Chapter 781 Except For...
There was a dense hustle and bustle in the region. It was an auditorium with a ring of seating arrangements surrounding a single platform. But high in the skies, there were pods obscured by fluttering clouds that housed even more people.
It was clear that those hidden behind these clouds were the true elites of the region, and their seating arrangements came with an expense that reflected that.
For the moment, the stage was still very much empty. The participants hadn't appeared yet—or rather they had yet to be introduced. That said, the atmosphere seemed to already be reaching a peak.
…
"It's unfortunate. There doesn't seem to be anyone of interest joining this time around."
A young woman wearing a particularly thin dress spoke after taking a sip of wine. Her tongue forked as she licked her lips of the droplets, her pupils becoming slit for just a moment before fading away.
Oddly enough, despite how sheer her dress was, it felt like one couldn't focus well enough to see her delicate regions. The more one squinted, the more blurry it all became.
—
[171. Erythra Zalyn (Lv38) | Nythseran (F) | Planet Seran (Grade 2 Silver)]
—
"You think there'd be anyone foolish enough to try and snatch a prepared treasure from a Thryskai? The others are there for show."
Another young woman spoke with a gentle, glittering sort of laughter. She was dressed just as scantily as the Nythseran, but somehow she did it with a grace and bearing that made one think "empress" rather than lady of the night.
While the Nythseran was easily over eight feet tall, this young woman, with skin colored lavender, was barely five, the whites of her eyes replaced with a darkness that made her violet irises pop all the more.
—
[153. Nyssa Valeria (Lv38) | Florineth (F) | Planet Seran (Grade 2 Silver)]
—
"Oh my, how could I forget. Ulrik has a fondness for waving his cock around."
"You speak like you've seen it."
"I have," Erythra said with a sly smile.
"Slut."
"Why, thank you."
The two women laughed away without a care for the world.
"I only came today because I heard that something interesting might happen." Erythra said slightly more seriously. Though to her, that only meant that she wasn't smiling from ear to ear.
"Is that so? You really do have ears everywhere."
"Yes. Seems someone is trying to lure in a big fish."
Nyssa frowned. For Erythra of all people to be so careful with her words, something quite big must be happening. But soon, that image of concentration and seriousness crumbled.
"I just might be able to find me a husband today."
Nyssa was speechless. She shook her head and then leaned back, wanting to claim her worry back.
Erythra laughed heartily, but the depths of her eyes were still flickering with a little something extra.
As for Nyssa, she looked like she was reclining just as lazily as before, but she had opened one eye, curiously looking down below. It seemed that they had both realized the same thing.
…
"WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I am your host today. You can call me Chase, or handsome—I've heard many prefer the second."
A flamboyant man stepped out in a sparkling violet suit that was perfectly tailored to all four of his arms. His chest rippled with muscles, a double set of pectorals dancing as he jiggled them about.
He held a trio of mics in his hands, his only free palm gesticulating wildly.
"Now, I will introduce our five participants one by one!"
…
In a hidden space away from the platform, Sylas leaned on a wall in silence, his eyes closed and his breathing rhythmic. He crossed his arms over his chest, the faint echoes of the announcer's voice above seemingly having nothing to do with him at all.
He could feel several gazes on him, including one that was particularly sharp. They mostly had curiosity, but this sharp gaze had something else in it.
Annoyance.
It was the kind of annoyance an elder brother would feel for a younger, the kind a school bully might have if their target glared at them a little too long before regaining their senses.
Ulrik.
Sylas had deduced who he was without using his scouting abilities. He knew that in a place like this, it was probably best that he didn't. Not only could he not read their stats anyway, even if he could, it would have nothing to do with the outcome of the coming challenge.
At the same time, he felt something odd from the other participants.
They didn't feel like they were very focused.
No, it wasn't that they weren't focused, it was instead that they seemed to be very relaxed, too relaxed for a group of people who should have so much money and pride on the line.
They had come here to lose.
All except for…
There was one young woman among them, the only woman amongst the five of them. She was constantly making googly eyes at Ulrik as though trying to get his attention. But Ulrik, who had only just drained himself sufficiently not long ago, didn't seem very interested.
The woman wasn't ugly either. Though she wasn't nearly the greatest of beauty, she was slightly above average with an extra boost in attractiveness because of how little she wore.
Her skin was a velvety dark hue, that seemed a bit purple as well, almost a mahogany. She wore a mini skirt so short it was a wonder her panties weren't showing with every step, and a tube top to match. Over it, she wore what looked like a lab coat that came to the middle of her thighs.
Other than her somewhat odd skin color, she looked entirely Human, even down to her warm amber eyes.
This woman seemed to have all the signs of being an insignificant character. And yet, Sylas kept finding his senses shifting back to her again and again.
There was something odd here.
It seemed that she… also wanted to win.
An odd balance was stricken between the three.