"Why?" Yamina pouted and pressed on.
"One Contractor in the family is enough," Kylen said firmly. "If you like contracted creatures, I'll find you a docile one later, but you absolutely cannot become a Contractor."
Kylen's family only had two children. He dared to go to the abyssal rift, mostly relying on Avelia's Origin Sequence ability.
This level of talent was a gift from heaven. He would never let his sister embark on this perilous path of near-certain death.
Lydia and Owen deeply agreed. Having a Contractor in the family was already an honor to the family, enough to repay the empire's cultivation.
But whenever they thought about Kylen facing abyssal creatures in the future, Lydia would have nightmares at night, fearing her son would never return.
Yamina tugged at her pigtails and kicked the ground sullenly.
Lydia smiled and comforted her. "Alright, Yamina. Your brother is doing this for your own good.
Now that the family's conditions have improved, even if the Contract Awakening Ritual doesn't go well next year, we can afford high-tier Talent Awakening Potions and docile contracted creatures.
Your brother has a match tomorrow. Let's go back first and not delay his preparations."
Yamina nodded, looked up at Kylen, her eyes filled with worry. "Brother..." Before she could finish, Kylen interrupted, "Don't worry, I won't lose."
"I'm not worried about you losing. I'm afraid you'll get hurt."
With that, she turned and left with her parents.
Kylen stared at his family's backs, looking somewhat dazed.
Avelia gently patted his shoulder. "This might not be a wise choice."
"Why?"
"You humans don't know. Every few years, a new entrance to the abyssal rift opens within the empire's borders," Avelia said solemnly.
"This is an inevitable disaster for humans. Even if you want to protect them, you can't give up because of fear of potential risks."
Kylen nodded silently. "I'll think about it."
Avelia wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingertips brushing his Adam's apple, her tone carrying a lazy temptation.
"Let's not talk about this now. The match is tomorrow. First, replenish my energy."
"Do we need to go all out against Lysander?" Kylen asked in confusion. The energy consumption of Avelia's Blood Sovereignty and Primordial Assimilation was not high.
Only Eternal Symbiosis consumed a lot of blood, and it didn't seem necessary to replenish in advance.
Avelia gently bit his earlobe, her breath warm. "Who knows? Why, are you unwilling?"
Kylen gritted his teeth. "Then you have to wear pajamas and an eye mask tonight."
A glint of amusement flashed in Avelia's eyes. "Hmph, are you sure about this?"
...
Early the next morning, Kylen, who had taken the Life Marrow, was full of energy. Even after polishing tactics with Avelia all night, he still looked refreshed.
"Today, go all out. No holding back." Kylen's eyes were firm.
Avelia's words yesterday had made him think a lot. Hiding his talent might give him an advantage in the short term, but the threat of the abyssal rifts was growing. He needed more resources, so he had to show sufficient value.
In the arena of Saint Laurent Academy, the drizzling light rain could not dampen the audience's enthusiasm.
Tens of thousands of seats were packed.
A duel between the top ten on the Arcana Empire's Potential Rankings was a once-in-a-century event.
Many students skipped their morning training classes and stayed in front of the broadcast screens.
"Quiet! It's starting!"
"My god, why are Lysander's odds so low? Does everyone think so highly of him?"
"Yesterday, many experts predicted Lysander would win, saying he contracted a second creature!"
"Gasp... Then Kylen and Avelia are in danger!"
"Look! The Saint Laurent Governor of the Arcana Empire actually came to watch the match in person!"
"Wow! He's the Saint Laurent Governor and the Azure Dragon Knights Commander, the guardian of the abyssal rift!"
In the VIP area of the spectator stands, Principal Orion personally greeted the distinguished guest.
"Governor Xandros, it's just a match between students. There's no need for you to make the trip in person, right?"
Xandros smiled. "I came specially to see the peerless genius you've hidden for a year. It seems things didn't go as you expected?"
Orion sighed. "Man proposes, God disposes. Fortunately, this boy's talent is not bad either."
"Oh? Then I have to watch carefully." Xandros's eyes shone brightly. "Who do you think will win?"
Orion stroked his white beard and did not answer.
Xandros chuckled. "It seems you have great confidence in him. I've met Lysander before. He's a true talent, by no means easy to defeat."
"Lysander is indeed a promising prospect," Orion remained noncommittal.
As they chatted, the match was about to begin. In light of yesterday's incident, the referee was replaced by the Dean of the Plant Spirit Department, Helena.
She channeled her spiritual power to amplify her voice across the entire venue.
"Saint Laurent Contract Academy Qualifying Tournament Promotion Finals, First Match — Lysander vs Kylen!"
Cheers erupted like a tide. Supporters of the Practical Combat Department shouted loudly:
"Lysander! Bring glory to the Practical Combat Department and avenge Thorne!"
"Kylen! Come on! Don't let the Practical Combat Department look down on us!"
Cheers thundered. Kylen and Lysander walked out from the tunnels on both sides, ignoring the surrounding shouts, their eyes locked firmly on each other.
Dean Helena stood between them and said in a deep voice, "I won't say unnecessary words.
If I judge that one side is on the verge of death, I will intervene immediately. At that point, the match will end, and the loser will be eliminated. Understand?"
Both nodded in turn.
"Good. Show off your talents to the fullest, young men." Dean Helena's tone was passionate.
"Humanity's fight against the abyssal rifts requires striving, and you young people must compete for supremacy. Don't worry, as long as there's still a breath left, I can save you."
She raised her scepter high and announced loudly, "The match begins!"
Lysander spoke first, his tone cold. "You ruined Thorne. He actually fears his own contracted creature. Your ability is truly sinister."
They had underestimated Kylen's talent before — compared to physical wounds, the collapse of trust between a Contractor and their creature was the most fatal destruction.
Kylen sneered in response. "Same to you. If you want to target me, come at me directly. Involving others, I don't see any chivalry in you at all."
Lysander spread his hands. "Chivalry? It's just an excuse for losers. I will retrieve everything my best friend lost on his behalf."
The Crimson Dragon Wings behind Kylen suddenly unfolded. The pitch-black wingspan glowed coldly in the rain. "Unfortunately, you won't get your wish."
A raindrop fell from the sky to the ground. The crisp sound became the signal to attack.
"Blazing Lava Demon!"
"Nether Raven!"
Lava-like red light tore through the ground. A six-meter-tall blazing giant emerged from the earth — it was Sequence No.41, the Blazing Lava Demon, even larger than when it fought Isabella a few days ago.
At the same time, shadows surged like a tide. A humanoid creature condensed from the shadow rift — it wore a black-purple hood, held a nether wand, and had a crow-like beak instead of a face. Deadly shadow energy lingered around its body.
A look of surprise flashed in Xandros's eyes. "The Corvus family really spared no expense!
This is the Sequence No.17 Nether Raven Clan from the Shadow Abyssal Rift, known as assassins in the shadows.
During the war with the Meridia Empire, it was this clan that assassinated tens of thousands of Contractors, leading to the collapse of the Shadow Front... I never thought the Corvus family had captured one."
"Now Kylen is in trouble."