Chapter 286: Team Battle (Part 1)

“You’re gathering quite the team around you.” Bemore looked at the many beauties standing beside Samimi, her tone tinged with slight acidity.

“The last time we met, I also had many teammates. The Heretical Magicians were all my good sisters, and they were yours too, until you betrayed us.” Samimi went all out, delivering a face-to-face taunt.

“Every time I see you, it reminds me of those unbearable memories… I never thought there could be someone so foolish in this world.” Bemore mocked herself.

“Are you classifying your despicable actions as ‘youthful mistakes’? Let me remind you, we haven’t been out of the Magic Academy for long. Oh wait, no, you were asked to leave.” Samimi sneered.

“I wasn’t asked to leave, I left on my own!” Bemore snapped angrily.

“That’s what every failing student who gets expelled says.” Samimi chuckled lightly.

“I don’t want to argue about this. I came here to fulfill the Promise between us.” Bemore forcibly reined in her anger, refusing to engage further. She knew very well—simply not talking to Samimi would cut the other’s combat power in half.

“Where are your people, then?” Samimi asked.

The question left Bemore momentarily speechless. She could only respond vaguely, “Don’t worry, they’ll be here soon.”

Her relationship with the Third Guild wasn’t particularly deep. She was more like a hanger-on than a member, just there for daily sustenance, not even a proper mercenary.

Samimi couldn’t be bothered with her anymore and turned to greet Blue Ghost and Red Ghost.

“Hmm.” Blue Ghost remained aloof as ever, giving a casual acknowledgment.

The surroundings gradually grew lively as high-level Adventurers from the remaining nine of the Ten Great Guilds and the twenty super-large Pioneer Camps filed in.

Only the Third Guild was conspicuously absent.

They clearly weren’t putting on airs—

“Where is the Hero Sword Saint? Isn’t she coming to save your ‘comedian’ Bemore?”

—

Meanwhile.

Cresia was still at home.

She went to The Hero of the Gale’s shared room. The door remained tightly shut, with no sign of her emerging.

“Boss, we need to leave. It seems that kid isn’t coming out.”

“Could she have died in there?”

The members of the Third Guild were frantic, like ants on a hot pan.

Only the Hero Sword Saint herself remained calm.

The time had come.

She slipped a note under the door, turned, and left to head for the arena.

—

The scene shifted.

The Third Guild party arrived at the Adventurer Association Headquarters’ Indoor Dueling Arena.

Instantly, the entire place fell silent.

All because of that black-clad figure walking out from the competitor’s entrance.

—The Hero Sword Saint.

Everyone held their breath.

Although she had fought publicly only a few times, and many had never even witnessed her battles firsthand, her Reputation had already taken deep root.

This was the power of “fame.”

Perhaps all it took was one earth-shattering victory for her legend to spread and amplify endlessly among Adventurers.

And Adventurers were a group that loved to boast and exchange information.

Taverns, mission halls, between camps—

Countless information networks intertwined, constructing a vast intelligence system.

Therefore—

Even though many didn’t truly understand her real strength, they still instinctively revered her.

But today was different.

The Ten Great Guilds were gathered here.

Everyone wanted to see with their own eyes—

Just how strong the Hero Sword Saint was.

—

The black-clad woman, like a sheathed vicious sword, walked to Bemore’s side.

The five opponents across the way, who had been laughing and joking, instantly became serious.

“We can begin,” Cresia said plainly.

“The Regional Poetry Guild registered three combatants. Should we start before they’re all here?” the Beauty Referee asked.

“She overslept. The two of us will fight first. No need to keep the other side waiting,” Cresia responded calmly.

“This… alright.” The referee could only agree.

She turned to notify the other side.

“Miss Bemore, are you ready? This fight is just the two of us,” Cresia asked.

“I’ve been preparing for this day for a long time,” Bemore smiled. “I can’t wait any longer.”

“I have only one request—leave that Pastoralist to me. I’ll handle magical support. You can fight to your heart’s content.”

“You’re quite confident. If The Hero of the Gale had half your confidence, we wouldn’t be in such a passive position,” Cresia said with a hint of dissatisfaction.

Bemore gave a wry smile. “I thought you never complained. But don’t worry—even though she’s unreliable, she will definitely come.”

“I’m not worried,” Cresia said plainly. “Because I think so too.”

The two conversed easily.

These two figures, usually radiating killing intent, now seemed as natural as old friends.

—

On the other side.

The villainous camp received the news: the other side was only sending two people.

“We understand,” Samimi nodded.

Her expression gradually grew grave.

This move—was very clever.

She was starting to regret proposing a team battle.

Numbers should have been an advantage.

But this was the Adventurer’s World, which valued “fairness and face.”

If their five attacked the other two—

Even if they won, it wouldn’t be honorable.

Without honor, they couldn’t command respect.

Without commanding respect, they couldn’t become the core of the allied forces.

That would mean—a pointless victory.

“Today’s combatants are—the Twin Heroes of the Sorrowful Knife Guild, the Shield Axe Hero of the Yaoguang Guild, and the two Battle Priests and Beastman Nun from the Church, versus the white-haired Magic User of the Regional Poetry Guild and the Hero Sword Saint!”

The Beauty Referee announced the start of the match.

However, the opening—

Was still the classic standoff.

No one moved first.

Samimi was still thinking, her expression somewhat distracted.

It was called a team battle, but in reality, it was each facing their own nemesis.

This way, her role as a Divine Official was actually diminished.

“Blue Ghost, Red Ghost, I’ll cast Amplification on you. You go fight the Hero Sword Saint,” Samimi spoke up.

“The Hero Sword Saint is ours to deal with,” Blue Ghost coldly replied. “But we don’t need your sorcery.”