CLEAVER OF SIN

Chapter 923: Mr Attention Gatherer [Spacecraft Bonus - ]

Asher decided to simply sleep for the next hour and a half. After all, as a man, he needed only about five minutes to get dressed, even if it was for a grand occasion, unlike women, who could spend hours getting ready and still not be done.The system chimed within Asher’s consciousness, waking him up. Asher immediately changed into what appeared to be a suit, albeit without the jacket, wearing only the vest. On his wrist was a watch, the one bought by Lyra, which he simply wore for every occasion as though it were the only watch he owned.

After staring at himself in the mirror for a bit, Asher nodded before heading towards the door as he prepared to make his way to the lobby, where the car prepared by... whoever it was, was already waiting.

But the moment he opened the door, he found an unfamiliar staff member pushing a trolley that held numerous barrels, his hand raised as though he was about to press the doorbell. Asher didn’t need to think much to realize it was the blood Azaron had promised him. Although it wasn’t the blood of an End-Class Monster, Asher had no complaints, as he would receive that after they returned to the Zarethorne Empire.

"I’ll take it from here," Asher spoke before the staff member could say anything.

With a thought, Astra energy flowed through his Astra Veins as he used Astra-based telekinesis to lift the barrels into his room before closing the door behind him.

Asher didn’t waste any time. Virelass appeared in his hand. Since he wasn’t wearing a sword belt with his suit, he couldn’t exactly sheath her, making her to return to his soul while unsummoned.

"Drink up," Asher murmured as he plunged Virelass into one of the barrels. Within seconds, she had consumed every drop before Asher moved on to the next barrel. There were fifteen barrels in total, which was more than last time, yet Virelass seemed to possess an infinite capacity for storing blood.

With that done, Asher simply burned the empty barrels into nothingness before finally stepping out of his room. He didn’t find anyone in the hallway or by the elevators, as he was almost always the last person to arrive.

Arriving at the lobby, Asher immediately saw the other students. Off to one side were countless fans who either didn’t have work or had taken time off, as today was the day the rewards would be presented, and they were all dying to find out what they would be.

Asher walked towards the chauffeur who had been assigned to him. It was the same man who had been arranged to drive him to the previous gala. The moment Asher approached, the man immediately brought out what appeared to be a jersey with Asher’s name on it before handing him a pen.

Asher simply smiled and signed the shirt across the back before taking the keys as the chauffeur handed them over. Neither of them needed to speak, as they were already familiar with one another.

Asher revved the engine and drove towards the Awakener Association skyscraper, as it was the venue for the gala. Upon arriving, Asher stepped out of the driver’s seat before joining the rest of the students, who had also arrived, as they entered the building together.

Asher was surprised not to see any crowds gathered outside the Awakener Association skyscraper, as though nobody dared to overstep into the Overlord’s territory. It was understandable. After all, no matter how fanatical people might become, a Crownstar Life Ranker was still a Crownstar Life Ranker, especially one who appeared to rule with an iron fist.

Entering the lobby, a member of the security team approached and led the students towards an elevator, as it seemed this gala would be held on one of the higher floors this time. They entered, and the elevator arrived at the designated floor almost immediately. Asher stepped out to find a long corridor lined with numerous elegant doors stretching into the distance.

"Right this way, please," another staff member waiting on the floor spoke politely.

Asher walked forward. The staff member opened one of the doors before stepping aside to let everyone enter. Within was an enormous hall that seemed capable of accommodating nearly four times the number of guests from the first gala.

Asher’s eyes wandered across the hall. He could immediately spot people from the lower class; commoners.

Normally, they weren’t supposed to be here, but the Overlord had made an exception for this particular night. Just as she had distributed live attendance tickets for free, she had done the same for this gala. However, those commoners who had already attended the Inter-Empire Tournament live weren’t eligible to attend tonight’s event, as the Overlord had decided to spread the experience as widely as possible, ensuring that as many commoners as possible had an opportunity to witness such a grand occasion.

Her generosity stemmed from the simple fact that she herself had once been a commoner.

And, of course, she had also taken potential face-slapping incidents into consideration and was fully prepared to intervene the moment anything inappropriate happened.

The moment Asher entered, it was as though his very existence had announced his arrival. Nobody called out his name or formally introduced him, yet he had already become the center of attention.

"The Dominator is here," a commoner whispered.

"If I trip in front of him and he catches me, do you think he’ll fall in love with me like in those stories?" a young woman asked hopefully.

"Girl, your delusion is simply too strong," another woman mused with a laugh.

Asher simply decided to walk in a random direction. He was only here for the reward, and once he received it, he would leave and wait until FatelessPen informed them it was time to return to Star Academy.

However, the moment Asher took a few steps forward, girls of varying ages and women of varying beauty immediately blocked his path, each firing off different questions one after another. Asher could already feel a headache forming. There was no way he could stand there answering every single one of them individually. So, without hesitation, he trapped them all inside an illusion where another version of himself answered every one of their questions as politely and nobly as possible while the real Asher quietly slipped away from the crowd.

The doors opened once more as Ryaen, William, Vaelric, Finch, and the rest of the gang entered the ballroom with calm and composed steps.

"Mr. Attention Gatherer, how are you enjoying all the attention?" Finch joked as he walked over to Asher.

"Sigh... don’t get me started. I had to use an illusion skill just to fool some people," Asher replied. "It’s good you guys are here. I can use you all as an excuse, and as shields, so I don’t have to talk to anyone," he added with another sigh.

Ryaen coughed awkwardly for a moment before speaking.

"Ehh... I’ll be going to find Zis Zaitsu."

With that, she disappeared into the crowd without even waiting for Asher to respond.

"We can’t be your shields, Asher. There are a lot of beautiful women here. Who knows when I’ll get another chance to see so many different cultures gathered in one place again? So I can’t spend these precious moments being another man’s shield," Vaelric replied with a casual wave before walking away as well.

Although that was what he said, he was still the Prince of the Zarethorne Empire. He was only going to build connections with nobles from the other Empires and other influential figures. His bloodline and status didn’t grant him the luxury of chasing after women whenever he pleased.

William and Finch had already disappeared as well, leaving Asher completely alone. Asher could only sigh as he sat down on a random chair. Yet even while seated, he could feel nearly every gaze within the ballroom focused on him as countless whispers spread through the crowd, discussing his achievements, his performance during the tournament.

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Bonus Chapter sponsored by Sluggish_Slug