Kill The Old Ones!

Chapter 175: What’s Next?

--

It was the day after when Adrian woke up.

He was sore all over. Even breathing felt laborious. The good news is that he’s healing. His chakra was regenerating while he was asleep and was helping his sore body recover.

Adrian could also tell that he’s been treated with potions. He could smell the lingering scent on his lips; there’s also the aftertaste. He wasn’t surprised. He needed that after the beating he took from Ren.

He looked around him and discovered that he didn’t recognize this place.

Adrian thought that somebody from the clan would take him back and would nurse him back to health there. But this isn’t the clan’s infirmary.

"Oh, good. You’re awake. How are you feeling?"

A light and sweet voice shook him out of his stupor. He looked towards the source of the sound and found a pretty lady with fair skin wearing big round glasses. Her eyes were adorable, and she exudes kindness, warmth, and softness. She was wearing a medic’s uniform and was also clutching a tablet as she inquired about his state.

"Hello? Earth to Adrian? Are you there?"

"Huh!? Oh, sorry. Uh, yeah, I’m fine. Where am I and who are you?"

"You’re in the City Lord’s Mansion. I’m Ava, a medical intern. You’ve been asleep for a day. Do you feel any discomfort anywhere? Anything strange that I should know?"

"I’m just sore all over. You can blame that on Soren if you ever see him," Adrian joked. "Other than that, I think I’m good. I just need more time to rest. City Lord’s Mansion, you say? Why am I here?"

"It’s not just you," Ava replied as she stepped closer to Adrian to professionally assess his state. "All of the semifinalists had been summoned here by orders of the City Lord, of course. As for why, only the City Lord could tell you that."

"Everybody’s just waiting for you. Once you feel like you can move and are able to listen to whatever the city lord has to say, you should let us know so we can inform him."

"Oh, well...what are we waiting for? I’m good to go. I don’t want to delay others any longer than I already have."

Adrian was, of course, interested in whatever the City Lord has to say. And hearing that he’s the only one missing made him feel a bit pressured.

Ava didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she continued inspecting him for a bit before saying, "I’ll notify my superiors that you’re awake. While I do that, I need you to do the Green Lotus Core Technique. It should aid with your recovery; there’s plenty of space to stretch around here."

"Yeah, I’ll do that." Adrian nodded.

After that, Ava walked out to notify her supervisors about his awakening.

Adrian stepped out of his bed and began stretching according to the Green Lotus Core Technique. He had done this so much that he could do it subconsciously.

He wasn’t even thinking about the stretching as he was doing it. His mind recalled Ava’s appearance and felt himself flustered.

’She’s pretty,’ he thought to himself. But then he shook his head. He felt that his thoughts were ridiculous.

**

When Adrian was done with his stretching, he sighed in comfort.

He really had to give it to [REDACTED]; whoever this person was, he’s a blessing for humanity. The Green Lotus Core Technique is a lifesaver.

The green lotus core chakra was now massaging his sore body. It’s coaxing the micro-wear and tear he got from over-exertion to heal properly, restoring him to peak condition. It’s something that not even the finest potions could do, but this 15-minute stretching routine could.

By the time he was done, Adrian’s body felt good. Most of the soreness was already gone. His chakra was also flowing smoothly again. He could fight in this state if it were necessary.

Ava returned; this time she was accompanied by her supervisor, who was a good-looking man with a scholarly image. Ava and he looked close, which made Adrian sigh.

Well, so much for thinking about getting lucky. It seems that he’s destined to be lonely for a little while longer.

When they saw Adrian’s healthy complexion, they cleared him and gave him instructions on where to find the City Lord’s office in the mansion.

Adrian didn’t tarry. He’s all they’re waiting for, and he didn’t want to delay any longer than he already had.

He made his way to the City Lord’s office, barely paying attention to the interior of the mansion. When he got there, he knocked on the door and waited.

"Come in." A deep and gravelly voice echoed within his mind. A voice transmission.

Adrian took a deep breath and pushed the doors open.

When he did, he saw familiar faces. His fellow heavenly kings were already here—Lucian, Elena, and Seraphina. The family heirs and representatives of the martial sects and guilds were also here.

And of course, how could he forget Soren—the bully? Of course, he’d be here too. There’s no way he’d be missing.

Others were sitting down, but Soren was standing. He rested his back on the nearby pillar, close enough for the City Lord to see him.

"Sit down, child. We’ll begin soon."

That was the unmistakable voice of the city lord—Gabriel Pierce. Standing attentively behind his chair was his, presumed, secretary.

Adrian nodded and sat amongst his friends. Once he did, the City Lord swept a glance towards all of them before he displayed something via the system screen.

**

Central City (C-City) Youth Tournament Rankings:

#1. Soren Marek Vire—Banished Arms Clan.

#2. Adrian Valerius Arclight - Sword Saint Clan.

#3. Lucian Skyrend - Heaven’s Reach Clan.

#4. Elena Frostmere - Far North Clan.

#5. Seraphina Whitelock - White Haven Clan.

#6. Erickson Gabe Kupkha—Kupkha Family.

#7. Julius Regulus Vermont—Vermont Family.

#8. Alden Silvereye - Silvereye Family.

#9. Charles Atelier - Atelier Family.

#10. Magnus Stoneheart - Giant’s Cradle Sect.

**

The top ten were highlighted, but it wasn’t the end of the list. Every youth who participated in the tournament was in this list, too. But nobody really paid attention beyond the first 15 names on the list.

Gabriel allowed them to see this for a bit. Then, with a wave of his hand, he brought up more lists similar to this one.

The top ten for A-City, B-City, D-City, and so on...

One by one, the list was added to the growing board before them. They’re filled with names that are largely unfamiliar to most of them.

"You all did well making it this far," the city lord praised, though his voice remained flat. "You didn’t slack off despite the blessings you were born with. You’ve met the expectations of your family and friends, and you’ve displayed the necessary skills to reach the top of this city in regard to your age."

"..."

"But if you’re thinking that you’ve reached the top of the world because of this, then you are sorely mistaken."

Then, one by one, video clips began playing in the background. These are not theirs; the people in those videos were strangers, presumably geniuses hailing from other cities.

"Did you honestly think that only Central City had a youth martial tournament?"

The question was rhetorical, but it succeeded in driving the point home for the listeners.

Now, everybody here was starting to realize why the City Lord summoned them here.

"A-Z, letters of the alphabet, territories of the Letter Kingdom." Gabriel sounded as if he were sneering when he said this. "That’s 26 cities, including ours."

"Each city had a tournament just like the ones you had, and each of them has their top 10."

"That makes 260 young geniuses in a single kingdom. All of which will be competing against each other to determine who’s truly the best of the best...with only the top 10 being recognized in the whole kingdom."

Tension and pressure suddenly descended in the room. The city lord’s eyes bore on them; they looked inquisitive and expectant.

Those who heard the revelation felt pressure mounting on their shoulders again. They just finished proving themselves to the whole city, but it turns out that this was just the beginning.

That’s insane.

"The reason why I called all 14 of you here, instead of just ten, is because all of you might be necessary. Just in case somebody from the top 10 had an accident, there will be replacements."

"The next part is called the City vs. City tournament. In here, you’re not just representing your respective backgrounds; you’re representing the entirety of Central City itself."

"In the tournament within the forces of this city, the rewards you received were mundane—credits, resources, permits, etc. Those were child’s play compared to the prizes that you will receive if you receive a decent rank in the next tournament."

"The stakes are higher, but so too are the rewards."

"You have 6 months to prepare for that. Try to reach the Inhuman Realm by that point, but also make sure you don’t exceed the 3rd Transformation."

"That’s all from me. My secretary will be in touch if there are any developments moving forward."

"Dismissed."