Chapter 249: Another Record Broken

Virex had been far weaker than Azrak.

Cassian had simply waited until the final moment before having the nine Eclipse Praetorians concentrate their Sword of Space attacks on him.

He opened the match rewards.

[Match duration: 20 minutes. Select one reward from twenty options.]

Reaching the top million had changed the rewards completely. Now he even had a choice of prizes. Looking down the list, he finally saw Legendary items among them.

After a little thought, however, he chose an Epic Sealing Scroll.

He had barely finished when concerned messages arrived from the Banner Alliance.

[Nessa Fenwick: Cassian, that took so long! Was your opponent very strong?]

[Were your losses heavy?]

[Don’t ask that! Why do you think he closed the broadcast?]

[Exactly. As long as Cassian knows what he’s doing.]

To his surprise, Darian, Elara, and Nessa had also advanced. Divine Province’s other ten Human Champions had chosen to withdraw.

Even his friends thought he had struggled. The people waiting to mock him in the Homeworld Channel were having a wonderful time.

[Twenty minutes! He finally met someone tough.]

[He has Extreme troops and a whole Dawnwing corps. If he’s willing to fight to the bitter end, he might actually break the Homeworld’s ten-thousand-year record.]

[Heavy losses, no strength left for the Legion Contest... but a place in history. Worth it, surely?]

Cassian read a few messages. Finding nothing useful, he closed the Channel.

Soon, Round Thirteen began.

His opponent was an Undead Lich Lord.

Several kilometers away, dozens of Bone Dragons circled overhead. Dozens of Doom Knights and nearly a hundred Scourge Knights waited on the ground. The pressure rolling off that army was no less imposing than his own.

"Human, you are strong. Unfortunately for you, the Undead excel at wars of attrition."

As the Lich spoke, he recruited a vast army of Undead around himself. Rank upon rank packed together, enclosing him in a wall of bodies. He seemed determined to make Cassian give up without a fight.

Numbers were one of the Undead race’s greatest advantages. Another Lord—even someone as powerful as Darian or Orion Valcrest—might have had no choice but to concede.

Cassian only waved a hand.

"Finish it quickly."

He could not make every match look evenly balanced. That would be too obvious.

Twenty seconds later, the nine Praetorians broke through to within five hundred meters of the Lich.

Their Legendary Nine-Star Spirit found him easily among the mass of Undead. Nine blades swung, releasing tightly condensed strikes of Sword of Space.

"No—"

The Lich managed no more than that. His body fell apart in countless pieces.

Rhea looked across the enormous army, her eyes bright.

"All that Battle Essence!"

Before she could strike, pillars of light descended around the Undead. The army began rising slowly out of the arena.

One of the Bone Dragons suddenly spoke. Its voice was filled with the Lich’s hatred.

"Human Lord. I will remember you."

"A phylactery." Cassian sighed. "What a nuisance."

Ways to restore Heroes and troops were rare, but they existed. His Fountain of Life was one example; Aurelia’s Life-Echo Brand was another. Restoring a Lord was almost unheard of.

Liches were an exception. By their very nature, they possessed a phylactery that gave them one chance to return from death.

Still, the match was won. This time, Cassian had forty rewards to choose from.

He took another Epic Sealing Scroll.

Forty minutes later, Round Fourteen began.

The Demon Lord opposite him took one look at the Dawnwing corps. Fear flashed in his eyes.

"Withdraw!"

Cassian said nothing.

Two victories in quick succession sent the Homeworld Channel into an uproar.

[What happened?]

[What do you think? His opponent conceded!]

[Twice in a row? How can anyone be that lucky?]

[One more win and he breaks the Homeworld’s ten-thousand-year record!]

[His luck can’t last forever. The next opponent will stop him!]

Elara laughed in the Alliance Channel.

[Elara Vayne: Cassian seems determined to disappoint them.]

[Darian Frost: Keep going! Break that record and your name will go down in history. Even if you have to give up the Legion Contest, it’ll be worth it.]

[Nessa Fenwick: And with your looks, the endorsement offers will never stop!]

Cassian joined in.

[Cassian Vale: Then Nessa can be my agent.]

At that moment, all ten billion newcomer Lords of the Homeworld were watching him, whatever their reasons. Well-informed figures back on the Homeworld were following the results through their own sources too.

At last, the match everyone had been waiting for began.

His fifteenth opponent was a Void Lord, only a little weaker than Azrak.

Cassian decided to make this victory look hard-fought too.

He kept most of his strength hidden. Aegis Fold held his troops’ defensive formations together, while Heaven’s Guard helped them withstand the enemy’s attacks.

The Void Lord proved unusually cautious. After more than ten minutes of fruitless assaults, he slowed his attacks. He looked ready to withdraw.

Cassian gave the order at once.

Rhea and the other Praetorians unleashed Sword of Space together. The Void Lord died before he could react.

Apart from the two Lords inside the arena, no one even knew who had been matched against whom. No one outside would learn whose blades had killed that powerful opponent.

"Sword of Space really is useful," Cassian said with satisfaction.

The moment his victory appeared, the Homeworld erupted.

Crown Lords filled the Channel with cheers.

[He did it! He broke the record!]

[Cassian Vale! Incredible!]

[Yes, he had some luck. Luck is part of strength!]

[That fight took a while. I wonder how many troops he lost.]

Even if Cassian had truly sacrificed his Legion Contest prospects for this result, breaking the Homeworld’s record was enough to make them proud.

The Black Banner, Western Beacon, Golden Lion, and Sunspire Lords were furious. All they could do was repeat the accusation that he had abandoned his duty to the Legion.

In the Banner Alliance, the celebration gradually settled.

[Darian Frost: You’ve broken the record, Cassian. Withdraw from the next round. You hardly need those extra rewards.]

Cassian smiled.

[Cassian Vale: What if my opponent withdraws first? A Dawnwing corps can be quite intimidating.]

Darian fell silent.

After a moment, he realized that actually made sense. Cassian’s next opponent might be thinking exactly the same thing.