Chapter 31: Deathmatch! Nasty-nice’s Conspiracy
“You didn’t know?” Athena looked anxious. “I just came back, and I heard everywhere in the city is saying that the apprentice who had well-performance during Master Aldas’s challenge will represent Dark Moon City to participate in the Sky Battle in the arena tomorrow. With your current strength, it is simply suicide!”
Chen Rui felt that the tournament sounded familiar. He thought of the scene in the magic store a few days ago, and he suddenly understood. I’m being framed! This sort of conspiracy is slightly difficult for Alan who is brave but dumb. It must be that nasty-nice Joseph who thought of this!
After listening to Chen Rui’s experience, Athena frowned and said, “Joseph? Isn’t it Alan? Why do I hear that it’s Alan that spread the news.”
At this time, Alice spoke up, “Athena, although Joseph is usually refined and courteous; he even gives us gifts often, but he’s actually the most despicable guy; Alan was just an idiot being used.”
Chen Rui nodded secretly. This little loli who seems to like taking petty advantages and fool people, but she is actually quite clear.
“Then why do you always take his gifts?” Athena glared at Alice. “I don’t like that Joseph, so I have never accepted what he gave.”
Alice’s watery eyes flashed with bright stars, “Athena, the gifts are innocent.”
That expression, that tone, and that look in her eyes were so on point. Compared to before, little loli’s performance had reached a higher level. Chen Rui suddenly thought of the most common line in the romance drama: Tiger Body Vibration [1]. Sure enough, Athena couldn’t rival such a fierce gaze and admitted her lose.
It turned out that little loli was the leading figure of the blackhearted faction who cursed someone being sinister but she still took the gifts.
Chen Rui looked at little princess admirably and asked, “What is this Sky Battle?”
“It’s a gamble between Joseph and I,” Alice said with annoyance. “Both parties will send one person to ride a flying demonic beast and battle in the air. Whoever drops first loses. The condition is that you can’t do it yourself, you can only command the demonic beasts. You are at your own risk. This kind of tournament is highly dangerous, so it’s also called the Sky Deathmatch.”
Chen Rui frowned, “Why do you have such a gamble with him?”
“This is the ‘heritage’ left by my deceased old man. Under the command of the Regent, the Red Spirit Lord, Josh has to send someone to compete with Dark Moon City every year to damage Lord of Midnight Sun’s descendents’ pathetic prestige.”
Alice said with a lazy tone, “My old man stubbornly wanted to maintain his ego. Every time, he will go all out and send people to participate. However, after my sister took over the Dark Moon, it is much duller. Regardless, the old man’s last wish has to be obeyed, but my sister didn’t have that energy, so I have to take over the troublesome gamble.”
Along the lines, little loli showed the look of resentment and looked straight at Chen Rui, “Tell me. Why must the next generation bear the grievances of the last generation’s grievances?”
Chen Rui couldn’t withstand at once. Athena couldn’t stand it and said, “Stop fooling around Alice. You’re always excited when you gamble, and I’ve already helped you won twice. Let’s think of a way to help Chen Rui getting through this instead. If he participates, not only he might die, but it will also damage the morale of the Dark Moon. Now that the news is spread, the Red Sprite Estate even sent a magical summon saying that they will send someone to visit. Even Princess Royal couldn’t stop it. However, if Chen Rui avoids from participating, he’ll become the joke of the entire Dark Moon Estate.”
“What else can be done? Being called a coward is better than losing life right? It’s just my pity bet.” Alice said weakly, “I’ve earned a lot for the Master Challenge anyway. Let’s take it as losing money to avoid misfortune.”
“Why do you need so much money?” Chen Rui knew that she earned a lot for the Master Challenge, so he asked with dissatisfaction, “What’s the meaning of being a rich princess in the Dark Moon City?”
Dark Moon City’s economy was depressed. There weren’t many places to spend money. Just like a small countryside village, it is difficult to buy good stuff even with money.
“I’m not rich.” Alice said dejectedly, “Every time I have a little money, it’ll be taken away by my sister, saying not to let me fool around with money.”
Chen Rui finally had a schadenfreude feeling. This is called the wicked would have a more wicked nemesis.
“However, the way to operate a business that you taught me last time seems to be useful,” Alice blinked her big eyes with a big smile. “It seems that the human brother is much more powerful than I am. This competition is not just about my wealth; it is also about the prestige of the Dark Moon. Can human brother think of a way to save his own life and preserve the reputation of the Dark Moon in this match, and along the way… help me win some money?”
The coy-sounded “human brother” made Chen Rui’s scalp tingle, but he gradually sorted out something in his mind – the victory of the Master Challenge raised the spirits of the armies and residents of the Dark Moon City. This competition is in all likelihood to take the opportunity to damage morale. It is probably also the order of the Red Spirit Estate or even the Regent Obsidian.
Exactly because of that, Joseph first ordered people to publicize and highlight Chen Rui’s performance in the Masters Challenge, praising him to the top then he would put Chen Rui down ruthlessly. In a sense, Chen Rui was just a tool for Joseph to humiliate the Dark Moon. As for Alan who released the news, just like what Alice said, he was just a fool who was being used!
Chen Rui began to weigh the pros and cons of this competition. Joseph obviously premeditated this. The news of this competition has spread all over the city, and even the Red Spirit Estate’s people will come. The Demon Realm despises coward the most. If I avoided the battle, it will be difficult for me to do anything in the future, whether it is in the Dark Moon or other places. It will be even more difficult to get aura. Also, being low-key is different from being timid. Being passive will only let others come closer and closer. Since Joseph wanted to use his life to attack Shea and the Dark Moon City, then I’ll make that nasty-nice regret his move.
Chen Rui thought quickly and asked, “Little princess, is the match between you and Joseph a one-off game?”
Initially, Alice was still joking. She didn’t really want him to suicide. Yet, after seeing Chen Rui’s look which seemed to have thought of a way, she quickly replied, “No, it’s the best of 3. Athena’s beast taming skill is the best in Dark Moon. She has helped me winning for the past 2 years. Last year, even Joseph lost to her personally.”
Chen Rui thought in his mind. The reason that Athena is on a winning streak is first, her father is the first general of the empire; secondly, the significance of the previous matches wasn’t as important as the current one; the third and most important reason is that the nasty-nice had been hiding his strength deliberately.
Chen Rui pondered for a while, then he had a rough plan. He asked, “Little princess, I have an idea, but there is no guarantee that it will win. It is probably a draw. If we’re lucky, we might win. It’s just that I don’t know how bold are you?”
“If I am bold, I won’t lose money? Maybe I can even… win some money?”
Alice was especially particular with the word “money”. Seeing Chen Rui nodded, she immediately straighten her body and looked domineering, “There is no ‘fear’ in the dictionary of the Lucifer royal family, I, Alice. Lucifer is fearless!”
Little Loli’s powerful aura made Chen Rui shudder, then he quickly told his rough plan.
After listening to Chen Rui’s plan, Athena’s frowned and seemed a little worried. Alice’s gestured that it was not bad. She tiptoed and patted Chen Rui’s shoulder, “I really didn’t pick the wrong person. You are more despicable than the Old Gauss beside my sister. From now on, follow me and do your best!”
Such praise made Chen Rui guilty. He suddenly thought of something and said to go along, “I have a delicious candy with me. My Lord, please taste it.”
“I’m a princess!” Alice corrected, grabbed the sugar pill, ate it and criticized the sugar pill for its ordinary taste was far from expectations.
Athena’s eyes lit up and understood that Alice just ate the “antidote”. She praised Chen Rui’s wit in her mind and said, “There isn’t much time left now. Chen Rui has never ridden a flying demonic beast before. He needs to master some basic riding techniques immediately.”
“Well fine, I have to go to the store to take a look. The business has been better the past two days, it won’t do without the princess keeping the store running.” Alice said with a strange smile, “Athena, I’ll pass Chen Rui to you. It’s his first time, remember at that moment… be slightly gentle.”
“Exactly because it’s the first time, that’s why he needs a special training.” Athena said unawarely, “What’s the use of being gentle? How can one do it without suffering?”
Chen Rui was sweating. He was afraid that Alice would have more weird comments, so he quickly pulled Athena and said, “Since our time is tight, let’s go quickly!”
After fleeing from the hands of little loli, Athena got a griffin and took him to an empty land outside the city.
The griffin was a common flying demonic beast; It had eagle-head; beast-body; full of feathers; and huge wings.
The griffin was aggressive and violent, but its stamina was relatively poor. Generally, it could be used as an assault force unit in conventional combat. The trump card of air combat was wyvern; it was powerful and venomous; able to take off and land vertically; it could be considered as a combat helicopter. The rider was known as the dragon knight. Only a small number of wyverns could be tamed, so it was good enough for an empire to have 1 to 2 dragon knight unit with wyverns.
As for the dragons, the actual aerial overlord – the Demon Realm’s dragons were relatively rare compared to the surface world, but they were fiercer and more powerful. Let alone riding, no one dared to even provoke them.
“These tamed demonic beasts aren’t difficult to control. The best way is to get bonded with it but due to the lack of time, you just have to let it understand you.” Athena patted the griffin’s head lightly and a low note came out of her mouth. The eagle-head that was anxious initially suddenly fell down obediently.
Chen Rui asked strangely, “Why do you not use saddle or rein?”
Athena shook her head and asked, “If you use that, will it still be called an aerial deathmatch? Besides, the requirement for the aerial match is to start at 100 meters high.”
100 meters high! And there is no supporting equipment! Chen Rui was shocked. This plane wasn’t the bus-like tri-horned rhino. If he was slightly careless, it would turn into free fall. Even if he had the “Astral” feature, he couldn’t afford the damage.
I guess it’s time to learn the Air Force knowledge of the Demon Realm.
“Don’t be afraid in the air. The more fear you have, the more dangerous it is. In fact, as long as you master the rhythm and feeling, you can easily control the demonic beast.”
While Athena was talking, she sat on the Griffin’s back, patted its neck. Then, the griffin took a quick sprint forward, flapped its wings and flew up.
Chen Rui enviously watched Athena flying in the sky on a griffin. In his original world, humans had always dreamt of flying in the sky and the plane was born for that. When he represented the university to attend some competition, he once had the privilege of taking the plane. The feeling of soaring over the clouds and overlooking the earth was wonderful; whereas flying with Athena on the back of a demonic beast seemed more exciting.
Athena controlled the griffin to maintain a certain height. She even stood up on the narrow back of the griffin. It was in the midst of high-speed flying. Such a high-difficulty move seemed pretty scary.
Athena looked calm and easy; her purple hair was blown to her back by the strong wind; her shorty robe was swaying; yet, her feet were standing steadily on the back of the griffin until it landed.