CHAPTER 46: THE LUNARIS (8) PEACEFUL EXTORTION [1]

Morning arrived very quickly.

On every television channel across the world, the devastating news of the second visit was being broadcast repeatedly. Even social media was not spared; every post was about the Lunaris. People who had lived long enough recounted how powerful they had been on their first visit and how Arden was almost destroyed back then.

The once peaceful Arden was now riddled with panic. This could be seen on the empty streets and deserted roads, as civilians refused to leave their homes, terrified of what might happen now that those extraterrestrial threats were once again present in their world.

Seeing the expected reaction of the masses, Norian decided to broadcast a speech across the world to inform them that the Lunaris’ visit this time was not for war.

His speech lasted for several minutes. He shared all the necessary details, including the conclusion of this year’s Hunter Academy entrance exam and the upcoming competition between them and the Lunaris. His tone was steady and reassuring, filled with purpose, as he emphasized again and again that there was no reason to panic. Bringing comfort to people — that was the very reason he had become a hunter.

Fortunately, his words managed to settle the hearts of the worried masses, though they also sparked curiosity among them to witness the competition for themselves.

Everywhere, both children and adults skipped their usual shows and tuned in to the TV channels now broadcasting the image of the vast, empty Eldertree Coliseum—the grand venue of the upcoming event.

"T-this..." Marlon’s eyes shone with excitement as he realized that the entire competition would not just be broadcast within Heartland Nation but across the world.

His greed for fame burned fiercely inside him. With his current strength, especially after allocating those stat points last night, he was more than certain he would not only stand out but dominate the entire competition. His competitive spirit brimmed with life just from the thought.

KNOCK.

KNOCK.

A knock at the door disrupted his focus on the TV.

"Come in," he said flatly.

At his words, the door to his hotel room opened, and two familiar faces stepped inside.

One was a handsome middle-aged man with sharp black eyes, and the other, a stunning blonde woman whose beauty hadn’t faded despite the years.

Marlon recognized them instantly, and his look turned cold. The smile on his face disappeared at once, replaced by a sharp glare filled with disdain and resentment.

"Mom... Dad..." he muttered, his tone dripping with icy hatred. "What are you doing here?"

"Son, is that any way to speak to your parents?" Oswald frowned, his tone stern and cold.

Morgana remained silent and simply watched her son, her expression unreadable.

"Son?" Marlon let out a bitter chuckle. "That’s funny. I never knew you two ever saw me as one judging by how you treated me in the past."

Oswald frowned and was about to respond harshly when Morgana placed a hand on his chest and gave him a small nod, signaling him not to speak.

She then turned toward Marlon, whose glare was so sharp it felt like it could pierce straight through her heart.

Seeing him stare at her with such cold hatred made her chest tighten with regret. A solemn expression crossed her face as she took two slow steps forward, standing slightly ahead of her husband.

"We know you despise us for what we did in the past," she began softly, her tone trembling yet sincere. "And we know it won’t be easy for you to forgive us so soon... but I want you to know that we’ve changed. We truly have. We’ve come to accept you as our son, and we’ll do everything we can to make things right—to fix the wrongs we’ve done."

Her voice carried warmth, the kind only a mother could show.

If Marlon hadn’t understood her character so well, he might have fallen for the act. But he knew better. He could see right through the performance. They were only here because of what happened at the entrance exam yesterday.

He was sure they had ignored his existence all along, but once they witnessed how brilliantly he fought, they must have suddenly changed their minds. And that change wasn’t born of remorse—it was out of regret, regret that they had almost lost the chance to bask in the fame of being the parents of a prodigy.

Marlon didn’t truly hate them on a personal level, but the previous owner of this body surely would have. He could almost hear that voice from within, cursing him if he dared forgive them so easily.

And besides, from everything he’d read in stories and novels, he knew exactly how moments like these played out. A plan was already forming in his head—one he couldn’t wait to set in motion.

He waited patiently for Morgana to finish her long-winded apology before speaking in a voice as cold as ice.

"To hell with your apology."

Morgana flinched at the sharpness of his tone, her heart trembling at the hatred embedded in those words.

Beside her, Oswald’s expression stayed hard and unreadable as he glared at Marlon, maintaining his role as the strict father. He wanted to respond but restrained himself, deciding to let his wife handle it. Perhaps her gentleness might soften their son’s heart—or so he thought.

But he was wrong.

"You two only came here because your family name wasn’t mentioned when my name was called at the top of the ranking yesterday, right?" Marlon said coldly.

And he was absolutely right. The moment the words left his lips, their faces shifted ever so slightly before they forced their expressions back to their earlier, composed façade.

"I don’t need your name anymore," Marlon continued, catching the flicker of guilt that flashed across their faces.

He didn’t stop there. He spoke over them, giving no room for interruption, his voice cutting through the room like a blade as he listed all their past wrongs one by one. Their pretended calm faltered, and the traces of regret in their eyes became impossible to hide.

The sight of it brought a cruel sense of satisfaction to him, so he pressed on, his tone rising slightly with each word.

"As you already know, after my performance yesterday, countless guilds and powerful families will be trying to recruit me—offering more than you could ever imagine. So tell me, why would I ever need a family name that abandoned their own son when he was at his lowest? You two should be ashamed to even call yourselves parents."

With that, the thin veil of pretension finally tore apart.

Morgana’s face hardened, all traces of warmth gone. "Do you really think we’ll allow another family to claim the son we raised?" she asked coldly.

"Heh... There it is," Marlon scoffed. "The mask finally slips."

He took two slow steps toward them, his presence now radiating quiet defiance.

"I’ve already made my decision," he said firmly. "You can either accept it or keep your opinions to yourselves. You never cared about me as a son, so why should I care about losing you as parents?"

Now standing only a few meters away, Marlon could feel the subtle pressure emanating from Oswald—a controlled yet suffocating aura that betrayed his rising anger.

The three of them stood in tense silence, locked in a silent standoff that lasted nearly a full minute before Oswald finally spoke.

"Fine," he muttered, his tone grudging. "What do you want us to do to earn your forgiveness and have you use our family name again?"

Now you’re talking...

Marlon’s eyes gleamed with amusement, and a cunning grin replaced his earlier frown, one that didn’t go unnoticed by his parents, who both frowned deeper upon seeing it.

He met Oswald’s cold gaze directly and said, his tone suddenly calm, almost persuasive, "I know exactly how much your reputation would skyrocket if I took back your family name. You’d be known as the parents of the greatest genius in recent history. It would boost your company’s standing and influence, wouldn’t it?"

Morgana and Oswald nodded instinctively, unable to hide their interest.

Marlon’s grin widened slightly. "Good. Then let’s start with this—" he said smoothly. "I want you both to make a one-hour post online. Tell everyone how badly you treated me, issue a heartfelt apology, and... I want a weekly salary."