My attributes are increasing infinitely - Chapter 482: The Aurora Clan base

Chapter 482: The Aurora Clan base

The change in the atmosphere happened instantly, and everyone in the room could feel it without needing to look around.

Harold’s expression darkened in a very clear way, and the calm control he had been maintaining until now began to crack slightly under the pressure of the situation. His eyes narrowed, and although he did not speak, it was obvious that he was no longer treating Ethan as someone insignificant.

At the same time, Dominic reacted in the opposite manner. His smile widened, and there was a visible sense of satisfaction in his expression, as if Ethan’s words had only made things more interesting for him rather than creating any problem.

Before either of them could respond, Ethan raised his hand slightly, making it clear that he was not finished speaking yet. The gesture was simple, but it carried enough authority to stop both of them.

“However,” Ethan said in a calm and steady voice, “I am not committing myself to the Aurora Clan at this moment.”

The room became even quieter after that.

“I will go with Sir Dominic,” he continued, speaking clearly without any hesitation, “so that I can observe and understand what the clan actually offers in practice.”

He looked directly at Dominic while saying this, his gaze firm and unshaken.

“If I find that your clan meets my expectations, then I will choose to join. If it does not, then I will leave.”

No one spoke for a few seconds.

Dominic looked at him carefully, but his expression did not change. The smile on his face stayed exactly as it was, as if he had already expected something like this.

“That is a bold stance,” Dominic said after a moment, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. “You are speaking to a level seven as if we are equals.”

Ethan did not look away.

“I will not give my loyalty blindly,” he replied. “If that is not acceptable to you, then I am ready to leave this city and survive on my own in the forest.”

His voice remained calm, but his meaning was very clear.

The room fell silent again, but this silence felt heavier than before. It was no longer just tension. It was evaluation.

Harold kept his eyes on Ethan, studying him closely. It was clear that he was reconsidering his earlier judgment. Ethan was no longer just another outsider in his eyes.

Dominic, however, suddenly laughed.

The sound was loud and filled the entire room, breaking the tension in an instant.

“Very well,” he said once his laughter settled down. “You will come with me, observe everything you want, and ask whatever questions you have.”

He turned toward the door as if the matter was already decided.

“If, after that, you decide to leave, I will not stop you.”

He paused for a brief moment, then looked back at Ethan.

“But I do not think you will make that choice.”

Ethan did not argue. He simply followed.

As he walked past Harold’s chair, the envoy spoke in a low voice that only Ethan could clearly hear.

“You are making a mistake.”

Ethan did not slow down.

“We will see,” he replied calmly.

A moment later, the door closed behind them, and the room became completely silent.

Harold remained seated for a long time, staring at the empty space where they had been standing. His thoughts were clearly occupied.

Finally, he tapped his finger once on the table. The sharp sound echoed in the quiet room.

Then he stood up.

In the next instant, his body disappeared in a flash of silver light.

Outside, the corridor felt wide and empty.

Dominic slowed his steps slightly and looked at Ethan.

“Let us go,” he said.

Ethan nodded.

Dominic reached into his pocket and took out a small object. It was a white orb, smooth and faintly glowing, with a surface that looked almost alive.

He held it in his hand and began to channel energy into it.

Almost immediately, the air in front of them started to distort. A circular ripple appeared, and within seconds, a portal formed. The space inside it looked strange, not dark, but not fully visible either.

“Our ancestor placed the clan base in a separate dimension,” Dominic explained. “This orb is the only way to enter.”

Ethan looked at the portal for a moment. There was no visible support, no structure, yet it felt stable.

Dominic stepped forward without hesitation and entered.

Ethan followed right behind him.

For a brief moment, everything felt unstable, as if the space around him was shifting. Then it stopped.

When his vision cleared, he found himself standing in a completely different place.

In front of him stood a large castle. It was massive and well built, with strong walls and a design that showed both power and history. It did not look old or broken. Instead, it felt maintained and active.

The area around it was wide and open.

In front of the castle, many people were training. Some were practicing combat, moving with precision and discipline. Others were focusing on controlling their energy, and the air around them reacted slightly to their power.

Everything felt organized.

Ethan quietly observed the scene.

After a few seconds, several of the people noticed them.

Their movements slowed, and their attention shifted toward Ethan and Dominic.

“Looks like there is a new face,” one of them said. “Who is he, Dominic?”

Dominic answered without hesitation.

“He is an outsider with extraordinary potential. I have recruited him.”

That statement immediately drew reactions.

“Extraordinary potential?” another voice said.

The speaker stepped forward. He had a humanoid body, but his head resembled that of a dog. His expression carried a mix of curiosity and doubt.

“Do you think he can earn the right to ascend to the first floor?” the dog-headed man asked.

Dominic thought for a moment before answering.

“I do not know,” he said. “But we will check his potential first. It is possible that his potential is above gold level.”

The dog-headed man laughed lightly.

“You are dreaming,” he said with a mocking tone. “Hundreds of outsiders come to Elysium all the time, and not even one percent reach that level.”

He paused before continuing.

“But we can test him. Maybe he is different.”

Dominic did not respond to the mockery. Instead, he turned to Ethan.

Ethan, who had been listening carefully, finally spoke.

“What exactly is going on?” he asked.

Dominic explained calmly.

“When an outsider appears, we recruit them. After that, we measure their potential value. That value determines their rank in the clan.”

Ethan nodded slightly, then asked another question.

“What does potential value actually mean?”

Dominic’s expression became a bit more serious.

“Potential value is extremely important for growth,” he said. “After every ten levels, there is a bottleneck. These are not small obstacles. They are major barriers.”

He gestured toward the people training nearby.

“The higher your potential, the fewer evolution points you need to break through these barriers. If your potential is low, it becomes much harder to progress.”

He continued without rushing.

“These breakthroughs decide everything. Some people spend an extremely long time trying to pass them. In some cases, it can take billions of years to go from level ten to eleven, or from level twenty to twenty one.”

Ethan listened carefully and understood the meaning behind those words.

Potential value was not just a number. It decided how far someone could go and how easily they could grow.

For the first time, he felt a real curiosity about his own potential.

He looked at Dominic.

“I assume we can test it now,” he said.

Dominic smiled slightly.

“Yes,” he replied. “We can.”

Ethan’s focus sharpened.

He wanted to know what his potential truly was.