Sakeer had no intention of waiting idly.
Seated at the farthest edge of the arena, he had no idea how long it would take for his turn to leave. Even then, exiting the colossal, ancient coliseum would take at least twenty minutes.
The recently concluded duel between Gazef and Brain had left the spectators utterly stunned. Awe clung to the air like static, and rather than dissipate, the energy only grew more fervent as the crowd gradually dispersed.
Sakeer had hoped that stepping outside would offer a moment of reprieve, a chance to catch his breath. Instead, he was met with a sea of people—an even larger crowd than within the arena.
Of course.
These were the ones who couldn't afford a seat inside but were still desperate to hear the outcome. Both Gazef and Brain had massive followings, after all.
For the first time since the founding of the Imperial Judgment, the final duel had not involved a single noble. Only two commoners had stood on that grand stage. What the aristocracy might have found humiliating, the common folk saw as a triumph.
"Look! It's Red Drop!"
A sudden voice rang out from the crowd.
In the next instant, the space around Sakeer, which had been relatively open, turned congested. People rushed to part, forming a clear path for a group of individuals moving through.
Red Drop?
Sakeer raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting toward the newly cleared path and the figure walking at its head.
The first thing he noticed was the pale golden hair that fell to the man's shoulders, with crimson bangs framing his forehead. He wore a sleek black jacket over a noble's crimson formal shirt, paired with silver-black trousers. His entire demeanor radiated elegance and control. Every now and then, he waved to the onlookers, drawing excited cheers—particularly from the women. His attitude carried a hint of flamboyance.
Azuth Aindra.
The name brought a grim weight to Sakeer's expression.
Azuth Aindra—the leader of Red Drop, one of only two adamantite-ranked adventurer teams in the Re-Estize Kingdom. A noble as well, with the title of Knight.
Sakeer's eyes shifted to the four individuals trailing behind him—most likely the rest of Red Drop.
One was a stern-looking middle-aged man clad in silver armor, a massive greatsword strapped to his back.
Another was a mage in oversized light blue robes, face and form mostly obscured. No staff, no jewelry—only the broad outline of a masculine figure beneath the heavy garments.
The final two were also men.
One carried a bow that emitted a faint gray glow. The other, smaller in stature and dressed in completely unremarkable clothes, looked deceptively ordinary. His profession was impossible to discern at a glance.
But Sakeer knew better. Those who appeared the most inconspicuous were often the most dangerous.
He suspected the man might be a thief. Even so, it was unclear whether this group represented the full membership of Red Drop.
The team remained shrouded in mystery. In both animation and written accounts, only Azuth Aindra had ever been clearly depicted.
Sakeer hadn't expected to encounter the others here.
Yet more than any of them, his attention remained locked on Azuth.
He couldn't determine the strength of the rest, but none of them seemed to have reached the Hero level—likely none above Level 29.
The true danger came from Azuth Aindra himself.
Not because of his personal skill—on his own, he was the weakest in Red Drop.
But he was their core, their ace.
Not due to his noble bloodline—but because he wielded a Power Suit, a piece of gear estimated to be around Level 51.
That suit transformed Azuth from a mediocre warrior into one of the mightiest fighters among humanity.
A Power Suit… This world's inhabitants could never craft such a thing. It had to be a relic from the Players, Sakeer thought, lowering his gaze.
Whether it came from the Six Gods, the Eight Greed Kings, or the leader of the Thirteen Heroes, only Azuth himself would know.
Aside from Azuth, only one other being was known to possess such a suit—the Platinum Dragon Lord. And his Power Suit, said to be around Level 85, was vastly superior.
The Platinum Dragon Lord didn't just hold a Power Suit. He—and several other Dragon Lords—were in possession of numerous relics left behind by the Players. They were fully aware of YGGDRASIL and its origin.
The deeper one delved into this world, the clearer it became:
Its depths were unfathomable.
Without the overwhelming might of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, defeat would have been inevitable—over and over again.
As Red Drop passed through the crowd, more adventurer teams followed behind them, triggering another wave of cheers from the audience.
Sakeer had expected to see Blue Rose, the other adamantite-ranked team—but they were nowhere in sight.
The teams arriving now were unfamiliar to him, perhaps of orichalcum or mithril rank.
Clearly, the duel between Gazef and Brain had drawn the attention of many of the kingdom's most formidable individuals.
It's time to move on—time to level up and make my mark, Sakeer thought, pulling his gaze away as he prepared to depart.
But just as he turned, another adventurer team approached.
Only four members—but they exuded a powerful presence that instantly drew his attention.
Two men. Two women.
And it was the women at the front who stole the spotlight.
One had long black hair flowing down her back, piercing blue eyes, and an expression as cold as steel. Her entire body was clad in full armor.
The other woman had long, flowing pink hair and wore priest-like garments. However, the lower half of her outfit resembled a cheongsam, with high side slits that revealed black boots and stocking-clad thighs.
The moment they appeared, the two women drew the attention of nearly every man present.
Sakeer recognized the team.
If I recall correctly, they're called Four Armaments. No wonder I didn't recognize them at first.
His eyes lingered—perhaps a moment too long—on the pink-haired priestess, particularly on her unusual outfit. His brow twitched involuntarily.
The fashion in this world is... perplexing.
This probably ties back to the influence of the Six Gods or the Eight Greed Kings. Player impact is obvious—at least when it comes to clothing.
At this point in time, the adventurer team hadn't yet reached mithril rank, though they would eventually rise to that level.
The black-haired woman is unrecognizable because of her long hair, Sakeer mused, expression unreadable.
In the future, she would come to wear it white—not due to any magical transformation, but because she dyed it herself. Traces of her natural golden roots were still faintly visible beneath the dark strands.
In the Re-Estize Kingdom, where blonde hair was the norm, she had dyed hers black to stand out and attract attention, a deliberate move to boost her team's visibility.
Later, she would switch to white—a color change influenced by the Sorcerer King.
To gather intelligence, the Sorcerer King had established a team known as the Dark Team, which eventually climbed the ranks to become adamantite-class. As part of their transformation and rebranding, they adopted a new name: Four Armaments—a neutral title that avoided taboos and helped cement recognition.
Sakeer remained skeptical about whether they truly had the potential to reach mithril rank. But if they could one day stand against Death Knights, then there was no denying they possessed a certain degree of strength.
Still, neither the pink-haired priestess nor the black-haired swordswoman struck him as particularly serious individuals.
As for the two male members trailing behind them… they left absolutely no impression on him whatsoever.
(End of Chapter)