Black sail

Chapter 661 XLI. Countdown
Time passed by minute by minute.

I glanced at the wall clock; it was 6:41 PM.

With less than twenty minutes left before the start of the final round of the Continental Martial Arts Tournament, it meant that the noble families, royalty, and that man from Alan were all entering the Imperial Arena one after another.

The Eternal Sect's private train continued its relentless advance, less than 400 kilometers from its final stop, the western checkpoint of the capital. The sound of the engine and wheels was like a piercing, incandescent chant.

The giant celestial bodies in the sky are incredibly clear. Even before nightfall, the brilliant Milky Way is already beginning to take shape. Around 9 PM every year, there are also spectacular celestial phenomena where you can see star clusters moving rapidly from an unknown distance.

As the railway extended towards the capital of the First World, the surrounding hilly areas were gradually flattened, the terrain became increasingly level, the vegetation became lush, and clear rivers converged. The towns along the way also benefited from the industrial benefits brought by the capital's large demand for food and daily necessities, and the rolling red-tiled buildings lit up with lights.

Micah's body swayed slightly with the carriage, and his mind was highly tense. As an Aramean, he had spent the first half of his life in Dawn Harbor without ever moving. Seeing the increasingly prosperous surroundings, he felt uneasy.

He even regretted accepting Xia Di's outrageous proposal. As the deadline approached, he was genuinely trembling with fear.

Who the hell am I? They've given the Emperor a taste of both the stick and the sweet treat.

Tonight, Alicia's authenticity will be confirmed. Will Lister become an Aran hero, his merits and demerits balanced out, or will the old story of the Northern Great Prison riot be brought to light, and only by punishing this villain can the people's hearts be appeased?

It remains to be seen, and it is truly terrifying.

The train controlled its speed, and taking into account the distance from the checkpoint to the arena, Micah was to arrive precisely at the right time for the final four showdown.

A bottomless anxiety and darkness coiled around Micah's neck, but in two hours, he could meet his ultimate dream lover. The performance would be over by then, and he would meet her in the backstage dressing room.

This is the ultimate, breathtaking gameplay that I would call the "Mainland Martial Arts Tournament's Ultimate Explosive Event"! I'm terrified, yet incredibly excited; Micah's feelings are extremely complex.

Where have you arrived now?

The communication crystal received a message from the Grand Order of the Aran Empire: they were to put a bad word to the Emperor tonight, and the process could not be taken lightly.

Unlike cheap radios, this ancient magical industrial product costs gold dragons to transmit a single message, though wealthy sects don't care about such a small amount.

Micah also used this to convey his request to meet Qili. It can only be said that as expected of the T0 religion of the Western Continent, it was no big deal for them.

As a cultist who returned alive from the dragon-slaying battle with his spoils, you're all set. Do whatever you want. The Aifugeni Consortium doesn't dare utter a single word. Even if the consortium's big brother comes, he can only be a powerless husband, meaning nothing in the eyes of the sect.

"We are currently located in Kingsley, about two hours from the capital. We haven't encountered any danger along the way. I understand that time is tight, but I guarantee that the item will be delivered before the champion is decided."

Micah looked at the wax-sealed coffin, explaining that he sealed it because he was afraid someone would inspect it during transit. He said that the dragon's corpse was special and its essence would dissipate if it wasn't sealed.

Marcus also brought a succubus to the previous stop. He was only there to prevent the fact that there were demons within the cult from being exposed, otherwise there would be a world war tonight.

As for the rest, it was unimportant to Marcus; he seemed to have a mission that ordinary people could not understand.

Micah only dared to deliver right on time, otherwise he would be caught by the cult and have to send the goods himself.

"Alright, when you crossed the border, the border garrison reported the intelligence to the military headquarters. They also realized we were transporting something detrimental to them. But the problem has been solved. The Pope has personally ordered a team of high-ranking paladins to meet you at the western checkpoint. Make sure everything goes smoothly. That's all." The crystal dimmed, and the call ended.

Micah took a deep breath to calm himself down. The paladin had already done something like this, and as the key person who had kept the deception a secret, he didn't know how he would be dealt with when the truth came out.

But now that things have come to this, the only option is to elope with Qili.

After Zote died, he dropped a lot of equipment. The nameless greatsword and the Ten Directions Annihilation were both broken, but they were still worth studying and were collected by Finn.

This time, General Finn finally had something he wasn't particularly skilled at. He was indeed quite knowledgeable about it and could even construct armor himself, but he was still far inferior to a professional construction master.

These builders were all under special protection by the state, with certain restrictions on their movements. They couldn't wander around freely, or they would be killed if discovered by enemy spies.

But Zote left something intact: a bone flute, which Finn gave to Micah before he left, as a last resort to escape.

This bone flute is extremely valuable. Finn estimates it to be worth at least ten thousand on the black market. It is an artifact that can summon bone-winged corpse bats at any time, and it should be a summoning magic item left over from the ancient era.

This creature is extremely rare, even extinct, and the summoned corpse bats are not living beings, but undead creations sealed in the bone flute in the form of energy.

Lisite was familiar with PUA and repeatedly warned Micah that if things didn't work out, he should find an opportunity to seduce her halfway through. Zote's coffin could be thrown anywhere, and Qili was just a woman.

The second quarter financial report still showed a loss, but in the third quarter, once December was over, Micah, one of the founding shareholders, became a super-rich man, and the chaos in the sea was immense.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Micah gripped the bone flute tightly. Qili held special significance for him. He hadn't recorded it since becoming a pirate until a few years ago when Qili became a sensation.

Seeing those promotional newspapers and the Adventurers' Guild's Wise Handbook, I made an unprecedented recording.

This is the light of salvation from the abyss! The ultimate goddess who makes all dream lovers pale in comparison! We must go for her!
Micah glanced at the clock; it was 6:45. The final match would officially begin in 15 minutes, and the backstage area of ​​the Imperial Arena was probably already buzzing with excitement.

Competition participants, performance artists, and various other activities are already in full swing.

As radio technology had already begun to be used in developed cities in Aranya, some media news agencies also followed suit on the night of the final.

The official channel hasn't opened yet; it will broadcast the live situation at 7:00 PM sharp.

Meanwhile, other news agencies' channels have already begun their pre-event promotions, broadcasting daytime interviews with the top 16 contestants and various breaking news stories.

And an analysis of all the contestants, and the top contenders for the championship.

To distract himself from his anxiety, Micah could only listen to these channels to relieve his stress.

Whew...

Can it really succeed?
(End of this chapter)