Chapter 1547 Ivo and Alex <TOC> Chapter 1549 The Group’s Combat Achievements
Translator: SumTLMan
Not long after Angel left Fingernail Alchemy House, she too departed, her destination being the Research Institute.
Her trip to the Research Institute was naturally concerning the matter of Ivo.
She had even decided to invoke her authority, preparing to forcibly bring Director Muse out of his retreat. This is because the whereabouts of Ivo were not only of importance to her but also vital to the Research Institute.
Originally, Ivo was the most gifted alchemist in the Research Institute; he was even widely hailed within alchemical circles as a potential successor for the position of Director. Yet, he mysteriously vanished, causing the Research Institute to lose a genius who was on the cusp of touching the mysterious realm. How could they not care?
Moreover, despite being renowned as the alchemical holy site of the Southern Region for so many years, the Research Institute has had one lingering regret: the absence of a mysterious alchemist to solidify its reputation.
The Institute’s ambitions aren’t confined to the Southern Region; they aim to be recognized as an alchemical sanctuary throughout the four corners of the Wizarding World, and even in the Source World.
Only the presence of a mysterious alchemist could truly cement the title of ‘Alchemy Sanctuary’ for the Institute. Otherwise, they’d merely be playing house, shut off within the confines of the wizard community in the Southern Region.
Precisely for this reason, Angel, who had once touched the mysterious realm, was easily accepted by the vast majority of the Research Institute’s members.
It’s already a foregone conclusion that Ivo had created a Mysterious Object. In the eyes of the Institute’s members, he actually also qualifies as a mysterious alchemist.
Therefore, finding Ivo has been a relentless goal of the Research Institute for many years.
Now, Angel has brought news of Ivo. As long as this information is confirmed to be true, the Research Institute will undoubtedly mobilize all its resources to locate him.
It can be said that as soon as news of Ivo spreads within the Research Institute, it will undoubtedly stir waves that will shake the heavens.
Unaware of the undercurrents of excitement his very presence had initiated——Angel, sat outside the arena, acting in his capacity as a special guest judge, awaiting the start of the competition.
…
The arena where Angel currently sat was an ordinary one, and of the eighteen arenas hosting simultaneous matches, it was one of the least popular.
Less than one-sixth of the seats in the audience section were occupied. Word had it that the scarcity of spectators was due to a concurrently running match featuring “Ice Edge VS Jade Porcelain.”
Both competitors were powerful up-and-coming talents and, notably, both were female witches — each with their own unique charm. In a Novastar Competition dominated by men, the rarity of seeing two powerful women square off drew the eyes of the majority of the audience.
Consequently, the other matches, including this one, were largely overlooked.
Especially considering that the competitors in the current arena were not only both male, but also unknowns who had never appeared on any talent lists.
The spectators who had come to this particular match were generally there to offer moral support to friends or because they couldn’t secure tickets to more popular events.
However, they were stunned to find that Angel, who had made a fleeting but memorable appearance during the preliminary rounds of the Novastar Competition, was present at this seemingly inconsequential match.
According to current records, aside from acting as a special judge in the first match, Angel had not shown up for any other matches.
This was only the second time he was personally attending a match.
Could it be that there was something about this match that was of particular interest to Angel? Or could an unexpected dark horse emerge from this overlooked arena?
Reflecting on this, the audience, who originally had no expectations for this competition, suddenly became invigorated. After all, even if the competition had no highlights, Angel’s presence alone would be a conversation starter worth mentioning.
Yet Angel, who was the focus of all this chatter, seemed indifferent to the audience’s changing mood.
He wasn’t sure if a dark horse would emerge; he had a very simple reason for attending this competition. The lineup was “Stargazer of Mysteries VS Pied Piper.”
“Stargazer of Mysteries” was David’s nickname, and this was his first match in the Novastar Competition, a very significant event. So, Angel naturally wanted to come and see, while also serving as a special guest judge for the match.
However, what surprised Angel a little was that he really did “blend in” with the crowd.
Because the match started quickly and ended just as quickly.
As the audience pondered, “What could be Angel’s reason for attending this match?” and prepared to seriously search for answers during the competition, the match abruptly came to an end.
Even the judges on the panel were somewhat caught off guard and were discussing in hushed tones. Their discussion wasn’t so much about the outcome of this match——for there was no dispute there. The winner was Pied Piper.
Their primary concern was how to evaluate and rank these two players on the “Novastar Competition Leaderboard.”
Finally, they came over to ask for Angel’s opinion.
After some contemplation, Angel responded, “The unpredictability in this match was high; Pied Piper completely countered Stargazer of Mysteries. Judging their capabilities based solely on this match is difficult. Stargazer of Mysteries couldn’t fully showcase his abilities, so his actual performance is hard to define. However, this Pied Piper…”
“Is quite impressive,” Angel concluded affirmatively.
At least in Angel’s view, this Pied Piper was enough to be considered a dark horse.
Angel reflected on the match, where the moment David entered the arena, he sparked a chorus of jeers and contempt from the audience. This was because he was decked out in alchemical equipment from head to toe, a veritable tapestry of gleaming metals and materials. Even though David had intentionally kept a low profile and the equipment sported a rainbow of different colors, in the eyes of the spectators, he was nothing short of ostentatious.
Such a comprehensive outfit of entry-level alchemical gear was a rare sight in the Novastar Competition. Many automatically pegged David as a big spender, participating in an ostentatious display of wealth. Given the prevalence of disdain for the wealthy among the spectators, this, of course, invited a crescendo of scornful noise.
Fortunately, the announcer’s introduction salvaged David’s reputation.
The announcer presented David as an alchemist, which immediately neutralized the animosity in the crowd. Generally speaking, alchemists are considered the weakest combatants at their level. The audience accepted that using self-crafted equipment was, after all, a part of one’s own capabilities.
In contrast, the other contestant was far less resplendent.
The “Pied Piper,” Hamelin, wore an old set of clothes draped in a patchwork cape, appearing as a mosaic of life’s hardships. Even the flute in his hands had visible cracks.
Judging by appearances, the audience already concluded that David was the inevitable victor.
However, as the battle commenced, a shocking twist unfolded. David began by wielding what looked like an upgraded rotary cannon, bombarding the Pied Piper with shots that kicked up a dense cloud of dust and smoke on the stage.
Against this onslaught, the Pied Piper effortlessly dodged and weaved, even hovering briefly in the air. Not only did he remain uninjured, but even his clothing remained intact.
While dodging, the Pied Piper was not idle; he played his bone flute, producing a melody that was both pleasing and melodious.
At first listen, the tune seemed unremarkable since it didn’t trigger any visible energy fluctuations, sounding like an ordinary piece of music.
However, as the music resonated, from the folds of the Pied Piper’s ample robe emerged a swarm of tiny black figures. Upon closer inspection, these turned out to be rats with glowing red eyes!
The rodent’s head was massive, and it was unclear where exactly it was hiding. All that could be seen was the rustling of its robe; countless rodents scurried out from the sleeves, from under the cloak, and from within the pant legs.
At least close to a thousand, viewed from above, the arena seemed to be carpeted by a dense formation of black, wriggling creatures, all swarming towards David.
These weren’t just ordinary rodents; they were exceptionally ferocious. Their sharp claws left visible marks on David’s armor, and a swing of a single tail almost sent David flying off. The terror was compounded by the sheer number of them in the arena.
Whenever the Pied Piper’s music rose or fell, the rodents would carry out corresponding attacks. Everyone now understood that although the music itself didn’t contain any energy properties, the Pied Piper could control these rodents through the melodies.
Initially, David tried to attack the Pied Piper to stop him from playing. But he soon realized that even without the pipe, the Pied Piper could still control the rodents through vocalizations and hand gestures. So David temporarily set the Pied Piper aside, focusing on dealing with the rodents first.
David had come prepared for the Novastar Competition, not only with his suit of alchemical gear but also with methods to counter summoning, such as a potion that could produce a plague.
However, while David was ardently dealing with the rodents, he failed to notice that the Pied Piper’s music had subtly changed.
The tone, style, and rhythm remained unchanged, but a faint, nearly indiscernible fluctuation of energy had appeared.
Even the audience and most of the permanent judges didn’t notice this, but Angel captured this subtle energy fluctuation sensitively; it wasn’t magical energy, but mental energy!
This mental energy floated subtly and slowly toward David along with the music.
Caught completely off guard, this mental energy penetrated beneath David’s helmet. Subsequently, David’s body began to move as if intoxicated, beyond his control.
Under the Pied Piper’s manipulation, David dizzily removed his suit of alchemical gear and then began to dance amidst the swarm of rodents.
At that moment, the rats didn’t attack David but joyously danced to the tune of the Pied Piper, engaging in various delightful movements.
Furthermore, the rats would move in formation, creating various patterns as they weaved through the music.
It was like watching an absurd but laugh-inducing musical comedy.
In the end, by the time David regained his senses, he had already been dancing and had fallen off the stage.
The match was over.
The match ended quickly. Although there were jovial dances, most of the audience was bewildered. Take the panel of judges, for instance; they couldn’t even gauge the Pied Piper’s level of expertise. What heights had he reached?
However, in Angel’s view, even if the Pied Piper’s performance lacked a climactic moment, he won by sneakily embedding energy into the music and ambushing David when he was unaware.
But upon closer examination, it becomes chilling to realize that the Pied Piper had controlled David using only his mental power.
It should be noted that although mental power is a distinguishing characteristic of wizards, for the majority of apprentices, even lifting a sheet of paper with mental power is not an easy feat.
For the Pied Piper to use mental power as an offensive means against someone at his level of skill is indeed remarkable.
Angel estimated that the Pied Piper’s mental power has likely reached a pinnacle.
At least, according to Angel, among the apprentices he has observed, most probably have a lower level of mental power than the Pied Piper, even the one aboard the Bohemia with as much as 23 mental power points.
And too few among the apprentices have any defense against mental power.
Based on these considerations, Angel believes that this Pied Piper could well be considered a dark horse in the competition.
Chapter 1547 Ivo and Alex <TOC> Chapter 1549 The Group’s Combat Achievements