CHAPTER 280: DINNER PARTY

His eyes flashed with a low light, and his expression darkened. "How dare... how dare you! You think you’re some hot shit after you manage to kill some monkeys?"

Vacuse frowned at him.

The guests at the party slowly turned their way as if they hadn’t been eavesdropping before. They looked at them with open curiosity and a thirst for a fight.

But Vacuse didn’t want to fight. That was the reason why he ignored most of the people that came to chat with him earlier because they openly wanted to ridicule and talk down on him and the Dragon Hunters.

’...seriously, can’t I have a day where I’ll be chilling and enjoying the scenery without trying to beat someone up? But people will always come to look for my trouble! I don’t even know what they want...’

As Vacuse was thinking of ways to avoid murder, the leader of the Griffin Feather was thinking of how he would teach Vacuse a lesson. After all, he was in the third circle while the leader of the Dragon Hunters was in the second circle.

Even with all his reputation, he still couldn’t be as strong as a third circle, right? Besides, Syrion Syrion was considered one of the strongest in the third circle.

Vacuse raised his hands up and gave a soft smile. "Listen! I think I remember you now! The most glorious of the Griffin Feather! The leader! You’re so strong that you can crush the Dragon Hunters without blinking!"

Vacuse’s voice was so sweet and filled with falsehood that some of the guests couldn’t help but laugh out loud, which only made Syrion Syrion angrier.

"You...!"

"Is there a problem here?" Suddenly Representative Drayth was there, a stern smile on his face as he looked at the two and the tensed space between them. "Syrion Syrion! I take it that you are here to meet Vacuse Vorrakyn? This dinner party is set in his name, after all!"

Syrion Syrion and the Representative were not from the same hunting organization. He hunted from other portals and, as such, when he saw Drayth, he forced a smile on his face and nodded. "Of course, of course! I’m just here to greet him!"

With that, he turned to Vacuse once more. "I do hope you best of luck fighting the boss of the Mind Stalk Apes. I shudder to think of what would happen to your Dragon Hunters if you’re not there... oh! Wait, sometimes I forget you are in the second circle!"

Vacuse watched him with a mild coldness, and he began to wonder how nice it would be if he were to kill the man. Surely Representative Drayth should be able to smooth things over for him, right?

But before he even got the chance, the man had already turned to go, his aura growing darker as he moved away.

Vacuse watched him go and raised his glass toward his back. "What a character."

"He’s indeed known as the strongest hunter in the third circle. His Griffin Feather are no joke. But his character..." Representative Drayth mused.

Vacuse shrugged. He wasn’t there to compete for the position of the strongest. Maybe if he was back in his world, then it might be something to add to his ego. "Good for him."

"How do you find the meeting, Lord Vacuse?" Representative Drayth asked.

Vacuse looked around, and he couldn’t help but think of the last dinner party he attended. It ended in chaos and an attempt to wipe out the Vorrakyn. "It’s good."

Representative Drayth smiled. "Then why don’t you have some dance with the ladies? You’ve been alone on this dance floor attending to guests. It’ll be a nice way to relax. Let me tell you, the girls here are the best! They only talk about things that would take your mind off things, and if you want... later..."

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Later, much later, Vacuse listened to the soft voice of the woman that lay on his chest, his right hand rubbing the chest of another one beside him.

His eyes stared at nothing, and he let the soft voice wash over him like background music to his thoughts.

’...Representative Drayth was right. It’s certainly a good way to relax...’

But Vacuse wasn’t truly relaxed. If the ladies beside him knew what to look out for, they would notice the way his muscles flexed and hardened so subtly and the way his eyes were like sharp blades looking for what to turn on.

His senses were stretched far beyond the room, scanning for hidden threats.

His past life was spent behind the shadows of suffering, and he had to always watch his back. And this life was even worse. He was building his power, but at the same time, he had to be even more vigilant than before.

’...this is one of the reasons why I want power. To not have to hide in a hole... but the more power I get, the more I have to look behind me!...’

But one thing was certain, and Vacuse didn’t regret searching for power. The certainty was that those who were powerless had it far worse than him. In fact, they had no say over their lives.

Being powerless wasn’t something Vacuse wanted to return to.

He smiled down at the ladies, his face gentle, all the while scanning even the tiniest breeze that passed outside and inside. "Just then, you said there’s a ladder to this thing... why don’t we go to the lowest?"

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"You certainly enjoyed yourself tonight, boss," Kagerou said in a deadpan voice.

It was close to midnight, and the two of them were returning to their base.

Vacuse laughed as he looked at his subordinate. "From your voice, it doesn’t sound as if you approve."

"Oh, I approve, alright! You’re the boss! Just leave me outside in the cold! Forget about me! I don’t matter because I’m invisible! I’m not there at all!"

"Come to think of it, I did not arrange for a bodyguard tonight. How can I even know you are there..."

"Come on, boss! You always know I’m there!"

Vacuse opened his mouth and then suddenly froze. His eyes widened as he looked around. "What the..."

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Do forget about the mass release, if you’re interested!