Chapter 1704: Conspiracy of the Starfall Haven!
At the moment, all ten arenas were occupied. Some battles had only just begun while others appeared to be approaching their conclusions. Every participant present watched the ongoing fights closely, either studying potential future opponents or simply entertaining themselves while waiting for their own turn.
Max himself became somewhat interested as he watched. The quality of the combat here was noticeably higher than what he had seen in the battlefield regions outside.
The participants entering the Ten Consecutive Victory Trial all possessed considerable confidence in their own strength. Because of that, even the weaker battles displayed techniques and abilities that would have easily dominated ordinary geniuses.
It was while Max was observing one of the arenas that a voice suddenly called out from behind him.
"You are Max, right?"
Max turned around calmly and found a young human approaching him. The young man wore dark golden robes embroidered with symbols of war and carried a spear on his back. Unlike many of the others present, his expression did not contain the slightest trace of disdain.
"I am Max," Max replied calmly. "And who might you be?"
The young man immediately smiled politely before cupping his fists.
"Please pardon my abrupt approach. My name is Nick and I come from the War God Palace."
The moment Max heard those words, a smile appeared on his face.
"Oh? The War God Palace?"
His impression of the War God Palace was naturally quite positive. Ever since obtaining Saint Reiner’s Saint Token, his status within the War God Palace had become extremely special.
Although he was not an official disciple of the organization, many members treated him with considerable respect because of his connection to one of their Saints.
Nick nodded immediately.
"Yes."
Max’s smile widened slightly.
"No wonder you are being so polite."
Nick laughed awkwardly at those words before glancing toward the arenas.
"Are you also here to participate in the Ten Consecutive Victory Trial?"
"That is the plan," Max replied honestly.
The moment those words left his mouth, Nick’s expression immediately changed.
Max noticed it instantly.
The young man seemed hesitant.
Concerned.
Almost as though he wanted to say something but was uncertain whether he should.
Seeing this, Max frowned slightly.
"What is it?"
Nick looked around cautiously.
His gaze swept across the nearby participants, particularly several demons and elves standing not far away. After confirming that many of them were paying attention to the conversation, his expression became even more serious.
Then, without another word, he switched to Divine Essence Transmission.
His voice sounded directly within Max’s mind.
"There is a very deep conspiracy unfolding within this city."
The sudden statement immediately caught Max’s attention.
The casual expression on his face disappeared.
At the same time, he finally understood why Nick had suddenly become so cautious.
If the matter involved a conspiracy significant enough to warrant secrecy even inside Starfall Haven, then it was clearly not something ordinary.
Max remained outwardly calm, but his interest was thoroughly piqued.
Using Divine Essence Transmission as well, he replied, "A conspiracy?"
Nick nodded subtly.
His expression had become extremely solemn now.
"What conspiracy?"
The moment Max asked that question, Nick’s eyes darkened noticeably, as though merely thinking about the matter was enough to make him uncomfortable.
He remained silent for several moments after hearing Max’s question. His eyes carefully swept across the surroundings once more before he finally continued speaking through Divine Essence Transmission. Judging by his cautious behavior, it was clear that he did not wish for anyone nearby to overhear even a fragment of what he was about to say.
"The conspiracy involves two demons," Nick transmitted. "And they are not ordinary demons."
Max immediately became more attentive.
Nick continued, "Their names are Karo and Munro. Both of them come from one of the strongest first-rate demon forces in the Divine Realm. Their father is a Star Lord."
At those words, Max’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He naturally knew what a Star Lord represented.
The Divine Realm was divided into countless star realms, each possessing their own rulers and dominant powers. Those capable of ruling an entire star realm stood at the very pinnacle of existence within that region. Such individuals possessed overwhelming strength, unimaginable influence, and resources beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators.
A Star Lord was not simply a title.
It was a symbol of supreme authority.
Nick’s expression grew increasingly grim as he continued.
"Karo and Munro are the sons of that Star Lord. Since entering the Eternal Hourglass, the two of them have been working together. Karo practically lives inside the Combat Hall. He has become infamous among the human participants."
Max remained silent while listening.
Nick continued transmitting, "The way he operates is extremely simple. He does not participate in the Ten Consecutive Victory Trial himself. Instead, he waits. Whenever a human participant reaches eight or nine consecutive victories and is on the verge of obtaining the one-million-Killing-Point reward, Karo immediately challenges them."
A cold light appeared within Nick’s eyes.
"And then he defeats them."
Max immediately understood where this was going.
Nick clenched his fists.
"Every single time."
The frustration in his voice was impossible to hide.
"He defeats them, steals all the Killing Points they accumulated throughout their challenge sequence, and destroys their chance of obtaining the one-million-point reward. He has repeated this process so many times that many human participants have completely lost hope."
Max frowned.
Nick’s expression became even uglier.
"So far, not a single human has successfully completed the Ten Consecutive Victory Trial within Starfall Haven."
The atmosphere around them suddenly felt much heavier.
Max could immediately understand why Nick had referred to it as a conspiracy.
This was not simply bullying.
This was systematic suppression.
Karo was intentionally targeting humans while allowing members of other races to proceed normally.
The result was that human participants continuously lost Killing Points while the demons became increasingly wealthy.
For a few moments, Max remained completely silent.
Then he finally asked a question.
"If things are really as bad as you say, then why do humans continue staying in Starfall Haven?"
Nick blinked.
Max continued calmly, "The main attraction of this city is the Combat Hall. If humans cannot even enjoy the greatest opportunity available here, why not simply leave? The Eternal Hourglass is enormous. There are countless other places where Killing Points can be earned."
