The Broken Halo

”Half-Step Greater Demon physical strength.”

The result was the same as Sonya’s.

Half-Step Greater Demon strength without demonic energy.

Half-Step Greater Demon strength with demonic energy reinforcement.

And just like Sonya, his second strike had almost pushed the crystal to the sixth ring.

For a moment, the compound felt heavy.

The demons who had been restless earlier no longer looked restless. They looked uncomfortable. Some of them had come here feeling talented, confident, or at least above average.

But after seeing Sonya and Akaza, that confidence had become fragile.

The two of them were not just stronger than most of the Archfiends present.

They were standing at a level that made ordinary comparison feel useless.

Korran Veyl looked at one of the officials.

The official did not need to be told what to do. He immediately wrote beside Akaza’s name, and his writing was faster and more careful than before.

A Kragh with terrifying affinity and strength.

A Martial Demon with no elemental affinity but frightening physical ability.

An unknown demon called Blackmoon with high S grade wind affinity and a strange presence.

Korran’s gaze moved briefly toward Simon.

After seeing the two demons beside him, Korran had even less reason to treat Simon lightly.

He was certain that Simon’s physical strength test would also not be ordinary.

Akaza lowered his fist and stepped away from the Impact Crystal.

His expression had not changed much.

He walked back to Simon and Sonya calmly, as if the result had nothing to do with him. That lack of reaction made some demons feel even more uneasy.

Sonya tilted her head slightly in his direction.

”I’m proud. You disappoint me.”

Akaza looked at her with a raised brow.

”Is there something wrong with your head?”

Sonya smiled.

”Who knows.”

Akaza shook his head and decided to stay silent for the sake of his mental health and energy.

Simon glanced at Akaza briefly, then shifted his gaze back to the Impact Crystal.

He had expected Akaza to perform well, but seeing the fifth ring appear twice still confirmed something.

The gap between their group and most of the demons in this recruitment was larger than the crowd had realized.

The official looked down at the beast-skin list.

His eyes paused on the next name.

For some reason, the simple act of reading the name made his throat feel slightly dry.

The compound also seemed to sense the change.

The noise slowly faded, and more gazes moved toward Simon.

Sonya’s smile returned.

Akaza stood silently beside him.

Simon’s expression remained calm.

The official took a breath, then called the next name.

”Blackmoon.”

The moment Simon’s name was called, the eyes of almost every demon in the compound turned toward him.

The atmosphere was different from when Sonya and Akaza were called. Sonya had already stunned them with her peak S grade earth affinity and monstrous strength. Akaza had also produced a result that made many Archfiends feel uncomfortable in their own bodies.

As for Simon, he was strange in a different way.

He had high S grade wind affinity, but his body did not give off the same feeling as Sonya’s or Akaza’s. He looked calm, thin, and a little pale. His aura was also not as stable as theirs. If not for the affinity test, many demons would have assumed that he was the weakest of the three.

But nobody was foolish enough to say that out loud anymore. They could all see the strange dynamic among Simon, Akaza and Sonya.

For some reason, Akaza and Sonya acted like Simon was their leader.

Simon walked forward.

His steps were neither fast nor slow. He could feel the gazes on his back, and he could also feel Korran’s attention, but his expression remained unchanged.

He had already decided what to do.

There was no point in overdoing it.

His body had recovered more than before, but it was still far from its best condition. His demonic pathways were even worse. Forcing too much power through them just to impress a group of demons was stupidity.

Besides, Korran had already said it.

The combat test was the most important.

Simon also had high S grade wind affinity. Even if his strength result was not overwhelming, Velmora would not treat him like an ordinary recruit. He had already shown enough value.

What mattered now was not strength.

It was control.

Simon stopped in front of the Impact Crystal and raised his gaze slightly. The dark crystal towered above him, still carrying the faint warmth of the strikes from Sonya and Akaza.

The official looked at Simon, then at the list, then back at Simon.

”First strike. No demonic energy.”

Simon nodded faintly.

He lifted his right hand and clenched his fist.

Some demons watched closely. A few expected another ridiculous result. Some expected the fifth ring to appear again, as if the three demons were born to make the Impact Crystal look useless.

Ammor also watched.

His face was calm now, but his eyes were not. He wanted Simon to fail. Not completely, but enough to prove that not everyone in that group was a monster.

Simon ignored all of them.

He did not shift his stance much. He did not gather momentum. He only adjusted his breathing slightly and punched.

Bang!

The sound was not loud.

It was clean, direct, and almost ordinary compared to the heavy impacts from Sonya and Akaza.

The Impact Crystal trembled slightly, and crimson light appeared from within it.

One ring.

Then the second.

Then the third.

However, the third ring flickered faintly before vanishing entirely.

After that, nothing else happened.

For a moment, the compound was quiet, but it was not the silence of shock. It was the silence of demons trying to understand whether they were disappointed or surprised.

The official stared at the three rings, then announced,

”Prime Archfiend physical strength.”

Simon lowered his fist.

Some demons exchanged glances.

Prime Archfiend physical strength was not bad at all, especially from the way Simon had struck. But after Sonya and Akaza, three rings felt small.

Then a demon in the crowd suddenly frowned.

”Wait...”

Another demon narrowed his eyes.

”Isn’t Blackmoon a Minor Archfiend?”

The words spread quietly.

A few demons finally reacted properly.

Simon was a Minor Archfiend.

A Minor Archfiend who had produced Prime Archfiend physical strength without demonic energy.

That meant his result was not weak. In fact, it was good. It only looked ordinary because Sonya and Akaza had broken the crowd’s sense of measurement.

The official also seemed to realize this, and his expression changed slightly.

Korran Veyl’s gaze did not move away from Simon.

He had expected something more explosive, but this result was not poor. A Minor Archfiend with Prime Archfiend raw physical strength was valuable. Still, Korran felt that something was wrong.

Simon’s punch had been too calm and too controlled.

It did not look like someone trying to show his limit.