Chapter 1669 Palace on the Mountain Peak <TOC> Chapter 1671 Tomorrow's Hope
Translator: SumTLMan
When Shadow of the Void’s actions were still filled with confusion in the eyes of others, new words once again manifested on the screen.
“The Novastar Competition’s 99th place, Star Wanderer.”
After this line appeared, similar to Shadow of the Void’s situation earlier, ripples formed in the center of the screen, and a new card emerged from it. With the bustling wind brushing by, this card eventually landed on a man dressed in a robe adorned with stars.
Whispers filled the surroundings, and soon, the identity of the man was revealed to all.
It was the Star Wanderer himself.
Upon receiving the card, he appeared stunned for a moment. However, without waiting for others to react, he darted straight out of the plaza’s boundaries, heading towards the peak of the mountain.
Witnessing this, questions arose in everyone’s hearts——
Could it be that the purpose of the card was, in fact, a tool to open the plaza’s boundaries, eventually guiding its holder towards the mountain’s summit?
Since neither Shadow of the Void nor Star Wanderer revealed the truth, the crowd could only speculate in their hearts.
Nausica too was deep in thought and speculation. However, her worries were quickly dispelled as another line of words appeared on the screen.
“Novastar Competition’s 98th place, Blackberry Queen!”
Blackberry signifies the Blackberry Sea Region. And the Blackberry Queen is the one who conquered this sea domain.
The only person present with the title and deserving of being called the Blackberry Queen was none other than the great pirate who once roamed the Blackberry Sea Region——Nausica!
As it once was, a fresh card manifested on the luminescent screen. In the end, this card wavered and was blown away by the wind, drifting towards Nausica’s direction.
Before truly obtaining the card, Nausica had conjured countless speculations and fantasies about it. Yet, when the card finally settled in her hand, she realized the answer was indeed very straightforward.
The card was slim, adorned with an odd pattern. Next to this pattern, Nausica’s name was inscribed.
Clearly, this card wasn’t blown away by the wind by chance; from the outset, it was destined for Nausica.
Holding the card, an uncanny sensation rose from the very core of her being.
It felt as though someone from afar was beckoning her, whispering, “Come to me.”
The call was soft and soothing, imbued with a sense of “fate” and “guidance”. Nausica lifted her gaze towards the origin of this sensation.
It was the path previously treaded by the Shadow of the Void and the Star Wanderer.
Nausica hesitated momentarily, then decided to heed this call and move forward.
As Nausica made her decision, responding in kind to the inner summons, a surge of exhilaration overcame her. Such excitement spurred her to hasten her pace, breaking past the boundaries of the square, racing towards the mountain!
It wasn’t just Nausica; cards on the luminous screen kept materializing. Almost every two seconds, a card would fall.
Under the gentle, chilling breeze, these cards might appear aimless, but they invariably found their way to their true holders.
As the participants received their cards, each, just like Nausica, was guided by their inner sense of direction and left the square.
For an hour, the path leading directly to the mountain’s peak was lined with people, coming one after another.
Nausica was among the earliest climbers. Initially, she had assumed that their final destination was the summit. However, when she followed her heart’s guidance, arriving at the promised land that had been calling out to her, she realized it wasn’t the palace at the peak but rather——
A towering Stone Pillar beside the path.
These cylindrical stone pillars were scattered all along the route, extending all the way to the summit. Nausica found herself standing beneath one such pillar.
“Are we supposed to climb these pillars?” Nausica hesitated for a moment, glancing at the others.
Nearby, atop two of these pillars stood two individuals, Shadow of the Void and Star Wanderer. One was gazing at the distant palace from the top of the pillar, while the other sat cross-legged on it, seemingly lost in deep thought.
They remained motionless, suggesting that perhaps the top of these pillars was their final station in this Novastar Competition.
Nausica’s gaze followed the path, spotting pillars positioned at intervals. Silently estimating, she figured there were almost a hundred pillars leading up to the palace at the peak, corresponding to the number of competitors in the Novastar Competition.
Does this mean each pillar will have a person standing atop? The higher the rank, the closer the pillar to the palace at the front?
She concluded that this might just be the answer.
With a soft sigh, she thought of her 98th rank, placing her towards the very end. If she had won a few more matches, perhaps she’d be closer to the front… such a pity.
Shaking her head, Nausica followed her heart’s call and climbed the pillar.
Upon standing atop, the guiding sensation vanished.
Nausica tried to move forward, wishing to leave the stone pillar behind her. However, as she ventured away from the pillar, an overwhelming pressure enveloped her, compelling her to retreat back to her original position.
Indeed, just as she had surmised, this particular pillar seemed to be her designated spot in this Novastar Competition.
More and more participants arrived, and like Nausica, they quickly deduced their positions when led to their respective pillars.
Once each competitor identified their pillar, they took their places atop them. Some might have envied those who were positioned closer to the peak, yet, while jealousy lingered, everyone acknowledged that those higher placements were well-deserved, based on their standings in the Novastar Competition.
This hierarchical arrangement, sorting participants by ranking, was initially slightly unsettling. Yet, in the end, everyone accepted the configuration.
The Wizarding World isn’t a utopian world advocating absolute equality. Even in a utopia, a classless society is nearly impossible. In a world where power is paramount, such stratifications are par for the course.
Though Nausica found herself at the bottom, she quickly came to terms with her position. Given that she had entered the Wizarding World just a few years prior, being here was an achievement in itself. Many, despite decades of practice, might not even make it to the top hundred in the Novastar Competition. By this measure, she had already accomplished her goal.
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, the image of Angel emerged. “Angel, that extraordinary being, shouldn’t even be considered,” Nausica thought, decisively shaking her head, pushing the thought of Angel out of her mind.
As pillars stretching towards the summit gradually filled with participants, it became apparent that there were only 90 pillars in total. This meant that ten individuals had not ascended to any pillar.
Seeing this, everyone’s attention was drawn back to the square below.
Indeed, ten individuals stood on the plaza, motionless. These ten were the elite of the elite, led by Onassis, the top ten contenders in the Novastar Competition!
Chapter 1669 Palace on the Mountain Peak <TOC> Chapter 1671 Tomorrow's Hope