The Invincible Full-Moon System

Chapter 1572: Either You Or Death

Robust and commanding, Duke Lorcan was exactly as Rex expected.

He stood at the other end of the grand hall, spine straight, one hand resting behind his back—a stance both composed and commanding. Though his aura was unseen, its weight pressed upon the chamber as if he were wearing a bloody crown, compelling all who met his gaze to bow.

Every subtle movement, every breath, spoke of royalty.

Not merely inherited, but earned.

A loose royal green and white robe that still emphasized his robust stature draped across his body.

Intricate patterns bloomed like flowers with the winged-star crest at their orbit.

Beside him was a breathtaking woman.

Princess Davina stood—with effortless poise, hands clasped in front of her stomach, draped in a green gown befitting of royalty that shimmered like cut emeralds beneath the natural light. Translucent white fabric cascaded from her sleeves, catching the wind in slow, graceful ripples, flowing like waves drawn toward some silent shore.

Her gown matched the Dukeʼs robes perfectly.

Not by accident, but by declaration—highlighting their unity at the moment.

Despite her pleasant appearance, her silk-smooth, beautiful face betrayed her.

Though stoic, it bore a faint tinge of annoyance, like a goddess mildly displeased by mortal trivialities.

She was untouchable, and she knew it.

Once he was right in front of the grand hall, the knight bowed politely and stepped to the side.

He gestured for the contenders and their patrons to step inside.

Rex followed Rosaʼs lead, sticking close to her.

Crack!

As they took only a few steps into the grand hall, a streak of green light shot down—striking the floor right before Rex and Rosa, who stood at the far right, forcing them to halt. The beam then swept sideways in a sharp line, cutting across all of them and halting them all in place.

A clear sign for them not to take a single step further.

Rex turned to the side and saw another woman.

Sheʼs a light brunette—her hair is so long that it drops past her bottom.

From the stark similarity between her and Princess Davina, she must be family, and with the mature air she was exuding, Rex could safely assume that this woman was Princess Davinaʼs sister, Liliana. She was the one who fired the beam.

”Youʼre sweating, Rosa.”

Rex whispered silently from behind.

He noticed the bead of cold sweat running down Rosaʼs neck, which was a worrying sign.

”I took our deal seriously, so of course Iʼm nervous.”

”I only asked you to bring me here,” Rex placed a hand on Rosaʼs shoulder, assuring her. ”Itʼs fine.”

Rex wasnʼt a fool.

Though Rosa was doing her best to fulfil her part of the deal, the problem between the Duke and the Marquess isnʼt something—that could be handled easily. No matter how much she wanted to fulfil her end of the deal, itʼs not that simple.

But all he asked was access to this tournament.

As for how it ended, it was entirely up to him.

Visibly, Rosa relaxed a bit, smiling inwardly as his words took a massive weight from her shoulders.

Rex stared ahead again and was surprised to find Princess Davina was looking his way.

He was caught off guard, but he quickly recovered.

She never saw me in my Human form. Iʼm sure she wouldnʼt recognize me, not in this form.

Despite being stared at, Rex remained composed.

Giving Davina any reaction would only encourage her to pay closer attention, and Rex didnʼt want that.

At least not in the way that was non-romantic.

Just then, an old woman could be seen entering the grand hall from the far left, needing a guard to help her walk. Even her appearance looked extremely old, which could only mean that this old ladyʼs age is beyond what Rex could fathom.

She began from the left, smiling and holding the contenderʼs hand.

It was an inspection, from the looks of it.

Rosa naturally leaned towards him.

”Like I said, she would be checking your age. Donʼt panic and let her do what she must.”

”Not a problem.”

About three minutes later, the old lady finally reached Rex.

She offered a friendly smile.

”It might be my old brain, but I donʼt know who you are. May I know your name?”

”Rex Silverstar,” Rex returned the smile. ”And no, your brain hadnʼt failed you. Weʼve never met.”

”I was only joking.” The old lady laughed. ”I would remember a handsome face like yours if weʼd met.”

Then, the old lady reached out both of her trembling hands.

”May I…?”

”Please.”

Rex extended his hand, and the old lady received it with both of hers, her touch gentle and deliberate.

A notification appeared as soon as she did.

Seeing this, Rex didnʼt resist.

He waited for a moment as the old ladyʼs eyes glistened with a cherished green hue, probing Rexʼs body from head to toe with her energy. It was an inspection, and at the end of it—the old lady smiled lightly, seemingly pleased with what she found.

But she didnʼt let go of his hand.

Swish!

A subtle but purposeful life energy from the old lady brushed against Rexʼs skin.

Rosa frowned when she felt the disturbance in life energy inside the grand hall.

ʼSheʼs probing his origin.ʼ She looked at Rex worriedly. ʼIʼve done it on him, and he was able to resist.ʼ

Of course, Rosa expected this to happen since Rex is a new face.

But it shouldnʼt be a problem since Rex somehow was able to deflect this power.

In every noble house, there was a Royal Seeker who wasnʼt only adept at handling problems with the Obelisk of Life, but also could see through the disguise of anyone new, providing advice to the head of the house on certain matters.

A slightly lower position than the Priestess of Purity, but prominent nonetheless.

Rosa already told the Royal Seeker of her house to check Rex, and he was able to deflect this.

Of course, this old lady is stronger than the Royal Seeker back home, but Rosa was thinking positively.

Rex raised a brow when he saw this notification.

But he has no time to react as the old lady has already thrown her question.

”Tell me, Lord Rex, what is your origin?”

For a moment there, Rex remained silent and looked down at the floor covered by soft carpet.

Noticing that the old lady was a lot longer than him, the other contenders began to turn towards him.

Rosa sweated a little, but it was then, Rex raised his head again.

”Someone from the Noble House of Aureliusʼ territory who got lucky.”

”Hmm…”

Despite the answer, the old lady remained steadfast on Rex, her eyes studying his face intently.

Soon, her smile returned.

”Okay. Please, hold this for me.”

She gave a small black orb to Rex, the one she told the other contenders to hold, too.

”What is this?”

”Itʼs to make sure youʼre not a Voidal Monster in disguise. If you are, youʼll feel cold by touching this.”

”Iʼm not a Voidal Monster.”

Since there was no reaction, the old lady took the orb again.

”Itʼs mandatory. I hope you understand, and good luck, Lord Rex.”

Just like that, the old lady walked away.

On the other hand, Princess Davina stared at Rex intently as she noticed something weird earlier.

ʼHis eyes… It was red before—but when he answered, it turned to bright orange.ʼ Her eyes narrowed, finding that something seemed off about Rex. ʼDid he do something to avoid the inspection? No, I donʼt sense any manipulation in his life energy. But still…ʼ

Though she was suspicious, she couldnʼt say anything as there was no proof.

It happened so fast.

Rexʼs eyes were normal again, which almost seemed like she imagined the change in his eye color.

But Princess Davina trusted what she saw.

Duke Lorcan then finally spoke, his voice was heavy and carried authority.

”Before the real test, I have one question. Please answer truthfully.” He scanned his sharp eyes across every single contender, making sure all of them listened to him attentively. ”Why do you want to marry my daughter?”

Starting from the left-most side, the contender answered one by one.

”Because I believe other than strength compatibility, there also needs to be status compatibility. I offer my house name, which would certainly be beneficial to the Princess.”

”Love and marriage didnʼt care about strength and status compatibility. It simply served the heart. And I believe I have fallen for the princess, and if the princess wants real love and can love me too, weʼll be a perfect match.”

One by one, the contender began to answer the question.

Everyone tried to stand out, poking at what might incite any reaction from the Duke and the Princess.

For them, this is a trick question.

All of them were sure that the Duke was asking this not because he worried that the Princess would be marrying the wrong person—the question was more to see if there were outliers among them. The only wrong answer was one that doesnʼt incite any reaction.

Be it anger or approval, their answer must incite a reaction.

However, so far, none of them were able to change the Duke and the Princessʼ expressions.

Then, it was time for the man with the long white hair—the strongest among all of them.

Elegantly, he stepped forward.

”I admire the princessʼ strength; thatʼs why I want to marry her.” He answered confidently with a steady and composed voice. ”And I also want the princess to know—that strength alone shouldnʼt be the only measure of a worthy partner. If sheʼs destined to stand above all, Iʼll be the fool who refuses to kneel.”

Hearing this, Princess Davinaʼs lips curled a little.

Since she was stoic throughout, this change was caught instantly by everyone.

Once he said his piece, the elegant man stepped back behind the line again.

”Youʼve got a good rival there,” Rosa whispered. ”Itʼs going to be tough beating him.”

Rex remained silent.

Itʼs still flattery. A princess like her hears that all the time. That smile of hers only showed because sheʼs never heard that kind of praise from a man before. Doesnʼt mean sheʼs interested. If I werenʼt here, heʼd probably gain her hand.

Though he could still be wrong about this, he was confident.

Not because of his research, but he could feel the air from her.

It was similar to the first time he met with Evelyn.

Sheʼs only interested in him back then because he taunted Kevin to bet using her.

Evelyn is also in the same position as Princess Davina, and that alone made him confident.

Soon enough, it was his turn.

Rex took a step forward—there was no hesitation or nervousness in his movement.

It was precise and deliberate, like a man who knew exactly the reason he was here.

For a good second, he stared at Duke Lorcan before eventually resting his eyes on Princess Davina.

She was stoic, but she couldnʼt hide the curiosity behind her eyes.

”Because I want her, and I always get what I want.”

His voice echoed across the entire grand hall.

Rex remained silent for a good moment before intending to step back.

He didnʼt feel the need to elaborate further.

”Always get what you want? What makes you so confident? Hard to believe that kind of certainty comes from anything but arrogance. Besides, youʼre talking as if Iʼm a trophy that you wanted.”

Before he could step back, Princess Davinaʼs voice rang.

Irritation was clear in her tone.

Rex paused and stood straight once again.

”It came from something way deeper than arrogance, princess. I always get what I want—because I refused to be a man who canʼt get what he wants. Iʼd rather die than give up. So, this is not only a matter of marriage for me. This is life or death. Either I get you, or I die.”