NOVEL WEB Chapter 223: Image!
Grey lost all sense of time, his mind fixated on the vivid image Lilith had planted within him.
A single lotus bud blossomed gently in the heart of a tranquil lake, its petals slowly unfurling under a soft, golden light.
The scene was breathtaking, serene beyond words.
With this vision, Grey's mind stilled completely. His body relaxed deeply, as if melting into the stillness of that peaceful lake.
His natural absorption of spiritual energy increased steadily, inching higher and higher with every passing moment.
Lilith watched with a stunned expression.
"How extraordinary his talent must be, to visualize such an image so perfectly on the first try."
She murmured, "Without this kind of gift, it's hard to believe anyone could reach a high-tier Trainee in just over a day."
Her eyes flicked to the spiritual energy readout: "His spiritual htz has already surpassed 1,200."
Lilith stood frozen, her mind struggling to keep up with the rapid progression before her eyes.
She hadn't expected Grey to advance so quickly.
"To become a mid-tier Disciple, one needs 1,500 spiritual htz, and 2,000 for a high-tier," she murmured thoughtfully. "He's already closing in on 1,500. He's so close to reaching his goal."
She sighed softly in admiration.
Grey was breezing through the ranks of Book Master far faster than anyone she'd seen.
But the real challenge awaited beyond high-tier Disciple.
To ascend to Master rank, it wasn't just about spiritual htz or raw strength. He'd also need to break through the limitation of control of spiritual energy as well, an incredibly difficult hurdle that had ended the ambitions of countless Book Tamers before him.
This step was crucial and notoriously unforgiving.
Lilith watched Grey closely, her thoughts quietly turning over his progress.
'I wonder if he can achieve it,' she mused. 'But honestly, he doesn't need to reach Book Master just yet. As long as he reaches High-tier Disciple he could write in my papers, that's enough.'
A day passed quietly.
Meanwhile, the others had finally tamed their Grimoires.
Unlike Grey, each of them had only managed to claim Bronze Grimoires.
Though they sweated and thrashed through the trial, they moved steadily through it, able to complete it with relative ease.
But their journey was just beginning.
They would have to start from scratch and hope that when their Grimoire's pages were finally used up, the book would evolve to the next tier.
If it didn't, then their dreams and future would be dashed and they would have to look for another grimoire.
When they opened their eyes, they found Grey sitting cross-legged, calm and composed.
The mature woman blinked, clearly stunned: "What are you doing, Grey?"
Grey slowly opened his eyes and let out a sigh:
'I was so close to reaching it, Oh well. I'll finish that when I get home.'
He stood up leisurely and started to turn away.
The mature woman hesitated, biting her lip nervously, then hurried after him.
"Wait."
Grey frowned and turned back: "Hmm? What's up?"
"Can I... follow you?" she asked quietly, almost a whisper.
Grey's blue eyes fixed on her in silence, a strange, unreadable expression flickering across his face.
Caught in his gaze, the mature woman blushed slightly and quickly looked away.
"I'm not like that," she murmured softly. "But…"
Before she could finish, Grey flicked her forehead lightly, making her wince.
"Do you think I'm like that, then?" he teased.
She hesitated, clearly unsure how to respond.
"Fine, then. Follow me," Grey finally sighed.
"Okay!" Her eyes sparkled with relief.
The other seven trailing behind her exchanged curious looks. Two of the girls glanced at each other but said nothing.
Soon, they all emerged from the gate back again.
The pink-haired man awaited them with a warm smile:
"I didn't expect you to tame a Diamond Grimoire so easily. As expected of a genius like you."
Grey's pupils flickered sharply. His suspicion was confirmed, they truly could monitor the trial grounds:
"Your praise is undeserved."
The man nodded approvingly, eyes gleaming:
"You have become the fastest Grimoire tamer in history. I am proud of you."
"Thank you," Grey replied calmly.
"However, don't get conceited. That Grimoire is the Diamond Soul Grimoire, known for being incredibly moody. If I had to describe her in one word, it would be throwing the tantrum of a child. That's how she—" the short pink-haired man began.
But before he could finish, a bright red light burst forth from Grey's body.
A massive Grimoire materialized, hovering in the air, then with a swift, tearing motion, it sliced through the space between them and slammed squarely into the pink-haired man's stomach.
Bang!
The man doubled over in agony, saliva dripping from his mouth as his eyes widened in shock and pain.
"Ow… ow…" he gasped, almost collapsing to the ground.
"Hmph," Lilith muttered angrily as she floated back in front of Grey.
Grey chuckled softly and patted the massive Grimoire.
"Are you feeling sad now?"
Lilith recoiled slightly, refusing to respond.
"Ha! Let's continue with the event," the pink-haired man said, brushing off his embarrassment as if it never happened.
The entire arena buzzed with excitement, the crowd's anticipation reaching a fever pitch.
"Did he really tame a Diamond Grimoire?" someone spoke.
"It seems so. And he captured it instantly. Insane. Maybe the legendary commoner will rise again."
"Didn't he tame a Diamond Grimoire in just a month? That's even faster than the legendary commoner. With that kind of talent, he might become king himself."
"With his talent, it might actually be possible."
"Hmph, don't get ahead of yourself. A genius still needs time to grow and some won't give him that luxury."
The murmurs swirled through the coliseum like a restless tide.
Among the crowd, Lucy watched with mixed emotions, happy for Grey, but also quietly saddened by the thought of losing him.
'Sigh,' she thought, 'Maybe it's for the best. A failure like me isn't worthy of him.'
Although, saddened, she consoled herself but tears couldn't help but shed from her eyes.