Chapter 410: Discussions, Draconians, Thunder Prince
"This... Howler, is it? His profile said that he's only 120 years old. He's considered a juvenile, yet he already shows this much promise. I wonder how his clan raised him."
"There's no need to pry that deep. What makes me curious is the effect of the full moon on them. Even a mimicry from a domain was able to trigger it somehow, and it's a wonderful transformation. If only they could be like that at all times."
"Speaking of domains, that...treant, is it? Morning Wood, I believe he's called. Yeah, he's also impressive. His domain has been cultivated well."
"Indeed. A domain that could rewrite reality that easily is certainly rare, especially considering that this one hasn't been raised within the alliance. His comprehension of laws is solid, and it shows; truly impressive indeed."
The audience of the tower discussed the events that's happening in the tournament, and as usual, they were impressed by this batch of prodigies. Considering that most of these people weren't raised in the rich and prosperous environment of the alliance, their ability to grow this much on their own with little to no assistance from anybody shows just how talented they were.
Some of these people were already preparing to send out invitations. They had their eyes peeled since the beginning and had been watching the events closely. They want to bring back as many geniuses with them as possible because they will certainly bring fame and fortune to their respective organizations.
Of course, there are others who reserved their judgment for now. These people came from places that do not lack geniuses, so they had no real need to actively scout. Additionally, their standards are higher than most, so they wouldn't easily hand out invites. They're waiting to see more before making a decision, which is a wise choice.
Amidst their heated discussions, the Tower Master remained silent. His face remained placid, as if none of this surprises him at all and nobody could tell what he's thinking.
Their attention wasn't solely focused on Cedric's team. Actually, only a handful of people were paying attention to them, and that's only because they came out unscathed even though they were surrounded.
Most of them paid attention to somebody whom they recognized...
"Hey, that's him, right?"
"Yeah, it's him."
"It turns out that the rumors were true; he was indeed here."
"Well, considering his heritage, we shouldn't be surprised."
"That's true. But he sure looks more mature than the last time we saw him."
"He's a Draconian; they mature fast under duress, so it shouldn't be surprising."
The person they're talking about was a child who belongs on the 1st Lobby Team. He's about seven feet tall and had outlines of scales on his arms and legs; he had a pair of wings emitting sparks of thunder, and his eyes were slitted like snakes had. He had a pale complexion, pointed ears, and sharp facial features. He has a solitary horn growing in the middle of his forehead; he's wearing heavy-plated armor, and his weapon choice was a spear.
"Don't make a mistake, everyone. Here, he goes by Thunder Prince. It would also be wise to stop talking about his background."
This little reminder silenced the gossiping of the others about this person, but it certainly didn't stop them from paying attention to him. His identity was truly shocking after all, so much so that it would be a miracle if nobody paid attention to him.
Boom!!
Under their watchful gaze, the Thunder Prince stabbed his spear forward and easily pierced a distant enemy island. His enemies didn't even know what happened; they were eliminated in an instant. The worst part is that they can't complain about it; they were too weak after all.
They watched the Thunder Prince retract his spear and sit down on the same spot he's been since the start of the tournament. Behind him, his three teammates could only look at each other in futility, shrugging in relent because this teammate of theirs was truly tyrannical.
This isn't the first time this Thunder Prince eliminated their competition this way. And so far, none have survived his spear strike. He was too strong and too domineering. And from his body language, it was clear that he thinks that this was a waste of time, that he's only here to carry his useless teammates to the peak as usual.
'When will this end? Ugh.' He groaned inwardly, showing no visible trace of annoyance. 'I'd rather sleep than be here.'
His predatory eyes landed on the seemingly endless blanket of space around them. Unlike others, he could see through the fallacies of this space. He could also tell that there are numerous pairs of eyes watching his every move, which annoyed him to the bone.
'I wouldn't be surprised if some agents of my parents were watching this broadcast.'
'Damn, like, I love my parents and all, but they can be a little too nosy at times. I wish they'd just leave me alone for a bit. Is that too much to ask? '
'With these people watching. I simply can't afford to show any signs of laziness, or else they'd report it to my parents, and they'd annoy the hell out of me again.'
'The amount of convincing it took for them to allow me to come here was mind-boggling. If I showed any signs of laziness, they wouldn't hesitate to pull me out of here; that just won't do. I love the peace and quiet this place brings me, and I plan to relish it as much as I can.'
'Ugh, so annoying.'
Under his hardened exterior was a child who's annoyed by his parents' strictness. This stemmed from their lineage and had been the source of his personal plight ever since.
The Thunder Prince comes from the Draco Race, a humanoid race that had close ties with the Wise Dragon Clan since ancient times. According to history, the ancestors of the Draco Race had been close confidants of the Wise Dragons, and their closeness made the dragons willing to share their bloodlines with them, making them the only race who share blood connections with the strongest of 'The Six'.
Having the blood of dragons coursing through their veins changed the very structure of Draconian's DNA, turning them into what they are now. And with this generous gift, the relationship between the Draconians and the Wise Dragons just got even deeper, to the point where the Draconians would willingly sacrifice their lives in service to the dragons.
Thunder Prince's parents serve under the banner of the Dragon Emperor, making them strong, wise, and incredibly powerful. This status was known by the public, and thus they had an image to keep and a reputation to uphold—things that were forced upon the poor kid who only wanted to take things easy.
The weight of expectations weighed heavily on Thunder Prince's shoulders. He didn't shy away from it though, simply because it's meaningless to run away from it. He had no doubt that he wouldn't be able to escape from it anyway.
Besides, it's not like he hates it that much. He's been close friends with young dragons and already swore to be by their side ever since, and he plans on doing just that. He just didn't like the way it's shoved down his throat, as if they're expecting him to run away from it.
It's like they don't trust him to behave at all.
This is why he wanted to take a breather for a while. Away from his stressful parents so that he could think. Of course, he knew that doing this only makes things worse, but not worse than staying at home, which he knew would just drive him crazy.
'Should I just ditch these two and hunt the rest to end this meaningless event sooner?' He thought to himself.
If people were to hear him, they'd probably call him arrogant, disrespectful, childish, and so on. It doesn't really matter since he's strong enough to follow through on his claims.
The more he thought about it, the more tempting the idea became. However, he refused to move for now. Choosing to marinate at the thought some more before making a decision.
All of a sudden, though, his eyes snapped open. Without getting up from his seat, he held his spear and threw it towards the south. The spear turned into a streak of light, piercing another team's island core without so much of a resistance before returning to him just as fast as he threw it.
Just like that, he eliminated another team. The sight already numbed his useless teammates, so they stopped caring anymore. Instead, they just relented to allow this domineering teammate of theirs to hog the spotlight while the two of them did their best to guard their island.
Unbeknownst to them, there is another team moving closer and closer to them. And unlike the rest, there is someone here who could serve as the Thunder Prince's playmate.