Ethan stepped forward and introduced himself first.
"Hello, I am Ethan Velmire, Nova's younger brother. It is nice to meet you," he said, offering a polite smile.
Kevin immediately picked up on the tone. Ethan was not trying to ingratiate himself infront of them; he was speaking as an absolute equal.
"Hello, brother. I am Kevin Ashborn. It is nice to meet you too," Kevin replied with an amused smile.
"I am Diana Windsor. Nice meeting you."
Nova opened her mouth, then closed it, utterly at a loss for words. The younger brother she remembered was a shadow of this person. The gloomy, depressed expression he used to wear constantly had completely vanished.
Was depression weighing him down that much? she wondered, a sudden wave of relief and happiness washing over her heart. Is this his true personality?
Kevin turned to Nova, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Junior sister, your brother is quite remarkable."
"Senior brother, please do not praise him too much. He might become cocky," Nova said with a playful snort, casting a stern look at Ethan.
Kevin could immediately tell that Nova adored her brother, regardless of her sharp tongue.
"Brother Ethan, since this is our first time meeting, and I do not have many items on me right now, please accept this Gene Evolution Fluid," Kevin said. He pulled a small, red glass bottle from his pocket. "Now that you have become a martial student, it can grant you an additional 100 kilograms of strength after reaching pre martial warrior level."
Ethan's eyes locked onto the bottle. "Ah, brother, what was the need for this? You are our precious guest. I am feeling far too shy to accept."
While these polite, nonsensical words were still leaving his mouth, his hand had already snatched the bottle and slipped it safely into his pocket.
Lucas's face started twitching violently at his son's absolute lack of hesitation.
Alexander, the grandfather, suddenly stared intently at the ceiling. "Hmm, I never noticed how beautiful this ceiling is. I really spent quite a lot of money on this hall," he muttered aloud.
Internally, however, the old man was practically vibrating with pride.
"Definitely my grandson! Shamelessness to the absolute peak. I am so proud of him!"
After all, that specific serum was exclusive to the Ashborn family. It was completely absent from the standard market, and even the black market could not source a single drop.
Diana chuckled at the display. "Junior brother, this is a Grade B Regeneration Fluid. Please take this as well."
Ethan's hand blurred like lightning, pocketing the second vial instantly.
"Ah, sister Diana, you are incredibly generous. You are at least ten times better than my own sister," Ethan said with a deadly serious expression.
"Brat, do you want a beating?" Nova barked, though a warm smile remained on her face.
Diana and Kevin exchanged a look. It seemed their small investment had paid of.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the other visiting families and their young heirs were practically suffocating with envy.
"Damn it! Why isn't it us? Why should that trash get such priceless treasures?" they grumbled internally.
The Grade B Regeneration Fluid was invaluable, capable of regrowing lost organs for any warrior at or below the Grade 3 Martial Warrior stage. Furthermore, gaining even 10 kilograms of extra strength was notoriously difficult after reaching the pre-martial warrior level without officially breaking through. Ethan had just pocketed a fortune in seconds.
Seeking to divert the spotlight, a man stepped forward toward Kevin and Diana.
"Young master, young mistress, I am Valen Morningstar. This is my son, Kael Morningstar," he introduced smoothly. "He is already a senior martial student and is on the verge of becoming a pre-martial warrior."
Taking his cue, the representatives of the other powerful families crowded forward, eager to present their own heirs. Kevin and Diana handled the sudden wave of introductions with flawless professionalism, proving they were well accustomed to navigating high-society banquets.
Once the socializing settled down, the feast officially resumed. Lucas leaned in toward Ethan, his voice low.
"Have you succeeded?" he asked, a trace of anxiety in his eyes.
Ethan simply smiled. "Of course, Dad."
"Good, good, good!" Lucas breathed a massive sigh of relief.
Walking briskly to the center of the hall, Lucas raised his glass to command the room's attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today I am proud to officially announce my son as the sole heir of the Velmire clan. Please join me in offering him your best wishes."
Before the applause could even begin, Valen Morningstar stepped forward, a sharp glint in his eye.
"Now that you have announced your heir, why don't we arrange a small tournament to celebrate? Every one of our family heirs can suppress their strength to the junior martial student level to ensure a fair fight against him. What do you say? Young master Kevin and mistress Diana are present to witness it as well."
Lucas and Elizabeth's faces darkened instantly. The trap was obvious: Valen was trying to humiliate Ethan publicly by highlighting that everyone else was vastly stronger than him and had to deliberately hold back.
But before Lucas could decline, Kevin spoke up, thoroughly intrigued. "Oh? A tournament? I like that idea. The winner will gain another Genetic Evolution Serum from me. If Ethan wins, I will personally throw in a Grade C weapon of his choice."
"Well, I will add a Grade B Regeneration Fluid to the pot," Diana chimed in with a sweet smile. "And if Ethan manages to win, he will receive a custom Grade C armor from me."
Kevin teased, "Junior sister is showing off her immense wealth again."
"I am still far behind you, senior brother," Diana countered smoothly.
With the backing of the two prestigious guests, the matter was sealed. The banquet concluded, and the entire crowd relocated to the grand fighting arena of the Velmire clan.
The family leaders murmured among themselves, debating whether to use a lottery system or a standard bracket for the fifteen heirs present.
Suddenly, Ethan leaped onto the central stage. He stood perfectly calm, his hands resting behind his back as his gaze swept over the crowd.
"You can all just come and challenge me directly," Ethan announced, his voice carrying perfectly across the arena. "The one who defeats me will win the Gene Evolution Serum and the Regeneration Fluid I just received. However, there is a catch: you must pay a mandatory entry fee of 2 million credits to challenge me. In return, you do not need to suppress your strength. You can use your full power."
The entire arena fell into a dead, stunned silence.
Lucas froze. Elizabeth blinked in disbelief. Even Alexander stared at his grandson in shock.
What on earth is he thinking?
A collective roar of laughter burst from the visiting families.
"Are you for real?" Kael Morningstar mocked, clutching his stomach.
"Ethan, come down this instant! Do you want to embarrass the family completely?" Nova roared from the sidelines, her face flushing with panic.
But Ethan merely turned his head and gave her a perfectly calm, reassuring smile. The sheer confidence in his eyes caused Nova's voice to catch in her throat, leaving her unable to utter another word.
Seeing this, the Supreme Warriors standing beside Alexander frowned,
"Brother Alex, what exactly is your grandson planning?" one of them whispered.
Alexander could only offer a wry smile, choosing to remain silent and watch the show unfold.
Valen turned to Lucas with a nasty grin. "Lucas, should we proceed exactly as your son has so generously proposed?"
Lucas looked at Ethan. Seeing the unshakeable, calculating expression on his son's face, he let out a long sigh. "Go ahead."
"Fabulous! I would love to go first. Give me your account number right now!" Kael laughed, stepping forward.
"Huh? Why should you get the first turn? I am going first!" another heir shouted.
"Step aside, he is my prey!"
Within seconds, the heirs began quarreling fiercely over who would get the first shot at the easy target. Kevin found the entire spectacle highly entertaining.
"Since everyone wants to go first, why don't you bid for the privilege?" Kevin suggested loudly. "The highest bidder earns the right to fight him first."
"Young master Kevin is truly wise! I bid 3 million credits!" Kael immediately shouted.
Instantly, a chaotic bidding war erupted in the stands.
The members of the Velmire clan felt their faces burning with absolute humiliation. The other families were literally bidding millions just for the chance to beat up their newly appointed heir, treating Ethan like a walking pile of free money.
"Brat, what kind of scheme are you running?" Lucas cursed under his breath, rubbing his temples.
On stage, Ethan caught Kevin's eye and silently gave him a brilliant thumbs-up. His entire foundation of power depended heavily on financial resources; he was thrilled to use this opportunity to milk these arrogant families dry.
Kevin's mouth twitched slightly when he saw the thumbs-up. This kid is a menace, he thought, suppressing a laugh.
After a tense few minutes of back-and-forth bidding, Kael Morningstar emerged victorious, securing the first match with a staggering bid of 10 million credits. Given that the combined value of the serums was around 50 million, he still considered it an absolute steal.
Kael walked onto the arena stage with a triumphant stride, his posture radiating arrogance.
"I am not going to hold back at all, Ethan. Be prepared," Kael sneered.