Summoning the Holy Sword

Chapter 1255: Dark Arena (1)

Rhode found himself in a different environment after the brilliance dissipated. The former Crystal Forest was gone and in its place stood a huge, Roman Colosseum-like structure. However, no one occupied the audience seats on both sides. At a glance, one could witness dark clouds hovering over the sky, with dazzling lightning flashing from time to time.

What's going on?

Rhode looked around him but didn't spot any enemies

This place should be an arena, so shouldn't there be someone here to fight me?

At this thought, Rhode couldn't help but feel curious. He circled the arena but there were no strange noises nor the emergence of a BOSS. The flames above the torches pinned around the arena swayed uncontrollably in the howling winds, casting several shadows on the dark arena.

There's no one…

Rhode circled back and forth but discovered nothing new. The arena was only half the size of a soccer field, so it wasn't considered too small. However, it was rundown, unlike the magnificent atmosphere around the arena in the Golden City during the Midsummer Festival. Besides, there wasn't a single audience member and this left him somewhat disenchanted.

"Seems like this is gonna be an internal battle…"

Rhode mumbled under his breath. Arenas like this were common in the game. Normally, if there weren't any BOSSes around, it would most likely be a PK arena between players. Judging from the fact that this trial was treacherous from the start, he reckoned this situation to be the same.

Gather everyone who passed the dragon soul trial for a brawl and only the winner will gain the right to inherit the dragon soul.

At this thought, Rhode couldn't help but curl his lips. This inheritance ceremony for the Dark Dragon was indeed disgusting. But… Would ordinary inheritance ceremonies use the same type of trials? Even though the Country of Darkness was strong, it wasn't likely that so many dragon soul heirs filled the streets. It was already considered a lot to choose from between Ion and Erin. Where could they even find so many dragon soul heirs for a brawl?

Could there be something new about this setup? Perhaps the final trial will start when all challengers arrive? This isn't too logical… There can only be one dragon soul heir. Do they intend to have them kill one another until they crown a winner? If I really have to say it, this setup is truly gross.

Swish!

While Rhode pondered, a white light flashed and a person appeared in front him.

"Ah, Leader!"

"Anne?"

Rhode was surprised at the sight of Anne. Even though he thought of the possibility that only those who passed the earlier trial could come here, he felt astonished to see Anne as the second person making her presence. Because in his impression, Anne had the most unsuitable personality to participate in such trials. This was apparent from her brainless remarks when she observed Erin in the trial. If Anne were to participate in one, who knew how long she would need to clear it.

Due to that reason, Rhode didn't expect Anne to be the next person to complete the trial. He couldn't help but ask her about it curiously. Anne naturally had nothing to hide as she told him all about her experience in high spirits.

It turned out that after she was transported to the Shadow Ravine, she was thrown into an enormous maze garden. She could tell it was a maze at first glance. She found the entrance, searched endlessly, and finally spotted a pond in the center of the maze. Then, she saw a beautiful piece of crystal on the sculpture in the middle of the pond, jumped in to grab it, and was transported to this place straightaway.

That luck…

Rhode didn't even know what to say after listening to her account. He knew the Shadow Garden was part of the largest complex of buildings in Gasolest Manor and also an important quest line in the Shadow Ravine. Rumor had it that the owner of the manor was actually the ruler of the Shadow Ravine—a powerful BOSS that all players were passionate about defeating. But until Rhode left the game, no one was able to break through the forefront of the Shadow Garden because it was simply too distasteful. The maze inside the Shadow Garden wasn't complicated, but the problem was that their structures changed according to the shadows. What was worse was that the changes were completely random and irregular. Many shadowy creatures also roamed the maze. The maze itself was narrow and once a player reached a dead end, shadowy creatures would pour in from all directions. Players also couldn't cast any magical rituals, as the narrow paths were only wide enough for three people to advance in, shoulder-to-shoulder. As a result, being wiped out was their only fate.

If it were in the past, Rhode's heart would definitely skip a beat once he learned that Anne was transported to that filthy place. He understood this young lady too well. She always relied upon her intuition and apart from fighting, she never used her brain. For one like her to be sent to the Shadow Garden, one would either have a narrow escape or eventually die. However, Rhode didn't expect her intuition and luck to actually be that absurd, where she was able to escape from that godforsaken place… This left him entirely speechless.

She can't be another dragon soul heir, right…?

Gazing at Anne who danced and gestured in excitement as she narrated her encounters, Rhode couldn't help but harbor this thought. Frankly, he was also rather curious as to how Anne would turn out if they were in the game. He could mostly guess the ending of everyone else. After all, even though history had its limitations, it also had its inevitableness. For instance, Marlene's identity doomed her to be monitored closely and prone to conspiracies. For Lapis and Lize who were introverted and tender in character, they would naturally fail to blossom in intense environments. But Anne was different. Although she followed Rhode all the way, she relied upon herself to strengthen her power. Even without the awakening of the wind elemental power, she was still a strong shield warrior. Besides, she was sweet-looking, outstanding, had a tall, attractive figure, and possessed a cheerful and lively personality. A mercenary like her was rare in the eyes of players. On the game's forum, Rhode knew there were some players who summarized a list of beautiful mercenaries in each region and some of whom were worse than Anne, but still made the list. However, Rhode had never heard of a mercenary named Anne, which was too strange.

Did she sacrifice herself to protect her companions? Considering her personality, it is highly likely. It is especially so when the Munn Kingdom was demolished by the Country of Darkness. Someone like Anne definitely wouldn't look on without lifting a finger. Maybe…

Rhode couldn't help but feel his heart ache at the thought of this lively, passionate young lady curling up and dying silently in the corner of another world. He instinctively stretched out his arm and stroked her flowy blonde hair. Anne looked at him curiously. But soon, she narrowed her eyes blissfully and enjoyed his touch. Not only that, but she also went and snuggled up against him.

"Meow… Leader… Shall we take a break?"

Even though Anne mentioned taking a break, her large, glinting emerald eyes and two clumps of softness on her chest that were already clinging to Rhode's body exposed her thoughts. In this respect, Anne was totally shameless and there was absolutely no pressure for her to commit daylight prostitution. The reason why Marlene and Lize were afraid to join Anne was because Anne was too aggressive. Meanwhile, Marlene's and Lize's shamelessness hadn't been lowered to Anne's level. Anne even dared to take Rhode out on the street and into an empty alley for a quickie. If it were Marlene and Lize, they would definitely refuse.

So even in such a wide, open field, Anne didn't feel any pressure as long as there wasn't a third person around.

As long as there wasn't a third person.

But it was a pity that while Rhode considered whether or not to pull Anne into the corner of the arena for a quick one, another white light flashed by.

It was Cassidy. She showed up in the arena and was surprised at the sight of the arena. But shortly after, she noticed Rhode and Anne who stood nearby. Upon realizing their interactions, Cassidy turned around and blushed instantly. Anne curled her lips helplessly at the sight of Cassidy and separated herself from Rhode. If it were Angelina or Mini Bubble Gum, perhaps Anne would pull them in for a threesome. But sadly, to Anne, Cassidy wasn't a war buddy who she had slept with, and they weren't that close with each other… Even though Anne didn't mind, Rhode disliked doing so, which was why the former had to let it go.

Rhode wasn't surprised to see Cassidy. Cassidy's strength mainly relied on 'rules' and the limitation of levels didn't affect her much. As the Contrast Deity Warden, she had a fair bit of advantage from that. Rhode asked her about her encounters. Even though she was afraid of him, she still answered obediently.

Unlike the extremely lucky Anne, Cassidy was considered really unfortunate. The latter was transported to the lair of a giant worm that was famously known as the 'King of Caves' in the Shadow Ravine. It looked like a gigantic earthworm between seven and eight meters long. However, its sharp teeth, venom, and the small earthworms that covered the plains pestered Cassidy beyond endurance. Not only that, but the underground was also accessible from many tunnels and she didn't know where she should flee to. Her only choice was to kill it as she escaped, but it ended up being tossed in the dust. Then, unsure if it was due to fear or wrath, a king worm appeared under the escort of the critters to seek revenge. However, Cassidy instant-killed it without sparing its corpse. After the king worm was annihilated, it turned into a piece of crystal. She picked up the crystal and was transported here.

It seems like the key lies in the crystals.

After hearing Cassidy's account that sounded rather resentful, Rhode pondered briefly. Shortly after, he came to a conclusion. He was sent here after defeating the valkyrie and picking up the piece of crystal. Anne was also transported here after finding one in the maze. Meanwhile, Cassidy also killed a BOSS and was brought here. Could there be some secrets hidden within the crystals?

Swish! Swish!

At that moment, two more glimmers of light flashed by. This time, it was Icy Snow and Angelina who appeared in the arena. The former put up her usual, calm expression as though she were strolling after a meal. On the contrary, Angelina looked horrible. Her neat and clean dress was riddled with holes as though she had just escaped a hail of bullets. Upon spotting Rhode and the rest, Icy Snow and Angelina revealed glad smiles and crowded over hurriedly, beginning to narrate their encounters.

Icy Snow was transported to the Death Cemetery, which was considered a relatively wide open space in Shadow Ravine. There was no better place for Icy Snow's crazy projectiles. She relied upon her high flexibility as an archer and engaged in guerrilla warfare with the shadowy creatures. Then, she released a series of arrows that struck the BOSS to death. The entire process could be said to be flawless. With her ability, the shadowy creatures were entirely done for without getting close to her.

The reason was also simple as to why she arrived so late. Even though arrows could hit far targets, it was a pity that she wasn't able to tie herself to the arrows. Although she wiped out the creatures the quickest, she spent most of her time hastening on with her journey… After all, the Death Cemetery was so huge.

On the other hand, Angelina had it worse. She was the weakest among them and unfortunately, she was transported to Spring of Light, a place that was considered to have the strongest light element in the entire Shadow Ravine—even more than the Crystal Forest that Rhode was in. Not only that, but Angelina was a vampire who wasn't a big fan of the light elemen, to begin with. As a result, not only was she in discomfort, but she was also chased by tens of thousands of light elemental creatures, which was an utter tragedy. However, she had survived mountains of daggers and seas of flames in the past. Back then, she had no lack of duels against Ashvril either. The light elemental creatures might seem troublesome to deal with, but they couldn't compete against the four legendary generals, after all. That was why Angelina used her unique techniques to sneak into the middle of Spring of Light. She was even dismembered twice before successfully obtaining the crystal and transporting here. She was also almost done for earlier. If it weren't for the fact that she was fast enough, her head would have rolled again.

"Where are Bubble and Erin?"

Rhode knitted his brows at the incomplete group and couldn't help but feel dubious. After all, it was too surprising for him that Bubble and Erin weren't here yet. Even Angelina had passed the trial, so logically speaking, Bubble shouldn't be trapped either. As for Erin, she had already begun the trial before Rhode's group entered the trial grounds. Logically speaking, Erin should be the first to arrive at this arena.

"Has anyone seen them?"

Facing Rhode's query, the group exchanged looks with one another. Then, Icy Snow and Angelina responded. While in the Death Cemetery, the former witnessed large columns of dazzling light toward the southeast direction when she was slaughtering the shadowy creatures. Based on her familiarity with Bubble, she knew it was definitely Bubble's doing. However, as she was too far away from the commotion, she focused only on her own situation. Moreover, there was a cliff between the Death Cemetery and that particular area, so Icy Snow couldn't head over even if she wanted.

On the other hand, while Angelina was being chased by the light elemental creatures in Spring of Light, she did catch a glimpse of Erin at the window of the dark tower in the distance. It was a pity that Erin didn't notice her presence. Angelina was so excited that she yelled out, only to be caught by the creatures. She intended to head to the dark tower and complete the trial alongside Erin. But she discovered that the entire Spring of Light was enveloped in a magical barrier and she couldn't leave. Without a choice, Angelina pulled a long face and continued with her trial. Fortunately, she eventually passed it.

And now, only Bubble and Erin were left.

After narrating their encounters, the group stood there, waiting for the last two members' arrival. According to the rules, even though the dark arena was built for dragon soul heirs to fight for the dragon soul, it was a pity that perhaps the Dark Dragon who designed the arena didn't expect Rhode and the rest to be in the same gang, resulting in what was supposed to be a blood-soaked stage to be in perfect harmony.

But after yet another hour, none of them showed up. This left the group rather concerned. Rhode did some calculations. Previously, it was said that the trials must be completed in 36 hours. Then, due to the mistake of the two dragon young ladies, Chaos infiltrated and shrunk the time limit to just over 20 hours. And it had been nearly 10 hours since they were transported in.

Could it be that something has gone wrong?

Facing this situation, there was nothing Rhode could do. They couldn't possibly leave the arena. And even if they did, they didn't know where to go. They could only wait to see whether Erin and Bubble would reach the same destination as them.

Swish!

And just as the crowd waited in anxiousness, another white light flashed by.