CLEAVER OF SIN Chapter 759: The Gala Venue

Evening quickly arrived, and the atmosphere within the Gentle Hotel was electric. Everyone was excited at the thought of meeting people from other Empires.

Those who were not students of the Star Academy were equally excited. After all, they too were attending the gala, and since the entire Gentle Hotel was dedicated to the people of the Zarethorne Empire, the hotel was somewhat noisy as everyone simply tried to look their very best.

Women were getting ready, applying their makeup and arranging their dresses. Everyone wanted to look better than the next person. After all, in a place like this, rivals would be formed, lovers would meet, and even archenemies would cross paths.

Asher, who was already prepared by 6:30 PM, simply walked toward Finch’s room. Since they had gathered there earlier that day, he headed there, certain that the others would arrive there as well. Upon entering, William was already present. He and Finch had already finished dressing and were simply waiting.

Asher wore a lavish deep-purple formal coat with long, flowing layered tails, richly decorated with intricate gold embroidery along the hems, sleeves, and inner lining. The shoulders featured ornate gold epaulettes, while the fitted bodice was fastened with multiple gold clasps and structured detailing. Underneath was a dark-purple, form-fitting, high-collared outfit accented by gold chains, metallic embellishments, and a fitted belt around his waist. He also wore tailored dark-purple trousers paired with ornate knee-high black boots engraved with gold patterns and polished metallic accents. A pair of black gloves also covered his hands.

The entire outfit seemed to blend royal elegance, military formality, and ridiculous luxury into a single ensemble.

One did not need to look twice to know that Asher was either royalty or something equally extraordinary.

His purple hair, which perfectly matched his attire, only seemed to make him more charming, as though he simply could not become any more handsome. On one ear remained his earring, while the fake tattoo on his neck had not been removed, as Asher appeared to have grown rather fond of it.

Finch and William stared at Asher without a word.

"I should remind you both that I won’t swing that way," Asher spoke as he lowered himself into a chair.

"Sigh, the heavens are truly unfair. You were simply born with everything," Finch replied as he shook his head with a sigh. He was not as talented nor as handsome, so how could he not be jealous?

Asher said nothing and simply ignored them.

Soon, the rest of the group arrived. Everyone talked about each other’s clothing and various other things. Since it was only five minutes until 7 PM, they decided to head down to the ground floor, as the drivers would already be waiting there.

As Asher and his friends stepped out, they encountered other students who resided on the upper floors. Everyone entered various elevators and headed downward.

"I wonder if we’ll meet someone like that arrogant Young Master at the gala," William spoke as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I’m sure we will. At this point, it’s practically guaranteed. After all, thousands of people are gathering in a single place," Vaelric replied, his analysis grounded and reasonable.

"Hey, Asher, what if that guy’s sibling is a talented freak like you and comes looking for trouble?" Finch joked with a light laugh.

"I’ll be looking forward to it then," Asher replied without the slightest change in expression.

They arrived at the ground floor, the elevator hissing open as Asher stepped out. Hundreds of students were already present. They were not the only ones; various people from the Zarethorne Empire had also gathered there. Asher could make out merchants, a few individuals who looked like adventurers, several powerhouses, and many others. The number of people present had already reached the thousands with ease.

’It seems many people besides nobles came,’ Asher thought to himself as he looked around, not particularly surprised. After all, nobles were not the only wealthy people in the Zarethorne Empire. Anyone could become rich if they worked hard enough or were fortunate enough.

Asher walked out of the building alongside his friends. The moment he stepped outside, his eyes were met with rows upon rows of cars. Asher could not help but sigh, wondering how he was supposed to locate his assigned driver among the sea of people present.

"See you guys at the venue," Asher spoke as he waved and walked off in a random direction. Within a few minutes, he located his own driver with the help of his Omni Perception.

"Welcome, Young Master," the driver bowed and greeted respectfully.

’An Unawakener,’ Asher thought as he gazed at the man from head to toe.

"I’ll be driving," Asher spoke as he stretched out his hand for the car keys.

The driver hesitated for a moment. He had been employed specifically to drive foreigners since they neither drove nor possessed cars in their own Empires, and now he was being told to hand over the keys. After several moments of hesitation, he eventually handed them over. After all, if he were killed, nothing would be done. This was the Zero Rings.

Accepting the keys, Asher spoke again. "You can sit in the front or the back, anywhere is fine."

With that, he walked toward the driver’s side and slid into the seat.

Since Asher did not know the location of the venue, he simply waited for the other cars to begin moving. Within a few minutes, the vehicles started advancing, but unlike what Asher had expected, they did not move slowly, gently, or even in an orderly line. The drivers simply surged forward at top speed without missing a beat, all of them racing toward the gala venue.

Asher followed with ease, a smile appearing on his face. He was simply taking advantage of every opportunity to drive that he could. After all, following the Inter-Empire Competition, he might not have another chance to drive freely for quite some time. If there was one thing Asher loved about driving within the Zero Rings, it was the complete absence of traffic laws. There were no speed limits, no red or green lights, and none of those restrictions.

"Sir, forgive my disrespect, but may I ask how and when you learned how to drive?" the driver asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"Yesterday, at the racing tracks," Asher replied flatly.

The driver became even more confused by the answer, but he dared not ask any further questions for fear of overstepping his boundaries and losing his life.

Despite thousands of cars occupying the roads simultaneously, there were no gridlocks or traffic hold-ups. Within minutes, they arrived at the gala venue, which was none other than the Awakener Association.

The sight left Asher stunned. He had not expected the Overlord to host the gala here, but after thinking about it for a moment, it made perfect sense. After all, people from every corner of the planet were arriving. It was only fitting to display a certain level of respect and prestige.

Asher brought the vehicle to a stop at the front, where everyone was alighting. Stepping out, he tossed ten platinum coins toward the driver before walking past the man without another word.

Asher’s eyes darted around as he took in the outer grounds. The compound stretched across a radius of over a hundred kilometers. The place was simply enormous beyond reason. Various flowers, statues, and fountains could be seen scattered throughout the area, while butlers and maids moved about carrying out their duties with practiced efficiency.

"What amount of ridiculous wealth was poured into this building?" Asher murmured to himself as he looked around before lifting his gaze toward the clouds, where the peak of the Awakener Association vanished from sight.