Chapter 95: 95:The One Eyed Wolf[2]
The hall was shrouded in silence.
The man who had just walked onto the stage demanded that much respect through his presence alone. The moment he appeared, countless conversations died down Instantly.
The current President of the Federation stood calmly while gazing over the crowd. Despite doing nothing extraordinary, the pressure surrounding him made it difficult for people to look away.
In terms of hierarchy, he stood only below the collective members of the Federation.
Yet the amount of power he held was immense.
He was the force that guided the Federation through countless crises and disasters. The backbone that shielded humanity whenever the storms threatened it from every direction.
A Transcendent being capable of outliving disasters themselves.
The One-Eyed Wolf slowly swept his remaining eye across the hall while maintaining a calm expression. Yet that single gaze alone made many people lower their heads instinctively, as though he could see through every thought hidden inside their minds.
"Young ones, I am sure you joined this place with many hopes and aspirations."
His voice was calm and steady, yet every word reached the ears of everyone present despite the hall’s size.
"But it’s high time you became realistic."
"You all might believe that the Great Families provide greater benefits, but you are utterly mistaken."
The hall immediately grew even quieter than before while several recruits exchanged uncertain glances.
"Unlike the Federation, which still retains human sentiments, the Families care for nothing but themselves."
His gaze slowly swept across the crowd while his words settled heavily into their minds.
"Here, each one of you matters and will be treated as an asset."
A faint sarcastic grin slowly appeared on his face.
"But there..."
"Heee..."
The grin widened slightly as a strange amusement flashed through his eye.
"There, all of you are nothing but dogs."
The blunt statement instantly startled many. Nobody had expected such a direct comparison from someone of his status.
"At least here, you are offered the basic dignity of being a human."
"So I humbly advise you to learn the ways of the world before venturing too far, because reality is often far harsher than the dreams people build inside their heads."
The One-Eyed Wolf slowly folded his hands behind his back.
"The world is crude, cruel, and utterly dangerous."
"You won’t even know when you are going to be swept away, because disaster rarely gives any warning before its arrival."
His remaining eye seemed to pierce through their souls.
"And lastly..."
"Only those who survive and outlive others win in the end."
"Your high potential means nothing if you die."
A cold smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Wouldn’t it be laughable if you were some heaven-defying genius, only to die the very next moment before you ever had the chance to reach your potential?"
"So be careful."
The moment those words left his mouth, he lightly tapped his foot against the ground.
TAP!
The next second...
CRACKLE!
Flickers of powerful lightning erupted around his body as arcs of electricity danced wildly through the air.
The atmosphere inside the hall instantly changed.
A terrifying pressure descended from above.
The air immediately became heavy.
The entire building began shaking violently. The floor trembled beneath everyone’s feet while the walls rattled loudly from the overwhelming force.
Glasses placed across the tables vibrated uncontrollably, and the decorations hanging throughout the hall swayed violently.
An overwhelming pressure descended upon everyone present.
"KYAHHHH!"
"W-What is this?!"
"AHHHH!"
Several recruits immediately screamed in fright while others stumbled backward and nearly lost their footing.
A few nearly fell from their chairs as they desperately struggled to regain their balance.
Others grabbed the tables beside them, struggling to remain standing as the pressure pressing down on them felt almost unbearable.
Many faces turned pale.
Cold sweat poured down their backs.
The terrifying pressure felt as though a giant beast had suddenly appeared above them, staring directly at them while deciding whether they were worthy of being kept alive.
Even breathing became difficult.
Some of the weaker recruits immediately collapsed to their knees, gasping for breath. Others instinctively covered their heads as their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
The atmosphere had completely changed.
The One-Eyed Wolf simply stood there amidst the lightning, calmly looking at everyone as though none of this had required even the slightest effort from him.
"Now you all will be assigned your first mission."
"I hope you have a pleasant journey."
Leaving behind the short greeting, he turned around and slowly exited the stage while the lightning around him gradually faded away.
The pressure vanished.
The shaking stopped.
The hall returned to normal.
Yet nobody relaxed immediately.
The new recruits remained frozen in absolute shock, trying to process what had just happened.
Only after several moments did people finally start breathing normally again.
As soon as the Chairman left completely, a few people even slumped onto the floor because their legs no longer had the strength to support them.
"What was that?"
"Is he displaying his might?"
"That’s terrifying."
"I thought I was going to die."
The hall was quickly filled with whispers and nervous discussions as many continued wiping sweat from their foreheads.
Meanwhile, Reigns quietly looked at the glass in his hand while noticing that it was trembling slightly.
His back was completely drenched in sweat, and his heart was still beating faster than normal.
After calming himself down, he slowly took a sip of his drink while maintaining a serious expression and replaying the Chairman’s words inside his mind.
’Short and precise.’
He had given everyone a reality check.
He had shattered their idealistic fantasies and forced them to confront reality, reminding them that talent alone meant nothing if they died before they could grow stronger.
At the same time, he had done it without speaking for too long.
It was honestly quite effective. Too much talking only made people look down upon the speaker, while a few words backed by overwhelming strength always carried far greater weight.
For a brief moment, Reigns even tried to check the Chairman’s level because curiosity got the better of him.
However...
Lv???
Nothing appeared.
No matter how hard he looked.
Still unwilling to give up, Reigns activated Insight.
The moment he did, his pupils contracted slightly as he managed to catch a glimpse of a layer of sharp crimson intent covering the Chairman’s entire visage.
The intent felt alive.
It felt like a terrifying beast that was prepared to lunge forward at the slightest sign of disobedience and tear apart anyone foolish enough to challenge it.
The feeling alone was chilling.
Terrifying.
Even after the man had already left.
"Did you like this?"
Reigns was pulled out of his thoughts after hearing Linda’s voice beside him.
"Somewhat."
Linda raised her brows slightly because she honestly hadn’t expected such an answer.
Most people were either terrified or awestruck after witnessing the President’s presence.
Reigns smiled faintly after seeing her amused reaction. At first, he had thought Linda was just some ordinary Federation agent, only to later discover that she was actually the personal secretary of the One-Eyed Wolf himself.
Before they could continue talking further, a voice suddenly echoed through the hall.
"Reigns De Luther!"
"Coming!"
Reigns immediately stood up and walked toward the front while several recruits turned their heads curiously toward him.
A stern-looking man was waiting there, holding several envelopes.
Without saying much, the man handed one to Reigns.
Reigns accepted it calmly.
Then he tore the envelope open.
And upon reading its contents, he was befuddled.
’Isn’t this a bit too much for a first mission?’
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