CHAPTER 36: ERUPT

"Do you think he would survive?" Morgana Ashleigh turned to ask her husband with a worried tone, her eyes displaying concern only a mother could have.

Oswald did not respond immediately. Instead, he focused on the holographic screen that displayed the tense atmosphere of the area his son had vanished from, surrounded by hunters ready to take him down should he die and return as a monster.

His mind ran through the only two possibilities that could come from such a brazen choice — succeed and return stronger; this one had a 0.001% chance of happening. And the one with over 99% probability was the bad one — that he would die, return as an abnormality, and be slain.

"I don’t know," he finally responded to his wife’s question after much thought, and then continued, "Nonetheless, more than thirty minutes have passed here, meaning he has spent a day and six hours inside the breakthrough world. More than 90% of the people I know who have taken a 4-star difficulty breakthrough trial do not last that long within the world before returning dead, and among the others who managed to survive that long, only 1% succeeded."

"Meaning?" Morgana was too stimulated right now to even process his lengthy calculation.

"Meaning our son might succeed," Oswald replied flatly.

Morgana swallowed nervously. As much as she would like to accept this, she knew it was only a tiny percent probability.

Not just them, every other person at the coliseum discussed amongst themselves.

Norian Sterling remained seated, his hands on his chin in a tense pose, observing time go by within the survival matrix.

The secretary beside him observed his figure with worry. Since she had started working for him, she had never seen him this tense, much less for another person. It was unlike him.

She could not help but wonder what was so important about the young foolish hunter whom she mildly despised for his reckless decision.

Not only had he requested the media to focus more on him, he had even asked the hunters that went into the survival matrix to try to subdue him and take him out of the matrix instead of killing him immediately.

On another section, the curvaceous sister of the Vice President of the Heartland Hunter Association observed her surroundings while fanning herself casually, an enticing smile plastered on her picturesque face.

Around her, high-ranked hunters and people of powerful families also shared their unneeded opinions about the current situation.

But then, it happened.

At the Frost Grave being displayed on one of the ten holographic screens, golden speckles of light appeared and glittered brightly.

Chattering ceased.

More than half of the gathering stood up to their feet in anticipation of what would emerge — a monster, or a human who had beaten an impossible challenge.

Norian Sterling clenched his fist, his eyes glued to the screen with ferocity.

The secretary beside him did the same, neglecting her etiquette and leaning forward to get a clearer view.

The stunning red-haired lady’s smile widened. She didn’t seem that stimulated by what was about to appear, as she already knew what it would be. Instead, she braced herself for the noise that would soon erupt.

=====

About two minutes earlier—

"Waaaah!"

Logan and Ashton hugged each other and cried, their faces twisted with ugly expressions, tears and snot wetting their faces.

"He was a good guy, the best friend we have ever had in this godforsaken world! Why did he have to leave us so quickly?" cried Logan, sniffing with all his strength.

Ashton wiped his nose with the back of his hand, trembling. "He had a future, man... a bright one. He could’ve been more than just a great hunter — he could’ve been a real leader. And now, with one stupid decision, he threw it all away."

The two of them continued crying, annoying Lyra, who stood a bit farther from them within the space of the warm zone that gradually recovered her health points. Her face twisted with mild irritation, hiding the worry she harbored within.

The group of E-rank hunters stationed around them frowned and glared at the two young trainees with annoyance. If they weren’t being broadcasted right now, they would’ve given the two an ass-whooping to shut their mouths.

"How long is he going to stay in the breakthrough trial before he dies? I’m getting bored of staying in this place with those noisy kids. And the chilly weather is not even helping matters," one of them grumbled.

"Who knows? Maybe the kid is hiding somewhere safe, stalling for time," another replied.

"Meh, he’s going to die no matter what. He should just be a man and kill himself so he can return for us to kill him and leave this damned place. Any second here and I’ll lose my cool," another added.

Each of them grew more impatient the longer time went by.

Some even covered their ears to avoid hearing the annoying cries of the two nerd-looking trainees at the warm zone.

And just then, a sizzling sound appeared, and in the position they circled around, glittering golden lights appeared.

"It is happening!" one of them shouted, taking a stance, holding a long spear in place, ready to strike.

The other hunters maintained their stances as well.

The cries of Logan and Ashton ceased, their eyes glued to the phenomenon taking place.

Lyra’s calm demeanor vanished as her attention fixed on the spot. Her heart beat fast, her fingers grasping her dagger, trembling with anticipation.

The golden lights continued to shimmer for some time, growing brighter by the second—and then Marlon appeared, and it ceased.

The moment he landed, the hunters’ eyes glued on him — they noticed his appearance and his movements, awaiting any strange hints that he would transform.

And Marlon, knowing what would awaken on his arrival, quickly raised his hands in a surrendering pose.

"Chill, is that how you welcome your new record holder?" he said, grinning with his usual overconfidence.

Silence covered the area at once. Both hunters and his teammates held their breath.

Except for the sound of the wind drifting, nothing else could be heard in the area.

"H-he succeeded!"

Ashton and Logan broke the silence before it settled. Crying with cracked voices, they sprinted out of the warm zone and ran toward him.

Lyra found herself moving against her own will alongside them to meet him.

=====

Just like inside the Frost Grave, the entire coliseum plunged into silence for ten whole seconds.

Then Gigaman, using his voice amplification skill, announced enthusiastically,

"A history-worthy moment! The youngest to ever take a 4-star breakthrough trial and emerge victorious!"

His voice echoed.

Like a catalyst, it triggered the pent-up emotions of the listeners.

Voices thundered. Claps erupted. A cacophony of noise spread.

At the VIP area, Norian Sterling finally relaxed, his stern expression transforming into a smile of relief.

"H-he really did it!"

Behind him, the secretary bellowed in surprise, shocked beyond imagination.

The mild disgust she once felt for Marlon was replaced with reverence for his strength and achievement.

The Ashleigh couple were the same.

Standing up just like the rest of the gathering, they stared at their son with awe, speechless.

The lad who had been so weak had now ascended. His fame would soon skyrocket over Arden, even further than the Ashleigh family name.