A blonde-haired man walked down the empty hallway. He stopped in front of the elevator and pressed the button. When the door opened, he saw someone in a hooded jumper standing inside. The person's face was shadowed.
Without hesitation, the blonde man entered and stood next to the person. As the door closed and the elevator descended, he heard a feminine voice call out his name.
"Leaving early, Vincent?"
"Yeah. There's nothing else to see at this expo. How about your job?"
"I took care of it. That woman won't be able to go up on stage. She'll die."
Vincent smirked.
Ding!
The elevator reached the first floor, and the door opened. They left and went their separate ways, disappearing into the expo crowd as if nothing had happened.
...
"Damn it!"
Klaus hit the floor as he remembered his company needed to send people to presentations. Mors Industries did not prepare a replacement representative to go up on stage. He did not predict this situation happening.
Biting her lip, Sheila was not sure what to do. She could not even find the right words to calm her boss.
"What number did they switch our order with?" Klaus asked.
"I don't know. But we're number 47, and there are still three more participants. We've only been here for fifteen minutes. So there are still two more participants."
Klaus gritted his teeth.
No name came to mind to go up on stage. He had trusted Jonathan to be the representative, but his subordinate was not good at speaking.
Klaus briefly looked at Sheila and clicked his tongue. He was about to choose her, considering that his secretary was intelligent and good at speaking. Still, he was unsure if she could master the presentation material in a short time.
Looking around, Klaus looked for where Alexa had placed their latest product. He spotted a black suitcase on the table and took it. He decided to go up on stage himself.
"Klaus." A hoarse woman's voice called his name.
Alexa had woken up. Her face was sweaty and pale. She tried to get up despite having difficulty keeping her balance. Klaus quickly ran to her before Alexa stumbled.
"I'm fine," she said.
"You look like a zombie. Lie down and rest," Klaus ordered her firmly.
Alexa shook her head. "I have to do that presentation."
Annoyed, Klaus carried Alexa and put her on the sofa. She looked surprised.
"You'll only mess everything up if you force yourself. I'll do it." Klaus gave her a stern look.
Alexa sighed. "Okay."
Finally, she agreed to Klaus's decision.
After taking the suitcase from the table, Klaus approached Sheila in the corner of the room.
"I entrust her to you. Guard this room, and don't let anyone in. Even the Golden Hammer staff."
"Got it," Sheila replied.
"One more thing. Not now, but if you meet Terry and Richard. Make sure you shake their hands or something. You know what I mean, right?"
Sheila nodded.
Klaus instructed his secretary to gather information by absorbing memories and thoughts from those two guild masters. He did not know who dared to attack Alexa. So, he suspected everyone outside his guild.
Then, Klaus left the staff room and headed to the auditorium.
...
The audience's loud voices could be heard at the back of the stage. Klaus saw the representative from the competitor company presenting their flagship product.
As Klaus was deep in thought, a flamboyant man approached him. Putting on a serious face, the man patted Klaus's shoulder as if comforting him.
"I'm sure your girlfriend will be okay. The medical staff has arrived, and they're checking on her." Terry sounded sincere as he said it.
Klaus was a little surprised. "Yeah. Thank you."
They fell silent. Not long after, Terry broke the silence. "You look nervous. Have you never spoken in front of a lot of people before?"
Naturally, Klaus chuckled. "Me? Nervous?" He pointed at himself.
Klaus was the Death Bringer. Someone who had lived for hundreds of years and had faced thousands of dangers in his life. He didn't flinch when all of humanity was chasing him. He didn't flee when monster kings wanted his life. He didn't fear when God sent angelic troops to kill him.
Being nervous was the last thing he felt. Even hearing it made him laugh.
"I'm fine," Klaus said. "You don't have to worry about me."
Terry clicked his tongue several times. "Don't be ashamed, young man. Why are you standing here instead of relaxing if you're not nervous?"
Klaus chuckled. "I've never been nervous my entire life, believe me. Even when you brought a woman wearing only a G-string."
Jokingly, Klaus tried to show Terry that he was fine. However, the man just looked at him, grinned widely, and narrowed his eyes. The way the man looked at him annoyed Klaus.
Klaus couldn't help but smile, trying to hold back from punching Terry's face. Unfortunately, the man continued to stare at him.
He sighed. In the end, Klaus gave in.
"Fine. I'm nervous," Klaus said.
Terry snapped his finger. "Finally, you admit it." The man laughed.
Klaus shook his head.
Clearing his throat, Terry acted like an experienced person. He hugged him, and Klaus had to bow down because he was taller. Terry pointed at the stage.
"You know, when you're standing in front of hundreds of people, they seem to be waiting for you to make a mistake. Their gaze makes you feel pressured though they don't do anything. If you're a little shaky, you're done."
Klaus squinted. "You just want to tell me this?"
"I'm not done yet, young man. Please don't interrupt me. Listen to someone who has been living for decades. I'm giving you valuable lessons from my bitter experience." Terry hissed as he said so.
Klaus rolled his eyes upward. "Okay."
"If you feel that way. Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine that everyone in front of you is a butt."
Klaus furrowed his brow. "What? Butt?"
"Yes, butt," Terry said firmly. "Imagine you're seeing dozens of butts with charming shapes. This sounds nonsense, but it always works in difficult situations."
Klaus fell silent. He couldn't comment.
Of course, no matter how much Terry convinced him, Klaus wouldn't use such an unreasonable suggestion. For him, it was utter bullshit.
"Okay, Klaus. That man's time is up. I need to do my job. You get yourself ready."
Terry patted Klaus's shoulder before the flamboyant man went up on stage.
Not long after, Terry mentioned Mors Industries. Klaus quickly walked up to the stage, and the audience applauded. Terry secretly winked at Klaus, giving him support.
Klaus just sighed.
Now, there was only Klaus on stage. He faced the audience. All eyes were on him. They didn't express anything, just silent and staring.
"Eug..."
When Klaus wanted to speak, the words stuck in his throat.
He didn't feel any magic or mana. Even the people in front of him were not intimidating at all. They just looked at him, silent and expressionless.
However, their gaze made Klaus freeze. His feet couldn't move.
One minute had passed since Klaus stood on stage. It wasn't a long time, but for an 8-minute presentation, Klaus spent a lot of time. The audience began to wonder.
The longer Klaus stood on stage, the heavier the air felt. Unconsciously, he started taking a step back. Of course, Klaus wouldn't let this sensation swallow him.
Clasping his hands, he fought the strange feeling in his chest.
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?! YOU BASTARDS!"
Those words just came out of his mouth, and the audience was instantly startled.
