Chapter 208: Welcoming the Guests 2

So this is the Emperor of the Beast-Folk...

His Absolute Appraisal could not even display any information except his name. The man stood completely beyond his current reach.

Yet strangely... Nova felt no fear.

If anything, the presence of such a powerful being only made his blood boil with excitement.

The three kings immediately rose from their seats and approached the two newly arrived figures, greeting them with the highest level of respect.

Even while the crowd was still buzzing with excitement, Slickmouth’s voice rang out once more, pushing the atmosphere to its peak.

[Without wasting any more time... let us welcome our final two guests!]

[First — the beautiful, mighty, and fierce yet elegant daughter of the Phoenix Empress herself...Lyra Emberis!]

[And next... the beautiful, elegant, and enchanting pride of the Elf Continent — beloved by the World Tree, and the younger sister of the Elf Emperor...Spirit Queen Aurora Elwyn!]

Two breathtaking mature beauties appeared high above the arena.

Even with veils covering their faces, the attention they drew surpassed nearly everyone present. Even the previously arrived great figures turned their eyes upward with clear interest.

Lyra Emberis possessed long, bright red hair and striking orange eyes. Her smooth, creamy-white skin glowed faintly under the light as she stood in an elegant red dress that perfectly suited her mature figure.

Though her chest was slightly less prominent compared to the goddess-like woman beside her, her presence was still refined and powerful.

Standing next to her was Aurora Elwyn.

She immediately captured almost everyone’s attention.

Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back like silk, contrasting beautifully against her creamy, flawless skin.

Long elegant Elf ears, Bright blue eyes could be faintly seen behind her veil, and her figure was voluptuous, thick, and curvy — standing on equal ground with beauties like Nyxara and Liya.

She wore a deep green dress that further highlighted her elegant yet enchanting presence. Even without her face fully visible, her beauty was intoxicating.

A calm, almost ethereal aura surrounded her, despite the overwhelming strength she clearly possessed.

Nova looked up at the two women.

His gaze lingered briefly on Aurora.

So this is the second most beautiful woman in this world...

After seeing her in person, he could understand why she held such a reputation. Still, living every day alongside multiple goddess-level beauties had dulled the impact somewhat. Beauty alone was no longer enough to shake him.

What truly interested him was her strength.

From what he knew, she was said to stand on equal footing with the second strongest Demon Lord. The real question remaining in his mind was simple —

Was she stronger than the Beast-Folk Emperor... or not?

Both women vanished from the sky and reappeared on their respective thrones. Naturally, they were seated beside the other powerful figures already present.

The important individuals who had accompanied them from each continent also took their allotted seats, while attendants stood ready to serve them as they watched the tournament.

With every major guest now present, the atmosphere across the entire continent — and especially within the Colosseum — reached a fever pitch.

Cheers filled the air as the people realized they were witnessing so many legendary figures gathered in one place at the same time.

[Now that all of our important guests have arrived... without any further ado, let us move on to the tournament!]

The thousands of youths standing in the arena were already filled with a mixture of excitement and nervous tension.

Everyone was finally ready to learn what form this year’s competition would take, as the structure of the tournament always changed.

[This year, we have many outstanding talents among us. Quite a few youths have already stepped into the King Realm, and there are even some who have surpassed level 1500... so I can assure you — this tournament will be one of the most exciting ever seen in history!]

The crowd erupted once more.

High above on the elevated thrones, the Beast-Folk Emperor Vaorak Tigrath spoke with a booming laugh.

"Haha... there really are many King Realm experts this time. Looks like the era has truly changed, producing so many of them at such a young age."

Draeven Rhaevoryn smiled faintly.

"True... but level alone doesn’t matter. What matters is what they’re actually capable of. Wouldn’t you agree, Lady Lyra?"

Lyra Emberis gazed down at the sea of youths below and replied calmly.

"You’re right. What matters most is battle skill and the instinct to survive." Vaorak then turned toward the far end of the seats.

"And what about you, Lady Aurora?"

Aurora Elwyn, seated beside Lyra, did not even turn her head. Her voice remained calm and brief.

"I think the same."

Vaorak had been hoping for a longer response, but he knew her personality well enough not to push further. His expression grew slightly more serious as he looked back toward the arena.

"I just hope everything goes smoothly... especially with those fucking bastards moving around so much. And the Human Emperor still hasn’t shown himself."

Draeven turned slightly.

"We’re still not sure if he will come or not... though I’ve heard rumors that he might appear."

He let out a quiet scoff.

"My brother and the Human Emperor are the same — they rarely show themselves, even for their responsibilities."

It was clear that Draeven hadn’t particularly wanted to attend. The only reason he had come was because he had heard that Aurora would be present.

As the powerful figures continued their quiet discussion above — with Aurora giving only short replies something unexpected happened below.

Nova’s eyes suddenly widened in shock.

Just now... a system question had appeared before him.

++++

DING!!

[New Quest: Awaken the True Legend of the Slaughter Monarch]

[Objective: ?????]

[Danger Level:SSS]

[Time Limit: Unlimited]

[Rewards: ??????]

[Quest Reward:??????]

++++

What the fuck!!

Nova nearly shouted the words in his mind.

He had only been thinking about how the tournament might unfold when the sudden system notification appeared before his eyes.

The name of the quest alone was already confusing. Was he supposed to reveal the existence of the Slaughter Monarch without any clear reason or immediate danger? From what he could see, there didn’t seem to be any.

Even with multiple high-level figures seated above him, the danger still remained at the SSS level. However, unlike the previous quest, it wasn’t an impossible task, which came as a relief to Nova.

Almost no information had been provided beyond the name itself. His sudden change in expression did not go unnoticed. Rieka turned toward him with a concerned look.

"What happened, Darling?"

Nova quickly composed himself and offered a calm smile.

"It’s nothing."

Although Rieka could tell that something was bothering him, she chose not to push further for the moment.

{"Don’t worry. The danger level is SSS, not Impossible, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to complete it. As for the lack of information... there’s nothing I can do about that. There are still a few things that aren’t entirely under my control. As for this quest, I can only control it partially. Just go with the flow."}

{And remember — you’re no longer the same person who died that day. You still haven’t fully grasped your current limits. Don’t forget that your strength increased significantly after killing that dragon.}

Liya’s words helped settle Nova’s thoughts.

There was nothing he could do about the quest for now. A new quest also meant a new opportunity — another chance to further increase his strength.

More importantly, he now had far greater confidence in himself... and the ability to protect those he cared about.

He calmed himself. Whatever happened, he would face it when the time came. For now, he would focus on the tournament while keeping his guard up.

**

───────────────────────────

[A/N]

For those who are confused—although Liya does control the system, the quests Nova receives aren’t always under her complete control. Sometimes she has full control over them, while other times, she can only influence them partially.

The rest will become clearer as we continue through the future Chapters.

Thanks for reading...