Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 183

Chapter 183: Freshman speech again

After Aiden got himself away from Ramona, he sighed in relief. He had never felt so threatened before; it was as if she was his nemesis. Just being in her vicinity made him feel weird and threatened.

“Who the hell is she?” Aiden mumbled to himself, frustrated.

“And the most bizarre thing is that although I felt threatened by her, there’s this weird sense of longing for her,” Aiden thought, struggling to understand the conflicting feelings he always experienced whenever he was near her.

“Well, for starters, let’s find some guinea pigs so that I can become stronger,” Aiden thought, and then fell silent as he caught up with Chloe.

Chloe looked at Aiden but didn’t say anything. Instead, she quietly held his hand, without saying anything, probably still angry at him.

Together, they walked to the hall, hand in hand. The hall was already filling up with students, and the festive decorations added to the atmosphere of anticipation. Aiden, feeling Chloe’s comforting presence, started to push aside the confusing thoughts about Ramona and focus on the task ahead.

The students were gathering in clusters, chatting excitedly. Some were sizing up their peers, and others were simply enjoying the moment. Aiden noticed a few of the students who had mocked him earlier, now whispering among themselves and casting occasional glances his way.

“Ignore them,” Chloe whispered, squeezing his hand reassuringly. Aiden nodded, on the surface and inwardly he rolled his eyes at Chloe concern ‘ As if children banter going to affect me’

“Welcome, new students, to our esteemed academy!” Marcus began, his voice echoing through the grand hall. “Today, we gather to celebrate your arrival and the beginning of your journey here. Each of you has earned your place through hard work and determination. Remember, this is just the start. The path ahead will be challenging, but also rewarding.”

As Marcus continued his speech, Aiden found it hard to keep his eyes open. “Why do they always prepare such long and boring speeches?” he mumbled quietly to himself.

“And now,” Marcus announced, “I’d like to introduce this year’s top ranker, Aiden, who will give a speech.”

Aiden nodded as Chloe gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. He smiled reassuringly at her gesture and, with a confident stride, reached the stage.

On his way, he heard many students mocking him. “Now, I am feeling angry,” Aiden thought. Then he smiled devilishly. “Well, there are no longer my parents to punish me for acting like a tyrant. So, why not act as a bully in this world?”

Since only Marcus was facing Aiden, he was the only one who saw the smile on Aiden’s face. Seeing this smile, Marcus began to feel bad for the other students. He sighed, thinking, “Well, you were the ones who invited this trouble.”

Aiden reached the stage and took the microphone from Marcus. He looked at everyone, noting their expressions. Some looked at him with neutral stances, but the majority looked at him with scorn, disgust, and disdain.

Clearing his throat, Aiden began his speech. “Good morning, everyone. As you all know, I am Aiden, this year’s top ranker,” he started, his voice steady. “I stand here today not just because of my achievements, but because of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for all of us.”

He paused, scanning the crowd. “I’ve heard the whispers, the rumors. Many of you think I don’t deserve this position. Some of you even believe I cheated to get here,” he continued, his tone growing sharper. “To those who doubt me, I have this to say: Prove me wrong.”

“Right here, right now,” Aiden declared, causing many eyes to widen in surprise. The Elders and Teachers watching from the backstage, who were supposed to appear after the top ranker’s speech, found themselves witnessing an unexpected drama.

“What do you think, Elder Ross?” an elder asked.

Ross smiled. “I think this brat is up to something.”

“Yes, the way he conducted himself from the dormitory to here clearly shows he isn’t someone who gets angry over little things,” a female teacher said, raising her glasses.

The other two elders, including Ross, nodded in agreement. “Let’s wait and see what stunt he is going to pull,” one of them said.

After dropping his challenge, Aiden waved his hand, and ten shiny crystals appeared, falling onto the stage. As they landed, everyone’s eyes were glued to them. Even Marcus looked at them with wide eyes.

Ross and the other elders also raised their brows in surprise as they examined the shiny, energy-brimming pure white crystals. “Perfect grade spirit stones?” Ross muttered.

“This brat—did he rob a tomb or what?” another elder remarked.

“No, given how pure they seem, it’s almost like they were excavated not too long ago,” the female elder said, carefully looking at the crystals. “Yes, Elder Amora is right. They were excavated recently.”

Aiden addressed the crowd again, his voice carrying over the murmurs of shock. “These are perfect grade spirit stones. A single one of these is enough to enhance your cultivation significantly. I’m offering these as a reward to anyone who can defeat me in a duel.”

The crowd buzzed with excitement and disbelief. Such a prize was almost unheard of.

Aiden continued, “I want to put an end to these baseless rumors. If you think you can take my title, come and try. Show me your strength.”

The students were hesitant at first, unsure if they should take the challenge. But the allure of the spirit stones and the opportunity to prove themselves was too great to resist.

“I’ll take you on,” a tall, muscular student called out, stepping forward. He was one of the most vocal critics of Aiden.

Aiden nodded. “Very well. Let’s settle this.”

“But before that, there is a condition,” Aiden stopped him as he was about to lunge at him.

The muscular student, Davis, frowned and then a mocking smile adorned his face. “What, getting cold feet now, cheating coward?” he openly mocked Aiden.

“If you want to fight me, then bring a treasure of equivalent value or forget about it,” Aiden crossed his arms and said.

“You never mentioned this earlier,” Davis frowned.

“Well, if I fight without getting something in return, wouldn’t that be unfair to me?” Aiden shrugged and replied.

Davis frowned but felt Aiden had a point. He twisted the ring on his middle finger, and a sword appeared in his hand. It was a long, elegant weapon with intricate runes etched along the blade, gleaming under the hall’s lights.

As the sword materialized, everyone felt the temperature drop several degrees, a chilling aura emanating from the blade. The sensation was brief, as their uniforms quickly moderated the temperature, but it left an impression. The sword’s pale blue hue glowed faintly, the runes shimmering like ice. Near the hilt, a symbol of a half-broken moon was meticulously etched, adding to its ethereal beauty.

Seeing everyone’s eyes on his sword, Davis smiled smugly and said, “This is Moon Radiance, a High-Grade Spirit Sword crafted by the Lonely Moon Blacksmith.”

The crowd collectively gasped, not just at the sword’s grade, but at its creator’s mention.

“A treasure from the Lonely Moon Blacksmith!”

“No wonder it’s so beautiful and powerful at the same time,” someone murmured, mesmerized by the sword.

“Indeed, Lonely Moon Blacksmith is renowned for her beautiful and powerful crafts,” another agreed, nodding in appreciation.

“But… betting such a treasure, is it worth it?” one student questioned, doubts beginning to fill the hall.

Lonely Moon Blacksmith’s treasures were known for their exceptional power and beauty, often selling for ten times the price of similar-grade items. This meant the treasure in Davis’s hand was worth at least a hundred Perfect Grade Spirit Stones.

The sword’s appearance captivated everyone. Its blade was a flawless, icy blue, with intricate runes running along its length. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, providing a stark contrast to the blade, and was adorned with silver accents. The half-broken moon symbol near the hilt added an element of mystique, hinting at its creator, the none other than Lonely Moon Blacksmith.

Aiden inspected the sword from a distance, noting its craftsmanship and the faint aura of power emanating from it. He also heard everyones discussion, and understood this sword is more than a simple High grade spirit weapon.

” Since, yours sword value is 100 perfect spirit stones, then I will bet that amount” Aiden said and then once agin waved his hand and 90 more perfect spirit stones appeared on the stage and formed a small mountain.

Everyone gulped even including the elders backstage.

” Does he have a location of Spirit mine?” Ross asked suspiciously, seeing the spirit stones.

Other Elders felt like this too but they controlled themselves or where their face as Elders will go

Students now looked at Aiden with different gaze many has envy in their eyes but most of them have greed now.

They now all felt Aiden surely have looted treasure trove.