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墨書 Inktalez
"I agree."
The crowd erupted in astonishment; they never expected Garen to consent so readily.
Everyone's faces were filled with shock. It was well known that the Pain Crystal was almost a divine artifact among the Blood Clan. Although few had witnessed the operation of the Pain Crystal, it was said that those who had experienced it did not survive. Over the past century, the Pain Crystal had mostly been used to interrogate enemies. While the results of these interrogations remained unknown, one fact was enough to establish the Pain Crystal's reputation...
That was, all those who were interrogated ultimately chose to commit suicide.
Lion's Eye couldn't help but smirk. Others might not understand the power of the Pain Crystal, but he had witnessed it firsthand!
During the Blood Mutation incident over a decade ago, Lion's Eye had been sent as support to the Revernon Clan's secret chamber, where he saw how, under the influence of the Pain Crystal, the suffering endured by eighteen powerful Other Races was condensed and then unleashed upon their souls...
This kind of pain wouldn't kill, but it was enough to shatter one's spirit. After all, it was a lifetime's worth of agony—ranging from minor injuries to excruciating bone pain. When all that suffering was accumulated and concentrated, the torment was unimaginable!
Lion's Eye watched as those eighteen Other Races revealed all their information before collapsing to their knees, begging the Blood Clan to end their lives.
...
Of course, if this were an internal competition among the Blood Clan, such a test would be far too cruel. After careful consideration, Somaroth ultimately decided to initiate an alternative plan.
About half an hour later, the Pain Crystal was placed on a floating platform in the center of the Gladiatorial Arena, with magic circles etched on either side.
Lion's Eye stepped into the left magic circle first, arms crossed, looking mockingly at Garen.
Just as Garen was about to move, his clothing was suddenly grabbed.
Garen turned around and saw Han Yun nervously clutching his clothes, his small face filled with panic, completely lacking the momentum he had displayed earlier in the Gladiatorial Arena.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon," Garen said, patting the boy's head.
"Mm!" The boy gritted his teeth and nodded vigorously.
A rustle of discussion arose from the stands.
"What does Lord Somaroth think? If there's even a slight mistake, we could lose a powerful warrior!" someone voiced in confusion. "This doesn't seem like his style at all!"
"Clearly, he prefers to soothe Lion's Eye's emotions," Rogerett shrugged and scoffed. "In comparison, Garen's life really isn't worth much."
"But what if he wins?"
"Oh my, do you think this is just about choosing a slave for a contest? Lion's Eye is personally involved this time! And in a battle of willpower like this, what can that Second-Stage Warrior use to win?"
"True, so this warrior is bound to lose?"
"Not just lose."
"He's bound to die."
...
"Let’s begin." Seeing Garen step into the magic circle, Somaroth nodded.
Niguzate stepped forward at his command and began to chant an incantation before the Pain Crystal. The surface of the crystal shimmered with a translucent mist, swirling and rolling like a host of menacing skulls!
The two magic circles simultaneously radiated a glow, enveloping Garen and Lion's Eye.
"You, come here!" Niguzate called over the ten Blood Warriors he had just selected, instructing one of them to place their hand on the crystal.
In an instant!
The glow from the two magic circles intensified!
A sharp pain surged through Garen, provoking a wave of nausea. He furrowed his brow slightly, then quickly understood.
Is this the ability of the Pain Crystal?
To condense a person's lifetime of suffering into a single point and then unleash it upon them.
Although the current pain was well within Garen's limits, it still made him wary. After all, a person's strength is not the sole measure of their lifetime of suffering.
To be born into this world is to face hardships.
Everyone experiences pain, despair, and torment at some point.
At that moment, Lion's Eye's scornful voice rang out.
"It seems these warriors need to be replaced! If they can only endure this level of pain, they aren't worthy of being Blood Warriors!"
The warrior withdrew his hand, his expression somewhat grim.
Niguzate merely smiled and glanced at the gauge on the crystal. "Next."
When the Pain Crystal was born, the Seventh Ancestor personally assessed its level of "pain," which is represented by a number on a scale starting from 0.1. The higher the number, the more infinite the pain required, with 5.0 being the ultimate expression of suffering.
However, in the past, the Pain Crystal had never reached a scale of 5.0; the highest it had ever recorded was 4.5, which was achieved after condensing the pain of Niguzate and releasing it onto a powerful member of the Other Races.
Among the ten chosen guards, eight were elite members from Starsea Island. Although they had not experienced any brutal battles, the accumulated pain from their daily training was already astonishing.
When the eighth person set down their hand, the transparent mist of the Pain Crystal turned a light black, and the scale reached 1.3.
At this point, the pain had escalated to the second level, and the sensation of suffering intensified like being submerged in fire and water, making one feel utterly uncomfortable.
However, according to Garen's observations, this pain was solely directed at willpower and did not affect the physical body.
Realizing this eased Garen's mind.
If it were a contest based on physical strength, he currently possessed only Second Rank strength, which clearly could not compare to Lion's Eye, putting him at a significant disadvantage. But if it were about willpower, that was a different matter...
It should be noted that when Temporal Rhythm destroyed his power, it did not affect his willpower.
But just then!
The level of pain suddenly surged to an entire new height!
The black mist of the Pain Crystal thickened gradually as the scale jumped to 2.0!
Garen frowned as he looked over and noticed someone disguised as an ordinary warrior near Niguzate who seemed vaguely familiar.
Kakashi!
Garen immediately recognized him; he was a servant of the Padocchi Clan!
Although somewhat surprised, it was still within expectations. After all, given the suffering of those Blood Warriors, it was difficult for just a few individuals to impact Garen and Lion's Eye. Selecting one or two servants was quite reasonable.
However, Kakashi's level of suffering clearly exceeded that of the eight warriors, causing even Garen to furrow his brow.
But it wasn't over yet!
"Boom!"
The intense pain suddenly surged again. Compared to the previous wave of severe nausea, it felt as if more than ten sharp weapons were simultaneously thrust into his body, and they were repeatedly slashing!
Garen focused his gaze and saw that behind Kakashi was Blackie!
A servant of the Black Nupier Clan!
Compared to Kakashi, who had grown up safely in the castle, Blackie, from this warrior tribe, had evidently experienced much more hardship. The moment he intervened, the crystal scale instantly jumped to 2.7!
Blackie cast a mocking glance before turning back to the stands.
"To endure to this extent, this warrior has some skill," a member of the Cimisi Clan remarked from the stands.
"According to the pain standards set by the Seventh Ancestor, reaching 2.0 signifies the pain of bone and blood separation, and it's not localized; it's a full-body experience that comes from within. To stop at this point requires immense willpower."
"Now that the scale has reached 2.7, technically speaking, they have surpassed the level of bone and blood separation. The pain they are experiencing is beyond description... One could say that every inch of their blood is undergoing a transformation. Of course, it's not a real transformation; it's merely sensory."
"I wonder what it would be like above 3.0... I heard that the Human Sword Saint collapsed at 3.9?"
"3.0? What a joke! That level of pain is not something an ordinary strong person can endure. Achieving 3.0 through a lifetime of suffering is different from being able to withstand the pain of 3.0. The former is accumulated over a lifetime, healing from injuries, while the latter is an explosion of all that pain at once!"
"I'm not joking. It's currently at 2.7, but they still haven't determined a winner..."
"Do you think Lion's Eye will back down?"
...
At the moment the scale reached 2.7, Garen felt his entire body begin to burn, but it wasn't just a simple fiery blaze; it was as if countless rodents were gnawing at his flesh, creating an overwhelming sensation of heat...
Of course, due to the fairness of the competition, Lion's Eye felt the same pain as Garen.
It was evident that Lion's Eye was not faring much better than Garen. His cheeks flushed, and he began to gasp for breath. He shot a cold glance at Garen, only to be met with surprise in his eyes.
Indeed, the pain level of 2.7 was even making him uncomfortable; this warrior... was surprisingly calm?
How could that be possible!
Suddenly, Lion's Eye seemed to understand something.
He sneered mockingly, "Heh, you're disguising yourself well. But..."
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