Chapter 330

Chapter 330: Golden Wolf Royal Family, Last Princess, Adjudicator

The audience below first found it strange, but then relaxed and burst into laughter.

The guests mocked and talked about the host’s bad taste, their eyes filled with malice and desire as they stared at the person in the cage, as if they wanted to tear away the armor that hid the beauty and curves of spring, to see the true shape and loveliness.

"Is that really from the Golden Wolf Tribe? Just look at this fur and appearance; could it be pure royal blood?"

"So beautiful! With this figure and face, the noble lady you bought the day before yesterday, Ross, can’t compare in quality, right? What a rare gem!"

Someone with a keen eye scoffed.

"A bunch of foolish creatures; if she really is pure blood from the Golden Wolf Tribe, she could become an excellent guard. Paired with alchemical magic tools, she would be too strong for any Magician below the Ninth Ring."

Xie Qingxuan’s question was completely ignored as everyone discussed the value of this "item" without care.

The host, who was supposed to heat up the atmosphere and stir the guests’ emotions, found himself looking at the person in the cage and the black wedding dress that covered her bare feet and extended to the edge of the cage; for a moment, his heart raced.

Anastasia Haider.

This was the business association relying on the support from the empire, sending a team of slave catchers that included Magicians, Alchemical Puppets, and platinum-level adventurers, taking a 60% casualty rate to break into a small base of the Golden Wolf Tribe and capture the royal pure blood.

It was said that her bloodline could be traced back to the First Divine Age, and she was a powerful warrior ranked among the top of the Orcs.

Such a valuable trophy, of course, was not meant to be sold at an auction; they kept her as a symbol for the arena to attract more guests to buy tickets, which was a steady way to make money.

Not to mention, during this time, they could give the opponent false hope, slowly tame her, and make her their own, without the need to exhaust all resources.

Even so, the organizers would not offer her good treatment; just leaving a few torn rags to cover herself would be enough.

This kind of visual stimulation highlighted the strong, beautiful, resilient, and proud Golden Wolf Princess, who had fallen into such a humbling and pitiful state, maximizing the desire for cruelty and satisfying the dark sides of the guests.

So… where did this dress and armor come from?!

The host felt a pang of fear; he sensed something might have gone wrong. But after noticing the collar of slavery around her neck and the magic-binding shackles on her hands and feet, he quietly sighed in relief.

Anastasia Haider was very valuable, and the alchemical tools used to enslave her were naturally quite precious.

These were prohibited items obtained from the Imperial Armory, specifically designed to deal with powerful outsiders; the alchemical technology inside was extremely sophisticated, able to read and even connect to the opponent’s mind.

As long as rebellious thoughts or intentions to kill arose, or actions to break the collar were taken, a magical effect would be triggered, resulting in mental shock, weakened strength, paralysis poison, and a series of countermeasures.

If the restrictions on magic energy were completely lifted, it could even trigger a ninth-ring magical effect.

Therefore, it was completely safe.

The host returned to a composed and graceful appearance; he cast a cold glance at Xie Qingxuan, smiled, and clapped for the audience, vividly describing the past of the Golden Wolf Princess, making the atmosphere even more lively.

Until the gate next to the competition stage was opened, the atmosphere reached another peak.

Suddenly, a fearsome magical beast appeared, dragging heavy iron chains, accompanied by a clanking sound and a gust of wind from its breath, walking into the arena.

This was the Nightmare Wolf, a bloodline mutant, towering at three meters tall, with deeply dark fur stained with blood, covered in fierce scars and wounds, and its crimson eyes burned with fire.

If not for the mithril alloy chains embedded in its flesh, almost piercing through its magic-storing organs, forcibly sealing its magic and bloodline power, the flames in its eyes could burn down the entire arena.

"Do you all know? The royal bloodline of the Golden Wolf chooses mounts from their allied wolf packs from a young age, treating them as companions, even as family."

"And the Nightmare Wolf, which tore the platinum-level adventurer in half, is Anastasia Haider’s mount."

"How funny, although it is a magical beast, it is indeed clever and loyal. Our guild used magic energy potions and mental magic to brainwash it into a bloodthirsty, irrational monster."

"However, to prepare this opening ceremony for you all, all of this expense is worth it. Now, let us enjoy the touching battle between this master and servant."

The words fell silent.

The host walked outside the magic energy barrier, standing high above.

The chains that bound the Nightmare Wolf loosened, and the cage holding the Golden Wolf Princess opened on its own, the shackles on her hands and feet clicking open.

The guests below praised the organizer’s creativity; they had no empathy, like watching a small fight in a bowl, standing in a safe high place, letting out malicious and expectant laughter.

What an interesting show this was! Those in high places had nothing, reduced to puppets on stage, forced to crush their beloved things or be crushed by them.

Xie Qingxuan really looked forward to it. Would she be sad? Would she wail? Would she cry? Would she be filled with rage? Or would she simply collapse and give up resisting?

"No one answered me. Does that mean they don’t know?"

Xie Qingxuan walked out of the cage with a blank expression. Her platinum hair fell like a waterfall down her back, and the purity in her eyes was overwhelmed by darkness. The rush of emotions created a powerful energy that shook the magic barrier.

The next moment, [The Power of the Titan].

This Golden Wolf Princess, in the eyes of everyone, seemed to steal a second of time from the world, disappearing for an instant. She effortlessly tore apart collars strong enough to bind mammoths and giants, calmly looked around, and whispered softly:

"If you don’t know, then you are useless."

As her voice faded, her presence began to multiply, increasing by hundreds and thousands of times. The might of the golden-maned king’s blood and the cruelty that could not be forgotten in the soul turned into a tangible spiritual threat that roared around them.

In an instant, the laughing guests fell silent as if they had stepped into a freezing cave. They seemed to have their throats caught, their minds blank, too scared to even turn and run, or they simply fainted.

At that moment, only the nearby Magician on guard and the host on stage managed to react correctly.

—Run!

Half of the losses of that mercenary group were caused by the Golden Wolf Princess. Anastasia Haider, who took off her collar, was a hunter so terrifying that it made people shiver.

Although they did not know why she could take off the collar, staying in one place was like asking for death!

Fortunately, Anastasia would never give up on her friends. As long as she could hold off the Nightmare Wolf for a while, the nearby troops could come to help.

Xie Qingxuan tilted her head to look at the giant wolf charging towards her. After understanding the setting of Historical Echoes, her black-and-white eyes showed a rare excitement. She snapped her fingers and activated the first form of Patronus Magic.

–[Royal Power].

"Derail, regain your senses."

As soon as the words were spoken, the Nightmare Wolf’s movements suddenly stopped, and in its eyes, filled with beastly madness, a spark of clarity gradually returned.

In moments, the giant wolf’s fierce attack changed into a gentle approach as it came closer, nuzzling up to Honey Xuan and letting out a pitiful whine.

Xie Qingxuan happily patted the fluffy big head, her usually cold expression revealing a touch of softness. She had always wanted to have a big dog as a pet.

But at that time, she hadn’t understood what it meant to like someone. She just felt that her parents wouldn’t agree, so she quietly let go of the thought in her heart.

As soon as she entered Ideal State, Historical Echoes had given her an enormous dog that was ten times bigger than the Labrador she had imagined when she was little!

"Hang in there."

Xie Qingxuan cast her blessing, removing the part of the mithril alloy and forcefully pulling it out from the great wolf’s flesh.

At the same time, she glanced at the annoying magic energy barrier and raised her hand to use her blessing to erase it.

The identity arranged by Historical Echoes strengthened [The Power of the Titan] a lot.

This made perfect sense.

The strength of [The Power of the Titan] in the first playthrough, without a magic power compensation mechanism, was purely determined by the presence of the user.

Anastasia Haider, in memory, was the last royal bloodline of the Golden Wolf, which translated to being the last princess in a human kingdom. Her existence carried much more weight than ordinary people, naturally providing extra benefits to the blessing.

Xie Qingxuan patted the giant wolf’s head and rubbed its fluffy ears. She nodded in satisfaction and said,

"Alright, Derail, we will find someone to heal you later."

"Now, you can do what you want to do."

The Nightmare Wolf howled excitedly after hearing this, its crimson eyes filled with hate and anger. Its senses were sharp, and it understood the common language of the land, clearly remembering the rude words spoken by the guests to its master just moments ago.

The magical beast’s teeth clashed, and a dangerous sound rumbled from its throat. Some sparks flew out, making crackling noises like the beginning of a tsunami, suddenly controlling a large amount of elements, causing chilling flames to sweep around.

In just a few breaths, the air temperature rose to seventy or eighty degrees Celsius, climbing rapidly. Soon, the stunned guests were burned back to their senses, hurriedly pulling out alchemical tools to defend themselves.

Unfortunately, Xie Qingxuan only glanced at them, and these expensive alchemical tools failed or even exploded, serving no purpose at all.

This was the concept of a blessing; she interfered with any precise tools, and by removing just one part inside, she could achieve the effect of destruction.

Of course, without the vast experience inherited from the first playthrough, attempting such fine control was less effective than simply removing the whole thing.

Xie Qingxuan did not forget to take care of the host. She did not hold a grudge; she just felt that this person spoke the most and probably knew a lot.

So, amidst the flames of sorrow, the beautiful crystal chandelier swayed and fell, crashing onto the table filled with delicious food and taking a few unfortunate lives with it.

The giant wolf named Derail spat out the remains of the Magician with disgust and dragged the host, who was left with only one leg and terrified to the point of tears, to Xie Qingxuan.

"Please, let me go. I am just doing this for someone else; it was my boss who brought you back…"

Xie Qingxuan lived in a peaceful time and had never gotten used to killing, so she simply used her power to make him silent. After thinking for a moment, he obediently crouched down and began to create a magical drawing of her beloved.

Derail curiously watched his master drawing in the sea of flames, occasionally making sounds that prompted honest replies from the host.

The man covered his broken leg, feeling the despair of being unable to speak and losing blood, only to realize that Anastasia was torturing him before the real questioning, which made him even angrier inside.

After Xie Qingxuan finished the sketch of Honey Qing, she lifted the restriction on his speaking and held up the magically created picture, asking seriously:

"Have you ever seen this girl?"

"She is very lovely, with white hair and golden eyes, standing 164 cm tall, and enjoys…"

The man’s pupils shook, his expression shocked and terrified, as if he had seen the most horrifying thing in the world, and he could no longer hear the words that followed.

—Lucy Tiffany.

How was this possible? Why did Anastasia know that the supporter of this business club was the Tiffany family, one of the Three Oaths?

Was it possible that the royal gifts of Golden Wolf were not only crisis sensing, super intuition, elemental resistance, and hunting marks, but also the ability to track enemies any distance away based on hate?

No, if that were the case, the target should be Grand Duke Tiffany, or at least other members; it seemed this talent was similar to a broad prophecy, leading to results that were not very precise.

Very good, this could be used to their advantage.

Since he couldn’t survive, then he absolutely could not let the other side have an easy time.

"Imperial Capital, Yves Saint Laurent."

"The person you are looking for, Lucy Tiffany, is right there."

The man coughed blood and sneered, mockingly encouraging:

"It’s her! She sent a team from the Empire to destroy your hometown, kill your friends and family, snuff out the hope of the Golden Wolf Tribe, and turn you into a complete failure!"

"But what can you do knowing that? She is the chosen heir of Chalkiness Tower, the young lady of the Tiffany family, and an Alchemist who has uncovered parts of the secrets of the Demon God Machinery!"

"Anastasia Haider, the target of your revenge is the closest existence to the throne in a hundred years; you can’t even touch her finger, not to mention having the qualification to enter the Imperial Capital!"

"Hahaha, feel despair, feel anger, go to your death with this sense of helplessness, or live a life of regret!"

Xie Qingxuan’s fluffy ears twitched, and her calm, beautiful face lit up even more as her dark eyes sparkled. Did Little Qing really have so many titles?

Hmm, it felt a bit like the RPG that Master Liuli played; how cool.

And…

The girl lowered her gaze and touched her warm beast ears. She felt as if her girlfriend was playing cosplay with her, and a subtle sense of hope and excitement blossomed in her heart.

Unfortunately, due to the vastly different perspectives, the man saw this silence as despair. He laughed even more joyfully, thinking he had succeeded in his scheme, enjoying the pleasure of revenge, and continued to say:

"Your Golden Wolf clan is a self-exiled forsaken tribe, never recognized as legal citizens by the Empire. Unless you become the king of this sinful city, the gates of the Imperial Capital will be forever closed to you!"

This was a lie.

Even if one controlled Border City Raysha and traded with various powers for entry tickets, those not included in the Holy Sophon would still be arrested by violent forces the moment they stepped into the Imperial Capital and be forcibly imprisoned.

This sentence was merely setting a trap, giving the other person a hope that was destined to shatter.

After saying this, the man, having lost too much blood, fell into unconsciousness.

Xie Qingxuan rode on Derail. Out of kindness, she chose not to strike the fallen host who had given her many pieces of information, leaving him behind in the burning ruins of the collapsing building as she departed from the manor.

So, the first step was to gain more power and information in Border City, then find a way to Yves Saint Laurent, locate Little Qing, and reunite with the rest of her companions!

…

…

Karembu Empire.

Winterfell, City of Avignon.

Here lay the eternal frozen land, where snow-covered mountains stretched endlessly. The light from the Golden Sea brought no warmth at all. A fierce wind blew over the tall city walls, and the strong guards in heavy armor stood still.

In the sky, a snow-white griffin cut through the wind. It spread its wings and flew into the solemn and grand city after signaling to the guards, entering the buildings that were heavily guarded and decorated with iron.

If the Imperial Capital Yves Saint Laurent was the center of power, containing the Three Oaths and the three Tower Masters in the imperial council, it held certain permissions to use the Holy Sophon.

Then this city, known as the Holy City, where the empire’s greatest force—the Adjudicating Authority—resided, held the sword of Damocles that checked the center of power.

The so-called Adjudicating Authority was a system established a thousand years ago, with a history much older than the imperial council.

According to historical records, the Adjudicating Authority was a powerful organization formed around the Freyr-Baath Family that inspected itself, following the emperor’s commands from the Holy Sophon. Its power was truly unbelievable.

It was worth mentioning that when three seats in the Imperial Council agreed on one person as the heir, the crowning power that could exempt from imperial law also needed to be granted by the Adjudicating Authority.

Although the Adjudicating Authority could not refuse to grant the crowning power, it showed its uniqueness.

Today, with the emperor gone for a thousand years and the Holy Sophon in slumber, the tasks of the Adjudicating Authority had entirely shifted to other areas.

First, it inspected whether the gods had fulfilled their duties.

Second, it monitored changes in the Golden Law on behalf of the Holy Sophon, tracking down gods who had let their powers descend without signing agreements or communicating.

Third, it enforced the emperor’s authority, overseeing the center to prevent the Three Oaths and the three Tower Masters from crossing the boundaries of their power and committing unforgivable taboos.

So, as long as the problem was serious enough and sufficient evidence was gathered,

The Adjudicating Authority could even remove the authority of the Imperial Council, wielding the absolute power granted by the Holy Sophon to sanction the duke and the Tower Masters!

Interestingly, it was this system of checks and balances that allowed the imperial council to select an heir several times over the centuries, using the crowning rights of others to challenge the Adjudicating Authority.

And the Adjudicator of this generation was none other than Freyr-Baath’s only heir.

—Charlotte Freyr-Baath.