Both the voices of Harrison and the Enigmalnk instructors resounded across the entire hall, their collective voices filled with reverence as they greeted.
It didn't matter that Harrison's standing was way more than that of the instructors'; in the face of overwhelming power, none of that mattered.
Despite their grandiose display, there were only two individuals in the hall aside from them, both men.
They both radiated an otherworldly aura and were seated only a few meters away from each other, each on one of the grand thrones that were arranged in a circular manner all around the hall.
None of these beings were actively releasing their aura, but the fact that people of their strength were both gathered in a single room made the atmosphere try hard to withstand their power. The air cracked with intense energy.
They were both seated at the same elevation, and it was clear to anyone watching that both of them were of the same status as one another.
As their greeting echoed across the circular hall, they were met with utter silence.
Of the two men to whom the greeting was directed, only one of them responded, with a nod at that.
This man sat in a noble position, his every presence exuding an air of effortless confidence.
His hair white as freshly fallen snow and a bushy beard that added to his overall imposing demeanor.
This man was none other than Magnus Ravenstein.
"I would have never imagined in my life that I would stoop to such banal emotions, Magnus, but damn it, I'm consumed by jealousy, insanely,"
A voice suddenly sounded across the whole hall.
The voice sounded deliberate. It might have felt like and sounded like normal words to many people, but every single word was articulate and precise, as though the one who had spoken was carefully choosing each word to convey exactly what he meant.
The individual who had spoken was the second man sitting on one of the grand thrones just beside Magnus.
This man had a slender figure, with sapphire eyes like daggers that could pierce through any veil of deception.
His blue hair was styled neatly and trimmed to perfection.
Despite the fact that there was not a single shred of muscle on him, his demeanor not even imposing, the atmosphere around him seemed to tremble in submission.
This man was none other than Oberon Enigmalnk, the paragon of the Enigmalnk family, a powerhouse of humanity!
Even though he was an Enigmalnk, there was not a single shred of demotion on Oberon.
This was Oberon's first time in the academy in a few years. Unlike the other paragons who had attended the entrance test of the first years, Oberon didn't have any grandchild entering during that year so he hadn't bothered attending.
Seated upon his throne, his fingers tapped a steady rhythm on the armrest of the throne as he gazed at the large screen showing Atticus's live stream in the middle of the room.
A small smile graced Oberon's features as he continued speaking,
"I've never been one to believe in luck, but if it does exist, you might have just used up all yours for this generation and the next."
Oberon suddenly turned and fixed his gaze on Magnus, who was simply quietly staring at Atticus' screen.
"You've got a good one, Magnus. I can see the reason and need for your request now," he added.
Magnus suddenly turned and met Oberon's stare, his expression the epitome of neutrality. Even he had to be careful about what he showed or said to Oberon.
Every one of the Paragons was dangerous in their own way, but each of them knew well enough to be careful about what they said or did in the presence of Oberon.
Oberon sees all. Every single one of them knew this fact very well. As long as the man was present, there was not a single thing that would happen without his knowledge.
He was the brains of the human domain, the peak of humanity's intellect. His deduction and analytical mind had no competitors.
"The deal still stands: should he defeat your grandson, you shall agree to my request,"
Magnus's words made Oberon burst into uproarious laughter that lasted a few seconds.
Some of them were shocked; Oberon wasn't the type of individual to do something as time consuming or mundane as laughing.
But it seemed as though what Magnus had just said was far too funny that even he couldn't resist.
After a few seconds, he finally stopped and spoke, "Come on, Magnus. Even a person with a single digit IQ should be able to predict the outcome of the competition. Do not insult my intelligence."
Tapping his fingers rhythmically on the armrest of the throne once more, he continued,
"I shall hold my end of the bargain; his talents are truly being wasted here. You have my vote."
Hearing this, Magnus nodded without any change in expression and turned his gaze back towards Atticus' screen.
Although his face appeared impassive, as though he didn't care, only the most observant would notice the subtle smile on the corner of his lips.
It was very obvious that he felt incredibly good about Atticus getting praised so much. He had never been more proud!
'He really took 'make the Ravenstein number one' to the next level'
He knew well enough that Oberon would notice something as 'obvious' as this, but he didn't care! He was far too elated!
A smile graced Oberon's features again, seeing Magnus's reaction. It was then that he decided to respond to the duo's greeting.
"Ah, Harrison, Rhiannon. You've both served humanity well. Good job,"
"It's our honor to serve Lord Paragon," as though it were a routine answer, they both responded in unison.
"Hmmm," the sound of Oberon's index finger tapping the armrest suddenly sounded once again before he turned towards Magnus and suddenly spoke,
"I do have a question though."
Seeing as Magnus turned to look at him, he continued speaking,
"Why the optional objective?"