Chapter 56: Request [3/3]
A few high-ranking hunters could be seen around a long table as a serious meeting seemed to be taking place. The seat at the head of the table was occupied by Norian Sterling, who had a stern expression. On his right-hand side was Crimson Sterling, whose gorgeous face held the same serious and concerned expression as the rest of the hunters present.
Standing at the opposite end of the table was Marlon, whose eyes calmly scanned the room.
He observed the people present one after another, noting their identities — his parents were seated and watching him quietly, while the Whitlock couple were also present, dressed in their usual ancient regalia that made them look like some xianxia power couple. Aside from them, there were about two dozen high-ranking hunters, most from the Heartland Nation, and the others from neighboring great nations.
Every single person in the room was a veteran powerhouse who could easily kill him before he even realized it. Yet none of them released their powerful aura to assert dominance. Instead, they were all watching him with concern, pride, and satisfaction in their gazes.
After he was done observing, Marlon met Norian Sterling’s gaze and gave a polite smile before finally breaking the silence that had hung over the room for almost two minutes since he stepped in after Crimson personally invited him.
"Thank you for inviting me to this meeting," he began, his voice calm and respectful. "It’s an honor to stand before so many notable heroes of humanity gathered in the same room."
The hunters smiled in response to his greeting. Some even whispered among themselves about how polite and humble he sounded.
Norian Sterling nodded his head with a warm smile. "The honor is ours, Marlon. To meet the young man who saved our planet from shame — that’s something to be proud of." He then gestured toward the free seat opposite him. "Why are you still standing? Please, have a seat."
Marlon nodded briefly and sat down. The two hunters beside him flashed him approving smiles before turning their attention back to Norian.
"On behalf of the whole world, we’d like to express our gratitude in every possible way," Norian stated.
Marlon chuckled lightly. "Haha, it’s no big deal. I’m also a part of this planet, so standing up for it is only natural."
The hunters face lit up again, clearly satisfied with his humility.
If only they knew how cunning, greedy, and manipulative he really was, the Ashleigh couple thought to themselves, slightly surprised at the perfectly polite image he was maintaining.
Of course, except for them, no one else in the room would even suspect it. Marlon was exceptionally good at showing exactly what he wanted others to see and at this moment, his humble charisma was on full display.
Norian Sterling and a few other hunters spoke next. Their words were mostly about appreciating Marlon and commending him for his achievements so far. This continued for about three minutes before the serious topics finally began.
"Why did you actually make those suggestions?" Norian asked suddenly.
The hall fell silent at once, every gaze shifting toward Marlon, awaiting his response.
Marlon’s smile faded, replaced by a strict, cold expression. The reason behind his earlier suggestions went far beyond greed for resources. There was something more.
"The Lunaris are planning something sinister," Marlon began, his tone calm but firm. "Before Drever passed out, he mentioned something his opponent revealed; that the Lunaris intend to rule our planet. I believe this entire competition is just a cover-up for that."
A heavy silence filled the hall.
Marlon pauses and watched the reactions of those present. Norian and the hunters from Heartland didn’t seem too surprised, but the others reacted sharply, their expressions turning serious and uneasy.
"W-What?" a female hunter with bright purple hair and black eyes exclaimed.
"Are you sure about this, kid?" another asked quickly.
"I suspected this from the start," a burly man muttered. "There was no way those bastards came here just for a competition."
Norian rubbed his jaw thoughtfully while Crimson turned toward him with a reprimanding look, as if silently reminding him that she had warned him before.
The reactions around the room grew louder, turning into a mess of overlapping complaints and worried voices.
Until Crimson’s cold and emotionless voice sliced through the noise. "Silence."
The room fell quiet immediately as all eyes turned toward him.
Even Marlon looked surprised. He had expected Norian to be the one to react the most, considering he was the one managing the world in Axel Storm’s absence. But seeing Norian’s composed face, realization dawned on him — Norian must have already known about the Lunaris’ real intentions.
That suspicion was confirmed with Norian’s next words.
"There’s a hidden condition behind this competition," he said evenly.
"W-what?"
The foreign hunters instantly stood up, their angry voices overlapping.
"And you didn’t even bother to tell us beforehand?"
"There was no time, and I deemed it unnecessary," Norian responded sternly, unmoved by all the pressure placed on him.
"And we currently do not have time to carry this topic further," he added.
Every eye in the room lingered on him for seconds. No one spoke. No one dared. They knew his character and his ability — he was a wall that could not be moved by anyone in the room even if they combined their strength.
"Now sit. We came here for something else." With Norian’s strict voice, everyone sat down.
Marlon observed the entire scene, his heart beating faster than usual — not from fear or anxiousness but from inspiration. The amount of control and power Norian displayed was something he wanted to reach... and surpass.
"Marlon, what would you like to request for?"
Norian asked.
A smile crept onto Marlon’s face — one that sent nostalgic worry into the hearts of his parents. It was the same smile he gave them before requesting astronomical resources from them.
Marlon sat upright, and then he began listing everything he needed with a gentle smile.