Chapter 161: [161] Introductions?!

Once they arrived at the hall, Tristan and Lady Freude left them. They both had important roles to play in the event. Lady Freude would give a speech on the business aspect of Eden and just how the nation’s economy had been improving...

As for Tristan, as the vice commander, it was a no-brainer that he was someone involved in the event as well.

So while they left to prepare, Soo-jin led them to their designated table.

Naturally, the event proceeded without a hitch, but the room was filled with the quiet buzz of conversation. It seemed even top-ranking players were not immune to gossip.

The players that had followed them to the arena were reciting everything that happened to those who remained, and as a result, Ark found himself constantly under the scrutiny of several people.

Ares was nowhere in sight. He had likely left, taking Cain along with him. Ark could only imagine how that would go...

He was seated next to Soo-jin and her aides, listening to a boring speech about how much humanity had thrived, and just how many floors of the tower they had conquered thus far.

They were mostly statistics, and although Ark suspected they were important, after having such a riveting duel, everything else felt awfully glum.

He folded his hand on the desk and rested his chin on it, staring at the snacks on their table...

The association was stacked, clearly. Not only were they backed by the government, they also made a ton of money from participating in raids, as well as the extra cash they took from charging the top guilds for violations...

And it showed by the food they had served. These were just the snacks, and yet Ark could not take his eyes off them.

There were muffins, cakes, cookies, different varieties of teas, diced fruit, as well as many more items.

Ark’s gaze hardened as he watched them, his bony finger clicking against the table.

Isabella took a muffin, and Ark watched as she brought it to her mouth and took a bite, chewing slowly.

"Ugh..." he groaned in annoyance.

Isabella’s eyebrows twitched, but she kept her eyes on the stage, patiently listening to what the speaker was saying.

She took another bite...

"Ughhhh..."

"Please, can you stop doing that?!" Isabella said with annoyance, her face red from embarrassment.

How could he? It was only after the battle that he realised the situation Ares had put him in.

Because he needed to transform into a skeleton to block off his intimidation, Ark was now in his skeleton form...

Do you know what that meant?

Twelve hours! That was how long he had to wait before he could turn back into his gums form. He was at a party, and yet he couldn’t enjoy the number one reason people came to parties, the food!

His shimmering orbs lazily moved to Isabella. "Can’t a man brood in peace?"

"Go brood somewhere else." She hissed, revealing gleaming fangs. "The hall is big enough."

The party went on for hours. Many people were called up to the stage to receive awards for their feats in Eden, including Soo-jin and Cain, but Cain was not there to receive it, so a representative received it on his behalf.

After many hours of watching food pass by, listening to speeches and arguing with Isabella, the formal part of the party came to an end.

And it was time... for dinner.

Ark planted his face on the table. "God take me, and take Olivia too." He murmured into the table.

Soo-jin’s ear twitched. "Olivia isn’t here and yet she still comes to mind?" Her voice sounded a little strained.

"She is likely eating dinner right now. The thought of her enjoying her life... it makes me feel really bad, you know?" Ark explained.

"I thought you guys had gotten close." Isabella sounded confused. "Do you really hate her that much?"

"Yes."

Ark raised his head, only realising that they had all stood up.

"Huh? Are we leaving already?" His heart lit up with hope.

"No." Soo-jin shook her head, and Ark made a clicking sound.

"My siblings would like to see you..."

"..."

Ark paused.

"What?"

<•••>

One of the selling points Soo-jin had used to get Ark to attend the party was that she would introduce him to some very powerful players.

Ark had been anticipating it...

He had seen a number of people that looked interesting. Sure, he was surrounded by excellence. But he had not been able to personally interact with them.

He was more than eager to meet them, to gauge their strength, hear stories about the advanced floors of the towers...

Soo-jin’s siblings were part of these powerful players. Actually, meeting them was even more of an opportunity since they were from a top guild.

So why did he feel weird right now?

Why did it feel like he was a boyfriend about to be introduced to his in-laws-to-be?

He and Soo-jin didn’t have that kind of relationship, and yet, Ark could not shake off the feeling that something was about to happen.

’If she introduced herself to my family as my girlfriend, then only God knows what she told her family...’

It didn’t help that Soo-jin had his arm in an arm lock and was humming a lively tune as they walked—

Soo-jin led Ark to a private room set apart from the general audience. It seemed the association had made provisions like these for members of the top guilds.

Once he entered, the first thing he saw was an array of dishes arranged on the table, the invigorating scent of food slapping him in the face.

And then the very next thing he noticed were Soo-jin’s siblings. It was not hard to tell, after all, they were the only ones in the room...

Her brother was a monster of a man. Ark was sure he was at least eight feet in height, and that was just an estimation!

His skin reminded Ark of the obsidian giant. It was pitch black, with jagged white lines, resembling scars all over his body and chest.

Yes, he was bare-chested...

On further inspection, Ark noticed that these scars closely resembled lightning.

He had voluminous white hair, a deep, foreboding expression, and golden eyes that seemed to hold a storm within them.

Her sister, on the other hand, had a pleasant smile on her face, one that reminded him of Cracker. And that was not the only similarity they had...

Her hair was a shade brighter, but it was also orange, with a familiar strand of hair standing still, refusing to come to order.

Her eyes were bright blue, and she had a sharp, beautiful face, like that of a carefully crafted doll.

Soo-jin got into the room and hugged her brother with a wide smile on her face. His eyes did not leave Ark, neither did his harsh gaze soften.

"This is my older brother, Great."

"Great?" What could have possessed their parents to have them name their child Great?

"He is a Transcendent Titan."

"Oh..." Ark rubbed his fingers, making a scratching sound.

She moved over to her sister. "And this is my sister, Hisako. She is a Transcendent Firebird..."

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