Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The entire first floor of the tower was not completely filled with people; after all, the number of participants was limited, and there were still some empty tables. However, there was one peculiar situation: a solitary figure stood at one of the tables, seemingly without an opponent. Had he already defeated his challenger?
Jufeng curiously approached the middle-aged man who appeared somewhat disheveled, with pale hair and slightly squinting eyes. Anyone unfamiliar with him might have thought he had just woken up and wandered into the wrong place. Yet, he stood there oblivious to his surroundings, his eyes half-open, as if caught between wakefulness and sleep.
Jufeng glanced at the table and noticed a familiar nameplate across from him that read "Li Ji." Just as he was pondering this, Ikeda Kenji walked over and said, "That is Watanabe Ichiro's nameplate."
Upon hearing this, Jufeng nodded in realization. No wonder there was only one person standing here; it turned out that his opponent had already departed for the afterlife ahead of him.
He raised his head to look at the rather unkempt middle-aged man, presumably named Li Ji. Romain found him intriguing; it seemed he had come alone without any companions, truly a lone hero.
Curiosity often sparks endless intrigue. Ikeda Kenji followed Romain's gaze and spotted the beggar-like middle-aged man. He turned to Romain and asked, "Do you know him?"
Romain shook his head but smiled as he replied, "Not yet, but I will soon."
With a graceful leap, Romain landed lightly on Li Ji's round table. His movements flowed like water; although he had come to a stop, it seemed as if shadows of his form still lingered in motion. Clearly, his abdominal injury did not hinder his ability to perform such flashy actions.
Romain's sudden appearance finally elicited a reaction from Li Ji. With great fatigue, he managed to lift his eyelids slightly and glanced at Romain before uttering a statement that left Romain utterly astonished.
"Kid, you can't beat me—not for at least two years. Stop playing house here and go wait somewhere else to watch the show."
Romain had never encountered someone so arrogant or so brazenly confident. Did this man possess some sort of ultraviolet vision that allowed him to assess opponents with just a glance?
Romain inwardly scoffed at this notion but obediently refrained from confronting Li Ji. Instead, he cheerfully asked, "Old man, let's be friends! I particularly like your kind of cultured beggar. My home is stocked with delicacies from land and sea; I believe we could get along splendidly."
While Romain's words carried a hint of impoliteness, one does not strike a smiling face. Moreover, Li Ji seemed entirely unfazed by Romain's remarks and even played along with him.
Li Ji's drooping eyelids suddenly lifted at the mention of "delicacies," revealing a glint of greed in his eyes, as if he had just awakened from a dream.
"Really? My appetite is quite large, and I’m lazy; I can’t help you at all."
Jufeng nodded. "Of course, a child wouldn’t deceive an elder. I just wonder what your purpose is for coming here today. What is there for this Vice Captain to do, aside from eating and drinking?"
Upon hearing this, Li Ji's expression darkened, and his voice turned cold. "It's best for children to mind their own business. I know you took care of my opponent last night, but don’t think that means I owe you any gratitude. No matter what happens later, you’d better behave yourself. Otherwise, I will not show mercy."
Jufeng maintained a calm demeanor and nodded in agreement. "Then I won’t disturb you any longer." He then jumped down from the round table.
Once on the ground, Jufeng's face shifted through several expressions, fluctuating between worry and unease. Li Ji's words were too alarming; despite last night's actions being exceptionally discreet, he shouldn’t have known about them. The feeling of having one's secrets exposed was quite unsettling.
Jufeng approached Ikeda Kenji, who noticed the change in his expression and was about to ask when Jufeng silenced him with a glance. They walked side by side back to their own round table, where Jufeng quietly recounted what had just transpired.
Ikeda Kenji furrowed his brow deeper with each detail until his expression mirrored Jufeng ’s concern.
"Can we determine if they are friend or foe?"
Jufeng shook his head and replied solemnly, "For now, we can only confirm that the target is likely not us."
Ikeda Kenji sighed in relief; as long as they weren’t enemies, there was a chance they could become allies. As long as they proceeded cautiously with each step, things should not go awry.
The battles at the round table were intense, with some mismatched contests already nearing their conclusion. Hayamura Shuichi was gradually determining the outcome against his opponent from the Indian Kingdom. Drawing on his solid foundation of skills, Hayamura Shuichi had yet to use his throwing knives but was close to overwhelming his adversary.
Jufeng ’s gaze remained fixed on Li Ji’s round table. Soon after, a staff member from the Saint Envoy approached Li Ji to discuss some matters. They then took Watanabe Ichiro's nameplate from the table, confirming that Li Ji was the first candidate to win in this chaotic brawl.
Jumping down from the round table was as laborious as an elderly man descending a flight of stairs. Yet, this very person had just proven to be no match for Jufeng, who was even more alarmed by the fact that Jufeng believed this without a hint of doubt.
Li Ji settled into a bamboo chair beside the tower, his movements carefree and unrestrained, tossing aside his long hair that had become tangled together.
Jufeng scrutinized him with increasing seriousness, feeling a strange sense of familiarity deep within him. Perhaps there were some differences in demeanor and behavior, but that aura was unmistakably familiar.
Familiar to the point of being ingrained in his very bones.
Suddenly, Jufeng seemed to recall something, staring at Li Ji in shock. He abruptly scanned the entire first floor of the tower, but after searching for a while, he found no trace of the person he had imagined. This left Jufeng questioning himself even more.
Ikeda Masahiro noticed Jufeng's odd behavior and approached him with curiosity. "Are you possessed or something?"
Jufeng was deep in thought and merely replied dismissively, "No," which earned him a cold snort from Ikeda Masahiro.
Ikeda Kenji placed a hand on his sister's shoulder and shook his head, signaling Ikeda Masahiro not to disturb him. The latter turned away, bored, and directed his gaze back to the round table.
With a light huff, Hayamura Shuichi leaped up from the round table, dodging a desperate kick from his opponent. He then delivered a side kick to the opponent's shoulder. The latter winced in pain; his strength was insufficient to continue fighting, so he fell to the ground reluctantly and with great resentment.
His two companions rushed forward to support him. He shot an angry glare at the towering Hayamura Shuichi before pushing away their assistance and walking toward the door.
This was the fate of the defeated—no chance to witness how the selection would unfold next; they could only leave the tower with regret.
More and more people began to exit through the door. As time passed, fewer competitors remained inside the tower. With no sunlight penetrating the interior, light came solely from extremely old oil lamps embedded in the walls, making it difficult to gauge the passage of time.
After what seemed like half an hour, all battles in the arena reached their conclusion. When Jufeng found himself unable to comprehend something further, he decided not to dwell on it any longer; whatever was meant to happen next would happen in due time. All he needed to do was wait quietly.
In an unexpected moment, he realized that everyone present here were indeed strong individuals. Several of them were at the same level as Hayamura Shuichi, and it was clear that they had not revealed their trump cards. It seemed that this selection for the Vice Captain was truly a gathering of elites.
The initial competition had concluded, and under the guidance of a Member who communicated solely through gestures, the skilled participants moved to the second floor, known as the Second Floor Tower.
Compared to the first floor, the second floor was distinctly organized. The vast space was divided into more than a dozen rooms by curtains woven from plants. The curtains were tightly drawn, obscuring visibility, yet they felt spacious enough because all senses other than sight could still perceive what lay beyond.
The Member once again demonstrated a unique Sign Language Skill, making a gesture inviting each participant into the rooms formed by the curtains.
The individuals present were not foolish; they quickly understood his intent. It turned out that the next challenge required each Selector to enter one of the curtained spaces.
As for what awaited them inside each curtain, that remained unknown for now.
(To be continued)
Comment 0 Comment Count