Chapter 269 - 268 : Fame

Chapter 269: Chapter 268 : Fame

The moment Arthur and his team passed through the exit gate, the Virtual Subspace began dissolving around them.

The dark dungeon disappeared.

The ruined corridors vanished.

The smell of blood, smoke, fire, and damp stone faded away.

A moment later, Arthur, Victor, Evangline, Jasmine, and Rubina reappeared on the grand central stage of the Golden Colosseum.

For one second, the enormous arena fell completely silent.

More than 100,000 spectators stared at them.

The giant mana screens above the arena immediately replayed the final moments of the battle.

Arthur’s team standing against the A-rank Chimera.

Evangline firing her modified thermal bullets.

Victor transforming the battlefield with his talent.

Jasmine raising her massive ice barrier at the crucial moment.

Rubina restoring the team’s stamina and mana from concealment.

Arthur and Victor climbing onto the Chimera before delivering the final blow.

And finally, Arthur using Blink to swap places with the crystal, allowing Rubina to take it and escape.

The audience had seen everything.

Then the Golden Colosseum exploded.

"ARTHUR!"

"VICTOR!"

"EVANGLINE!"

"JASMINE!"

"RUBINA!"

The entire arena shook with cheers.

People jumped from their seats.

Students waved Celestias Academy banners while spectators screamed until their voices became hoarse.

The noise was so overwhelming that even the stone beneath Arthur’s feet seemed to tremble.

The final battle had been unforgettable.

At first, it had seemed as though every academy would be forced to fight the A-rank Chimera alone.

Then the academies had formed a temporary alliance to bring the monster down.

But what truly made the match memorable was Celestias Academy’s teamwork under Arthur’s leadership.

Arthur had manipulated the other academies into taking the same route.

He had forced them into fighting the Chimera together.

He had kept Rubina hidden until the most important moment.

He had relied on Jasmine to stop the final attacks with her massive ice barrier.

He had created the opening Victor and he needed to land the final strike.

And when everyone turned toward the crystal, Arthur had stolen it right from under Glacier Peak Academy’s nose.

The audience loved every second of it.

They had watched the entire strategy unfold in real time.

Every move had been bold.

Every move had been risky.

And somehow, every move had worked.

The atmosphere inside the arena became electric.

Rubina looked completely overwhelmed as thousands of people shouted her name.

Her face turned bright red.

Victor remained composed, but the faint pride in his eyes was impossible to hide.

Evangline happily waved toward the crowd with a bright grin.

Jasmine stood with her arms crossed, pretending that the applause did not matter to her.

Arthur, meanwhile, simply looked exhausted.

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Inside another luxurious VIP box, some of the most powerful figures on the continent watched the celebration below.

The private room was reserved for rulers, dukes, heads of great families, guild leaders, and some of the wealthiest individuals in the world.

The Queen of the Ashford Empire sat near the front.

Several dukes from the Velmora Kingdom occupied nearby seats.

The heads of powerful noble families watched the arena with sharp, evaluating eyes.

Among them was Oliver Blackthorn.

Victor’s father sat with his arms crossed, his dark suit perfectly pressed.

His expression remained stern and composed, but his eyes never left his son.

Nearby sat Edgar Vale Valmont, the father of Julia and Aaron.

His massive martial artist’s body barely fit inside the specially reinforced chair prepared for him.

Ravina Crown, Isabella’s mother and the head of the Crown Family, sat beside Queen Eliana.

At the corner of the VIP box sat Eliana Ashford.

The Queen of the Ashford Empire.

She was also the mother of Evangline and Jasmine.

Her elegant expression remained composed, but the smile on her face grew brighter as she watched her daughters’ performance.

Evangline’s rapid shooting.

Jasmine’s flawless ice barrier.

Their teamwork.

Their courage.

Eliana was clearly proud.

She simply did not say it aloud.

Then a middle-aged man beside her spoke.

"You seem quite pleased, Queen Eliana."

Oliver Blackthorn’s voice was calm.

"It seems your daughters have surpassed your expectations."

Eliana looked toward him with a smile.

"You look more pleased than I do, Oliver."

Her eyes shifted toward the arena.

"It seems your son Victor has surpassed your expectations as well."

Oliver’s expression immediately became serious.

He tried to hide his emotions.

"It was nothing special."

His voice was dry.

"As the heir to the Blackthorn Family, it was expected of him."

But nobody in the room believed him.

The faint pride in his eyes gave him away.

A loud laugh suddenly came from across the table.

Edgar Vale Valmont leaned back in his reinforced chair.

"Are you all forgetting the name of that monstrous child?"

Everyone looked toward him.

Edgar’s expression was filled with excitement.

"Arthur."

He shook his head.

"I cannot believe I am saying this, but that child is extraordinary."

His gaze returned to the arena.

"Almost more extraordinary than any child of his generation."

Ravina Crown smiled.

"Lord Edgar is right."

She looked toward Arthur.

"Arthur was incredible out there."

Her eyes shone with admiration.

"The way he manipulated the battlefield, used the other academies to his advantage, and adapted to every situation..."

Her smile widened.

"His intelligence is simply remarkable."

Eliana nodded.

"I could not agree more."

Her voice was warm.

"That child is something else."

The others nodded in agreement.

Then Edgar’s attention shifted toward a red-haired man sitting quietly in the corner.

Ryan Stromborn.

The Duke of the Velmora Kingdom.

The head of the Stormborn Family.

And the father of Damian and Diana.

"Do you not think the child is special too, Ryan?" Edgar asked.

Ryan looked toward Arthur.

Then he simply nodded.

He said nothing else.

Edgar laughed.

"A man of few words as always."

He turned his attention back toward the arena.

"I am curious to see how your son Damian and daughter Diana perform in the upcoming matches."

Eliana looked toward Edgar.

"And what about your own children?"

Her smile became teasing.

"Julia and Aaron?"

Edgar sighed.

"To tell you the truth, most of my expectations are on Julia."

His gaze briefly shifted toward Aaron.

"Aaron’s abilities are not that special."

Then Edgar looked toward the far side of the VIP room.

His voice became louder.

"I wish I had a son like Arthur."

The room grew quieter.

"I would never abandon him like those Imperius guys."

Edgar’s eyes settled on Sylvia Evan Imperius.

"Isn’t that right, Miss Sylvia?"

Everyone turned toward her.

Sylvia had been sitting quietly a short distance away.

She had not joined the conversation.

She had not spoken once.

Her golden hair rested over her shoulders, and her gaze remained fixed on Arthur below.

For a moment, nobody expected her to answer.

Then Sylvia slowly looked toward them.

"You are right, Lord Edgar."

Her voice was quiet but clear.

"I failed him as a mother."

The room fell silent.

Sylvia continued.

"And I admit that."

Her gaze returned to Arthur.

A warm, heartbroken smile appeared on her face.

"But I have learned my lesson."

She lowered her eyes slightly.

"I am simply happy for my child."

Her voice softened.

"For his growth."

She paused.

"Even if he hates me, I will continue to support him."

No one spoke.

They had not expected such words from Sylvia.

The cold matriarch of the Imperius Family.

The woman known for her distant personality and ruthless decisions.

Yet, as she looked at Arthur, there was no calculation in her eyes.

She was not looking at him as an asset.

Not as a problem.

But as her son.

Eliana looked toward Sylvia.

A soft smile appeared on her face.

"I am happy for you."

Sylvia quietly nodded.

Then someone unexpected spoke.

Ryan Stromborn.

"Is Adrian still trapped?"

His voice was calm.

"Getting beaten by his own child?"

The entire VIP box became silent.

Everyone waited for Sylvia’s response.

Sylvia smiled faintly.

"Why don’t you ask him yourself?"

A strange chill passed through the room.

At that exact moment, footsteps echoed outside the VIP box.

Slow.

Heavy.

Controlled.

A terrifying pressure approached.

Then a chilling voice came from the entrance.

"I hope none of you missed me too much."

Every person in the VIP room turned.

A man stepped inside.

Dark hair.

Amber eyes.

A tall, powerful body.

And an aura that immediately made even the academy heads become alert.

Adrian Evan Imperius had arrived.

Edgar’s eyes widened.

He could feel the terrifying pressure radiating from Adrian.

"I cannot believe it."

His body stiffened.

"That pressure..."

Edgar stared at Adrian in disbelief.

"He broke through to SSS-Rank."

The room froze.

Nobody spoke.

Adrian was free.

And he was stronger than before.

The man considered one of the most dangerous figures in the world had returned.

Before anyone could say anything else, the announcer’s voice suddenly echoed throughout the Golden Colosseum.

It pulled everyone’s attention back toward the stage.

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"Ladies and gentlemen!"

The announcer’s excited voice rang across the arena.

"After that thrilling battle and the first massive victory of Celestias Academy, please give them another huge round of applause!"

The crowd erupted once again.

Cheers filled the Golden Colosseum.

The announcer walked toward Arthur.

"Mr. Arthur, would you like to give a victory speech?"

He held the microphone toward Arthur.

"How did you come up with such brilliant plans?"

Arthur stared at the microphone.

Then he shook his head.

"No way in hell."

The entire Colosseum fell silent.

Arthur simply turned around and began walking away.

The announcer remained standing there, completely stunned.

For a second, the audience did not know how to react.

Then laughter exploded throughout the arena.

Arthur ignored them.

He stretched his arms.

"Let’s head back to the meeting room."

He looked toward his team.

"I am tired."

Victor, Evangline, Jasmine, and Rubina followed him.

They entered one of the long corridors leading away from the central stage.

But they did not get far.

A white-haired woman suddenly stepped in front of them.

The tournament manager.

Arthur sighed.

"Professor, what is it now?"

He rubbed his forehead.

"I am exhausted. Please let me go."

The white-haired woman smiled brightly.

"Our stars of the show?"

Her smile became mischievous.

"Not that easily."

Behind Arthur, students from the other academies were also making their way through the corridor toward their assigned meeting rooms.

The white-haired manager looked around at all of them.

Then she raised her voice.

"Do you not all want to see your scores?"

Her words immediately caught everyone’s attention.

The corridor fell silent.

Every student turned toward her.

The tournament manager smiled.

"Let’s see who is actually leading the Treasure Hunt."