Matthew Atkinson & Natalie Russell
Oxford, United Kingdom
"Alright, Dad. Let's get down to business. Why are you here?" Natalie said.
These words left Grand Magister Russell speechless, almost unable to catch his breath.
He was completely helpless when it came to his daughter.
With a sigh, Grand Magister Russell raised the treasure chest in his hand and handed it to Matthew.
"This treasure chest is your reward from the ninth layer of the supernatural realm. Take it back."
Matthew politely declined, saying, "Uncle Russell, I don't lack any supernatural items right now. If you need it, you can take it."
Grand Magister Russell waved his hand and said, "We've already discussed this in the Globa Layer. Just take it back."
Matthew was speechless. They hadn't exactly discussed what would happen to the treasure chest. Grand Magister Russell was currently taking advantage of Matthew's situation.
So, he simply pushed the treasure chest to Natalie, "Then Natalie, you can open it and take a look. If there's anything you need, feel free to use it. I really don't lack supernatural items."
Grand Magister Russell was very satisfied with Matthew's actions. He could tell that this guy was absolutely sincere towards his daughter.
Natalie didn't want to argue with Matthew in front of her father, so she simply said, "Okay, I'll put it aside for now."
After saying that, her gaze then turned to Grand Magister Russell and said, "Dad, your decision to keep your memories can't just be for this reason. What else do you have to say?"
Grand Magister Russell sighed, looked at Matthew, and said, "Although you haven't kept your memories, you should be aware of your own strength, right?"
Matthew understood that the reason Grand Magister Russell was speaking so casually was that, before coming here, he had spoken to Natalie's bodyguards and asked them to grant him some privacy.
Although Grand Magister Russell had attained his position thanks to Natalie's reputation, that didn't change the fact that he was currently in that position.
Upon hearing the Grand Magister's request and that the matter was a family issue, the captain agreed to move the bodyguards away for an hour.
And Matthew confirmed this with his Observation Haki. Currently, no one was close enough to hear their conversation, and Matthew sensed no ill intent from those in the distance.
If someone had tried to listen to them despite the bodyguard captain's orders, Matthew would have sensed their malicious intentions with his Observation Haki.
For a moment, Matthew considered taking the opportunity to tell Natalie that he could now recall memories related to the Amnesiac Layers.
But then he changed his mind. At this moment, this information wouldn't benefit Natalie and would only raise many more questions. And Matthew didn't think an hour they had would be enough for this.
But he couldn't say he enjoyed playing this game and deceiving Natalie either. So, Matthew decided to tell Natalie about it at the most opportune moment.
For now, he would comply with Grand Magister Russell's request and continue to play the role.
"Uncle Russell, are you saying that I contributed the most to winning the championship this time?" Matthew asked.
Grand Magister Russell nodded and said, "It should be said that it's all thanks to you. In the Global Layer, Ms. Powell was actually eliminated quite early. It was you who defeated Red-Haired Shanks, surpassed Ma Dongwu, and finally won the championship."
"I still find it hard to believe that you have such strength at such a young age." Grand Magister Russell said and stared intently at Matthew, "Kryptonian Bloodline can be considered the strongest talent in the Holy Land."
"Matthew, tell me honestly, when you used the Flame-Flame Fruit to exchange for Natalie's Kryptonian Bloodline, did you have ulterior motives?"
'Huh, why is Uncle Russell asking me this question? He asked me the same thing in Global Layer, and he knows I have my memories. He couldn't possibly think I'd give a different answer, could he?' Matthew thought to himself.
But then, upon seeing Natalie attentively listening, he understood Grand Magister Russell's intention.
In the Global Layer, Natalie was deeply moved by Matthew's answer. But now she had completely forgotten about it.
Grand Magister Russell was now trying to help his daughter gain the same memory. And he was probably aiming to help Matthew a little.
Although Matthew didn't really need help, and his relationship with Natalie had long since surpassed the Home-Run level. He was still grateful to Grand Magister Russell for his support.
Then Matthew began to answer Grand Magister Russell's question in the same way he had answered in Global Layer.
After Matthew finished speaking, Grand Magister Russell looked at Matthew and nodded slightly.
Then he glanced at his daughter, and as expected, the girl's reaction was the same as in the Supernatural Realm. She was deeply moved.
'I'm sure she'll be completely devoted to Matthew from now on.' Grand Magister Russell thought. However, he had no regrets.
After discovering Matthew's excellence, his thinking changed completely, and he was now very willing to bring the two young people together.
"Matthew, I'm entrusting Natalie to you. You must not let her down. And you must not betray the trust I have in you." Grand Magister Russell said with a serious demeanor.
"Don't worry, Uncle Russell. I will never hurt her," Matthew said.
"Oh, and before I forget. In the Global Layer, you mentioned the rewards you earned in the eighth layer. And you said you wanted to auction off the Life Extension Potions. Five of them at first, then five more depending on the situation. You also said you'd give Aria Powell a gift in return for using her as a shield. I assume those are also Life Extension Potions. You can give them to me. I'll take care of the rest," Grand Magister Russell said.
"Oh, yes," said Matthew, immediately summoning twelve Life Extension Potions on the table from his inventory. He then added, "Uncle Russell, I'd appreciate it if you could give two of these to Ms. Powell. I'm leaving the auction entirely up to you. I don't need the money. What I need is for the effects of this potion to be known by all."
"It's good you discussed this. I can finally give these to you, Dad," Natalie said, taking the Ageless Trait Potion and Devil Fruit Weakness Removal Cards from her inventory and placing them on the table.
"At the Global Layer, Matthew explained what these are to me. But for now, I'll only use the Devil Fruit Weakness Removal Card," said Grand Magister Russell.
As he said, he then took the card from the table and used it.
He then said, "I can't use the Ageless Trait Potion right now. Its effects will provoke excessive curiosity. So, I'll wait until the auction is over. It's safer for it to stay in your inventory during this time, Natalie."
"Okay," said Natalie, and then put the Potion back in her inventory. As long as her father didn't object to her using it, she had no problem with it.
"Matthew, I know about your problem with Solo Layer. I'll look into it and get back to you," he said.
"Thanks, Uncle Russell," said Matthew.
-Ring, ring
At that moment, Grand Magister Russell's phone rang. He picked up his phone, glanced at it, and then a glint of shrewdness appeared in his eyes.
The message on his phone was important information about South Korea, which Grand Magister Russell had specifically instructed his subordinates to investigate while he was having lunch at the university cafeteria after returning from Global Layer.
He placed his phone on the table and looked at Matthew.
"Matthew, there's something you need to do as soon as possible."
Seeing Grand Magister Russell's serious expression, Matthew also became serious and said, "Uncle Russell, what are you referring to?"
Grand Magister Russell didn't keep them in suspense. He said, "We won the championship this time, and although we can attribute it to Aria Powell, Aria Powell's strength is not enough to truly convince some people."
"I don't know if you've seen the online comments, but many people have doubts about this Global Layer competition and our championship."
"At the moment, it is certain that all members of the champion team will be thoroughly investigated and studied."
"Everyone else is okay, but you have a weakness."
Upon hearing this, Matthew's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked, "Uncle Russell, are you referring to that Kryptonian Bloodline user in South Korea?"
"That's right." Grand Magister Russell nodded and said, "As long as someone has the idea to wake up that old guy and then make him do the same things according to your lifestyle, they can discover the secret of the Kryptonian Bloodline."
"In this world, there are a few supernatural individuals who possess miraculous healing abilities. Although they cannot prolong life, healing someone who has suffered a brain hemorrhage is not impossible."
"Once someone manages to heal that old guy, whatever they do with him, he'll be a potential threat to you."
Upon hearing this, Matthew's brows were deeply furrowed.
Grand Magister Russell's words made sense.
Before, when he and Natalie were the kings among the freshmen, no one would waste resources or think such thoughts because all their competitors were freshmen.
But this time, their championship win caused quite a stir.
Even if no one was suspicious of this this time, it was hard to guarantee that the situation Grand Magister Russell described wouldn't happen in the future.
As long as that old guy was alive, he would always be a threat to Matthew's potential.
Matthew already had a plan in mind. Although Matthew planned to use Aria Powell as a shield, he also had a Plan B in mind in case things didn't go as planned.
It was just that his plan was not appropriate to say in front of his future father-in-law, as that would make him look too ruthless.
Knowing Matthew's concerns, Grand Magister Russell took the initiative to say, "I just had someone check. South Korea only has one King-rank expert. A USA team invited him to participate in the Global Layer competition. He hasn't returned to South Korea yet, and his exact return date is unknown."
"So, the strongest person in South Korea right now is Ma Dongwu."
"And he was defeated by Shanks in one move, so his strength is clearly inferior to yours."
The words were so obvious that Matthew understood them immediately. Grand Magister Russell wanted Matthew to seize this opportunity and immediately travel to South Korea to deal with the other Kryptonian Bloodline user.
"Uncle Russell, I understand. I'll set off shortly."
Grand Magister Russell nodded and said, "Don't feel guilty. From the moment you embark on the path of the supernatural, bloodshed and battles are destined to be thorns on your way. You just need to stay on your own path and not let power corrupt you."
"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Russell," Matthew said.
It seemed Matthew needed to move his plans forward and deal with the other Kryptonian Bloodline user now.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.194: Extraordinary Treasure Chests
Ch.195: Operation Singularity in Action
Ch.196: Mission Accomplished