Chapter 2726 Holy Light Descent <TOC> Chapter 2728 Predestined Finale
Translator: SumTLMan
On the other side of the arena.
When the Gray Merchant’s party saw Daus successfully cursed and a blood spear pierce his chest, they believed victory was already theirs. Yet the variables on the arena shifted too quickly. A heartbeat ago Daus had been on the brink of death; one more blow would have finished him, then, suddenly, he was back at full strength.
Instead, Shrew, who had held the advantage, had her curse backlash upon her, and the transplanted baleful eye in her brow burst apart in an instant.
Everything happened so fast that their elation had not even ended before it was struck head-on.
Pink Jasmine covered her mouth, shaking her head while her eyes widened; she simply could not believe what had just happened. Most of the other apprentices felt the same, and even the masked, expressionless Mammoth kept sighing.
Shepherd put away his lazy expression and muttered to himself: “So this is a formal wizard’s battle?”
Reversal, twist… and yet another reversal.
The tides of battle were shifting so fast that one could scarcely keep up.
The long-silent Gray Merchant finally spoke: “This round, Shrew has lost.”
His tone held not a shred of uncertainty; he pronounced the result with absolute conviction… even though the duel had not truly ended.
As his words fell, the already dispirited crowd took another blow to their morale, sinking even further into gloom.
Seeing this, the Gray Merchant added: “However, today’s outcome has little to do with Shrew herself. Who could have imagined that a wandering wizard would be carrying a mysterious scroll?”
“From what we can see, that mysterious scroll has no direct offensive capability; it seems meant to mend injuries and provide defense. Shrew’s curse was countered by its defensive effect, that is the key to her defeat.
“So this can only be blamed on ill fortune.”
The Gray Merchant’s words soothed the crowd a little.
Yet the youngest, Pink Jasmine, forever the one to ruin the mood, piped up: “Then if it were you, lord, could you win?”
Although she voiced the question in everyone’s hearts, only Pink Jasmine dared ask it aloud.
The Gray Merchant did not blame her; in her place he would likely wonder the same.
“If that mysterious scroll manifests only pure defense and restoration, it is not impossible to claim victory.”
He had confidence in his strength; yet before such a scroll he still felt dread, so he stopped short of a firm promise.
To defeat Daus under the scroll’s protection two points must be determined: its effects and its duration.
Judging by its non-offensive nature, he could stall for a while; but if the duration proved long, he might not endure to the end.
Thus, even if his bloodline utterly suppressed Daus, an unpredictable variable like that scroll would still make the fight tense and thorny.
The Gray Merchant: “However, were I in Daus’ shoes, I probably would not have used the mysterious scroll.”
With his discernment it was obvious Shrew had not struck to kill outright; she had left Daus a sliver of life.
In such a case, losing was simply losing, he could recuperate slowly.
But a mysterious scroll of this sort is one use fewer each time it is activated.
Even if it were the rare kind that could be employed repeatedly, exposing it would bring endless trouble. After all… you are but a wandering wizard with no backing; to possess such a rare treasure, moreover a restorative Mysterious Object, would stir the desire of even a mighty figure like Lord Mengke.
Therefore, even with the Bylron family at his back, the Gray Merchant would never use such a scroll in a duel, unless he faced certain death, in which case future repercussions would not matter.
Daus’ bold usage, long before a life-and-death crisis, would attract covetous eyes no matter how decisive his victory.
Perhaps even the shadowy mastermind hidden within the mirror would feel the urge.
While the Gray Merchant pondered this, Daus himself well understood the crux of it all.
His feelings knotted together; toward Angel he felt both gratitude and a touch of resentment. He was grateful because Angel had actually entrusted him with such a precious rune scroll, proving that his “make a friend” strategy had succeeded.
But he resented that Angel had surely known the consequences; no wonder that, when handing it over, Angel had spoken so meaningfully:
“This is the trump card I’m lending you. If you feel victory is out of reach or face a life-and-death crisis, you may activate it. But think carefully: once you use the trump card I lent you, you must pay a price commensurate with it.”
Back then Daus had seen familiar runes on the scroll and immediately recalled the Sunlight Garden Angel had used earlier in Princess Town. At that time, to ensure that Amesa, a talent of the Savage Grottoes, would not have her potential damaged, Angel had used that Sunlight Garden rune scroll.
Daus had felt heart-ached, thinking it unnecessary to spend such a precious rune scroll on a mere talent, so he had seen Sunlight Garden before.
Therefore, when Angel handed him this scroll, Daus instantly deduced its true nature.
He had thought: although the Sunlight Garden scroll was indeed precious, even containing a faint mysterious aura, if he scraped everything together he could still find something equal in price.
Thus Angel’s warning had gone in one ear and out the other; he had never seriously considered that he would have occasion to use it.
When he activated the scroll and felt the dense mysterious aura spreading, he realized Angel had tricked him.
Even though he now felt incomparably comfortable, his condition soaring, stubborn ailments soothed, hidden wounds healed, his feelings were terribly complicated. He almost wanted to kneel and beg Angel to spare him… How could he possibly afford the price of this mysterious scroll?!
Why had he been so foolish? The end was not yet at hand, yet he had used the scroll!
Daus no longer had the heart to fight.
At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a scroll floating motionless at the very center of the sanctum illusion conjured by the light-screen.
His eyes lit up. Regardless of the ongoing duel, he turned straight toward Angel and said: “This scroll can be used an unlimited number of times, right? Right? It has to be!”
As his words fell, every person present turned their gaze toward Angel.
Even the Sovereign of Wisdom in the sky cast a curious look at him.
The Sovereign of Wisdom had personally witnessed Daus’ change from ruin to vigor; even on the spiritual level he sensed a turn-over-the-world transformation.
Such tremendous restorative power was, among the spells he knew, nearly impossible. Even if one managed it, the price would be horrifying.
Therefore, even he felt a twinge of envy toward the mysterious scroll with such power.
If the Sovereign of Wisdom was envious, how could the Black Count not be? He had seen Angel give Daus something earlier but never imagined it was treasure of this calibre.
The Black Count said nothing, yet in his heart he already regretted not snatching it outright when he’d had the chance.
What was Daus doing up there, laying ostrich eggs? He should have fought in his stead!
On the other side, the Gray Merchant’s gaze shifted to the red-haired, golden-eyed wizard opposite them. He had thought Daus possessed the mysterious scroll; now it seemed its real master was someone else.
Speaking of which, the Gray Merchant had already been paying attention to this peculiar wizard, because at that time Shrew was fighting Daus, so her opponent was very likely this wizard.
The conclusion the Gray Merchant reached back then was obscurity and mystery. Now, the moment Daus finished speaking, the man became even more enigmatic, and his status was by no means ordinary.
While everyone was staring at Angel, Angel appeared somewhat slow to warm up; after quite a while he finally lifted his head, looking at Daus in a daze.
Angel said: “What did you say? …Oh, I remember now. Just a moment ago I was wondering what price you intend to pay to match the value of this rune scroll, so I was momentarily distracted, don’t mind me.”
Listening to Angel’s self-conversation, whatever the others might have thought, Daus truly felt like crying without tears.
Sure enough, his suspicion had been right, Angel had calculated against him long ago! Detestable!
Angel: “You’re asking about how many uses are left, yes?”
Under Daus’ expectant gaze, and while everyone craned their necks and pricked up their ears to eavesdrop, Angel uttered an answer that plunged Daus into despair.
Angel: “There is one use remaining. From the degree of damage to the scroll you can actually judge that. Are you satisfied with this answer?”
“Satisfied my…” Daus forcibly swallowed back the curse that was on the tip of his tongue.
Whatever the case, the scroll had indeed saved him, this was undeniable. Moreover, it was he himself who had chosen to activate it.
Angel said: “So long as you’re satisfied. I also hope that, not too long from now, you will still be satisfied.” With that, Angel gave a subtle smile.
Daus was struck as though by lightning; he staggered back several steps, the congestion in his chest almost making him cough blood. Yet he did not, because holy light was still descending, all negative conditions drifting away from him. Even the irritation Angel had provoked seemed slowly to be transforming…?
“Hateful, hateful, hateful! Do you think you’ve already won? I’ll let you taste what real pain is!” A shrill voice erupted from Shrew’s mouth.
Perhaps feeling ignored by Daus, and seeing him even chatting with Angel, Shrew felt an incomparable humiliation welling up inside her.
In this situation, Shrew activated all her blood power at once!
As waves of energy visible to the naked eye undulated across the arena floor, Shrew’s body began to twist, swell, and deform.
Seconds later, the being that appeared before everyone could no longer be called “human.”
She could even be classified together with those void demons outside the arena.
Her form had become a pure mountain of flesh; that dense hair was now tendrils of soft meat, each tipped with a mouthful of fangs.
The whole figure looked warped and terrifying.
Lifting a head that no longer resembled a human face, Shrew buzzed: “Do you know what pain is?”
Daus swallowed: “I’d rather not find out.”
Shrew opened a mouth full of sharp teeth; without further words she turned predator and lunged at Daus.
The dreadful wind pressure of her aerial charge even lifted slabs of stone from the ground.
At that timely moment, the Sovereign of Wisdom spoke once: “Destroy the ring and you’ll compensate after the duel.”
But Shrew could no longer hear the outside world; her only target was Daus!
…
Meanwhile, Angel opened his mouth and said: “I think it might be better if you finish this match as soon as possible. The effect of the Sunlight Sanctuary will continue to wane, and enjoying it alone is rather extravagant. Of course, this instance of the Sunlight Sanctuary belongs to you; if you wish to monopolize it, that’s fine.”
Hearing Angel’s voice, Daus first spat out a resentful complaint.
Sunlight Sanctuary, Sunlight Garden! So similar, clearly a trick you used to deceive!
But very quickly, something occurred to Daus, and his eyes flashed bright.
Right, once this Sunlight Sanctuary was activated, it became completely mine. Angel was actually hinting that he could let others enjoy the effects of the “Sunlight Sanctuary” as well, perhaps even charge a fee?! Maybe he could scrape together the price owed to Angel?
Though that possibility was obviously low, Daus was already half-mad; every extra gain was welcome!
With that thought, Daus dared not waste another second. Blood boiling, he confronted the fully-powered Shrew head-on!
…
Now that Shrew had awakened her bloodline, even her physique no longer resembled a humanoid shape. Such a horrifying bloodline boost, combined with attacks at full strength, was something no ordinary formal wizard of the same realm dared resist. Even a true knowledge wizard of equal rank might face mortal peril.
It could be said that Shrew had discarded defense entirely, concentrating all firepower into a single challenge.
And the object of her challenge was not only Daus, but also that solemn illusory sanctuary!
Shrew’s assault came on fiercely; Daus did not dare meet it head-on. Cloaked in crimson light, he flickered away, retreating dozens of meters.
Yet Shrew’s formidable strike failed to pierce the defense of the Sunlight Sanctuary.
Indeed, it did not even stir a ripple.
Staring in astonishment at that layer of holy radiance that seemed to descend from beyond the heavens, Daus murmured: “Could this be absolute defense?”
Daus’ whisper made the expressions of the Gray Merchant’s group turn grave; if it truly were absolute defense, they would have no way to contend with Daus.
Just then, Angel’s stage-demolishing moment arrived again: “Whether it’s absolute defense, I can’t give you a precise answer. However, the Sunlight Sanctuary will become damaged after enduring a great many attacks… After all, it wasn’t designed for combat.”
The function of the Sunlight Garden is to grant a peaceful haven in places of darkness and despair.
The function of the Sunlight Sanctuary, based upon the Sunlight Garden, is to kindle the flame of civilization in an age of ignorance.
The most crucial aspect of the Sunlight Sanctuary is the baptism of the spirit; such a baptism can remold all living beings. Because of this, Mr. Feng once hailed it as the holy light of benighted times, the torch of civilization in lands untouched by wisdom.
After Angel finished speaking, Daus snapped his head around: “How can you casually reveal a weakness like that?!”
Angel: “If I didn’t say it, wouldn’t you treat it as a sheltering umbrella? A sanctuary is forever the tower behind a believer, not the cheval-de-frise shoved to the front lines.”
“By the way, even if the Sunlight Sanctuary isn’t broken after sustaining heavy attacks, its effect will still diminish.”
Hearing this, how could Daus not understand Angel’s meaning.
If he cowered behind the comfortable Sunlight Sanctuary and finally won merely by exhausting Shrew’s strength, it would be a loss and a disgrace. To win and to obtain greater benefits from the Sunlight Sanctuary, there was only one way:
Take the offensive!
Chapter 2726 Holy Light Descent <TOC> Chapter 2728 Predestined Finale