CHAPTER 47: THE LUNARIS (9) PEACEFUL EXTORTION [2]

"Great, so let’s begin with this — I want you two to make a one-hour post online. In it, you’ll recount how badly you’ve treated me and issue a heartfelt apology. Oh, and I also want a weekly salary."

Marlon’s voice was eerily calm, yet his words carried immense weight.

"W-what..." Oswald and Morgana exclaimed at once, stepping back as their mouths fell open.

"You don’t seriously expect us to do that..." Morgana muttered, her lips pressing into a thin line.

"You’re acting like this, and I haven’t even finished listing my demands yet." Marlon’s lips curved into a faint, calculating smirk. "So... do you want me to take your family name or not?"

This... he’s actually bargaining with us, both of them thought in disbelief. The same son who never dared to meet our eyes before—now he was negotiating as if he owned the place.

But they agreed quickly, keeping their hesitation to themselves.

"That’s more like it," Marlon said with a small, satisfied smile. He knew exactly how families like his valued fame and recognition, and his plan was simply to exploit that to his advantage.

"Will you make the post?" he asked casually.

The Ashleigh couple paused for a brief second, then gave a slow nod.

"Good," Marlon said smoothly. "Now, about the weekly payment..."

Morgana and Oswald seemed more troubled by the online post than by the idea of payment. As one of Arden’s wealthiest couples, they assumed any sum he asked for would be trivial, until they heard it.

"Every weekend," Marlon continued calmly, "you’ll transfer one hundred million credits to my account. And tonight, I want every high-grade Aether crystal and high-rank EXP orb you can find delivered here. I’ll need them after the competition."

Both Morgana and Oswald froze, staring at him in stunned silence. The weight of his demands hit them hard, but Marlon’s calm and absolute confidence left no room for argument.

"Y-you really mean all this?" Morgana stammered, her brows knitting in disbelief and frustration.

"I mean every word," Marlon replied coldly. "And should you delay even a single one, I’ll change my mind about adding your surname. Since social media is already in chaos today because of the competition, I’ll give you three days’ grace for the post. As for everything else, I expect it before nightfall."

Oswald opened his mouth, then shut it immediately. His usual authority faltered in front of his son’s unwavering tone.

He quickly calculated the situation in his mind. If Marlon truly carried the Ashleigh name into this competition, the broadcast would spread worldwide. That meant massive exposure, more investors, and a flood of fame for their family and company.

He turned slightly to Morgana, giving her a small signal to proceed.

Morgana swallowed and nodded. "We... we understand. We’ll do as you say."

"Good," Marlon said, his tone final. "I’ll expect proof of everything by tonight." Then he waved them off with a faint smile. "You can leave now. I have to prepare for the competition."

The Ashleigh couple nodded stiffly and walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"That went just as expected," Marlon murmured once they were gone.

The smile on his face widened, his eyes gleaming with greed and cunning. To him, it felt like sealing a perfect deal.

The sum he demanded was astronomical—far beyond what even a C-rank hunter could earn in a year—and yet he would receive it every week just for lending them his surname. His part of the bargain required almost no effort.

And on top of that, he would soon have piles of Aether crystals and EXP orbs to boost his Aether point capacity and increase his level. They were rare and costly to acquire, but he had no doubt that his so-called parents could easily afford them.

With that kind of wealth and power within reach, he could live as lavishly and as lazily as he pleased.

With those delightful thoughts echoing in his mind, Marlon began preparing for the competition.

====

Eldertree Coliseum

It was a few hours past dawn, and the coliseum was still empty aside from a few hunters strolling around, clearing the arena and preparing it for the event of the day.

There were large cameras fixed at different sections and corners, and several cameramen stood beside them, capturing the preparations with practiced precision and broadcasting them to different channels across the world.

The VIP area was already filled up. The guests today were far more than yesterday, as representatives from other nations were present, observing the preparations calmly.

Norian and Crimson sat in the same section, side by side, observing as well.

At the spectators’ area, the winners of the Survival Matrix could be seen. Among them were also new young faces — obviously hunters from the other nations.

Marlon, Ashton, and Logan sat in the front row, observing as the field was cleared. Behind them, Lyra stood, her focus more on Marlon than on the field.

"It’s difficult to believe that you’ve grown from the most bullied kid at the encampment to someone representing an entire world in a serious competition. This is nothing short of a miracle. Just what god do you worship?" Logan said to Marlon, who was sitting beside them.

"Yeah, you’re even a record holder now. I’m sure nobody will beat your achievements in the coming years. So incredible," Ashton joined in.

Sitting behind, Lyra simply watched without speaking.

She stole glances at Marlon a few times. Each time their gaze met accidentally, she would turn away and act uninterested, which caused Marlon to grin as he approached her.

"Lyra, how are you feeling?" He turned to face her, meeting her gaze just before she could turn away once more, and asked with a caring smile.

"F-fine... okay... why do you care?" She stuttered at first but quickly regained her composure in the end.

"Why should I not care? You were my teammate, remember?" He responded.

’Just teammates?’ Lyra thought. Did he really see her as just a teammate? She was confused, but as usual, she kept it to herself.

"I’m fine, thanks for asking," she replied. She turned her face elsewhere, trying to dismiss him and end the conversation quickly, but Marlon wasn’t ready to end it just yet.

"That’s great. You’ll be cheering for me today, right?" he asked.

"I-I won’t..." she was flustered once again and stuttered in her response. A faint blush appeared on her rosy cheeks. At that moment, she would give anything to disappear and avoid the conversation.

Fortunately, luck seemed to be on her side. At that moment, the familiar thundering hum of the Lunaris spaceships echoed across the entire coliseum, immediately drawing everyone’s attention — including Marlon’s.

Thirteen gleaming black vessels parted through the morning clouds and slowly descended. Their metallic bodies reflected the sunlight faintly, casting long shadows over the coliseum as they hovered a few meters above the ground. The air grew tense, and even the faint sound of breathing seemed to vanish beneath the deep, vibrating hum.

A moment later, the ships came to a steady halt. One after another, their doors opened, releasing waves of light and pressure as the Lunaris stepped out.

Each figure that emerged carried an overwhelming presence. Their eyes gazed down at the onlookers with superiority.

The three nobles led the descent, gliding effortlessly toward the VIP section where Norian and Crimson were seated. Six generals followed closely behind, acting as their guards, while the remaining twenty generals drifted toward other VIP areas, choosing their seats with silent grace.

Then came the soldiers, forming a sea of black armor. Over a thousand of them poured out from the vessels, their formation precise and disciplined as they drifted down in perfect order toward the spectators’ area. They arranged themselves neatly into several long rows that stretched across an entire section of the coliseum.

Silence hung for a few seconds across the world as their arrival settled. Families behind their screens hugged one another in fear, children cried, and adults panicked.

At the arena itself, there was also a long moment of silence as the Lunaris and the humans observed one another.

Only when Gigaman floated to the middle of the gathering and announced the beginning of the competition did sound return.