Chapter 33 - The Shadowed Fang
"Three days ago, I was just an Awakener with a rank-F spear talent," Atlas began. At that moment, the room was still filled with scattered chatter. Clearly, they weren’t paying him much attention.
Atlas gritted his teeth and repeated his words, louder this time.
"My other abilities? Useless in combat. Barely scraping by with B and C ranks. I was trash. No. I was trash among the trash."
This time, the room grew quiet. Eyes locked on him. Was it curiosity? Doubt? Maybe even disdain. After all, who cared about a so-called trash Lord? They were likely here just to find work, not to hear the sob story of someone who barely scraped through awakening.
"But tonight," he pressed on, "that so-called ’trash’ spear talent, rank-F? It’s now rank-B. And I’ve awakened a new, superior rank-S talent. Those pathetic B and C skills? They’ve evolved into rank-A."
The change was subtle but undeniable. The crowd was listening now, and the quiet skepticism in the air began to shift.
A few people began to murmur again, some clearly wanting to speak. But Atlas raised his hand slightly, a calm yet commanding gesture that kept them quiet.
"Not only that," he said, motioning to the figures seated behind him, "I also have people I trust at my side. And yes. I summoned them myself."
He gestured to Karian, the most imposing of them all.
"You’re welcome to challenge K, the Dragon Warrior, one-on-one. Any of you. He won’t even break a sweat."
He looked back out at the crowd.