Anya’s gaze followed Liang, his father, and grandfather as they quietly slipped out of the grand hall, their expressions calm but holding a certain intensity.
Klaus, noticing her distraction, leaned in and whispered, “Guildmaster, something wrong?”
Without shifting her gaze, she replied, “I just have a feeling this party is going to end a little differently this year.”
Her eyes moved back to Alister, who stood confidently at the podium.
Just then, a female reporter, sensing the building tension, seized the opportunity to ask the question on everyone’s mind. “Mr. Hazenworth, everyone here is dying to know-what exactly is your relationship with Cinder?” freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
A few murmurs rippled through the crowd as they waited for his response. Alister looked unfazed, meeting her gaze with an easy smile. “Cinder is my summon,” he said simply. “Nothing more.”
The room buzzed with murmurs as the press digested his answer, some clearly dissatisfied with how simple it was.
Another reporter jumped in quickly. “So then, are all of your summons dragons?”
Alister nodded. “Yes.”
“Have you ever failed a summoning attempt?”
Alister’s response was short, yet undeniably confident. “No.”
His words left the reporters and those who watched the event live in shock; nearly no one could believe what they were hearing.
“Impossible-no failed summons at all?”
“How can someone achieve that kind of record?”
“Is he just naturally gifted? Or is it due to his talent rank?”
“I thought all summoners struggled to get it right at least once…”
“He’s either incredibly skilled or… something else entirely.”
But just as the questions seemed to be winding down, a peculiar woman in the back of the hall suddenly stood, her gaze sharp and intense.
She carried herself with such confidence that it silenced the other reporters as she stepped forward.
Her voice cut through the crowd, each word seeming like a challenge. “Mr. Hazenworth, while your display at the event was impressive, none of us here know the true extent of your summoning capabilities.”
“Tell us, a Summoner usually has a limit to the number of summons they can possess.”
“Do you believe your limit will be at least ten times that of the highest recorded limit of ten?”
“Or perhaps, do you believe you may be able to summon more?”
The crowd’s attention snapped back to Alister, waiting to see how he would respond to her question.
Alister let the question hang in the air for a moment. Then, with a small smile, he replied, “I don’t think I have a limit.”
“Ha!”
“Hahaha haha!” Anya suddenly let out a loud belly laugh, causing all of her guild members to look her way.
“What is so funny, Guildmaster?” one of them asked.
Klaus, who was closest to her, let out a sigh as he asked, “Perhaps you too find what he is saying hilarious?”
But Anya’s response shocked him. “No, I believe him.”
“Yeah, I thought so too, the kid-wait, what!?” Klaus thought Anya agreed with him. “Why do you believe him?”
Anya leaned into her seat with a smug smile as she said, “Call it instinct.”
“Instinct!? Really?”
Her words caused a wave of shock to ripple through the room. Reporters and guests alike began murmuring in disbelief, struggling to comprehend the weight of his statement.
“Unbelievable… could that even be possible?”
“No limit? Is he really that powerful?”
“How can he say that with such certainty?”
The peculiar woman, unfazed by the murmurs, pressed on, her eyes locked onto him. “And what makes you believe that, Mr. Hazenworth?”
Alister paused, letting the anticipation build before he responded. “Because of the number of summons I currently possess.”
The murmuring in the crowd grew louder as everyone tried to grasp what he was implying. A few leaned forward in anticipation, eager to learn just how far Alister’s power extended.
As the exchange continued, the Union director standing at the side of the stage narrowed his gaze, studying Alister with a touch of curiosity and skepticism.
The atmosphere in the room was tense, thick with anticipation, as if everyone knew this line of questioning was about to unveil something remarkable—or perhaps something entirely unbelievable.
The peculiar reporter didn’t back down. Her eyes flashed as she pressed further. “Are you implying…”
“…that beyond the three summons you showcased during the Wasteland Display Event, you have even more at your disposal?”
Alister didn’t flinch. Instead, he leaned slightly forward, his gaze unyielding, and replied with a tone that carried a quiet authority. “At least over a hundred.”
A stunned silence fell over the hall. The initial shock was so complete, so deafening, that for a moment it seemed as if no one dared to even breathe. Then, like a dam breaking, a bunch of
voices erupted.
“This is absurd! How could any Summoner handle that many?”
“Is he just trying to flaunt himself? No Summoner has ever held over ten, let alone a
hundred!”
“He’s either lying, or… or he’s on another level entirely.”
The murmurs quickly escalated, a wave of disbelief and outrage sweeping across the room. Some accused him of arrogance, of trying to bask in the spotlight with outrageous claims, while others wore expressions of fearful awe.
The Union director’s expression tightened, his brows furrowing deeply. The piercing gaze he fixed on Alister hinted at more than skepticism—it was as though he were seeing something dangerous, something that should have been kept hidden.
The peculiar reporter, however, only smiled, her eyes glittering with intrigue. “Tell me, Mr. Hazenworth,” she said, her voice cutting through the uproar, “what makes you think you can control such a number? Are we truly to believe that you can summon and command over a hundred creatures without fail?”
“How would you even have managed to obtain that many summoning conduits to perform that many summonings?”
“The amount of mana it would have required, the resources to feed them all…”
“Mr. Hazenworth, quite frankly, your claims lack plausibility, and don’t make any sense.”
Alister paused, then replied with a cold, distant look on his face, “I’m an SSS-ranked
awakened, ma’am.”
“My abilities are not supposed to make sense.”
The reporter was about to speak again, but Alister interrupted her as he spoke, “Come forth,
Terra, Draven, Alzuring, and Mar’Garet.”
“Your lord calls upon you.”
…
The room fell silent as five figures emerged from a black rift behind Alister, their very presence drawing everyone’s attention. Each figure possessed a distinct aura, radiating power as they knelt before him, their voices echoing as they spoke together, “We greet our lord.”
The reporters were left speechless, jaws dropping as they tried to comprehend what they were
seeing.
The team leaders of the White Comets shared similar reactions. But Yuuto simply smiled with pride, his eyes glimmering as if to say, “I expected nothing less from you, Alister.”
“Rise,” Alister commanded.
His generals stood as one, each now turned around and stood beside him, watching the crowd with piercing gazes that held both respect for their lord and a warning to any who might dare
to doubt him.
A reporter with a shaky voice managed to speak up.
“But, Mr. Hazenworth, earlier you claimed to have over one hundred summons, yet we only
see five here. What about the rest?”
Alister was unfazed by the question. “If I were to summon them all here, the hall wouldn’t be
able to contain them.”
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
A ripple of shocked murmurs spread through the crowd.
“Is he really serious?”
“And their auras are so strong…”
“I can barely breathe with just these five here… imagine a hundred of them.”
“How could anyone control that many? It’s beyond any summoner’s power!”
“Are they even safe? What if he loses control?”
“If what he’s saying is really true then… a summoner like him could change entire battles on
his own.”
“Or… maybe even an entire war. This is dangerous, no one should have that kind of power.”
“He says they’re loyal, but can we be sure? If one turns, it could be catastrophic.”
“He’s either a genius or completely mad… maybe both.”
“But look at the dragons-they’re so devoted. They’d probably follow him into the depths of
hell.”
“Still… a hundred? I just can’t wrap my head around it.”
The woman who had previously questioned Alister stepped forward again, her eyes a bit shaky but still filled with skepticism. “But how can you be sure of their loyalty, Mr. Hazenworth? They may appear respectful now, but how can you be certain that, in a moment of real danger, they would risk their lives for you?”
Mar’Garet visibly bristled at the question, her eyes flashing with a touch of irritation and
disdain. “Why you-”
But before she could finish, Alister raised his hand, extending it sideways to silence her. His gesture was simple, yet commanding, instantly halting Mar’Garet’s words. Turning back to the reporter, his gaze was calm yet intense as he answered, “I am absolutely certain that my
dragons would gladly lay down their lives to protect me. No matter the danger, no matter the threat-”
BOOM!
In that instant, a massive explosion occurred.