21 The Murder

In spite of how evident it was, the master of ceremonies still announced: \"Thorn wins!\"

*Clap!!* *clap!!* *clap!!* *clap!!*...!!!

\"Thorn, you are amazing!\"

\"Congratulations! And thanks for the amazing spectacle you showed us!\"

\"Thanks for making the trip and the entry fee totally worth it!\"

On the northern seats.

\"Congratulations, fellow Branch Head, for earning the first, second, and third place.\" Delia Adver congratulated Arger Dal, a faint but sincere smile on her face.

\"Hahaha… Thanks, really thanks, fellow Branch Head. Still, out of the ten participants who made it to the third phase, seven were from your guild.\" He sighed and shook his head. \"If not for consecutive fortuitous strokes of luck there's no way I would have acquired so many incredible talents. In the end, when it comes to management skills, I still can't compete against you at all.\"

\"Given my status, I would be really troubled if my management skills weren't at least this good.\" She replied as a melancholic light flashed through her shining crimson eyes for a short instant.

*Ziiii…!*

The artificial lake soon was once again completely covered by the immense shield shaped platform, and Captain Fou Tre alongside his knights went back to their respective seats.

At the same time, Crok Alch expertly treated the unconscious participants. Thanks to this, one by one, they woke up.

Still exhausted, Thorn wobbled his way toward his seat.

Five minutes later.

Except for Thorn, every other participant was quite depressed. They sat in their seats crestfallen and occasionally sighing in dejection.

There was a stark contrast between them and Rose who, although had most of her face covered, looked so happy it seemed like she was the one who had won the tournament.

Standing on the arena, Lenna Zelu spoke out: \"Thorn, come here to receive your prize.\"

After hearing her call, he proudly stood up and sauntered forward.

Dozens of thousands of eyes fell on him, they showed deep longing and admiration, almost as if looking at a star in the sky.

Thorn was about to climb up the platform when he abruptly stopped in his tracks. The Aura of someone behind him had suddenly disappeared! Frowning, he turned his head back, and asked: \"Has he just now… died?\"

He wasn't the only one who was looking in that direction, every person in the hall was also doing so, but they weren't as calm as Thorn. They all wore grim expressions, and some of them even had involuntarily stood up.

\"S-son!\" A frantic and desperate cry boomed out. It was Ramph Zelu's voice! He immediately burst into motion; and in an instant, he disappeared from the northern seats and then reappeared at the southern seats. He stood blankly in front of Resh Zelu's lifeless body. (My son… my dearest son… my greatest hope…! I know that from time to time you have indulged yourself in lustful pleasures but that was all! On everything else you were perfect! A perfect son! Someone with the potential to bring our family to new heights! This can't be happening… This can't be happening! You were supposed to inherit everything I have! You were supposed to surpass your old dad in the blacksmith art by leaps and bounds! You were supposed to still have hundreds of years to live! How could you just die?! And worse yet, before your old dad?! This isn't happening…!)

Seeing such scene, nobody else dared to move or make the slightest noise.

\"C-Crok Alch, is there something you can do? Please do something!\" Finally, with a trace of madness in his hoarse voice, Ramph Zelu pleaded.

*Sigh*…

A heavy sigh came out of Crok Alch's mouth, he wasn't unfamiliar with the soul-breaking pain a parent would feel in the face of losing one's heir. It was something he had personally experienced, after all.

He walked toward the corpse, kneeled down in front of it, and activated his Awakened Skill to analyze it.

After some time of silence, Crok Alch slowly stood up, a grave expression on his face. He gradually stated: \"Resh Zelu's two principal vital organs within his chest–his brain and his heart–have been crushed… It was a murder.\"

After hearing the word 'murder', Ramph Zelu's aura became chaotic; this alone caused the floor of the entire mansion to shake, and the air to tremble. His pentagon shaped pitch-black smoke was so altered it didn't seem like smoke anymore but pitch-black threads. Irradiating an invisible pressure filled with rage, he quietly swept his vision through the faces of every present individual, and ordered: \"Everybody, don't move until the culprit is found.\" He then turned his body toward Thorn and accused pointing at him: \"Especially you! You are the most suspicious! Your understanding degree and your Wind Element Awakened Skill make you the only person capable of doing this in front of everyone!\"

Gasps of shock echoed out as the public understood that Ramph Zelu's words were actually very reasonable.

\"You have to be the first one to prove its innocence!\" The disconsolate parent demanded.

Thorn unhesitatingly decided to cooperate: \"Okay.\"

As soon as that word fell, his eyes began to shine, and a connection between his soul and Ramph Zelu's materialized.

Feeling in his very soul that Thorn wouldn't be able to deceive him, Ramph Zelu sternly asked: \"Do you know who the murderer of my son is?\"

\"I have no idea. I don't even know anyone who had desires or reasons to kill him.\" Thorn answered in a way that made his innocence clear.

\"I see… Well, then, would you use your Racial Skill to help me interrogate every single attendee of this tournament?\" Ramph Zelu asked in a tone that didn't allow a 'no' for answer.

\"I'll definitely help you.\"

\"Good!\" Ramph Zelu exclaimed, satisfied with Thorn's quick response.

Thorn then moved onto the platform, and was about to start with his task; but just before he could do that, he heard Rose's whisper in his ear. At that instant, his eyes lit up; however, he quickly changed such look into a solemn one, and activated his Awakened Skill eyeing the entire western region of the hall.

\"You can all show your thumb up to say 'yes' and thumb down to say 'no'. To discern the truth, that gesture will suffice. Now, you all, allow me to touch your souls.\" Thorn explained and commanded. Afterward, he activated his Racial Skill shocking everyone. Yes, he was using his Soul Linking Gaze on tens of thousands of individuals at the same time!

\"Do you know who Resh Zelu's murderer is?\" He sharply asked.

All the persons who were connected with Thorn's soul showed their own thumb down in unison, it was quite the amazing sight.

Thorn nodded at them, and deactivated his Racial Skill. Turning around, he was now facing the entire eastern part of the hall. This time, he didn't give any explanation or command and directly activated his Racial Skill.

\"Do you know who Resh Zelu's murderer is?\" He once again asked.

And just as the other people, they also showed their own thumb down in unison.

He deactivated his Racial Skill and turned toward the south of the hall, whereupon he did the same. Finally, he turned toward the north to once again do the same.

By the time Thorn ended with the interrogations, people became restless wondering who the culprit or culprits might be.

Thorn, however, had a troubled expression as he turned to face Ramph Zelu.

Only after a long moment of silence and suspense did he inform: \"… Nobody here is the culprit…\"

\"What?! Where did the culprit go then?!\" Ramph Zelu bellowed furiously.

Thorn closed his eyes and sighed shaking his head. His posture was clear 'there's nothing I can do about this'.

Ramph Zelu felt helpless, the only possibility left was that the culprit had long since sneakily escaped.

\"Wait!\" Suddenly, Crok Alch barked, and once again closely examined Resh Zelu's corpse!

\"As I just thought! The culprit is the death grip monster!\" He exclaimed emotionally.

\"What are you talking about?\" Ramph Zelu asked in total confusion.

Crok Alch cleared his throat and began to explain like the professional he was: \"Everybody knows that there are innumerable microorganisms that cause diseases, and that there are also a group of terrific monster microorganisms that cultivate and can inflict extremely rare and dangerous diseases. Well, there is a species of monster microorganisms named death grip monsters. It's one of the rarest monster microorganisms. The important thing is that they can randomly appear practically anywhere, and each of them can only attack a single individual in its lifetime; but the individual once attacked will definitely die! Their victims will have their principal vital organs destroyed as if a griping hand were the attacker; also, some time after the victim dies, the victim's skin will turn slightly yellowish.\" He then pointed at Resh Zelu's skin, which had now a slightly unnatural yellowish tone to it. \"As you can see, Resh Zelu's corpse matches with the characteristics a victim of the death grip monster has.\"

Ramph Zelu staggered over and said with a miserable, trembling voice: \"A-are you telling me that my son's death was caused by the whims of fate…? That there is no one to blame but destiny and that I have to just accept it…?\" He fell to his knees in front of the remains of his beloved son. His pentagon shaped pitch-black smoke began to crumble, and little pieces of it started to fall down. He was crying, in spite of his status, before tens of thousands of eyes.

Yet, nobody dared to look down on Ramph Zelu's pitiful appearance, or thought he was weak; because everybody had sometime, somehow experienced by themselves how brutal destiny could be.