A Godolkin school administrator stood nearby, enthusiastically introducing Luke onstage to the Vought International delegation, his tone brimming with undisguised admiration and pride.
"Luke's talent and abilities are incredibly powerful, and his potential is unfathomable. He absolutely has a chance of becoming the next Homelander!"
As soon as he said this, the Vought delegation's expressions stiffened in unison, and the atmosphere instantly became intensely awkward.
Ashley's heart tightened. She instinctively glanced sideways at Homelander beside her, her expression full of apprehension.
The gentle smile Homelander had been wearing visibly faded from his face.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and a deep gloom crept into his gaze as he looked at Luke onstage.
"The next me? Hahaha... how wonderful."
He gave a couple of low chuckles. His tone was flat, yet carried a heart-stopping chill.
The blunt school administrator failed to notice the strange atmosphere around him, much less realize that he had unwittingly touched Homelander's sorest spot. He continued chattering enthusiastically, eager to keep praising Luke's talent and strength.
"That's right! Luke's abilities are exceptionally powerful, and his capacity for growth is among the very best in the school. There's absolutely no telling how high he could go..."
Ashley quickly cleared her throat twice and decisively interrupted his praise, putting a timely stop to this awkward and dangerous farce.
"All right, there's no need to say anything more. Let's move straight on to the next part."
The administrator froze, belatedly smacking his lips. Finally noticing that something was wrong with the atmosphere, he sheepishly swallowed the rest of his praise and said no more.
The host stepped forward, his clear voice ringing throughout the stadium as he announced the most momentous rule of the event.
"Next, please welcome Mr. Translucent of The Seven. Mr. Translucent will personally assess the combat capabilities