"You... What?" Dorian was confused. "Kid, do you know what you are talking about?"

Just moments ago, he had fallen unconscious, certain he would never open his eyes again. Yet now, most of his injuries were gone, healed by someone who looked no older than seventeen, the same age as the so-called geniuses who dominated the Southern Region Championship.

"I'll ask you one more time." Grey asked, this time with a faint smile on his face. "Do you agree to hand over the city lordship to me?"

"No!" Dorian outright refused.

The status of becoming a city lord was something he painstakingly worked day and night to achieve. He shed his blood, sweat, and tears to build his empire among these three cities.

And even if he lost everything, he did not want to lose his own province.

Hearing this, Grey shook his head. "Do you think you are in a position to speak terms? Look at yourself, look into your own body and see for yourself at what state you are."

"What state...?" Dorian immediately sensed the inside of his body and his expression turned ugly.

His bloodline core, the one he had painstakingly built, was completely shattered.

Bloodline warriors built a core in their energy field at 1st rank and then took in the bloodline of a beast to cultivate. It has to be mentioned that for a bloodline warrior, all of their traits and power were within this core, and the core being shattered meant you basically lost your abilities and powers.

Meaning, Dorian was no longer a 2nd ranker.

Of course, he was still physically strong and his vitality would still be there, but using his abilities would be impossible in the future.

If Grey had to guess, Dorian could no longer match a late stage 2nd ranker in combat, and he would only be able to clash with middle stages.

Though that was still not a 100 percent guarantee because just brute force alone was not enough to defeat a full 2nd ranker with unique abilities, especially an esper.

For an esper, someone with no energy to protect them was as good as dead.

Dorian's evolutionary life was now over.

"No..."

His eyes widened in horror.

"No, this cannot be. My core, my core is shattered?! Impossible!"

The anguished expression twisting his face was something he had not shown even when facing death. Losing his bloodline core was a fate far more agonizing than dying.

"You can indeed continue being a city lord." Grey spoke carefully. "But what then? Others knowing that you have lost your ability will directly try to replace you. It's only a matter of time before you get challenged for the title by a higher ranked citizen."

The guy looked like he would tear up any moment now, and Grey felt like he was rubbing salt on his wounds, but it had to be done.

However, Dorian hearing Grey's words froze. "Y-You, how do you know about the challenge?"

He observed Grey more closely. He definitely was a kid who was no less than seventeen years old.

"Why?" Grey grinned. "Because I am one."

Challenging a city lord to take over another city.

This was a power all Second Rank Citizens possessed, the only reason he came to know it this late was due to Eterna hiding it from him.

She kept it from him because she believed he was far too weak to even bother with them.

But once he came to Ashspire City, she spoke about it to him when they were talking about the city lord of Ashspire City.

"WHAT?" Dorian exclaimed in disbelief.

"Stop joking around kid, becoming a 2nd rank citizen is no easy feat!"

Dorian did not even consider the fact that Grey was a 2nd ranked citizen.

How could that even be possible?

The amount of merit required to achieve 2nd rank was no joke, and graduating from the top academies operated by the powerful fourth ranked beings was the only easiest way to get it.

Otherwise, you would have to spend countless years, and even in the academy, it would take years to graduate.

Any sane person would be unable to believe him.

"Alright, I know you don't believe me." Grey said with a bored expression. "How about this, if I prove that I'm a 2nd ranked evolver, will you let me become the city lord?"

"No." Dorian refused once again.

Even if it was a joke, Dorian would take it with full seriousness and refuse.

"You are a tough nut to crack." Grey sighed.

Then Grey began thinking, he thought of what could make this fellow give it over.

But he could not think of anything.

Looks like talking would no longer work.

Grey came straight to the point. "Either I challenge you right here and take your city lord status because you will automatically lose against me, or you hand it over to me."

As he said that, he took his phone out. It had been a while since he used his phone but it was necessary here.

Swiping up and down, he navigated to the Blue Star's network and showed Dorian his ID.

There were a few words right below his name, written in a big font and special design, reading: "Citizenship Rank: 2"

"Y-You!" Dorian was in disbelief.

Not because of the citizenship rank, no, he was in disbelief because of what was written under it.

[Age: 17]

"A seventeen year old 2nd ranked citizen?" Dorian could not help but shout in shock amidst the pain.

It did not make sense. How can a seventeen year old become a 2nd ranked citizen?

He even doubted that he had already died and this was a moment before the afterlife where you see your darkest fears come true.

However, the excruciating pain made it impossible to treat it as a mere illusion.

At the same time, Dorian also recognized the name very well.

"You are Grey Lockhart!"

"Yes that's me." Grey said.

He did not find anything strange about the guy knowing his name, he did read his name just now.

"You, what is your relation with the top champions of the southern region?"

"The top champion?" Grey frowned.

Only then did he remember that today was supposed to be the day when the championship of the southern region was going to be conducted.

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