Chapter 178: Demon Wizard

"Xikalius?"

Tosedelin laughed, a hint of pride: "He is one of the best gladiators in my Great Hammer Arena, especially in single combat; under the legend, none can match him. Xikalius receiving the Lord's favor is his luck."

He was not surprised by Lei En's request.

The arena is extremely popular throughout the Empire, with many fervent fans, including high‑status dignitaries who use their influence to meet their favorite gladiators and then bestow gifts.

Of course, some people actually intend to dig into the arena's corners to recruit gladiators.

This is also why many supernaturals are willing to become gladiators; making a name in the arena is equivalent to gaining an upward pathway.

Empire law forbids slaves, and gladiators are all free, so their contracts all contain a clause that, if they wish, they may buy out the contract and leave early at any time.

Having run the arena for so many years, Tosedelin immediately guessed Lei En's intent.

However, he is very confident in Xikalius.

In recent years, countless people have tried to bring Xikalius under their banner, offering extremely generous terms far exceeding his arena earnings, yet Xikalius has never been swayed.

This Makurag person has his own principles and is not so easily poached.

Tosedelin does not think Lei En has the ability.

He summoned an elf subordinate and ordered, "Go fetch Xikalius."

Lei En, unaware of these details, saw Tosedelin's cooperation and instantly realized his plan might not be so easy to realize.

A few minutes later, the elf returned to the suite, his expression a bit awkward, reporting, "Your Highness, Xikalius says it is currently the arena's rest period; he wishes to train and does not want to be disturbed."

Tosedelin's face showed difficulty: "Lord, would you like to come another day?"

In fact, he had long known Xikalius's habits; deliberately sending someone to invite Xikalius was a polite refusal.

Before Lei En could respond, Fabian, the Lord's confidant, voiced displeasure first: "A gladiator, what an arrogant stance."

Lei En raised his hand to stop him.

From the Voice of All Things, he heard the elf's conversation with Xikalius; the elf did not tell the whole truth—Xikalius was indeed training, but he had not outright refused a meeting, merely asked others to come see him.

"No need to postpone," Lei En said with a smile. "Please have Mr. Tosedelin lead the way; I will visit Xikalius myself, just to say a few words."

In truth, he wanted more than just to see Xikalius.

At this moment, other gladiators were also beside Xikalius.

From their conversation, they all seemed to be Makurag, and he wanted to confirm whether that unknown peculiar Element was unique to Xikalius or a racial trait of the Makurag.

This is very important to Lei En.

If the Element belongs only to Xikalius, a glimpse suffices; if it is their racial trait, then perhaps the world will see the most terrifying legion!

For this, Lei En shamelessly pretended not to grasp Tosedelin's polite refusal.

Tosedelin was momentarily stunned, feeling helpless, and could only agree.

Emilyss, intrigued, said, "I also want to see this gladiator, Tosedelin; you won't refuse, will you?"

"Of course, esteemed guests, please follow me."

Tosedelin smiled and gestured an invitation.

Leaving the top‑level suite of the arena, outside the corridor, besides the arena attendants, three supernaturals were waiting.

When they saw Emilyss, they immediately rose, saluted her, and called, "Commander."

Lei En's gaze swept over them, and he couldn't help but feel surprised.

All three were male; the one in the middle wore silver‑white armor, his hair and beard all white, clearly very old, yet his build remained robust and tall, with blue eyes that were clear and showed no sign of age.

In the Soul Eye, he saw that this old man was a legendary swordsman.

Swordsmen are an ancient vocation, between ranger and iron guard, seeking a balance of strength and agility, wielding no spells, few Elements, and pursuing the purest, ultimate sword art.

As eras progressed, supernatural professions tended toward specialization; the application of various Elements made supernaturals increasingly powerful.

A swordsman who fights with only a sword, due to his singular method, has gradually been phased out by the times.

Nowadays, few choose to become swordsmen.

Legendary swordsmen are even rarer.

Lei En thought, this must be another legend of the Dragonstone Mercenary Corps.

Beside the old swordsman stood a middle‑aged burly man, dark‑skinned, with thick hair but a balding crown, making his already unhandsome face even less attractive.

He was a high‑rank ranger.

Lei En instantly saw his secret; when he looked at Emilyss, though his face seemed normal, his soul color instantly shifted to yellow‑green, full of affection and admiration.

However, the third person surprised Lei En the most.

At first glance, he thought it was a halfling: waist‑high, short and thin, stubby legs, a disproportionately large head with a protruding forehead, black hair resembling a chicken coop, a messy beard, a nose sliced off halfway exposing two black holes as nostrils—extremely ugly and somewhat frightening.

Through the soul state, Lei En realized it was not a halfling but a human.

He must be a congenitally deformed dwarf.

Despite his hideous appearance, this dwarf is a supernatural, and a very rare branch of wizard—a high‑rank Demon Wizard!

Demon Wizards enslave demons, fuse demon bloodlines, and gain casting ability.

Their combat style resembles that of a Ten Thousand Spirits Wizard, but the summoned demons are fewer and carry high risk, potentially rebounding on the caster.

Frequent dealings with demons inevitably taint them with corrupt energy; many Demon Wizards eventually fall into the Abyss, becoming the claws of an evil god.

Thus, Demon Wizards are always marginalized and guarded against.

Lei En gazed deep into the Demon Wizard's soul; the other's emotions were stable, balanced, and peaceful, a devout follower of the God of Magic, with a pure flame of faith and no sign of corruption—far better than many supernaturals.

He couldn't help but feel admiration.

As a congenitally deformed child who became a Demon Wizard, he must have endured countless discrimination and slander that ordinary people cannot bear, yet he maintains a good mindset—surely a person of great wisdom.

Emilyss nodded at the three and told them to follow.

【9】 Walking through the arena, Emilyss introduced the three to Lei En: the legendary swordsman named Astan, over two hundred years old; the middle‑aged ranger was Bigbeier; and the Demon Wizard's name was Dinglaji.

Walking in the arena, Ai Mi Li Si introduced the three to Lei En: the legendary swordsman was named A Si Tan, over two hundred years old; the middle‑aged ranger was Bi Ge Bei Er; the Demon sorcerer's name was Ding La Ji.

"Greetings, Lord."

When they learned that the mercenary corps had already taken Lei En's contract, each of the three had a different attitude.

Astan's mood was calm and unruffled, as if regarding a stranger; Bigbeier's gaze fell on Lei En's face, his mind instantly alert, and a few sparks of hostility arose.

Dinglaji was somewhat curious about Lei En, his soul's color constantly shifting.

Lei En noted their reactions in his mind and said little.

Soon, Tuosidelin led everyone to the lower level of the arena, which was divided into hundreds of spacious rooms, offering various services to the gladiators.

Training halls, infirmaries, bars, and casinos, room by room, were packed with people.

Walking along the corridor, in many dim corners or behind doors, gasps of breath rose; Lei En's eyesight was so sharp that a fleeting glance caught those pale bodies—humans, elves, and some bizarre races.

There were not only opposite‑sex pairings but also same‑sex attractions; at least several pairs of hulking men were locked in fierce combat, inter‑racial encounters were commonplace, with no concealment, openly having a wild time.

He even saw a female minotaur.

"WTF!"

Lei En almost blinded his eyes, "This flavor is way too strong…"

Tuosidelin noticed his change of expression, spread his hands and explained, "Gladiators walk the edge of life and death every day; they can only numb themselves with wine and sex. Their vigor is high, and if they cannot vent their urges, the arena will eventually erupt into chaos."

Lei En nodded outwardly, while inside he struggled to erase the scene he had just witnessed.

He turned his head and saw Aimilisi had put her hood back on, covering most of her face; her gaze was steady, her soul's emotion stable, as if she had long been accustomed to it.

The others reacted normally, only Demon sorcerer Dinglaji wore an excited expression, eager to try.

Lei En subtly moved a little farther away from him.

Passing through the entertainment district, he entered a spacious training hall where three gladiators were exercising; the scene was completely different from outside.

Lei En spotted Xikaliusi at a glance.

He wore only leather shorts, lying flat on a stone slab, each hand gripping a massive iron block weighing five thousand pounds, continuously moving them up and down.

Each time he lifted the iron block, the muscles in his arms and chest tightened and released, like a machine.

It was unclear how long he had trained; sweat drenched his whole body, his massive frame exhaled steaming heat, and from a distance one could feel a tremendous visual impact.

A huffing sound came from beside him, and middle‑aged ranger Bigbeier whispered, "What a strong power!"

"His power Element is at least five levels," Astan judged.

Dinglaji said nothing, merely staring at Xikaliusi's robust, towering body, his eyes full of envy.

Lei En cared little for that, instead looking at the other two gladiators in the training hall; like Xikaliusi, they stood 2.2 meters tall, tall and muscular, their bodies packed with explosive‑sized muscles, clearly Makurage.

Two souls unfolded before his eyes, each Element appearing.

These two Makurage were far weaker than Xikaliusi, only comparable to a four‑ to five‑level Mid-stage transcendent, with only six or seven Elements.

Lei En observed their souls and immediately saw the two anticipated Elements!

After seven o'clock he felt a bit dizzy; he had only intended to lie down for a while, but when he woke, it was already deep night…

(End of chapter)