Chapter 92: eting
The crowd parted naturally before Alex, as if the sea of humanity itself recognized it could not impede his path. Children were lifted onto shoulders to catch a glimpse of him. Old won wept openly, pressing their hands to their hearts. n who had fought in the recent battles stood straighter, their chins rising with pride that such a man walked among them.
Alex’s expression remained calm, but his mind never stopped processing. Seventeen thousand, four hundred twenty-three civilians in imdiate viewing range. Forty-seven martial lords scattered throughout the crowd acting as security. Three snipers on the surrounding rooftops, Alliance personnel, not threats. The calculations flowed beneath his composed exterior like an underground river.
He raised his right hand slightly in acknowledgnt, and a wave of sound washed through the streets. Cheers, sobs, prayers of gratitude.
Rafael comnted within his mind.
[This is inefficient. The emotional response serves no tactical purpose.]
Alex replied silently. "It serves a purpose. Hope is a weapon. Fear is a weapon. Right now, they need to believe sothing can save them. Let them believe."
A small child broke free from her mother’s grasp and ran toward Alex, her small feet pattering against the stone street. A security officer moved to intercept, but Alex’s nearly imperceptible head shake stopped him instantly.
The girl stopped before Alex, looking up with wide eyes. She could not have been more than five years old. In her small hands, she clutched a crude drawing, a stick figure with glowing hands standing before a burning city, protecting the tiny buildings and smaller stick figures huddled behind.
She said, her voice carrying in the sudden hush. "Mama said you saved us. I drew you."
Alex knelt, bringing himself to her eye level. For a mont, the calculating machine that was his mind fell silent. He looked at the drawing, the crude crayon lines, the misshapen figure, the sun smiling in the corner with an optimistic face.
He said quietly. "Thank you. This is the finest gift I have received."
The girl bead, then turned and ran back to her mother, who bowed so deeply that her forehead nearly touched the ground. Alex rose and continued walking, the drawing carefully folded and placed into his storage ring.
Among the martial emperors, Julius exchanged a glance with Arthur.
He understands them, that look said. He understands what they need.
That is what makes him dangerous, Arthur’s returned gaze seed to acknowledge. And what makes him necessary.
Elyndros stepped forward from the group as Alex approached. His old master’s eyes were moist, though his bearing remained dignified. He said simply. "Alex."
Alex inclined his head with genuine respect. "Master. We need to speak privately."
Elyndros gestured toward a transport vehicle waiting nearby. "Of course. Let’s get inside."
As they moved toward the vehicle, Darion appeared at Alex’s side, his expression guarded but his presence unmistakable. He said. "You’re back."
Alex glanced at him. "I am. You’ve improved brother. Co inside."
Then he looked at Anna who was standing there with uncertainty in her eyes. She did not know how to approach him now.
Alex felt out of her reach now, like a sun in the sky. Sothing that could not be touched, only admired from a distance.
He teased her a little. "Hey Anna, you look like you have gained so weight. Have you been eating a lot?"
As soon as he said that, the sadness from Anna’s eyes vanished instantly and was replaced by a radiant smile. She suppressed it with mock anger and pouted.
She protested. "I am not fat at all. My dad said I am the prettiest girl in the world."
Alex said with a curled up smile. "What? Your dad must be trying to lighten up your mood. You should co with . I will train you personally."
Anna’s face turned red instantly and steam practically rose from her cheeks.
Darion patted his shoulder. "Damn bro. That was smooth."
Alex looked at Darion and winked at him.
His expression shifted back to seriousness as his eyes swept across the assembled martial emperors. He addressed them. "President, vice president, grandmaster, join us. The rest of you maintain readiness. We will address everyone within twenty four hours."
No one questioned the command. No one hesitated. When Alex Moriarty gave an order, the world listened.
---
The transport vehicle arrived at the Celestus estate thirty minutes later. The entire property had been organized as if a festival was about to occur. Banners hung from the walls. Servants rushed about making final preparations. The aroma of prepared foods drifted through the air.
mbers of the Celestus family had gathered outside to welco them. Elders stood in formal robes. Young warriors bowed with respect. Children peeked from behind columns, wide eyed as they caught their first glimpse of the legendary Alex Moriarty.
They moved through the estate, past ornate gardens and training grounds where young martial artists paused in their exercises to stare. Inside the main building, the atmosphere shifted. Servants led them to a large eting room with reinforced walls.
Once the doors closed, Alex’s face transford. The warm deanor he had shown to the crowd and to Anna vanished, replaced by the cold calculation of a man preparing for war.
He began without preamble. "The situation is very dangerous for us. The other races will try their best to defeat us, especially the vampires. There is a possibility that soone will sacrifice their life to summon a supre powerhouse from their ho world. If that happens, we face an enemy beyond anything we have encountered."
He reached into his storage ring.
The room seed to hold its breath as Alex withdrew one of the star suits. It stood before them like a war knight from ancient legends, its surface gleaming with contained power. The armor plates shifted slightly as if alive, responding to unseen currents of energy. Blue light pulsed from the joints in a steady rhythm like a heartbeat.
Elyndros leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the suit. He whispered. "What is this?"
Alex explained calmly. "This is a star realm weapon. If you wear it, you will gain star realm power for a limited ti. I found this in a ruin during my travels. The technology is far beyond anything humanity currently possesses."
Julius rose from his seat, approaching the suit with the reverence of a man approaching sothing sacred. He said. "Star realm power. That is... that is beyond planetary."
Alex nodded. "Yes. I am going to create similar suits, though they will likely only reach planetary level. But that will be enough if we have enough of them. We need to gather all the engineers, all the scientists, anyone who understands advanced technology. "
Arthur asked quietly. "How many can you make? How quickly?"
Alex considered the question. "The limiting factor is energy cores. I have already purified 5 planetary cores. So five suits can be created now."
As he spoke, Alex noticed sothing. Every person in the room was staring at the star suit with an expression he recognized. Their eyes had glazed over slightly. Their mouths had parted. A thin line of drool was escaping from the corner of Arthur’s mouth.
Alex suppressed a smile. He understood the reaction. To martial artists who had spent their lives struggling toward power, the promise of instantly wielding star realm energy was almost too much to process.
He announced. "This suit will belong to the person who can synchronize with it most completely within six hours. The more monsters you kill while wearing it, the faster your synchronization will grow. I will give everyone an opportunity to try."
Elyndros tore his gaze away from the suit. He asked. "Everyone? You an..."
Alex clarified. "I an everyone in this room. My father will receive the second star suit. But the remaining candidates will be chosen based on rit, potential, and synchronization ability. I have changed my original plan. Now I want to give everyone a chance."
"But understand this. The suit does not grant wisdom. It does not grant experience. It grants power, nothing more. A child with a nuclear weapon is still a child. You must be ready for what this ans.
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