Chimaera's Conquest: The Legend Of The Devourer-Chapter 237: Press Conference (1)

[You’ve passed Stage 6 of the Harmony trial.]

[You’ve gained a level 6 loot box.]

[You’ve gained Kitsune’s fragmented Ego.]

The notifications flashed before Adrian’s eyes. But he was only interested in what a fragmented ego was since it was the first time he had gained such a reward.

<It is I, the benevolent queen of kitsunes, that you defeated, human.>

"...great, another voice in my head," Adrian sighed, shaking his head.

As if listening to the entities’ constant yapping wasn’t enough, he would also hear the voices of monsters. At this rate, he would go mad before returning to Nexaria. freewebnøvel.coɱ

"Is there anything you want?" Adrian asked the Kitsune. "Or you’re here just to torment me?"

<Don’t think of me as an enemy, human. Our lives are intertwined for now, making it my job to help you in staying alive.>

"Look, lady-"

<The name is Lucina->

"Whatever it is, firstly, don’t interrupt me again. Secondly, stay quiet... it gives me the creep to hear another voice echo in my head."

<As you wish. Though, please don’t assume that it is my fault that your head is empty enough to make my voice echo here.>

"...I have a feeling we’d get along."

***

While Adrian was surprised and confused by the sudden emergence of an ego within his head, he had to rush to get ready before the girls started blaming him for the delay.

He rushed up the flight of stairs and pushed open the door. There, in the soft glow of the afternoon light filtering through the window, he saw Sophia getting dressed for the event. For a moment, he stood there, captivated by her beauty.

"Did no one tell you it’s rude to stare?" Sophia smiled, noticing Adrian through the mirror. "If you are going to stare, at least say something."

He scratched his head as he stumbled over his words, trying to find something to say.

"I’m glad to be alive..." he blurted out, the words escaping his lips before he could stop them. "You look... beautiful."

Sophia’s cheeks flushed pink as she smiled, remembering Adrian’s playful nature before the events that led to him... changing. Still, it was good to know some part of the old him was still there.

"Thank you... now, will you be a gentleman and help a damsel fix her dress?"

Adrian nodded, eager to help her and stepped forward to lend a hand. Once Sophia’s dress was adjusted to her satisfaction, Adrian wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close in a tender embrace. Leaning in, he pressed a gentle kiss to her neck while his hands traced her perfect curves.

"Not now, Adrian. We have places to be-" Sophia laughed, gently pushing him away for them to entangle and fall. They stared into each other’s eyes, only to end up laughing.

However, before their laughter could subside, the door swung open again, and Seraphina walked into the room, grinning.

"I see you lovebirds can’t get enough of each other," she remarked with a playful wink. "But we’d better get a move on if we don’t want to be late."

Adrian’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he hastily straightened up, his innocent side on full display.

"Right," he mumbled, his voice sheepish as he made a hasty retreat towards the bathroom. "I’ll just... take a quick shower and join you ladies in the living room."

Sophia and Seraphina shared a knowing look and laughed as they watched Adrian disappear from sight like a rabbit running from predators.

***

Sometime later...

The grand ballroom shimmered with the lavish crowd and luxury, with the scent of exotic flowers and the tinkling of crystal glasses filling the room. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, golden glow over the room as guests mingled with familiar faces.

Standing in the gallery above, John Black witnessed the festivities he had thrown just to get in Adrian’s good graces after the fallout earlier. Unfortunately, they still had no idea who the whistleblower was to reveal the incident involving Eudora and got Adrian mingled in that mess.

But he was happy Michaela was able to restore some of the trust with Adrian, as he was a hot commodity, and John didn’t want to be on the wrong terms with someone like him.

However, not everything was going as planned.

"Where are they...?" John mumbled, waiting for Adrian and his team to show up.

Although people were busy enjoying themselves, it was only a matter of time before they began asking questions about Adrian as he was the guest of honour. Everyone wanted to see what the super rookie looked like face to face.

While he could make excuses to fool the guests, it would be difficult to fool the reporters there, and they would be quick to make up random theories about their relationship.

"Sir, we should greet the guests," Michaela, John’s confidant, urged him not to delay the festivities further as people were waiting for them.

"Forget about them. Where is Adrian?"

"I just got off the call with them. They are on the way," Michaela replied. "You don’t need to worry about it."

John sighed and nodded, making his way downstairs. Within moments, he stood at the centre of the room, greeting his guests with a charming smile and a firm handshake.

Dressed in a tailored suit, he exuded an air of confidence and authority as he moved through the crowd, with everyone eager to meet America’s finest A-rank hunter.

"Ah, John, my friend," one guest exclaimed, clapping him on the back with a hearty laugh. "What a splendid party you’ve thrown!"

The man was Timothy Maroon, John’s trainer from when he was an Olympic fencer.

"You know me, sir," he replied with a smile. "Just doing my best to impress."

"Of course, my boy," Timothy laughed, patting John’s shoulder. "What about your guests, though? They seem to be running late."

"They should be here any moment," John replied.

True to his words, the massive doors leading to the ballroom swung open, drawing the attention of every guest in the room. The next moment, Adrian walked in, followed by his companions: Sophia, Amelia, Seraphina, Vesper, A’Mila, and George.

The crowd parted like the Red Sea as the group made their entrance. All eyes turned to watch as they walked inside, heading straight towards John.