Progenitor Vampire: I Have Many Skills!-Chapter 677: The family is there to be cared for.

The shock was written all over the faces of these little ones who had been strutting around, thinking they had been the first. But there was a deathly silence.

Juliet broke it. "You were the first!" She was surprised and smiled broadly with great approval. "Congratulations, Matthew!"

To tell the truth, she had no idea what to say. It’s never easy to be the first for a stranger; in this forest, luck in finding those beasts does not exist. Those beasts are in very specific places, and the snakes are perfectly camouflaged, so a stranger who has no idea about this would not find them so easy to spot.

For young people in the city, there are subjects of study that teach them everything about the vast majority of the beasts in the nearby forests, as they usually go out on special hunting missions for the clans or city organizations, and it is good for them to know. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

That’s why they know exactly where and how to find these special beasts every time the tournament comes around, since they’re not always the same beasts.

Foreigners don’t have that advantage. So every time one of them makes it into the top 10, it’s considered a great achievement, and that foreigner will likely be the most dangerous opponent in the tournament...

It’s very rare for a foreigner to come in first.

That’s why the shock was normal.

Matthew had nothing to say. He talked a little with Juliet while receiving hateful looks from his friends and curious looks from the elders as they waited.

Time passed quickly.

No foreigner made it into the top 20 except Matthew.

Finally, at number 25, one made it, and from there the rest gradually arrived.

"It looks like this will be a tournament without many participants, but where everyone has a clear advantage over those who have been eliminated," said one of the elders with a smile.

"Why do you say that, elder?" asked another. "Are the last three coming?"

"Yes. There will be exactly 100, and they are not coming together."

Just as the elder had said, a few minutes later, the last arrived.

The 100 names were recorded, and several shots were fired into the air to announce the end of the first phase of the tournament. Among those who were closest to achieving it... they were just killing the last beast.

The advantage that the first 100 had over the rest was quite large.

And among these 100 contestants, there were 25 foreigners, a significant number that revealed that the foreign talent on this occasion was quite high.

’I find it curious that there are so many foreigners around these days. Going out isn’t usually very easy because of so many regulations,’ Matthew thought.

Especially if they came from the Dark Kingdom, the Richter Kingdom, or the Blacksmith Kingdom, three kingdoms that he specifically instructed Emma to carefully check all borders and those entering and leaving to prevent information leaks or any revolts.

Once the 100 were gathered, the elders stepped forward to speak.

"The next phase will take place tomorrow at 6 a.m. in the Great White Edge Arena. I will go over tomorrow’s rules again so you can get some rest." The elder immediately began to tell them everything they needed to know.

Rules, meeting place, and how the tournament process would be carried out.

There wasn’t much more to say, so after that, he dismissed them.

--

After talking with Juliet for a while and receiving silly threats from the young teachers in town, Matthew returned to his room.

He didn’t need to make any preparations, so he simply went to sleep.

Lately, he had gotten used to getting up at 4 a.m., so at that hour, he was the first to arrive at the hotel restaurant, except for the restaurant managers and the hotel owner.

’This man, despite being the owner, works hard with his employees from early in the morning until late at night,’ he thought.

As the owner moved around the hotel, fixing everything, he noticed Matthew and smiled at him. He wiped his hands in a bowl of water and then approached him.

"Young sir, you’re up early again today." He greeted him.

"It’s a habit." Matthew nodded. "You seem to be used to the same thing."

He laughed heartily as he nodded and offered him a chair in his usual spot. "I am fully confident that my efforts will create an empire of wealth that I can pass on to future generations."

"Does that mean working as a receptionist in your own hotel?" asked Matthew, remembering the day he arrived here.

"I usually teach my employees how to do their jobs; that day I was training some young people who were watching me from behind." He laughed sheepishly. "I’m also a cook and a cleaner. The Young Master may think of me as someone who can do everything, but I’m a master of nothing."

Matthew nodded, quite surprised. ’He has a dream and strives to fulfill it.’

"You’re a good guy. I’m sure your efforts will pay off, and you’ll have an empire of wealth that your children can enjoy."

"Thank you, Young Master. That’s what I want."

"But you mustn’t forget to spend time with them," said Matthew. "My parents taught me that time with your children is more valuable than any comforts you can give them," he said.

The owner nodded gently, looking thoughtful. Curiously, he didn’t respond. It seemed that Matthew had hit the nail on the head.

"Tell me, did your parents raise you?" asked Matthew.

"Yes, young sir. Although they are no longer with me."

"Do you remember the gifts your parents gave you when you were little?"

"I remember them. A sword, a toy carriage, and a decorated tree."

"I see." Matthew nodded. He remembered that the hotel logo had a decorated tree, a horse-drawn carriage, and a sword crossing it.

He thought it was a reference to a war in a forest, but now it made more sense.

’I also saw it in other businesses in the city. This man is doing well,’ he thought.

"It’s good to honor your parents and their memories," he said, smiling a little. "When we are children, we greatly appreciate those gifts and consider our parents the best just because of them. But now that years have passed, what do you appreciate most? Is it the gift, your parents’ intention in giving it to you, or the fact that they were with you at that moment?"

Matthew fell silent after saying that, as did the hotel owner. He looked thoughtful.

There was nothing to say.

Suddenly, he leaned forward slightly.

"I didn’t think young people could teach me anything. It seems I’ll have to look more at the bigger picture of my family. Thank you, Young Master." He was sincere.

And Matthew nodded.

’Well, at this point, I should be over 70, counting the years on Earth, my first life 10 million years ago, and the few years I’ve been here. I guess I’m not a young man.’ He thought with a self-deprecating smile.