Chapter 208: Hawk
Chapter 208: Hawk
Inside a huge mansion somewhere in a different region, a bespectacled middle-aged man donning a formal scarlet uniform, white capelet, and brown pants knocked on a certain office guarded by two adventurers clad in the highest quality of armor.
Engraved on the back of their cuirasses were the insignia of a hawk soaring in the middle of the sun.
"You may enter"
An old raspy voice sounded from behind the closed adamantite doors–dignified and calm yet powerful and assertive.
Judging from his voice, the old man seemed to have withstood countless trials of father time.
However, there was nary even a hint of exhaustion.
Hearing the old man's approval, the middle-aged man entered the office, fiercely resisting the urge to frown as the repulsive stench of rotting flesh assaulted his olfactory senses.
Nauseated as he was, the middle-aged man didn't dare show the subtlest of hints to the old man.
"Milord, as per our agents, the Adventurer Academy Competition was proceeding as expected in most regions except for Valenzia."
"Hmm? Why? What happened in Valenzia?" the old man rasped.
"Colzen Academy, which had always been known as a mediocre academy, made it to the finals, defeating even Eusford who has been a consistent top three academy in the region."
The old man's brows furrowed, falling silent after hearing the middle-aged man's words.
He seemed to be pondering about a few things.
Naturally, the middle-aged man didn't dare rush the old man for answers–he didn't have the guts to.
Pressed for time as he was, he could only wait.
Fortunately, just a short while later, the old man looked at him once more and asked a few things.
"I see, is there anyone noteworthy among the Colzen students?"
"Their ace representative named Shye Crowley was strong, the agent was still unsure about the extent of the guy's abilities, however, he could only be considered mediocre compared to the ace representatives of the strongest academies from other regions."
"Hmm…Did this ace representative single-handedly bring Colzen Academy to the finals?"
"No, Milord. Albeit truly the strongest amongst his fellow representatives, the others were strong enough to fight on equal terms with the representatives from Valenzia's top three academies."
"I understand. There's no need to continue monitoring Colzen; I already have an agent keeping an eye on the target there. You're free to leave."
"Understood, Milord."
After the middle-aged man left, the old man stood up and looked out the window.
'Now then, which one of you little dogs is the real deal that can provide what I require?'
***
Meanwhile, inside Valenzia Arena, the crowd was going bonkers–waving their fists in excitement–and screaming at the top of their lungs from time to time.
The reason was that Colzen's remaining representative, Shye, was still somehow miraculously surviving the devastating attacks of a frustrated ember wyvern.
He was panting hard–running low on stamina, and his steps lacked stability, yet, he was still inside the blue dome.
On the other hand, the Aslan representatives, albeit faring a bit better than the lone Shye, were now reduced to only two people: Asha and Damien.
The scout representative, Abel, was recently caught by a fierce tail swipe, breaking all the bones in his body and turning him into an azure ray of light.
The two remaining Aslan representatives onstage, just like Shye, were running low on both stamina and skills to use.
Estimating fairly, if their adversary, Shye, somehow managed to last for a few more minutes, then it would be one of the most embarrassing defeats for not only Damien but also for the entire Aslan Academy.
Luckily for them, Shye only had two more skills to use–unwilling to reveal one of them but ultimately decided to do so since he had a fair chance of ending the match right here and now.
'F*ck! If only I purchased a few more skills before this match…' inwardly regretted Shye.
He expected the Aslan representatives to have a lot of trump cards but not to this extent.
Still, it was good to know.
In the next match, they would have a fair chance–as long as they manage to somehow evade Horcus' time cube of course.
The survival match is on its final stretch, both wyverns are in the middle of performing yet another attack.
Diving from a high altitude, the majestic creatures extended their talons, masterfully maneuvering in the air by slightly shifting the position of their enormous draconic wings, making sure that the puny humans would not be able to escape.
A blood-curdling scream echoed from Aslan's half of the dome, successfully capturing the attention of the crowd.
Everyone's eyes then widened in horror upon witnessing how the ember wyvern viciously tore Asha's head off her body–showing everyone how brutally an adventurer can lose his/her little life in just a single dangerous mission.
Fortunately for Asha, everything was simulated, hence, after a few seconds, she materialized near the Aslan ringside–alive and healthy.
That said, Shye managed to evade the lethal talons of the Colzen ember wyvern by using his skill, [Draconian Roar Lv.3].
Shockingly, the skill didn't scare off the monstrous adversary–only confuse it, allowing Shye to barely avoid elimination.
Looking towards the Colzen half, Damien's eyes widened in disbelief.
He thought that Shye would suffer the same fate as Asha, however, akin to a cockroach, Shye was still somehow alive.
'F*CK! WHY IS THIS HILLBILLY SO PERSISTENT?! JUST ACCEPT YOUR POSITION BENEATH MINE!' raged Damien.
He himself was running low on skills, if the bastard could still persist then he might…
'NO! NEVER! I'LL NEVER LOSE TO THE LIKES OF THESE BACKWATER DOGS!'
Steadfast in his belief that he was the better representative, Damien was fully ready to commit everything to this match.
Well, not like he had a choice anyway.
If they lose here, not only would they be humiliated after losing a three-on-one match, but there would also be no sense in hiding his trump cards.
Assuming his battle stance with a determined look and a hint of deep-seethed arrogance, Damien was primed and ready for his showdown against Shye.