Chapter 319
Chapter 319
Chapter 319
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 319 – Even From the Audience Seats, Lan Qi Can Max Out Hate Value
Wind whipped past the edge of the stands, carrying with it the heavy stench of a slaughterhouse.
“……”
Viscount Levin Kingston’s eyes were locked tightly on the arena below.
His heart was a storm of confusion, disbelief, and even panic.
…Was this really the same gentle, kind young man he had met only three days ago?
The unsolvable mystery clearly had something to do with the young man and woman sitting beside him.
Levin Kingston cast a sideways glance at Lan Qi and Sid.
Lan Qi was still idly stroking the little black cat in his lap, the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile — as though watching his disciple’s transformation filled him with nothing but satisfaction.
Sid, on the other hand, was still leaning lazily against the backrest, one hand supporting his cheek, expression indifferent.
The viscount’s throat bobbed. In the end, he merely swallowed hard.
He had originally intended to ask aloud if the recent massacre of the Ghost Party had anything to do with these two, but some instinct stopped him.
Because the way they sat there so calmly — treating life and death like grass underfoot — made him instinctively afraid.
As if the ones sitting next to him weren’t even human.
From afar, watching Shaya’s blood-soaked figure in the arena, not knowing when he might fall dead, Levin Kingston felt as if every cut had landed on his own body.
A rush of noise from the arena washed back over him, dragging him out of his daze. Dizzy, he sank back into his seat.
“May I ask you two… what exactly happened to Shaya? Why has he become like this?”
Driven by a sense of responsibility as an elder, the viscount still asked in a low, firm voice.
No matter what, he regarded Shaya as if he were his own son.
Back at his mansion, when he had invited Shaya to walk and talk with him, he had told him many things: that he had been a close friend of Shaya’s late father, the past when young Shaya had met Lilith in the imperial capital, the current troubles of the Snowfield Province, and how Lilith had changed because of meeting Shaya — and all the effort she had made since.
He knew that would motivate Shaya, perhaps awaken something in him — but not like this!
At the question, Lan Qi turned his head slightly, still smiling faintly.
“According to the most orthodox training methods of our academy, I gave him private guidance and special training. He didn’t let me down — he succeeded in gaining the power to protect the person he loves.”
Lan Qi’s voice was calm, almost cheerful.
The course assignment had been to wipe out bandits. A man who wished to inherit his territory must also be able to shoulder the duty of protecting his people.
Love and justice walked hand in hand. Not only had he completed the educational requirement, but he had also earned great merit — a truly good deed.
When Huperion found out, she would definitely praise him for this.
“...The Royal Protos Magic Academy…?”
Levin Kingston was startled.
This school was always rumored to be harsh, but to actually train a person into this… this was practically the making of a demon-race elite officer!
“That school… he doesn’t need to attend it anymore,” Lan Qi said with another smile.
“Of course, if he wants to go to Helrom together with Lilith, I can write him a recommendation letter.”
“……”
Levin Kingston pressed a hand to his forehead, completely and utterly lost.
He knew that Shaya had failed the special admission exam, and that the school only gave one or two recommendation slots every three years — usually reserved for far more exceptional students. It was impossible they would hand one out just as a favor to someone like Shaya.
He shook his head.
“...But if this continues, Shaya really will die. How is he supposed to win?”
At this moment, he could put aside all other concerns — the viscount was only worried about Shaya’s life.
“Could it be that his Heart-Image has also transformed? That must be his trump card, right?”
So far, Shaya hadn’t used that umbrella of his in battle. In such intense close-quarters combat, it only seemed to hinder him. Although the umbrella looked unchanged, perhaps it had some kind of second phase!
“No. I have never altered Shaya’s true intentions or inner heart,” Lan Qi said, shaking his head.
Whether before or now, he had never tampered with anyone’s essence — only helped them fulfill their wishes, their demands, helped them find their true happiness.
“...!?”
Levin Kingston trembled, staring at the arena in shock.
Shaya had changed this much, yet his weapon hadn’t changed at all…
That meant his Heart-Image had truly never changed from beginning to end…
If this was the path he had chosen for himself, if he had genuinely become this way… then just what kind of pure, terrifyingly strange embodiment of evil had he turned into?
In the arena —
The clash of blades and the spray of blood continued. The fight was progressing quickly; the outcome wouldn’t take long.
For now, the clearly stronger Dean — son of another viscount — held the advantage.
Assassin against warrior. In a battle of trading blows, the winner was obvious!
“Get ready to die!”
Dean’s eyes were bloodshot with rage, both hands gripping his sword as it flared with blinding light, lightning and sword-aura roaring as he cleaved down toward Shaya.
This worthless trash dared face him head-on — dared make him suffer like this!
Never in his life had Dean been forced into such a sorry state, never endured such humiliation!
He was certain — today, even without his father’s protection, he would kill this bastard Shaya!
And luckily, despite the long, grueling battle, although he had taken some injuries, it was clear Shaya would collapse first. Even if he dodged this blow, Dean was sure he could wear him down to death soon.
As the sword came crashing down and Shaya had nowhere to dodge — Dean’s laughter rang out, mad and triumphant.
No matter how much pain he had suffered until now, the moment of victory — the instant he killed his opponent — would bring him unimaginable ecstasy!
But the next moment —
With a deafening crash, the strike slammed against something impossibly hard, the impact numbing Dean’s arms and stopping the blade dead.
Shaya’s expression had gone calm again. He merely turned his head slightly, looking at Dean with a cool gaze — his transparent barrier-umbrella having completely blocked the attack.
Then, ignoring Dean entirely, Shaya pulled out several purple rare magic cards — the kind called “Flawed Slow Healing” — and began stacking continuous healing spells on himself.
“!!”
Dean’s pupils shrank.
The mad Shaya from moments ago had now become terrifyingly calm, entering a state of pure endurance.
These kinds of long-cast healing spells were usually only used by back-line healers with plenty of casting space — and purple-grade rare healing magic already had absurdly high multipliers. With the debuff component, its healing rate would skyrocket even further.
And Shaya’s magical aptitude was not weak — in fact, this second-tier assassin had even managed to learn a first-tier pink sacred-grade spell before, something absurdly rare except among elves.
The wounds he had so painstakingly inflicted, almost bringing Shaya to the brink of collapse, were now being calmly patched up right in front of his eyes!
Dean’s bloodshot eyes widened even further, his hands trembling.
In a remote city like Kingston, there was no way to buy so many high-quality, broken “Flawed Slow Healing” cards.
Someone must have given them to him.
Who?!
His gaze snapped to the audience seats — to the faraway figure of Lan Qi, smiling faintly as he watched the match.
He had met that man once before. He had felt that Lan Qi was likely a healer of some kind — and the woman beside him was clearly a warrior. Who else could have supplied these twisted magic cards but him?!
But Lan Qi, meeting that murderous glare, simply raised his thumb — a bright, wholesome “keep it up” gesture.
Dean nearly coughed blood on the spot.
Facing Lan Qi’s blatant mockery, yet completely unable to do anything to Shaya, Dean felt all reason shatter.
“I don’t care if I kill Shaya or not — I’m killing you today!!!”
His roar shook the arena, so shrill it felt like it could tear the sky.