Celestial Bloodline

Far from Kyle and the group, a woman, cloaked in a blue hoodie, couldn't help but let out a smirk when the young man, who had not yet reached the transcendent rank, noticed her presence.

"He's quite sharp, isn't he? It seems my journey here isn't entirely in vain."

She raised her head and looked in the direction of Kyle and the others with her pale violet eyes. The three old individuals, one human, and two dwarfs seated among the group seemed oddly familiar to her. They looked like she had seen them before, but she couldn't be sure because even after studying their faces, she couldn't remember where she had seen them before. It was like she had totally forgotten those faces because it's been such a long time.

"I guess I will enlist some talented youngsters to come with me and join the war this time."

"I just hope James approves of them. He's quite picky when it comes to adding new young members to his crew."

Her gaze shifted towards the figures in robes seated before the mermaid statue, and a sigh slipped past her lips.

"Now, I see why James sent so many incompetent individuals with old Hal... I suppose he intended for some of them to die under the two shadow generals due to their unreliable nature."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. As one of the seven elders leading the war happening at the other end of the universe, her reason for being here was clear. She needed to watch the two shadow generals closely to know their true purpose for being here because the dark side had never previously shown interest in the Gladiator Arena. So, why the sudden interest? She was certain they had an ulterior motive.

.....

Another day passed, and the countless seats within the towering walls were filling up with people of different races streaming through the three massive gates to register themselves for the Arena.

Kyle spent his time absorbing the divine energy in the air, sensing that everyone else around him was doing the same, except for Zron, who, for some reason, made no effort to enhance his strength.

When Kyle questioned why the old dwarf was simply eating and sleeping without a care, Zron responded with a deeply solemn and regretful expression, explaining that unfortunately, he was already very old. Why would an elderly man in his final years push himself just to boost his strength? Kyle's eyebrow twitched at his response, and he decided to leave the old dwarf alone.

Susan and Yon scoffed at the shameless old man, but unlike them and everyone else who were already accustomed to Zron's behavior and didn't really bother to pay much attention to him. Kyle observed everything in his surroundings and, whether by good fortune or not, he detected it when at night Zron quietly vacated his seat to wander amidst the crowd.

At first, Kyle thought the old man was just tired of sitting and wanted to walk around, but he eventually figured out what Zron was up to because when the dwarf came back, he had valuable herbs and other items with him. Kyle's suspicion was confirmed when the next day many people in the crowd argued with each other because they had lost their belongings. He gazed at the old man with a speechless expression.

'He may be old, but his hands are surprisingly... adept. He succeeded in stealing right under the noses of so many people... even I wouldn't attempt that.'

Bia yawned with a sleepy look. She had come back to him to nap on his head.

-"I need some lessons from the old dwarf. He is truly skilled in this area. But honestly, people are foolish; if they have a mind space, why would they leave their valuable items outside? It's their fault; no one can blame our old man who is spending his final years of life..."

Kyle facepalmed as all eyes shifted towards him and the crimson bird perched on his head. It was then that Bia realized she had spoken aloud in response to his question instead speaking in his head.

Zron's eyes narrowed towards Bia; he wanted to know exactly what she meant by her words. Before he could get an answer, the phoenix fled towards Mia and made herself invisible in her arms.

The girls laughed at the phoenix, but when Nox attempted to join in to mock Bia, the phoenix swatted him away. Ultimately, Nox fell silent with aggrieved eyes and chose to stay away from the old bully because he knew he couldn't seek revenge, especially since he was much weaker than her. On the other hand, Kyle simply averted his gaze when Zron turned his eyes towards him to understand why Bia said what she did.

The elderly dwarf harrumphed loudly and left the group, stating that he needed some fresh air to soothe his wounded heart after the phoenix accused him of being a thief.

Nine grinned and shook his head. He extended his hand and rose to his feet.

"I'm going for a walk too."

After he departed, the rest followed suit one by one to stretch their legs as sitting for an extended period had left them feeling bored and fatigued. Eventually, only Kyle and Xavier remained together. Xavier scooted over to the chair next to the silver-haired man and cleared his throat.

"Well, Kyle... I was wondering, how did you and Bia first meet? What are the phoenix's likes and dislikes, can you tell me?"

He quickly moved back to his original chair when Kyle gave him a questioning look.

"Just curious, no hidden agenda..."

Kyle's eyes sparkled with amusement. The phoenix had already shared with him all about Xavier and how he had cared for her and Jian on his planet. That's why he didn't mind when the man inquired about Bia, even though he was aware that Xavier was trying to win over the phoenix.

"I understand... It's a bit late, but thanks for looking after Bia in my absence."