Upon seeing the elderly man before him, Nora could only ascertain that the individual was far from ordinary. However, he had no way of determining the man’s exact identity.
In truth, those recognized as heroes in this world were highly discreet. When carrying out missions, they often donned masks to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.
This practice stemd from a rule established by the President: A hero is not a celebrity. A hero exists to help others, not to act for the sake of fa.
Unlike Nora, however, the other two present imdiately recognized the old man’s identity.
The staff mber was utterly stunned—he could hardly believe that such a prominent figure was personally overseeing the evaluation of new recruits.
Alice, on the other hand, broke into a delighted expression and greeted him warmly:
"President, what brings you here?"
Her words left Nora montarily speechless. He had never imagined that the elderly man before him possessed such an esteed status.
The President of the Hero Association was, in reality, the most powerful authority in this world. Furthermore, he was also the strongest human of the present age—a D-Class Hero.
Though few had ever seen his face, his title was known to all.
The world called him—Thunder Emperor.
Upon hearing Alice’s voice, the old man slowly opened his eyes. The mont his golden irises were revealed, his entire being seed to radiate an aura unlike any other.
It was an aura that could be described with a single word—Justice.
At a re glance, one could tell that he was a man of unwavering righteousness.
Turning his gaze to Alice, he offered her a warm, friendly smile before speaking:
"Alice, is that you? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?"
She imdiately rushed to his side, making it evident just how much she cherished him. With a cheerful grin, she asked:
"President, what brings you here?"
The old man gently patted her head before responding with a chuckle:
"Is there a problem with wandering around? I was simply looking for a place to train—perhaps even hoping to co across so promising talents worth nurturing."
At this point, the old man suddenly cast a glance at Nora before turning back to Alice and asking:
"Shouldn’t you introduce him? Who is that young man? I don’t recall seeing him on the list of registered heroes."
The world currently had thousands of heroes—not a small number by any ans. Yet as a dedicated President, he made it a point to rember every single one of them.
Of course, this level of recall had not always been within his capability. It was only after breaking through to a new level of power that his mory had significantly improved, allowing him to achieve such a feat.
Alice’s eyes widened in realization—she had completely forgotten to introduce Nora. Scratching the back of her head, she turned to him and said:
"Oh! Nora, this is the President of the Hero Association. He is also the strongest human alive at the mont. People commonly refer to him as the Thunder Emperor, Magnus Aurelius."
As she spoke, she gestured animatedly toward the old man.
Then, turning back to Magnus, she added:
"And that over there is my friend—Nora. He is an absolute genius among heroes."
The mont those words left her mouth, Magnus’s eyes lit up with intrigue. He studied Nora carefully before shifting his gaze back to Alice with a knowing smile:
"Ha! Quite an impressive young man. Is he your boyfriend?"
"No, absolutely not! We’re just friends!"
Alice imdiately denied his assumption. Though their relationship was certainly not that of ordinary friends, neither of them seed willing to admit otherwise, so Magnus let the matter slide.
"Haha, is that so?"
Despite his words, the expression in his eyes spoke volus—he was far from convinced. It would take a fool—no, even a fool would recognize that they were at least very close.
But he didn’t press the matter. A promising talent, a potential pillar of humanity’s future, was far more important than idle teasing.
At that mont, Magnus suddenly moved. His speed was nothing short of astonishing—like a gust of wind materializing right in front of Nora.
No. Not wind—lightning.
He had used his elental control over electricity to amplify his speed, making his movent as instantaneous as a thunderbolt.
Standing before Magnus, Nora suddenly felt rather small, despite not being short by any ans.
The old man placed a firm hand on his shoulder, patting him a few tis before offering a smile.
"Tell , young man—what elent do you feel?"
"Elent? I don’t have any elent."
Nora responded without hesitation, his tone frank and straightforward.
After all, this wasn’t so closely guarded secret. Sooner or later, the old man would find out anyway—better to say it outright.
Magnus, however, was visibly taken aback. He hadn’t expected such an answer—one that completely defied his assumptions.
He furrowed his brows, scrutinizing Nora with a doubtful expression before shifting his gaze toward Alice.
Unlike Magnus, who was visibly perplexed, Alice rely wore a playful smirk, though her eyes betrayed her sincerity.
In truth, she wasn’t the type to joke about matters of importance. Soone with an exceptional level of talent wasn’t just an individual asset but a significant safeguard for humanity as a whole. It was no laughing matter.
Seeing how certain she was, Magnus turned back to Nora, his voice laced with confusion:
"What exactly is going on? She doesn’t seem to be joking with ."
Nora finally spoke up:
"Why does not sensing an elental affinity an I can’t be a top-tier genius?"
Magnus paused for a mont. His initial confusion faded as he realized that not many people truly understood the significance of elental affinity.
He began explaining patiently:
"You see, there are two major advantages that co with sensing an elent—advantages that those without an affinity simply do not have."
Hearing this, Nora’s curiosity was piqued. He could guess what one of them might be, but the second? That remained a mystery to him.
"What exactly are these two advantages?"
Magnus continued:
"The first—and the most obvious one—is its benefit in combat. While two individuals of the sa rank may possess equal raw strength, those with elental abilities receive an additional enhancent. Their attacks are empowered, and more importantly, they have far greater versatility in battle compared to those without an elent."
Nora nodded slightly. That much made sense.
"And the second advantage?" he pressed.
Magnus smiled before responding:
"Advancent speed. Those who can sense an elent can also perceive natural energy. Take my ditative state earlier, for example—I was cultivating. By attuning myself to natural energy, I can absorb it to enhance my strength. That is the second advantage."
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