Everyone in the hall was stunned that Julius had greeted Vermillion IV in such a casual way. No one had ever dared to speak to him like that.
Marcus spoke in an angry voice:
"Watch your mouth, kid."
Julius shot back with a taunting smirk:
"What are you gonna do about it?"
Marcus drew his sword and swung at Julius—a wide, horizontal slash.
"Wind Shield."
A small barrier of wind formed in front of Julius, easily stopping the strike.
"Wind Blade."
Julius countered with a short burst of wind magic, but Zhou Rui stepped forward and destroyed the blade effortlessly with a single downward chop of his hand.
Then, the man sitting on the throne finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable weight:
"Enough."
"Mr. Programmer, you are our guest. I apologize on behalf of my general in command and my lieutenant general."
Marcus protested:
"My lord, you don't have t—"
Vermillion interrupted sharply:
"Enough, Mr. Marcus. That is not how we treat our guest."
Julius mocked with a crooked grin:
"You have nice hospitality, Vermillion IV."
Marcus, trembling with rage, shouted:
"You insolent foo—"
But before he could finish, the temperature in the entire hall suddenly spiked to an unbearable heat.
To approach the throne, one had to climb a staircase, guarded by twenty NPCs—ten on each side. Among them were three sword wielders, two spear users, five mages, five with battle axes, and five archers. Except for the mages and archers, everyone was clad in full metal armor.
Within seconds, the heat became so oppressive that even Zhou Rui was drenched in sweat, struggling to breathe. Marcus looked like he might collapse.
He fell to one knee facing Vermillion IV and stammered:
"Lord Vermillion, I am very sorry for my childish words."
Instantly, the heat dissipated, returning the air to normal. Vermillion, who hadn't sweated at all, gave a small smile:
"Very well, Marcus."
Julius took a step forward, walking straight toward Vermillion.
Everyone's eyes followed him.
TAP TAP TAP
Each of his steps echoed across the hall. Now he was only ten steps from the base of the stairs, standing between the ranks of guards.
He kept walking, his gaze locked with Vermillion's.
TAP TAP TAP
At last, he reached the foot of the stairs. He lifted his right leg to place it on the first step—
Vermillion's voice cut through the air:
"Stop, Mr. Programmer. You are our guest, but if you even set foot on these stairs, I cannot guarantee your safety. And if I'm not mistaken, the cooldown on your Maiden Gacha hasn't completed yet, has it?"
Julius froze.
"Maiden Gacha? But how do you know about that?"
He couldn't understand how an NPC knew such details. His voice betrayed his unease:
"How?... How do you know?"
Vermillion tilted his head slightly, smiling.
"Do you really want to know?"
He rose from his throne and slowly descended the stairs, speaking as he came closer:
"You see, Mr. Programmer. There are many answers we want from you—and I think there are some answers you want from us. So why don't we cooperate and work together? It will benefit us both."
Now he stood one step above Julius, towering over him.
Julius looked him in the eye and said:
"Very well. I will cooperate."
Vermillion gave a warm smile and clapped once:
"That's more like it. You must be tired after your battle with Wilhelm. Why don't you rest a while?"
Julius frowned.
"How do you also know about Wilhelm?"
"I told you—rest for now. We can have our questions and answers later."
Vermillion placed both hands on Julius's shoulders. Their eyes locked in an unspoken challenge.
Julius jerked his arms, knocking Vermillion's hands away. He turned and said:
"Show me my room."
Vermillion chuckled softly.
"Zhou Rui. Go and show our guest his quarters."
Julius walked toward Zhou Rui, ignoring everyone else in the hall, though he could still hear Vermillion's footsteps climbing back up to the throne behind him.
Zhou Rui spoke evenly:
"Mr. Koruto, please follow me."
He walked ahead, hands clasped behind his back, with Julius trailing silently. As they stepped out of the room, the massive doors creaked shut behind them.
The moment the door closed, Julius smacked it with his right fist, his frustration boiling over.
Zhou Rui turned slightly.
"It's better to control your frustration, Mr. Koruto."
Julius snapped:
"Shut your mouth and just show me my room."
"Very well. Follow me."
Zhou Rui didn't look particularly strong, walking with calm, measured steps, hands still folded behind him.
Something was happening in this world—something hidden, something dangerous.
There were mysteries left to uncover and battles yet to be fought.
And Julius… he was not ready. Not physically. Not mentally.