Chapter 2719 Blood Source and Pure Blood <TOC> Chapter 2721 Meeting
Translator: SumTLMan
As a bloodline wizard, Daus had always thought highly of his own combat prowess. Therefore, when he saw the questioning look in the Sovereign of Wisdom’s eyes, his pride took a heavy blow.
“I have never feared or shied away from a fight, this time there are special reasons!“ Daus declared solemnly.
Beside him, Vai also nodded: “That’s right. He never fears battle nor shrinks from it.“
Daus looked at Vai, moved, true friends do stand by you in trying times.
Yet Vai’s next words struck Daus like an arrow to the chest.
Vai: “The reason he neither fears nor avoids battle is his inspiration. His inspiration is quite good, if he feels he can win, he’ll step up; if he can’t, he never provokes. So indeed there’s no problem with timidity or cowardice.“
Daus: “…“
Vai: “As for why he changed his mind at the last minute this time, he’s right, you know. His inspiration talent has been impaired; without the foresight to judge whether this fight should be fought, he made a bold statement and let it go.“
Vai had completely laid bare Daus’ inner thoughts, and, most importantly, he was nine-tenths right. No wonder they’d been close friends for so many years.
With Vai’s reasonable and well-substantiated explanation, Daus’ desire to argue back suddenly seemed rather feeble.
He glared viciously at Vai, his teeth grinding audibly, wishing he could grind him to dust right there and then, this guy did nothing but undermine him, showing no respect for his senior!
While Daus was sunk in embarrassment, the Black Count, who had never exactly gotten along with him, unexpectedly spoke up on his behalf.
Black Count: “Daus’ primary bloodline is that of the Swordback Sandworm.“
Black Count: “The Gray Merchant’s bloodline is that of the Gemstone Earth Dragon, which possesses a powerful innate restraint against all earth elemental bloodlines.“
In other words, the Black Count meant that Daus’ misfortune lay simply in bad luck.
The more everyone thought about it, the more it rang true. Among the sandworm bloodlines, the Swordback Sandworm was the most aggressive. Moreover, Daus excelled at swordsmanship, and the Swordback Sandworm could manipulate the sword-like spikes on its back, perfectly matching Daus’ fighting style and rhythm. Taken together, Daus’ combat strength was anything but weak.
As for the Gray Merchant’s strength, it was still unknown. Yet, given that he had not yet stepped onto the path of true knowledge, his overall capability shouldn’t differ too greatly from Daus’.
What crippled Daus was that bloodline suppression.
For a bloodline wizard, the primary bloodline’s importance goes without saying. If one’s bloodline is innately suppressed, Daus’ odds against the Gray Merchant are naturally slashed.
With a single simple sentence, the Black Count had saved Daus’ face. Grateful, Daus turned to Angel: “How about this, let me take on Shrew and you fight the Gray Merchant?“
One moment earlier, Daus had been suggesting the Black Count face the Gray Merchant; now that the Black Count had spoken up for him, he had switched directions without hesitation.
“That works too.“ Angel nodded noncommittally. In truth, he was also inclined to keep the Black Count in reserve; the Black Count was a trump card, and, as a descendant of Noah, he was that figure’s precise target. The moment he entered the field, an extraneous strike might very well fall from the sky.
Angel wasn’t worried about the Black Count’s safety; he worried that if the Black Count’s nose avatar died, the main body would arrive. Would he then have to trouble Iron Armor Granny as well?
Better not to risk it.
After the discussion about the Traveling Merchants’ formal wizards, Kael timidly raised his hand: “Should we talk about their apprentices? I feel that the two of us alone might not win, you know.“
Vai nodded in cowardly agreement: “Why don’t we just concede?“
Having holed himself up for so long as a homebody, how much fighting power Vai still possessed was a mystery; what was certain was that his fighting spirit was the lowest present, so his suggestion was only natural.
Kael, on the other hand, had no intention of giving up; even if he was alone, he wanted to challenge the four apprentices of the Traveling Merchants.
He really didn’t want to miss a historical ruin, especially a ruin site like this.
Faced with the apprentices’ differing opinions, Angel and the others fell into thought.
In truth, their view was that if the apprentices lost, so be it, and the odds were they would. As long as the formal wizards’ side won, they could still go to the ruin site, and the Black Count could still go as representative of the Noah descendants.
But now that Kael had expressed his desire to enter the ruin site, Angel had to think earnestly.
Kael was the originator of this ruins exploration; in Angel’s mind, his opinion outweighed the others’.
Yet how could he enable Kael and Vai to win the apprentice duel?
This question seemed even more taxing than their own battle victory.
The silence of the wizards dimmed the light in Kael’s eyes; seeing the current situation, he was convinced he might not be able to enter the ruin site this time.
He couldn’t blame anyone else; it was just that the one hidden in the mirror had devised rules that were simply too unfair. Apprentices were people too…
While Kael was silently sobbing inside, Angel spoke up: “It’s too soon to concede.“
Vai and Kael both started and looked up at Angel.
Angel turned to the Sovereign of Wisdom and asked earnestly: “A wizard apprentice having a wind elemental creature as a partner is perfectly normal, right?“
Sovereign of Wisdom: “? ? ?“
…
A few minutes later, the Sovereign of Wisdom said softly: “They’ve arrived.“
As the words fell, everyone heard the click-clack of footsteps coming from the direction of the Hanging Prison Stairs’ gate.
Through the earth’s vibrations, Vai sensed the distant sounds: “Why are there only four sets of footsteps?“
Vai’s question was soon answered.
A group of people slowly walked out from behind the gate of the Hanging Prison Stairs.
At the front was a man as massive as a tower, wearing a gray mask, his body wrapped in a gray cloak.
There was no doubt, this was the Gray Merchant. Apart from his abundant blood energy and sturdy physique, nothing seemed particularly remarkable about him.
Yet behind the Gray Merchant was a very bizarre woman.
The woman hovered in midair, her knee-length purplish-red hair fluttering. Her figure was voluptuous, yet half her body was wrapped in bandages, bandages that extended from her ankles to connect directly to the Gray Merchant’s wrist, making it appear as though he were flying her like a kite.
On the side not swathed in bandages she wore a gorgeous, glamorous half-skirt, and on the bit of collarbone exposed was a large, bright-red floral tattoo.
Her face was half-covered by bandages as well, yet through the gaps of her hair one could see that the left half was stunningly beautiful. Only, her eyes, the color of her lips, and the serpentine tongue that flicked out from time to time were vastly different from those of an ordinary human.
Her aura was in no way weaker than the Gray Merchant’s, and from this it could be inferred that she was Shrew, the modification witch.
The two formal wizards took the lead, and naturally the apprentices under the Gray Merchant fell in behind them.
A man wearing a brown mammoth mask, a pink-haired girl who looked scarcely past adolescence, and a freckled, green-haired youth lounging about languidly.
“Strange, weren’t we told there were six of them? Why does it look like only five now, and I hear merely four sets of footsteps?“ Vai asked in puzzlement.
Shrew floated in mid-air and left no footfalls; each of the other four produced a single tread, so the numbers matched, only five people.
While Vai was still wondering, Angel pointed at the pink-haired girl’s shadow.
Vai followed the line of Angel’s finger. The shadow on the ground ought to have been slender and girlish, yet it was plainly masculine, shoulders broad.
He recalled what the Sovereign of Wisdom had said earlier: the four apprentices were Pink Jasmine, Mammoth, Shepherd, and Ghost Shadow.
“That shadow, is it Ghost Shadow? Is he actually the last apprentice?“
While Vai speculated, the Gray Merchant’s party had already stepped through the great gate of the Hanging Prison Stairs.
The pink-haired girl skipped about, glancing left and right: “Eh? Weren’t they supposed to be here? Why can’t I see even their shadows?“
Hooking his mask to his belt, the languid green-haired youth stretched and replied: “Isn’t their absence better? I’d rather not fight outsiders before I’ve grasped their strength. Besides…“
Twiddling the short flute in his hand, he lowered his voice: “Besides, I trust Lord White Merchant’s judgment.“
The pink-haired girl slumped her shoulders and muttered, crestfallen: “I trust Lord White Merchant’s judgment too, but, but…“
Yet their fate was not their own.
White Merchant judged that the outsiders meant goodwill rather than provocation. Even if they caught up, they should talk first and see whether matters could be settled amicably.
Outwardly White Merchant seemed dovish and conservative, yet that was not his true nature. Ordinarily he would track, capture, and interrogate; should the quarry resist, a death earned was a death deserved.
This time his bent toward negotiation was simple: among the outsiders were at least two wizards, and, most critically, one of them specialized in magic formations.
Facing two unknown wizards, White Merchant, from the stance of the Traveling Merchants Organization, from the aim of sparing lives, and from the vantage of the Bylron Family, counseled against immediate combat.
Alas, destiny allowed no choice. On their way they had crossed paths with the “Mirror Dweller,” and the Gray Merchant’s most vital memories had been sealed inside a mirror.
There was no evading battle now.
Seeing the pink-haired girl’s dejection, Gray Merchant offered comfort: “Pink Jasmine, don’t overthink it. Battle has winners and losers, yet it needn’t always divide life and death. Besides, isn’t it even more exhilarating to forge camaraderie in combat?“
Pink Jasmine nodded perfunctorily, yet the moment she turned away she could not suppress a sigh.
Lord Gray Merchant had never been like this. The more refined and gentle he appeared, the more uneasy she felt. A gentle Gray Merchant was a time bomb of repressed emotion; once the pressure crossed the limit and could not vent, the backlash would be even more severe.
“Forge camaraderie in combat? Heh-heh, Gray Merchant, you’ve gone soft. The battle I desire cares only for life or death, not rank or score,“ shrilled the bandaged woman floating in mid-air.
As she spoke she swept a gaze brimming with malice across the surroundings.
“Only rats in sewers skulk and hide. Leaving us all these clues to provoke us, what, lack the courage to show yourselves now?“
At Shrew’s words everyone, including Pink Jasmine and the slothful Shepherd, shed their ease and watched the area warily.
They had not forgotten their purpose here: to defeat the intruders and reclaim the Gray Merchant’s memories!
…
Those within the Nightmare Domain frowned at Shrew’s shrill, grating voice.
“Shall we… go out now?“ Vai turned his head toward Angel.
Angel had never meant to stay hidden. He raised his hand, ready to snap his fingers and dismiss the Nightmare Domain. Yet at that moment the Sovereign of Wisdom, seated across the long table, suddenly stayed his movement.
While Angel wondered why, the Sovereign tapped the floor lightly. A gentle surge of energy shot to the Nightmare Domain’s edge.
Angel did not know the Sovereign’s intent, but he waved a hand and let that gentle energy pass out of the Nightmare Domain.
Once freed, the energy slipped soundlessly into the magic formation buried beneath the earth.
Elsewhere, Shrew narrowed her eyes when no one emerged. Her lips stretched, curving until the fissure reached beneath her ears; inside that crimson maw glinted rows of sharp ivory fangs.
Cackling, she unfurled countless white bandages like howling tornadoes, ravaging every patch of empty space.
Clearly she meant this all-encompassing assault to flush out the outsiders.
Yet instead of forcing them out, a faceless black-robed figure rose slowly from the ground.
At the sight of that familiar cloak, every brow furrowed.
The earlier Mirror Dweller had worn identical garb. Though this newcomer’s build differed, his attire hinted at some connection.
Thus everyone save Gray Merchant glared at the black-robed man.
They had agreed to deal with the outsiders, yet their loathing for the Mirror Dweller was genuine.
Still, they could tell that the black-robed man was no flesh and blood, merely an illusion; hatred alone would not suffice to destroy him.
“It seems you dislike Her Highness, quite understandable, for I dislike her as well.“
His remark stunned them. Weren’t they allies? Why say such a thing?
Perceiving their doubt, the black-robed man chuckled: “She and I are only collaborators. Details, I fear, cannot be divulged.”
“Let us set other matters aside. Allow me first a brief word of introduction.“ He paused, scratching the hood above his head: “On second thought, introductions are tedious. I’ll be direct: I am the adjudicator of this trial.”
“Before you fight them, I have a small test for you, how about it?“
Shrew snorted disdainfully, curses at the ready. Yet Gray Merchant flicked his wrist; the bandage tethered to her ankle went taut, and though she shot him an angry glare, he answered with a gentle smile.
Faced with that smile, Shrew fell silent, turning her head away in proud irritation.
Gray Merchant then faced the black-robed man: “Greetings. I am Gray Merchant.“
“I know. I know every one of you,“ the black-robed man replied.
Gray Merchant was not surprised and smiled: “May I ask what this little test entails, lord?“
“Very simple: find where your opponents are. A tiny hint, they are watching you as well. Now, begin the search. If you find them, I shall bestow a small personal reward~“
Chapter 2719 Blood Source and Pure Blood <TOC> Chapter 2721 Meeting