Chapter 165: Transcendental Gathering

The entire street in front of the Pinnacle Hotel had been sealed off since early evening, allowing only guests bearing invitations to enter.

Furness, dressed in a formal suit and wearing a reluctant, strained smile, stood at the grand entrance of the Pinnacle Hotel to welcome the arriving guests.

Of course, the task of guiding the guests fell mainly to the attendants. Because the Pinnacle Hotel had completely suspended its normal operations, a sufficient number of staff could be spared to dedicate themselves to the service.

The Transcendental Garen held an extremely revered status in Na'an City and across the entire planet of Lodestone. Naturally, the guests he had invited were among the absolute elite of Na'an City.

Starting from 5:30 PM, guests arrived in a steady stream. All sorts of astonishingly expensive hovercars suddenly looked entirely ordinary parked outside the Pinnacle Hotel.

Garen placed immense importance on David, and this was also an opportunity to introduce David to the powerbrokers of Lodestone, making this apprenticeship ceremony exceptionally grand.

"Welcome! Welcome!" Furness felt as though his facial muscles were aching from smiling.

He knew he had only been assigned this task because his strength was the lowest among the disciples. For instance, his second senior sister, Helena, was already inside the main hall, where she only needed to socialize with the most crucial dignitaries.

As for Garen's first disciple, due to specific circumstances, it was not suitable for him to participate in such lively social events for long periods.

"Furness, have the others all arrived?" Just as Furness’s mind drifted slightly, a forceful voice rang out. The newcomer was none other than the Transcendental Alvin, wearing his general's uniform.

"Transcendental Alvin, the other Transcendentals are already up on the second floor. My teacher instructed me to wait for you here. Allow me to lead you right up!" Furness hastily bowed and said.

He let out a long breath of relief. With the arrival of the final Transcendental, he could finally stop greeting guests at the entrance.

Guided by an attendant, David reached the small reception parlor on the second floor. Even before stepping through the doorway, he could hear the sound of conversation and laughter from within.

"David, come over here and pay your respects to your elders!" Seeing David arrive, Garen waved his hand and said with a smile.

David hurried inside. The parlor held only a handful of guests who had come for the ceremony, but their status matched Garen's entirely—they were the other five Transcendentals.

Gathered within this single parlor were all the Transcendentals belonging to the planet of Lodestone. Aside from the attendants, no younger generation members were present, making it clear that this was a private gathering exclusively among the Transcendentals.

Seeing Garen summon David and introduce him, the other Transcendentals could not help but freeze in momentary surprise.

At previous gatherings of this caliber, the juniors brought along were invariably the Transcendentals' own direct descendants. They had not expected Garen to bring David into this circle, a gesture that clearly elevated David's standing in Garen's heart.

"Garen, this isn't fair. I didn't prepare a proper gift in advance!" Alvin looked at David, who was currently bowing in greeting before him, then glanced sideways at Garen in complaint.

It was not that he had prepared nothing, but his prior gift had been entirely ordinary—a standard present for a regular apprenticeship ceremony, valued at around fifty thousand credits.

That simply would not do anymore. Since Garen was introducing David to the other Transcendentals as if he were his own flesh and blood, the corresponding gifts had to match that level.

"Alvin, you can't put it that way. I've always been the one giving out gifts in the past, and now that I finally have a chance to receive some, you aren't allowed to back out!" Garen said with a hearty laugh.

"I give up. This time, I managed to acquire a claw-spike from a Space Ripper. I'll have it sent over later!" Alvin waved his hand in helpless resignation.

"David, aren't you going to thank him?" Garen said, a look of profound triumph plastered across his face as he turned to his new disciple.

"Thank you, General Alvin!" David quickly expressed his gratitude.

"Work hard, David. Besides, a single claw-spike was just sitting around of no use to me anyway!" Alvin replied with a smile.

In truth, any trophy kept by Transcendental Alvin was bound to be extraordinary, let alone a claw-spike from a Level 3 Zerg Space Ripper.

One had to remember that this was a Level 3 material, and every single portion of Level 3 material commanded a sky-high price throughout the Interstellar Federation.

Even though Space Rippers were not known for their offensive prowess, rendering their claw-spikes slightly inferior to true Level 3 materials—ranking them at best as Level 2.5—they were still far more precious than any standard Level 2 material.

"Garen, Alvin, I strongly suspect the two of you are putting on a show!" Mervin, the Transcendental from the Warriors Association, glared at Garen and Alvin before turning to David with a smile. "David, my welcome gift will also be a Space Ripper claw-spike, obtained together with Alvin!"

Following that, both Barker, the Transcendental representing the military, and Hadley, the Transcendental from the Na'an Chamber of Commerce, offered gifts that were also Space Ripper claw-spikes. These happened to be the lowest-value spoils from the recent Zerg invasion, making them perfectly appropriate to present.

The four Transcendentals who had already pledged their gifts turned their gazes toward Daryl, the only one among them who had not participated in that war. Daryl felt a wave of speechlessness wash over him.

He indeed possessed materials from a Space Ripper, but those were items he had traded for at immense cost from the very people standing before him. Anything of lower value was simply not worth presenting, leaving him momentarily at a loss for what gift to offer.

"Daryl, I hear you still hold the authority to directly authorize a Warriors Association mission." Garen gently reminded him from the side.

As one of the two Transcendentals of the Warriors Association, Daryl certainly held certain special privileges, but those privileges were subject to strict limitations. After all, they did not hold absolute, unchallenged sway within the Warriors Association.

The Warriors Association was a massive organization, and the Lodestone branch was merely one of its divisions. Every aspect of the association's operations was governed by rigorous rules.

Every three years, Daryl possessed the privilege to directly open up the Warriors Association's mission system, bypassing the traditional restrictions of a warrior's status. It was precisely this authority that Garen had set his sights on.

Compared to government-issued missions, the Warriors Association offered a much wider variety of tasks, a richer selection of assignments, and far greater benefits for David's growth.

"David is a child I fond of, so I'll give him that quota!" Daryl cast a glance at Garen before smiling warmly at David.

David felt somewhat dazed. A single meeting with the five Transcendentals in this parlor had netted him four Space Ripper claw-spikes and an access quota to the Warriors Association mission system.

He had no idea how difficult it was to secure such opportunities. Garen had no biological children of his own, and by doing this, he was introducing David to the Transcendentals of Lodestone as if he were his own son.

At the very least, within the Lodestone region, these Transcendentals and their respective factions would respect Garen's face and look after David.

Although David had not yet taken physical possession of these gifts, since the five Transcendentals had given their word, there would naturally be no complications.

"Milord, the guests outside have all arrived, and it is almost time!" As the Transcendentals conversed in the parlor, an attendant cautiously approached Garen and whispered a reminder.

"Everyone, the apprenticeship ceremony is about to begin. Have you all prepared your gifts for my newly accepted disciple?" Garen stood up, gesturing as he spoke.

"Garen, you're far too cunning. No wonder you brought David here early—you were plotting to squeeze two sets of gifts out of us!" Mervin pointed at Garen with a chuckle.

"It's fine. You are all elders; just watch the ceremony and give whatever you see fit afterward!" Garen said nonchalantly.

The Transcendentals walked out of the parlor, laughing and chatting among themselves, with David trailing closely behind.

Only now did David realize that the relationships among Lodestone's Transcendentals were actually this harmonious, completely unlike what he had witnessed on his first day.

Back then, when Daryl and Garen had made their disciples duel over a Level 3 Zerg material to determine its ownership, David had assumed the relations among Transcendentals were intensely strained.

In reality, the six Transcendentals of Lodestone had fought side by side for many years, sharing life-and-death experiences long ago.

Though minor disputes existed, they never affected the deep friendship binding the six of them together. Without that underlying camaraderie, they could never have functioned as a cohesive Transcendental combat unit capable of resisting the powerful Zerg invaders threatening Lodestone.