Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 716: The Ceremony I

"So Lana didn’t come?" Daniel glanced around the limousine after stepping inside. Aside from Varnos, the interior was empty.

Well, disregarding the driver who was focused on the road.

"That’s right," Varnos replied instantly. He appeared calm, his expression composed, as if they weren’t potentially heading into a hazardous ritual.

It was evident he had braced himself for whatever might unfold.

"You kept her back?" Daniel sighed while slumping into his seat. The door clicked shut, and the vehicle lurched forward. Their destination lay roughly thirty minutes away.

"It is far too dangerous, and I refuse to endanger her," the guild leader remarked flatly. He had no intention of dragging anyone else to this ceremony.

Daniel was an exception, purely due to his raw strength. Varnos trusted that the young man could handle himself; perhaps his mere presence would even throw the enemy’s schemes into disarray.

Taking Lana along would risk her being captured, injured, or worse. He could bear no such outcomes; if tragedy struck, he preferred to shoulder it alone.

"I imagine she didn’t just accept that," Daniel mused, ultimately agreeing that her absence was for the best. Lana was undeniably strong, a Peak Rank A Awakened, but that wasn’t enough. She lacked the lethality to challenge Rank S foes, making her a liability in such volatile circumstances.

"She didn’t have much choice. I had to lock her away," Varnos sighed. It wasn’t a move he took pride in, but he was left with little recourse.

"I suspect you have a massive headache awaiting you later," Daniel joked, pouring himself a glass of water before taking a sip.

The thirty-minute journey passed in a blink. The area surrounding the Goblin Guild was eerily devoid of traffic. The streets were tranquil and strikingly beautiful.

The structures differed entirely from the rest of the capital, echoing the architectural flair of the Celestial Domain. It was clear this district had been specifically commissioned and constructed by the Goblin Guild.

Daniel could perceive the presence of thousands of arrays woven into the guild’s territory. They were surveillance and informational grids, all serving one distinct goal: the total oversight of the Goblin Guild’s domain to suppress any potential threats.

Upon reaching the parking entrance, they found a sea of luxury vehicles and limousines already gathered.

"It seems quite a few guests arrived," Daniel observed.

"Every Rank S Awakened in the country was sent an invite. Even delegates from top-tier guilds across our borders showed up. Naturally, it’s going to be crowded," Varnos clarified.

While the Goblin Guild wasn’t the preeminent power in the region, it remained an influential heavyweight. Should they secure another Heavenly King, they would surely ascend to be among the region's absolute rulers. From his vantage point, however, that was merely a delusional fantasy for those scoundrels.

"Are they going to cause a scene in front of all these people? That seems unlikely, yet I have a bad gut feeling," Daniel grumbled.

He struggled to conceive how the Goblin Guild intended to provoke them. Frame them? Initiate a smear campaign? Launch an overt assault? A formal challenge from their leader?

Initially, all these seemed plausible, but deeper reflection suggested the probability was nearly zero. The reasoning was simple: too many influential figures were in attendance. The Goblin Guild couldn’t afford even a minor blunder that might offend such guests.

So, what was their actual scheme?

The driver pulled into a spot and held the door open. Once they disembarked, Daniel took a deep breath before turning to inspect the palace-like structure looming behind them. It mirrored the grandeur of royal residences in the Celestial Domain; it was opulent, regal, and vast.

'They harbor grander ambitions than I thought,' he pondered. A guild's true nature is often revealed through its actions, and this palace betrayed their desire to dominate the land.

Varnos strode toward the main entrance. Despite the multitude of guests, the queue moved swiftly as invitations were verified.

Attendants checked credentials, ushering people inside with efficiency.

"Oh? Mr. Alderic? You have no need for such formalities. How could I ever trouble you for an invite?" The attendant bowed low toward the handsome middle-aged man at the front, offering a deferential greeting.

"Haha, pay it no mind. Procedures must be followed, regardless," the man named Alderic replied, clearly relishing the treatment.

"No, no, I wouldn’t dare. Please, proceed inside."

"Very well, thank you," the man said with a smile, walking past without producing any documentation.

Yet, when the next patron stepped forward, they were rigidly forced to show their invitation, with no exceptions granted.

"Who was that?" Daniel asked, feeling a strange curiosity. The man’s face felt familiar, and he emanated an odd aura.

"He leads the White Stars Guild. One of the country's ten most powerful, and an enemy of ours," Varnos whispered.

"That explains the sensation. He uses the Law of Stars. But an enemy? I’ve heard nothing of this conflict."

The strange pull Daniel felt stemmed from the fact that this man cultivated the Law of Stars, just as he did. Daniel recognized that the man had achieved 100% mastery, leaving him significantly more advanced in that field.

"In the public eye, we are rivals, but they aren’t a genuine threat. They possess strength, certainly, but insufficient to jeopardize us seriously."

"Our friction stems mainly from territorial dungeon disputes, but we’ve never resorted to direct violence," the guild leader concluded.

"I see," Daniel nodded. Soon, it was their turn.

Regrettably, despite Varnos being a top-three Rank S powerhouse in the nation, they were not ushered through immediately. They were commanded to present their invitation.

Varnos produced the scroll and handed it over.

To the shock of everyone, the attendant ripped the invitation into pieces and flung them into their faces, a brazen act that left the surrounding crowd frozen in disbelief.

"Do you take me for a fool? It’s plain to see this invitation is a total fabrication!"