Chapter 43: Rewriting Westmere’s History!

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Rewriting Westmere’s History!

Above the clouds, the middle-aged man in gray robes stared at the golden pillar of light rising from the Westmere Professional Center. For several seconds, he remained silent.

Then he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! That kid actually succeeded!"

A faint smile finally appeared on the usually composed face of the man in black.

They understood better than anyone how difficult this trial had been.

Twenty-four hours. Five hundred million gold coins. No preexisting assets. No financial assistance. Every coin had to be earned through value personally created by the candidate.

For an ordinary professional attempting their first class advancement, these conditions were practically impossible to overcome.

Yet Nathaniel Beaumont had accomplished it.

He had forced his way through what should have been an insurmountable obstacle.

"This kid is even more impressive than we expected!" the gray-robed man exclaimed, his laughter gradually subsiding.

Meanwhile, news of an SSS-Rank first class advancement spread through Westmere like a storm.

The first place to erupt was the Westmere Professional Center itself.

"The Class Advancement Hall just recorded an SSS-Rank evaluation!"

"First class advancement! It really was the first advancement!"

"Someone actually achieved SSS-Rank on their first advancement!"

"The golden light shot straight into the sky! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"I was there, too! The person looked incredibly young, probably eighteen or nineteen at most!"

"Eighteen or nineteen? Are you serious? How could someone that young already be advancing their class?"

"Why would I lie? Half the people in the hall witnessed it!"

The news spread from the staff to the professionals, then from the professionals to major teams, commercial consortiums, and influential families.

Communication groups buzzed with messages. Internal consortium channels filled with speculation. Professional forums erupted into heated discussions, while the Guard Team’s intelligence network began gathering information.

Within barely ten minutes, nearly every influential figure in Westmere had heard the news.

An SSS-Rank first advancement.

Those four words carried enormous weight.

In Westmere’s history, when the Three Pillars had achieved SS-Rank evaluations during their first advancements, their accomplishments had been celebrated for years. They had become the city’s strongest guardians, standing above countless other professionals.

But now, someone had surpassed even that record.

Someone had achieved SSS-Rank.

What did that mean?

It meant that, provided this individual survived long enough to develop their abilities, they might eventually reach the same heights as the Three Pillars.

They might even surpass them.

For a city that had recently lost contact with its three strongest guardians, the emergence of such a talent was nothing short of extraordinary.

Under the seemingly calm surface of Westmere, countless undercurrents began to stir.

Who was this mysterious SSS-Rank genius?

Which family did they belong to?

Which class had they awakened?

And, most importantly, could they be recruited before they grew too powerful to influence?

Every major force in the city wanted answers.

Beaumont Trading Consortium Headquarters

At the top floor of the Beaumont Trading Consortium’s headquarters, six senior executives were gathered in the conference hall.

Colin Whitmore, the head of equipment trading, sat among them. Victoria Shaw, the consortium’s chief financial officer, maintained her usual composed expression, while Marcus Reed, the head of security, remained silent beside the others.

They had gathered for a single purpose.

To take control of the Beaumont Trading Consortium.

Their plans had already been laid out. They were waiting for Nathaniel to arrive so that the confrontation could begin.

Before the news broke, the conference hall had been filled with quiet discussions about how they would deal with him.

Then an assistant hurried into the room.

"Everyone, something major has happened at the Westmere Professional Center!"

The assistant’s hurried announcement interrupted the conversation.

Colin frowned. "What happened?"

The assistant took a breath before delivering the news.

"Someone has achieved an SSS-Rank evaluation during their first class advancement!"

The entire conference hall fell silent.

Colin abruptly rose from his chair.

"SSS-Rank first advancement?" he demanded. "Has this information been confirmed?"

"Yes, sir. It’s been confirmed. The Professional Center is already in an uproar. Numerous professionals witnessed the golden pillar of light with their own eyes."

Victoria’s composure finally cracked.

She looked toward the assistant, her voice carrying an unmistakable note of urgency.

"Who is it?"

"We haven’t identified the individual yet. The Professional Center hasn’t publicly disclosed their identity. From the accounts we’ve gathered, the person appears to be very young."

A young professional.

The executives exchanged glances, their expressions changing one after another.

One of the older executives could not help speaking.

"If we could recruit someone like that into the Beaumont Trading Consortium..."

He stopped halfway through his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

An SSS-Rank first advancement was not merely a sign of talent. It represented extraordinary potential, the kind that could produce a powerhouse capable of changing the balance of an entire city.

If the Beaumont Trading Consortium could secure the loyalty of such an individual, its future would become far more stable.

Even the external pressure from rival commercial forces might become manageable.

A sharp gleam appeared in Colin’s eyes.

"Investigate immediately! Find out who this person is!"

He struck the table lightly with his palm.

"No matter how much money it takes, we must establish contact. Offer resources, status, and a share of the consortium if necessary. We need to approach this person before other forces get to them."

Victoria nodded without hesitation.

"That’s right. Someone with this level of potential must be contacted as soon as possible."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"If we can secure their support, we will have another powerful card to play against the Golden Harvest Consortium, the Blackstone Trading Group, and Everwell Pharmaceuticals."

Another executive leaned forward, excitement evident in his voice.

"If an SSS-Rank genius joins us, why should we worry about the attitudes of those outside forces? With enough time, that person might become one of the strongest professionals in the entire region!"

The discussion grew increasingly animated.

For a moment, the tension surrounding Nathaniel’s impending arrival seemed to fade into the background. The executives were already imagining how much influence such a powerful individual could bring them.

Colin raised a hand, bringing the discussion under control.

"Calm down. We don’t even know who this person is yet."

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to think rationally.

"Once today’s business is settled, make this our immediate priority."

Victoria nodded.

"The first thing we need to do is finish the matter with Nathaniel. Once we control the Beaumont Trading Consortium, we will have access to its resources and connections. That will give us a much stronger position when recruiting this SSS-Rank genius."

The other executives nodded in agreement.

None of them realized that the person they were so eager to recruit was the very person they intended to confront that day.

City Lord’s Mansion

At the City Lord’s Mansion, Edmund Sterling was preparing to leave with Adrian Cross, captain of Westmere’s Guard Team.

They had already decided to attend the confrontation at the Beaumont Trading Consortium.

Given the importance of the dispute, their presence was necessary.

However, before they could depart, a new message arrived from the Westmere Professional Center.

Adrian glanced at the communication on his device.

Then he froze.

Edmund noticed his expression.

"What happened?"

Adrian slowly raised his head.

"My lord, an SSS-Rank first advancement has just been recorded at the Professional Center."

Edmund’s movements stopped.

"SSS-Rank?"

"Yes. The individual’s first class advancement received an SSS-Rank evaluation."

Edmund narrowed his eyes.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then, as though a particular possibility had suddenly occurred to him, a smile spread across his face.

"Nathaniel?"

Adrian’s expression changed before he broke into a grin.

"That was my first thought as well. Considering what he’s been doing recently, I can’t think of anyone else who could accomplish something like this."

The two men exchanged a glance.

The next moment, Edmund burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Excellent! Absolutely excellent!"

He shook his head, unable to conceal his amusement.

"That young man really knows how to surprise people. Every time I think I’ve understood his limits, he goes and does something even more outrageous."

Adrian’s smile widened.

"It’s a shame we weren’t there to witness the advancement ourselves. An SSS-Rank evaluation on the first advancement. This is the first time anything like this has happened in Westmere’s recorded history."

Edmund waved a hand dismissively.

"It doesn’t matter. We can still witness what happens next."

His expression became slightly more serious, though the amusement remained in his eyes.

"Come on. We’re going to the Beaumont Trading Consortium."

He turned toward the door.

"I want to see the expressions on those executives’ faces when they discover what Nathaniel has accomplished."

Adrian followed him, laughing quietly.

"I suspect they’re probably still trying to identify the SSS-Rank genius. Wouldn’t surprise me if they’re already preparing a recruitment offer."

Edmund’s smile grew more pronounced.

"Then today’s meeting should be even more interesting."

Neither man had any intention of revealing Nathaniel’s achievement in advance.

They wanted to see the moment when the truth finally reached the executives.

And judging by the way those executives had been behaving lately, it promised to be memorable.

Beaumont Trading Consortium Headquarters

Not long afterward, the City Lord’s Mansion’s official hovercar arrived at the Beaumont Trading Consortium headquarters.

The vehicle slowed before the main entrance and came to a smooth stop.

Edmund Sterling stepped out first, followed by Adrian Cross.

The employees stationed at the entrance immediately recognized them.

Their expressions changed.

The City Lord had arrived in person.

And he had brought the captain of the Guard Team with him.

Why would two such important figures visit the consortium today?

The employees quickly notified the upper management.

Within minutes, the news reached the conference hall on the top floor.

Colin Whitmore, Victoria Shaw, Marcus Reed, and the other executives exchanged uneasy glances.

The arrival of the City Lord was no trivial matter.

Colin quickly stood.

"Everyone, let’s go and welcome them."

He led several senior executives toward the elevators.

A few moments later, the group arrived at the entrance to greet their unexpected visitors.

"Lord Sterling."

"Captain Cross."

Colin wore a respectful smile as he approached the two men.

"We were unaware that you would be visiting today. Please forgive us for not arranging a proper welcome in advance."

Edmund waved his hand.

"There’s no need for formalities."

His casual response did little to ease Colin’s anxiety.

The executives had chosen this very day to challenge Nathaniel’s authority and seize control of the Beaumont Trading Consortium. Now the City Lord and the captain of the Guard Team had arrived without warning.

The timing was too suspicious to ignore.

Had they come to support Nathaniel?

Victoria considered the possibility as well.

Her gaze shifted between Edmund and Adrian, searching their expressions for clues. Finding nothing conclusive, she decided to ask directly, though she kept her tone respectful.

"Lord Sterling, may I ask whether your visit today concerns the young master’s affairs?"

For a brief moment, the surrounding employees fell silent.

The executives waited for the City Lord’s answer.

Edmund looked at Victoria.

A faint smile touched his face.

And the real show had not even begun.