Lyra nodded, her expression turning serious. "You know about the Battle Realm, right?"
Max gave a short nod. "Yeah. It exists in the Lower Domain as well."
"That's it, then," she said with a knowing smile. "In the Battle Realm, rankings don't lie. If you want to become a 2-star genius, all you have to do is win ten battles against current 2-star geniuses. If you can defeat them fair and square, your status will be updated automatically. No politics, no favoritism—just strength."
"It's that easy?" Max asked curiously, his brows slightly raised as he walked beside Lyra through the dim stone tunnel leading them out of the cave. The walls were damp, the air still buzzing faintly with leftover mana, but his attention was now entirely on her words.
