Chapter 35: You don’t want merlot’s efforts to be in vain, right? (×)

Lien remained silent, his brows slightly furrowed, lost in thought.

The display screen before them had blurred beyond recognition, losing all footage from within the arena.

Yet, in the final moments of clear transmission, both of them had witnessed everything unfold before their very eyes, until Melo raised that golden longsword.

“That woman, she can’t be human, can she?” Cassie asked.

If not human, then naturally, a Spirit.

That was precisely what she wished to know.

How could a Spirit possibly engage in combat on their own?

This defied all conventional understanding and, more significantly, shattered the long-standing alliance between humanity and the Spirits.

Ever since the Abyss first invaded, humanity had suffered a world-shattering catastrophe, their civilization teetering on the brink of collapse, countless compatriots perishing in that devastating cataclysm, and innumerable nations vanishing into oblivion.

Humanity’s much-vaunted technology and weaponry had proven utterly meaningless, serving only to bring about mutual destruction for their own kind and the Void Fiends.

In that era, only a single Void King had emerged from the Abyss.

It was not until the Spirits appeared, bestowing upon humanity the unique energy known as psionic power, that humankind truly gained the means to combat the Abyss.

It became clear that both humans and Spirits were victims of the encroaching Abyss.

The two races decided to forge an alliance, banding together for mutual survival.

This was the origin of Psionic Masters and their Psionic Armaments.

Humans required the power within Spirits to fight against the Abyss.

Spirits, in turn, needed humans to unleash the power contained within themselves.

Thus, for a long time, humanity and the Spirits had coexisted peacefully; even with occasional minor skirmishes, they always compromised, maintaining a fundamental unspoken understanding.

But…

What if the Spirits no longer needed humans?

What if the Spirits could wield psionic power in combat all on their own?

What if, in this partnership, humanity became utterly expendable?

Where, then, would humanity go?

Cassie and Lien both understood the gravity of the situation.

Yet, neither seemed entirely clear on the other’s true intentions.

“No matter what you say this time, I am going in. If you wish to stop me, you’ll have to draw your blade.”

Lien was silent for a moment, apparently realizing that he couldn’t stop Cassie by invoking his authority as a referee this time. He then said, “I can refrain from stopping you, but truthfully… the greatest threat should already be neutralized. You could simply wait until the competition ends to meet with that person discreetly, without disturbing anyone else.”

Cassie frowned, seemingly pondering Lien’s hidden agenda.

However, she was not one adept at schemes and calculations, and after a moment of thought, she failed to grasp his motive. So, she simply asked, “What’s your game?”

Lien shrugged with a smirk. “What game could I possibly have? Haven’t you been insisting on ensuring the competition proceeds smoothly? Am I not merely proposing what you advocated earlier?

“Or are you suggesting… that as long as things are convenient for you, or go according to your wishes, you can do whatever you please, even if it contradicts your previous stance?”

Cassie’s frown deepened. “Lien, you’ve been scheming something since before this competition even began. I now even suspect you were the one who let that Void Trooper in. Don’t think you can absolve yourself of responsibility.”

“Heh… Officer, are all of your [Phantom] contractors as unreasonably contentious and irrational as you? If you continue to make such baseless accusations, be careful, or I’ll sue you for slander. Do you even know the consequences of slandering a noble?”

“Hmph!”

Cassie shot Lien a frigid glare, and then a flicker of psionic energy manifested and then vanished.

Simultaneously, Cassie herself disappeared.

Lien exhaled, gazing meaningfully at the still-static live projection.

‘Could it really be…?’

****

Just then, a [Psionic Mech Armor] streaked from the distance.

“Referee! Referee, something terrible has happened!!!”

Before it even drew near, frantic shouts had already reached them.

Lien looked over curiously, only to see a strangely cobbled-together mech suit, its model indiscernible.

“Hoh… it seems there’s more than one interesting character here.”

He regarded it with keen interest.

At that moment, Sephylia jumped from Qilin’s shoulder and rushed over anxiously.

“Referee! A Void Trooper suddenly appeared in the arena and went on a rampage! I’m not lying! Please, you must believe me!”

Sweat beaded on her forehead from urgency, yet she noticed that Referee Lien seemed utterly unfazed, calmly and composedly observing her.

“I’m telling the truth! Sir Referee! I swear upon the honor of House Hodern!”

However, Lien remained utterly unfazed, maintaining a calm demeanor.

He simply raised a finger and pointed to the side.

Sephylia followed his gaze and saw several static projections. Confused by the sight, she asked, bewildered, “What are these?”

“In fact, we have already detected the intrusion of a Void Trooper into the competition. The officer who was just here has already gone in to handle it. With her strength, it’s merely a Void Trooper; you needn’t worry.”

“Eh? Is… is that so?”

Sephylia sighed in relief.

But Qilin frowned. “You said… ‘just now’?”

The Void Trooper had appeared at least ten minutes ago, yet the officer had only just entered. Which would mean…

****

At this very moment, within the safe zone.

Melina held Melo, utterly bewildered.

Melo had fallen unconscious, and the golden radiance had long since faded.

However, the thorny black markings on Melo’s body had not receded.

Normally, when Melo used psionic power, these thorny black markings would merely glow with a sinister crimson-black light, and any that had grown more pronounced would gradually recede as she stopped using psionic power, reverting to five rings branded onto Melo’s wrists, ankles, and neck.

Yet now, even though Melo had clearly ceased using psionic power, the grown thorny black markings showed no signs of receding.

It was as if five malevolent entities were reaching from Melo’s wrists, ankles, and neck toward her very heart.

And the black rose on her chest remained dormant.

Melina didn’t know what would happen when the thorny black markings fully connected with the black rose, but she understood that it would undoubtedly be something truly dire!

“Wyn, I… what should I do?”

Melina said, a tremor of helplessness in her voice.

With Melo unconscious, she suddenly found herself seemingly reverting to that indecisive punching bag she once was.

Without Melo, she was nothing.

“In any case, the competition is still ongoing,” Wyn stated calmly, glancing at the cleared space Melo had created.

Melina gazed up at him in astonishment. “Huh?”

‘No, it’s come to this, and you’re still thinking about the competition?’

As if perceiving her thoughts, Wyn said, “No message has been received to terminate the competition, so it is presumed to be ongoing.”

He pulled a token from his pocket. “The [Human] Token. You should have a [Spirit] one, right?”

Melina gazed blankly at the token in his hand, then looked back at Wyn.

Wyn’s face remained impassive, his usual languid demeanor intact.

With the immediate crisis averted, he seemed to have relaxed.

“In any case, before any further news arrives, let’s just hold out until the end.”

He looked at Melo in Melina’s arms. “You wouldn’t want Melo to have sacrificed so much, only to be disqualified, would you?”