Augustine grew increasingly curious about Adam.

Earlier that afternoon, he had passed the Tier 5 oracle assessment and officially advanced to Tier 5 oracle. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The more he investigated Adam, the deeper his suspicion grew.

A child from an ordinary family had been able to achieve such a terrifying boost in strength in such a short time.

Something had definitely happened to him!

If Augustine could figure out exactly what had occurred, perhaps his own strength could experience a terrifying increase as well.

Augustine had always been ambitious.

The City Lord’s two sons were useless; he was the one most qualified to inherit the position. Only he could lead Eagle City to a glorious future.

The attendant said, "Young Master, he has been brought here."

"Bring him in quickly."

Augustine composed himself, stood up, and watched as Adam was led into the reception room.

Adam’s mindset had completely changed over the past two days. Facing Augustine, the heir to the City Lord, he did not appear inferior in any way. Instead, he radiated an inexplicable psychological advantage. He looked at Augustine calmly and respectfully, clasping his fists and saying, "Greetings, Young Master Augustine."

Augustine waved his hand, signaling the attendants at his sides.

Within moments, only two bodyguards remained beside Augustine.

"How did you do it?"

Augustine stared at Adam and said in a low voice, "Adam, I know your strength. You could not have increased it so dramatically in such a short time unless you obtained something, or..."

Adam fixed back at Augustine, then glanced at the two bodyguards beside him.

"Don’t worry. These two are my guards and serve only me. They will protect all my secrets."

Augustine’s eyes gleamed with anticipation as he continued, "I promise you, no one else will know your secret. Tell me, how did you do it?"

"You won’t speak? Don’t think staying silent will make this go away. Your strength has increased so fast that others will notice sooner or later. Believe me, cooperating with me is your best choice. I’m not afraid to tell you—the academy has already noticed something unusual about you. If others discover it, they won’t be as merciful as I am. They will use every means..."

Adam frowned, "Are you threatening me?"

"Impudent!"

One of Augustine’s bodyguards shouted angrily, drawing his long sword and swinging the blade toward Adam, intending to teach him a lesson.

Huh?!

The guard froze.

A Tier 6 guard launching an attack at such close range—even against a Tier 6 oracle—was difficult to evade.

But the result Augustine had anticipated did not happen.

The long sword stopped just short of Adam’s forehead and could not advance even an inch.

Upon closer inspection, an invisible shadow cloaked the sword and quickly spread along its length toward the guard.

"No! Protect the young master!"

Before the guard could finish his sentence, his body was completely enveloped by the shadow, uncontrollably bound, and slowly levitated into the air. His throat felt as if something had choked him, and he could not utter a word.

Augustine watched the scene, a cold sweat forming on his forehead.

His two bodyguards, both Tier 6, had been bound and levitated without resistance.

This was bad!

He had underestimated this boy.

He had never expected Adam to dare to act in the City Lord’s mansion.

Augustine’s heart sank. Just as he hesitated whether to call for his guards, a boom sounded inside his head.

A voice spoke directly in his mind.

"Do you desire strength as well?"

What?!

Who was it?!

Augustine jumped and quickly turned to look around, trying to figure out what was speaking in his mind.

Adam looked at Augustine coldly and said, "Afraid? Didn’t you want to know where my strength comes from?"

Augustine’s pupils contracted, "Was that you? The voice just now was you?"

"No, it was God. You are lucky—you are the second person to hear God’s voice."

God?

Augustine’s pupils shrank further, his mind suddenly going blank.

Impossible.

God had always been so high above—like the three members of the God Clan in the Holy City.

How could it suddenly appear in his mind...

"Forget the textbooks. Just think of him as an external god. His strength far surpasses that of the God Clan," Adam said calmly.

An external god?

All gods outside the God Clan were considered heretics. Anyone involved with them would be sent to the Inquisition!

"Do you not want to know where my strength comes from?"

Adam calmly placed the burlap sack from his back in front of him, reached into his backpack, and pulled out a lower-tier holy gemstone, handing it to Augustine. "Don’t you want strength? This is a gift from God. Whether you accept it is up to you."

Augustine stared at the Spirit Orb Adam handed him, his eyes fixed on Adam.

God?

On one hand, there was the desire for power and status; on the other, fear of the Inquisition.

Augustine hesitated for several seconds, then the desire for strength gradually won out.

Let’s take a look.

Just take a look.

Let’s see what this so-called God’s strength really is...

Augustine’s trembling hand moved slightly forward.

"Ka!"

The instant his fingers touched the holy gemstone, a cold sensation entered his hand.

Augustine took a deep breath and quickly infused his mental strength into the holy gemstone.

In an instant, his spirit was completely bound with the holy gemstone.

So fast? Only this little mental strength consumed to bind it?

As Augustine tried to sense the holy gemstone’s interior, his pupils suddenly widened in disbelief.

What?

No way!

A terrifying thought surged in Augustine’s mind, and he violently pushed more mental strength into it.

"Boom!"

The mental strength infused, and scorching holy light burst forth from the gemstone.

Instantly, more than twenty Tier 8 soul warrior spirits were summoned from the holy gemstone, forming two rows in the hall.

Tier 8!

Every single one was Tier 8!

Augustine felt the spiritual link between his mental strength and the soul warrior spirits; his eyes filled with extreme shock.

All these Tier 8 soul warrior spirits were under his control!?

This was God’s strength!?

Although his control over the soul warrior spirits was slightly clumsy, it barely affected combat.

The key was the cost.

Controlling over twenty soul warrior spirits simultaneously, he hardly felt any depletion of mental strength.

Augustine’s heart pounded wildly.

Adam looked at Augustine, and in front of him, he flipped the burlap sack over, tipping it upside down.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom..."

Immediately, countless holy gemstones spilled out of the sack, rolling across the hall until the floor was covered.