LBF Chapter 28 The Spark

A song played, the lights from the hanging lights dimmed down and a spotlight lit up above a flight of stairs where two lifeforms were standing, a male and a female.

Damien looked over but the soothing song tugged more at his heartstrings than the party at the top of the stairs. He felt as if he was back on Earth lazing around on a carpet of grass beneath a tree on a sunny day, with someone, probably a lover by his side. Though the illusion of the lover had a blurry face. It seemed like he didn't have someone in mind yet.

'What a good song!' He thought as his eyes finally focussed on the two on the stairs. Silver had also temporarily forgotten about the questions she had been about to ask. All the clamor in the room vanished upon the sound of music as the people took it in. Some even bobbed their heads along to the music.

Of the two the spotlight was focussed on, one was a middle aged man with a tuft of a beard growing from under his chin. He had a large face, meticulously climbed hair and a grin on his face. It contained all of his arrogance. He was wearing a white suit. He had brown hair and brown eyes with light colored skin. He had a very big smile plastered onto his face, but it seemed genuine, not faked in the slightest.

One of his arms was accompanying the hand of another. It was a woman whose entire demeanor matched the tune of the song. She was dressed in a black gown contrasting with the white suit of the man in a very good way. She had the same eye and hair color as the man and a smile filled with warmth adorned her face. For a split second, all the people in the hall were mesmerised by her soothing temperament. It was probably a result of her nascent divinity, just like the warmth that radiated off that woman, Musana.

'Wow! This woman is...' Damien lacked the words to comment. The woman wasn't a beauty capable of taking down nations, or causing war, but her face had a homely feeling to it. She was someone whose entire self radiated a soothing feeling.

"I thank you all for coming to my daughter's 500 year birthday." The man said as he made it down the stairs, his daughter's hand in his, acting like an escort. The two took their time to make it down the stairs, after which they were crowded by the various people in the hall. Those with the highest status stood closer while those with negligable status stood on the periphery.

Damien didn't join in, instead he stayed by his wall.

"So, what is that woman planning?"

"Tch!" He clicked his tongue at the question. He had forgotten that a certain unwanted acquaintance was still at his side.

"Why do you want to know? It isn't that important." Damien finally turned to her, stared into those diamond like pupils and said seriously.

'I need to chase her away. I don't want her to give me away.' He thought.

"Besides, you should focus on what you came here to do. Forget that I exist for a moment." Damien picked up a glass of wine from a passing server, downing the drink in one shot. He ignored the burning feeling as the wine made its way down his throat.

"Do you want me to expose you? I don't believe Nino will be thrilled to know that you have ties to the goddess." Silver said with slight amusement in her tone.

"I thought you hated all outsiders. That makes me wonder why you are talking to me as if we are close friends." Damien posed a question of his own, his face having shifted to spot a toothy grin, radiating confidence. He wanted to give the feeling that there was no way her threats would work.

'It doesn't really matter if I am exposed. I will just go to another domain or something.'

"I HATE outsiders...that is a fact. Even being near you here feels me with disgust. But currently its important I know why you are here." Silver said, the grinding of her teeth audible in his ears. His smirk must have tucked her off, but since she was raised as a noble, she wouldn't resort to fighting him over it. That would lower her reputation in front of the fellow nobles. Reputation was important after all.

"I am just Nino's guest." Damien answered, the smirk still plastered onto his face. Silver, upon seeing that she couldn't pry anything from his lips sighed and moved towards the crowd of people surrounding the host.

'All the people here must be big shots of their respective domains, so why would they come here just for a birthday banquet? There must be something important that will go down here.' Damien narrowed his eyes while putting both his hands in his pockets. He proceeded to gaze at the crowd as they gave congratulations to the man and his daughter. He could even pick out those that were trying to flirt with the woman. They must have found out she was single, but he was sure that they would probably not gain anything.

'She is experienced. Growing up in this city must have given her that. There is no way she will date those whose status is beneath hers. Those with a higher status aren't desperate enough.' He saw many of those with powerful backgrounds not even caring to give the woman a second look.

"Now, that woman..."

'Will she expose me, or let it go for a bit longer?' He wondered as his gaze fell upon Silver who was being given way as she made her way to the front.

----

The festivities continued for multiple hours with even a cake bearing 500 candles being brought out. Now, after those few hours, the guests were seated in a hall. The hall was wide enough to accommodate everyone and they were waiting for their host to arrive while making small talk. The man himself had been the one to notify all his guest to head to this hall after the festivities.

It was night, and the white walls scattered the light the fell onto them from the ceiling into the hall. Damien, like the rest was occupying a seat. It was a front seat with Nino at his left and Silver at his right. Nino was chatting with an acquaintance while he just simply sat there, taking in all the clamor in the room. Silver was the same, she appeared to not be in the mood to chat with anyone considering the many who had tried and failed to strike up a conversation.

The seats were comfortable enough but Damien was starting to get bored. They had been here for about 23 minutes if he was tracking the time right.

'Stupid nobles and their quirks!' He cursed inside.

"Okay, now who would be so kind as to tell me why you are here?" The man abruptly appeared on the raised platform in front. He was still in the same white suit, except his daughter was nowhere in sight. He even managed to sense some who had tried to woo her, showing looks of dissapointment.

"Because we were invited of course! Are you joking?" One of those lesser brats shouted back, laughing as if the question was the funniest in the world. Even the other lesser guests laughed along with him. Damien and those occupying the front row seats didn't think that though.

'Oh!' Damien narrowed his eyes. He felt both Silver and Nino transitioning into coldness by his side. The man's opening words had gained the hostility of those on the front.

"No no no, you are mistaken..." The man pocketed both hands and shook his head. His steps were filled with confidence, and the gaze that he directed towards the crowd gave the impression that he was looking down on them. The same wide smile was plastered on his face...he probably had the belief that he held the power in his hands at the moment.

"You came here because you want something from me, not because it was my daughter's birthday, or because you were invited. There is no way you would have shown up otherwise..." One of his hands scratched at the side of his forehead.

"We synthesizers are currently the most sought after profession here in this city, something which brings a smile to my face. Even you, those who would have been above me are currently seating obediently, waiting for my reveal...hahahahaha..." The man laughed by himself. Even those with the slowest brains could work out that he was mocking them. His cheeks bounced with each laugh.

'He either has guts, or is stupid.' Damien shook his head. If this wasn't Pantheon, he would have been disgraced the next day, even if he is a demigod. People had to be treated with a certain measure of respect in public after all.

"Now, let's get to the topic of why you are all here. You must have received information that I have been able to synthesize something..." Even though the man had insulted them before, everyone perked up, waiting for him to say what it was.

"Well...my colleague, a few days back announced that we synthesizers had had a massive breakthrough about something related to the god path. I am pleased to say that we have succeeded in replicating something capable of functioning like the God fruit, though a bit weaker..."

"...first, I will explain how a God fruit works. A God fruit upgrades the calculation area of the brain to quantum levels temporarily... Its still a speculation, but we think that that's what it does. That upgrade allows the lifeforms to be able to simulate all the various ways a seventh string can be merged with the six stringed nascent divinity, there by, finding a solution within a short period of time." The man's words had hooked Damien.

'So that's how it all works! That means that basically you try all the possible permutations in an instant. I have to fight for it!' He clenched his fists hard, though his face remained passive.

"Our product does that too but on a much lower scale. It works over time for about a hundred years...also, it can try out only 3 times more permutations than a demigod can in a second. The advantage it has is that it works even without actively meditating."

The man finished. Even though he had started with insults, he seemed passionate when talking about the product. He loved his profession, Damien observed.

"What do you all think? Fascinating, isn't it?" The man asked as he turned his glittering eyes back onto the crowd.

"How much are you going to sell it for? How does the object look like? And how many do you have?" Silver asked the three most important questions.

"First, the object resembles a fruit, and if you are thinking of robbing me, it isn't here at all but back in my workshop. Second, the price won't be stated, instead it will be an auction. For the third question, we have so far only managed to produce two." The man answered all the questions, raising up two fingers at the last.

As he finished, a murmur spread through the crowd. Most were interested in the fruit, who wouldn't be? That was a chance to reach godhood, no matter how slim it may be!

Damien himself was tempted to ask for the location to the man's lab so that he could steal it, but held those thoughts in check. So far, he hadn't yet sparred with a demigod from this city. The resources they had might prove to give them the edge they need to best him. It would be better if he didn't act before figuring out how really powerful they were.

"Now, go back and gather funds, this might be the chance for a clan to rise, or for a clan to gain two gods." The man said stocking their desire. Damien caught him with a stupid grin on his face.

'Does he want chaos to reign?' He asked himself. 'The fruits shouldn't have any problems, but it is going to be a bloodbath. Even if someone wins the auction, there is no guarantee that they will be the final owner of the fruit.' Damien saw it all, the subtle looks of vigilance that the people in the crowd had started giving each other.

----

After the banquet, Damien was once again seated beside Nino as they made their way back. Silver for some reason hadn't exposed him to Nino which left him with a lingering question. The car window had rolled down and he was enjoying the night breeze. Nino seemed to be deep in contemplation which suited Damien just fine. For some reason he felt calm. After that reveal he had thought that greed would have taken over his mind, but it was calm. It was as if the fruits didn't matter. It was probably because he knew that he wouldn't be able to afford them. The auction was going to be there two weeks later. It would be close to Nina's coronation if he was calculating it right.

'It looks like I made it to Pantheon city at just the right moment. Three new gods might rise in this generation. Hehehehe...turmoil is coming and it will start with that auction. Hmmm...there will definetly be demigods fighting. I need to take a look and see for myself what makes them better than me.' His heart started racing in excitement at the coming event.

"What do you think of this, Blood?" Nino's question caused him to come of his musings.

"What exactly are you talking about?" Damien asked.

"This situation. Its as if someone wants chaos here. The auction is going to be held in the Purple domain, blood is going to be shed, even we the rulers might not come out unscathed."

'Oh, he's clever.' Damien gave him some points.