Pirate Kingship-Chapter 599 - 430

Byron and his group, preparing to temporarily dodge the sharp edges of the two Sacred Relics, were blocked by walls that suddenly rose. Even as Hugin and Munin abruptly beat their wings and soared higher, they still found it impossible to scale the walls of the Colosseum.

"When it comes to resources, the Habsburg Dynasty, the sole empire of the Church state, won't lose to any of our families. It's just a Tier 4 Hero who has come, yet he holds so many powerful treasures. The Habsburgs are truly extravagant."

The Great Colosseum of Beasts' Weeping Blood was quite famous; Byron and Violet had learned about this historical landmark in their Continental History lessons when they were children. It was one of the requisite subjects for the Tower Sequence [Historians]. The history of the Colosseum dated back nearly 1,400 years, longer than many countries had existed. The reason it became a Sacred Relic was not that it had witnessed any significant historical events, but purely because it was the oldest surviving dueling arena on the Old Continent. The entire building covered an area of 20,000 square meters and could accommodate 90,000 spectators.

Back when the Silver Empire still retained the tradition of gladiatorial combat, countless ferocious beasts were released from their enclosures, and gladiators, mostly former slaves, were driven into the arena. Beasts wanted to eat humans, and humans sought to survive. Very few survived these blood-soaked combats, hence the title "Beasts' Weeping Blood."

It had only one extraordinary effect, similar to one of the core abilities of a Gladiator—[War Chains]. But it was much stronger than [War Chains]. The latter stipulated: "In battle, neither side can flee or surrender; there will be only one ultimate victor." A single defeat meant total death, and even the most insane Gladiator dared not abuse [War Chains]. The former, however, could designate multiple zones for different "gladiators" to battle simultaneously—up to four groups. It could even set a time limit for the duels, driving everyone together and forcing them into combat. The most crucial point was that its controller could freely open or close the Colosseum, unlike the Double-Faced Person Smith, who had essentially been trapped and killed by his own power.

Clearly, August Habsburg, a highborn noble of the Empire, even if only from a collateral branch of the family, would not recklessly gamble with his life like a lowly Gladiator.

Byron was more inclined to believe that the opponent didn't possess the actual marvel of civilization, but more likely a power card from a [Pawnbroker]. There was no need for August to voluntarily dispel it; once he was killed, the Colosseum would automatically dissolve.

"Run! Quickly!"

The other trial participants still alive in the arena were terrified by the effects of [Time Thief] and [Cassius's Dagger], instinctively scattering to dodge. But the Colosseum was vast. Where could they possibly flee? Perhaps the native princes did not know the effects of this barrier-type Sacred Relic, a marvel of civilization. However, just by observing the slowly compressing space around them, they could deduce that before dawn arrived and granted them the Sun Badge to the next level, the Colosseum would shrink to a size that made escape impossible.

The Third Prince, holder of [Hero's Blood], had clearly drunk a great deal again during the evening's respite. His face bore a trace of wildness, and his tone was even more arrogant than that of the Second Prince, the [Playboy]:

"You dare compete with me for the throne? None of you will escape today! Mr. August, please make your move. As long as we obtain the [Sun Crown], I guarantee I will marry my most outstanding sisters and daughters into your family's Old Tyrol Branch. Even if you desired the Fourth Order Queen Consorts belonging to my rivals, that would be no issue. In the future, our Sun Empire and your noble Holy Silver Empire will be brother nations!"

Upon hearing the Third Prince's repeated promises, August's expression brightened. He felt that this venture to the front lines had been worthwhile.

"I believe Your Highness will keep his word. Perhaps your lineage might even ascend to the imperial throne one day, claiming that supreme [Crown] of the Silver Continent!"

Truth be told, every family had its own skeletons in the closet. The Habsburg Royal Family was a large one, with multiple branches ruling over the Holy Silver Empire, as well as numerous kingdoms, duchies, and vast subordinate territories. However, not long ago, in the year 1450 of the Silver Era, the Albert Branch died out. Only two branches of the Leopold Branch remained: the Old Tyrol Branch and the Styria Branch. They controlled different territories, and both faced a bleak outlook regarding heirs. More fatally, to maintain bloodline purity and centralized power, they had consistently practiced inbreeding. Out of eleven marriages, nine were between close relatives; unions between uncles and nieces or between first cousins were very common.

As a result, the family saw many individuals classified as "Demonic." These "Demonic" individuals usually did not speak until they were four years old and did not walk until they were eight. They had short statures and quite frail bodies. They had abnormal psyches, showing almost no interest in their surroundings. They also bore the unique Habsburg characteristic of the "Habsburg Lip" (mandibular prognathism), possessing abnormally large tongues that made speaking difficult and caused frequent drooling. Their heads were oversized, their intestines were often misplaced, and their bodies frequently convulsed. The more severely affected even lost the ability to reproduce. Many of these "Demonic" individuals appeared aged and infirm by the time they reached thirty, with widespread swelling in their legs, abdomen, and face. In their final years, they could hardly stand on their own and were tormented by various hallucinations and intestinal spasms.