Chapter 1527 The Boundless Arena <TOC> Chapter 1529 The Spring Waltz
Translator: SumTLMan
“Shall we go and join the other judges? I wonder if the meeting has started,” Farina murmured quietly.
Angel caught one word, “Meeting? What meeting?”
“It appears to be a standardized meeting concerning the quantification of winning and losing criteria for various possible situations in the competition,” Farina paused, then added, “However, whether we listen in or not doesn’t really matter to us.”
“In any case, special guest judges like us rarely intervene in determining the outcome of a match,” Farina concluded. Winking at Angel, she said, “All we need to do is sit on the sidelines, sip some tea, and ponder alchemy. Then the competition will be over.”
Angel: “…” Apparently, he wasn’t the only one planning to coast through for the sake of accruing points.
No sooner had Farina finished speaking than she contacted someone via her communication device. The holographic image displayed a middle-aged woman with a stern visage.
Farina spoke with her for a moment and then turned off the communication device. “She’s Witch Badina, a close friend of mine and also one of the judges for this Novastar Competition. Unlike us, she is a permanent judge.”
“I was contemplating whether or not to attend that standardization meeting. But now, there’s no need to ponder it. Badina told me that the meeting concluded almost half an hour ago.”
Angel showed a look of apology, “I arrived late.”
“It doesn’t matter. I was leaning towards not attending the meeting anyway, but was hesitating out of social considerations,” Farina shrugged. “Your tardiness has actually made the decision easier for me.”
They continued walking, finding fewer people outside since most of the audience had already moved to the expansive arena.
On occasion, they would pass one or two individuals who, upon recognizing Angel, would show a look of surprise. Although no one dared approach him, whispers wafted through the air nonetheless.
“—Sky of Truth— didn’t exaggerate this time; Angel has really advanced!”
“Shh, keep it down. How dare you say his name so openly; be careful not to be overheard by Wizard Pat.”
“Uh… Is that Water Ripple Witch next to Wizard Pat? I heard she’s one of the judges for this competition. Does that mean Pat is also…?”
“Sigh, when I first came to compete in the Novastar Competition, I thought there would be a dramatic clash of fates between Angel and Jiebo, his longstanding rival. Little did I know, while Jiebo is still a competitor, Angel has become a judge.”
Although these whispers are subtle, they ring like thunder in the ears of a formal wizard who wishes to hear them — speaking softly won’t help.
Farina heard these whispers too and laughed, “Given your current popularity, during the preliminary rounds, you’ll probably steal all the limelight from the judges.”
Angel: “That’s not my intention. Besides, do judges even need the spotlight? I thought only competitors care about popularity.”
“Some people do enjoy the feeling of being the center of attention,” Farina said. “I’ve heard some judges are quite concerned about this. But they wouldn’t dare say anything given the current trend in Sky Mechanical City.”
Public opinion has elevated Angel to the pinnacle. At first, it might have been a double-edged sword. Yet Angel has secured his spot at the top and even ascended further, reaching the level of a formal wizard. The so-called backlash has not only become a joke but also propelled his popularity to even greater heights.
The blazing excitement of the Novastar Competition couldn’t overshadow Angel’s radiance. From the classes that were practically empty the other day at Achillea Comprehensive College to deserted streets in the alchemy community, it’s evident.
This is what Farina meant by the tide of public opinion.
Soon after, guided by Farina, they arrived at the backstage of the Boundless Arena. This pathway is exclusively for formal wizards, so it was very quiet — aside from them, no one else was around.
Walking down this elongated corridor for just a short while, they suddenly heard a series of thudding noises.
Angel furrowed his brows, directing his gaze toward the origin of the sound.
The noise was emanating from a sealed wooden door.
“It sounds like…” Farina was mid-sentence when a large hole burst open in the center of that wooden door, and a silhouette came flying out from inside.
It was a man covered in blood; his eyes were rolling back, clearly having lost consciousness.
At that moment, a Black Cat gracefully leapt out from the hole in the wooden door.
“This is the fate of those who cross me,” the black cat mumbled in a human voice, landing on the man’s skull. It extended its sharp claws, as if contemplating breaking open his skull.
Suddenly, the cat sensed a faint aroma of floral tea in the air. It tensed its body, spun around abruptly, and found its gaze meeting Angel and Farina’s.
The cat’s dark green eyes sparkled coldly, and its pupils transformed into vertical slits.
However, as it recognized Angel and Farina’s faces, the arch in its back relaxed, as though it acknowledged their identities.
The black cat drooped its tail and muttered softly, “Consider yourself lucky,” before turning and leaping back through the door, disappearing from view.
A chill wind blew through, leaving only the man lying in a pool of blood behind.
“That door leads to the competitors’ backstage,” Farina finally completed her earlier unfinished statement.
Angel pointed at the man on the ground: “So, both this man and the cat are competitors in this competition?”
Farina stepped forward, enveloping the man in a gentle mist. After a moment, she spoke: “To be precise, only that cat is currently a participant in the Novastar Competition. This man, although not dead, won’t recover from his injuries for several months.”
Angel reminisced about the cat he had seen earlier, which bore some resemblance to Cherie’s Luna. However, Luna was a female cat and, judging by the sound, this one seemed to be male. Moreover, Luna was a magical creature, while the black cat just now was likely some kind of bloodline fusion.
Yet, the bloodline fusion was so perfect it was almost indistinguishable from a real cat, showing it had transcended the realm of half-beast.
The ability to transcend the half-beast state while maintaining self-control, free from animalistic instincts, revealed his profound understanding and compatibility with his own bloodline.
In terms of bloodline fusion alone, Angel thought that this was the most compatible individual he had seen among the apprentices.
As Angel was pondering this, Farina was also reflecting: “That black cat was almost in a full-beast state, which is rarely seen even among bloodline wizards. This year’s Novastar Competition has really brought out unprecedented talents.”
Angel casually added, “The newcomers these days really are becoming more and more like monsters.”
Farina gave Angel a strange look. Speaking of newcomers being like monsters, he was the newest and probably the most monstrous of them all.
She thought that if anyone should be making that statement, it should be her, not Angel. This was her inward criticism.
“Earlier, I saw Shirley’s skills; they’re quite impressive. Did she advance?” Angel inquired.
“Shirley did advance, but given her stubborn personality, she’s bound to offend a lot of people in this competition,” Farina said, pointing at the unconscious man on the ground. “I just hope she doesn’t end up like him.”
The man on the ground was eventually taken away by the staff. Angel and Farina then proceeded to the judging room. Before leaving, Angel sent out a burst of mental energy to probe the backstage area for contestants.
The atmosphere backstage was quite lively.
Though many contestants might not be competing today and the location of the competition isn’t necessarily the Boundless Arena, Angel couldn’t help but notice dozens of participants, including the black cat he had seen before.
The black cat entered the contestants’ backstage area with graceful feline strides, eliciting awe and trepidation from everyone present. Nobody dared to approach it. Upon reaching an upholstered sofa, the cat’s form gradually changed into a young man exuding a cold, handsome aura. The only trait that remained unchanged was the pair of cat-like pupils. When he swept his gaze across the contestants, they avoided eye contact, almost as if they were intimidated.
However, there were several individuals who seemed unfazed by the black cat’s piercing gaze.
For example, a woman carried a handbag adorned with pink hearts, yet her aura was so dark it seemed like she was surrounded by an ominous energy.
Then there was a vibrant young man who, despite giving off a faint scent of decay, radiated the freshness of the morning sun.
Another was a shirtless man, covered in scars, quietly practicing some sort of spell in the corner.
Also present was a young girl wearing an eccentric hat, her laughter tinged with a bizarre coquettishness.
Wait… all of these people ignored the black cat’s stare, and the black cat in turn seemed to hold them in high regard. Clearly, they were probably contestants of the same caliber, if not stronger.
Angel had initially planned to be a judge just to earn some points, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t excited about the Novastar Competition, especially since his friends were participating.
After retracting his mental power, Angel failed to notice a young man engrossed in a book in the corner, who looked puzzled in the direction where the mental power had been withdrawn.
…
Farina sensed Angel’s mental focus: “You seem quite curious about these contestants.”
“After all, I have to watch at least ten matches. I’m hoping to witness some spectacular duels within those ten,” Angel responded.
“Speaking of excitement, indeed, some apprentice matches are more captivating,” Farina paused before continuing, “like today’s preliminary round.”
Angel, intrigued, asked, “Why would today’s preliminary round be particularly exciting?”
“The preliminaries draw a large audience and serve as the face of this Novastar Competition,” Farina explained.
Upon hearing this, Angel came to understand what was meant by “preliminary round.” Contrary to his initial interpretation, it wasn’t the first match in the sequence of the competition; rather, it was a specially selected confrontation.
However, according to Farina, this selection was not made through backroom dealings. When the curtain fell on the Novastar Competition yesterday, all advancing contestants had already drawn lots to match against their respective opponents. This meant they already knew who they’d be facing; only the specific time slots for the matches had yet to be arranged.
The contestants currently know only the numbers assigned to their opponents, but officials certainly already know the pairs for all the matchups.
The preliminary round, being the façade of the Novastar Competition, is surely one of the most popular events aside from the final round. If the preliminary round were to devolve into one-sided matches, forfeits, or protracted duels devoid of any technical skill, it would be a great embarrassment.
Therefore, out of nearly two hundred matches, the organizers selected the most gripping duel to serve as the Novastar Competition’s preliminary round. Given that it’s a curated match, it’s unlikely to disappoint.
With this in mind, Angel’s curiosity was piqued again, and he asked, “So, who is pitted against whom in this intriguing preliminary round?”
Chapter 1527 The Boundless Arena <TOC> Chapter 1529 The Spring Waltz