Chapter 165 Chapter 165-A Wager
The words of the man in the six-eyed devil mask left many of the awakened present displaying looks of embarrassment.
Previously, with the mist as their cover, they had no worries about revealing their identities and thus dared to act.
Now, with the mist dispersed, who would dare make a move and invite death upon themselves?
At this moment, the man in the six-eyed devil mask stood with his cape fluttering without any wind, a strong breeze continuously emanating from beneath him.
Clearly, his earlier spellcasting was part of executing a skill.
Howard looked around and realized that a Wind Martial barrier had been formed nearby.
If anyone rashly tried to break through, they would likely face a formidable assault.
The man in the six-eyed devil mask swept his gaze over the crowd and snorted coldly, "With your meager skills, you thought to steal our spoils of war?"
Then, turning his attention to the young man, who was visibly exhausted after withstanding the onslaught of so many awakened, gasping heavily for air, he said, "You've got some skill, kid!"
After pondering for a moment, he continued, "Which power do you belong to?"
"I'm unaffiliated, with no sect or family backing me. Just an orphan," the young man replied with a hint of mockery. "If you wish to kill me, you don't have to worry about anyone seeking revenge."
"No affiliation?"
Hearing this, a glint of interest flashed in the eyes of the man in the six-eyed devil mask.
Originally, he had planned to simply take back the spoils from the young man. Now, however, he was considering the potential of this unattached talent.
In the span of time just passed, at least a few hundred awakened had launched attacks, and the fact that the young man had withstood them all spoke volumes of his extraordinary strength.
Given his age and such a display of capability, his talent undoubtedly wouldn't be lacking.
If he could be recruited into the Solomon Sacred Assembly, and given time to develop, he might significantly strengthen the power of the Assembly.
With this thought in mind, the man in the six-eyed devil mask spoke up, "Kid, since you claim that you were the one who depleted the BOSS's HP, I'll believe you this once. After all, I'm not an unreasonable man."
Hearing this, countless awakened rolled their eyes.
If their strength had matched that of the man in the six-eyed devil mask, they would have surely scoffed aloud.
Despite the Solomon Sacred Assembly's seemingly benign name, their choice of a devil as their organizational emblem hinted at their peculiar and enigmatic ways.
If it weren't for the restrictions imposed by the Alliance, they might have indulged in acts as egregious as murder and arson as commonplace.
Even so, there were numerous rumors about the Solomon Sacred Assembly within the Alliance.
The young man let out a sigh of relief and asked, "Thank you for your trust, senior. May I leave now?"
"Wait a moment!" The man in the six-eyed devil mask let out a chilling laugh. "Even if you did deplete most of the BOSS's HP, it ultimately died at our hands. Isn't it a bit excessive for you to take all the spoils?"
"What do you propose?" The young man eyed the man in the six-eyed devil mask warily.
"It's simple," the man with the six-eyed devil mask smiled. "How about a bet? If you win against me, all the spoils are yours. But if you lose, you must join the Solomon Sacred Assembly!"
"..."
The young man was no fool and immediately grasped the intention of the man in the six-eyed devil mask.
Yet he also knew that escape was highly unlikely, given the surrounding area had been trapped by the Wind Martial summoned by the man.
If he outright confronted him, he wasn't necessarily assured of victory.
The young man's eyes darted around before he nodded and said, "Okay, what are the terms of the bet?"
Hearing this conversation, the many onlooking awakened shook their heads.
They did not believe that the young man could match the man in the six-eyed devil mask.
Only Howard's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing an expectant look.
"I will cast three skills on you. If you can withstand them, you win. If you're forced back more than thirty feet, you lose. How does that sound?" The tone of the man in the six-eyed devil mask became more buoyant.
"Agreed!" the young man promptly responded.
The surrounding onlookers watched with great interest.
While they couldn't profit from the turmoil to seize treasures, witnessing an exciting duel was also a treat.
Howard was no exception.
This was an excellent opportunity to gauge the abilities of both the young man and the man in the six-eyed devil mask.
If he intended to seize the Starry River Map, all the awakened in the Dark Mausoleum could potentially become his adversaries.
"Brave boy, agreeing so readily, you must have great confidence in yourself. Well then, let me see what you're capable of."
Laughing, the man in the six-eyed devil mask lifted his wand and slowly approached the young man.
To assess the young man's abilities, the man in the six-eyed devil mask would not hold back, but he also wouldn't go too far.
After all, his intention was to recruit the young man, not to kill him!
As the man in the six-eyed devil mask waved his wand, a blood-red light flickered, transforming into a massive sword that materialized behind him.
The intense scent of blood filled the air, causing the eyebrows of the many onlookers to furrow.
A palpable pressure slowly descended upon the crowd, even Howard could feel the strain.
"Blood Sword Spell, slash!"
With a cold shout, the blood-colored sword swung fiercely towards the young man.
Facing this attack, the young man showed no signs of nervousness or retreat.
Instead, he ran forward rapidly, wielding his giant sword to meet the blood-colored blade head-on.
As the blood sword was about to strike, the young man swiftly raised his hand, swinging his giant sword to collide with it.
Bang!
A loud explosion sounded as the blood sword shattered instantly.
The young man, like a kite with its string cut, was sent flying backward.
However, he quickly utilized a technique to anchor himself, steadying his body with a twist at the waist, and landed steadily, retreating only about twenty feet.
"Not bad, not bad at all!"
Witnessing this, the man in the six-eyed devil mask clapped his hands and said with a smile, "You withstood a strike with thirty percent of my power. For the next attack, I will use fifty percent!"
Without giving the young man any chance to rest, the man in the six-eyed devil mask swung his wand once more.
This time, instead of a blood-red glow, numerous purple lights gathered, forming a winged bird that spread its wings.
Amidst a sharp and fierce cry, it soared towards the young man.
"Blade Frenzy!"
The young man gripped his giant sword with both hands and leaped up, swinging his sword fiercely at the approaching purple winged bird.
The blade aura howled forth, filling the space with its fierce power.
Many of the onlooking awakened felt a surge of murderous intent, causing their equipment to shatter and blood to seep from their skin.
As the gathered awakened retreated, the blade aura collided with the purple winged bird.
However, the moment the blade aura struck the purple winged bird, it dissipated.
The bird, unaltered in its form, crashed violently into the young man.
Fortunately, the young man reacted quickly.
Before taking the full brunt of the attack, he drew out his giant sword and positioned it in front of his chest.
Even so, the force unleashed by the purple winged bird sent him flying backward, blood spilling from his mouth while still in mid-air.
Yet, the young man's willpower was remarkably strong.
Enduring the pain, he forcefully stabbed his giant sword into the ground, using its resistance to halt his backward motion.
However, after enduring the second attack, the young man seemed to have sustained severe injuries, as blood uncontrollably flowed from his seven orifices.
Seeing this, the man in the six-eyed devil mask nodded in satisfaction, a light chuckle escaping his lips. "Impressive strength, but unfortunately, you're still a bit short of withstanding my three skills. What do you say, are you ready to admit defeat?"
"I will never admit defeat!"
The young man shook his head, his expression resolute as he spoke, "Please, senior, make your move!"
Shaking his head slightly, the man in the six-eyed devil mask showed no intention of holding back.
Once again, he waved his wand, and this time, what condensed were numerous purple wind blades.
As the wind blades aligned and surged towards the young man, a spark of brilliance suddenly flashed in the young man's eyes.
In the next instant, his body became ethereal, merging with the purple wind blades and propelling forward.
He shot through the Wind Martial barrier in a blink, managing to pass through it at the moment of impact.
"What?! Damn it, he's trying to escape!"
The pupils of the man in the six-eyed devil mask contracted sharply.
Although unaware of how the young man had achieved this feat, his reaction was swift.
He tapped his wand, dissolving the Wind Martial barrier, and with his cape fluttering behind him, he rapidly flew forward, chasing in the direction of the young man.
This turn of events startled the onlookers, leaving them with expressions of amazement.
Even Howard had not anticipated this development.
However, before Howard and the others could join the pursuit, a massive shadow of a turtle suddenly emerged nearby.
With a thunderous rumble, the turtle swung its massive claws, unleashing an invisible, mountainous pressure that bore down on everyone in the vicinity.
Even the young man, in the midst of his skill, and the man in the six-eyed devil mask were slammed to the ground by the terrifying force!
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