As soon as the Trial finished, the Stairway to Heaven disappeared. Karyk's body landed on the ground safely. However, he could see that he was being glared at by everyone in his surroundings, especially the Elders who were embarrassed and the youngsters who were jealous.
"You little brat, come clean! How did you cheat?!"
"Confess and accept your wrongs and we might not punish you! If you don't..."
"We can understand that your greed got the better of you. However, that doesn't mean you're allowed to cheat!"
One after another, people kept coming to Karyk, scolding him as if they were better than him and he was a fool.
"You're saying that a mortal was able to cheat in a test created by the Southern General and powerful people like you don't know how?" Karyk asked in return. "Doesn't that mean you're all quite useless? You're the one accusing me. Shouldn't you be the one telling me how I cheated?"
The crowd fell silent, stunned by Karyk's boldness.
One of the Elders stepped forward, eyeing Karyk with suspicion.
"You have some nerve, kid," he growled. "But that doesn't mean you can do anything you want. Do you think there is a way for a mortal to reach where all the heavenly geniuses couldn't reach, without cheating?"
"Heavenly Geniuses?" Karyk smiled in response. "It looks more like you're insulting them. What you're saying sounds more like saying that all of your so-called heavenly heavenly geniuses are incompetent who can't pass the Southern General's test without cheating."
The man's eyes narrowed, his suspicion growing stronger with each passing moment.
His aura intensified, pressing down on Karyk as if trying to bring him to his knees. "You talk too much, boy. You still haven't answered my question."
However, as soon as the pressure came, Gabriel appeared before Karyk, blocking the aura of the old man. Even though the aura didn't affect Karyk in the least, but it would've been suspicious if Karyk remained unharmed before the aura.
Moreover, as far as he knew Karyk, he wasn't going to go down on his knees, just to fool the kid.
"You!" The old man was even more furious to see someone stop him. The young man from his clan was in the first place before Karyk took him over, so he was even more furious.
His eyes revealed a clear anger. However, before he could do anything, the Guard Captain also moved, appearing in the middle of the conflict.
"There was no cheating. Stop now," he directly explained.
"That's impossible!" The old man scoffed. "Are you saying that a mortal won the test without cheating?"
"Unless you're saying that the test designed by our Lord was so useless that it couldn't even detect and stop cheating," the Guard Captain squinted his eyes. "So you better stop now."
The old man looked taken aback, realizing that he was in a difficult position. He glanced around and saw that the other spectators were also staring at him in disapproval.
If he still insisted on cheating after the Guard Captain said that, it meant he was going to be directly accusing the Southern General of being useless.
He wasn't a fool who wanted to go ahead the strongest man in their world, simply because of his anger. Even though he still believed that Karyk somehow cheated, he could only stop here for now.
With a final huff, he muttered under his breath and retreated back. His pressing aura also disappeared in an instant.
As he walked away from the confrontation, he couldn't help but feel defeated. He was from the second strongest clan in the Southern World, and now he couldn't even stand up for himself.
He could only glare at Karyk. If glares could kill, he would've killed Karyk a thousand times already.
"Now that the first test is over, we shall start the banquet!" The Guard Captain smiled now that the test was over. His first mission was completed. Now there was time for a three day long banquet celebrating the birthday celebration of the Southern General.
At the same time, the Guard Captain escorted Karyk and Gabriel personally, worried that he might be troubled by the others if he stayed with them. He didn't realize that the person he was looking for everywhere was right next to him.
If it was old Karyk, it would've been easy to sense his presence even when he didn't use any magic. However, after his control had increased, not a single trace of his aura leaked, making it impossible for people around him to sense the aura of death.
After some time, the large-scale celebration began.
The banquet was a spectacle of magic and wonder. The guests were seated at circular tables that floated in the air, with crystal chandeliers above them.
The tables were covered with plates and bowls of food that changed color and shape according to the guests' preferences. The food was delicious and satisfying, and the drinks were refreshing and intoxicating.
The guests were also entertained by performers who used their mystical abilities to create illusions and tricks. There were dancers who moved gracefully in the air, singers who harmonized with the birds, and mages who revealed various amazing spells to lighten the mood.
It was as if fireworks could be seen high in the sky, which made the already colorful sky look even more beautiful.
The banquet was a celebration of the birthday Celebration of the Southern General which was said to last for three days, and only on the third day was it going to be attended by the Four Generals.
Moreover, the guests included influential people from all four upper realm worlds, which made it a perfect opportunity for them to create more connections.
They exchanged stories and gifts, and learned from each other's cultures, getting more understanding about the other words in the upper realm.
The banquet was a spectacle to remember for everyone who attended. However, there were many who were still feeling regretful about failing the earlier test.
On the other side, Karyk was waiting for the Four General's arrival.
