The aura of the Shadow Giant grows stronger with the passage of time.
It’s akin to a spell technique that requires a period of energy buildup before activation.
Logically, the referee should have announced the start of the match by now. However, the referee in black hovering mid-air remained silent, which caused Grey Merchant and others to watch Angel’s aura intensify.
Even surpassing what they understood.
It wasn’t until Angel’s aura almost reached its peak that the black-clad referee leisurely declared, "The second duel, now begins... Enter the preparation phase for both sides."
Grey Merchant, who was ready to launch an assault at any moment, almost choked.
The usually elegant and amiable Grey Merchant, now unable to recall crucial memories, furrowed his brow. On the other side, the apprentices displayed expressions of indignation.
This is way too biased. Knowing they’re a team, but they’d never imagined such favoritism. It’s as if they don’t want them to win at all!
With the apprentices on the opposing side fired up, Angel, hidden within Earl Mi, could clearly sense that most apprentices on the opposite side were starting to feel disdain towards him.
Previously, they were likely absolutely neutral, but now were leaning towards malicious neutrality.
Interestingly, although they were internally cursing the Wise Sovereign, their feelings towards him remained neutral.
This is what the so-called ’knowing one’s place’ means.
Recognizing that the Wise Sovereign is so powerful that even the Birlos Family couldn’t oppose him, they restrained their grievances and instead directed their resentment towards others, avoiding implicating the Wise Sovereign.
It’s worth noting that among the apprentices opposite, there was a green-haired man leaning against a black-faced sheep, whose emotions remained absolutely neutral, even after witnessing the Wise Sovereign’s injustice.
Angel recalled that his codename seemed to be... Shepherd?
Judging by the aura emanating from the black-faced sheep at his back, it appeared to be a summoned creature, meaning he was a Summoning System apprentice?
Shepherd... Summoning System apprentice... This reminded Angel of some past memories.
Among the Summoning System apprentices in Barbarian Cave, there were a group known as the "Triple Waste Triple Elite".
The so-called Triple Waste Triple Elite referred to the three most promising figures with potential among the Summoning System, and three deemed worthless with no prospects.
Judging their potential is based on the summoned creatures they could call forth.
Among them, Abulei was considered one of the three worthless.
Naturally, Angel’s memories weren’t linked to Abulei, but rather to the "Shepherd Dog" from the three worthless, and "Fox Herder", whom Angel had defeated on the arena from the three elite.
Incidentally, this two’s nicknames bore striking resemblance to Shepherd from the opposing side.
Angel certainly didn’t believe Shepherd was connected to them, but mused upon how Summoning System members seemed to favor such similar codenames — could this be a conventional rule?
Speaking of it, he seemed well-suited to disguise as a Summoning System member; Earl Mi was his summoned creature, after all.
Should he therefore create a codename for himself, say... Demon Herder?
While Angel’s thoughts were adrift in all directions, Grey Merchant’s expression grew increasingly grave.
This was because Earl Mi’s released aura had reached a level beyond Grey Merchant’s imagination — True Knowledge Level!
Even without any oppressive force, the aura alone gave Grey Merchant a sense of being stalked by a natural enemy. While this might not be a True Knowledge Wizard, it certainly embodied True Knowledge-level combat capabilities!
Grey Merchant’s face became progressively serious. If facing an alleged "Illusion Series" wizard alone, he wouldn’t fear. But confronting one nearing True Knowledge level strength required cautious deliberation.
Grey Merchant’s emotional shifts did not escape Angel’s observation. Despite recognizing the referee’s bias, it was curious that Grey Merchant’s perception of Angel remained unchanged and retained faint kindness.
Angel instructed Earl Mi to continue showcasing its aura, attempting to extend the pressure outward.
Upon Earl Mi’s compliance, Grey Merchant became more guarded, but no other changes occurred.
"She", hidden in the shadows, remained elusive.
While Angel was observing, the sound of the Wise Sovereign emerged faintly through the Mind Ribbon: "Just how long do you intend to flex your muscle?"
Angel: "I can start now."
The Wise Sovereign gave a cold snort, ending further communication.
Indeed, the Wise Sovereign fostering such resentment was actually a joint plot by Angel and him.
Angel sought to exploit the ever-expanding aura to locate hidden onlookers. Consequently, he asked the Wise Sovereign not to rush with the commencement.
The Wise Sovereign cooperated with Angel, resulting in the unfolding charade, provoking endless curses in Grey Merchant’s heart.
However, they hadn’t realized that Earl Mi’s inherent strength neared True Knowledge level, rendering so-called "energy buildup" unnecessary — it was all for show to others. Their assumptions were solely delusions.
"Preparation time is over; now the duel commences!"
At the moment the words were uttered, Angel and Grey Merchant charged at each other simultaneously.
The Shadow Giant shrouded in dim fragments, while Grey Merchant’s hands transformed into purple gems during his sprint, casting a stretched trail of purple light.
A clash between shadows and purple light.
There was instant separation upon contact.
The energy ripple generated by their collision burst forth abruptly when both sides landed on the ground. This demonstrated the swiftness of their movements.
Just like the resulting black mist and purple glow from the energy explosion, the energy wave’s two-color intertwine was mutually counteracting and spread outward.
The spreading speed was incredibly fast, almost reaching the edge of the arena in the blink of an eye.
The Wise Sovereign intervened just in time, cutting off the two still-active energy waves to prevent harm to the apprentices.