NOVEL WEB Chapter 667: 1-star sector
The void shuttle touched down gracefully on a wide, marble-paved landing platform at the edge of Ruler City. The hatch opened with a soft hiss, and one by one, the fifty recruits stepped out, their eyes wide as they took in the grandeur surrounding them.
The mana in the air was so dense it almost felt tangible, like invisible threads brushing against their skin. Max stepped down as well, his senses heightened, his gaze scanning the towering structures and intricate formations etched into the city floor.
But what caught his attention most were the people waiting for them.
Lined up neatly in front of the platform stood a dozen figures, all clad in elegant robes marked with the insignia of the Great Ruler Empire. Their auras were sharp, composed, and overwhelmingly powerful.
Max could immediately tell—they were stronger than the five elders he had met during the recruitment assessment. Their presence alone was enough to make some of the recruits tense up instinctively.
They were likely high-ranking officials or instructors responsible for overseeing the new generation of Empire disciples.
From the middle of the group, a smiling middle-aged man stepped forward. His black hair was slicked back, his face carried a warmth that made him approachable, but his eyes glinted with a sharpness that couldn't be hidden.
"Welcome to Ruler City," he said, his voice calm but authoritative. "I am Elder Henric. I'll be escorting you to your assigned quarters. Follow me."
Before anyone could respond, Lyra spoke up from behind. Her gaze swept across the group of recruits, but it lingered briefly—almost protectively—on Max. "Go ahead," she said. "If you're needed, you'll receive a notification through your holowatches."
The recruits nodded obediently, a few of them casting glances back at the impressive void shuttle they had arrived in, before turning and falling in behind Elder Henric.
Max followed in silence, his mind already processing the new environment, the unfamiliar auras around him, and the unknown future that awaited in this city of power.
Once the recruits were far enough down the road, one of the robed figures standing beside Lyra turned to her with narrowed eyes. "I heard Thunder Monarch Hall interfered in the assessment," the elder asked, his tone low but edged with concern.
Lyra didn't seem fazed. Her red lips curled into a confident smile, and her arms crossed loosely over her chest. "They did," she said calmly. "Things could've gotten ugly... but we handled the situation just fine..."
***
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man named Elder Henric walked ahead with an easy stride, leading the recruits through the bustling stone-paved streets of Ruler City.
As they passed through the towering structures and training courtyards, he began explaining the city's structure in a calm and knowledgeable tone, his voice carrying clearly despite the ambient hum of activity around them.
"Ruler City," he said, glancing over his shoulder to ensure the recruits were listening, "is divided into five distinct sections. The first three are designated for the geniuses of our Great Ruler Empire. We call them the 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star Sectors. The sector you're assigned to depends on your talent, contributions, and growth. Naturally, Heaven Grade geniuses—those at the peak of genius classification—are given residence within the 3-star Sector."
His words made a few recruits glance at each other with subtle excitement and ambition.
He continued as they turned a corner, where wide training grounds stretched on both sides and young geniuses sparred, meditated, or practiced their techniques in silence.
"The fourth division of the city is called the Inner Sanctum," he said. "That is where the elders, deacons, and servants of the Great Ruler Empire live. Access to that area is limited and granted only to personnel or members who earn special permissions."
As they neared a beautifully carved archway guarded by armored officials, Elder Henric's tone lowered slightly with a note of reverence. "And the final part of the city is called Sovereign Peak. That is where the leaders and high officials of the Great Ruler Empire reside. It is the heart of Ruler City, the administrative and strategic command center. Only the highest-ranked individuals are allowed entry there."
The recruits listened attentively as they followed him, their eyes scanning the bustling city with curiosity and awe. All around them, young geniuses, most of whom didn't appear older than twenty-five, walked with confidence and pride.
Some were sparring in courtyards, others chatting on wide verandas or meditating beneath glowing elemental trees. It became quickly evident that this part of the city was designed specifically for the Empire's future—young geniuses full of potential and purpose.
There were very few middle-aged or elderly figures in sight, and even those few radiated an aura of guidance rather than dominance. This was a city built for growth, and as Max and the others took it all in, a sense of competitiveness, ambition, and excitement slowly bloomed within their hearts.
"We have arrived at your living quarters," Elder Henric announced with a welcoming smile as they passed through a tall archway made of jade-colored stone, engraved with the glowing golden letters that read 1-Star Sector.
Beyond the entrance, a wide path branched into smaller stone-paved walkways that wound through a garden-like area filled with flowering trees, meditation pavilions, and neat rows of elegant housing quarters.
The buildings weren't overly lavish, but they had a refined design and aura fitting for budding geniuses of a great empire.
As they entered deeper into the sector, Elder Henric turned slightly and added with a more serious tone, "Currently, all of you are considered ordinary members of the 1-star section. This means you are allowed to live and train here, but your status is not yet that of a true 1-star genius."
He paused and let the words sink in before continuing. "To be recognized officially as a 1-star genius of the Great Ruler Empire, you must undergo and pass a formal test. Only after succeeding in that test will you be granted the title, along with the privileges that come with it—access to deeper resources, personal guidance, and a voice in sector matters."
The group of recruits nodded silently, though many of their eyes drifted toward Max, who stood a few steps behind Henric with a calm expression.
Even though he hadn't said a word, the knowledge that he had already been granted the status of a 1-star genius stirred quiet envy in the hearts of several recruits.
Whispers and side glances followed him like shadows. Max, the white-haired youth who had effortlessly defeated two Master Rank opponents from the Thunder Monarch Hall, was already standing on a platform far above them.
Some looked at him with admiration, others with barely hidden jealousy—but Max paid them no mind. His eyes were fixed forward, unfazed and resolute, already thinking about how to rise even higher from this point onward.
"You should have been given a map of the 1-star sector along with your house keys in your holowatch," Elder Henric said, his calm voice carrying over the quiet murmurs of the new recruits. "Use them to navigate the 1-star sector and find your assigned residence. Each of you has a personal training chamber, a living quarter and a basic resource supply provided by the Great Ruler Empire. Don't waste it. Learn the rules of the sector, train hard, and don't bring disgrace to the Empire that has accepted you."
His eyes swept over the group one final time, lingering briefly on Max—who stood calm and composed, still attracting wary glances from the other recruits—before turning away. "My task here is done," he added, his voice lighter now.
And just like that, with a wave of his sleeve, his figure flickered and vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a faint ripple of mana in the air and fifty young geniuses standing in silence, holding their holowatches, some already tapping through the maps to locate their houses while others cast one final glance at Max before heading off in different directions.