Chapter 139: Wails of the Fallen

Before Talia, Moon’s casual face suddenly collapsed into something akin to a beast baring its teeth as he released a sudden wave of killing intent.

She didn’t expect the two of them to know one another and never thought this reaction was a possibility.

Moon and Korr sure did have a history together, a very unpleasant and bloody one.

Yet, it only made him more valuable. Considering everything Enzo went through today, she knew for a fact he was more valuable than Korr and everyone else in this ring today.

She was also sure that Korr wouldn’t be able to hide the fact that he knew Moon from Enzo. ’If only I remembered who Zera was earlier, if only I had this intel faster.’ Talia couldn’t help lamenting.

Zera was an insignificant person in her eyes, just a follower with no real combat ability or value. That was what she had seen from him a few times.

Moon was too important an individual for both sides to afford to lose to the other.

While her mind raced on how to unnerve him, how to negotiate further...

The suffocating killing intent disappeared as instantly as it came, like a lie.

Talia looked into his severely damaged eyes, which had every white part of them as red as blood now.

She proceeded with her negotiations. She wanted him on her side no matter what. She couldn’t allow him to be a wild, stray card in the next trial, nor could she afford losing him to Enzo.

"I appreciate it, but I won’t work under anyone," Moon cut her off and declined again. She knew now he wasn’t going to join her side at the price of intel.

Talia had no choice but to steel her heart and go for the last resort.

It was something impossible for a top floors faction to ever do, something unheard of to anyone, yet Talia did it today.

She took off her ring, the one bearing the emblem of the Knights’ Realm.

Her very own proof of authority.

Moon was but one proud warrior. His pride wouldn’t allow him to decline this, thus...

"Teacher Samuel, I’d like to challenge Ascender Moon in this skirmish ring, one against another, under the strict rule of no Echo, no weapons, no armor... Only physical combat mastery. The one to lose becomes the subordinate to the other."

Talia’s voice rang across the arena. Her fingers held the ring high for everyone to see, bringing forth murmurs and discussions.

"Is this for real?"

"Has this ever happened before?"

"Boss, win, boss!" Basil cheered first.

"DAMN!"

"I’LL WIN MY MONEY BACK!"

"START BETTING, YOU BASTARDS!"

Excited voices rang out one after another.

Further in the back, Boa stood wordless for a long time amid the cheers; she couldn’t utter a single word.

"Sister, what do you think you’re doing?" she whispered, unable to believe this was the plan she had spoken of to bring him to their side. She ran down, trying to stop whatever was going to take place.

Yet...

"Granted!" Samuel’s voice cut off the cheers all of a sudden, bringing even more hyped cheers with his announcement.

"SISTER!" Boa sprinted down toward Talia. "You can’t do this!"

Boa pulled her away from Moon. Talia didn’t resist, as she needed to discuss what would happen now with her aide.

Yet, the discussion they were about to have didn’t take place.

"Ugggh!"

"AAUGH!"

"What... what’s happening?"

"NOO!"

"MAKE IT STOP!"

Countless screams rang out all of a sudden. All of them came from the eliminated armored ascenders. Everyone who was still alive among them, no matter how wounded, including Zera, began to wail.

They started clutching their chests, trying to reach inside to where the pain was, yet their armors didn’t allow them to for now.

"According to the rules, the decision was made to have your Echo sealed, and armor and other items that were brought into the assault confiscated," Samuel announced without warning, killing the rising cheers, the starting bets, and the ongoing side discussions.

He didn’t seem to have time to waste on them, executing the punishment first and explaining later.

He was still seated, as unmoving as he had been since the beginning of the round, yet he was still capable of casually crafting such seals.

The armors over their bodies suddenly disappeared. Their wails became louder without helmets to muffle them. Every single one of them dug their nails into their chests, where golden radiance penetrated all the way to their backs like an arrow passing through.

In the process, they tore through their own clothing and cut their own skin before their nails started digging into their flesh.

"Seals will persist for six months; items cannot be returned." His voice trailed off as he stood, turning around to leave.

"P... PLEASE!"

"MAKE IT STOP!"

"I’M SORRY, PLEASE!"

Some began to cry, while others begged.

People watched the horrifying scene in silence before making their way out of the arena, leaving them behind.

One after another began to make their way out silently, averting their gazes from the wails of the fallen.

After a long, agonizing time of screaming and begging for mercy, they started collapsing one after another. Their mouths started to foam, and their bodies convulsed uncontrollably.

Regardless, everyone was now gone...

Thud~

But Moon sat down cross-legged; he wasn’t too bothered by their wails, unlike the others.

No one seemed to have noticed he was still behind. They might also not have been able to believe that his situation was as bad as it was.

For someone to fight like that, casually loot his dead enemy, and seal his wounds with mud... Everything made it seem like he was in a very practical condition.

Maybe only Talia noticed how damaged his eyes were.

Still, Moon wasn’t bothered or lonely; instead...

’Guess I also did much better than them getting that seal,’ he praised himself. His first seal took much longer than this.

His elbow rested on his thigh, and his face was in his palm. "I didn’t agree to this bullshit duel, bruh!" he said to himself, with no one around to hear.

The arena was now completely devoid of an audience. It was only him in the ring with the dead body of Dara and the other two he had killed a while ago; on the outside, everyone else was gone.

He wanted to leave, but he wasn’t able to see that well. He also didn’t want to reopen his bleeding side and leg just yet.

Thus, he sprawled on the floor, his face once again in direct contact with the golden sky.

"I’ll rest here for now then, just a little longer," he said, closing his eyes.

Allowing peace to settle into his heart, the corners of his mouth curled up.

"What a crazy day!" he exclaimed.

Moon suddenly felt something block the golden radiance off his face. "It seems like you enjoyed your time more than you should."

Moon opened his eyes. "Big Brother, where have you been?" he asked, hinting at Uon’s absence the entire round.

"Teacher Samuel sent me to run some errands," he said, smiling at Moon. "Chef Ed just now sent me to bring you; food is ready."

"Oh, is it?"

Uon leaned down, taking hold of Moon. "Hey, hey, I can walk by myself," Moon snapped.

Uon placed Moon’s arm over his shoulder like Ed had done in the last round. "It’s fine, your eyes seem too scorched," Uon assured him, before adding, "Tell me about this round."

"Oh, you see... these scrubs tried to use armor and even cheat by using Echo, and I still beat them all up."

"You sure did," Uon nodded.

"There was also that guy, he’s crazy strong, I didn’t know... I couldn’t hit him, though."

"Oh, why is that?"

"He had something called universal armor or something."

"Hooo..."