Chapter 1648 Rewards <TOC> Chapter 1650 Official Start
Translator: SumTLMan
Novastar Competition.
This event, the largest in the Southern Region in recent times, has built up its momentum for an entire year. On this final day, it has almost reached its zenith.
The largest combat platform within Infinite Battle Tower——the Boundless Arena, was filled to the brim with spectators.
This is perhaps the first time in nearly a century that so many extraordinary individuals have gathered in one place. Although most of these extraordinary individuals are essentially apprentices, the scene is still awe-inspiring.
It’s as if one can see the flourishing future of the Southern Region.
When nearly all the seats in the Boundless Arena were filled, a series of bell tolls reverberated through the venue.
Following the chimes, the Boundless Arena went pitch black for a moment. The chatter among the spectators briefly paused. Seizing this momentary lull, a luminous screen descended into the center of the arena, and simultaneously, a melodious and crisp female voice resonated in everyone’s ears.
“The Boundless Arena will be activated; countdown begins: five seconds.”
As the five-second countdown concluded, the dome of the Boundless Arena gradually illuminated, starting from the center where the screen was positioned. When the illumination reached its peak, everyone finally got a clear view of the arena’s interior.
Beneath the dome was a desolate world.
According to the traditional sequence of events, competitors would draw lots backstage after the activation of the Boundless Arena, and the winners would choose the battlefield. However, the announcer deviated from the usual script, saying instead, “Up next, the special guest judges will make their entrance.”
As the words fell, the teleportation formation in the center of the judgment chamber began to glow.
The special judges appeared ——one by one in sequence. Having already experienced this once, Angel was somewhat composed, although he still felt a tinge of embarrassment when it was his turn to appear.
Angel was the last of the special judges to appear, and therefore attracted the most attention.
When Angel’s figure appeared in the Boundless Arena sky, all eyes saw only a fleeting shadow pass by.
Last time, Angel wore an elegant jade-green suit, which gave off an air of aloofness and coldness. This time, he simply wore a common black wizard robe, noticeably more subdued than before.
Angel did not linger in the sky for long; he briefly surveyed the surroundings before heading to his floating seat.
After taking his seat, Angel could still faintly hear the audience below discussing him, although he didn’t pay it much mind.
Once all the special judges were seated, the announcer’s voice rang out again: “Today’s match is the final of the Novastar Competition. Therefore, to ensure fairness, the choice of stage this time will be drawn by the judges present.”
Upon hearing this, all the judges started whispering among themselves.
They clearly had not expected this twist in the proceedings.
Though somewhat bewildered, they knew that someone needed to step up and draw the proverbial flute, as all eyes were on them. There were many apprentices among the judges who obviously did not qualify to participate, so after some exchanged glances, the attention finally settled on a few special judges.
There were also judges at the wizard level among the regular judges. However, these individuals were officially affiliated with Infinite Battle Tower. To avoid any appearance of bias, it was best to let a special judge perform the drawing.
Special guest judges were few in number, and all eyes initially turned to Hydra. Hydra was one of the Eighteen Observers of the Crown Star Church, and him drawing lots would seemingly be the most suitable option.
“I’ve already set my biases. Even if I don’t employ my powers, the Serpent of the Tree that I worship will collapse all other probabilities,” Hydra stated impassively.
As a prophecy wizard, every action taken by Hydra could trigger a reaction from the esoteric faction he adheres to——known as the “Serpent of the Tree.”
Everyone remembered that Hydra had a particular focus on Onassis. Indeed, as he said, he already had preset positions.
Since Hydra was unwilling to draw lots, their attention had no choice but to shift to the other people present. Kemone, who was a stand-in for Graves, consequently had the lowest status, so all eyes turned to the two members from the Research Institute.
“How about you go, Angel?” suggested Sabo, who was a permanent judge.
Angel was currently riding high in popularity and was a new member of the Research Institute. His standing was certainly not modest.
However, Angel shook his head. He was merely there as an observer today and did not want to steal the limelight.
Time waits for no one, and ultimately, it was the Water Ripple Witch, Farina, who took on the task of drawing the field of battle.
After confirming that Farina would draw, a magical cube appeared out of thin air in front of her. The cube was segmented into numerous small squares, each representing a different attribute of the Boundless Arena.
Farina casually touched the cube, and the spinning magical object halted, dropping five small squares from mid-air.
The first square was blank. The second square displayed a blue rune. Upon seeing this, the narrator softly murmured the meaning represented by the pattern: “Ocean.”
The third and fourth small squares were blank, but a peculiar image of a long-horned skull finally emerged in the fifth square. The narration quickly deciphered it: “Troll.”
With the complete appearance of all five squares, the selected stage for the finals of the Infinite Arena also revealed itself——The Turbulent Sea of the Frenzied Trolls.
When the audience saw the stage’s pattern, there was initially no reaction. However, the faces of the judges on the panel were distinctly peculiar.
Even Farina’s expression looked somewhat odd.
“Is there something wrong with this stage?” Angel, whose floating seat was quite close to Farina, asked curiously.
“There’s nothing inherently wrong, but it’s been many years since this pattern has appeared,” Farina sighed. “Trolls are already the most difficult obstacles in the Boundless Arena. Drawing land as the battleground is one thing, but in the ocean, it’s sure to be those sea trolls.”
Each sea troll has the power level of at least a third level apprentice. While there may be trolls of even higher levels, they would certainly not be released in the Novastar Competition. Nevertheless, even a third level apprentice sea troll would pose considerable challenges to the competitors.
They not only have to compete against their opponents but also deal with the dangers brought by the trolls during the match.
Compared to the last stage they had drawn——”Needle Grass Meadow in Strong Winds,” for the Deceiver VS Spring Waltz battle, this time the stage was like comparing night and day.
“All we can do is wish them good luck,” Farina shrugged.
Having said this, due to the appearance of the pattern, the Boundless Arena began to undergo changes. The entire dome was enveloped in a blue luminescence, within which the sound of gears turning could be heard. Minutes later, accompanied by a soft “click,” the blue light on the dome gradually faded away, revealing the scenery within the dome.
From a barren plain, it had transformed into a vast ocean.
Although the surface of the ocean appeared tranquil, the sky was filled with low, dark, and oppressive clouds. The air was palpably dense, humid, and stifling, carrying an omen of an impending storm.
Two rocks protruded from the ocean’s surface, spaced roughly ten meters apart.
What drew everyone’s attention to these rocks was the appearance of a door behind them. Clearly, the designated landing spot for the competitors was on top of these rocks.
“Contestant: Phantom Moose,” said a voice from the side, synchronizing with the text that appeared on the overhead screen.
As the words fell, the door behind the rocks swung open.
A young man wearing a hat with moose antlers stepped out from behind the door.