Kapitel 486: City Lord - 2

Kapitel 486: City Lord - 2

Saat itu, Leo berdiri bersama pelajar Akademi Aurelius dalam formasi. Dia, Aaron, dan Ronan leading grup, berdiri di barisan paling depan.

Para pelayan dan budak telah di escorta ke lokasi berbeda sampai City Lord memberikan pidatu penggandigan.

Mereka berada di dalam ruang sirkular luas yang dibangun di sebelah kastel, dan di tengahnya ada array dan formasi aktif. Porsuk dan kegunaan spesifiknya belum diketahui, tapi semua bisa sian mereka beroperasi dengan efisiensi penuh, sinar parah di kalimi nait.

But clearly it seemed important, because all the students were standing around it, separated only by their academies.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌⁠

Pelajar Akademi Kerajaan Valencrest di satu area, pelajar Aurelius Beast Academy di lain, lalu pelajar Akademi Drakensoul, ditambah Akademi Eldros, Ardent, dan Soul Astra--7 akademi top. Ada juga banyak pelajar dari akademi lebih kecil, tapi nomornya hanya 10 sampai 50 kalpel dengan hampir ratusan dari akademi major.

Hanya Aurelius dan Akademi Valencrest yang nomor pelajarnya mencapai markah 200–250.

Leo menyadari disparitas itu ada karena pelajar dengan kekuatan minimum yang dimandat menjadi lebih sedikit saat ranking akademi jatuh.

Tek contoh Akademi Aurelius dan Valencrest. Takipula mereka telah pantang top 500 pelajar dari rankingna buang partisipasi, level kekuatan paling rendah di antara mereka tetap tidak jatuh bawah Mid 2-star. Chayang, Leo ingat mereka ini Beast Master, artinya beastna secara natural akan ranking even lebih tinggi.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌⁠

Aso untuk akademi seperti Drakensoul, Eldros, dan lainnya, mereka telah pantang hanya top 200 pelajar untuk buang eksplorasi alam ini. Artinya apa yang akademi itu ada di top 200snya, Aurelius dan Valencrest juga ada di 500snya. Jadi, nomorna secara natural lebih sedikit.

Aso untuk akademi tier even lebih rendah, hanya top 50, atau sometimes bahkan just top 10, yang pantang buang.

Leo coba gauge kekuatan pelajar paling kuat di antara mereka dan terkejut temuan mereka barely reaching Peak 1-star. Artinya pelajar top di akademi itu tidak akan lebih baik dari low 2-star. Atau worse, pelajar Peak 1-star itu mungkin untuk jadi top-ranked themselves.

Wow... such disparity.

No wonder Nirvan hesitated the moment he saw I was from Aurelius Beast Academy. Even if I had been the lowest-ranked student, I would still be stronger than most of those present here.

Leo swept his gaze around the area, as the City Lord had yet to make his appearance.

It was then that he spotted a peculiar group of red-haired people. Most had different shades of red hair, while a few had entirely different colours. Their number was close to 50, matching the size of the lower academy groups, and the strongest among them was a robust Low 3-star man with a muscular build and a heavy mace proudly slung over his shoulder.

The mace had a spiked spherical head, and the head was slightly larger than standard maces; it looked absurdly heavy.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌⁠

Aaron noticed Leo’s gaze and informed him.

"That’s Vulcan, Vulcan Ember. He is from Valencrest Royal Academy, but since this is his hometown, he took permission from his professors to help his cousins and relatives acquire natural treasures and join his family side."

Leo nodded and shifted his attention toward another group of people.

They didn’t belong to any academy or faction. Rather, they were free and unaffiliated individuals who had come to participate in the realm exploration for a chance to obtain a fortuitous encounter or perhaps spot the Wyvern and claim the Count’s reward. Most were mercenaries, hunters, or Beast Masters who either couldn’t join academies or simply didn’t want to. They numbered more than a thousand, making them the largest group present.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌⁠

But.

"So weak," Leo muttered quietly.

He swore he even spotted some normal humans in the crowd, without even the strength of a Low 1-star. And the strongest among them was merely a High 2-star man with a broad sword strapped across his back.

As for why the participants were so weak, it was because only people aged 30 or younger were allowed to enter the Secret Realm.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌⁠

"What the hell is he even making us wait for so long? Did something happen?" Ronan suddenly said from the side, sounding annoyed.

Leo also checked the time.

22:47, 5 March

It was indeed late. By now, the process of opening the Realm Gate should have already begun. Leo was also curious about how they managed to close a Realm Gate in the first place. He couldn’t help but suspect the arrays and formations in the centre were responsible for it.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌⁠

As they waited, some city officials arrived and instructed everyone to bring their slaves and servants back, since there would be no time to retrieve them after the City Lord’s welcome speech. Apparently, he had been delayed by unforeseen circumstances.

While Leo was on his way to retrieve Naelith and Lyswenna, many students attempted to approach him to build connections. Some lost their courage midway and turned back, while those who did manage to speak were politely refused by Leo, who simply told them his slots were already full.

By the time they returned to their designated position, it was already 11 PM, nearing midnight.

But neither the students nor the others seemed particularly bothered, as they used the opportunity to form more concrete teams while all the exploration participants were gathered in one place.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌⁠

At one point, a fight even broke out between two groups from Aurelius Beast Academy and Valencrest Royal Academy.

"Fuck you, motherfucker! Our academy’s 1st-ranked student is stronger than yours! He can even take on all of your top 10 at once!" one of the Valencrest students shouted angrily.

"Everybody knows our 1st ranker can display 5-star strength. Your 1st ranker can’t even come close to touching his feet!"

"And who decided that? And leave that, it doesn’t even change the fact that I can swat you like a fly! If you have the balls, then meet me in the arena!"⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌⁠

"Arena? What, scared of death?" the Aurelius Academy student laughed mockingly.

Leo could only feel a headache coming on as these no-name mid-2-star students used his name to flaunt superiority.

But suddenly, his pupils contracted as his eyes shot toward the sky.

A very dangerous being was approaching from above.⁠​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌⁠

As he focused on the dark night sky, he finally saw it—a massive wide-winged creature descending rapidly toward the empty centre of the circular enclosure.