Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Encountering the Serpent People
Charles did not answer Celestine's question. Time passed quickly, and by the time the Seven Kingdoms Merchant Association auction concluded, it was around eight o'clock in the evening.
Charles ignored Celestine's hints and headed straight back to Cyber Academy.
Now he needed to train diligently and make the most of his time to enhance his strength for the "Reaper's Scythe" challenge in the Genosha underground octagonal cage!
It had been 28 hours since he obtained the diamond-quality mystical beast egg, and there were still 36 hours left until it could be completely hatched.
To be honest, Charles was quite curious, this was his first time hatching a diamond-quality mystical beast egg. He had no idea what kind of mystical beast would emerge once it successfully hatched or what its initial level would be.
Since it was a diamond-quality mystical beast egg, it should have a higher level than the one that Mousie had when it first hatched, right?
That would save a lot of time in leveling up, and time was something very important to Charles.
Back in the training room, Charles adjusted the weight of the Overlord Heavy Armor once again.
He was now adapting at an impressive speed, basically needing only a day to fully acclimate to the new weight.
Perhaps it wouldn't be long before the weight of the Overlord Heavy Armor could no longer enhance his physical abilities.
At that point, if he wanted to continue improving his physique and increase his strength, he would need to find other methods.
"Sometimes, going too fast isn't a good thing. It feels like I won't be able to use this newly acquired orange-quality equipment for long." Charles thought to himself.
Thankfully, the Overlord Heavy Armor had decent defensive capabilities, so even if it could no longer help improve his physical attributes, it wouldn't be completely useless.
After finishing his training, an exhausted Charles stepped out of the training room and encountered Hale, who was waiting nearby.
"Mr. Hale, is there something you need?" Charles asked first.
Hale had specifically come here to wait for him, so there must be something important going on.
Charles could also guess that Hale had been standing at the training room door to avoid disrupting his training.
"Charles, the Robinson family contacted me again tonight. They want to apologize to you tomorrow afternoon at the most luxurious restaurant in Genosha Calivia." Hale said.
He didn't want to deal with the Robinson family, when he severed ties with them, he had nearly lost all interest in the family.
Unexpectedly, the Robinson family had sought the help of an elder who had always treated Hale well, asking that person to request Hale's assistance, which he couldn't refuse. That's why he had come to find Charles.
Charles recalled what Colton had told him that night regarding Hale's past experiences.
"That's fine, Mr. Hale. I can make time tomorrow afternoon." Charles initially agreed, then asked:
"Mr. Colton once mentioned some things about your past. Can you tell me about it, Mr. Hale?"
Upon hearing Charles' words, Hale froze in place. His eyes fell to the ground, lost in thought about something.
After a long moment, Hale finally spoke, "I once had a serious conflict with my family over a person, and afterward, I lost everything and became what I am now."
Hale's words were vague, clearly indicating that he did not wish for anyone to know what had happened in the past, nor did he seem eager to reflect on it.
Charles could sense the disappointment and despair in the person standing before him.
When people recall their past pains, it is usually accompanied by feelings of resentment, regret, and sorrow, but Hale was different.
Charles sighed. He chose not to ask any more questions. The current Mr. Hale showed no fighting spirit, he had completely given up on everything.
"Mr. Hale, just tell me when you're ready to share. Maybe I can help you." Charles offered as a form of comfort.
Hale looked up, somewhat grateful for Charles' words, and replied, "Thank you, but even Uncle Ezra couldn't accomplish that, so I've stopped thinking about it."
"Even things that Mr. Ezra can't do?"
Was it related to the curse on Hale? A curse that could cause a legendary-quality mystical beast to fall to platinum quality must be incredibly difficult to lift.
However, if there's a way, the information prompts in front of Charles could provide corresponding methods.
It was likely that he couldn't see it now due to his current strength, just as when he first met Ezra, most of the information he could see was marked with question marks.
"Not being able to do it now doesn't mean there's no hope for the future." Charles thought.
He hesitated to discuss the curse.
Otherwise, Hale would surely wonder how he knew about it, especially since no one had mentioned this matter to Charles. This was also one of the reasons Charles had asked Hale about his past.
After bidding farewell to Hale, Charles returned to his dormitory.
It was already quite late. During this period, Charles had been getting very little sleep each day, but thanks to the good physical condition of a Beast Master, he was managing.
"It seems I need to find some time to relax, otherwise, it might affect my overall state." Charles contemplated.
He planned to take a good rest after completing his self-created combat techniques.
The next day at noon,
The members of the Robinson family had arrived early at the most luxurious restaurant in Genosha Calivia. To show their sincerity, they had even booked an entire floor to ensure no one would disrupt the midday meeting.
Even with the financial power of the Robinson family, they wouldn't be willing to book the entire restaurant, the amount of gold required would make them feel the strain!
Soon, Charles' figure appeared at the entrance of the restaurant, where Lance Lin, the head of the Robinson family, was personally waiting to greet him.
At first, Lance Lin's brother, Shane Lin, felt it was unnecessary for the head of the Robinson family to welcome Charles, it seemed a bit embarrassing.
To his surprise, Lance Lin directly stated, "Have you forgotten the day Ezra appeared over the Robinson family? The scene from that day is something I'll never forget. What's embarrassing about it? As long as the Robinson family is safe, everything else is trivial."
"Mr. Charles, thank you very much for accepting the Robinson family's invitation. I've booked the entire third floor of the restaurant, and the lunch banquet will begin shortly." Lance Lin said first.
Charles nodded calmly. He wasn't here today just to eat, he had come to accept the Robinson family's apology, after all, it was the Robinson family that had made the initial mistake.
Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted inside the hall of the restaurant.
" Blackrock! As a member of the chaotic army, how dare you come to Genosha Calivia seeking help?" A raspy voice rang out.
"Bullshit! You are the chaotic army! We are fighting for the peace of all of Atacama! It's people like you who have kept Atacama in a state of constant turmoil!" someone retorted.
Charles looked toward the hall and saw two cloaked figures arguing with each other, about to come to blows.
He originally didn't care much about these matters, but upon hearing the word "Atacama." he took a closer look and noticed an information prompt appear before him:
[Name]: Blackrock
[Race]: Serpent
[Age]: 32
[Level]: Lv44
[Attributes]: Wind/Poison
...
[Name]: Uda
[Race]: Serpent
[Age]: 28
[Level]: Lv47
[Attributes]: Wind/Poison
...
Serpent People?
No wonder Atacama was mentioned, that is Aria's hometown!
Thinking of this, Charles recalled the image of the young girl, dressed in a purple silk gown, her face veiled with sheer fabric, her eyes shimmering with an enchanting hue, like a fairy stepping out of an ancient painting, radiating an exotic charm.
There was also Joshua, who taught him the "Eighty-One Hammer." gifted him with "Joshua's Remnant." and helped him through a crisis. These two Serpent People had been quite helpful to Charles!
So, Charles stepped forward, wanting to ask the arguing Serpents in the hall if they knew anything about Aria and Joshua.
To his surprise, Lance Lin beat Charles to it and entered the hall, exuding the authority of a superior. He shouted, "Enough! Everyone quiet down! If you want to make a scene, take it outside!"
The two Serpents immediately calmed down. One of the Serpents quickly walked up to Lance Lin, visibly pleased, and said, "Honorable head of the Robinson family, I bring greetings from Atacama and the Li Tribe. I wonder if you've made a decision regarding our earlier discussions?"
Lance Lin recognized the Serpent before him, and with a somewhat more normal attitude, replied, "Uda, rest assured, the Robinson family will notify you as soon as there's a result."
Upon hearing Lance Lin's words, the Serpent named Blackrock quickly approached as well, speaking respectfully, "I represent the legitimate Serpent power, the New Nation, and send you our regards. Please do consider a partnership with the New Nation!"
Hale frowned. He knew that two Serpents had come to Genosha Calivia, each belonging to two opposing factions. Both were looking to collaborate with the major families of Genosha to purchase weapons and equipment at a low price, along with miracle drugs.
In exchange, these Serpents would provide unique materials from the Atacama Desert, as well as gold coins.
The Robinson family was not interested in the New Nation. This was a newly emerged faction that was not well regarded.
"Sorry, the Robinson family will only collaborate with powerful tribes, even if we were to work with Serpents." Lance Lin stated bluntly.
Uda, from the Li Tribe, immediately displayed an excited expression. He turned to the opposing faction's Blackrock and said, "Did you see that? No one believes in you chaotic forces! What is this New Nation? What of the Serpent Queen's bloodline? You will always be cursed!"
Blackrock instantly became furious. Insulting him was one thing, but insulting Her Majesty, the queen who led the New Nation into battle, was absolutely unacceptable!
"I challenge you to a duel! Her Majesty will bring peace to Atacama, and that is a certainty!" Blackrock roared in anger.
Uda's eyes brightened. He knew Blackrock's strength, and agreeing to the duel at this moment was a great opportunity to eliminate him!
Before he could respond, the previously quiet Charles suddenly spoke up, "Wait a moment, I have some questions I'd like to ask."