"Now that everyone is here, we can finally start. Oh, I have been waiting for this for such a long time!" Pinkype exclaimed happily. "First, I would like to ask how the situation on what the humans call New Earth looks like."
The audience immediately fell silent and leaned forward with interest. Especially the many C to A grades. The lower grades probably didn't have enough wealth to buy a ticket. For them, choosing the right side was far more important than for those at the top. If they made the correct assessment, it could easily double their wealth in the future.
Zargaz, Urgol, and Thalion all remained silent while the humans and elves immediately began bragging about their accomplishments.
"We have already closed over thirty-four incursions, and our faction has grown from fifteen thousand members to well over one hundred thousand," Ethan announced loudly, looking toward the audience with his chin held high as though challenging anyone to question him. Eric clapped him on the shoulder while pacing behind him with his massive frame like a caged beast.
"Oh wow! A faction growing more than sixfold in only six months. Very impressive, but also to be expected from so many Chosen," Pinkype commented enthusiastically before the Elven King immediately took over.
"We elves have already conquered four Grand Treasures and destroyed every outpost that stood in our way, no matter whether human, orc, or vampire. Naturally, it is only a matter of time until this planet belongs to us."
Thalion hadn't thought it possible for someone to sound even more arrogant than Ethan, but the Elven King managed it with ease.
"Aha, so the constant war between humans and elves is still ongoing then?" Pinkype asked, sounding as though this were the most emotional and important question in the entire multiverse.
"It has reached a standstill. By importing builders from their gods' domain, the humans managed to construct strongholds that we have yet to break through. However, it is only one of their outposts. Every other one will be destroyed the moment we find it. The area surrounding that outpost is also patrolled by elven hunters, making it useless for the humans and an utter waste of materials," the Elven King replied with a broad smile.
Even though Thalion wasn't part of the human faction, he briefly considered telling the king that he had killed his son just to see his reaction. It would probably be something along the lines of, "How dare a mere human attack an elven prince? I shall hunt you down and inflict endless pain..." Bla, bla, bla.
"Very interesting. So, from what has been said, the planet still hasn't been fully mapped out, and you are all still in the exploration phase?" Pinkype concluded, pushing one of his eyeballs back into his head only for it to pop out again a moment later.
It was difficult for Thalion to tell what emotion that gesture was supposed to represent, and he frankly gave up trying to figure it out.
"Lucky for the other factions," Urgol commented in his deep, rumbling voice.
"Incredible! I'm loving this. Too bad the real fighting hasn't started yet. The System could really make the opening planets just a tiny bit smaller," Pinkype said, raising his tentacles high into the air as loud applause echoed throughout the studio for the next several seconds.
"Now, dear Zargaz, how are the vampires doing since last time? And do you have any updates from your patron after he helped Morgana against the Spider Queen?"
"I heard that his situation has stabilized after rescuing the Blood Witch Morgana," Pinkype continued.
"The vampires are growing in strength and are looking forward to encountering all these other great factions. My patron has found a way to quickly regain the power he lost, which caused his adversaries to miss their opportunity to strike," Zargaz replied. His voice was dark and filled with hunger, and his crimson eyes blazed from time to time.
Thalion found that he sounded a bit like a very angry Professor Snape. Too bad they weren't here with their real bodies. He would have loved to see how much blood this Chosen had collected and how strong his Blood Plant had become.
"Yes, I love the confidence, and my condolences to good old Tenebrice," Pinkype said before turning toward Thalion. "Now, Thalion. We haven't seen each other in quite a while. How has life been treating you? There is quite the nasty recording making the rounds, and if I may say so, it doesn't exactly paint you in a favorable light."
"Pretty good, thank you very much. As for the recording, I don't really see what is supposed to be so bad about it. In fact, I'm very thankful to the many gods for sharing it with the wider multiverse."
Thalion had thought about this for quite a while, and he found it rather amusing to thank the many gods plotting in the shadows as though they had merely been carrying out his bidding. The statement also shut Eric up completely, who had already opened his mouth, probably intending to shout something like, See? I told you!
Even Pinkype paused for a brief moment, something rather rare for the host, before continuing.
"Okay... but you must know that slaughtering an entire faction that appeared to make you a generous offer doesn't look particularly good, right? In fact, many are calling you a liar because of what you said during the last system event."
"Hmm... what exactly did I lie about? My mindset has always been very simple. All my friends shall rise beside me and become stronger than anyone else, while everyone who tries to fight us will be slaughtered. The faction we destroyed had captured four members of my faction. Isn't it good to show the multiverse what we're willing to sacrifice for our allies? I suspect most other factions, even with divine assistance, would simply cut their losses."
Thalion couldn't help but congratulate himself on how well he was spinning the story. There was no reason to mention that they had completely failed to prevent his friends from being captured in the first place. Better to focus on the positive aspects.
"Yes, exactly. How interesting. Everyone believed the story that you had simply slaughtered an allied faction, but instead you were willing to risk everything to rescue a handful of your own people. That doesn't happen very often in the wider multiverse." Pinkype nodded thoughtfully, something Eric simply couldn't tolerate.
"He is just lying, exactly like he did last time! Who annihilates an entire faction because they punished a few fighters for failing a mission? Just look at this. Does it look like a mission to rescue four captured fighters?"
With that, Eric opened his hand, and another projection appeared above them. It showed Lucan in his chainsaw armor sprinting after one of the enemies while screaming at the top of his lungs like a complete madman.
Before, there had only been whispers throughout the audience. Now, however, the first loud shouts echoed across the studio, and not many of them were particularly favorable toward Thalion.
"Now, everyone, calm down. Thalion, what do you have to say to those accusations?" Pinkype asked, quickly regaining control as part of the audience grew even louder. At the same time, Thalion could clearly hear him mutter under his breath, "Next time I'm making the seats for Solarian's followers even more expensive."
Answering this accusation wasn't easy, and Thalion waited until the audience had settled down before speaking once more.
"The last time I was here, it wasn't me who lied," Thalion stated, deciding that the best approach was to remind everyone of Eric's little mistake.
He also didn't want to reveal the conspiracy about the gods planning to have his friends captured only to weaken their faction and make it harder for Solan to gather more allies. The Three Oracles held an incredibly high standing throughout the multiverse, and with what was to come, nobody wanted to end up on their bad side.
Thalion waited until the rumors had spread and grown a little louder before continuing.
"Just ask yourselves this. If what Eric says is true, why would I send four of my own fighters to help them on a mission when my true plan was to annihilate that faction from the very beginning? You have all seen the recording. It would have been far easier to attack them right from the start while they weren't expecting it."
Thalion hoped that simple common sense would drive the final nail into the argument and convince most of the audience. Quite a few nodded along, but it also became clear that a considerable number of paid actors were loudly calling him a liar and insulting everyone who agreed with him.
Solan really could have thought about sending a few members of his faction here as well, Thalion thought with annoyance, though outwardly he didn't show the slightest reaction.
That was when Ethan began to speak, and the bastard really could lie without so much as blinking.
"The answer to that question is actually rather simple. You sent them to infiltrate the North Tower. Weaken their fighters from the inside and prepare the faction for conquest. But you failed, leaving yourself with no choice but to launch an all-out assault with everything you had."
The outrage from the crowd followed immediately and echoed throughout the enormous studio. Thalion had to hold himself together to avoid showing even the slightest reaction. Instead, he simply stood there listening to the deafening accusations while inwardly cursing Ethan.
"Interesting perspective from Aeta's Chosen. Thalion, what do you have to say about that?" Pinkype asked after teleporting a few audience members out because they simply wouldn't quiet down.
Thalion was now contemplating whether he had made a mistake by mentioning so early who had lied during the last show. Bringing it up again now would likely look like a weak defense. On the other hand, this probably wouldn't be the end of Ethan's lies.
"This accusation makes no sense. Why would I try something like that? They had nothing of real value, and there are far greater resources available within our own territory."
"Oh really? I highly doubt that you have something comparable to the very unique D-grade crystals the North Tower specialized in creating. Unluckily for you, they weren't idiots and had already sent most of their resources to the A-grade capital of their sect."
Ethan grinned as he raised his hand, causing a projection of countless crystals and other treasures to appear above him, complete with detailed descriptions.
Thalion liked this less and less the longer it went on, but there was nothing he could do. The gods must have planned this for quite some time. They had gathered all sorts of recordings and information to put him in the worst possible light. Since it looked as though he wasn't getting out of the evil narrative anyway, he decided to take a different approach.
"Quite the effort your patrons are going through just to paint me in a bad light. Do they really fear our faction that much, even though we only have a single elven Chosen?" Thalion asked with a slight smile.
Most of the audience, however, continued shouting angrily at him while his earlier supporters remained silent.
"Not at all. It's simply a pleasure to expose evil scum like you, and everyone deserves to know that you, Thalion, are nothing."
Ethan answered with a broad smile as loud applause erupted throughout the studio.
"You mean like last time, when you got caught lying about me?" Thalion replied, quite pleased that Ethan had given him another opportunity to remind everyone of his failure during the previous show.
Sadly, it didn't matter to most of the audience, who overwhelmingly sided against him, loudly repeating prepared slogans. It became increasingly obvious to Thalion that many of them had been planted there beforehand.
He had no idea whether any of this was convincing the people watching from home, but the constant chants of, "We want his head!" were starting to get on his nerves.
"Okay, calm down. Please, calm down." Pinkype stepped in. "Quite the heated debate, considering neither side has actually provided any proof. I think it would be best to move on to a big surprise from the Voice of the System, one that will have a tremendous impact on how all of you view the third system event."
Pinkype's smile grew even wider as he waved his tentacles, muting the audience while summoning a platform in the center of the studio with the golden dragon statue known as the Voice of the System. All the lights dimmed until only a single golden ray illuminated the magnificent statue.