Chapter 365: Test?

The moment those words left his mouth, the others immediately shifted their attention toward him. Their expressions suggested that his proposal was both contradictory and convincing, leaving them uncertain about how to respond.

Finally, the figure seated opposite him at the other end of the circular table broke the silence and offered his opinion, "That is a good decision, though I would prefer to avoid doing anything dangerous to him under the pretext of ’Special treatment,’ especially since this is a direct order from the Third Pillar."

The female figure who had initiated the conversation nodded in agreement, while the others continued to wear skeptical expressions, seemingly unable to decide how they should proceed. Just then, another man sitting around the table spoke up.

He was a bulky figure with red skin, and his suggestion immediately drew everyone’s attention. "Why not just send him to attend the ’Test of Kiumuludo’?"

The moment those words reached their ears, everyone widened their eyes in disbelief. "Are you nuts? The Third Pillar will—" Before the female figure could finish her sentence, the bulky man interrupted her, seemingly unconcerned about her reaction.

"Did you forget the report from the escorts? That boy survived the Harbinger. He is not just another special individual or an Anomaly who appears once every century or so." He paused briefly before looking toward Atlas’s indifferent face displayed on the screen. "He is a monster under human skin."

"If he really is that kind of monster and the Third Pillar knows that, the Third Pillar would never disagree to our decision, right?" He finished his statement.

The others fell silent for a long moment, considering his words. Eventually, the man wearing glasses broke the silence again and addressed the bulky man. "You proposed a good idea, Mendrios. I think we should prepare everything before he arrives here. What do you all think?"

All six of the others remained silent for a moment before the female figure who had initiated the conversation raised her hand, "I am in. I want to see what this human is capable of." Her words made her position clear, and Mendrios immediately followed by raising his own hand.

"I am obviously in, considering I was the one who suggested it." One after another, the remaining members also agreed with the proposal, until all seven of them had reached the same decision regarding Atlas. Once the matter was settled, the man wearing glasses spoke again, making sure everyone understood what they were about to do.

"Now that it’s settled, we should welcome him first. Remember that we are not going to interrogate him. This is merely a formality, as the Third Pillar has already accepted him as a member of the Conclave." The others nodded in agreement before turning their attention toward the entrance.

Soon enough, they saw Atlas and Seraphiel approaching from the front entrance, which was situated some distance away from the table around which they were seated. As the two of them entered the chamber behind Dravia, a mechanical voice echoed throughout the enormous room.

"Welcome to the Conclave, Atlas Mariorett, Seraphiel Rosaria." After stepping through the entrance, Dravia bowed respectfully toward the seven figures seated before them.

"I have successfully brought them here, Grand Regents." Having completed her duty, she straightened up and turned around before leaving the chamber through the same entrance, leaving Atlas and Seraphiel alone with the seven high-ranking members.

Atlas and Seraphiel glanced at Dravia briefly before shifting their attention toward the figures seated in front of them. Atlas immediately narrowed his eyes as he assessed their strength, carefully examining each of their presences. ’All seven of them are on the Harbinger’s level.’

He reached that conclusion before the man wearing glasses addressed him, drawing his attention toward the beginning of their meeting, "Without further ado, let us get to the gist of this meeting." The man paused briefly before shifting his gaze toward Seraphiel, indicating that she was the subject of his first question.

"Do you know what she possesses?"

Atlas nodded before answering without hesitation. "Yes. Her true soul is that of a Phoenix." He made no attempt to conceal this information or deny their question, as he could already guess that the Conclave had discovered her true nature. There was little reason for him to pretend otherwise when the people before him were already aware of it.

"So you know that she must be nurtured to reveal her true powers, correct?" Atlas nodded again but didn’t offer any further explanation, allowing the man to continue speaking. "Alright, so you do understand the situation. We have already taken measures to train her and provide the resources necessary to awaken her true soul, but..."

He paused, and his eyes shifted away from Seraphiel before settling entirely on Atlas, "What about you? Although we cannot see through what you possess, or what you might possess, for some reason, that doesn’t automatically mean you are talented or special like her."

"We need to see it with our own eyes before deciding whether you possess anything worth investing our precious resources in."

Atlas frowned at those words, his eyebrows rising slightly as he realized that these people had misunderstood something about his situation. From their perspective, they were responsible for deciding which individuals deserved the Conclave’s resources, and they apparently intended to determine whether he was worthy of such an investment.

However, Atlas had never asked them to provide him with anything in the first place.

He finally spoke after observing their expressions for a moment, "What gave you the idea that I need resources? Only Seraphiel and the others need them. Oriendar proposed protecting me until I was strong enough, in exchange for helping the Conclave..."

He paused when he noticed the expressions on their faces, particularly their widened eyes, which made it clear that his casual explanation had shocked them.

They could hardly believe that this human had mentioned the Third Pillar’s name so casually. Unlike Atlas, they understood precisely why his words were so shocking, and their reactions had nothing to do with the agreement he had just described.

Atlas had no idea that merely speaking the true name of an Awakened being could place someone of a lower rank in mortal danger. Essentially, anyone below the Awakened rank who spoke the true name of an Awakened being would die instantly under the overwhelming pressure associated with that name.

Yet, Atlas remained completely unharmed, mentioning Oriendar as though there were nothing unusual about it. The female figure with the soft voice even trembled slightly as she remembered what had happened to her when she had once spoken that very name.

"And as for you judging me? Who even gave you the right to do that? Whether I am special or not is something I can decide for myself. Who are you people to judge me in the first place? Only if Oriendar himself—" Before Atlas could finish his sentence, a voice suddenly echoed from behind him, interrupting his words.

"Alright, I myself want to see what you are capable of, so please oblige for once." Atlas turned around and saw Oriendar’s projection standing behind him.