Chapter 511 - She Obviously Liked It.
Almost at the same time as the explosion, a gigantic Illusionary armored avatar of a lady rose from the still-exploding carriage with two figures safely encased within it.
They were none other than Marla and Hal who ignored the looks from all those present at the time of an attempt on their life to try and mark the driver of the carriage.
But like the assassin Hal was sure he was, the driver had disappeared into the masses. But Hal knew he could not be too far away.
Surely, he must still be close enough to watch and know his attempt had been unsuccessful.
He considered stretching out his Astral perception to find him but eventually decided against it.
The manner in which the carriage had been blown up and the speed of escape considering the space of time between the driver's escape to the carriage's explosion which happened almost simultaneously as the unleashing of Marla's Dark Maelstrom avatar told Hal this was the work of a professional.
A Professional who knew how to cover their tracks.
And being professional as they were, Hal knew they would not want to let go of the element of surprise which was very important during an assassination and guaranteed that they controlled the outcome.
This would not be the final attempt and he would do well to catch them then.
However, he was not going to be catching them to question them.
Why not?
Well, just like the first time assassins in the form of gang members were sent out to kill him when he had just transmigrated to the Nexus world, Hal knew who the culprits were.
The prime suspects had to be his idiotic cousins in the Doxon family who clearly did not know what was good for them.
How dare they have no boundaries and actually attempt to kill Marla too?!
Sure it was the decision of whichever assassin they had employed but just as that idiot was going to get theirs on their next attempt, those stupid Doxons would get their own in an absolutely gruesome manner.
Marla dispersed her avatar and the two were soon back on solid ground.
Then his Communication Talisman beeped and Hal took it out of his inventory while he and Marla stepped away from the main road and the wreckage of the carriage.
While a few passersby spared them glances, mostly everyone went on with their business as usual.
Hal activated the communication talisman as he and Marla walked and out of it spoke a familiar and happy male voice,
"Good afternoon, Grandson. I trust you've been well... Not burnt to a crisp already are we?"
Hal sneered at Kirill's cheerful tone but when he replied his annoying Grandfather, it was with a natural tone,
"Not as long as your shameless self still breathes. Surely I should be expected to outlive you" he said.
Kirill burst out laughing,
"Haha, this is why I like you. So anyway, I expect you've guessed it already but I still feel obligated to inform you that the attempt on your life was thanks to your cousins. I can't have you remaining in the dark when there is a hit out on you.
You still are the face of my faction in the Doxon family after all.
Anyway, heard you will be taking the Royal Academy Entrance exams and I want to wish you good luck. I'm rooting for you and I will be cheering for you while I watch it personally" he said.
"You're going to be watching?" Hal asked after a brief pause.
"Of course. I'm already in the Imperial city. Make me proud, Grandson. Oh... And try not to die" with that Kirill disconnected.
"Fucking old coot" Marla said with a frown.
Hal sighed and then smiled before he led the way to the Imperial Palace.
After the whole thing with the explosion, neither wished to attempt to board another carriage and decided they might as well journey on foot. It would only take an hour at most.
...
At the Imperial Palace gates, the guards were hostile and flat out refused to let Hal and Marla in. Their decision was not helped by Marla making silly faces at them and calling them names which she had only done after the initial rejection while Hal thought to persuade said guards to change their mind.
Anyways, the rejection did not last as the guards soon received orders from one who was unmistakably Princess Tanya to let in her guest.
"Guess you feel real stupid right now" Marla said and stuck out her tongue at them to which Hal smiled with indulgence as he steered her through the palace grounds.
Not bothering to mention that it was only him who was actually invited in and she was only entering because she was with him.
They moved fast and with purpose with no actual time to enjoy the sights because, for one, they were not walking with the guidance of someone known to have dealings with a member of the Imperial family so practically anyone could stop them if they found them to be suspicious.
Even then, Marla still saw enough of the impressive structure to be awed.
When all was said and done, phony as the sights were (to her) it did not really change the fact that this was where the current rulers of the continent reside.
All that power...
Hal knowing which circles to make use of and which coordinates to put in, soon got them to Tanya's residence with Lena actually waiting to receive them with a glare at Hal and a look of surprise at the presence of Marla.
"Lena" Hal called with a smile and his hands spread as though to hug her.
Immediately, Lena was on her guard and made to strike him but before she could even make a move, almost as though she was paralyzed by his very presence,
*Peck*
Hal dipped his head and kissed her on the lips and leaped back in the space of a second.
"Hmm!"
The sound came out of Lena's lips like an exclamation.
Two things surprised her.
First... Hal was much faster than he had been when he had been here to receive his mission from Tanya.
This young man she knew to barely be twenty or not even twenty yet was already a Cosmic Aurora expert.
That was... Insane did not even begin to describe it.
What could have happened in Dreg Duchy?
Anyways, the second thing that surprised her was how impossibly good... The kiss that barely lasted a second felt!
"Y-y-you..." She stammered with her right index finger pointed at Hal while her left hand covered her mouth.
"Me what?" Hal asked with a raised brow while he put an arm around Marla's shoulders.
"Did I do anything accusation worthy?" Hal asked Marla who dutifully shook her head,
"Of course not. She's just a prude. I mean look at her, she obviously liked it" Marla said with a nonchalant wave at Lena whose eyes were even wider now.
An expression that did not overly distract any observer's eyes from the clear rosiness in her cheeks.
"I-I-I-I did not like it..." Lena said, angry with herself for still stammering.
Marla rolled her eyes,
"Sure, keep telling yourself that" she said as Hal led her past Lena and into the residence proper.
"The Princess is in the lounge right, we'll find our way there ourselves" Hal said.
As he doubted Tanya would attempt to seduce him again, the lounge was clearly the location to meet and indeed, Tanya was lying comfortably on the sofa and as Hal and Marla walked in, she looked from one to the other with an expression that said she had no idea what to say.
At least not yet.
That was when Lena dashed in. Having finally found her voice,
"You took advantage of me!"
allnovelfull
Chapter 512 - Incomplete.
Hal and Marla sighed simultaneously while Lena turned to Tanya,
"He took advantage of me and I want him to apologize" she implored.
Tanya who had 'seen' all that had happened took a deep breath,
"Stop being a drama queen Lena. It was only one little peck"
"Exactly" Marla piped and Tanya's eyes darted to her before she looked at Hal,
"And who is this?" She asked.
Lena nodded vigorously,
"Yes, I was going to ask him that. It's probably why he kissed me *gasp* to distract me" she said.
Hal shook his head,
"No, I kissed you because I wanted to and I thought you would like it just like you did..." He began,
"I did not like it" Lena interrupted him to say.
Hal continued despite her interruption,
"... This is Marla. A big fan of the Imperial family and really wishes to make your acquaintance" he said,
To which Marla gave what was unmistakably a fake smile as she waved at the princess,
"Hello"
In her mind, she was thinking,
'What's with the high and mighty look. Oh, I can't wait till he has you moaning and yelling at the top of your lungs with pleasure. Let's see if you can look high and mighty then.'
Hal flicked his wrist and withdrew a bronze and run down Orb that looked to have parts of it caved it as though pieces of it had been chipped away, which Makena, the Silver moon sect head had given to him as what he had come to her for.
The next piece in the puzzle that was the map to find the Nexus stone.
"Here is what you wanted me to get" He said as he placed it on the little table in front of Tanya before seating in a chair opposite the sofa while Marla sat on the armrest of said chair.
Tanya frowned at the fact that Hal brought the Orb out in front of Marla and proceeded to ask,
"Why are you including her in my plans?"
Hal shrugged, not at all put off by the menacing undertone in her words,
"She helped me get it. She knows all about Orb already.
She doesn't care about the Nexus stone though" he said.
Marla nodded,
"Oh yes, who needs that stuff. Seems a boring way to establish a rule" she said.
"Very outspoken I see" Tanya said to which Hal replied quietly,
"You have no idea"
"Is she a member of the Silver moon sect?" Tanya asked to which Hal shook his head,
"Nope"
Tanya's eyes darted between Hal and Marla for a while before she sighed,
"Fine. You trust her then I will trust her as well." She said.
Lena's mouth gaped.
Was Tanya not letting it all slide too easily?
Was she not just letting the bastard do as he pleased now?
However, that was certainly not what Tanya was doing.
She had always wondered how Hal was able to accomplish certain things he accomplished and while the reports showed no possibility of him having help, the presence of Marla and his admittance of her helping him showed that he definitely had help.
If so where were they?
How had they followed him to Black Lagoon when not even Hal had known where he was getting taken to after he was knocked unconscious.
Clearly, Hal had a lot of secrets.
Even now, she was only just learning some of them.
Telling him Marla could not be aware of their dealings or that she was not to be involved in any of the missions she gave to Hal would probably be a detriment to his effectiveness... If he decided to be obedient.
What was the point of being difficult?
Regardless of his means, Hal had been getting results from the very start so why should she mess with what was probably his winning formula.
Speaking of which,
"So, how exactly did you get this?" She asked as she picked up the Orb and examined it.
"How else?" Hal asked with a cocky grin.
"It's obvious, not even the Silver moon sect head is immune to my charms. I am just too likable" he said.
"No, you are just too sickening" Lena said but Hal ignored her.
Tanya however smiled lightly,
"Really? You quite literally charmed your way to this?" She asked.
Hal raised a brow,
"Why do you find that so hard to believe? It's what you wanted me to do, is it not?" He asked.
Tanya sighed,
"If I am being honest, I did not think it would be enough to succeed but if it was, then I have surely underestimated your charms." She said.
"Yes, you have. You absolutely have. That said, my charms were Indeed not all I used to get this orb. I needed to trade services as well"
Tanya was piqued and she leaned forward,
"What was it? What services did you trade?" She asked.
"Assistance. I offered the sect my help against an enemy. Making use of all my resources as well as a few allies" Hal said and gestured towards Marla who waved at Lena and Tanya with a smile.
"Oh, so the Dome that is described to have surrounded the entire territory had been... Your doing?" Tanya asked.
Hal's eyes widened slightly,
"How could you even think that? Even with all my resources, such grand use of Astral energy would have required a constant stream of Astral energy, much more than a mere Rank five runemaster could possibly endure.
No, the dome was someone else's doing while I and my allies fought along with the Silver moon sect ladies away from all prying eyes.
It was a gruesome encounter but we all did our best and got the result we hoped for."
"And how many of these allies do you have?" Tanya asked. Her skepticism of his answers which she believed were definitely lies, still evident in her eyes.
"Not that many to be honest. Anyway, such dedication to aiding their cause and fight against her idiot of an ex-lover got Makena and me on a first-name basis so taking away the Orb was far from being a problem"
The fact that Hal had called the Silver moon sect head by her name caused Tanya to raise a brow as that had to be evidence of familiarity between the two. Familiarity she had not expected.
She shook her head slowly.
She had more important things to think about right now, namely this Orb and if it would lead to the Nexus stone directly or just to another piece of the puzzle.
Thanks to the scroll Hal had gotten from the Kruger Estate, she knew her blood was going to be required to activate the next piece even though she had not known what said piece actually was.
If her blood did not prove enough for activation, then this could not possibly be the next piece that she was seeking.
First, she released rose-red Astral energy to cast powerful noise-canceling runes about the lounge.
Then pricking her finger with Semi-saint energy, Tanya let drops of her blood fall on the decrepit orb and for a second, a second in which all four in the lounge watched on with bated breath, nothing happened... and then...
*Whirrr*
.... The whirling began and the top part of the Orb began turning clockwise while the bottom half began turning anti-clockwise as green energy was released outward in a steady stream.
Thanks to Grimoire, Hal knew what was happening already and knew what the Orb was.
It was a storage Artifact that was quite like a lockbox.
One that very likely held the key to the vault inside which the Nexus stone was kept safe while also holding information on where the vault itself was.
But it could not be opened yet because...
"Incomplete.. The Orb is incomplete."
Chapter 513 - [Bonus ]Ludicrous Thought.
Tanya was right.
The Orb was indeed incomplete.
The parts of it which had been caved in were pieces of it that had actually been chipped away but served as the key to its opening.
Without those pieces, Tanya's blood was not going to be enough to unlock it.
However, even as she realized this, the Princess was not put off.
Why should she be put off?
She was closer to achieving her goals.
If she could find all the missing pieces, the Nexus stone would be hers.
The absolute power to rule over the continent would be hers and only hers.
She was so close that despair was not an option.
Not to mention, the Orb was not totally useless...
*Whum*
With a deep sound that gave off vibrations, the streams of green energy congealed to form a network of visible dots all connecting to a much larger dot in the center.
"The remaining pieces," Tanya said now rising to her feet as though that would help her better observe the dot network.
"These dots are the remaining pieces... Some of them are in flux while others are stationary... This is a map to the remaining pieces" she announced.
"And where are those pieces?" Hal asked as he observed the dot network that did not look at all like any normal terrain.
"I... I have no idea. I will need time to figure it out... To decode it if you will" she said and deactivated the Orb to send it into her Spatial ring while Hal shrugged in reply.
Then she withdrew a spatial pouch from that same spatial ring and tossed it towards Hal who caught it with a smile before attempting to inspect it but was interrupted by Tanya,
"500000 Blue gems. Think of it as an advance payment, because you're going to help me get the pieces of the Orb and you will only be paid for your efforts after all pieces have been gathered"
Hal furrowed his brows, thought to make a counteroffer, and opened his mouth to speak but Tanya raised her hand to tell him to wait,
"But I assure you that when I do pay you, it will be for every piece you help acquire. Fair?" She asked Hal who thought on it for all of two seconds before nodding his head,
"Fair"
"Your Token" she asked and Hal brought it out after which she clinked it with the one in her hands and fed thee token 1000 merit points.
"While you won't get paid until the end, you will always get awarded the appropriate merit points" she told Hal as he sent the token back into his Inventory.
"Yay," Hal said with little to no enthusiasm.
With that all done, Tanya grinned,
"Now that business is concluded, as your sponsor, I should probably ask you, how prepared are you? After all, the Royal Academy entrance exams start tomorrow afternoon"
Hal chuckled,
"I was supposed to prepare?" He asked and looked towards Marla as though she was supposed to know even when he did not.
Marla took the look in stride,
"No one mentioned any of this to us" she said to Tanya.
Lena frowned,
"This does not concern you. How dare you speak to the princess?" She asked.
Marla sneered,
"I don't hear her complaining" she said.
"With me here, she doesn't have to" Lena said and began to release the pressure of her cultivation but even before it was fully displayed, Hal's pressure extended to repel it away from Marla and he did so with a frown.
In all honesty, even with his significant boost in cultivation, his cultivation was still not close to Lena whose pressure showed she was already at the Cosmic Pagoda realm but even then, he was not going to let her use said pressure to oppress Marla.
Not to mention that powerful as her pressure was, Hal's body, strengthened by his bloodline was more than enough to withstand the pressure.
So much so that he could stare her down.
Lena frowned as well while she wondered if Hal actually thought he could hold her back if she really wished to come unhinged.
"I can smile at you and when I feel I can get away with it, I can steal a kiss from you but I will never stand by while you oppress my women"
"Well, your woman was rude" she said and took a step closer to Hal.
The darkness of his Devil bloodline passed over Hal's eyes in the space of a split second but it was more than enough to significantly change the atmosphere in the room. So much so that the Semi Saint in the room felt the change.
She was not affected by it...
But she definitely felt it.
And if she did, it's no wonder the target of the Devilish presence felt chilly while her forehead became coated with cold sweats as Hal said with a wicked looking smile,
"And to quote her 'I don't hear her complaining'" he said and looked to Tanya who frowned but said nothing.
The presence left the room.
Lena had not even realized herself pulling back the pressure of her cultivation.
And then Hal grinned jovially, and replied to Tanya's question about his preparations,
"I was honestly just planning to wing it. Well, I guess we've overstayed our welcome. We'll take our leave now" he said and grabbed Marla's hand to pull her with him and away from the lounge.
As they walked out, Marla looked back and waved at the lightly frowning Lena...
"Goodbye Lena"
... Totally unconcerned with the atmosphere change.
When the two were sufficiently away from the residence, Lena finally spoke,
"What the hell was that pressure?... It was... Sinister" she said and looked towards Tanya who remained silent.
In truth, even she had no idea what that was.
It had barely lasted five seconds.
But what she did know and could not be refuted was that Hal was now at mid-stage of the Cosmic Aurora realm.
And judging from the manner of cultivation she suspected or more accurately, knew he practiced, she could not help but think on what he could have been doing in the Silver moon sect.
Could it be...?
No, it couldn't be.
She shook away such thoughts.
The mere thought that Hal's charms went past simply getting the Orb from the Silver moon sect head was ludicrous... Was it not?
...
Anyway, Hal and Marla had already made use of the first teleportation circle in their journey and attempt to leave the Imperial Palace and had only just stepped off it that guards confronted them.
Looking very much as though they had been waiting for them all along.
"We need you to come with us," they told Hal.
Hal frowned,
"Why?" He asked but they did not deem it fit for a reply and said instead,
"Come with us" and led the way to a different Teleportation circle that took them as well as Marla and Hal to a different area of the Imperial Palace.
Neither Hal nor Marla had the opportunity to admire the location's beauty and its architecture as they were quickly ushered inside a grand residence.
In there, a lady in a silk robe was waiting for them, or more accurately, she was waiting for Hal as she told her guards to take Marla somewhere else in the residence to be well taken care of.
Hal recognized the stately woman.
She was the peculiar consort who he had seen during his first time in the Imperial Palace.
You know, the one who orgasmed at the sight of his face;
The mother of the first prince, Creten Haron.
Chapter 514 - The Future Is So Uncertain.
The first thing Hal felt was intrigue.
Why would an Imperial consort call him into her chambers?
Surely, it couldn't be to simply stare at his face, could it?
"What's your name?" The imperial consort asked.
Hal smiled lightly while he bowed low to show his respect but the Consort was quick to caution the act,
"Stand up straight" she ordered.
Hal indeed stood up straight as he formally introduced himself,
Trying to ignore that his line of sight as he did so was looking directly into the Consort's fairly exposed cleavage that would have had clear effects on his anatomy had he not been in better control of himself.
He quickly directed his eyes to her face though but that would have hardly helped as she was quite a beautiful woman. Well deserving of being a member of the Emperor's Harem of an inner court.
"Hal, my name is Hal"
The consort seemed in better control of her body now as compared to how she had been when they had first met.
At the very least, Hal could not notice any twitching that would announce the occurrence of an orgasm.
When the consort spoke, there was a kind of authority to her words that was to be expected since her status in the Emperor's inner court was one of significant importance.
If that importance was only because she was mother to the first prince or for other matters was left to be seen.
"You look good for a Doxon. I guess that was to be expected with you being the Blue witch's son but still... You surpass all expectations" the consort said with a knowing smile.
As much of an ego boost as her words were to Hal, he still furrowed his brows in response to all she had said as a whole.
He opened his mouth to speak but the consort interrupted him,
"Don't bother trying to deny it. I asked for your name to see if you would lie to me. I knew who you were before you even stepped foot in the Imperial palace... The second time.
It would be remiss of me not to find out after our... unique first meeting."
Her tone remained fairly natural, excluding the break in her sentence, and Hal felt she made sure to keep it natural with the thought that he had had no knowledge of her climaxing at the sight of his face.
Hal said nothing and merely kept his attention on her face. Specifically her oh-so-kissable lips as she continued.
"Besides, with the news of your identity now circulating the Doxon Duchy..."
"What was unique about our first meeting?" Hal interrupted her suddenly to ask.
"What?" The consort was put off by his question.
"What was so special about our first meeting?" Hal asked again and took a bold step towards the sitting consort with a smile on his lips.
"Well..." The consort began but Hal once again interrupted her while holding her gaze with his sapphire blue eyes.
"As far as I remember in terms of our first meeting, you passed, I bowed, you stopped, asked me to raise my head, and then left. Did something else happen... besides all this?" He asked.
The consort paused and her cheeks became slightly flushed while Hal took two bold steps closer while she now began to squirm on her seat.
'What is with me? Get a hold of yourself, Andrea' the consort berated herself while Hal continued to ask with his smile now turned into a smirk,
"Exactly why am I here? Why did you invite me into your chambers?" He asked with one more step before Andrea thrust a finger at him,
"Not another step!" She said and Hal stopped moving but his smirk remained ever-present.
'Damn it" Andrea thought.
Hal chuckled in his mind.
He was fairly certain the Consort's reason for 'inviting' him into her chambers must have gone further than simply wanting to see his face.
She probably had something important to take about and starting with the revelation that she knew of his identity was evident of a well laid out approach to said important matter.
First off, the fact that she knew who he was did not actually have that much of an effect on Hal. While he did not like to be associated with the Doxons, at least until he could make the family as a whole his bitch, that did not mean it was something to be ashamed of.
Nor was it something to be persecuted for.
Secondly, since he could not be persecuted for being part of one of the most powerful families in the Haron continent and could not possibly be persecuted fur bringing a consort pleasure from simply being handsome, which was something she clearly did not wish to remember or acknowledge, it stood to reason that the reason he was here was related to Tanya Haron.
After all, he had been there the two times he had been in the imperial palace which was not really hidden information.
The consort probably had him brought in in an attempt to question him on what Tanya was after.
Choosing to establish her dominance and authority with a bunch of preambles that in the end, did not actually aid her course.
Especially a mention of their 'unique meeting' which Hal had taken advantage of in a bid to turn the tables.
"You were in the Dreg Duchy during the last few days, were you not?" She asked Hal, now preferring to speed things along and releasing a sliver of her two-star cosmic saint pressure to aid her in her questioning.
Hal felt the pressure but did his best to ignore it as he said,
"Maybe. What makes you think I was?" He asked.
"I am Andrea Dreg. Sister of the current Dreg Duke. It stands to reason that I have contacts in the Duchy capital that can verify your presence in the Duchy and even go further to verify you approaching the Silver moon sect." The consort said with a smirk.
The slip of Hal's smile made her overconfident.
Hal remained quiet as he had a feeling Andrea was not yet done and indeed, she was not,
"Exactly what were you doing in the Dreg Duchy or more accurately, what were you doing in the Silver moon sect?
What did Tanya want in the Silver moon sect?" Andrea asked.
Hal sighed,
"Nothing, I would assume since I have no idea what the princess' interests are. It's not like we know each other on a personal level. We're not buddies.
As for me, I went to Solver moon sect to look into my future" he said.
"Look into your future?" Andrea asked and chuckled at how absurd his words were.
"Of course! The future is so uncertain. Will my dreams come true? Will I ever find love? It's a lot to process and I needed guidance" Hal said and took two more steps closer to her before she could say a word and she began to squirm even harder on her seat.
'What the hell is wrong with me?' Andrea thought.
Only with this young man had she ever lost control of her body so badly.
Not even the Emperor had ever had such an effect on her.
When she thought to repel him with her cultivational pressure, Hal released his pheromones that instantly permeated the area of her chambers they were in and she quickly breathed it in, causing her body to heat up.
Chapter 515 - No Need To Complicate Matters...
Any lack of control Andrea had with her body was greatly increased with her breathing in of Hal's pheromones and while she retained complete control of her mind and was acutely aware of the situation she was in and could probably have done something to stop it, one of them being simply walking away from the area Hal's pheromones had permeated, a part of her wanted to stay.
To know exactly what was it that had her so drawn to this young man.
While the other part of her mind, the rational part, just wanted to know what that accursed stepdaughter of hers was planning and how detrimental it would be to her son, Creten's success.
The lustful part of her mind won in the end and she stood to her feet and walked the rest of the distance that separated herself and Hal to place one hand on his chest.
As for Hal, after his time with Makena, the fact that Andrea was a saint was not the least bit off-putting to him as he had gained unique confidence that made him feel, if he played his cards right, he could have anyone he wanted.
The fact that they were realms above him in cultivation was inconsequential.
Andrea however was sort of a special case.
While she had impressive cultivation and was quite authoritative due to her position as an imperial consort and as a member of a Duchy ruling family, Hal could tell that she was no warrior.
She was not really a fighter.
He was quite sure she did not have an Ordinance. At all.
And while, as this was a world where strength was valued, many might look at that as some sort of incompetence on her part, Hal had nothing against it.
Even though his Legion was to be filled with his women who would fight by his side.
Clearly, it was just not in Andrea's interest to live her life for the thrill of battle.
She was a pampered princess and liked that life.
She was taken care of like the princess of her Duchy and moved on to be taken care of by the Emperor as his consort.
That said, weak as he was, only his pheromones and her already evident lust for him were protecting him from the full force of her might as a Cosmic saint which was definitely not to be scoffed at.
The very fact that even with her not being interested in battle, she still possessed that cultivation was something to be admired.
Anyway,
The moment Andrea placed her hand on Hal's chest, she felt a change.
Her body went from merely heating up to burning up with lust that she felt could only be quenched by an even deeper connection with his body.
'What the hell am I doing?' Her rational mind attempted to pull her back from the edge but ultimately failed as Andrea quickly connected her lips with Hal's.
Hal, not worrying about privacy since Andrea was definitely smart enough to not allow for her conversation with him to be heard by a third party did not hold himself back in enjoying the feel of the Emperor's woman against his body.
The kiss was passionate and Andrea wound her arms around Hal's neck and pulled him even harder against her body.
Hal's hand went lower towards her plump ass and he grabbed it without any bit of shame or hesitation, kneading the flesh and eliciting a moan from her lips.
Moans that were muffled due to their kiss.
Hal took control which was far from hard due to the weakening of Andrea's body as she fell even deeper into the abyss that was the pleasure Hal was making her feel.
So engrossed was she with the feeling that she was completely unaware of the Dark, nightmarish energy that sunk into her pores from Hal's body which would come to serve as a failsafe for the Blue-eyed Devil.
He turned her around so that her back was pressed against him, her plump ass against his hardening cock while he placed both of his hands on her breasts to squeeze them through her silk gown while the consort moaned.
Hal dipped his head and suckled her neck...
*Bam!*
That was when Andrea's eyes snapped open and a repelling force pushed Hal away from her while she moved, almost instantaneously away from the spot they had been at.
The spot where Hal's pheromones were already dissipating from.
Hal stood from the ground with a light smile while Andrea's eyes flashed with anger as she stared him down.
Ignoring the itching sensation in her pussy and how dampened her underwear was now.
"How dare you?" She asked in a menacing tone and began to release the pressure of her cultivation in large bursts.
"How dare me what?" Hal asked in defiance.
"How dare you touch the Emperor's woman? I belong to the Emperor and I belong only to him. How dare you lay your mundane hands on an Imperial consort such as myself? Especially one of my unique status"
Hal rolled his eyes even as her pressure began to oppress him,
"Need I remind you that YOU kissed me?"
"Only after you used your... Whatever you used on me! I was not in my right senses" Andrea lamented.
"I think you were. Even now, you don't want to hurt me" Hal said, and almost as though it was a command, Andrea lessened her pressure so Hal could better straighten himself up.
Andrea was confused by the way her body was reacting to the very thought of attacking this young man.
It seemed as though it went against everything her whole self stood for.
Hal continued,
"That's because, illicit it not, even you want to see where this thing between us goes"
Of course, Hal was just bullshitting.
The only reason Andrea could not hurt him was because of his failsafe in the form of the Devil energy he had passed into her body during their passionate make-out session.
Such intrusion was impossible to evade the senses of someone seasoned for combat. Someone like Tanya would have sensed the intrusion even in the throes of pleasure and put a stop to it.
But Andrea was not seasoned for combat and was much more susceptible which Hal was quick to take advantage of.
That said, it was far from being at the level at which he could brand her with the Devil mark and the most he could get past her powerful defenses (being the two-star cosmic saint that she was) was the 'command' that she could not bear to hurt him.
Andrea relaxed her stance,
"So what if I can't hurt you. I can let your crimes be known. Let you be punished as you should be" she said.
"And what would you say?" Hal asked with a sigh,
"That I touched you? That you kissed me? That I, a cosmic Aurora realm expert, messed with the mind of you, a two-star cosmic saint to make you kiss me?
Don't you think that would raise questions to your integrity?;
Why was I in your chambers to begin with?
How much of what you claim is actually true?
Are you really as faithful to the Emperor as you appear to be?"
Surely, you can't say I forced myself on you when I can't possibly overpower you"
In all honesty, there were holes in a lot of Hal's points and he knew it.
That said, he only needed to sound convincing to Andrea and it was working.
"You're right. There is no need to complicate matters. No one needs to know what happened here. No one needs to know of my... Moment of weakness. We will just never speak of this..." Andrea said with a nod.
Hal nodded along with her with a chuckle in his mind and the memory of having messed around with one of the Emperor's women (the first of more to come) as he said,
"Exactly"
Chapter 516 - Rose Petal Hotel Suite. Part 1
Andrea attempted to drill Hal further on whatever Tanya was planning but soon gave up the whole idea as pointless.
She eventually decided she was not going to get anything out of this devilishly handsome blue-eyed young man and the longer she remained in close contact with him, the more likely it was that she would do something she would forever regret.
Better to send him off now before things got worse.
"Guards, bring the girl." She ordered and in a matter of seconds, Marla was escorted in and she looked between Hal and Andrea with a knowing smile,
"It's over already?" She asked to which Hal sighed deeply.
Andrea acted like she had not caught the meaning behind Marla's words, and merely adopted a stoic expression as she ushered them away,
"Goodbye" she told Hal who nodded with a light smile as he and Marla turned around to walk out of her chambers and her residence entirely while guided by the guards.
This time, as Hal and Marla made use of all the required teleportation circles in their bid to be out of the Imperial Palace, they had no more interruptions.
But even then, Hal wondered if he had not simply been lucky.
With two visits to Tanya's residence, many involved in the race for the throne might indeed be keeping an eye out for him, and had it been someone else and not Andrea, it might not have been so easy to get away.
That said, it was also worth noting that while it was not really the reason she called him to her chambers, the main reason Andrea paid attention to him was because of her unique reaction to seeing his face.
In fact, Tanya was sure to have many visitors that were much more inconspicuous than himself, and most of them would have nothing to do with her plans and ambitions and might merely be seeking guidance.
'Ah, a wonderful excuse' Hal thought.
He was a runemaster just like Tanya and she ranked above him so it stood to reason that he would be believed to have quite a number of things to learn from her.
Not to mention that with the list out, it would be known by now that she was his sponsor so his regular visits (they were bound to get more regular with the search of the orb fragments) would not be too eyebrow-raising.
All in all, Hal eventually decided he was safe enough.
After all, even if he wasn't, he was kidding himself if he thought he could always live under the radar and away from the public eye.
After he participated in this Entrance exam, he was bound to be thrust into the spotlight.
Unfortunately for Hal, he had no idea that even before the Entrance exams would officially commence, he would already be well known among all those present to watch the Exams and beyond.
Courtesy of his shameless grandfather...
More on that later.
Once out of the palace grounds and back on the Imperial city streets, Hal contacted Tanya with his communication talisman to tell her bits of his meeting with the Imperial consort.
Making sure all information he rendered only referred to Andrea's interest in knowing Tanya's plans.
"Wonder why she's so interested. I haven't noticed anything that would suggest any other member of the Inner court or even my siblings showing the same level of interest. Oh well, just be careful. I doubt it's actually anything to worry about" she said.
Hal nodded,
"That's what I thought" he said and made to end the conversation when Tanya bid him to pause.
"Oh, and I forgot to tell you, accommodation has been prepared for you in one of the Imperial city's most prestigious hotels. The Rose Petal Hotel. The height of luxury.
As my 'protegee' who is taking part in an examination that is reserved for the absolute best of the young generation in the entire Haron continent, I can't let you settle for less.
All expenses have been taken care of, so enjoy" once she had given him directions on how to get to the hotel, Tanya disconnected.
"'The height of luxury'. That sounds nice. Maybe she's not as stuck up as I thought" Marla said having listened in on the conversation.
Hal chuckled and stopped a Carriage to take them to the hotel.
After all, one single death scare should not be enough to stop him from ever taking commercial transport again, should it?
...
The Rose Petal Hotel...
Tanya had not been sugar coating. It truly was the height of luxury.
The structure was immense and a beautiful mix of white and red colors that gave the entire hotel a romantic look.
The guests he and Marla noticed walking in and out of it were dressed to showcase their status and show that the hotel did not just admit anyone.
That said, it was probably at its fullest at the moment with the Royal Academy entrance exams being so imminent and many important individuals coming from all over the continent to watch the clash between the best of the young generation.
Hal walked inside and went directly to the front desk,
"Hi" he said to the male clerk who looked up at him with a smile,
"Hello, welcome to the Rose petal hotel" he said.
Hal nodded while Marla was having a look around at all she could see of the huge structure with Hal knowing she was most likely comparing the hotel's size to the Mansion inside the Harem space.
"I am under the impression that accommodation has been prepared for me" he said.
"Name?"
"Hal"
"Last name?"
"None" Hal said.
He was pretty sure Tanya did not need to give a powerful last name to justify preparing accommodations for him in her own hotel.
Oh yes, Hal was sure the Rose Petal Hotel was Tanya's just like the Rose petal restaurant in the Silva Duchy capital and part of her information-gathering network.
"Okay then" the clerk said as he began to check the records until he indeed found Hal's name and then his demeanor changed as he went from being professionally polite to being genuinely polite.
Whatever he saw in the records must have caused the change but Hal had no intentions of pondering as he received the Rune key meant to open the rune-locked door of the room he had been given.
The clerk directed him and Marla to the teleportation circle that would serve to take them to the room much faster and it was only after Hal unlocked the large double doors and walked into the room that he realized the reason for the clerk's surprise.
It was not a room...but a humongous suite at the very top of the rose petal hotel.
"Oh damn" Hal could not help but say.
After a quick look around and the realization of the fact that there were more than enough rooms in the suite for seven individuals to stay in, Hal had a feeling his accommodation was only changed into a suite after he made mention of his allies.
I.e after he left Tanya's residence.
It was probably more of a personal lavish room before then.
Then his senses suddenly warned him that it was not just he and Marla in the room but he had only just turned to come face to face with the intruder when she snapped her fingers and Marla fell unconscious having breathed in pink mist from said snapped fingers.
Elsa grinned at Hal and licked her lips,
"We meet again"
Chapter 517 - Rose Petal Hotel Suite. Part 2. R-18
Hal rolled his eyes,
"Was wondering when you would show your stalker face again" he said and bent low to pick Marla up off the ground and take her into one of the rooms to lay her down to slumber peacefully.
Elsa's pink mist had only been to force her to fall asleep for a few hours so that she could truly spend private, quality time with Hal.
Then he returned to the living room where Elsa had gotten herself comfortable as she eyed his return.
She was dressed as flimsily a usual. Her heavy chest held in what was best described as a bikini top with the tiny strings tied at her back. Her lower half was covered by a short skirt that looked more like a piece of emerald green clothing she simply tied at her right curvy hip.
"While your reappearance was expected, I never thought you would be able to get into this hotel room. It's really making me question how much attention they actually put into their security."
Hal said and took a seat in another chair while he watched Elsa continuously lick her lips sensually.
"Well, it helps when you know the owner." She eventually said and showed a Rune key that had allowed her access to the room.
Hal's mouth made an 'o' shape of understanding,
"How close are the two of you?"
"Pretty close. We used to be best friends"
That surprised Hal as he had not thought the two ladies knew each other, much less that they were friends"
"Used to be? What happened?" He asked with furrowed brows.
"That's intrusive. Don't you think we should get to know each other a bit before you ask such deeply personal questions?" Elsa asked with a teasing tone.
Hal smirked,
"How much better do we need to know each other when you've already sucked my cock?" He retorted.
Elsa shrugged and then put a finger to her lips,
"Speaking of that wonderful blowjob I treated you to... You haven't paid me back yet. You said you would. I believe your exact words were, 'I would be honored'"
"Ah yes, I did say that" Hal said as Elsa stood from the chair she was sitting on to move to the two-seater Hal was on.
There she sat by his side and wound an arm around his neck.
"I want you to pay me back, right here..." She leaned closer to breathe into his ear,
"... Right now"
Hal chuckled, not the least bit flustered,
"I would love to. But did you really just come all the way to the Imperial city just for this" he asked, refusing to believe stalking him was her only reason to be in the Imperial City.
Not that it would actually be overly surprising if it was.
"Actually, no, it was not the only reason I came. With or without you here, I would still have come to the Imperial City for the Royal Academy Entrance exams.
I'm an alumnus and it would be quite unruly of me not to come to witness the young talent about to attempt entry.
I attend the exams every year."
"Hmm, interesting" Hal said before Elsa pulled his face close to her as she said,
"Enough talking. Show me exactly what you can do" and connected their lips in a passionate kiss that Hal had no trouble getting invested in.
Every exposed skin on his body, his lips included, were charged with Erogenous touch which Elsa was experiencing first hand and got her clinging even tighter to Hal and quickly pressing her large chest against his muscular one.
The moans leaking from her lips and muted by Hal's mouth showed just how much she was enjoying this.
And how could she not enjoy it?
She had only just begun experiencing such pleasing sensations and it was already causing her legs to twitch.
Had she been standing, they would have probably buckled by now.
Hal wondered if she would lose herself into the kiss but the semi-saint pulled herself away from him with her eyes wild with lust.
Then she fell back against the armrest of the three-seaters they were on while she thrust her hips at Hal who chuckled as his sapphire blue eyes sparkled.
He pulled at the knot on her right hip and easily loosened her makeshift skirt to expose her emerald green underwear that was slightly moist at the point where it touched her pussy lips.
Hal pulled that off as well and began his sensual lick of her inner thighs.
Getting progressively closer to her pussy which kept getting moister the longer Hal's ministrations went on.
Elsa had reached up to grab the armrest much tighter while she could not help but squirm at Hal's pleasuring lick as the blue-eyed devil's ministrations continued.
Hal got ever closer to her soaking wet pussy but was taking his sweet time.
He began to run his right index finger along her pussy lips before he slowly thrust it in much to the pleasure of Elsa who could not for the life of her believe how good this felt.
How good Hal was at this.
And his tongue was not yet in the equation.
It soon was though.
Hal stretched his tongue to the nub at the top of her pussy and tickled it while his finger continued to work wonders within her tight and very wet pussy.
"Nnnghh... Oh my..." Elsa moaned and began to spasm.
Hal's mouth was on her pussy in the space of a second, eagerly receiving her squirted pussy juices and enjoying the taste of her first orgasmic discharge while knowing for certain that it would not be the last.
Not by a long shot.
At this point, Hal had already pulled his finger out and replaced it with his tongue as he helped Elsa ride out her Mini-orgasmic spasms.
The semi-saint had by now taken her hands away from the armrest to grab handfuls of Hal's hair and use it to pull the blue-eyed young man even harder against her pussy in a bid to enhance the pussy licking experience.
Hal enjoyed the constricting nature of Elsa's pussy around his tongue and while he did not wish to give anything away to this beautiful woman, he decided a little elongation could not hurt and indeed, it did not.
Elsa's eyes widened and she groaned even deeper at the intrusion while she praised Hal's talent and incredible use of his tongue to reach even deeper within her.
The semi-saint was delirious with pleasure and her delirium was further aided by Hal pinching her clit in his right thumb and index finger while his left hand reached up to pull one of Elsa's breasts out of their flimsy confinement to tease her nipple and further push Elsa towards that ever approaching mind-blowing climax.
"Oh yess... Oh yess... Right there..." Elsa moaned as she gyrated on the three-seaters they were on while Hal got even more aggressive in his efforts to bring her satisfying orgasmic pleasure.
And then...
"Ahhhhnnn... Nnghhhh..."
... The dam broke and she squirted her juices right into Hal's mouth with the Blue-eyed Devil happily lapping it up while Elsa continued to spasm and gyrate.
Moaning and groaning as she pulled at Hal's hair and kept pulling him against her pussy before going through the motions of riding his delectable mouth.
All the while yelling his name and how good he made her feel to all who could hear.
Which was only anyone in the suite as all rooms in the Rose petal hotel had noise-canceling runes ingrained in their very walls to protect the privacy of the hotel's clients.
Chapter 518 - The Principal. Part 1
When Hal finally rose away from Elsa's pussy at which point, the semi-saint's legs continued to twitch due to residual orgasmic spasms, he smiled cockily at her.
"How was that?" He asked.
Not actually looking for validation but wanting Elsa to admit how much of an effect he had had on her.
"Incredible" Elsa told him.
There was no way she could say it felt anything but incredible.
After all, she had moaned and yelled at the top of her lungs all through with her words all saying she was enjoying it and never wanted it to stop.
However, while she had indeed enjoyed it, she had the mental fortitude to make herself presentable and put an end to any further development to which Hal merely smiled and said nothing about.
Once she had made herself presentable again, especially with a fresh pair of underwear from her spatial ring, Elsa smiled at Hal,
"Still working for Tanya still?" She asked even though she knew already what the answer was.
"A strange way to attempt to start small talk but yes. I'm still working for her. Although 'working for her' is being too uptight about it. I think it would be much more accurate to say I was offering up my services... For a price.
But you already knew that, didn't you?' Hal said with a smile.
Elsa shrugged as she said,
"Maybe"
There was a brief pause and then she continued,
"You know, I think it would be best you don't get involved with Tanya" she said.
Hal raised a brow,
"Oh, am I perhaps about to learn why your 'best friend' relationship with Tanya was referred to in the past tense?"
"Actually yes. Tanya can only see her ambitions. It's all she cares about. Ruling the continent is the only thing that matters to her" Elsa said.
Hal stood from the chair and walked closer to her, to ask with a light smile,
"And what about you, Elsa? What are your ambitions? What do you want to accomplish?"
Elsa chuckled,
"I'm sort of in-between ambitions at the moment. Plotting and scheming while sounding enticing also seem way more stressful than simply enjoying what life has in store for me" she said.
"Deep" Hal said with a smile.
"Not really. It's more about being lazy than anything." Elsa said and tilted her head to one side,
"I should go" she said as she walked towards the door to pull it open.
However, before she walked through it, she looked back at Hal who was smiling and watching her leave,
"I have to say, I was expecting you to tell me not to leave. To stay and keep you company" Elsa said with a pout to which Hal rolled his eyes,
"You won't be gone for too long. I'm sure you'll be back soon enough." He told her to which Elsa chuckled, walked out the door, and shut it behind her.
When she was gone, Hal stood from the chair and walked out to the suite's balcony to look over the wonderful view he had of the Imperial city.
He took a deep breath with a smile.
He could sense Melinda's presence in the Imperial city.
Having been with her sexually, he could pick her out as long as she was in his vicinity and it was the same for any other lady he had been with. His scent kind of clung to them only to be perceived by him. Most of the time.
Anyway,
It was while he was picking out those women of his, especially Rita, Karmen, Lillian, and Olivia who were still enjoying themselves in the Imperial city that he sensed someone else.
Someone he had not seen since back when he had just arrived at Sapphire city...
He sensed Valerie.
(Valerie was the one Hal met in Tretch forest back in chapter 22 and the second lady he ever slept with in the Cosmic realm. She had been hit with a quill from a virile hare)
He always believed he would at some point meet with her again but had not thought it would be here, at the Imperial City when he was about to take part in the Royal academy entrance Exams.
At first, he wondered if she was perhaps here to participate in the Entrance exams as well but quickly dismissed the thought as improbable.
Even though he could not sense her cultivation.
For one thing, when he had met Valerie barely a year ago, she had only been at the cosmic pearl realm and while that was probably impressive for her age and a show of talent, Hal highly doubted she could have crossed two realms in the space If a year to be capable of participating in an exam that involved the very best of the young generation in the Haron continent.
No one taking part in this exam could possibly have cultivation lower than the cosmic phenomenon realm.
And while Hal had constantly broken the laid out progressing systems of cultivation, he doubted the same could be said about Valerie.
That said, he was still curious enough to meet her but was in no rush.
The meeting, he felt, was bound to happen and he was right.
It was bound to happen.
He just had no idea how unavoidable the meeting and subsequent clash were bound to be.
...
The Next Day...
Even before the sun was high up in the sky to announce that it was noontime, numerous spectators were already on their way to the large coliseum where they would get to watch the events of the Entrance exams.
While the coliseum was built to seat over one million individuals, excluding the VIP box for the most important personalities, it was still crowded and many would have to settle for ordinary broadcast as opposed to seeing it all happen in person.
This was not really surprising as the population of the Imperial city itself greatly surpassed the total capacity of the coliseum
In fact, no ordinary person, by which I mean, no average joe was seated in the coliseum.
Every one of the more than one million spectators were distinguished fellows, or at the very least, rich enough to afford the tickets that would grant them entry.
The Royal Academy exams were far from a simple or ordinary event that was not worth such grandeur.
The only event involving the young generation that could even come close to this was one organized by either the Alchemist Organization or the Rune castle.
The entry into the VIP box which in itself could hold one thousand of the... Well, the most important persons in the Haron continent was different and private.
Quite a number of those important fellows were already seated.
Patrons from many important families and Sects on the Continent as well as other powerful members of those families and sects. Only the heads of those families and Sects were actually sure to be missing from attendance.
No Duke or Ruling Duchess was in attendance.
Neither was any of the Sect heads. For example, Anton Antonov was not in attendance but his sons were.
Only when a sufficient number of these important individuals were seated did two golden-eyed individuals walk into the VIP box with walking stances that showcased their status as they took their seats in the VIP box.
They were none other than Isabella Dane and her son, Devon Dane.
And the first one to acknowledge their arrival...
"My my, Isabella, you are looking as enticing as usual"
.... Was none other than the lascivious Kirill Doxon.
Chapter 519 - The Principal. Part 2
Isabella met his lascivious look with a mocking smile.
Kirill looking at her with lust was hardly anything new.
The fact that their families have practically been enemies and complete opposites for as long as any one of them and their ancestors could remember did not make Isabella look any less attractive to the Ex-duke.
And in all honesty, Kirill would have to be blind to not admit to Isabella's beauty to whom the statement 'aging with grace' was a gross understatement.
Even among the VIPs in the box, there was more than a small number stealing glances at her and the high peak of ample flesh and perky orbs on her chest.
"Lustful as usual, I see" Isabella said with what was best interpreted as a good-natured smile while her son, Devon frowned by her side.
"Ah, you know me. I wouldn't be the perfect embodiment of my Doxon bloodline if I did not always admire the wonderful nature of your very existence" Kirill said.
Isabella chuckled as she said,
"Sweet words..."
While holding her tongue on how there was already someone else who was an even more 'perfect' embodiment of the Doxon Bloodline.
Kirill was feeling pleased with himself when the Dane Patroness' good-natured smile became a smirk of disdain and she continued from where she had left off in her statement,
"Just hope it doesn't become the reason you keel over and die any time from now. After all, I highly doubt your old heart can handle all your -mmm Ah what's the word, oh yes- Debauchery." She said and while Kirill remained smiling, it was clear from his visage that her words annoyed him.
"You know, I've always loved how sharp your tongue is. I do feel it could be put to better uses..." Kirill began but was quickly interrupted by a frowning Devon,
"Watch it!" The Dane monster said.
Kirill furrowed his brows,
"Oh, am I about to experience the wrath of the 'Dane monster'. Ah, what a silly little nickname. To me, you are still a child and If you annoy me, I will discipline you" he said and there was such authority in his voice that many in the VIP box wondered why Devon had not flinched.
Instead, the Dane monster stepped up to Kirill,
"I'd like to see you try" he said.
Maybe it was stupid and arrogant.
Maybe Devon could not back up his confident stance...
... But that was hardly of any consequence when those observing the standoff of sorts knew that the two families' history was not the type that would allow Devon Dane to not stand up to Kirill Doxon.
Isabella sighed.
While she might have just been playing along so as to keep the conflict between the Danes and the Doxons as active as ever in a bid to not arouse the suspicion of certain others, she knew Devon's reaction was completely honest.
Even with the possibility of an alliance between the two families, Devon's hatred of the Doxons, born of his Bloodline's righteous indignation of all things the Doxon stood for, remained.
Kirill sneered but said nothing or at least, he said nothing until someone decided to mediate what was tensing up to become explosive.
"Please, can we be a bit more civil? Today is not about us but about the young generation. The future of our glorious Empire" said a sexy lady in revealing clothes whose black eyes sparkled with how much she enjoyed the tense atmosphere.
And the stares she was getting of course.
For beautiful as Isabella was, she could not compare to the sultry dressing of Elsa Evgeny whose natural beauty and seductiveness only served to be enhanced by her dressing to match Doxon Customs.
Especially not with the Dane Patroness' conservative dressing.
"Elsa, how are you, dear girl?" Kirill said with a smile and stood up from his seat to be hugged by Elsa who replied,
"I'm great, uncle Kirill"
Isabella and Devon took their seats not far from Kirill and even closer to the Silva party.
Isabella sat with a light smile.
Devon sat with his frown ever-present.
When Kirill and Elsa separated a second later, the most honored of all those in the VIP box finally made their appearance.
The Imperial family.
Led by a beautiful and tall woman with a gown more endowed than any of the consorts, Including the only one of them close to her status (the mother of the first prince).
She was the Empress of the Haron continent, Harlyn Haron.
Maybe it was the air around her that was evident of the authority she wielded, but the Empress seemed unparalleled in all aspects.
Including and not exclusively, Beauty.
In all honesty, even though there were consorts in the Emperor's inner court who would privately take pride in being more beautiful than her, whether it was an accepted fact or a personal opinion, in privacy was where those thoughts were bound to remain.
They could not and would not let it be heard by anyone else.
No one knew exactly how powerful the Empress was but there was a rumor that she was already a Six-star Cosmic saint and had comprehended up to three Ordinances.
Whether there was an Abstract Ordinance among the Ordinances she had comprehended or they were all elemental was still unknown.
Long before she was Empress, which many said forced her into the Emperor's shadow, Harlyn was an expendable branch member of the Haron family and like most members of the branch family, she was more or less destined to be mediocre.
Especially in her case where she was said to barely have Haron blood within her.
A 'fact' that was supported by the fact that her eyes were of a lighter green hue than even other branch family members but if there was one thing Harlyn had other than her impressive talent, it was the hunger to study.
Through which she amassed a plethora of knowledge. All of which she used in her quest for strength.
She emerged as a hidden gem, a 'genius' but her discovery only got her a marriage to the then Crown prince Amador Haron.
Anyway, Harlyn was not here just to represent the Emperor, who was not going to be attending the exams personally, she was there as the head of the Royal Academy.
As the Principal.
Behind the Empress was Andrea Dreg and behind her were the four consorts who Harlyn had personally invited to join her in the VIP box along with Andrea's son, the first prince, Creten Haron.
An alumnus of the Royal Academy.
Everyone in the VIP box rose from their seats as a sign of respect for the Empress with quite a number of them bowing.
Harlyn acknowledged the most important and worthy of her attention among them, which was mostly the patrons, with nods and regal smiles before she took her seat.
Only when she was seated did everyone else return to their seats.
In fact, an announcer had made it known that the Empress was present and on her feet so that everyone in the Coliseum stood up in respect.
Including Marla, Rita, Karmen, Lillian, and Olivia who were seated in the stands eagerly awaiting the start of the exam and their Man and master's moment to shine more brightly than any (in Marla's words) snotty-nosed brat in the young generation.
Chapter 520 - Don't Go Red!
VIP Box...
The last to arrive among all those to be inside the VIP box all through the Royal Academy entrance exams, was Tanya Haron who while arriving later than everyone else in the VIP box was still time conscious enough to arrive before the Exams began.
Which meant she was in the box by the time everyone who had stood up in a show of respect for the Empress was back on their seat.
No one deserved any apology from Tanya due to her tardiness, or more accurately, no one required an apology from Tanya other than her mother, the Empress.
Harlyn eyed her daughter with a slight frown while Tanya bowed,
"Mother, I'm sorry I'm late" she said.
Arriving after the Empress could only be regarded as tardiness and a mark of disrespect for her authority.
Harlyn sighed, not looking to make too much of a big deal out of it. Not because Tanya was her daughter, but because she saw no point in doing so,
"Why can't you be a bit more like Elsa? She knew how important it was to arrive before me. Even when I taught you both, she always seemed more considerate of me than you.
And as you are my daughter, I have to say, I am disappointed." The empress said.
Ignoring the suddenly smug look on Elsa's face, Tanya bowed once again to show how sorry she was.
Only when she had taken her seat did she take the time to frown at Elsa.
"Elsa" the empress then called and Elsa stood up to bow,
"Yes, your majesty" she said.
"Let us begin" the Empress said to which Elsa bowed once again as she said,
"As you command"
Then she straightened up and imbued her voice which Cosmic energy to make it boom louder, however, she concentrated the enhanced voice into the Runic device in her hand so that it broadcast the voice to those outside the VIP box and didn't become a nuisance to those within.
"Welcome everyone to another Entrance Exam into the most prestigious training ground, Sect, Academy or whichever name you choose to call it, in the entire Haron continent.
Here, only the best of the best will be allowed to participate.
Will be allowed the chance to join the Royal Academy and receive cultivation knowledge unlike any they have ever seen or experienced in the various parts of the Continent they have originated from."
Elsa paused and let the applauds ring loud before she continued,
"Now, the first part of the Exams will be taking part in a rundown district. A remote location whose residents have long abandoned in the Imperial city. Far away from the Vicinity of this Coliseum."
(Since the Imperial city, despite having the size of a Duchy, is called a city, its subdivisions are hence called Districts as opposed to cities. So a different district in the Imperial city is like saying a different city in any Duchy)
"Our Examinees have all been escorted via Teleportation circles to the location and have been camped in as well as protected by a large scale powerful Array Dome which we are quite confident none of them will be able to break through..."
As soon as she said this, large screens appeared on different ends of the coliseum showing picture clear broadcasts of the district the examinees had been thrust in and the image stopped long enough for many to spot a Blue-eyed young man standing side by side with a golden-eyed lady with long calf-length hair.
...
In the Rundown District...
Hal and all other examinees could hear Elsa's voice loud and clear as the device in her hand not only broadcasted her voice to all those in the coliseum but also transmitted it into the District.
He and Melinda had spent last night together after reuniting in the Imperial city and it was only in the morning that they both received messages telling them to move to the rendezvous point where they were picked up or 'escorted' as Elsa had out it to the Teleportation Circles that brought them here.
Teleportation circles that practically vanished, not to be activated again upon their arrival.
With the sheer number of examinees and the immense size of the location (the rundown district) they were in that quite matched the size of Sapphire city, not to mention the fact that every single examinee was not dropped in the same location, other than Melinda, there was so far no one Hal recognized among the hundreds they were with in their area of the forest.
However, he could sense Nicole among those in the location which was not surprising as she definitely had the strength to attempt the exam.
What did surprise him though was sensing Valerie here.
What he had thought improbable seemed to be actually coming true and Hal was stunned.
He shook himself out of his shock soon enough though.
After all, why bother himself when he was almost sure to meet Valerie and probably understand what was going on soon enough.
Elsa's voice continued,
"Wherever you are, there is sure to be a building right in front of you marked with a green rune. Walk into the building and strap on any of the devices you find inside onto your wrist..." She commanded.
Hal, Melinda, and the others with them walked into the building while all about the location, other examinees did the same.
The device looked like a modern wristwatch, although it did not tell the time and its straps were metallic. Sealing with an eerie grating sound that sounded quite final.
Almost as though they were never to be taken off.
"Those devices are meant to keep track of your vitals. Any intentions of killing your opponents or maiming them more than required will be sensed by the devices and they will send incapacitating pulses throughout your entire body.
You are here to be admitted into an academy and while overwhelming strength, as well as a readiness to kill to achieve greatness, is encouraged against our enemies, you are not allowed to kill any of your fellow examinees as they could very well be of help to the Empire in the future.
Also, the devices will always be flashing green when your vitals are at their peak, any dip in your overall wellbeing and they go down in the order of colors blue, orange, and finally red.
When they are red, it means you are out.
Even if you swallow a recovery pill after, the results will remain the same.
The moral of all this; Do not let your devices go red."
Hal and Melinda shared a look and shrugged simultaneously as though to say 'Big deal'.
Maybe they should have been taking this more seriously, a thought that many who caught their expression in the broadcast were quick to have, but it was hard to be bothered when you were as confident in your fighting buddy as this two were in each other.
And then Elsa dropped the bomb that more than slightly changed their mindset going into the exams,
"You will be required to form groups of a minimum of four and a maximum of Ten after which you will link up your devices.
Oh, and lest I forget to mention... if the device of a single member of your group goes red, the devices of everyone else in that group go red as well.
Everyone in that group fails"