Chapter 1550 Wintertime Antler <TOC> Chapter 1552 Book of the Sage
Translator: SumTLMan
For Helen, Angel actually has a fondness that goes beyond superficial attraction — it’s more like a deep-rooted respect for her character.
He particularly admires Helen’s decisiveness and circumspection in her actions. In this regard, she bears some resemblance to Nausica. However, the philosophies by which they live diverge; Nausica cherishes freedom and uninhibited spontaneity, whereas Helen leans more toward maintaining order and exercising self-discipline.
Due to his admiration for Helen, Angel does find himself thinking about her from time to time.
Although he doesn’t have much fondness for Silkvine, Silkvine seems to be quite fond of Helen. Given Silkvine’s attentiveness, Helen should be doing quite well, shouldn’t she?
As Angel ponders this, in the spectator stands on the other side of the arena, a slightly plump woman looks across to where Angel is sitting, a faint smile on her lips and a glint of nostalgia in her eyes.
On the arena itself, the purple-haired Silkvine glances at the plump woman, then follows her gaze toward Angel.
Silkvine’s brow furrows slightly. She had noticed Angel as soon as she entered the arena because the seats around him were conspicuously empty. She’s puzzled as to why Angel would come to watch this match, especially not in the capacity of a judge.
Is it for her? Or for Yuridia across from him?
Or, perhaps, is it for Helen?
Silkvine knows that Helen once had feelings for Angel, but Angel had gently rejected her at the time. Helen, for her part, gracefully stepped back… Could it be that Angel is considering rekindling old flames?
Such complex thoughts rush through Silkvine’s mind, of which Angel remains unaware. His reason for coming actually has nothing to do with Silkvine — in fact, he didn’t even know initially that “Shadow Goose” was Silkvine.
“Did you hear what I was saying? Which category does Wisp belong to? She lost to Cold-Eyed Cat — was it because she’s inherently weak or is she actually hiding her strength?” Shalem ardently steers the conversation back on track.
Angel shakes his head after listening, “I didn’t watch that match, so I can’t say.”
Shalem: “Alright, what about this match then? Do you think Wisp will win, or will Shadow Goose?”
Angel glances at the two competitors on the stage, “Shadow Goose is quite capable. Her transformed state after modification should give her a swift aerial advantage. I’m not familiar with Wisp, so it remains to be seen if she has any countermeasures for aerial combat.”
Shalem mutters, “I hope Shadow Goose wins. If not, she should at least draw out all of Wisp’s abilities, so I can think of a way to counter them.”
This is the very reason why Shalem came to watch the match.
Although this approach is sound, if the gap between the two is too great, then it’s of no use.
For example, everyone knows that Sanders possesses powerful illusionary skills, yet during the fight, even using various countermeasures doesn’t suffice to beat him. The gap is just too large — a force that could overpower ten wizards.
As Shalem watches the match unfold, he gets that feeling.
He had been praying that Wisp’s prior loss to Cold-Eyed Cat was due to her lack of strength. However, midway through the match, he realizes that Wisp is anything but weak; her endurance surpasses his expectations.
On the stage, Wisp stands in darkness, mumbling something indistinct, while in front of her swirls a vortex of obsidian.
“Third level spell, Wheel of Darkness,” a mature male voice articulates the words. The voice carries an elegance similar to a noble whispering sweet nothings in your ear. However, the speaker isn’t a noble, but rather a tome with a thick cover——
Shalem’s —Black Secret Seal Canon—.
Shalem didn’t buy a ticket for the Black Canon, so the book could only be carried in his hands in its physical form. At this moment, a mouth appeared on the cover of the Black Canon, and the voice emanated from this mouth.
“Moreover, including the previous Dark Execution and Profound Mist, this has already been the fifth third level spell that Yuridia has unleashed. She seems to still be at ease. Her magical energy reserve is probably higher than ninety percent of third level apprentices,” said the Black Canon, not forgetting to take a dig, “As for you, the master who is also an apprentice of the dark arts, you currently only know one pseudo-third level spell, and it’s uncertain whether you can even use it in real combat.”
Shalem’s face darkened and he muttered through gritted teeth, “Talk about her, don’t mention me.”
Angel actually agreed with what the Black Canon had said. Within just a few minutes, Yuridia had released five third level spells, showcasing not only her immense magical reserves but also her excellent timing in unleashing spells.
The notion that Yuridia could only last half a match is certainly unfounded.
It’s likely that when Yuridia conceded to Yehi, there must have been other reasons.
The performance of Shadow Goose Silkvine was also exceptionally good. Third level spells are often the key to determining the outcome of a match. Many times, apprentices are already remarkable if they can release a single third level spell, let alone five times like Yuridia. That Silkvine could withstand it five times shows that her strength is in no way inferior.
However, when compared to Yuridia’s terrifying offensive power, Silkvine’s performance was overshadowed and paled in comparison.
Angel also noticed that throughout the match, Yuridia was constantly walking in the darkness, yet her lips were continuously murmuring the word “hope.”
Including the yearning in her eyes, the murmurs from her mouth, and the gradually dissipating light energy, all of these further emphasized one thing: Yuridia seemed to be brewing a power based on the essence of “hope.”
This should be Yuridia’s ace in the hole.
Sadly, although Silkvine transformed into the Shadow Goose with black wings and appeared to control the skies, she was continuously overshadowed by Yuridia’s darkness. In the end, she reluctantly conceded defeat without forcing Yuridia to reveal her ace.
After the match concluded, Shalem’s expression remained solemn throughout.
Given the current situation, Shalem believes that Yuridia’s strength is far beyond what the rumors suggest. Shalem even contemplates that if she were to fully engage in a duel with Cold-Eyed Cat, it’s uncertain who the ultimate victor would be.
Cold-Eyed Cat is a rising star on the Potential List, and since Yuridia is not inferior to him, she must also be among the top contenders on that list.
This realization distresses Shalem deeply. He considers himself a middle-to-lower-tier competitor. Can he really hold any hope against such rising stars?
Seeing Shalem’s evident consternation, a character named Black Canon emerges from a book, addressing Shalem, “My dear master, would you like me to help you analyze the situation?”
With hopeful eyes, Shalem nods in agreement.
Very seriously, Black Canon advises, “In that case, let me tell you how to gracefully admit defeat so that you neither lose face in front of the lady nor sustain severe injuries. When the competition starts, you can first do this…”
Before Black Canon can finish, Shalem, looking increasingly icy, snaps the thick book shut.
Black Canon dissipates into a mist, vanishing instantly.
Hesitant, Leon asks, “Is Black Canon going to be alright?” During his time at the Bliss Pavilion, Black Canon often offered him guidance, so Leon holds him in high regard.
With a stern face, Shalem assures, “Don’t worry; generally, villains tend to live longer than good people.”
After regaining his composure, Shalem turns his hopeful eyes toward Angel.
After contemplating for a moment, Angel finds his thoughts aligned with Black Canon’s. Currently, Shalem hasn’t truly reached a third level standard. Naturally, he would be at a disadvantage against Yuridia. However, Shalem does have his own merits, such as Black Canon and the Sage Body. Yet, Angel isn’t sure how significant an impact these advantages could have on Yuridia.
Pondering this, Angel suggests to Shalem, “Let’s do this: I’ll first assess your capabilities.”
An hour later, in a sealed arena within Infinite Battle Tower.
Shalem lay on the ground, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Across from him stood Angel and Black Canon, who had transformed into a refined middle-aged man. They were in deep conversation.
Not too long ago, Shalem had unleashed various spells in a battle against an illusion conjured by Angel.
The illusion was a simulation of Yuridia, created by Angel after watching her match earlier today.
The duel paused only after Shalem had exhausted the majority of his offensive arsenal. Angel then began consulting Black Canon about their so-called strategy.
After a considerable amount of time, once Shalem had regained his composure, Angel and Black Canon concluded their discussion.
Meeting Shalem’s hopeful gaze, Angel remarked, “To put it bluntly, you’re still far behind Yuridia.”
A look of disappointment clouded Shalem’s eyes, but Angel then added a caveat.
“However, after consulting with Black Canon, we’ve concluded that you do have a chance to turn the tables.”
As a renewed glimmer of hope shone in Shalem’s eyes, Angel continued, “Black Canon will preside over the Scales to enact a reperformance of the laws.”
Shalem abruptly looked up, “Is this the only way?”
Angel nodded, “Yes.”
Shalem fell silent, lost in thought.
Chapter 1550 Wintertime Antler <TOC> Chapter 1552 Book of the Sage