The whole ballroom basically went up in subtle excitement. The women silently shrieked while fanning themselves even faster, while the men coughed and fixed their ties and their hairs to look even more presentable.
After all, these people were the very people they were waiting for this entire time. These six figures could change the trajectory of their lives for the better. It could lead them to new opportunities further up than what their original paths led them to. These were the conglomerates they were talking about. They stood at the top of the world!
The conglomerates… Michael stared at the six people sitting in the table up front. Even just from a single glance, he could tell that they were emanating a different kind of aura. It wasn't an aura or power or intimidation, it was an aura that made them look a bit out of touch, as if they lived on a completely different planet or something.
He hadn't had any interaction with these conglomerates, but he had a feeling that they were just like the 'nepo babies' from his previous life. They weren't just given the best, they were told that they were the best.
They had an alienating mien, and they knew it. Even if they didn't mean it, they had an air of superiority around them that was as natural to them as breathing. And they didn't care if they were different. They seemed to take pride in it.
And after knowing that they were now people from the five conglomerates, it totally made sense. These young people were brought up with the very best of the very best of resources. To them, even the rarest items would seem like the most basic things. Michael even had a thought that maybe these guys treated Soo drops as a simple oil that could be purchased in any market. In fact, there was something within these six people that caught his eye. Or more specifically, his Drone's Camera.
Underneath all of their fancy clothes and ballgowns, he saw a completely different beast in their attire. They were glowing like miniature suns, with every inch of their bodies protected with a tangible thread of Aubility Power weaving through them like skin-tight armor.
Are these Nascent Spirit armors, he pondered. No, they're not…
First of all, these conglomerates were only in the 9th stage of Body Formation. They shouldn't even have a Nascent Spirit armor in the first place. And second of all, these armors were extremely different from Katarina's Nascent Armor.
These armors were very powerful, but were incongruent with the Aubility that was innate within their bodies. Katarina's brilliant diamond armor felt natural, it felt like an extension of her body. It was born from the GodForge pieces in her heart and was inextricably connected with it to the point where it felt as if the armor was just another limb.
In contrast, the armors underneath these conglomerates were completely different from the powers in their hearts. It was disconnected and disharmonious, like an animal's limb surgically placed inside a human.
But no matter how strange these armors looked, there was just something about them that seemed familiar.
It wasn't until he got a notification in his vision did he finally remember.
{Congratulations for signing-in for the 3rd day. You have received a 2-days off Delivery Ticket!}
This reward couldn't have come at a better time. Not only did he get another extremely useful coupon, it also helped him jog his mind about what made these armors look familiar.
These looked like the Nascent Armors found in the Emporium!
These conglomerate youths were wearing Nascent Spirit Armors, the one that cost 5000 Mini Drones each!
He failed to recognize it at first glance because he didn't think that these actually existed in real life! He thought that these were just things that the Emporium sold exclusively for him.
But perhaps, he was thinking about it wrong. Perhaps, the Emporium was selling those items because they already existed in this world long before!
Harbinger did say to him that these 'Nascent Armors' were only meant for 'babies and weaklings'. His words.
"...Trust me, Michael. Don't buy any of these armors. No self-respecting Nascent Spirit cultivator would ever wear something like this. It's the equivalent of training wheels…"
At first, he thought that Harbinger was just being Harbinger, saying words just for the sake of boasting for himself. But as it turned out, he was actually referencing something from the real world!
They were being used like training wheels!
These conglomerate youths were in the 9th stage, just a half-step away from reaching the Nascent Spirit realm. But they already had 'Nascent Armors' to protect them till they reached the next realm, where they could form their own armors.
He was so fascinated by this that he wasn't even excited about the 2-day off delivery coupon that he obtained.
And the other people from the ballroom were also completely fascinated by these conglomerates, but for completely different reasons.
"They're so dazzling!"
"Their aura is too majestic! Them just sitting there is already worthy of being a painting!"
"Kyaaa!~~ Look at Gabriel! He's such a dashing young man!"
Everyone turned to the man at the very center of it all, the man who attracted all the attention just from his mere presence alone. The fact that he was wearing a mask didn't hide his attractiveness at all.
Michael's eyes widened.
"...who is he?" he asked.
Jot'un clicked his tongue. "I know right? He's my biggest rival right now. Gahh! Look at that blonde hair, so brilliant and smooth. And he's uber duber rich too. I just hope that my dear Aerith won't fall for his tricks."
Michael stared with fascination at Gabriel.
Aside from the fact that Gabriel was wearing a much grander Lion mask than him, Michael felt that the conglomerate youth felt extremely familiar even though they hadn't met before.
Blonde hair… extremely rich… conglomerate…
There was just one conclusion.
"He's a Vanderbilt."