Unholy Player

Chapter 460: Built to Show Off

Vesha, looking at the aquarium, recognized most of them. They were species Humans had collected from the Beyond over the past few days—creatures she had seen in rivers, hidden lakes, or deep underground caverns.

Mixed among them, however, were several unfamiliar fish with strange shapes and colors, clearly the ones brought from Earth. They moved differently, their patterns standing out against the familiar bodies around them.

To one side of the hall, an entire section was dedicated to greenery.

It had been arranged like a small, carefully managed forest, with soft soil, layered plants, and small trees growing beneath the ceiling lights. Familiar leaves and flowers from the Beyond shared the space with Earth plants, their colors and shapes blending together.

She could smell the damp, faint smell of soil and leaves, like the smell of a forest right after it rains, but it was more controlled and clean.

On the other side, a large seating area spread out beneath the lights, filled with luxurious-looking leather sofas. Their surfaces gleamed softly, the cushions thick enough that one could sink in easily.

Above them, mounted like some strange, dominant decoration, was a massive box-like object. Vesha’s gaze locked onto it at once, drawn by its size and the moving images it showed.

This time she did not bother holding back her curiosity. She pointed at the enormous screen, where a video of thousands of STF soldiers training played, rows of armored figures moving in unison, their strikes and steps almost perfectly in sync, and asked, "What is that thing?"

"We call it a television. It allows us to record images and play them whenever we want," Kara answered calmly, as if speaking about something entirely ordinary.

The video on the television was clearly not random. It had been chosen carefully and edited into a reel that showcased the strength of the Human military.

Even some parts had been created with CGI, showing jet aircraft streaking across the sky and dropping bombs that turned the ground below into fire and debris, obliterating everything with a single missile.

Other scenes showed thousands of STF soldiers marching down a wide street, their synchronized steps making the ground tremble like a single living creature.

As she watched, Vesha silently assessed the soldiers, which led her to wonder, How strong would even one of these soldiers be? And according to the footage, there were thousands.

Kara noticed the shock and mesmerized fascination on her face and smoothly added, "The footage currently playing is taken from the Young Master’s mortal army."

That line, too, had been prepared by Henry Bates. He had specifically told her to emphasize the word "mortal," to make any guest watching the footage feel a quiet pressure in their chest and think, If the mortals are this strong... then how strong are their Practitioners?

On Vesha, at least, it worked perfectly.

She drew in a cold breath, feeling the air scrape against her throat as the thought formed fully in her mind.

If this army were ever stirred up, if they decided to attack and claim the Velari kingdom, marching with this strength and this discipline... Who could stand in their way?

One might think all this visual splendor was unnecessary. Everything transported from Earth to the Beyond required energy crystals as a cost, and all the technology and decorations filling just the entrance floor of this building must have consumed a huge amount of them.

At first glance, it looked like pure waste.

But there was a saying among Humans, one that could fit any royal family and kingdom as well: ’The throne shines brightest when its power is displayed.’

This city and this building were Adyr’s throne in the Outer Region, so they had to shine. Only then could his fabricated identity, in the eyes of this world’s natives, as a member of the ancient Human Elder Race, be properly protected.

Kara let Vesha watch the video for a while longer, giving her time to take everything in and burn it into her memory so that once she returned to her kingdom, she could tell others and let the story spread from mouth to mouth.

When the video was about to end and start another loop, she spoke.

"Shall we continue, Lady Vesha? Lord Henry Bates is waiting upstairs."

"Yes, please." Vesha finally tore her gaze away from the giant screen, gave the woman a small smile, and began to follow her.

After walking across the wide hall, they came to the elevators.

Vesha eyed the small room with doubt. There was no door inside, no path leading onward, and nothing that explained why they were stepping into it. Then Kara pressed a button on the wall, and as the steel doors slid shut in front of them, a faint, trapped feeling settled in her chest.

Soon after, when the elevator started to move upward and she felt the lift in her stomach, a fear she never knew she had began to climb with them.

"You don’t need to be afraid. This is called an elevator, a kind of vehicle that helps us travel quickly between the floors of the building," Kara explained, noticing the small girl’s pale face and the sweat forming on her forehead, trying to comfort her.

"Ah... yes, how fascinating."

Vesha forced a smile, swallowing against the wave of nausea rising inside.

Before long, the elevator panel showed the 20th floor. With a soft ding, the door opened to another wide corridor.

Vesha stepped out with quick steps and took a deep breath, trying to calm the new elevator phobia she seemed to have gained.

"Are you okay? Do you need water?" Kara asked, already moving toward a machine standing by the wall. She took a plastic cup from the holder, placed it under the spout, waited for it to fill automatically, then came back.

"Thank you." Vesha looked at the cup of water in surprise as she accepted it, only then realizing how cold it was.

She took a sip, letting it cool her throat and feeling it travel down from her throat to her stomach.

Even their water is different, she thought in quiet amazement, taking another graceful sip and finishing the entire cup without even noticing.

"This way, please." Taking the empty cup, Kara turned again, showing the path toward the end of the corridor.

They began walking down the long, bright hallway.

The corridor was lined its entire length with a soft, luxurious-looking carpet, and on the beige walls hung all kinds of interesting, eye-catching paintings. Among all of this, what drew the noble Velari’s attention the most was the source of the light.

Small crystals, fixed along the edges of the ceiling, lit the corridor as brightly as daytime. They looked strange and beautiful, and Vesha could not help but think they all had to be incredibly expensive, another clear sign of the Metalbenders’ wealth.

After a long walk, they finally reached a double door that clearly led into a giant room.

"Lord Henry Bates and our guests are waiting inside," Kara said before opening the door, giving Vesha a moment to prepare herself. When she saw the girl nod, she turned the knob and opened it.