The shock continued to ripple through the surroundings. After a while, people finally began to regain their senses as Axel's voice echoed faintly in their ears.
"Congratulations, young master..."
Ronald immediately shook off his daze and could not help but mutter internally, 'His ability is SS-grade, one level above his mother... I can still recall the treatment she received after awakening such an ability. My nephew is about to soar through the heavens. I have to inform the main household…'
He made a firm decision in his heart.
"Congratulations, nephew..."
"Congratulations, young master."
"Congratulations, young master, you are destined for greatness..."
One after another, the others raised their voices, offering their congratulations to Modret. He gave them a warm smile, nodded, then casually removed his hand from the orb and walked over to stand beside Axel.
Ronald's lips curled slightly. For the first time in a while, his heart felt at ease. Even if the others failed to awaken, as long as Modret succeeded, it was more than enough.
"Everyone, that concludes the awakening. Remember, even if you did not awaken an ability, this is not the end of the world for you. Continue to work on yourself. This is a magical world, and there may be other forms of uniqueness we have yet to uncover."
At the sound of those words, a faint light returned to the eyes of a few servants, as if hope had quietly crept into their hearts.
After a brief silence to let them absorb his words, Ronald continued, "From here, we will proceed to sign a confidentiality agreement. By signing this, you are strictly forbidden from revealing anything that happened here today. If you do, whether intentionally or unintentionally, you will die instantly."
His voice was calm, yet it sent a chill crawling down everyone's spine.
Several of them hesitated, their eyes showing subtle signs of resistance. But there was also helplessness. Deep down, they knew they could not escape their fate today.
Modret frowned faintly but then shrugged. As long as the contract did not place any restrictions on him, he had no reason to resist.
'Still, I do not like the idea of contract signing. Could this be someone's ability?' Modret wondered, a faint trace of curiosity rising in his heart.
With that said, they left the awakening ground. Ronald led them to a nearby chamber, only a short distance away. Inside, an old man resided.
"Greetings, Old Man Don!" Ronald called the moment he stepped inside. His demeanor changed instantly, abandoning all traces of noble arrogance. He bowed respectfully, addressing the old man with utmost reverence.
The old man raised his head slowly, glancing at them with eyes that had seen centuries. His deeply wrinkled face gradually showed a flicker of understanding.
"Here are the contracts," he said as he waved his hand.
Pale blue energy surged into the air, forming from hundreds of soft, glowing particles. The energy gradually condensed into several white documents, which floated gently down before them. A pen, also crafted from the same blue specks, materialized alongside the documents.
'An ability?' Modret observed intently. 'It seems his gift is related to contracts. Is that why they treat him with such caution and respect?'
He glanced at the others for their reactions. Axel gave him a small nod, then reached out and took the pen. He signed the document without hesitation.
After a moment, Axel turned back to Modret and said calmly, "There is no issue, young master."
Modret nodded slightly. This was another example of the unwavering loyalty of his personal guard. Whenever his mother was unavailable to prepare his meals, Axel would always taste the dishes first to ensure they were not poisoned.
Though the role was undeniably dangerous, Modret had no power to change it. 'Besides, he has never once complained about the duties of a life guard,' he remarked inwardly.
Turning his attention to the paper, Modret raised his hand and took the pen. His eyes scanned the contents of the contract. The writings were simple and direct.
As he read through it, he noticed it merely detailed the terms Ronald had already explained.
There was nothing suspicious or unexpected.
Without further hesitation, Modret signed the contract.
At that moment, he felt something strange surge through his body. A peculiar sensation swept across his soul, as though he had been branded by some unseen force.
He frowned deeply, trying to trace the source of the feeling. But despite his efforts, he found nothing.
'My strength is lacking,' he realized at once. 'Does this mean that, with enough power, I could neutralize the contract's effects? That would make contracts far less threatening in the future…'
A subtle sense of satisfaction bloomed in his chest.
After the final signatures were completed, Ronald turned toward Modret and the boy who had also awakened.
"The two of you will have the chance to enter the treasury and receive an ability. Of course, Modret will be allowed to access deeper levels since he awakened an SS-grade ability."
As Ronald spoke, Modret subconsciously glanced at the old man.
'No reaction at all? Has he encountered many SS-grade abilities over the years? Could his own ability be even higher? Perhaps even the forbidden SSS-grade?' His mind overflowed with speculation.
He suppressed the rising questions and turned his attention back to Ronald. The man had already begun walking away, and the other youth was quietly following behind him.
The two guards standing by the door were tasked with escorting the remaining servants back home.
Modret paused for a moment, then called out, "Axel, come with me..."
He was not entirely sure why, but he wanted the life guard close by.
Hearing his voice, Ronald stopped and turned to glance at Modret. For a brief second, he appeared caught in a daze.
Noticing this, Modret thought perhaps he had overstepped. He quickly asked, "Uncle, there should not be any issue with me bringing him along, right? I promise he will not browse through the techniques."
Assured by Modret's words, Ronald gave a light nod and resumed walking briskly in the direction of the treasury.
Seeing that there were no objections, Axel smiled slightly, then took a few quick steps to catch up with them.
Roughly an hour passed before they arrived.
Standing before the entrance, Modret's gaze fell upon a massive, reinforced golden door. Its surface shimmered faintly beneath the sunlight.
'This…' his eyes widened internally, 'Even my parents could not damage something like this!'
Ronald stopped before the door and spoke in a measured tone, as though addressing students at a prestigious academy.
"This door is crafted from the rarest and most resilient metal known to man. According to our research, this metal has a fifty percent nullifying effect on all known abilities."
Modret's jaw dropped slightly.
The boy beside him gasped, while Axel's eyes also flickered with brief astonishment.
Author's note: appologies for the late release, expect 2 chapters tomorrow morning. new york time...