Elder Gustav and Jamal's 2 uncles' expressions turned ugly as they knew that they were in for a lot of trouble, everyone outside was in heat of their emotions.
If this situation wasn't handled properly, it would end up in absolute tragedy for them, maybe even the whole clan.
Jamal's father had no doubt that the clan leader would sacrifice them if the current situation continued.
Jamal stumbled backwards as he was made aware of the vast gulf between them.
The words that were spoken just now were clearly made up on the spot, as it was a response to his venomous words.
At that moment the sound of a loud chime, a gong sound resonated inside the room and all the inner elders immediately stood up to deeply bow.
"The clan leader has arrived." announced a guard as a dignified, middle-aged man walked to the front of the hall and sat at a throne made of gold, inlaid with gems of different colors.
He had a strong and powerful presence and he looked quite imposing, dressed in an exquisite robe adorned with fine details, his aura was unlike the aura of the other elders.
It was to the point where Jamal and his lackeys had to keep themselves from trembling on the spot as this was their first time meeting the clan leader.
They even tried to stand taller, as if that would make them look less dumb.
However, Gray remained unaffected. In his past life, he had been one of the wealthiest people on Earth, having met and befriended numerous figures of authority, he was no newbie at this.
'The system wasn't lying, the small rock I got last night really does kind of look like the sect leader…'
He remembered the useless rock he got from the Black Market Lottery System last night.
As his [Threat Assessment Scanner] locked onto the new arrival, the numbers that appeared above the Clan Leader's head temporarily made Gray's mind go blank.
[Power Level: 72 Million]
[Intimidate: 72 Billion SC]
[Defeat: 720 Billion SC]
[Kill: 7.2 Trillion SC]
'72 Million?' Gray's internal composure shattered.
His past life experience with "figures of authority" was rendered completely meaningless. Those were just men with money and influence.
This one was a being who could likely turn him to dust with a single hand.
A moment after the clan leader arrived, two women who had veils over their faces walked in from the door that the clan leader arrived from, they then sat at two chairs beside the clan leader.
Their demeanor and grace was something that could only be seen in noble families from his previous life.
'Who are they?' Gray wondered, his eyes instinctively drawn to them.
He tried to scan the two of them, however, what he saw made his eyes go wide in shock.
The familiar blue text flickered erratically before displaying a string of numbers that defied comprehension.
[Power Level: ERROR, SYSTEM LEVEL TOO LOW]
[Intimidate: 999 Trillion]
[Defeat: 9.99 Quadrillion]
[Kill: 99.9 quadrillion]
[Power Level: ERROR, SYSTEM LEVEL TOO LOW]
[Intimidate: 999 Quadrillion]
[Defeat: 9.99 Quintillion]
[Kill: 99.9 Quintillion]
Gray felt the breath leave his body. He was no longer looking at people; he was looking at gods.
Even intimidating these two were as difficult as ascending to the heavens!
If the Clan Leader was a natural disaster, these two were living galaxies. He suddenly understood the nervous tension radiating from the man on the throne.
As someone who understood body language, Gray could see the Clan Leader's stiffness. But now, with the System's data, he knew why. The most powerful man in the clan was sitting next to two beings who could likely erase the entire clan from existence.
"The Anarkin Clan welcomes our honorable guests," said an inner elder, bowing a perfect 90 degrees towards the two women, far more reverently than he had for his own leader.
The other elders, confused, did not follow suit.
"I apologize on behalf of everyone here, esteemed guests." The Clan Leader stood up, his voice dignified but strained, and gave a deep bow to the women.
"Everyone, show respect! Let me introduce to you, this is Matriarch Zareena, and Lady Ziye. They are the Anarkin Clan's most important guests."
But even before the Clan Leader's command had fully registered with the stunned crowd, one person had already moved.
Gray, understanding the terrifying power of these two women, immediately executed a deep, perfect bow.
This wasn't a time for pride or a delinquent's ego. In a world with beings whose power could break reality, showing respect wasn't a choice; it was a survival instinct.
The rest of the hall, including the other Inner Elders and a gawking Jamal, hesitated for a fraction of a second.
Only after seeing Gray's swift, decisive action did they hastily follow suit, a clumsy wave of bows rippling through the room.
The two women, who had been observing the room with detached boredom, both noticed the one youth who had acted instantly.
Matriarch Zareena's eyes, visible above her veil, crinkled with amusement and satisfaction.
She recognized the interesting boy from before, and his keen perception was even more impressive than his cunning.
Her veiled smile widened, and she gave him a small, almost imperceptible nod of approval.
Even the cold and serious Ziye was slightly impressed. She saw his action not as fearful submission, but as a sign of a sharp mind that could accurately assess a dangerous situation.
Her sharp gaze softened for a moment, and she offered a subtle nod of her own.
'Important guests?' Gray thought to himself as he held his bow. 'That's the understatement of the millennium.'
"It's alright, everyone, please rise." a melodious, yet cheerful voice resounded through the hall.
Everyone was stunned at how such a simple phrase sounded so beautiful, and caused a soothing and warm feeling in their hearts, it felt like they were being embraced by their mother after getting bullied as a child.
Matriarch Zareena smiled nonchalantly at their reactions, obviously, she was used to the stunned reactions people would have after hearing her voice for the first time.
The only exception was a handsome teenager who was amongst the people in the center of the room, he wasn't fazed at all by her voice.
She recognized the young teenager as the interesting kid at the Martial Techniques Area yesterday, however, she didn't make any obvious moves which might indicate she was aware of this, only her eyes flashed with a glimmer of surprise before returning back to normal.
The inner elders in the hall also rose back to standing position but still had an expression of reverence and awe when they looked at the two beautiful veiled women.
Gray had seen his fair share of beautiful women in his previous life, through the internet, he had seen some of the most beautiful celebrities in the world which would be able to topple kingdoms even in this world,
Although the two women in front of him were extremely beautiful and had a transcendent charm that women on Earth didn't have, he wasn't going to be absolutely gobsmacked like the other people in this room.
"Now then, we are here today for an important hearing regarding a certain incident. As per clan rules, any incident involving murder or attempted murder with sufficient evidence will be judged by at least nine inner clan elders.
"As this case involves a few inner clan elders, several talented inner clan members, and one of the most talented outer clan members, the clan leader will personally oversee the hearing to ensure fairness and accuracy."
"This hearing will also be open for the entire clan to view, for the sake of transparency."
The inner elder nearest to the front announced this. He was the same one who had greeted the two gorgeous women earlier, clearly holding a high status among the inner elders.
"Let us begin."
At that moment, Gray received a notification from the system.
[New Quest: Authority Defiance!]
Objective: Publicly defy the authority of high-status individuals.
Reward: Rewards will be given depending on how many authorities are defied, the system will judge your reward after the event.
'This mission… interesting.'
It was an exciting mission, however, he had to be careful, as offending any of the people in this room could result in an early death.
…
The hall was still heavy with the presence of the matriarch and her esteemed guest, but Gray could feel the undercurrents of tension beneath the formalities. His sharp eyes flicked to Jamal and his father, Elder Gustav.
Elder Gustav was trying to keep his expression neutral, but Gray could see the slight stiffness in his posture. He was already wary.
This is good.
Jamal clenched his fists, his mind racing. What were they plotting? Why did Gray look so calm?
The Clan Leader's voice boomed, silencing the hall. "Gray Anarkin, you have brought a charge of attempted murder against Jamal Anarkin. The floor is yours. State your case."
Gray stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the council. His voice, when he spoke, was calm, clear, and devoid of emotion, like a scholar reciting a historical text.
"I shall begin," he said. "Three evenings prior, I was returning to the clan through the western forest after a day of personal training. As I passed the old willow tree, I was ambushed by Jamal Anarkin and five of his followers."
A murmur went through the crowd.
"They surrounded me," Gray continued, his voice steady. "Without provocation, they attacked. I was outnumbered and overwhelmed. They beat me until my Spirit Roots shattered and my bones were broken. They did not stop until I lost consciousness. Their intent was clear, it was not a simple beating. It was an attempt to cripple me for life, if not kill me outright."
Gray spoke with pain in his voice.
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "If it wasn't for some kind-hearted adventurers who happened to be passing by and brought my broken body back to the clan, I would have died in that forest."
He finished his testimony and then turned his gaze to Jamal.