1190: Erupted Forth

Erupted Forth

Leonel was unaware of the thoughts of Orinik and Ganor, but even if he had known, he wouldn't have reacted much. Though the two were trying to profit off of him, they weren't necessarily doing anything detrimental, at leas not on the surface, anyway. Even if they were coming with sinister intention, Leonel would be at fault if he was honest with himself.  0

Leonel had no idea just how rare his defenses were. Bodies that could match up to weapons in hardness didn't just grow on trees and most techniques and Lineage Factors that replicated such things had enormous drawbacks. Someone like Leonel who could have amazing speed, flexibility and dexterity, all while having a body practically immune to blades, was unheard of. 

In the human race, there was only one family capable of such a feat, and that was without a doubt the Morales. 

Unfortunately, Leonel's scope of the Dimensional Verse was still too narrow compared to young nobles and he never really hid his abilities at all. So, whether they were the ones to expose him or not, he would eventually end up exposing himself regardless. 

Leonel was already far behind the other Heirs who had already build up their factions and were training in preparation for that day. His anonymity was practically the only shield he had, but it seemed like that wouldn't last for much longer. 

…

The battles continued to rage on and the excitement of the crowd only seemed to grow with each passing moment. Previously, the numbers and auras were all muddled and no one truly understood exactly how things would shake out. But, as more and more battles occurred, a picture of the various groups and standings began to form in the mind of the spectators. 

Upon grasping who was in which group and how the records were playing out, the excitement began to boil over. 

Though the Void Palace wasn't here for the entertainment of the masses, their practices ultimately led to such a result regardless. After all, with everyone having to rely on themselves to treat their injuries, any large and clashing battle could make or break the chances of an individual. 

While it was true that record wouldn't be the ultimate deciding factor of who received entry and who didn't, the more battles one fought, the more accurate those of the Void Palace would be able to be in their assessments. As such, as the battles continued, those that still remained undefeated were separated out from the masses and their battles became hotly contested centers of hype. 

Fan clubs clashed with one another over which of their favorites would win and old, wizened men and women made their predictions in an effort to come off enigmatic. 

The geniuses of Earth that remained continued to perform to the best of their abilities. 

In the beginning, Arnold and Milan were practically neck in neck, but the more battles he fought, the more refined Arnold's style seemed to become. He improved in real time, steadily pushing his win percentage of barely 40-50%, upward toward 60. 

Milan lagged behind, not sharing Arnold's talent in the use of Universal Force and as such performing the worst of them all. But, he didn't lose sight of his determination, managing to keep his head high and take his licks in silence. 

Karolus, Elthor and Noah all performed extremely well from the very beginning. Elthor was a lot like Arnold, improving rapidly with every battle. He was the quintessential battle maniac, his blood boiling every time he stepped onto the arena. 

When he was finally forced to use his Battle Form, morphing into an enormous, white furred wall of muscle with horns that pierced the skies, the furries in the crowd only seemed to go more wild. 

However, what the crowd saw and what Orinik and Ganor saw were two completely different things entirely. While the former saw a wall of muscle, the latter saw Chaotic Particle Force. 

"… What the hell is going on with this Sector? First there was a True State Universal Force wielder, then there was a member of that family, and now there's someone wielding one of the True State Elements?"

Orinik felt like his head was spinning. 

"They all come from over there." Ganor said off handedly. 

Though he had spoken those words casually, Orinik froze upon hearing them, his head turning toward the location of Earth's geniuses. He had been so busy analyzing how ridiculous it all seemed that he had completely missed the most obvious connection of them all. 

His gaze went toward Earth's Geniuses and he immediately noticed something else. Not only were they all from this one place, they all seemed to look toward a singular young man for guidance. No matter which of them it was, even the Chaotic Particle Force wielder, after each of their battles, they would always go to him to hear his thoughts. 

Just when Orinik's gaze landed on Leonel, he seemed to look up at the same time and smile. Orinik didn't know if it was a coincidence or not, but Leonel's gaze seemed to convey the message that he could see through his intentions quite clearly. 

"A member of that family leading so many talents…? If I recall correctly, not a single one of them is above Tier 2 except for him, yet they didn't perform too badly. They're just too young…" Orinik thought aloud to himself, not shifting away from Leonel's gaze. "… Hey Ganor, I think the price for him just went up…" 

A lone member of that family was one matter. But, a member who had a talented faction under him was worth even more. 

Life in the Void Palace wasn't easy, you had to scratch and claw for everything. The idea of a payday that could come without him having to risk his life was something that made Orinik's blood boil and his heart stand at attention. 

The billboard flickered once more, causing Leonel to finally break eye contact with Orinik. 

Leonel Morales versus Isac Arundo. 

The moment Leonel landed on the platform, a baleful killing intent that blanketed the arena erupted forth. 

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