Shunned Fallen Noble

While standing in the hall, Vince noticed that some of the Selection's finalists were gossiping about him, completely disregarding his presence nearby.

"Isn't he the guy with the dormant power core?"

"Pfft… yes."

"Such a lucky guy, isn't he? But I couldn't imagine myself joining the Selection with a dormant power core. That's so embarrassing."

"I agree. I mean, how does he even have the courage? Even if his good combat skills got him this far, he's still a lowly being. No noble lady would take him even as a slave, let alone a royal."

"Hahaha, you know, a man can dream."

Vince's head tilted slightly, his lips curling in annoyance.

When Fiona mentioned the power core earlier while they were walking through the maze of corridors, he learned that all beings, whether demon, vampire, beast, or mage, had power cores and their power class was reflected in the small gemstones on their foreheads.

A black or onyx stone indicated a dormant power core, and those with it were considered the lowest in the hierarchy.

According to Fiona, Vince's family wasn't originally poor, they were from a noble bloodline. However, for some reason, his power core remained dormant even at his age, which was deemed unusual. His noble family was said to have fallen from grace after his father succumbed to gambling, leading to deep debts with a loan shark.

Vince noticed that none of the other 49 finalists had a black gemstone.

From what he learned from Fiona and overheard from the gossiping finalists, advancing to the final round wasn't easy. There were a series of physical and mental tests, and he made it this far due to his good combat skills and above-average intelligence.

Vince recalled how Fiona described the old Vince as having extreme survival skills, being smart, and cunning.

Adapting to that kind of personality shouldn't be too hard, right?

Although he didn't have the combat skills of the old Vince due to a lack of memories, he could still learn. As for being smart and cunning, his IQ was decent. He was considered smart in his world and had read many books.

Vince snapped out of his thoughts when a man stepped into the center of the hall.

The man appeared to be in his early 30s, with blond hair styled half slicked back and half down. He had a golden tooth and wore fine clothes.

"Hello, everyone! I am Kirk Ludzegar, Lord Damian's trusted aide! On behalf of his lordship, I welcome you all to Heartstone's 576th final round of the Selection!"

Kirk turned to each side, bowing as the people clapped and cheered.

He straightened his back and said,

"As you all know, the Selection is part of our kingdom's celebration every century, and this century, Demon City is hosting the event. Today, as you can see, we have the 50 finalists—the eligible young men who have passed a series of tests and made it to the final round!"

Another round of applause followed.

"Of course, noble and royal ladies from the five cities have come here to witness and be part of the event. Not only that, but we are also very honored to have the chiefs of the five cities with us today!"

In the balcony above the vast hall, connected by the two spiraling staircases on each side, the curtains were rolled up to reveal five throne-like seats.

Vince, along with everyone else, looked up and saw five people seated in the balcony.

"We have Lord Luther Reed, the chief of Vampire City!"

The man looked surprisingly young, thought Vince. He seemed to be in his 20s, with striking red hair and a pair of crimson eyes that appeared quite intimidating, even from a distance.

"We have Lady Isabelle Herschel, the chief of Beast City!"

Vince's lips parted in awe.

The beauty of Lady Isabelle was blinding. Though he wasn't sure if it was his demon genes, he could see clearly even from this distance. Her golden eyes glowed and smiled, and her golden hair cascaded down her chest.

"Damn, ladies from the Herschel family are really the prettiest she-wolves."

"She's so beautiful!"

"Ahhh, I really wish she would choose me as a slave, even though it seems impossible!"

Kirk, the announcer, laughed at how the crowd went wild.

"Of course, we also have Lady Astrid Gerhardt, the chief of Mage City!"

The crowd cheered again, especially the men, when the blue-haired lady was introduced. Her hair was styled in a braided updo, and she wore a small yellow hat perched atop her head.

Seeing the chiefs of Beast and Mage cities, Vince was convinced that he was finally in the right world.

"Also joining us today is our very own Lord Damian Quinn of Demon City!"

When Vince's eyes shifted to the man next to the beautiful blue-haired lady, his smile fell from his face, and his eyes grew wary.

Lord Damian exuded a vicious air, as if he had a dark aura surrounding him. He was a tall, muscular man, wearing a black leather-like tunic with a shoulder plate on his right side and a gauntlet on his right arm. Several straps and belts crossed his chest and waist. His shoulder-length hair was combed back, and his jaw was covered with a thin, meticulously trimmed beard. He looked dangerous, like someone who could take on ten men at a time.

His lips curled into a smirk, with thick tobacco between them.

"Unfortunately, the Regent cannot attend the event today, so on behalf of the Royal City and His Majesty, we have the captain of Royal City's guardians, Lord Riven Moriarty!"

Vince looked at the silver-haired young man. Even though he wasn't a city chief, he sat with the rulers of the cities, exuding an air of superiority. His hazel eyes were incredibly cold and emotionless.

'Woah, that's quite an aura, dude. Are you the protagonist of this story?'

Vince scoffed at his own thought.

It was a shame he ended up in the body of his doppelganger, who came from a fallen noble family and had a dormant power core. But it was better than dying, right? At least he could do something and strive to improve his life.

A middle-aged lady dressed in white clothes adorned with golden lace stepped into the center of the hall and stood beside the blond announcer.

"Delegates, are you ready?" Kirk faced the 50 men standing at the center of the hall and said, "Once I call your name, step forward and bring your cup of seed to Priestess Elara."