Chapter 1319 Agreement <TOC> Chapter 1321 Knight Sabel
Translator: SumTLMan
In the center of Initial Heart City, the once-bustling streets now lay markedly vacant, as if almost half of the city had suddenly emptied itself.
Every soul seemed to have been drawn towards the Stone Pillar Coliseum located in the southern part of the city.
This coliseum, discovered by Angel in a remote town of the Central Empire on the Revelation Continent and subsequently drawn into the dreamscape, sprawled over a vast area, rivaling even the grandeur of Ocean Theatre. Its structure resembled a bird’s nest crafted from pristine white granite. Scattered around were an array of unevenly heighted round stone pillars, each bearing intricate carvings of animals. This architectural marvel not only resonated with awe but also exuded a kind of haphazard elegance in its white beauty.
Hence, it was aptly named the Stone Pillar Coliseum.
Originally designed for beast battles, the coliseum now lacked any beasts to compete. Given its expansive size, it had become a venue for citizens to settle personal scores through duels.
Today, it hosted a clash that had the undivided attention of nearly every inhabitant of Initial Heart City: The face-off between Sheriff Tulas and City Defense Commander Sabel.
The coliseum, capable of accommodating thousands, was now teeming with a sea of spectators, filling up more than seventy percent of the available space.
By the time Angel and Leon arrived, the prime viewing spots had already been claimed.
Angel, attending the duel, was mainly there to accompany his brother Leon and to catch a glimpse of the fabled Knight Sabel, said to have vanquished an extraordinary being. His curiosity about the match itself was rather lukewarm; for him, the exact spot from where he watched held little significance.
After all, he possessed a godly perspective, enabling him to observe even the minutest details of the battle, regardless of his physical location.
Choosing a relatively secluded spot, less populated and offering a panoramic view, they looked down upon the central arena.
The battle had yet to commence, but the electric atmosphere was palpable. Even from their distance, the fervent discussions and the buzz of excitement from the crowd reached their ears.
“I find Sir Sabel more commendable; his demeanor exudes stability. He relies on the most unadorned techniques, always holding firm and consistent,” opined a bespectacled young man, his voice resonant with conviction.
“But Sheriff Tulas flaunted his abs!” retorted a fan-girl beside him. Her eyes rolled upwards in reminiscence, and her throat quivered, perhaps choking back drool as she recalled Tulas’s washboard abs, exuding raw charisma.
“Sir Sabel has abs too!”
“Yes, but Captain Sabel always dons his armor; they remain unseen.”
“That’s the allure of a uniform!”
“Such allure might work if he were younger by four or five decades. The man’s already sporting a full set of white whiskers — what’s so alluring about that?” she scoffed disdainfully.
“People like Tulas, who only know how to show off and act cool, do it just to lure women like you. Sir Sabel, with his understated elegance, is far superior!”
“But I’m drawn to those who aren’t afraid to flaunt their skills. Most importantly, he has the looks and those abs.”
For the lanky, unremarkable-looking young man behind the glasses, this was a crushing blow. Clutching his chest, his face painted a portrait of wounded pride.
This pair, who looked suspiciously like a couple, sat close to where Angel and his group were, so the entire exchange reached Angel’s ears.
Their assumption that they were a couple seemed well-founded. After all… what man and woman would choose such a secluded spot to watch the match, sit together without another soul in sight? While their banter had the semblance of a light squabble, the underlying atmosphere bubbled with rosy warmth.
As for their dialogue, Angel felt the man made a fair point. Tulas was indeed someone who loved to flaunt and act cool. But to say it was solely to attract women was a stretch. Tulas was simply one who loved the limelight, basking in showcasing even his smallest achievements.
If Tulas claims victory this time, he’s bound to gloat about it to everyone for at least half a year. The old bravado of “vanquishing Redbeard in a flash” would probably evolve into “crushing Sabel beneath his heel.”
So, for the sake of saving his ears from incessant bragging, even before the battle began, Angel’s leanings were already tilting towards Sir Sabel — someone who might be showing his age but exudes stability and wisdom.
Amidst the rising fervor and with Leon’s eyes glowing with anticipation, Angel paused abruptly.
Subsequently, he whispered to Leon, “I need to step away for a moment.”
Having said that, amidst Leon’s puzzled gaze, Angel ventured to a secluded spot outside the Stone Pillar Coliseum. His lips moved faintly, and through the power of nightmare aura, his message traveled to the distant Wilderness of Dreams.
After a short while, an ethereal shadow emerged in this quiet corner, solidifying quickly.
It was Sanders, clad in a black nobleman’s suit.
Earlier, while Angel was at the coliseum, he sensed Sanders entering the Wilderness of Dreams. Since Sanders had previously departed from this dream realm and returned to reality from the vast wilderness, his subsequent access still landed him there.
Within the Wilderness of Dreams, Sanders was unable to use his magic. Making his way back to Initial Heart City from that vast expanse was virtually impossible.
Fortunately, Angel detected Sanders’ “Login” Location and moved to the secluded spot. Through a message, he instructed Sanders to re-enter the dream.
When Sanders did so, with the resonance from the Gate of Dreams, Angel ushered him back into Initial Heart City.
“Mentor, has something gone awry?” Upon seeing Sanders, Angel inquired promptly, “Has Rolando stirred up trouble again?”
“Everything is in order,” Sanders reassured, shaking his head. “We were on our way back. I just wanted a peek without directly confronting Suis.”
For such an odd reason… Angel could vividly imagine the awkward scene of Sanders and Suis standing face to face, with nothing to say.
“I see,” Angel remarked with a solemn nod.
“What is this place? The cacophony of voices is overwhelming,” Sanders commented, becoming more aware of their surroundings. Though they stood in an isolated spot, thunderous sounds echoed from the adjacent area.
“It’s the Stone Pillar Coliseum,” Angel quickly clarified.
“Has a majority of Initial Heart City’s residents gathered to witness this duel? How intriguing.”
Angel inquired, “Would you like to see for yourself, mentor?”
Sanders nonchalantly nodded, “Since there’s nothing pressing, might as well take a look.”
Angel led Sanders towards the entrance of the coliseum. Even at the gates, they could see throngs of people pouring in, indicating the duel’s immense allure and perhaps revealing the city dwellers’ desperate need for entertainment.
On their way to the spectators’ seats, Angel whispered, “Currently, the Dream Entry for the Wilderness of Dreams seems to be the last place you left. This poses a challenge. If only I could share the Gate of Dreams’ power with you, mentor, so there’d be no concerns about logging out in the wild without a way back to the city.”
However, to bestow a fragment of this power upon someone else would only be feasible during its integration phase. At any other time, it becomes an arduous task.
“At the moment, there’s only the city of Initial Heart, so it shouldn’t be a significant issue. In the future, if we could utilize the magic within the Wilderness of Dreams, distance wouldn’t pose a challenge. You could even establish teleportation formations across various locations. After all, both the teleportation formations and the materials can be sent in through the Dream Conch. But to pinpoint locations, we’d still need the assistance of a space wizard,” Sanders speculated.
Angel nodded in agreement, “That seems to be the only viable approach.”
Angel still intended to revisit his research to see if there might be other methods to share power. Even if he couldn’t do it at the moment, he reckoned there might be a similar power within the Nightmare Domain, right?
Swiftly, they returned to the spectator’s area.
However, when Angel set out to find Leon, he discovered that the previously quiet spot was now packed with people. The reason? One of the duelists of this contest, Tulas, currently the sheriff of Initial Heart City, was standing beside Leon, having a conversation.
At that moment, Leon spotted Angel. Just as he was about to greet him, he noticed Sanders behind Angel and was instantly taken aback.
Hadn’t Lord Phantom Master gone with his mentor to apprehend Rolando? Why was he here? Had his mentor already returned to the mansion?
As thoughts swirled in Leon’s mind, Tulas turned and saw the newcomers.
His eyes sparkled, and he approached with a shining smile.
“My Lord, have you come to watch me defeat the charlatan knight?” Tulas’s face radiated enthusiasm. “With you cheering me on, I’m sure I can beat him till he can’t stand up!”
Inwardly, Angel thought: I’m not here to cheer. I actually hope you lose.
But outwardly, he responded calmly, “Are you still calling Sir Sabel a fraud? If I recall, you lost a match to him.”
Tulas’s expression faltered, and after a pause, he chuckled, “Well, that was… that was on purpose! After all, he’s so old. If he lost 2-0 to me, how would he handle the blow?”
With shifty eyes, Tulas looked for affirmation. Angel, without correcting him, merely remarked, “From what I remember, aren’t you several decades older than this so-called Sir Sabel?”
Confronted with the riddle of his age, Tulas’s lips twitched, and he fell silent.
Angel skirted around Tulas, intending to take a seat first. But at that moment, Tulas interjected, “My Lord, we’re too far from the arena here. We won’t get a close-up view… ahem… of my valiant stance. Why not sit in the front? There’s a judge’s seat. Last time, Leon was the judge. Since you’re here now, you must officiate, my Lord! I trust in your fairness.”
Deep down, Angel wanted to tell Tulas he already had a bias.
Angel was initially prepared to decline, but with the swelling crowd around, he didn’t care about the crush for himself, but after all, Sanders was with him. With that thought, he turned to Sanders, “Mentor, it’s too crowded here. Shall we sit in the judge’s seat?”
Sanders simply nodded in agreement.
Only after hearing Angel’s words did Tulas notice the towering man, his hat pulled low, standing behind Angel.
When Tulas caught a clear glimpse of the man’s face, he stammered in surprise, “San… Lord Sanders…”
Angel quickly interjected, “Enough. Lead us to our seats.”
Tulas promptly nodded, signaling for them to follow.
Angel, motioning to the still-dumbfounded Leon, along with Sanders, followed Tulas towards the arena below.
Their movement drew the gaze of nearly everyone present. Leon was familiar to many due to his prior role as a just judge. However, few knew of Angel and Sanders.
But judging by Tulas’s reverent demeanor towards them, they were no ordinary folks.
The crowd started murmuring, speculating about their identities.
Even Tulas’s opponent, Knight Sabel, turned his attention towards them.