Axel

Chapter 485: The Evil God Preliminaries and Candidates

Added 2025-06-05 15:05:01 +0000 UTC

Youna showed little reaction. Although the two young men were visibly wary, they seemed unaware of any imminent danger. Penny, on the other hand, instinctively reached for the short pistol strapped to her thigh. Charlot Mecklenburg, however, acted reflexively, drawing his weapon and firing a shot that burst a rotund, grotesque object.

The shattered object spewed out revolting, viscous liquid that hissed and smoked as it corroded the ground.

Youna cried out in alarm, "It’s a Poisonous Head!"

The two young men flinched and instinctively raised their longswords, assuming defensive stances. Charlot glanced at the monstrosity. It did resemble a head, grotesquely covered in protruding tubes likely capable of spraying its toxic fluids. He pondered whether low-tier Transcendent protective combat energy could withstand such venom—it seemed doubtful.

Penny approached with a torch and set the creature aflame. Only then did Youna recall their academy lessons: Poisonous Heads must always be incinerated. Their bodies contained minute spores that, if dispersed, could parasitize nearby lifeforms. Her face reddened slightly with embarrassment as she muttered, "Penny, you’re so meticulous."

The two young men also remembered the academy’s teachings, belatedly displaying expressions of fear.

Charlot paid them little heed, as a notification appeared before his eyes: 1/26942.

He hesitated for a moment, expanded his Eye of Insight, and fired again. His shot eliminated a small creature hiding 150 paces away, changing the notification to 2/26942.

He cursed silently, "How many of these do I need to kill?"

“I don’t have enough bullets for this…”

"Well, at least I have the Bloodflame Aura Gun. I can’t rely solely on the Magnum Mauler forever."

“Then again, if I ditch the gun, I might finish this faster.”

The four younger members of the team stared at him in awe. Under the dim torchlight, their vision extended only a few dozen steps, yet Charlot had managed to strike down a target 150 paces away with a single shot. Such precision was inconceivable. Even the academy’s shooting instructors weren’t this skilled!

Noticing their stunned expressions, Charlot offered a casual explanation, "I took an elective on Silver Falconman and awakened the Eagle Eye ability."

Though skeptical, the younger members accepted the explanation reluctantly. After all, while Eagle Eye alone couldn’t fully explain such extraordinary marksmanship, perhaps he had just gotten lucky this time.

The Poisonous Head was soon reduced to ashes. Penny prodded the remains with her boot and uncovered a short dagger amidst the debris.

"This is from the creature Kainan killed," Penny declared. "I propose the dagger belongs to him."

Youna and the two young men voiced no objections, but Charlot waved dismissively, "I don’t use daggers. It’s worthless—just leave it."

While it was true Charlot had little use for daggers, and the item wasn’t particularly valuable to him, his response subtly shifted his companions’ perceptions. Aside from Penny, the rest of the group had modest means. In the New Continent, residents were generally poorer than their Old Continent counterparts. Even a quality dagger like this could fetch at least a dozen centimes.

Currency in the New Continent largely mirrored that of the Old Continent. The gold pounds, shillings, and pence of the Ingrima Empire made up half of the circulating currency, while the écus, flors, and centimes of the Fars Empire accounted for another 40%. The other three empires, with weaker naval power and fewer settlers, saw far less adoption of their coinage.

Youna couldn’t help but suggest, "Why don’t we keep it for now? After leaving the Evil God’s Arena, we can tally our spoils and divide them based on kills."

This time, no one objected.

Charlot, however, was growing tired of playing along with these "kids." He hadn’t come here to compete in the Evil God’s Arena; his goal was to clear the dungeon of all its monsters and pass through the fourth labyrinth. While the mission required killing over 26,000 creatures, based on the two he’d slain so far, these monsters were weak. The only cost seemed to be time, not difficulty.

He thought to himself, "I’ll help these kids kill ten more monsters, then I’ll go solo."

As a transmigrant, Charlot didn’t mind lending a hand when convenient. He decided it was worth doing a little good along the way.

Led by Youna, the group cautiously advanced, igniting the remains of the short creature Charlot had slain earlier. This time, they found no loot. However, the sound of Charlot’s earlier gunfire had carried far in the dungeon, and within moments, five or six monsters were drawn to the noise. Under the torchlight, the young adventurers could see the hulking creatures approaching—tall, pitch-black forms wielding crude weapons, resembling small bosses in stature.

Charlot assessed their threat level briefly before firing six consecutive shots. Each bullet was aimed at the largest, most robust monster—clearly the leader. The first shot struck its forehead, eliciting only a screech. The second shot drew dark gray blood, its composition unknown. The third cracked the bone in its brow slightly, while the fourth and fifth deepened the fracture. The sixth shot finally shattered the creature’s skull, killing it instantly.

This display was an example of Juno Arthur’s elite firearms technique. In theory, Charlot should have studied the creature’s weaknesses to kill it with a single shot, but he had no patience for such technicalities. Against such insignificant monsters, brute force was simpler and faster.

Though Charlot saw this as an unremarkable performance, his younger companions were awestruck. To them, his shooting seemed godlike. Youna’s gaze toward Charlot now carried a hint of admiration, while the two young men adopted a humbler demeanor. Penny’s expression remained peculiar, difficult to interpret.

With Charlot’s unmatched shooting skills, the Golden Ram Herolf Academy team swiftly dispatched the six monsters, acquiring three weapons as loot—a decent haul.

Youna beamed with excitement. "Just two more monsters, and we’ll finish this preliminary round!"

“After that, we’ll be safe for at least a year.”

Charlot raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He considered asking for clarification but feared exposing himself. Fortunately, Penny helpfully elaborated, "Every year, the Evil God’s Arena designates a batch of participants for the preliminaries in every city. There’s no way to avoid it. The winners can return safely and won’t be chosen again for a year. Losers must continue participating in the preliminaries until they win…”

“Or until they die.”

“Everyone wants to escape this fate.”

“Only those who become Evil God Candidates gain certain privileges, like delaying their next entry by increasing their strength."

While Penny’s explanation was kind, Charlot felt a chill run down his spine. He realized that this girl was fundamentally different from her other three teammates…