After their conversation with Shreya, a chilling realization gripped them tightly. The looming days ahead were full of chaos. Since the students from the other academies will be here, he was sure that there will be a race to dominate others. Although, every academy has 10 allowances from every year, it doesn't mean that students will miss this opportunity to dominate other academies. Furthermore, the challenge was not merely a clash with students from rival academies; it was a confrontation with their very own instructors. Since this will be the first time Earthlings will be going to the Prominda galaxy, Zen was sure that all the academies will send high ranking executives. Experience had taught him that as one climbs the hierarchy, arrogance and irrationality tend to take over. In 90 out of 100 instances, the higher positions had individuals whose insatiable desire for control left them offended at the prospect of someone from a lower rank daring to snatch away their desires.
"Well, at least it won't be boring," Zen revealed a smile. Despite his longing for peaceful days, the prospect of combat couldn't help but kindle a spark of excitement within him. "Let's go meet Evelyn. Did you contact James and Tanya?"
"Yes, they'll catch up with us in 30 minutes in the training area."
With Evelyn training in Shreya's exclusive training space, they only needed a mere few minutes' walk to reach her. Zen silently swung open the door, only to find Evelyn engrossed in rigorous training. Observing her for a few moments, he chose to leave with a discreet smile, opting not to disturb her. He sent her a quick message informing her of his arrival. She will come meet him as soon as she gets off training.
After leaving, they directly set off for the training area.
"Sigh, even after months, I can't get over this building," Anna commented seeing the stupid gymnasium building during the wait. Soon, James and Tanya arrived.
"Hmm… they've improved, huh?" Although both were still in the first ring, Zen discerned significant progress in their abilities. They were not far from the second ring. His combat experience with Elizabeth honed his observational skills, and now, having reached the third ring, he could easily gauge others' capabilities. Ironically, it was impossible for anyone to see through Zen's cultivation. If he wanted, no one could even tell that he started cultivating. This was the result of his exquisite control.
"What's up? How was your vacation?" Zen asked as he hugged both of them.
"Vacation? What vacation? It was tortureeeee!" Literal tears could be seen on James' eyes.
"Haha, after seeing our results, our family went all out to train us more. I hate to admit it, but I improved more in the last week than I did all of last month."
"That's good, wanna ea—" Suddenly, loud dull noises reverberated from all around, accompanied by a gradual darkening of the sky. Zen instinctively held Anna's hand and positioned himself protectively in front of her.
Finally they saw the source of all the noise. The source of the commotion were three helicopters covering the entire training area.
"Some bigshot is coming!" Anna came out from behind Zen.
"Bigshot?" James and Tanya exchanged incredulous glances. They gave a look to Anna which screamed, "Are you for real?"
"W–What?"
"Girl, those are royal helicopters. No one except the Royal Banks family is allowed to use one without permission."
"Oh! So I guess Oliver is here, huh?" Zen whispered.
"How did you know that his highness Oliver will be here?" Tanya squinted her eyes. She chose to not comment about Zen calling Oliver so casually. She was confused as to why Zen knew about Oliver. If he knew this, that meant that he also knew about the training program.
"Do you think I don't know what is going on? Did you forget who my master is and who my girlfriend is?"
'Why did they tell him about this matter? Although he is close to them, this is a highly classified secret that will only be announced before the students are selected.' She had no clue that all the participants were already selected.
"... Makes sense. But Zen be respectful." Tanya decided to not delve on the topic right now.
As they continued chatting, the helicopters gracefully landed beside the training area. The moment they landed, a group of individuals emerged from the two helicopters on the sides. They formed a protective perimeter around the middle helicopter, surveying the surroundings. Soon, the door of the central helicopter swung open, and four figures strolled out. At the heart of the group stood a man with her arms around two girls who hardly wore anything.
'That's Oliver Banks. Seems like the rumors are true.' Zen mused internally. It was rumored that despite Oliver's exceptional talent and hardworking nature, he was prone to indulging in excessive debauchery.
Accompanying them was a striking beauty with lavender-colored hair. She walked a bit behind the prince, maintaining a certain distance. Tall with dark skin and a breathtaking face, she exuded elegance with a slim waist.
|WE GREET THE MOON OF THE US, HIS HIGHNESS PRINCE OLIVER.|
Suddenly, everyone around Zen and Anna knelt down and shouted in unison. It was a surreal sight—around 100 students kneeling on one knee with their heads lowered. Zen and Anna exchanged surprised glances, refusing to comply with the unexpected display.
"Psst! Kneel down!" James whispered urgently to Anna and Zen.
But they both ignored James' advice. How can an Ashford kneel to anyone? The pride that Elizabeth hammered inside Zen and Anna from childhood will never allow them to kneel, even in front of death.
As Prince Oliver approached, hardly sparing a glance at the bowing crowd, his eyes locked onto Zen and Anna standing tall. A cold smile curved his lips as he looked directly into Zen's eyes. It seemed as though he aimed to intimidate Zen, but Zen, unfazed, met his gaze with a calm smile. During this, Zen effortlessly gauged Oliver's cultivation.
'7th? No, 8th outer ring. Not bad!'. Being in the 8th outer ring despite being a student was impressive, though not entirely surprising given Oliver's background. He was a fourth year student in the academy and returned for the training especially.
"IMPUDENCE!" A man in a black suit screamed at Zen. "Kneel in front of His Highness!"
Zen paid no heed, his focus was entirely on Oliver as he attempted to assess his strength through his demeanor.
Infuriated by the disregard, the man roared, "How dare you ignore me! Your whole family can be killed for insulting royalty."
Hearing the threat, Zen turned towards the man and saw the bodyguard—standing at least 6'4'' and heavily built. "Who exactly is disrespecting royalty? Did you forget that no one can be forced to kneel to anyone? Wasn't it the royal family who made this rule?" Zen replied.
About 350 years ago, during the rule of the previous emperor, nobles and royal families had committed unspeakable atrocities. Commoners were treated as little more than slaves, devoid of the right to breathe without permission. Numerous protests and riots had erupted, ending in the deaths of countless commoners. However, as cultivating commoners began to unite, a significant uprising unfolded, leading to the destruction of many small noble families. The UHF eventually intervened and after years of negotiations commoners were granted some rights and living space. It was then decreed that no commoner could be compelled to kneel or serve another.
"You…" The man began to speak but halted as Oliver raised his hand, signaling him to stop. Oliver continued walking, and additional staff members arrived to escort the group. Without casting another glance at Zen, he strode forward. The girl with lavender hair passed by Zen and Anna.
"You should have just knelt. Now you will suffer because of your useless pride," she remarked before following the group.
"A 7th ring? Haha, it will be fun." Zen overheard the comment.