Chapter 77: Noble Bloodlines
The evaluation was set to take place in a Cradle Zone controlled by the Citadel, known as the Dominion Arena—a vast open region nestled between the Daewyth Fiefdom and the Shoxa Region. Towering mountain ranges enclosed the area, their jagged peaks forming a natural barrier. At the heart of it all stood the arena, carved from ancient stone, a breathtaking coliseum that had witnessed countless battles.
For security reasons, live biocores were strictly forbidden within the Citadel itself. Any research involving living organisms was conducted exclusively in the Dominion Arena, which housed biocores from rank F to S, harvested from ecosystems across the world. A zoo of biocores—the largest collection of its kind. Access to this region was tightly controlled, and its security measures were among the most stringent in existence.
Magnus sat in one of the lounge rooms, surrounded by hundreds of other Fourth-Year Seeds awaiting the evaluation. He twirled a ring between his fingers, his sharp gaze locked onto the display screens before him, scanning through the live feeds.
"Who are you looking for so intently?"
The interruption came from a familiar voice. He barely lifted his head before returning to his search.
"Why are you bothering me, Lithaa?" he muttered.
The woman beside him grinned, resting a massive war hammer across her lap. "I wasn’t aware the great Gold Family had a new Seed in the Citadel. So, who are you looking for?"
Magnus scoffed. "How is that any of your business, gorilla woman?"
Lithaa’s smirk widened as she ran a hand along the handle of her hammer. "If you can’t have a civil conversation, I don’t mind smashing your head into smithereens."
Magnus leaned back lazily, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You can try. But I’ll blow you to pieces before you even finish that thought."
"Always so violent!"