Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 210 - 197: Club Confrontation Battle

The spires of Andrei district still towered high, cramming the sky of the City of Wandering. Lyle noticed that the mage from the Secret Pivot Society guarding the teleportation gate had been replaced; perhaps guarding a district full of deceased souls was indeed a great challenge.

"I was so close, just a little bit more, and I would have earned us our first pot of gold!" Flexibility and Mr. Shiny encouraged each other while lamenting the last-minute pullback of the faceless one.

"To correct you, that was a scam. And besides, if our club’s opposition battle fails, all else is moot," Lyle reminded his overexcited companions, to keep their spirits from getting too high.

In this opposition battle, it was determined that Lyle and his three friends would participate. Victors of the singular duels would move on to the next stage of the platform battles, and naturally, if all four won, they could directly declare victory. But now his companions were too active, acting as if victory was within easy reach.

"Flexibility, who are our adversaries?"

"The Magical Beast Breeding Society, a group that researches the breeding of magical beasts, who love staying with their pets in dark, enclosed environments."

"Sounds like a club that our Dragon Teacher would like."

"Yes, so this time we have invited Mr. Crimson to watch. This club’s members are so reserved that I only learned of its existence when searching through the enormous registry I obtained from the executive committee. Established fifty years ago, it hasn’t had any newcomers or any activities ever since."

"Very powerful?"

"No, quite weak, so weak that even we who have just become Spirit Summoners stand a chance in battle. The prolonged growth cycles of magical beasts limit their research speed, and mere magical beasts are just too weak compared to Spirit summoning creations."

"Moreover, the potential of the magical beasts they breed is continuously diminishing. There are only a few formidable magical beasts left now, just a couple of big and small cats really."

"Magical beasts were once very powerful?"

"In the past, they were humanity’s primary enemy, wild beasts wandering the wilderness with miraculous powers. They were the burning flames of the previous era, the remnants of the present. Magical beasts were once the rulers of the age for a very long time, even during an epoch when dragons swarmed, they still held a place in this world."

"How did they fall?"

Flexibility gave Lyle a look, "They were crippled by the Holy Light."

Holy Light again.

"The Magical Beast Breeding Society is declining as the magical beasts weaken, and it seems they’ve found a successor, the Friends of the Forest or some other society, I’m not sure. That’s also why they accepted our challenge," Flexibility’s voice turned cruel and chilly, "Picking an easy target to prove our strength to future allies aligns nicely with our own thoughts."

"I will take care of these pathetic relics of the era."

———————————

The flames of Dark Zone Two were still fierce, and the men and women of the Demon Race strolled the streets, passionately introducing their favorite gladiators to each other.

Lyle saw the sexy demoness holding a new publication.

On the pale-pink cover, a muscular blonde man with bird-like wings displayed a greasy smile, holding a demon girl with stretched bat wings and iron-gray skin in his arms.

Perfect Gentleman Raymontos, Issue 149.

Curiously, Lyle used an Oliou to buy such a magazine at a nearby bookstore.

He winced as he read the tiny font in the lower-left corner of the cover.

Published by Andrei Literary Society, fantasy novel genre.

The scoundrels of the literary society had actually written it out. The love story of the Fallen Angel Raymontos and the Holy Spear Anginus.

Flexibility glanced over.

"Does Mr. Shiny too, appreciate the Literary Society’s satirical magazines? Right, after all, Mr. Shiny is the pure one."

Gazing at the cover, imagining Raymontos’s greasy smile, Lyle also felt humiliated. He wondered what those star-struck demoness fans were thinking; anyone could tell with their backside that Mr. Raymontos was an Andrei lich, just a pile of bones.

Lyle handed the excessively overpriced magazine to Mr. Shiny.

"Shiny, here you go."

"Boss, how do you know I like these comedic novels?"

"Just a guess." After all, your skull is almost glued to the paper.

After a short chat with the demon guard at the gate of Black Abyss Arena, Flexibility submitted an application for the club opposition battle.

A small demon dressed in a comical jester costume welcomed the four individuals.

"Giggle giggle, the Arbitrator and rival clubs have been waiting for a while now and are resting in the lounge, waiting for the members of the Necromancer Figure Club."

Mr. Shiny had just finished flipping through a magazine during the walk and sighed contentedly.

"Are we going to the lounge instead of starting the fight right away?"

"We still need to report to the referee. Not the referee for the arena, but the club establishment referee dispatched by Andrei Academy, usually a member of the executive committee. Besides, we also need to take a look at our opponents."

"To say hello, so they’ll go easy on us later?"

Lyle’s question made his companions pause for a moment.

"Boss, show some spirit. Showing fear before the fight is bad for morale, not that we have much morale to begin with."

"Mr. Plague Doctor, now is not the time to be a gentleman. We’re going to talk tough. Tough talk helps to foster bitter feelings, which is beneficial for us. Moreover, our opponents’ full effort will aid our growth; the greater the pressure, the greater our abilities."

"Boss, say no more. Later we’ll knock their marrow out. Leave the tough talk to us. You just maintain the image of a silent leader."

"Alright." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

In a shabby lounge, Lyle saw the referee and the opponents.

"Mr. Law?"

The man in crisp attire, wearing iron gloves, was checking the application and laughed upon seeing Lyle.

"Long time no see, junior. Since the teacher’s entrustment, you haven’t come to see the Magic Research Club. I saw your name at the committee today and came to see you."

"I’m troubled by Mr. Law’s concern."

"Just to declare, I won’t be biased towards you, even though I want to. But I must maintain fairness."

"As you should."

"Then, Mr. Plague Doctor, go say hello to your future defeated underlings."

"...Alright."

As the president of the Magical Beast Breeding Society approached, Lyle gradually fell silent.

He was so short that his head barely reached Lyle’s chest, and he also had a strong stench about him, as if he just climbed out of a septic tank.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Plague Doctor. My pet just had a bit of diarrhea, and I’ve just managed to clear his bowels."

Lyle felt the increasingly intense smell and involuntarily stepped back. So this was the president’s tactic for asserting dominance, but wasn’t the cost too great? Lyle thought the filtering effect of the beak mask seemed utterly useless.

"Mr. Plague Doctor? Don’t you have anything to say?"

Mr. Shiny stepped forward, completely unaffected by the odor.

"Our president says you’re not fit to speak to him!"

"Then whom should I speak to?"

"You’re not fit to speak to anyone, you dung player!"

"Damn rookie, how dare you insult my sacred work. I will dismantle your bones to feed the dogs!"

"Ha, is that all? We’ll make you the dog, turning your bones back into a Skeleton Hound. Hopefully, your bones are still usable."

The two groups parted ways on bad terms, ready to engage in a fierce contest.

"Well done, Boss. You were very imposing!"

Me, I just didn’t want to talk, and if possible, I didn’t even want to breathe.