Chapter 202 A New Challenge (III)
The atmosphere in the conference room at the Awakener Association building felt tense and filled with anticipation. This spacious room was crowded with various media outlets, journalists, and observers from guilds across America who wanted to know the details of the leadership transition at Morning Star. Dim light from the large chandeliers above gave the room a mysterious and serious ambiance.
At the front of the room, a sturdy podium was positioned at the center of the stage. Several cameras were set up to record every word and movement that would be presented. Reporters from various television stations lined up around the area, ready to broadcast the news nationwide.
The attending journalists sat in neatly arranged chairs, preparing their equipment such as notepads, cameras, and microphones to document every detail of this press conference. Light chatter and occasional laughter could be heard among them.
In the back of the room, near the entrance, several security personnel stood in elegant uniforms. They were tasked with ensuring the security of the event and making sure that no disruptions threatened the press conference's course.
While everyone eagerly awaited the start of the press conference, the figure who would satisfy their curiosity was struck by stage fright.
In the preparation room, Justin stared at himself in the mirror as he adjusted his black tuxedo. The mirror reflected his nervous and hesitant face. As a guild master, he would take the stage as the representative of Rays of Hope. He was accustomed to facing dozens of reporters and attending various meetings, but today was different. He felt an immense pressure on his shoulders.
Justin took deep breaths as he tightened his black bowtie. He tried to stay calm, but his heart was still racing. As he was overwhelmed by anxiety, he caught Klaus's reflection in the mirror, leaning against the wall with a mocking expression.
Sighing, Klaus pretended to be disappointed. "Our guild master seems to be an amateur after all. Even though he's been leading the guild for the past year, why is he still nervous in front of the cameras? Should I replace him?"
Justin muttered, "It's different, Klaus. This isn't just some silly interview or product advertisement; it's acquiring a guild, and it's Morning Star! Morning Star!"
Klaus raised an eyebrow. "So what if it's Morning Star?"
Naturally, Justin was taken aback by Klaus's words. Turning his body, he gave a serious look. "Are you joking right now? This guild has been around since I was in eighth grade. I've always seen Vincent on TV every time I came home from school. How can you call Morning Star 'just' Morning Star? It's part of the Five Pillars, you know!"
"But now we're acquiring it, right?" Klaus asked rhetorically.
"What?" Justin furrowed his brow.
Seeing his friend hold Morning Star in such high regard, Klaus sighed in disappointment. He took a seat next to Justin.
"Listen to me," Klaus said. "Morning Star isn't as great as you think, and Vincent isn't as cool as people say. He's just dumb guy who happened to understand how the world works. The proof is, he didn't prepare a plan B for Morning Star in case he died. And look at it now, he not only lost his life but also his legacy. What makes you think he's greater than you?"
Justin looked downcast. Then, he lowered his head. "If only I had your confidence." He laughed bitterly. "You know, maybe for you, Morning Star is just one of your toys, but for me, it's a big thing. I'm not sure if I can bear this responsibility. It's too heavy."
Seeing Justin lose his confidence, Klaus changed his facial expression. The smile disappeared, replaced by a serious look. He then got up from his seat and placed a hand on Justin's shoulder.
"When I chose you as the guild master, I knew you could lead Rays of Hope. I saw great potential in you. Believe in yourself. You're better than you think." Klaus smiled, giving him a sincere look.
Justin raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Klaus nodded. "Yeah. You are the best of the best."
And then, the doubtful expression faded. "Thank you, Klaus." Justin smiled faintly. "I always thought you chose me because I was easy to control. Well, it turns out my assumption was wrong."
Klaus was taken aback, his eyebrows furrowing. "Y-Yeah." He patted Justin on the shoulder.
The brief conversation boosted Justin's spirits, although he still felt nervous. But it is better than before.
At that moment, the door opened, and an elderly man with white hair entered the room. He looked Justin up and down. "Are you ready?"
Justin grinned widely, trying to conceal the lingering tension. "Yes, I'm ready, Director Logan."
Director Logan nodded. "Good." He rolled his eyes at Klaus. "Do you want to join as well?"
Klaus shook his head.
Justin and Director Logan left the preparation room and headed for the stage, while Klaus remained seated. He raised his feet onto the table and closed his eyes.
"They'll find out soon," he muttered. Then, he chuckled.
...
The tension reached its peak as three guild masters gathered in front of a tablet screen, showing the live broadcast of Justin Law's acquisition of Morning Star. Jacob Blake, Elizabeth Jung, and Hugo Musgrove sat side by side, their eyes glued to the screen, and their expressions filled with anger and frustration.
[Live Broadcast]
Justin Law stood at the podium with passionate eyes. "I am extremely proud and honored by this opportunity. Morning Star is one of the strongest guilds in America, and I am confident that I can lead this guild to the top."
Director Logan took the microphone after Justin finished speaking. With a deep knowledge of Morning Star and a profound understanding of Klaus Lee's vision, Director Logan calmly explained why he entrusted Morning Star to this young man.
"In every significant role, we look for someone with the potential to bring positive change. Justin is a young leader who is intelligent, brave, and has a clear vision for Morning Star. He has proven himself in various ways, and we believe that he is the right person to guide this alliance towards a bright future."
Director Logan continued, "Believe that this decision has been carefully considered, and we hope that Morning Star will continue to be the strongest guild under the banner of Rays of Hope."
Beep!
[Live Broadcast Ends]
Elizabeth turned off her tablet screen. She then looked at her two companions. "Do you believe this nonsense? A guild that hasn't even been around for a year is acquiring Morning Star; it's a joke."
Jacob Blake grumbled in frustration, "The Awakener Association must have arranged this. They don't want us to absorb Morning Star."
However, Hugo Musgrove appeared calmer than the others. Raising an eyebrow, he said, "Rays of Hope? Isn't that Klaus Lee's guild?"
The blonde-haired woman raised an eyebrow when she heard Klaus was mentioned, as if his name triggered a switch in her head. A similar reaction could be seen in Jacob.
Jacob furrowed his brow. "Why do you sound like you know him?"
Hugo innocently looked at Jacob. "Well, we made a deal." His eyes glanced at Elizabeth as he said that. There was guilt in his gaze.
At the same time, Jacob grew more curious. "What deal?"
"When we were in Port Miami, he wanted me on his side when—"
"Shut up!" Elizabeth suddenly snapped.
Jacob raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Don't bring up that issue again," Elizabeth continued. Her face turned red with anger. "I've already forgotten about it. Don't make me hate you again, Hugo."
The long-haired man swallowed hard.
Instantly, Jacob remembered a hot piece of news from about six months ago.
Elizabeth claimed the conquest of an orange-tier dungeon in the Bermuda Triangle, but Klaus appeared out of the blue and contradicted her claim in front of the media. At that time, Hugo and Noah were on Klaus's side, causing Elizabeth's argument to crumble. As a result, she had to endure taunts and criticism from people for several months.
After that incident, Hugo mended his relationship with Elizabeth by providing two hundred tons of monster cores and five hundred units of epic-grade arcana.
"Hey, you haven't told me what deal you made with Klaus," Jacob insisted.
"Well, Klaus promised to supply exclusive weapon stocks for my guild if I was willing to be on his side," Hugo replied. "And he kept his promise."
Hearing that, Jacob widened his eyes.
Bam!
The man in black glasses slammed the table.
"WHAT! HE GAVE YOU EXCLUSIVE WEAPON SUPPLIES!?"
Surprised, Hugo raised an eyebrow, not understanding why Jacob suddenly got angry. "Yeah, what's wrong about it?"
Jacob hissed, his hands clenched as his blood boiled.
He then informed Hugo that he had also made a deal with Klaus. In the deal, Klaus promised to provide exclusive weapons—artificial arcana not sold on the market—only for the Divine Ursine Alliance.
Upon learning this fact, Hugo was equally shocked. He thought he was the only one getting exclusive weapons.
Hugo gritted his teeth. "Damn it! That kid lied to me! He said only my guild would get those weapons!"
The blonde-haired woman snorted. "No wonder you were willing to give me 500 units of epic-grade arcana. You got an even bigger bribe, tch."
Meanwhile, Hugo and Jacob ground their teeth in anger. They truly felt like fools.
"It seems like all of you have been played by that kid."
Instantly, the three guild masters turned to the white-bearded man.
With a stern gaze, Neil looked into their eyes. The strong aura emanating from him made the three guild masters become calm.
"Honestly, I can't tell whether I should cry or laugh. But what's done is done," Neil said, slightly disappointed.
Gritting their teeth, the three of them hung their heads in shame.
"It was the right decision to gather all of you," Neil continued. "Let's start discussing the real topic. Should we invite Klaus into the alliance, or eliminate him?"
Instantly, the three guild masters widened their eyes. Shortly after, wicked grins spread across their faces.
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