Entering the arena, the beginning of the riot

The moment has finally arrived.

Standing in the dimly lit stone corridor, listening to the faint sounds coming from outside, Ailas tensed. He subconsciously reached for his sword hilt, the cold touch offering a brief respite. Thanks to his deliberate promotion, almost the entire population of the City of a Thousand Towers had come to watch, but Ailas knew perfectly well that this wasn't due to his popularity. Most of those people who came to the arena were probably there to see the three old mages and the Golden Leaf Mage, a figure almost exclusively found in legends.

Thinking this, Ailas couldn't help but feel a little smug, proud of himself for being able to use his enemy to achieve his goal. However, even so, he didn't forget what he needed to do. Since Li Lin had agreed to participate in the duel, it meant he wasn't as weak as he appeared. Judging from his companion being with the Golden Leaf Mage, he was likely also a mage, or perhaps a warrior protecting the Golden Leaf Mage. But regardless, Ailas didn't believe he would lose. He not only possessed superb swordsmanship but also had some achievements in magic; otherwise, how could he be in the position of managing such a city?

His guards were now ready, awaiting the sound of the duel's horn. At that moment, Ailas's most loyal guards would immediately seal off the entire transit pillar and activate its internal defensive magic system. Even the three old mages wouldn't be able to force their way in. Even if they intended to use him as a point of attack, Ailas was confident he could escape before they acted. Furthermore, although the Red Robe Mage hadn't contacted him again, Ailas wasn't worried. After all, his presence was necessary to deal with the three old mages and the Golden Leaf Mage. Even if the Red Robe Mage intended to use him as a pawn, he wouldn't do so until after they had achieved their goal; he didn't believe these mages would be foolish enough to abandon him before anything even began.

Even if something were to happen, Ailas wasn't the kind of person who was afraid of death.

The City of a Thousand Towers must change; things cannot continue as they are.

He stared at the heavy, cold iron gate before him and silently made up his mind.

Then, the iron gate opened.

As Ailas entered the arena, a deafening roar erupted. Although most people didn't fully understand the significance of this duel, as "home spectators," they naturally wouldn't cheer for Li Lin, an outsider. Therefore, whatever their past grievances might be, it was irrelevant to these spectators. Ailas represented not only himself, but also the City of a Thousand Towers, or rather, the people he governed within City of a Thousand Towers. This city had always revered strength, which was why Ailas could stand there. People could accept a strong ruler, but if that ruler were defeated by a stranger, they themselves would be the ones who suffered humiliation.

The shouts and commotion reached their peak when the three old monks and the Golden Leaf Mage appeared. After all, the three monks rarely appeared in public, and the Golden Leaf Mage was almost a legendary figure.

When Nia appeared before everyone, she was still tightly wrapped in a cloak, clearly not intending to show herself to outsiders. Even so, the staff she held did not make people think she was an imposter, especially when Nia sat gracefully next to the three mages.

"So..."

Ailas glanced at the crowd around him.

Where is my opponent?

"I'm here."

Suddenly, Li Lin's voice came from not far in front of him, which startled Ailas. He stared intently at the figure before him, puzzled. Clearly, there was no one there just a moment ago. Even if Ailas himself hadn't noticed, the audience wasn't blind. But judging from their reactions, not a single person had noticed Li Lin's presence. It was as if he hadn't appeared at all, only suddenly revealing himself just now.

To play tricks or deceive.

Ailas snorted inwardly and gripped the longsword at his waist. Li Lin, on the other hand, maintained his calm smile, unchanged. But Ailas felt uneasy; the way Li Lin looked at him wasn't like he was looking at a person, but rather like he was looking at an object. Faced with this unusual situation, the spectators gradually lowered their voices. They had originally intended to insult this ungrateful outsider and make him back down. But just now, no one had seen his movement; it seemed everyone had blinked in that instant, and then he had already appeared there.

This unusual anomaly instantly extinguished their anger. Those who had originally come merely to vent their frustrations and watch the spectacle gradually suppressed their emotions and began to carefully examine this outsider.

Just then, the old monk spoke.

"Then... let's begin."

There were no grand opening remarks, nor any need for encouragement; accompanied by a heavy horn sound that resounded throughout the city, the duel began.

"Hey."

Matel yawned and looked out the window. From his vantage point, he could see the brightly lit arena. The central stone tower was unusually quiet; even the merchants coming to process their cargo transfers were fewer than usual. Because of that damned arena match today, almost everyone in the City of a Thousand Towers had gone there to watch the spectacle, allowing Matel a brief respite from his busy schedule. The continuous transport of supplies over the past few days had kept him from even going home. Damn it, if he had to work overtime any longer, he might as well just jump off this wretched tower!

However, right now, Matel had absolutely no intention of joining those fools in the fun. Sleep was the most important thing, and if he didn't take a nap now, it would be too late. What did duels or competitions have to do with him...?

A gentle knock on the door startled Matel, who was nearly asleep, and made him lift his head in annoyance.

"Come in!"

With a slightly angry shout, a young and beautiful half-elf woman walked in. Upon seeing her, Matel's expression froze awkwardly for a moment, then he immediately stood up.

"Oh, beautiful Miss Daisy, it's been a long time! I never expected to see you in my little haven. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"This is Lord Ailas's order."

The half-elf woman, with a cold expression and an arrogant demeanor like a queen, handed over the command document.

"You just need to stamp it."

"Oh, of course, esteemed lady."

Malte mustered his strength, took out the seal from the drawer, and then, out of a sense of duty, carefully read through the order in his hand. His previous drowsiness immediately vanished.

"A blockade order for the transit pillar?"

He raised his head with a solemn expression, staring in disbelief at the half-elf before him.

"Miss, I'm sorry, I cannot stamp this. The transit pillar can only be sealed with the permission of the three mages. I will not stamp it before obtaining their permission."

"What a pity."

"Why?"

A cold throwing knife, accompanied by Matel's questioning voice, pierced his eye, splitting his left eye in two before penetrating his skull. The half-elf woman reached out and grasped the hilt of the knife, swirling it around in Matel's brain before withdrawing it, leaving the unfortunate corpse to fall to the ground. She casually flicked away the blood and other debris from the knife, turned to her desk, picked up the seal, and lightly pressed it onto the command book. A burst of magical light illuminated, indicating that the command book had begun to take effect. The half-elf woman gazed at her work with satisfaction, then turned and walked towards the door. She was brimming with confidence, completely oblivious to the impending danger.

Yes, this is a revolution, a transformation...

The immense force of the impact pinned her to the ground. The half-elf had no idea what was happening. Angela's sharp little teeth pierced her throat, ignoring the half-elf's frantic struggles, and she began sucking her blood. But soon, Angela's expression turned unusually grim. She raised her head and stopped trying to take the other's blood. Sensing that her enemy had left, the half-elf began to struggle frantically again. She had thought she could easily push the little girl off her, but she hadn't expected that the small body to be as heavy as a thousand-pound boulder.

Faced with the woman's struggle, Angela said nothing. She casually picked up the crystal ball from the desk and smashed it against the head of the half-elf, Yongli, who was writhing in pain.

Thump!

With a dull thud, the half-elf woman's head deflated like a punctured balloon. One of her eyes, perhaps due to the impact, flew out of its socket, rolled on the ground, and slowly came to a stop. The white eyeball was covered with gray dust, and her body, which had been struggling desperately, fell silent.

Angela then stood up, took out a handkerchief from her skirt, gently wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and then spat directly onto the half-elf woman's face.

"Hmph... even the blood tastes awful, it's full of male stench. I wonder how many boars this bitch has to deal with in heat at once?"

With a cold complaint, Angela stretched out her arms and yawned vigorously.

"Phew... I'm a little late, but I hope Master won't mind such a slight delay."

She gave a low, cold laugh, then transformed into a wisp of mist and left the room through the window.