Chapter 325 - Ally’s Decision
In the Dark Moon City’s arena.
The ancient arena was brightly lit, and the original broken parts had also been repaired. It was filled with people. Even in the strongest battle of the Higher Demons, Aguile vs Arux, there were not so many audiences.
Since the battle of the Dark Moon 400 years ago, this arena was full for the first time. Perhaps this lively scene which was full of vitality was a sign that the Fallen Angel Empire’s once most prosperous and largest estate had begun to recover?
The field was not a one-on-one contest as in the past, but a battle ball with a group of people.
About 2 months ago, a free battle game was held in the arena between the imperial guards and the garrison guard. From that time onwards, the Dark Moon people began to fall in love with this passionate and exciting sport. There was teamwork, personal glory and all kinds of splendor in the battle ball.
In that battle, the underdog garrison guard team actually defeated the imperial guards team by just one goal, and they were rewarded with 50 sets of high-quality armor. Since then, the arena had held a game once a week. Both sides had a fair share of victory and loss. Almost every game was full house. The battle ball had also become popular throughout the entire Dark Moon. Princess Royal Shea had deliberately used several abandoned areas on the corners of the city to build simple fields with basic magic circles setup for residents to use for free.
In addition to the large scale 11-player battles, the battle ball could also be used for 3-player and 5-player small-scaled competitions. In a flash, it became the most popular sport in the Dark Moon. There were even fights breaking out due to fighting for the use of the arena, so Shea had to send garrison guards to maintain order and act as a referee. For some time, the battle balls could be seen in all the streets.
The Princess Retail Store and the Cloak Gang’s magic store also launched several deluxe and ordinary versions of the battle ball. There were competition editions and popular versions which were sold at a reasonable price, so they sold like hot cakes. The battle ball was easy to learn, but it was not easy to master it. Particularly because the ball would absorb the power, kicking it was extremely laborious. It had virtually trained the combat power and the physique of the Dark Moon residents.
When the garrison guard’s dark elf striker received a header from his teammate across, he tapped his feet and leaped into the air. With a spin in the air, he shoved his leg, and a beautiful bicycle kick sent the ball rushing toward the top right corner of the goal. The imperial guard’s Great Demon goalkeeper’s reaction was slowed by half a beat initially, but he launched his talent skill in time. He teleported in front of the ball, and he hit the ball away to a distance in time.
Watching the ball fly away from the goal with an arc, a regretful voice sounded in the stands, especially the spectators who bet the guards to win. They clenched the tickets in their hands, wishing they could pinch the ball into the goal. At this time, a minotaur in the garrison guards’ frontcourt supported the feet of his Great Demon teammate with both hands and threw him up with all his strength. Then Great Demon jumped high with the power of his companion. This jump was more than 3 meters high. If it was not for the gravity magic circle in the field, he would have jumped higher. The Great Demon launched a whip leg in the air, and volleyed hard on the high-flying battle ball.
The flying battle ball dashed in a straight line under the 2 blows, and whizzed toward the goal like a meteor. The opposing goalkeeper just used up his teleportation, so it was on cooldown for a short time. He tried his best to save the ball, but he was a step slower. The goal was penetrated by this powerful supplementary shot. When the battle ball crossed the goal line, it burned like a flame and dazzled brightly. This meant that the garrison guard team finally led by 5-4 points.
This goal excited the audience. Claps, sighs, cheers and even scolding sounds were intertwined. The entire arena was filled with a fanatical atmosphere.
On the VIP table, Joseph frowned after watching all of this: The battle ball is really a troublesome thing. It could actually cause such a craze. Judging from the performance of the garrison guard today that is different from the past, their combat power has greatly increased under Athena’s training. During the period of the fight with Kanita in Town Mordo, Dark Moon’s changes seem to be quite large. Not just the battle power, the economic strength is also growing rapidly. This is a big problem for the Red Spirit Estate, which is tasked with the mission of weakening and controlling the Dark Moon.
Not only that, due to the intervention of the Shadow Empire’s Custer Family, the Fallen Angel Empire’s food sanction that was initially enough to put the city in dire situation had little effect on the Dark Moon. The Custer Family is the top business family in the Dark Shadow Empire, so this move is likely to be approved by the Dark Shadow Empire’s Empress Catherine. On the surface, the regent King Obsidian who is less powerful than her really can’t do anything about it.
However, it is impossible to truly get rid of the dependence on food with the inherited barren land of the Dark Moon. Moreover, with Shea’s wisdom and talent, she should know that the Dark Shadow Empire’s trade or “assistance” to the Dark Moon will also have a far-reaching purpose; these should be expedient measures…
While thinking about it, a soft voice suddenly came to his ears, “My friend, you seem to be troubled by something?”
The long-lost familiar voice made Joseph startled slightly. His eyes flashed in horror as he looked around, but he didn’t find a figure wearing a cloak.
Joseph thought for a moment and did not continue to watch the game. He stood up and left.
Getting out of the noisy arena, Joseph turned here and there all the way to a deserted alley. He didn’t feel anyone behind him, but under the purple moonlight, he could clearly see an elongated shadow behind him- Illusion? Or…
As soon as Joseph turned around without warning, he saw a black figure wearing a cloak behind him. Joseph tapped his feet and jumped into the air. A fiery flame lit on his fist as he rushed toward the black figure like lightning.
The black shadow didn’t evade or give in, but he stretched out a finger toward Joseph’s fist. Joseph seemed shocked for a moment, and he suddenly changed into a combat form. His body was covered in flames while the power of his fist suddenly doubled.
Facing Joseph’s changes, the black figure didn’t react to it. He still pointed a finger toward him. In the blink of an eye, when the fist and finger made contact, a figure flew out suddenly, staggering a few steps before standing firm. The person was surprisingly Joseph.
Joseph’s face showed unbelievable shock. I’ve changed into combat form and punched with all my might, yet I was repulsed by just the power of the opponent’s finger!
Joseph’s punch wasn’t meant to kill this guy wearing a cloak. He had the intention to test and show his power, but he was unexpectedly shocked by the opponent.
“Who the hell are you?” Joseph showed a vigilant look. This man’s strength far exceeded my expectations. In this secluded place, if he has any evil intentions, I’m afraid that I’m in great danger.
“My friend, have you forgotten me?” The familiar voice came from the cloak. “This is really a sad thing.”
“Aguile!” Joseph was shocked, It really was him! However, this Beelzebub Royal Family was only the power of Demon King level previously, which is similar to me, but now…
“The peak of Demon King level. You really improved a small realm.” The man in cloak praised, “It seems that the effect of a devil fruit is not bad, but its benefit is more importantly the breakthrough in the large realm. I believe that you can further advance in the future.”
This compliment sounded more like a sarcasm to Joseph, but the other party quickly explained, “Compared with my readily-available power from awakening, your progress is already quite fast. ”
Joseph soon recovered his calmness and showed a habitual smile, “It seems that sir’s awakened power has reached the Great Demon King level. This is really worth congratulating. ”
“It’s more difficult to have an awakening as I go to a higher level. I’m stuck on the Demon Emperor seal now.” Chen Rui sighed and diverted from the topic, “You have been a very busy man in Town Mordo during this time. You haven’t been back to the Dark Moon for a long time right? What do you think of the Dark Moon changes? I have used some small tricks. Even if someone passes by, they can’t hear our conversation.”
Joseph heard that the level of “Aguile” had reached the peak of the Great Demon King and was hitting the Demon Emperor level seal. Once he reached the Demon Emperor level, he was equivalent to stepping into the ranks of real powerhouses. His father, Josh, was now just a Demon Emperor only. It seems like I have found a great ally in the first place; Aguile can definitely be put into good use.
However, Joseph was self-aware that his current strength had fallen by a big margin from that of the opponent. Once the opponent reached the Demon Emperor, Aguile might not acknowledge a weak ally like him, so he must ensure himself to be of great value to the opponent when Aguile had a good value so that he could get more benefits.
“Whether it is combat power or economic strength, the Dark Moon’s improvement is quite rapid. Fortunately, the historical problem of barren land cannot be solved. Otherwise, even my father’s Red Spirit Estate cannot control it.” Joseph showed doubts, “As far as I know, the Dark Moon’s most popular night market currently comes from the Cloak Gang. My friend, may I ask what is your plan? I don’t want our plans to clash with each other.
“I once said that the first step is to get the Dark Moon. Of course, I don’t want a barren and broken place as the foundation for my own start! The stronger and more prosperous it is, the better for me.” Chen Rui’s voice was full of confidence, “Although the ownership of the Princess Retail Store and the night market is still under the control of the Princess Royal, as long as the time is ripe, I have full confidence to take over all the resources in Shea’s hands, perhaps even including the proud Princess Royal herself.”
“It’s just that my identity is the leader of the Cloak Gang to the outsiders. I shouldn’t easily expose it for the time being. I need a spokesperson who can do all this on the surface. My friend, I think you are the most suitable candidate. ”
Spokesperson? Joseph’s eyes lit up, but the other party’s next words made his heart race, “But before that, there is a very important information that I must tell you. As my ally and perhaps also the future controller of the Red Spirit, one of the biggest difficulties is already in front of you now. If you don’t solve this problem… I’m afraid you will lose your competitiveness to Kanita completely.”
“Wasn’t Kanita particularly flamboyant some time ago? Meanwhile, you have repeatedly adopted an evasive strategy, even tolerating the granary fire. The purpose of this is to use your own economic strength to knock down your opponents step by step, right?” Chen Rui looked at the irregular changes on Joseph’s face as he said with confidence, “Don’t question my intel ability. As a bystander, I’m more sober than the two of you who are immersed in the situation. I’ll say it frankly, your biggest crisis is coming, my friend.”
Joseph was secretly startled as he asked, “I admit that I used delaying tactics, but is your biggest crisis a bit exaggerated?”
“Not at all!” Chen Rui’s voice became solemn, “The cause of this incident was a human who came to the Demon Realm! This human brought an important opportunity for Kanita, which would allow him to obtain a steady stream of wealth. According to my intel analysis, Kanita’s income may exceed 1 million black crystal coins in the first month alone. This is just the beginning as this figure will increase exponentially in the future! If this continues, you should know better than me about the consequences.”
“1 million in a month! It will increase exponentially in the future!” Joseph was much more sensitive in this regard, so his complexion suddenly changed. In fact, Joseph was also skeptical of Kanita’s recent movements, and he also had a lot of clues. “Aguile’s” information should not be false. It also confirmed some vague speculations in his heart; the were shocking speculations.
The other party was right. If it continued to develop like this, his greatest financial advantage would become worthless in the face of Kanita. It was almost equivalent to losing the ability to compete with Kanita for the lord position.
Joseph managed to calm himself down and asked, “What is the origin of this human? Why would he help Kanita?”
“I’m not very clear, it should not be a simple help, but a kind of mutually-beneficial trade between the two parties. The worst thing is that when I confirmed this information, Kanita had already taken this human to the Red Spirit City, and it seemed that he even got your father’s support. I have no doubt that your father has also become a beneficiary of this transaction. Your current situation is quite dangerous.”
These news were like a series of heavy punches which almost stupefied Joseph. With his wisdom, he would never realize the crisis only when he was doomed. In fact, it was now a very critical juncture. Kanita unexpectedly obtained a massive financial source, and it was even shared with his father, Josh. No matter in terms of benefits or the contribution, it almost forced him to the edge of the cliff.
“That human seems to have the ability to shuttle between the Demon Realm and the human world. I once approached him secretly, but unfortunately, with my current status and position, I cannot gain the trust of the other party, nor can I get more relevant information. Moreover, I dare not act rashly because of the power of that human. He should have reached Demon Emperor level. ”
Demon Emperor! This disappointed some of the last assassination thoughts that Joseph had, and there was a desperation in his heart.
“I think there is only one way to get rid of this dilemma now.”
“What’s the solution? Please tell me!” The words of his “ally” gave Joseph a little hope.
“The Red Spirit Lord collaborates with a spy from the human world. If the capital knows about this, it should be a crime that can’t be ignored.” The laughter behind the cloak sounded evil, “Even if the crime can be explained clearly, the benefits within will definitely not be exclusively enjoyed by Josh and Kanita. If 2 people share a bottle of wine, each person can get two glasses. If it is 20 people, then everyone cannot even get a small cup. Not to mention, the Regent Obsidian will definitely drink the most while you may be able to get a small cup too. Even if it is not shared with you, it is also a great merit. If you can get the recognition and support of Prince Obsidian, with your identity as the eldest son of the Red Spirit Lord, in the future… Anyway, if you can control the Red Spirit, it is also very beneficial to my plan. ”
Joseph’s eyes became brighter and brighter, and a decision was finally made in his heart.
Using Joseph to go against his father! And Chen Rui just had watched them crumble on their own…