CHAPTER 40: THE LUNARIS (2) ARRIVAL[1/2]

The coliseum erupted, this time not in chants or cheers but in whispers of concern and confusion as they watched the descending entities in the dark night sky approaching gradually with a faint hum that only grew louder and louder the closer they got.

Children hugged their parents tightly, already feeling dread.

The adults — those who had lived for more than twenty years — already recognized that sound. It was the same one they’d heard on that day, the day Arden was visited.

Yet, as they gazed at the night sky, watching thousands of tiny lights grow larger and the soft hum rise into a thunderous roar, they prayed it would become something else, something peaceful, like the return of hunters from other great nations.

At the middle of the coliseum, close to the gigantic Survival Matrix, Marlon and the others were no different.

Confusion arose. Panic grew.

"Aren’t those spaceships?" some of them whispered among themselves. "But they don’t look or sound like ours."

"T-this... It’s exactly like my father described the Lunaris visit twenty years ago."

"W-what... Lunaris? I thought the war between us and them had already ended?"

"Please, guys, stop spouting nonsense. It can’t be the Lunaris."

"Oh God..."

Their fears spilled into frantic whispers.

"Spaceships... Lunaris," Marlon’s eyes furrowed as he whispered to himself.

He gradually tilted his head toward the VIP area above the coliseum, and just as expected, the place had turned into a beehive of activity.

The interior of the coliseum was brightly lit, making it easy to see the waves of hunters moving around. He even spotted familiar faces — his parents — but at the moment, they were just as overwhelmed as everyone else, troubled and serious expressions plastered across their faces.

"This is going to be serious..." he muttered with a long exhale, and then a question rose in his mind. "Was this the reason the entrance exam was shifted abruptly?"

That explained it.

It seemed the Hunter Association was aware of the arrival of these entities, which was why they hastened the entrance exam. Not only that — they had even made it very difficult, to select only the strong-willed.

But why exactly? That was the question he couldn’t answer now. But one thing was certain — this was a visit, and not a friendly one. One filled with chaos and bloodshed, where the survival or destruction of Arden would be decided.

But just as his thoughts continued connecting the dots—

They drew closer.

Their hums had turned into roars, and now the exteriors of the ships had become clearer and their numbers visible and there were more than a dozen.

The time before their arrival was now less than a minute.

Fear gripped the hearts of everyone in the coliseum, and the chattering and panic only grew worse. Some of them even began to run.

"Everyone please keep calm! The situation is under control!" Gigaman’s voice thundered, louder and sharper than it had ever been.

But his words were lies. The situation wasn’t under control — he was only instructed to say so to keep the people in order. The gigantic hunter wore the same anxious expression as everyone else.

....

"Place a call to headquarters. Summon all the high-ranking hunters on standby to come to the coliseum immediately," Norian Sterling ordered his secretary in a stern voice.

The young lady nodded, though nervous and scared, and ran out of the room to complete her task.

After she left, Norian let out a long sigh. Then, controlling the aether around him, he levitated and gradually floated toward the center of the coliseum, in the direction of all the winners of the survival.

His gaze rested on Marlon for a few seconds before turning to the sight above.

"Look, it’s Norian Sterling!"

"The vice president of the Hunter Association is here!"

His appearance brought relief to many who spotted him, and murmurs of his name spread. Though, it came mostly from children who didn’t understand the severity of the situation.

Nonetheless, upon his appearance, other hunters and guardians began to show up as well.

Many floated like him, others jumped into the scene, raising clouds of dust as they landed.

The Ashleigh couple were among them. The Whitlock couple, with their snow-white hair and flowing robes, looked like sect masters from an ancient cultivation novel as they approached in grand fashion, standing upon a massive flying sword that enhanced their ancient aura.

The stunning red-haired young lady from earlier now wore a tight, black battle robe that clung to her figure. She looked sharp — her beauty not only tempting but dangerous at that moment. Even amidst the tension, her presence drew countless eyes.

There were plenty of others, each owning their unique style and emitting powerful auras that spread across the scene.

With their appearance, the tension in the crowd dropped only slightly, as the roars of the ships became even more thunderous, drowning out every noise made by the humans below.

And then, suddenly, the sound ceased.

A powerful wind blasted across the entire coliseum as the ships halted midair, floating but unmoving.

All eyes locked upward. Silence fell, and the air grew thick with dread.

They hovered into full view — forged from dark metal that shimmered faintly under the moonlight, silent and unmoving as though observing. They were vast and disk-shaped, their exteriors lined with glowing veins of light that pulsed across their surface.

A quick count revealed thirteen of these ships floating above them.

Then came a loud hissing sound as the door of the one closest to the coliseum opened. White steam poured out, lingering for seconds.

Every eye fixed on that open doorway, waiting for the face of the visitor.

Whispers of prayers grew louder and more desperate among the crowd.

The heartbeats of everyone present — including the high-ranking hunters and even guardians — quickened.

Marlon furrowed his brow, clenching his fists in anticipation.

As they awaited the being within the opened ship, the other twelve ships released the same hissing sound, opening one after another.

Their noise filled the air completely, worsening the tension gripping everyone’s minds.

And then — they appeared.

Gasps and cries of nostalgic fear erupted instantly.

It was them — the Lunaris.

With the appearance.

Two people reacted — Norian Sterling and Crimson Sterling.

They gripped their fist tightly, memories resurfacing quickly.