Zephyrion felt depressed while listening to the familiar sound in his head. Although he won, he wasn't happy.
"Hmmm, it seems my strength is still lacking," Zephyrion pondered, convinced that he would have been defeated were it not for the last-second, earth skill.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up for our winner, Venomblade!"
"Cheers!"
The sudden announcement, accompanied by thunderous applause, momentarily jolted Zephyrion. It was only then that he had a moment to survey the battleground.
Unlike the beginning of the battle, almost every spectator was now cheering. Despite the unexpected twist in his victory, no one seemed to mind. After all, everyone loves a thrilling contest.
Then, all of a sudden, Zephyrion felt a piercing, unwavering gaze fixed upon him, as if someone was scrutinizing his very soul. Anxious, he followed the gaze to its origin, and there was the announcer with burning eyes locked onto him.
"Damn, did I make a mistake? Did she notice something?" Zephyrion's anxiety surged.
In this world, individuals who could practice dual cultivation were exceedingly rare, with fewer than a ten thousand ever recorded in history. These unique individuals were prime targets for both vampires and werewolves.
Dual cultivation was so terrifying that its practitioners could contend on equal footing with those of higher realms than them. If any were discovered among humans by vampires or werewolves, they were killed on the spot, regardless of the SBP's attempts to protect them. Other races saw them as potential game-changers on the battlefield.
During the recent danger, Zephyrion had forgotten about this, and had unconsciously wielded his earth magic. Now, with the announcer's intense scrutiny, he feared she might have noticed something.
Sure sure, one might argue that the SBP would nurture and shield him from harm, but was that really the case? Zephyrion could be a constant target, and there was no certainty that vampires or werewolves weren't lurking within the SBP's ranks.
Zephyrion didn't want this ability to be exposed, and he wasn't ready to battle other races yet.
After a few seconds of locked gazes, Zephyrion forced himself to calm down. He nodded and smile to the announcer.
Zephyrion didn't want to linger any longer, so after a brief glance at the still-shocked injured Hexspell, he made his exit toward the southern gate, ignoring the cheers of the spectators.
As he walked, Zephyrion still felt the burning sensation, and he quickened his steps.
Two minutes later, Zephyrion found himself in the fighters' lobby with Gavric and Rylan.
now and then, curious glances would darted toward them, especially Zephyrion. Although he was not that powerful, his battle experience was top notch.
"Good battle hooded boy, although you won through luck." Rylan smirk the moment he got the chance.
"Lucky or not, I still won." Zephyrion snorted, "anyway, take back your useless sword, I'm leaving this damn place."
"You.. you, hmph!"
"We are also leaving too, right Rylan? Gavric said with a sneak wink at Rylan.
"Errhh, yes, yes, it's late already. If not for your battle earlier, we should be on our way by now." Rylan was quick to understand Gavric gestures and immediately said while sheathing his sword.
Zephyrion became suspicious seeing Rylan attitude but he thought little of it. "Ok, let move."
The trio walked past the lobby door and toward another new location. Every time Zephyrion saw something new, he would ask the two boys and they always answered with no complaint.
Zephyrion knew something was wrong as the two boys were so nice to him. In this dangerous world, he could never believe that a person would be nice to a stranger they only met today.
"Hmm, you two want to play smart huh, then let see who outsmart who," Zephyrion thought as he took a sneak peak at boys walking besides him.
After a few minutes, they would see two guards guarding what seems like thirty portal machines with large red circles surrounding it, Zephyrion would tell that this portal was much advance than the common portals that were scattered across the streets.
"Hey, how much for three people to transport to the street of Tarlor? Gavric ask the guards the moment they were close.
But in contrast to Gavric questions, the two guards just look forward without moving a muscle, like Gavric was not even a living existence.
"Okay, okay, 300 shams." Gavric was helpless. It was indeed stupid to ask for the prize as this was not their first time coming here.
To leave this colosseum and transport to any streets under Solara Kingdom, the price was 100 shams per person, no matter how far you wanted to be transported to.
"You know where to pay the money."
Gavric nodded and immediately provided a sliver colour card and swipe it on a spot on the portal machine. This card wasn't the colosseum membership card but his own personal bank card.
"Now, stay inside the red circle. Don't let me say it twice." One of the guard barked, now finally moving from his stationary position.
The trio immediately got into one of the circles and Zephyrion watched with curious eyes as the guard started pressing strange keys on the portal machine. Then suddenly, the red circle surrounding him began to glowed brightly and before he knew it, his vision turned black and he vanished.
~~~~~
"Errrrhhh." Zephyrion said aloud as he tried to gain his footing from falling down. This was the second time using the portal and he hasn't got use to it yet.
He immediately scan his surroundings and noticed that this was the exact same street he had first met with the two Gavric and Rylan.
"Hey, hooded boy, you should at least tell us your name before we depart, right?" Gavric said with a slight smile.
Hearing this, Zephyrion started walking away. "You already know it. My name is Venomblade and please don't follow me."
"You should at least te...." Rylan was about to follow Zephyrion, when his words were cut off and a sword was just an inch away from his neck. In fact, the sword was actually his own sword.
While he wanted to stepped forward earlier, Zephyrion had in one smooth motion unsheath Rylan's sword from his waist and pointed at his throat.
"I said don't follow me." Zephyrion growled aloud with coldness in his eyes, his yell cause the nearby passerby to glance at them, but soon, they turned their gaze elsewhere and mind their business.
"Tsk, so the little bond at the colosseum was not enough to make you trust us, huh?" Rylan said with a click on his tongue, he was not even afraid of the sword pointed at his throat.
"Bond? Trust?" Zephyrion snorted with pure disdain and he thought, "I've only just met you today, and you expect me to trust you? Even my twin brother ended up betraying me. Don't talk to me about trust!"
"I've said it. Don't follow me." Zephyrion dropped the sword to the ground after saying that and immediately walked away.
The two boys were really helpless as they watch Zephyrion back until he was out of view.
"Do you think he noticed something strange? He is smart." Gavric said with his gaze fixed on Rylan.
"He sure did, but I don't understand why lady Evadne said we should keep an eye on him. I mean, he is arrogant and if not for lady Evadne's words, I will have fight him already, how dare he point a sword at my throat." Rylan said with slight anger on his face.
"Relax, Rylan, but to me, I think he is quite nice. How about we make friend with him? His real identity is making me curious."
Rylan just shrugged his shoulders hearing this. "whatever man, I don't care, your choice."
"There is nothing here for us anymore. We should report to lady Evadne tomorrow."