Chapter 1556 Dawn of Hope <TOC> Chapter 1558 Exchanging for the Domain Demon Eye
Translator: SumTLMan
When the screen displayed the outcome of the match, the spectators erupted into unprecedented applause that lasted for an extended period.
Before the start of the match, almost all the applause and cheers had been for Angel. But now, the applause was for both competitors. It was an accolade not only for the competitors’ strenuous efforts but also for the spectators’ emotional catharsis after witnessing such an enthralling match.
Even though the match had concluded, the spectators’ discussions and cheers showed no signs of abating. At this moment, the busiest individuals were not the audience, but rather the panel of judges who were engrossed in evaluating the results and revising the rankings.
Sabo had initially wanted Angel to participate in this revision process. However, Angel didn’t respond and instead looked in another direction.
Following Angel’s gaze, Sabo saw that Black Canon, initially manifesting as a gigantic woman on the stage, gradually shrank to the size of an average person. Her appearance still resembled that of the Spirit of Seal Canon, but the objects she held in her hands were damaged.
Black Canon sheathed her broken sword and scale and then slowly walked over to the unconscious Shalem.
Lifting him, she took a leaping step and landed on the judges’ platform.
Kneeling in front of Angel, Black Canon handed over the blood-covered Shalem: “I entrust the young master to Lord Pat.”
Angel moved Shalem beside him and looked at Black Canon.
“I may enter a state of Dormancy soon, and I don’t know when I’ll awaken,” Black Canon said. After a long pause during which she seemed to be committing Shalem’s appearance to memory, she continued: “Once the master awakens, Lord Pat, please tell him on my behalf that I’m grateful for his trust in me, and that… I will definitely return.”
Angel looked deeply into Black Canon’s eyes and nodded, “Alright.”
Receiving Angel’s affirmation, Black Canon let out a sigh of relief and a radiant smile lit up her face: “Thank you.”
As her voice faded, the entire being of Black Canon began to blur, like an old photograph damaged by water. The vibrant hues gradually diluted into basic shades of black and white, eventually disintegrating into countless minuscule particles. These particles seamlessly integrated into the —Black Secret Seal Canon— cradled in Shalem’s arms, vanishing without a trace.
Far away on the competition field, Yuridia remained stationary rather than retreating to the backstage area. Her eyes followed the dissipating silhouette of Black Canon, as if she had something she wished to say. Yet in the end, all that was left was a soft sigh carried away by the wind.
In reality, Yuridia sensed that after she was trapped in the dark cage, Black Canon could have employed other methods to deal with her.
Whether it was a slash of a longsword or some other form of punishment, all had the capacity to extinguish her life in an instant.
However, Black Canon chose not to take such actions. Instead, he subjected her to a series of complex and seemingly pointless trials, forcing her to confront the past she had long sought to evade.
In experiencing the depths of this degrading darkness, she had found a dawn of hope.
She couldn’t discern whether Black Canon’s actions were intentional or not, but regardless, she felt indebted to him. Therefore, in the decisive moment when light broke free from her body, Yuridia could have ended Shalem’s life, but she chose not to.
Casting one final glance at Shalem, who was standing beside a formal wizard, Yuridia gently concealed the light radiating from her chest and stepped back into the darkness.
Behind the light lies darkness, and deep within hope lurk shadows. Facing them is just the first step; how to formally address them is what Yuridia needs to do now.
…
Due to Shalem’s severe injuries requiring urgent treatment, Angel declined Sabo’s invitation and did not participate in the ranking discussion. After all, irrespective of the rankings, the journey of Shalem in the Novastar Competition had effectively come to an end following this loss.
Angel bid farewell to Sabo and prepared to take Shalem to the treatment room. Before leaving, Angel glanced at the audience stands.
Nausica and others were watching him with eager eyes.
Through a mental message, Angel reassured them not to worry and then shifted his gaze.
However, after Angel turned his gaze away, he suddenly felt a somewhat resentful look directed at him from the opposite side. This resentfulness wasn’t genuine malice but more like a complaint.
Subconsciously, Angel looked back.
He discovered the person staring at him was a young man wearing moose antlers. The young man was gazing at Angel with a wistful expression. Yet, when Angel returned the gaze, he instantly changed his demeanor, excitedly standing and flailing his arms, as if fearing Angel might not notice him.
Recalling, Angel realized he had never seen this young man before. What was fueling this mix of wistfulness and excitement?
Perhaps an ardent admirer with a vivid inner world?
Thinking this, Angel didn’t dwell on it, gave the young man a slight nod, and turned his attention away.
Sometime later, Angel took Shalem for treatment. Using the advanced medical equipment of Infinite Battle Tower, Shalem’s condition rapidly improved, though full recovery would require at least ten days to a half-month.
Ten days to half a month later, the Novastar Competition would be over. As Angel had mentioned, this was probably Shalem’s final Novastar match. Although they lost, from Angel’s perspective, it was a rather fitting conclusion.
Moreover, Black Canon knew midway through the match that this would be Shalem’s final competition. Black Canon also realized that Shalem didn’t care about winning or losing in the Novastar Competition. Therefore, everything Black Canon did later, in regard to Yuridia, seemed more like an act of kindness toward Shalem rather than a struggle for victory or defeat.
On ordinary days, there was a tense air between Black Canon and Shalem, but deep down, they both held a soft spot and regard for each other.
After exiting the examination room, Angel saw Nausica and his brother Leon waiting outside.
“Don’t worry, Shalem is fine,” Angel briefly explained Shalem’s situation.
“What about Black Canon?” Leon inquired.
“As for Black Canon, it’s in the same state as Shalem — currently sleeping. He should wake up after a period of time,” Angel spoke cautiously, unable to guarantee whether Black Canon would indeed awaken. After Shalem made that critical move, whether Black Canon would successfully evolve or completely disperse remained uncertain. But since Black Canon adamantly stated that it would return, Angel chose to believe in it.
Upon hearing that everyone was alright, both Leon and Nausica finally let out a sigh of relief.
Since there were no other matches today, they prepared to return to the Bliss Pavilion with Shalem.
On the way, Nausica also inquired about Black Canon transforming into the “Spirit of Seal Canon” during the match. Angel only responded with a smile, saying it was Shalem’s secret trump card, and did not disclose any further details.
It wasn’t that Angel was deliberately withholding information; it was simply that it was Shalem’s matter to discuss, not his.
As they chatted, the conversation shifted towards other matches.
The match that captured their attention the most was the one between “Number 1 VS Shining New Star.”
This match had started simultaneously with Shalem’s match against Yuridia. After Shalem’s match ended, Nausica had specifically gone to inquire about the result of this game.
Angel checked the internal rankings on his communication device, remarking, “Both of these individuals… seem to be under-the-radar potential talents.”
Number 1 was a bloodline-side apprentice with good luck, who had so far only encountered ordinary opponents and had accumulated a four-match winning streak. His fifth match, against Shining New Star, was set for today.
Shining New Star has a relatively high internal rating, and is speculated to be a candidate with untapped potential, much like Yuridia.
But that’s just speculation.
So Angel was somewhat curious as to why they were discussing this match.
“Because of this Number 1,” Leon answered. “During the time you were away at Black Castle, Number 1 often came to the Bliss Pavilion and taught me quite a few combat spells.”
Angel paused, “Who is this Number 1?”
“Reynolds,” Nausica chimed in. “You might not know him; he’s an extraordinary person I met during my travels on the Shampoo Shore. He’s a…”
Nausica seemed to weigh her words carefully before finally saying, “Do you know about John’s Comeback?”
“Yes,” Angel’s expression looked somewhat surprised. He had just recently talked about ‘John’s Comeback’ with Sabo and didn’t expect to hear it again so soon from Nausica.
“Reynolds is like John’s Comeback, a passionate young man born under a lucky star.”
In reality, Reynolds was actually weaker than Nausica, but his luck was exceptional. Every opponent he faced was weaker than him, and even if someone was slightly stronger, a surge of adrenaline could turn the tide in his favor.
After hearing Nausica’s words, Angel had already labeled Reynolds as “the passionate protagonist from a novel.”
However, at this point, Leon interjected: “Unfortunately, when he faced Shining New Star this time, there was no counterattack. We just saw the results of the match; he lost to Shining New Star. It seems his good fortune has come to an end.”
Angel responded, “Sometimes, losing doesn’t necessarily signify bad luck.”
“Huh? Why?” Leon looked puzzledly at Angel.
“In a competition that doesn’t involve life-and-death stakes, if the price of victory is delaying your cultivation for ten years or damaging your magic source to the point of no further progress, would you prefer to win or lose?”
Leon: “I’d certainly choose to lose, but isn’t this a rather extreme example?”
Just as Leon finishes speaking, Angel’s communicator receives a new message about the latest match schedule.
Angel hands the communicator to Leon, “Take a look for yourself, see who their next opponents are.”
Leon takes the communicator and immediately spots a line of match information.
“Number 1 VS Book of the Sage”
“Shining New Star VS Son of the Ocean”
Book of the Sage is none other than Shalem, who is currently being carried on Leon’s back. Given Shalem’s condition, he definitely can’t participate in the next match.
And the opponent for Shining New Star is——Son of the Ocean.
The currently most talked-about contender for the championship in the Novastar Competition, Jiebo.
Upon comparing the two, Leon suddenly understands and quietly returns the communicator to Angel: “I get it now. It seems he really does have a ‘John’s Comeback’ aura about him…”
Chapter 1556 Dawn of Hope <TOC> Chapter 1558 Exchanging for the Domain Demon Eye