Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

The Arcane Eye is watching the Dark Seventh District.

Lyle walked alone through the Crystal Corridor back to the Light and Shadow Zone.

The crowds had thinned considerably, and most people were heading in the opposite direction from Lyle.

"It's strange, can a service-oriented area like the Light and Shadow District have times when business is bad?"

A group of people walking towards Lyle provided him with the answer.

Those were all the staff of the Bloody Rose Bar.

They chatted and laughed as they walked through the gradually dimming black market, as if they were strolling through a night market.

Beatrice pressed her upper body tightly against Ariana, clinging to her sister like a pendant, and even coaxed her with sweet words.

"Sister Anna..."

Ariana's face was as somber as the darkness itself, her brow furrowed as she endured the physical discomfort caused by her clingy sister, which she was experiencing again.

"No."

"Huh? How could this be?"

"No."

"You didn't even listen to what I was saying..."

"No."

"Sister! Can't you say anything other than 'no'?!"

"No... Lyle is back."

"..."

Everyone's attention shifted to Lyle, who, having been inexplicably glared at by Beatrice, naturally blended into the group.

"Sorry I'm late."

“You’ve come at just the right time.” Ariana’s voice was full of vivid urgency as she grabbed Lyle’s hand and placed him between the two sisters. “Beatrice needs your help.”

This was a very obvious cover-up, but Lyle could only helplessly shrug and face Beatrice's murderous glare.

The vampire proprietress was as radiant as ever tonight. Her neatly styled updo had been let down, and her shoulder-length black hair partially covered her fair, jade-like neck, giving men an irresistible urge to lift it up.

But Lyle won't do that.

Because if you dare to put your hand near Beatrice's neck, she will kiss you on the neck, leaving two holes that spurt blood in your fear.

Beatrice wasn't wearing a flowing gown, which was usually her everyday attire. Today, however, black leather trousers with a tough leather strap hugged her legs, adding a hunter's wildness to her alluring succubus look.

However, all the allure of these changes left Lyle with nothing but disdain.

Her beautiful, blood-red pupils, like those of a shy young girl, never looked into Lyle's eyes, leaving only empty whites.

The smacking sound from his blood-red lips was as precise as the ticking second hand of a clock.

After Beatrice finished expressing her dislike, the two finally got into a normal conversation.

“If I can help, Beatrice.”

“Ah—it’s really annoying, but you’re a good fit.” Beatrice pinched Lyle’s corner with two fingers. “Now, you’re coming with me.”

Lyle did not reply; Beatrice had not even consulted him in the first place.

Following the crowd, the group arrived at the central area.

The rock golems that were maintaining traffic order had long been removed, and those rampaging golems probably couldn't handle the chaos. The crowd was so dense that almost every space was crammed with onlookers, like salted fish squeezed into a can.

"Is this the whole city gathered here?!" Lyle roared, as he was being swept through a storm of people. Beatrice grabbed his arm and, like a ship's anchor cutting through the waves, pulled Lyle into the crowd.

"Many of the visitors have already returned to their homes, and I believe the same is true for Andre College. However, the number of people who remain to participate in the flight competition is still quite large."

Lyle felt Beatrice's nails digging into his flesh, and with a final scream, Lyle was swallowed by the crowd.

"Flying competition?"

Chapter 419 The Beginning of the Flight Competition

I felt like a worm in the mud, struggling to move forward under the pressure of my surroundings. Even worse, because the mud doesn't have a mouth to chatter in your ear.

Beatrice's grip on Lyle's hand was firm and strong, and after the pain and numbness subsided, a sense of security actually arose in Lyle's heart.

Like pulling the cork out of a wine bottle, with a pop, Lyle walked through the crowd and arrived at an open space.

"Get ready here, I'll be right there." With that, Beatrice skipped away and disappeared into the crowd.

Black and red tentacles wriggled on Lyle's hand, repairing the flesh torn away by the girl's bright red fingernails. An invisible fence seemed to surround them, keeping the thronging crowd outside the racetrack.

Lyle was on the racetrack, marked with magical threads. A shimmering sign in the distance confirmed his suspicions, displaying the finish line in various languages.

Lyle immediately recognized the Emorian language, the language of the dead.

That word means "irretrievable".

For the immortals, that probably means the end.

"Lyle".

William, dressed in fitted casual clothes, greeted him and walked over. Apart from looking slightly tired, the young mage seemed to be doing well.

"You're here too, William."

"Yes, I spent a rather... fulfilling time with Gurelia. If I remember correctly, this will be the last activity she insists on participating in."

The magical outer shell that the arcane sorcerers had previously placed on the central white tower was now shimmering. With the help of the gentle white light, Lyle keenly noticed the joy and confusion on William's face.

"William, you don't actually know anything about this event, do you? You don't even know why you were suddenly pulled into participating in the flying competition, do you?"

The blond-haired boy's eyes widened in surprise, and he sighed a few seconds later.

“It seems Lyle is the same,” William turned to the side and pointed to the group of other contestants who remained behind him, their faces filled with confusion like mosquitoes on a summer night. “It seems we were all kept in the dark about the competition. Even when I asked Gurelia beforehand, she only gave me a vague answer.”

"Me too. Apart from knowing that this event is related to the flying competition, I have no clue. I don't have the ability to fly, and I don't think Beatrice would ruin her own competition to prank me."

"Was it that vampire proprietress who invited you?"

"Yes, she originally planned to invite Ariana, but I took her place."

William smiled slightly and nodded as if confirming something.

"Isn't that great? Beatrice seems to be trying to fix your terrible relationship. Although Gurelia didn't give me a clear answer, she did say that the event we're participating in is a competition that allows participants to get close and strengthen their bond. Lyle, it seems your irritable sister-in-law is slowly accepting your presence."

"Are you sure? You know the way Beatrice looks at me, like she's looking at a boil on my cheek, wishing I'd disappear."

William shrugged and gently patted Lyle on the shoulder.

“Every girl will eventually accept the existence of acne; isn’t that proof of growing up? Gurelia’s words are quite credible. She has no reason to deceive me; for demons, bullying is much easier than deceiving.”

Dewdrops casually clung to the corners of William's eyes, and Lyle believed the man's words, which were based on his life experience.

It's incredible that Beatrice wants to improve our relationship. A sense of unexpected joy welled up inside Lyle, and with a feeling of relief and delight, he decided to cooperate fully with Beatrice.

Observing everything around him, Lyle quickly defined the event as a running race.

The reason is simple: the venue and the participants are too similar. There's a race track, participants in the same positions, and a finish line.

"preparation!!!!"

There was also the starting command, and Lyle, with a smile, was ready to go. The others remained rooted to the spot, looking around in confusion as to where the sound was coming from.

"Set off!!!!!"

From behind the crowd came a chaotic and loud noise, like the sound of a sharp sword cutting through the air.

Lyle instinctively started running forward, and William and several other bewildered people beside him were also unconsciously influenced and ran a few steps.

The chaotic sound didn't disappear; in fact, it grew stronger. Later, Lyle realized that it wasn't growing stronger, but rather getting closer.

As they ran, the group stopped and couldn't help but look back out of curiosity.

All sorts of wings fluttered in the air—feathered wings, bat wings, scaled wings, magical wings—forming a darker canopy than the night itself. The owners of those wings exchanged glances with Lyle and the others who turned to look back, and smiled.

In that shadowy abyss, Beatrice's blood-red eyes held a mocking glint in them. She tilted her head, gave Lyle a bloodthirsty smile, then flapped her blood-red wings and swooped down.

It was a wild expression Lyle had never seen before, one that could even cause physical discomfort. Even the slow-witted male guests who had remained where they were before finally realized that these usually gentle, demure, and submissive ladies were displaying a dangerous allure.

Following their instincts, the running race officially began, and it felt as if evil spirits were chasing after the men.

"what!!!!!"

The agonizing screams behind him made Lyle turn around, and he saw a lagging contestant being grabbed by a harpy and lifted into the air, beginning their journey into a special track illuminated by magic dozens of meters in the air.

Lyle understood the fate of these helpers.

The Wandering City Flying Competition is a manned flight competition, and these unsuspecting participants are just tools that will be sent into the sky to be used for cargo transportation.

Behind him, screams accompanied by the sound of wind rose into the sky, and Lyle felt his legs trembling as he ran.

I absolutely must reach the finish line before Beatrice captures me.

During the conversation in Twilight Memories, Lyle vaguely learned about the race track from Echer.

That was a giant racetrack that traversed the twenty-four zones of light and darkness, covering the entire city of wandering.

Lyle's stomach began to churn at the thought of being suspended high in the air like a sandbag, with no strong support except for Beatrice's arms.

Having run halfway through the race, Lyle, as the one who started at the very beginning, could clearly see the runes on the finish line sign. They were runes of an anti-flight magic circle, which meant that once he reached the finish line, he would be absolutely safe.

A true finish line indeed.

If you don't reach the end, then you may be heading towards the end of your life.

Chapter 420 Launch Successful

Two legs can never outrun wings, and those forced into the air have already made it to the first tier. Realizing this harsh reality, the runners chose to rebel. Those who had previously harbored a vague affection for each other immediately began to fight. William was right; the flying competition could indeed deepen their relationship, and which direction they took depended on their performance.

The confrontation began, and the situation escalated due to the conflict, but the riots did not attract the attention or stop the authorities.

It seems that compromise among the participants is part of the competition, but unfortunately, as time goes on, the falling behind pilots don't have enough patience to persuade their friends.