As Tika led the way, with Raydon trailing behind in silence, they eventually reached a spacious area where the corridor widened. Tika walked to the end of the corridor, where there was a grand wooden door, and gave it a light knock before taking a step back and going into a waiting position.
''Come in. ''
A hushed and subdued voice could be heard coming from the other side of the door. The resonance of the voice was intriguingly low, yet it continued to resound in both of their minds like the distant rumble of thunder.
Tika eased the door open with a light push and indicated for Raydon to go inside. Just as she was about to close the door from the outside, she heard the same voice again.
"Tika, stay and accompany your young master."
Tika was stunned for a moment by the command and didn't understand the reason for it, but she didn't show the discomfort she felt on her face. Instead, she followed Raydon in a manner befitting her poise and elegance, deftly shutting the door behind them, thereby enveloping the room in a cloak of peaceful isolation once more.
When Raydon first walked in, he was greeted by a room that was not as big and imposing as one might anticipate, but rather a routine and formal room with very little ornamentation. The most striking items in the room were the oval table in the middle of the room and the 7 chairs with embroideries on them that represent magnificent and detailed power.
The six chairs all had the same design, and all of them were taken, with the exception of the most impressive chair in the room, which was located at the head of the table and exuded a level of splendor that was unrivaled by the others.
'I think my supposed grandfather is not here. ' Raydon pondered, his eyes fixed on the throne-like chair that was vacant, as he came to the conclusion that the family's patriarch had decided against attending the gathering.
In actuality, Raydon's grandfather was not even aware that this meeting was happening, in contrast to what Raydon thought. Instead, he had isolated himself in order to concentrate on the matches that were in front of him so that he could work his way up through the ranks and become a high-rank.
''It's a good thing that you've finally decided to come. ''
The man seated to the right of the head chair frowned, observing Raydon's composed demeanor as he casually surveyed the room, seemingly indifferent to the presence of those gathered around the table.
This dapper gentleman with slicked-back black hair and dark brown eyes was Cael, Raydon's father.
'It would seem that we should no longer consider him to be an ordinary boy. ' Cael and the other five people seated at the table contemplated while watching Raydon's behavior.
In the beginning, they thought of Raydon as a typical, innocent, and naive young boy who lacked both self-assurance and general life knowledge. After all, they believed that his sheltered upbringing as a result of his crippled mind had left him emotionally and intellectually undeveloped, a mere empty vessel.
Since Raydon's arrival, they have painstakingly devised a series of psychological games for him with the goal of increasing the strain on his already fragile mind, rendering him more susceptible to manipulation, and ultimately making it simpler for them to exert their authority over him.
However, to their utter astonishment, Raydon stood before them with an aura of serenity and self-assurance, seemingly unaffected by the presence of these influential individuals who held the power to shape his destiny with a mere utterance. In addition to this, one needs only catch a fleeting glimpse of Raydon's eyes to recognize the resolute determination and unyielding strength that radiated from the very core of his being.
'He also appears to have altered his body with a body enchantment. He must have received it as a gift.' Cael thought.
It was clear that Raydon was no longer a malnourished teenager based on the appearance of his body, which was no longer emaciated and instead appeared to be healthy and athletic. In addition, the fact that both his hair and eyes have a pattern that is a shade of gray is evidence that he has altered his body through the use of a body enchantment.
However, regardless of how closely Cael and the others examined Raydon, they continued to believe that the body enchantment was a present from his high-rank master. They did not believe that Raydon was capable of defeating a region boss in an F-Rank match or collecting enough gold coins to purchase one.
In fact, item holders of Cael and others' caliber possessed the instincts to discern the strength that resided within other item holders merely by laying their gaze upon them, and they should have felt the immense power emanating from Raydon's elevated stats and his title's formidable sub-skills.
Yet, who was Raydon? He was an individual who had achieved mastery over all classes in the realm of VRMMORPGs during his previous existence. Having honed his techniques across various classes and acquired unparalleled expertise, he had garnered the esteemed title of "God of the Game World" from the entire global community.
Thus, he possessed the inherent ability and technique to conceal the immense power that surged within him from the discerning senses of others. Aside from that, the technique he had developed to control his aura was another reason why he was able to subdue and conceal the power that was emanating from his body.
ραпdα---nᴏνa| сom Raydon was able to sense and control the mana that flowed through his soul and body thanks to his aura technique. This gave him the ability to hide or materialize his presence at will, which meant that he could now even hide his presence from someone who was more powerful than himself.
Naturally, he was unsure of how effective this technique would be against item skills that could gauge his strength, but no one in the room would bother or need to use such an item skill on someone who had only been awakened as an item holder for a little over a week.