The hall fell silent for another solid half minute before erupting back into a cacophony of noise.
The topic of conversation, naturally, was Lin Ran...
"My god, what kind of skill was that?!"
"It looked like a spatial tearing ability... and he could unleash it remotely, with a massive range!"
"The most outrageous thing is, he managed to throw out so many of them in quick succession. That's just too broken!"
"And throughout the entire conflict, Lin Ran didn't even move an inch..."
"It seems like this battle was incredibly easy for him!"
"Hahaha, only those guys from Kimchi Country are so blind..."
"Everyone here wanted to test the two Dragon Country participants, but only an idiot would actually step forward!"
"Honestly, if I went back home and told people that a fourth-tier awakened being could instantly kill fifth and sixth-tier awakened beings without breaking a sweat, my buddies would laugh me to death..."
"But yet, that's exactly what happened!"
"Is this the mysterious and fearsome people of Dragon Country... what a truly dangerous nation!"
"..."
Lin Ran's display had utterly stunned them.
They could only marvel at how extraordinary someone with a golden emerald chariot must be.
"Is this the confidence of Dragon Country sending only two people to this competition?"
"What a mysterious and terrifying innate ability... I really want to know its name..."
Arthur took a sip of his drink and turned to Caesar.
Caesar's expression was much more serious:
"So strong! Truly so strong!"
"Just now, I asked myself if I could have handled it better than him..."
"Killing those seven or eight provocateurs wasn't too difficult, I just couldn't have done it while not moving an inch like he did."
"If this young fellow went all out, he might actually have the strength to reach the top sixty-four or top thirty-two!"
"The only pity is that Dragon Country is too overconfident, sending only two people."
"If they had sent seven people like Lin Ran, I wouldn't say top eight, but top sixteen should have been a sure thing."
"What a shame..."
"With only two of them now, they might not even get a chance to fight me."
Arthur chuckled:
"Dragon Country is probably mainly here for them to gain experience, right?"
"But why they didn't equip them with five more teammates, I don't know... even throwing in five random people would have been better."
"Judging by their aura and tier, these two are likely not even twenty-four years old."
"When they reach their late twenties, they might become the main contenders for Dragon Country."
"The future might belong to them, but for now... we old guys will hold onto it firmly."
Caesar nodded:
"So, let's try not to make enemies of them..."
"Youngsters who can control the future are definitely potential stocks worth investing in!"
"When we retire and lead the national team, we'll likely face them at their peak."
"Making friends in advance will make things much easier to talk about then."
"It's just a shame they're such inscrutable people from Dragon Country; trying to cater to their preferences seems quite difficult!"
...
The people present discussed everything imaginable, but not a single word was spoken in defense of those seven or eight individuals from Kimchi Country.
The scenario of weaklings provocatively challenging the strong was a common occurrence every year, and they had witnessed countless fierce conflicts. They were long past being surprised.
However, Lin Ran's methods this time were undeniably brutal, eliminating them all without a trace, making it seem far more domineering.
As observers, they found it utterly exhilarating.
After all, the "thieves" from Kimchi Country were universally disliked, no matter where they were on Earth.
Yet, they themselves remained oblivious, becoming increasingly arrogant and conceited.
One could only say that Lin Ran had indeed dealt with them justly.
Of course, there was one exception.
And that was the other members from Kimchi Country.
Especially Kim Tae-kwang, the captain of their main team, who felt it most acutely.
His sinister gaze fixed on Lin Ran, he almost crushed the wine glass in his hand.
But being the proud person he was, he didn't want to lower himself to confront Lin Ran again. He could only suppress his anger for now, waiting for a new opportunity.
To vent his displeasure, Kim Tae-kwang began scanning the entire hall.
Just then, his attention was caught by a dazzling presence.
A tall, slender figure, a beautiful and dignified face. A classical long dress and hat, predominantly black with gold thread accents, resembling a delicate and elegant black rose.
Especially the fair skin peeking from beneath the black lace embroidery, which was highly evocative.
What a beautiful young lady!
Kim Tae-kwang, considering himself quite handsome, was confident in his own charm.
He smilingly presented a bouquet of roses and courteously approached the young woman:
"Kim Tae-kwang, heir of the Sparkle Family from Kimchi Country, captain of the Kimchi Country main team this year!"
"May I have the honor of asking your name, and perhaps inviting you for a dance?"
With that, he handed over the roses without room for refusal.
However, before the young woman could react, two older men nearby couldn't hold back.
Caesar and Arthur, standing beside him, were both grim-faced, their expressions so dark they seemed about to drip water.
This young woman was Julia, one of the heirs to the throne of the Holy Empire, and Caesar's own sister.
She was also the youngest princess of the Holy Empire.
Caesar had brought her along partly for a tour and to experience exotic foreign sights, allowing her to broaden her horizons beyond the confines of the palace.
Secondly, he wanted her to witness his own heroic battles and be impressed by her elder brother.
But now, being harassed by someone from Kimchi Country was not part of his plan.
As for Arthur...
As Caesar's old friend, he had always harbored secret intentions towards Caesar's sister, but had never succeeded.
One reason was Caesar's constant obstruction, and the other was that Julia genuinely didn't seem interested in him.
This latter point had troubled Arthur, who considered himself unrivaled in appearance, for a very long time.
But now, some scruffy guy who looked far less impressive than him, and whose status, prestige, and strength were even further inferior, was inviting Julia to dance!
How could he possibly accept this?
Especially if Julia accepted, where would Arthur's pride go?