Chapter 1357 News of Friends <TOC> Chapter 1359 Nether Demon’s Transformation
Translator: SumTLMan
On the second day, Angel continued to accompany Leon to Sky Tower to watch the battles.
There were evenly matched contests, and there were also one-sided dominations. What struck Leon the most was a match featuring someone named “Chain Wielder” King Kexar.
This so-called King Kexar, a wizard apprentice, was actually someone they had seen outside the tower on their initial visit the day before. At that time, he was dragging a heavy iron ball, making a clanging noise as he walked, causing a commotion in the square.
The reason Leon was so impressed with this man’s match was because of the savage and cruel side he revealed during the fight. He was nothing short of a homicidal maniac.
His opponent had intended to concede, but was a split second too late. He was bludgeoned by King Kexar’s iron ball until his brains spilled out; dead beyond any doubt.
According to the surrounding spectators, this was the eighth contestant King Kexar had killed in the arena.
Though the number of casualties might seem minimal, in the lower floors of Sky Tower, this count was alarming. Because contestants at the lower floors generally had similar strengths, and even if there was an overpowering opponent, they usually had the time to concede. Additionally, Sky Tower had an advanced healing system ensuring that as long as you didn’t die on the spot, your recovery was almost guaranteed.
Of course, this was only for the lower floors. At the upper floors, if a contestant wished to kill, there wouldn’t even be an opportunity for the opponent to concede.
This was the first time Leon witnessed a death in Sky Tower arena. The shock was profound. And the way the audience seemed elated, as if glad they bought tickets to that match, cheering at the death, gave Leon a chilling insight into the indifference of the Wizarding World.
Leon felt fortunate that before he officially entered Sky Tower competition, Angel brought him to watch the battles. This experience reshaped his perceptions, aligning them closer to the realities of the Wizarding World with each match he observed.
After watching several matches, Angel finally approached Infinite Battle Tower.
The matches of Infinite Battle Tower, unless they are of significant importance, are not open for viewing.
Thus, even though Angel knew that Nausica had a match scheduled today, he didn’t come to watch, precisely for this reason.
Their arrival coincided with the conclusion of Nausica’s match.
Even if the match wasn’t open for spectators, the screens timely broadcasted the match situation.
“Blackberry Queen defeats Frostbound Mystic, earning corresponding points…”
Judging from the information on the screen, Nausica’s opponent, Frostbound Mystic, was likely from the elemental side. The bloodline side is known to effectively counter the elemental side, and Nausica ended the match in less than five minutes.
It was either a complete domination, or her opponent conceded the match.
Angel surmised, considering such a short duration for the match, she might compete again soon.
As expected, not long after, the screen flashed another message: “In one hour, Blackberry Queen VS Luminous Slug! Note: This match is for advancement.”
Angel was taken aback; it was an advancement match?
If Nausica won this battle, it would mean she could ascend to the fourth floor of Infinite Battle Tower!
Moreover, under the rules of Infinite Battle Tower, advancement matches are significant and open to spectators.
Meanwhile, the number of viewers behind the screen began to fluctuate.
With promptness, Angel secured two tickets for the match and promptly ushered Leon towards the arena. Today, they hadn’t crossed paths with Glen, so sneaking in was off the table; they had to find a good viewing spot on their own.
However, upon their arrival at the venue, Angel realized there was no need for such haste.
The screen displayed that, for nearly ten minutes, only 18 spectators had chosen to watch this game. The number hadn’t increased for quite some time, steadfastly hovering at 18.
Given this trend, when the actual competition begins, it’s unlikely the audience will exceed a hundred.
This discrepancy highlights the difference between Infinite Battle Tower and Sky Tower.
Angel had assumed that because of its prestigious nature, Infinite Battle Tower would attract more viewers. Indeed, the entry bar for the tower is set high, with the majority of the matches being top-tier. The ticket price, ten times that of Sky Tower, is testament to its exclusivity.
However, the so-called elite matches primarily involve contestants above the thirtieth floor of Infinite Battle Tower.
For matches within the tower’s first thirty floors, the competitors’ skills are comparable to those in Sky Tower. With tickets being much pricier, most spectators would naturally opt for the cheaper alternative.
Moreover, the “Blackberry Queen” isn’t a particularly well-known contestant. It’s no surprise her qualifying matches attract little attention.
When Angel and Leon arrived at the arena, they were the only spectators.
With almost an hour to go before the match began, Angel took the opportunity to share tales of Nausica with Leon.
Angel brought Leon in hopes of expanding his network. Given that Nausica and Leon share a similar school, there’s a chance Leon could glean some wisdom from her.
After speaking for roughly twenty minutes, a smattering of audience members gradually trickled in.
By the time there were only ten minutes left before the competition, the audience members who had reserved seats had finally all arrived. Angel had overestimated earlier; in the end, there were just over thirty spectators present.
Amongst these spectators, Angel was surprised to recognize a familiar face.
Perched atop the neck of a large creature was a petite girl named——Coral, who sat in the front row nearest the stage, eagerly awaiting the competitors to emerge.
Angel knew that Coral, Hilary, and Nausica were close friends. Thus, seeing Coral here wasn’t unexpected.
However, Angel wondered, had Hilary come as well?
Angel had heard from Glenn the previous day that Jiebo was participating in the Novastar Competition. Would Jiebo face off against Hilary? If they were to compete against each other, that would indeed be intriguing.
Lost in his musings, Angel finally saw the competitors make their entrance.
Luminous Slug, a man dressed in a white wizard robe, seemed to have glowing eyes from a distance. But upon closer inspection, the luminescence in his eyes wasn’t from the pupils but rather from white slugs that wriggled within.
On the other side, Nausica emerged.
Though they hadn’t seen each other for nearly a year, Nausica looked unchanged. Her form-fitting brown leather attire accentuated her voluptuous figure, and with her hair cascading over her shoulders, she radiated a sultry allure. Yet the slender sword at her waist, the shoulder armor atop her attire, and the cape connected to that armor lent her an aura of both valor and authority.
Upon her entrance, Nausica waved at Coral briefly before completely shutting out external distractions, focusing all her attention on her opponent.
As time unfurled, when the clarion call of the competition began, both sides leapt into action.
This contest concluded more swiftly than even Angel had surmised.
In under ten fleeting minutes, the only contender remaining on the field was Nausica.
Leon remained befuddled, for in all the myriad matches he had witnessed, this was the only one that eluded his comprehension entirely.
From start to finish, his very eyes struggled to trace the rapid maneuvers of both sides, seeing merely swift-moving gray shadows crisscrossing the battlefield.
How Nausica secured victory, what transpired in those intense moments, Leon failed to discern.
Ultimately, it was Angel, through the illusion spell, who painstakingly reconstructed the most pivotal scenes of the duel, slowing them down, thus unveiling the intricate nuances to Leon.
“Both contenders are evenly matched in power; alas, it seems Luminous Slug just wasn’t favored by fortune this time,” remarked Leon, deeply contemplative after the revelation.
“Was it truly just ill-fate?” Angel responded, a knowing smile playing on his lips, “Look again, more closely.”
This time, Angel not only decelerated the illusion but accentuated several crucial junctures.
Upon meticulous observation, Leon was rendered speechless.
His initial judgment was not entirely askew; in terms of raw strength, Nausica and Luminous Slug were quite on par.
Yet, the reason he first deduced Luminous Slug’s downfall to mere misfortune lay in their final confrontation. Luminous Slug, a summoner by nature, was adept at insect control spells. Throughout the duel, he summoned an array of slugs as his primary offensive strategy. Yet, each slug was Nausica had systematically——neutralized.
In the final bout of combat, Luminous Slug seemed to have exhausted his summoning spells. Vulnerable without the majority of his arsenals, he found himself cornered by Nausica.
One could say Luminous Slug was hanging by a thread.
Yet, in the eleventh hour, in a stroke of mysterious artistry, he expelled a venomous Blood Slug, using the blood from his tongue.
By the time Nausica realized, the Blood Slug had latched onto her arm.
Luminous Slug nearly rejoiced, sensing imminent victory. But then, Nausica unveiled a surprise — a prosthetic arm, crafted from iron.
Regardless of the potency of the Blood Slug’s venom, it was impotent against a mechanical limb.
As hope drained from the eyes of Luminous Slug, a flash of brilliance emanated from Nausica’s palm.
Accompanied by a whirlwind gust, Luminous Slug was swept out of the arena.
From Angel’s perspective, this seemed like sheer bad luck for Luminous Slug, a miscalculation. Had Nausica’s arm been genuine flesh, it would likely have succumbed to the venom.
However, when Angel cast his illusion spell a second time, a detail caught his eye.
When Luminous Slug spewed his tongue’s blood, a faint rune had surfaced on Nausica’s skin. The thick armor she wore initially masked this minute detail from view.
“This rune signifies the activation of the Nether Demon Bloodline, offering formidable defense and poison resistance. Even if the Blood Slug had touched Nausica’s skin, it would’ve been fruitless,” explained Angel.
What’s pivotal is that Nausica activated this bloodline just once throughout the match. And it was only a partial activation. Had she fully awakened it, embodying the Nether Demon, the battle might have concluded even sooner.
Furthermore, the mechanical arm that Angel crafted for her was only revealed at the very last moment. This hinted at Nausica holding back significantly during the entire duel.
Her triumph was far from a stroke of luck.
Chapter 1357 News of Friends <TOC> Chapter 1359 Nether Demon’s Transformation