On Alex's livestream, the strength test stage filled the screen.

The first to step up was Lucian, his long blond hair flowing over a pristine white suit, every gesture steeped in noble poise. He didn't posture, didn't roar—just rolled his wrist and threw what looked like a half-hearted jab.

The bag barely quivered, yet the screen lit up—

The crowd gasped, caught between awe and confusion.

Alex chuckled into the mic. "Don't sleep on it, chat. If this were a game, House Valehart would be the mage class! Masters of long-range powers—melee isn't their specialty. Their training usually focuses on ranged techniques, and before awakening their super abilities, they're really not that far ahead of regular Raisers."

[Mage build confirmed ??]

[He punched like he was tapping a vending machine ?]

[Wait… aren't superpowers supposed to be random? ? What if someone's born without ranged abilities tho?]

[For regular folks, yeah it's random. But a whole bloodline with the same type of power has a high chance of passing it down.]

[So Clans don't just pick partners with powers, they gotta pick the right type too?? ?]

[Not always. The key is having strong enough genes to dominate the mix]

[That's how you get entire clans with one power type bruh. The partner's genes don't matter as much if the core bloodline is strong.]

[Heard the main clan branches super strict tho—gotta keep the bloodline "pure," no dilution allowed ?]

[Bruh these nobles full of drama fr ?]

[Careful now—those "nobles" you're roasting are the main line of defense keeping you safe]

[Yeah true… kinda makes me feel bad for them tbh ?]

[Anyway, 1 down ✅ 3 to go ? Kai sweeping F4 fr]

[Next three better pray hard fr ??]

[Lol chill, didn't y'all hear what Alex said? ? Flexing punch power against a mage class, that's what you bragging about? ?]

The camera panned back to the waiting area. Lucian descended the steps, shrugging with an easy grin while Magnus muttered something under his breath, clearly displeased with Lucian's carefree attitude.

Magnus clapped the back of the young man clad head to toe in pitch black—Damian Ravencrest—nudging him slightly forward. Damian's face didn't change, even as Magnus kept grumbling, thumb jerking toward Kai and Mai standing below.

With Magnus's cheers at his back, Damian climbed the stairs, his pace just a little quicker than usual—almost like he was fleeing.

Before the audience could even settle, Damian reached his spot. No signal, no stance—he twisted at the waist and slashed the bag with a knife-hand strike.

Screams burst from the audience—half cheers, half startled cries.

Alex hadn't even caught her breath "The hell was that…? Didn't even give us time to blink and it's over already! That's Ravencrest for you—assassination arts at their finest. Even in a test like this, you never know when he's gonna strike."

[WTF I blinked and missed it ?]

[Assassin main spotted ?✨]

[Bro didn't even charge up, just slash and done ?]

[Imagine that on your neck… nah I'm good ?]

[Ravencrest built diff fr, silent but deadly ?‍?️]

[F4 all monsters fr… they tap the bag like it's nothing and numbers go brrr ??]

[Strong but that can't top Kai's 12k+ ??]

[Big number flex but scoreboard says otherwise—Kai still #1 ??]

[Common folk W, noble L ? Kai farming F4 like XP]

[Imagine being lvl 9 F4 and still looking up at Kai's score ?]

[F4 built diff but Kai proving diff > diff ?⚡]

Magnus stormed up the stairs before his name was even called, seemingly ready to nag at Damian. But before he could catch him, Damian had already slipped into the shadows and vanished, leaving Magnus fuming, glancing around in frustration.

Finding no trace of his mate, Magnus finally stepped up—broad shoulders squared, chest out, his gait like that of a conquering general.

Down below, Alex hyped up the stream:
"Chat, it's Magnus! Looks like he's got some beef with Kai, so you know he's gunning to beat that 12,089 score. Let's see if he can pull it off!"

Magnus sank into stance, drawing in a massive breath until his chest swelled full. One arm extended forward, the other pulled back, fist clenched tight. His eyes flashed, breath hissed out—then he unleashed a colossal punch.

BOOM!

The bag shuddered violently as though it might split open, numbers racing skyward.

The hall erupted, cheers bouncing off the walls like thunder.

Alex's voice cracked with excitement through the mic:

"TWELVE THOUSAND EIGHTY-SEVEN NEWTONS!!! Magnus Drakenwald! Just two points short! Even a pure warrior build—raw, unshakable muscle power of the Drakenwald line—still can't top Kai! Ohhhhhh!"

[BROOO 12,087??? So close ??]

[Pure warrior muscles and STILL 2 points short ?]

[Kai common folk W, Drakenwald muscle L ?]

[Imagine training your whole life just to lose by 2 points ?]

[Magnus punched like he wanted to crack the bag in half, and Kai still flexing up top ??]

[Common folk 3, Nobles 0 ???]

[Drakenwald warrior build maxed out… but Kai diff fr ?⚡]

[Eyyy, 3 down ✅ 1 to go ?]

[F4 who?? Common folk W ?⚡]

[Don't laugh yet, Ashbourne still left ??]

[Y'all forgetting Caelan's the real boss fight ?⚔️]

[Ashbourne bloodline don't play—Kai better pray fr ?]

[Common folk hype now, but wait till Ashbourne drops the hammer ?⚡]

[Final round ain't free, nobles always save their ace for last ?]

Magnus trudged down, catching a glimpse of Kai and Mai chatting happily—a sight that made his shoulders slump even lower.

Caelan stepped up, patting Magnus's shoulder as he passed.

With an easy motion, he slipped off his suit jacket and handed it to Lucian, unbuttoned his collar, then rolled his sleeves up to reveal solid forearms and a broad, chiseled chest.

The image—equal parts refined elegance and raw, untamed masculinity—sent the girls in the hall screaming, their voices rising to a decibel that made the glass panes tremble.

Facing the bag, Caelan rolled his shoulders once, muscles coiling like a drawn bow.

His leather shoes slid half a step forward, toes angled, digging into the ground like a stake.

His fist rose neatly to chin height, elbow tucked tight.

Those in the hall swore they could feel the aura radiating from him.

Everyone held their breath, waiting to see if he could surpass Kai Benjamin's 12,089.

A single deep breath—then his body compressed like a steel spring.

And then—release. Heel slammed the floor, hips whipped, shoulders snapped forward, the force surging through his spine and detonating out his arm.

BOOM!!! The punch was clean, surgical, like a spear thrust slicing air itself. The bag jolted back violently, chains screeching under the strain, the frame rattling.

Numbers skyrocketed.

For a heartbeat, silence. Then the hall detonated with sound, the roar of disbelief shaking the walls.

Alex nearly screamed herself hoarse "TWELVE-POINT-FOUR K!!! Caelan Ashbourne!!! The absolute peak of Level 9, folks! The Ashbourne bloodline never disappoints! That wasn't just strength—that was technique, heritage, the battle legacy of a house forged in centuries of war!"

[WTF 12.4k?? ?? Ashbourne built diff fr]

[Bro just yeeted Kai off the throne ?➡️?]

[Technique + bloodline buff >>> raw muscle any day ⚔️✨]

[That was CLEAN AF, like a spear through air ??️]

[12,455… common folk dream OVER ??]

[Kai fans crying rn, nobles W ??]

[Ashbourne supremacy never fails ??]

[Bruh 2nd place still crazy tho, Kai holding strong ?]

[Common folk cope incoming in 3…2…1 ?]

[Kai hit 12k with brute force, Caelan did it with ART ?️⚡]

[Not just a win, that's 400+ clear ? Kai got smoked]

[Bruh 2 points from Magnus, but Caelan left a whole canyon ?]

[400 gap at the peak… that's not luck, that's bloodline flex ??]

[Kai solid, but Caelan showed what a real top of Level 9 looks like ?]

[Ofc he hit 12.4k, man's got a whole clan feeding him resources ??]

[Facts. Kai did it solo, no House, no Clan—just raw grind ??]

[Lol stop coping ? if you broke that's your problem, don't hate the nobles for using what they got ?]

[Easy to be strong when mommy & daddy hand you artifacts ? Kai had to claw up from nothing]

[Nah nah, resources don't punch the bag—Caelan trained that body fr ?️⚡]

[Still, common folk pride > noble wallet any day ?]

[Cry harder peasants ?? Ashbourne bloodline = built to win]

As the cheers thundered on, everyone thought the tests were over. Then another name echoed across the hall:

The unfamiliar surname left many scratching their heads. But when Mai slowly stepped onto the platform, the hall instantly erupted in laughter and mocking whispers.

"Defective Raiser!" someone shouted, sparking an even louder wave of jeers.

Everyone knew what that meant—forever stuck at Level 1. Born defective, doomed to never advance no matter the talent or effort.

The crowd buzzed with scorn, some even shaking their heads.

Alex swung the camera onto her. "Oooh, no wonder I felt something was missing! Turns out she hadn't gone yet! Kinda weird they saved her for last though?"

[Hahaha main course done, now dessert time ??]

[Perfect way to end—throw in a comedy act ??]

[Bruh they really saving the blooper reel for the finale hahaha ??]

[Level 1 incoming, place your bets ??]

[Why she even bothering? If she can't level up, what's the point of hero school ? Free embarrassment fr ?]

[She about to break the record… for lowest score ever ?]

[But wait—why's it Mai Nightingale? Wasn't she Goldvale?]

[Heard she just got brought back, maybe the surname change isn't finalized yet]

[On the Sidekick show she was introduced as Mai Goldvale tho ?]

[Show's one thing, but this is official—has to be the legal name on paper]

[So she's Thalion Ashbourne's fiancée now??]

[Did Lilith really dump crippled Thalion to chase Solstice instead? ?]

[It's all politics anyway. The real daughter stepping in makes sense—Lilith's adopted, no way she replaces that]

[Tbh I'm just here for the drama, not the numbers ??]

[Cheap soap opera vibes rn ?]

[Post that dusty 'real vs adopted daughter' trope on NobleRoad and watch yourself get roasted ?]

Mai stood before the bag, calm and composed. She loosened her shoulders, flexed her wrist, and clenched her fist—tight, neat, steady.

She lowered her stance, right foot sliding half a step back. A deep breath filled her chest.

[Place your bets, folks—what's she pulling? ?]

[Level 1 Raiser = normie stats. Casual grind = 500, consistent grind =1k, extreme sweat = maybe 2k tops.]

[She does look hardworking, but factoring in female physique… I'm calling ~1k.]

[Don't forget she spammed shots nonstop in the Silvermane fight. That recoil ain't light. She must've trained hard. 2k potential ??]

Her toes dug into the floor, heel twisting outward. Force spiraled up her shin, firing through her knee, quads, hips, coiling through her slender waist. Her shoulder opened, scapula locked, and her arm shot forward like an arrow released from a drawn bow.

Her T-shirt stretched taut across her frame as every motion flowed seamlessly from foot to fist.

The punch landed with a crisp, sharp thud. The bag rocked once, and the display behind her lit up.

The crowd gave a derisive "ooh" at first, but then the numbers kept climbing

The buzz of chatter died down as the count passed 3,000. Dozens of eyes glued to the screen as it kept climbing, still not slowing.

Alex whispered under her breath, "No way… this is insane."

On camera, a few spectators clutched their heads in disbelief. The hall stayed frozen, every gaze locked on the screen as the digits kept climbing—

At last, the numbers slowed, crawling upward one by one…

Silence. Total silence. Some gawked with jaws hanging open, others clutched their heads in disbelief. The hall fell still as stone.

[5563 ?]

[Wait, what?? Why'd the whole place go dead quiet??]

[LMAO she just beat Alex's score ?]

[Hold up, how the hell?? She's only Level 1, right? ?]

[With that body type and level, no way training alone gets you there!]

[Cap. No Lv1 girl can break 4k—max grind caps there ?]

[Look closer, dumbass—the board says LEVEL 2 ⚡]

[HUHH?? Wasn't she labeled Defective all this time?? ?]

[Either the machine bugged… or she actually flipped on hacks ??]

[Bro calling hacks like this is a videogame ??]

[Even if Level 2 makes it possible, that number's still cracked ?]

[Guys, compared to the average for her level, she already surpassed even Caelan ?]

[Facts. Caelan: 12455-9000=3455. Mai: 5563-2000=3563 ?]

[Imagine flexing noble bloodline for centuries and a "defective" lvl 2 girl ratio'd you on stats ?]

[Common folk scaling W, noble scaling cope ?]

[Exactly, Kai and Mai proving you don't need a golden cradle ??]

[Yeah but nobles always get resources, that's why their averages so inflated ?]

[Bruh don't forget—Mai IS technically a noble ?]

[True… but she was raised like a common, even grew up in the Outer Wall. That ain't noble life fr ?️]

[Doesn't matter where you grow up, blood is blood. Noble lineage don't just vanish ?‍♂️]

[Lineage?? Goldvale only rich, not strong. One real super every few generations—what "blood" you talking about ?]

[LMAO so basically she's a common with a fancy last name ?]

[Exactly, Goldvale = money nobles, not power nobles ?❌⚔️]

While the chat was still in chaos, Alex focused on the reactions inside the hall.

She zoomed on the stage, the girl in a fitted tank top and loose track pants was catching her breath, chest rising and falling sharply—just that one strike seemed to have drained much of her strength.

The camera shifted to Kai. His eyes were slightly widened in mild shock, the corners of his lips curving upward ever so faintly.

Then the lens turned to the F4.

Damian lingered in the shadows as always, his expression unreadable.

Magnus stood slack-jawed, mouth hanging open.

Lucian stroked his chin in thought, while Caelan Ashbourne stared directly at Mai, his gaze inscrutable.

Across the hall, reactions varied, but the dominant one was doubt. The result was simply too unexpected to accept at face value.

And it wasn't just the hall.

At a police station, an officer froze mid-sip of coffee, eyes locked on the television.

In a military command room, a general halted mid-report, staring at the massive monitor.

Within the great houses, sharp glints flickered in the eyes of certain figures.

Unlike the ordinary audience, they paid little attention to the impressive number 5,563.

Their burning gaze locked onto the small, radiant glow of Level 2.