CHAPTER 44: THE LUNARIS (6)

"You are pushing the young hunters against these evil creatures?" a high-ranking hunter barked, turning to look at the silently drifting Norian.

"None of my daughters will participate in this bullshit," Walter Whitlock declared.

Other voices could be heard; even the frightened crowd and the confused trainees spoke their minds about the situation. None was in agreement.

"Would you prefer a full-fledged war like twenty years ago instead?" Norian turned to them and asked coldly.

Silence followed. No one wanted to answer.

"I thought as much," Norian said softly and turned to the nobles who were already grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying the conflict they had created.

"Bring out ten of your best younglings, and we will select ours," he said, then added, "I will analyze everyone you send, and you can analyze mine for fairness to reign."

"Of course. As I said earlier, this is a peaceful visit," one of the Lunaris nobles responded, grinning. "If we wanted war, more than half of your land would’ve been destroyed by now."

Norian did not respond immediately, simply staring at the noble as he rambled on and on for almost a minute before finally keeping his mouth shut.

Only after he stopped speaking did Norian say what he had in mind. "Our contestants have just finished a really tedious mission, so they will be resting for a few hours. The competition will begin in the morning."

"No worries," another noble responded, still arrogant but not as much as the previous one. "My people and I will be residing in our ships for the time being. We will be ready when you are."

Saying that, he lifted his hand and gave a signal. The entire army turned their backs to the humans and gradually returned to their ships.

The entire coliseum fell silent as everyone watched their departure, relief washing over their faces even though they knew it was only temporary.

The silence lingered until they had entered their ships. The veins on the vessels’ interiors glowed brightly, and with loud hums, they drifted into the clouds and disappeared from view.

Only after they were out of sight did sound return to the arena.

Sighs of relief erupted, followed by chattering among the spectators. The main topics included the deal Norian had made, as well as his decision to hide it from them.

Their chattering wrapped the arena in noise.

Logan and Ashton, who had frozen for a long time at the presence of the Lunaris, finally shook themselves back to their senses, their mouths still agape with disbelief.

Drever wore a frown as he gazed up at his father. Why did he do such a thing without even informing me, his own son? he wondered.

The Whitlock sisters were no different.

Meanwhile, a smile tugged on Marlon’s lips. Who would’ve thought that he would not only get to see the Lunaris but even get a chance to fight them? It was more than he expected.

After all the talents he had displayed at the survival matrix, he knew he would be among the runners-up against the Lunaris in the coming competition, and he could not wait to test his newfound strength on them. If possible, he would have liked to face them alone, but he knew no one would allow it.

Meanwhile, above ground, the other hunters continued berating Norian for his decision. Even Crimson, usually reserved in situations like this, did not hold back.

"Brother, what were you thinking? How can you trust those bastards!" she asked, her melodious voice now carrying anger and disbelief.

Norian turned to them, observed all their expressions, and heaved a long sigh before responding—this time, more seriously.

"The message I got said it was either we accept the competition or go to war with them," he stated. "I know you must be thinking we’re fit to face them after twenty years because we’ve grown in strength—but so have they. The last time, our trump card against them was Axel Storm, but this time Axel Storm is not around. Even if we send a message to request his presence, it would take weeks, maybe months, before he arrives."

The hunters understood and got his point a little.

"They did not just request a competition, right?" one of the female high-ranking hunters asked. "They didn’t just travel from their planet to ours for something like that."

"Yeah, now that I think of it, she’s correct. What’s in it for them to travel so far?" Oswald queried.

The others also voiced their opinions.

"We cannot discuss that here," Norian stated.

His response confirmed the belief of the others that there was a deeper, probably dangerous intent behind the Lunaris’ request.

Norian did not give them time to process it as he turned to the noisy gathering. With his heightened senses, their chattering and expressions were visible before him.

They were worried, scared, hopeless—and most of all, confused—and he could understand. He had felt the same way on that night twenty years ago.

But now he was no longer that weak, naive, and helpless man. He was not only stronger, but he also had knowledge that no human except his sister possessed.

The Originless One.

The Cosmic Prophecy.

After so many years of developing the power he had gained from the dying Lunari, Norian’s understanding of those two had deepened. He now knew why the Lunaris were so obsessed with them.

Still, he couldn’t share any of it—not yet.

If that knowledge ever spread across Arden, the planet would immediately turn into a war zone against the Lunaris, and he couldn’t allow that to happen.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, his gaze shifted to the black-haired youth who was speaking casually to others, smiling even while those around him still trembled in fear.

His gaze lingered on the young man, his focus deepening with each passing second.

Marlon Ashleigh.

The name echoed in his mind.

Could he be the Originless One spoken about—the one destined to shake the entire cosmic realm with his boundless powers?

He couldn’t say for sure. Marlon’s immense talent and rapid growth were undeniable, but that alone didn’t prove the prophecy. Perhaps in time and after proper nurturing, his true potential would show. For now, Norian had to focus on what mattered most.

His eyes turned toward Gigaman, who was now standing near the survival matrix. He wasn’t a high-ranking hunter, which explained why he hadn’t been at the front line earlier.

Sensing Norian’s gaze, Gigaman quickly floated over.

"Address the crowd and send them home," Norian ordered firmly.

"Yes, sir." Gigaman nodded immediately.

Norian then turned and left with the other high-ranking hunters, who were still eager to know what he had kept hidden. He hadn’t revealed it in front of so many eyes and ears because the truth was too devastating, too much that it could cause a greater uproar than even the Lunaris’ arrival.

Marlon quietly watched them leave, his expression calm. His gaze soon met that of the stunning red-haired lady dressed in a striking black battle suit.

She smiled at him, a teasing, almost knowing smile, before turning to follow the others.

Marlon blinked, confused. Why did she smile at me like that? he wondered. They had never met before—or had they? He quickly shook off the thought and turned to Gigaman, who was now addressing the uneasy crowd.

"Everyone, calm down!" Gigaman’s voice boomed. "There’s no need for panic. More high-ranking hunters are already on standby to guide you safely home."

His words managed to ease the tension. Slowly, the crowd began to disperse, their fear replaced with cautious relief.

When the arena had mostly cleared, Gigaman turned to the remaining trainees who had passed the survival matrix test. "You all did well today," he said. "Follow me. Lodgings have been prepared for you."

He led them toward a large hotel near the coliseum.

The building was massive, far larger and more luxurious than any five-star hotel Marlon had ever seen back on Earth. The air smelled pleasantly fragrant, and the soothing atmosphere helped everyone relax and momentarily forget the chaos of earlier.

Marlon was given a spacious room filled with everything he could possibly need. A large bed sat at the center, and a table beside it was covered with freshly prepared meals still steaming hot. The aroma alone made his stomach growl.

Without hesitation, he dug in, devouring the food until not a trace remained. Then, leaning back with a satisfied sigh, he opened his system interface — It was time to allocate his stat points and prepare for tomorrow’s competition.