The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 718: Volume 21: Path of Darkness - 4: The Ultimate Showdown (2)

Chapter 718: Volume 21: Path of Darkness - 4: The Ultimate Showdown (2)

Compared to the spectacular grand duel between Kaiserlon and Solonberg, the other two gladiatorial battles on the second day turned out to be even more brutal and bloodstained. Klinger, a secret master from the Great Mysterium Sect, finally revealed his ferocious side in front of the Corinth swordsman, his Mo Blade technique combined with the Flame Thunder Fighting Qi literally forced the top swordsman of the Corinth City-State to surrender his sword in submission. Though the surging and explosive Flame Thunder Fighting Qi seemed slightly inferior to the strength of Solonberg and Vladimir Koff in Komer’s eyes, it still greatly surprised him. After all, finding such a Martial Arts Expert who excelled in Flame Thunder Fighting Qi within a Sect mainly focused on Dark Magic was quite remarkable.

The contest between Vladimir Koff and Prince Slupig of the Kingdom of Sparta began with intense murderous intent. Whether it was Vladimir Koff, fueled by the ordeal of his close friend Solonberg, or Prince Slupig, motivated by the fate of his fellow disciple Kaiserlon, both had no surplus words when they entered the field, choosing instead to prove their resolve with the weapons in their hands.

Prince Slupig proved the irresistible power of his sect, the Martial Saints, with his unparalleled Star Vault Sword Qi, which dominated the competition stage from the beginning until the end of the fight. Even though Vladimir Koff’s Dark Fighting Qi was at its peak, he found no escape from the omnipresent Star Vault Sword Qi, and painfully realized that his Knight Spear was embarrassingly inadequate against the opponent’s effortlessly magnificent sword technique, feeling like a kid playing with a spear. Regardless of his intricate spear skills, they were fragile in the face of absolute power; the opponent’s Star Vault Sword Qi seemed to have been swirling around him from start to finish, rendering all his efforts to avoid defeat futile.

In the end, Vladimir Koff swapped his injury and the illusion of puppets for an outburst of composite armor. With seven deep wounds, he was carried off the competition stage, but the great cost was not without reward. A Diamond Arrow, not too heavy nor too light, cracked Prince Slupig’s unbreakable Sacred Fighting Qi, and that very Diamond Arrow caused the Spartain hope of defending their immortal glory in the Gladiator Competition to fade away.

Bursting into the living room with excitement, Mr. Newman exclaimed, "It’s confirmed now, the Spartains have officially announced their withdrawal from the third round of the repechage! They didn’t explain why Prince Slupig gave up. Athens City is now in chaos, and a large number of nobles have surged towards the Palace, demanding a clear explanation from the kingdom as to why Prince Slupig has abandoned the third round. Heh, those arrogant Spartains, finally, they got to witness the skills of me, Newman!"

The design and craftsmanship of the Diamond Arrow were indeed Newman’s creation. The trigger-style composite reactive armor required very high sensitivity for detonation; too low, and external forces couldn’t trigger it, too high, and it might detonate on its own from a slight mishap, losing the opportunity or even potentially harming oneself. So the manufacturing was quite exquisite, and it was undeniable Newman had devoted much effort to it.

"Newman, we all know your capabilities, no need to show off here. Do whatever you’re supposed to do, okay? Don’t you always admire the Magic Equipment Market in Athens City? There is a variety of semi-finished products, why don’t you go and take a good look? You might make a great find," Mihailovich’s words barely contained any affection for his close friend. In his eyes, apart from his friend’s notable talent in designing Magic Mechanisms, his intelligence was lacking in other areas. Without anyone to appreciate his genius in mechanism crafting, he probably would have starved to death.

"Um, Mr. Mihailovich, please don’t be jealous of my talent, okay? I understand you’re upset because your Illusory Puppet didn’t play much of a role in actual combat, right? I also have a question for Sir. What kind of additional magic did you use on the Diamond Arrow that made someone like Prince Slupig give up his repechage qualification after being hit by it? I don’t think the Diamond Arrow I designed has the power to make him quit the competition. His Sacred Fighting Qi is the highest I’ve ever seen. I even doubt whether my Diamond Arrow truly broke through his Fighting Qi and entered his body. Sir, could you give me a proper explanation? Since the end of the match, I’ve been almost driven mad by this question haunting my mind!" Newman glanced at his close friend without responding, turning his attention instead to Komer.

Mr. Newman, I can only tell you this, your Diamond Arrow indeed achieved the intended effect. The Diamond Arrow must have penetrated Prince Slupig’s Fighting Qi defense shield and hit his body, otherwise, he wouldn’t have withdrawn from the competition. As for what made him quit, I think it must be a reason beyond his will. Now, Mr. Newman, take Mr. Mihailovich’s advice. Do visit Athens City’s Magic Equipment Market. There, many unique Magic Materials from the South are hard to find even in Prague. In gratitude for your design of the Diamond Arrow, I will reward you handsomely."

Komer himself smiled. This Mechanism Magician’s temperament was indeed amusing, and his question was very professional. This guy knew his own creations well; the Diamond Arrow alone wasn’t enough to force Prince Slupig out of the competition, but once Komer’s concocted solution was magically infused into the Diamond Arrow, its power was incomparable to before. By now, Prince Slupig was probably still lying in bed, dazed. Had he not withdrawn, who knows what kind of embarrassment might have arisen on the competition stage.

"Thank you for your generosity, Lord. If you need me, I will always be at your service," Mr. Newman replied brashly, after which he glanced proudly at his close friend who had just departed with a pleased expression.

"Lord, it seems your potion brewing skills are becoming more and more sophisticated. Can you tell me what you used?" Mr. Mihailovich was also curious about how Komer had managed to force a tough fighter like Prince Slupig to withdraw from the competition, especially since common poisons and narcotics had little effect on martial arts experts like him. The unique detoxifying functions of Fighting Qi could neutralize poisons in a very short time, unless some special kind of poison was involved.

"Oh, Mihailovich, I see your vile thoughts through that crafty smile of yours. Please do not imagine me to be as despicable as you. I have always had great respect for a powerful fighter like Slupig. How could I use something like poison to harm his body?" Komer said with a light laugh, which to Mihailovich looked no different from the smile of a demon.

"Heh, I simply soaked the Diamond Arrow with some special stimulants, and added the latest Psychic Magic I’ve developed using an enchantment. After such a brutal fight, Prince Slupig will definitely need ample time to recuperate and regulate his breathing. I only wanted to help him recover better and faster. I believe in three days, he will be able to appear before us in full vigor."

With a snide and dismissive tone, he glossed over the methods he used, leaving Mihailovich unable to discern exactly what strategies the Lord had employed. If it were indeed some kind of poison, it was hard to say what kind of feelings the Spartains would develop towards the Piraeus people. It was one thing to use secret weapons in a gladiator competition, but the inclusion of drugs might truly deviate from the original intentions.

"Well, let the Spartains worry about that. As for us, the Olympia competition has largely served its purpose. Even if Miss Helena really wants to challenge Uma, I think the outcome will no longer make much of an impression on us. The fact that no Spartans managed to make it to the finals of their most prized Gladiator Competition is a piece of news I believe will be debated throughout the Southern Mediterranean for a long time. People will gradually realize what this means – the Spartains are no longer the indomitable force they once were. If the Piraeus people can do it, so can they. For the finals, I hope the Iberians will ultimately take the crown. Let the Iberians be the ones to stand out, as diverting the Spartains’ attention to them can only benefit us," Komer mused as he turned his gaze towards Xerob, who had been silently observing.

"The conclusion of the Olympia festival will mark the beginning of a new era. Both the Great Mysterium Sect and the Dark Lineage will need to adjust their growth strategies. Now is the best time. It’s crucial for the Great Mysterium Sect to focus on Piraeus and the Iberian Kingdom, to assist these two countries and cities in setting up their Mage Corps. Moreover, it’s essential to unite the Dark Lineage forces across the entire South. Xerob, you should have a clear plan. We cannot wait until the Church of Light is at our doorstep before we wake up from our dreams."

"Dark Lord, the Iberian Kingdom has officially invited the Great Mysterium Sect to help them establish their Mage Corps and has also agreed to grant the highest status in the kingdom’s faith to assist the Sect in preaching. Personally, I believe the Iberian Kingdom will be more important than Piraeus. It will enable our Dark Lineage to swiftly ignite a climax throughout the entire South," Xerob said, his eyes sparkling. At this moment, he felt more elated than at any other time. The much-discussed Gladiator Competition had given the Great Mysterium Sect the perfect opportunity to reestablish its image, and the power of the Sect had finally surfaced in such a way that everyone could sense this force without any fanfare.

(To be continued. For the continuation of the story, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. There are more Chapters available. Support the author, support authorized reading!)