Chapter 490: Loser

Chapter 490: Loser

The moment he uttered those words, all the effects that had been plaguing him vanished. He could breathe again, and instead of Celestara, he once again found himself in the makeshift arena Gaia had made.

Yet with everything going back to normal, there also came a slight problem.

He lost.

That meant he wouldn’t get the lesson from Evelyn, and not only that, it would count as a single loss among all the fights he had.

But of course, if he was being real with himself, then he had already lost three battles.

One against Zarkul, another against Minos, and now, a legit fight against Evelyn.

But despite that, Evelyn’s expression remained calm as she didn’t say a word. Instead, she nodded in Gaia’s direction.

Immediately, a chair appeared right behind her, made of lustrous leaves. She sat down and crossed her legs, but not before pointing beside him where another chair made of leaves appeared.

“Sit down, Rael,” Evelyn said calmly.

Noticing her seriousness, Rael sat down, staring at her patiently.

A moment of silence ensued, but it was soon broken by her sigh.

“Why did you give up?” Evelyn asked.

“Because I already lost,” Rael replied flatly. “What should I have done? Squirm around while you counter me further? I didn’t even realize you created a decoy until the very end. You could’ve just waited it out and I would’ve suffocated.”

“So you would give up in a real battle as well?” Evelyn pushed further, tilting her head. “If this were a fight with your life on the line, or maybe the life of someone close to you, would you have still given up?”

Rael’s brows furrowed. “No. I wouldn’t have.”

Evelyn nodded, narrowing her eyes. “Then did our duel look like a joke to you? I’m not questioning your intelligence, but the choices you made didn’t seem like they were thought through. You added a 10-second-per-turn timer. That was the main thing that ruined you. Once again, your arrogance is what made you lose.”

Having said that, she slumped into her seat, placing a single hand over her forehead.

“I don’t understand… What brings forth your arrogance?” Evelyn mumbled. “Is it your life before you entered this world? No… Then is it the little amount of power you have? Help me understand.”

It felt like he was being interrogated.

Do these people think I have no pride or something?

Rael wondered.

They’re acting as if arrogance is bad. It’s not great, but…

“The timer wasn’t arrogance. I thought by limiting our turns, the playing field would be more fair,” Rael said, not backing down. “But do you really need to sit there and grill me for my decisions? You’re acting as if I would beat a seasoned professional at a game they had introduced themselves.”

He stood up, approaching her. “I might be arrogant sometimes, but if you claim every action I take is arrogance, then I’m afraid your mind-based powers need a little touch-up. No offense, of course.”

Evelyn chuckled. “Very well… At least you are still yourself. And I understand. However, there was a reason why I introduced you to such a battle today. You might not understand it now, but in the future, that very same combat style will be something that might decide whether you live or die.”

Seriously…?

Rael mused.

This weird game of hers is going to save my life? I don’t buy it… But she’s definitely not one to bullshit me.

Keeping her words in mind, he met her gaze.

“I don’t pick favorites, so I won’t teach you what I had promised since you lost. But keep that information I mentioned in mind,” Evelyn said, and then tapped his head.

“Looks like they salvaged your body. You should be able to go back any second now. Once you do, it might be a while before we see each other again.”

“Why’s that?” Rael asked.

“Well, despite what you might expect, I am busy, and so are the other Supreme Monsters you’ve met,” Evelyn replied. “Most of us couldn’t make it due to certain circumstances, but aside from that, I’ve already given you my request. After this succession trial finishes, our paths will split for the foreseeable future.”

She smiled. “But as both of us have the Fate affinity, I believe we’re bound to meet each other whether we like it or not. Goodbye for now, Rael.”

With those words, she suddenly vanished from the Mind Realm. At the same time, he felt a certain connection form in the back of his mind, and after briefly focusing on it, he realized it was the connection he had with his body.

But just as he was about to leave, he turned toward Gaia, who hadn’t stopped caressing the Angel Egg since the battle had started.

“Sorry about that.” Rael scratched the back of his head.

Gaia tilted her head. “Why are you apologizing? Do you think you disappointed me or something?”

“Well… I did lose even while you cheered me on and even gave me a tip,” Rael replied honestly.

“I would cheer you on whether you win or lose, Rael.” Gaia shook her head.

A warm feeling welled up in his chest upon hearing that, but before he could reply, she continued.

“As for the tip, it’s my fault. I thought that by going through with the transformation, you would be able to get physical damage resistance, illusion resistance, and many other power-ups… But she predicted it.”

“Evelyn did two things at once every time she used her turn. You were able to do the same in the end, but she was building up to the final moment from the start. Evelyn chained you down without you knowing, and in the end, it didn’t matter what you did since she won the fight in the first 30 seconds.”

Hearing that, Rael fell silent as he clenched his fists. He knew the gap was wide, but hearing exactly what happened from a third-person viewpoint really made this shit even more obvious.

Why do I even bother…

Rael grumbled, nodding at Gaia.

“I’ll finish up with this succession ceremony, and after I’m done with Evelyn’s request, I’ll come back here,” Rael said, turning his back to her.

“When I do come back… I want to get to know you a little better.”

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