21 The Murder (1/2)
In spite of how evident it was, the master of ceremonies still announced: \”Thorn wins!\”
*Clap!!* *clap!!* *clap!!* *clap!!*...!!!
\”Thorn, you are amazing!\”
\”Congratulations! And thanks for the amazing spectacle you showed us!\”
\”Thanks for making the trip and the entry fee totally worth it!\”
On the northern seats.
\”Congratulations, fellow Branch Head, for earning the first, second, and third place.\” Delia Adver congratulated Arger Dal, a faint but sincere smile on her face.
\”Hahaha… Thanks, really thanks, fellow Branch Head. Still, out of the ten participants who made it to the third phase, seven were from your guild.\” He sighed and shook his head. \”If not for consecutive fortuitous strokes of luck there's no way I would have acquired so many incredible talents. In the end, when it comes to management skills, I still can't compete against you at all.\”
\”Given my status, I would be really troubled if my management skills weren't at least this good.\” She replied as a melancholic light flashed through her shining crimson eyes for a short instant.
*Ziiii…!*
The artificial lake soon was once again completely covered by the immense shield shaped platform, and Captain Fou Tre alongside his knights went back to their respective seats.
At the same time, Crok Alch expertly treated the unconscious participants. Thanks to this, one by one, they woke up.
Still exhausted, Thorn wobbled his way toward his seat.
Five minutes later.
Except for Thorn, every other participant was quite depressed. They sat in their seats crestfallen and occasionally sighing in dejection.
There was a stark contrast between them and Rose who, although had most of her face covered, looked so happy it seemed like she was the one who had won the tournament.
Standing on the arena, Lenna Zelu spoke out: \”Thorn, come here to receive your prize.\”
After hearing her call, he proudly stood up and sauntered forward.
Dozens of thousands of eyes fell on him, they showed deep longing and admiration, almost as if looking at a star in the sky.
Thorn was about to climb up the platform when he abruptly stopped in his tracks. The Aura of someone behind him had suddenly disappeared! Frowning, he turned his head back, and asked: \”Has he just now… died?\”
He wasn't the only one who was looking in that direction, every person in the hall was also doing so, but they weren't as calm as Thorn. They all wore grim expressions, and some of them even had involuntarily stood up.
\”S-son!\” A frantic and desperate cry boomed out. It was Ramph Zelu's voice! He immediately burst into motion; and in an instant, he disappeared from the northern seats and then reappeared at the southern seats. He stood blankly in front of Resh Zelu's lifeless body. (My son… my dearest son… my greatest hope…! I know that from time to time you have indulged yourself in lustful pleasures but that was all! On everything else you were perfect! A perfect son! Someone with the potential to bring our family to new heights! This can't be happening… This can't be happening! You were supposed to inherit everything I have! You were supposed to surpass your old dad in the blacksmith art by leaps and bounds! You were supposed to still have hundreds of years to live! How could you just die?! And worse yet, before your old dad?! This isn't happening…!)
Seeing such scene, nobody else dared to move or make the slightest noise.
\”C-Crok Alch, is there something you can do? Please do something!\” Finally, with a trace of madness in his hoarse voice, Ramph Zelu pleaded.
*Sigh*…
A heavy sigh came out of Crok Alch's mouth, he wasn't unfamiliar with the soul-breaking pain a parent would feel in the face of losing one's heir. It was something he had personally experienced, after all.
He walked toward the corpse, kneeled down in front of it, and activated his Awakened Skill to analyze it.
After some time of silence, Crok Alch slowly stood up, a grave expression on his face. He gradually stated: \”Resh Zelu's two principal vital organs within his chest–his brain and his heart–have been crushed… It was a murder.\”
After hearing the word 'murder', Ramph Zelu's aura became chaotic; this alone caused the floor of the entire mansion to shake, and the air to tremble. His pentagon shaped pitch-black smoke was so altered it didn't seem like smoke anymore but pitch-black threads. Irradiating an invisible pressure filled with rage, he quietly swept his vision through the faces of every present individual, and ordered: \”Everybody, don't move until the culprit is found.\” He then turned his body toward Thorn and accused pointing at him: \”Especially you! You are the most suspicious! Your understanding degree and your Wind Element Awakened Skill make you the only person capable of doing this in front of everyone!\”