Chapter 70: Quick Wrap-Up

Chapter 70: Quick Wrap-Up Garrison Commander-in-Chief Raskin spoke up next: "I think we’ve got to completely shut down these ’mental stimulation experiments.’" He put real weight behind the word "shut down," making Sabina, who originally planned to stay on the sidelines, unable to keep her seat. "No way, mental stimulation experiments can’t be shut down!" "That’s right, can’t shut them down! This absolutely cannot be stopped!" Warden Clementine also shot down Raskin’s proposal. Both women were mighty interested in the Mental Research Institute’s experiment and couldn’t let it go up in smoke. Among the seven, only Constance hadn’t weighed in, acting like she was above it all. High Priest Aulina sighed inwardly and slowly spoke: "Why don’t you all meet in the middle? Considering the fallout, we need to immediately can the Mental Research Institute’s submitted team competition challenges. But the proposal to shut down ’mental stimulation’ won’t be put through for now. How’s that sound?" The six chewed this over—this was something they could live with. "Seconded!" "Seconded!" "..." "What about the rest of the competition?" Aloof Constance suddenly threw out a question. ... While leadership butted heads, several more rounds kept going in the arena, with contestants either shaking like leaves, foaming at the mouth, or getting fried to a crisp... Carlos and his skeletons quietly watched as one after another got hauled away. Until not a soul was left—all rushed off by medics to the Priest’s Hall for patching up. Mental Research Institute members happily packed up their gadgets, clearly tickled pink with this experiment... Carlos looked at the now empty colosseum with no contestants left standing, his eye twitching. "Nobody made it through? How’s this supposed to work? Who am I going to compete against next?" "..." ... On the high viewing platform, six leaders clammed up. In their book, these kids’ competitions weren’t worth a hill of beans. They were just excuses for power plays. With results in, who gave a hoot about the competition anymore? Right then, only High Priest Aulina could clean up this train wreck. She sighed again inwardly and slowly said: "Given the Mental Research Institute’s way-out-of-line behavior, their designed follow-up two challenges are scrapped. Little Carlos, the only one to successfully make it through this team competition, naturally becomes champion. Everyone else will be ranked according to how long they lasted in the ’Stone Chair’ ordeal. What do you all think?" "Sounds good, I think it’s first-rate!" "Works for me!" "The High Priest’s got it right!" "..." Leadership couldn’t care less about competition results. The whole point of throwing the Ember Tournament—letting folks recognize the new generation’s muscle—had actually been nailed in the individual competition. Team competition was just the cherry on top, even less important. So, under folks’ jaw-dropping stares, the team competition was announced wrapped up in just one short day! "...It’s over just like that???" "Yep, the team competition is done and dusted..." "..." Since this came straight from leadership, folks naturally had no beef with it. They figured that since this was done, there must be some deep purpose behind it. Compared to news of the tournament’s quick wrap-up, Carlos winning again, and in such a ’lucky’ way as the only qualifier, again got folks talking up a storm: "Well, I’ll be! Little Carlos actually took home the team competition championship?" "Good heavens! Valois luck! The Valois family luck legend is honest-to-goodness true!" "Look at that! Even while winning championships, Young Master Carlos calmly sips red tea with his skeleton soldiers standing at perfect attention beside him! This... what incredible inner strength!" "..." ... Compared to the individual competition’s drawn-out reward distribution process, this time was quick as a wink. Because except for Carlos and his skeleton soldiers, all other competing teams were still laid up in the Priest’s Hall. Believing that when they came to, they’d definitely figure out ways to research how to send distress signals while being held down. In a way, this challenge really taught the new generation a lesson they wouldn’t forget. ... "So I won the championship." Carlos admired the ’Ember Medal’ in his hands, feeling like it was a bit too easy. Throughout the entire competition, he’d only ordered skeleton soldiers to press one stone cylinder, then became the champion team? "Forget it, won’t worry about the reasons behind it. First, go to the garrison warehouse to trade for those twelve dormant Tulip clan swords!" Carlos pocketed the Ember Medal and headed to the garrison warehouse... ... Valois Family—in his room, after finishing the trade, Carlos focused like a hawk on carving a new awakening magic circle on the ground... After wrapping up the carving, he stuck twelve black greatswords into the circle’s various sword positions. Carlos then smoothly stood at the circle’s center, began firing it up, and whispered in mysterious language: "Tulips benevolent!" The twelve greatswords began shaking, then floating in mid-air. The black shine gradually faded as tulip patterns appeared on the blades, blooming with gentle golden light that gave a comforting feeling. [Tulip Clan Sword] [Quality: Light Gold] [Sharpness: 44] [Special Enhancements: (1) Tulip Swordsmanship level +3 (2) +10% damage when using Tulip Swordsmanship (3) Bond: Tulip’s Compassion] [Equipment Requirements: Spirituality 30, Tulip Swordsmanship level 10, Tulip Family bloodline, Strength 15, Constitution 5] Even already having 2 sets of clan swords under his belt, when Carlos saw the gorgeous Tulip clan swords successfully awakened, his heart still couldn’t help jumping for joy. "Outstanding, absolutely outstanding." His attention fell on the Tulip bond: [Tulip’s Compassion: Clan swords resonate during battle. Each additional sword boosts the wielder’s Strength by 1 point and slightly enhances healing ability by 1 layer. (Maximum twelve swords, can be activated once every 24 hours, lasting one hour).] Different from the previous two sets, this Tulip clan sword bond would temporarily grant healing ability. With 12 layers stacked, healing ability would be scary good. After admiring them briefly, Carlos stashed them away as room lighting went back to normal. "Tulip clan swords in the bag. Next, I should hash things out with Iris about preparing grub, alchemical potions, etc. for heading to dark mist areas!" ... Three days later, having gotten everything ready, Carlos said his goodbyes to Iris. Iris gave him the full lecture: "Carlos, even though this is your second time going to the Withered Lands, you’ve got to watch your step." "I’ll definitely be careful!" Carlos nodded like he meant business. He didn’t tell Iris he was actually heading to the ’Desolate Desert,’ otherwise she definitely wouldn’t let him leave so easily. Iris looked serious as death, keeping up her lecture: "Not long ago, someone stumbled on a traitor camp in the Withered Lands, covered with traitor corpses—probably bad blood between traitor factions. You’ve got to keep your eyes peeled on this trip. If anything goes sideways, immediately use the teleportation scroll." Traitor camp? Rings a bell—couldn’t it be the one he’d wiped out? He nodded seriously again, emerald pupils showing caution. "Yes! I’ll definitely be careful, careful, and more careful!" "Also..." "Mm! Don’t worry your head!" "About your clothes..." "Clothes and grub are all packed plenty..." "..." Two hours later, Iris’s lecture finally wrapped up, and Carlos set off on his second ’monster hunting’ adventure. Destination: Desolate Desert!