Chapter 618 - 563: Sprout (1/2)

By the time the first contestant reached the 47th floor, three were eliminated, leaving only 18 inside the Red Tower. In addition to 'X', Maktis, who's Xyktia, also caught up and they started competing for the lead. The 16 others were on the 46th floor, where things got really bloody.

Arthur fought Amtir again and managed to kick him out of the tower, though he had to hit him two consecutive times with his sword, which consumed a great deal of energy and sucked a lot of his life essence. While he can recover it with time and Life Magic, the backlash was even a parasite like him couldn't resist.

He felt incredible dizziness and fatigue which greatly slowed his movements and rendered him vulnerable for a few minutes. Using an expensive defensive formation and the body of the Black Turtle, Arthur was forced to receive the joint frontal attacks of Leo and the Saber Saint, who teamed up and clearly wanted to take him down.

Leo was an experienced martial artist who used two hardened wooden batons, he was from the Heaven and Hell Universe and his fighting style could be described as strange. As for the Saber Saint, he obviously used a saber and was truly a strong individual. His saber attacks are deadly and faster than any of Arthur's attacks. The two didn't have any personal grudge against the parasite, they just wanted to eliminate the parasite because he's considered a big threat to them as he can transform into many things, which can be troublesome later on.

Fortunately, before they could breakthrough Arthur's multi-layered defense, the robot AXYT-48 intervened and started indiscriminately attacking everyone.

*****

”Is that supposed to scare me?”

'X' leaned on his cane and mockingly said to the black-haired man gazing back at him. For a split second, she revealed her real appearance to him but he wasn't the least bit afraid. She was the one who forcefully tasked him to search for the Divine Swords and, at that time, he had to obey or die, however, the situation was different inside the tower.

”I can feel that you're not as strong as when you were trapped. Oh, and I could care less about your motive… just don't bother me, eh?”

He turned around and was about to leave but a black shadow lunged at him. The attacker's sword went through the target as 'X' teleported a distance away then glanced at the tall undead standing in his previous position.

The undead was a Death Knight specially summoned by the creator of Necromancy. It boasted a monstrous strength and a great speed and that is without including its flawless control over Death Magic.

It wasn't like Arthur's summons, which, at most, can fight against a new God. This Death Knight can fight and even defeat an Overgod and it's but one of her undead, if she were to summon her strongest servant, she would be able to defeat all the contestants.

”That's a strong undead but I reckon it's the only one you can summon here. The Joker is watching and I don't think he'll allow you to bring forth something that could break the balance of the competition. Now then…”

He waved his hand and vanished, leaving an expressionless Xyktia behind.

”What a strange man.”

She snorted and turned invisible, her summon was also affected by the stealth and followed right behind her.

…

The competition inside the Red Tower began a bit less than two months ago and it was almost time for the grand show to begin. Although those who're outside didn't know what's happening inside this massive structure, they could feel that the end is nigh. The Red Tower was glowing with a blinding crimson gold glow, the card symbols were continuously changing colors and expanding in size, covering almost the entirety of the sky-piercing tower.

The army of Holy Knights doubled in size and blocked all sides of the tower and waited for the parasite to emerge for more than a month. The peaceful atmosphere and their dominance was broken when a thousand or so cultivators wearing the same attire appeared out of nowhere and attacked them.

Apparently, they all belonged to the Kang Clan and were above the God Realm. Individually, they were very strong end managed to push back the dominion's forces out of the area surrounding the Red Tower.

Seraph, the man leading the Holy Knights battled someone both Arthur and Lucy were quite familiar with. He was a middle-aged man they met in the Underworld, he went by the name of Azure Bai.

He was the vice-master of the Kang Clan and the Blue Seat of Wisdom of Black Rose, those the second identity was known only to few people. Despite having the numerical advantage, the Holy Dominion suffered one loss after the other and, to make matters worse for them, the Overgod Dan and Wrath, both trusted confidants of Isadore Malfront, King of Green Leaf, appeared in the battlefield and openly helped the Kang Clan.

Although Seraph's army was defeated multiple times, they didn't back down, instead, they called for more reinforcements, fully determined to get Arthur, dead or alive.

”Rin, how's it hanging?”

Bai poured some tea for the bard sitting next to him. From the way they talked to each other, you could see they were close friends.