causing trouble now might only harm William's chances.
Victoria wore her usual modest yet elegant clothes.
The home where she had grown up had never allowed foolishness or blind submission to the flashy "culture of exposure" promoted by global corporations.
She was not like those teenagers who believed their worth was measured by how much of their bodies they revealed.
Just blind imitation of companies that cared only about profit.
The upbringing of William's family had never allowed her to become like that.
She was different.
Pure.
Authentic.
The test began.
William stepped forward first.
He tried to appear steady, but his heart pounded violently in his chest.
The marrow-testing device looked like a cluster of long twisted needles, coiled around one another. At their tips, small sparks of electricity danced in the air.
Just looking at them made your skin tingle.
The willpower device was a massive helmet. Within its lenses, colorful serpents slowly slithered and twisted, as if waiting for the soul of whoever dared to wear it.
No one knew whether they were real… or merely manifestations of energy.
Meanwhile, the soul-power device resembled a head X-ray machine.
Yet from both sides extended thin black threads like curtains of night, which were placed inside the ears to reach directly toward the soul.
Each test lasted only a few moments.
But those moments were enough to drown William in a sea of anxiety and hope.
Victoria sensed his tension and gently shook his hand.
He didn't notice.
He was completely focused.
Slowly… the numbers appeared, one after another.
Soul Power: Blue
Marrow Grade: High
Willpower: Iron… 503
Many people could not believe their eyes.
Whispers quickly spread through the crowd.
"Did you see that number?! A friend of mine once saw someone close to that… the sect did everything possible to recruit him. Another sect even tried to kidnap him!"
"Even my cousin told me something similar… he said people with high willpower are treated like treasures!"
William's eyes widened with joy.
Even though he tried to hide his smile… he simply couldn't.
The examiner himself stared at the electronic panel with clear astonishment—
as if he had never expected to see such numbers appear before him.