The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　Dakdimon

　Leos Pencer

　Bruce Wheeler

　Frank Howells is a sage from Phoenix.

　Leospenser is a rare race among the elves—the Thunder Elves.

　Bruce Wheeler, on the other hand, was a prophet.

Chapter 1571 In the still of the night, sleep eludes me (4k)

　In an era when even the Star Tower is searching for a way out, where does the future lie for the prophets?

　Bruce Wheeler was once a prophet who longed for the Star Tower. But now he is a mage who excels at dueling.

　Moreover, his duels are unique and highly entertaining. He always anticipates his opponent's moves and outmaneuvers them step by step, defeating them before they can unleash even 30% of their full strength. This gives the audience a powerful feeling of having complete control over the entire situation.

　Since he has maintained this style since the auditions, there are rumors that he is favored by the god of fate and is also a messenger of the gods who possesses the "God Card." However, since Bruce has not yet shown any confirmation of this, it cannot be confirmed at this time.

　However, the intelligence that Dak obtained indicated that Star Tower had sent someone to contact him, and the two had a very pleasant conversation.

　It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Bruce Wheeler will join Star Tower.

　Since the awakening of the "Three Fates," the path of the prophet has become increasingly difficult, and the future of the Star Tower remains uncertain. If Bruce does indeed gain the favor of a certain Fate God, then he could become the guiding light for the future of the Star Tower.

　After all, it's a career you've dedicated your whole life to; you can't just give it up like that.

　Seeking refuge with the God of Fate might be the only way forward for the Star Tower. However, there are many nuances to consider, such as which God of Fate to ally with, or even how many Gods of Fate to ally with, all of which require careful consideration.

　The best-case scenario, of course, is that someone in the Star Tower can become a god on their own. But that's just wishful thinking, and even the prophets in the Star Tower dare not speculate on it.

　Their eyes were covered, and they could no longer see what was real and what was fake.

　Besides Bruce Wheeler, the prophet, Leo Spencer, who also advanced to the starting lineup, is also attracting attention.

　He was the only elven to advance to the regular ranks, and naturally, the elven race placed their hopes on him.

　Although he was not well-known before, he was actually the head of a clan. However, his clan was too rare, and he lived in the Thunderous Land for a long time and rarely went out, so ordinary people did not know much about him.

　With the World Cup in full swing, Bruce, considering the difficulties ahead, went out to train at the invitation of the Elf Queen. Unexpectedly, he made it all the way to the main team and became one of the sixteen "Duel Kings".

　Unlike the outwardly frivolous Alva Artemis, Bruce possesses the responsibility of a clan leader and is very reliable.

　Then there's Frank Howells, this wise man from Phoenix, who looks to be between forty and fifty, full of energy and vitality.

　Dark had reviewed his file; he had experience serving in the military. However, like most sages, he served as an "advisor," only stepping onto the front lines as a mage when necessary.

　Frank's performance on the battlefield was decent, but like Claire, he was also a mage. Therefore, he could also control magical spirits to participate in more war deployments, making him a relatively versatile type.

　His title of sage is "Sage of the Owl," which means owl sage.

　As for the other contestants who advanced, there's no need to say more.

　After receiving their invitations to the main tournament, Dark and the others left the Alliance Duel Arena chatting and laughing, heading straight back to the Alliance Hotel.

　After confirming that the celebration would still be held at the same hotel restaurant, Dak returned to his room.

　The celebration is scheduled to begin in half an hour, and the athletes need time to shower and rest.

　Dak removed his clothes, filled the tub with hot water, and lay down to relax. Although he had only experienced two duels that day, each one was quite difficult, especially the latter duel with Prince Charles, where victory was decided by the slightest margin.

　This drained his energy and spirit.

　A duel of this caliber will be repeated many more times in the main draw the day after tomorrow, which will be a great test of the duelists' mental fortitude.

　"The sixteen main contestants will compete in a double-elimination tournament. Even if they win all their matches, they will still need to fight four battles to win the championship. If they are unfortunately dropped into the loser's bracket, they will need to fight even more battles, including some venues where they need to fight consecutively in a short period of time. This places extremely high demands on the contestants' magical power, stamina, and energy. In addition, the reserves of magic cards required are also very high."

　"If I couldn't evolve my magical spirit without using 'Elysium IV,' I wouldn't be able to participate in this main competition at all."

　Dak sighed slightly, then closed his eyes a little and quietly soaked in the bath. After about ten minutes, he felt his skin was getting wrinkled, and his fatigue hadn't subsided at all. On the contrary, it had intensified, giving him a drowsy feeling that made him want to collapse onto the mattress.

　Dak stepped out of the bathroom, looking languid.

　But he still changed into his pajamas, picked up his card holder, and prepared to continue replenishing the mana of the magic cards that had not yet been replenished.

　But as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table, he suddenly noticed a card slipping through the crack under the door.

　"Small cards"

　A strange look flashed in Dak's eyes.

　Isn't this Alliance Hotel supposed to be an internal hotel? How come they even have little cards?

　He didn't pay much attention and used his "magic hand" to take the small card into his hand.

　The card certainly didn't say "In the dead of night, sleepless and lonely." Dark glanced at it and suddenly sighed, "Has the Holy Church fallen so low that they have to resort to this method to deliver a message?"

　It was a message from the Holy Church, inviting him to a private meeting.

　If it weren't for the unmistakable golden seal of the Holy Church, who would believe this was a small card from the Holy Church?

　Dark glanced towards the door and, sure enough, sensed a hint of life. The other person made no attempt to conceal themselves and was waiting right outside.

　This little card is probably just a test.

　Or perhaps they were worried that something was wrong in his room and that knocking on the door suddenly would give him a bad impression, so they used a small card to test the waters first.

　I wonder which clever little devil came up with the idea.

　Dak shook his head slightly, not intending to keep anyone waiting, so he simply picked up his cardholder, walked over, and opened the door to welcome the guest.

　But when he opened the door, he was shocked to find that the person standing outside was none other than the "Bloody Saintess" Haley Saint Meredith!

　Upon seeing the "Bloody Saintess's" wrinkled face, Dark's slight dissatisfaction vanished instantly.

　He doesn't blindly idolize war heroes, but he certainly has great respect for them.

　Especially veterans like the "Bloody Saintess" who paid a heavy price for victory in the war.

　Knowing perfectly well the true age of the "Bloody Saintess," Dak was momentarily torn between calling her "Grandma" and "Auntie."

　But he quickly spoke up, "Good evening, Ms. Meredith. What brings you here?"

　“Good evening, Darkdemon.” Madam Meredith, leaning on her cane, slightly raised her head, appearing to be in a good mood. “His Holiness the Pope has something to discuss.” Darkdemon’s heart skipped a beat, and he asked, “What does the Pope want with me?”

　His first thought was that the Pope had also been persuaded by Archbishop Calenoris, and he wanted to use him as an intermediary to convince Pandora to become the saint.

　So they thought the Pope was really cunning, actually sending the "Bloody Saintess" to invite him.

　If it were Archbishop Sabrina, he could make a few jokes and politely decline. But in front of the "Bloody Saintess," it was indeed difficult to say so.

　When asked, Ms. Meredith simply replied, "It's a private conversation."

　Dark then said, "Since you're here, why don't you come in and have a seat? Actually, this isn't the first time we've met. We parted ways at the foot of Mount Olympus, and I didn't expect you to be in such good shape every day. Today you've even advanced to the top 16 of the main draw. Congratulations!"

　At this point, Ms. Meredith couldn't help but smile slightly: "It was only because of your esteemed institution's concession that this old man had the opportunity to advance."

　Dak smiled, led her into the room, closed the door, and then poured tea and began to talk.

　Although Ms. Meredith appears to be old, she is actually only in her thirties. She dedicated her most youthful and brilliant years to the battlefield, making her a similar type of character to "Valkyrie" Alvit.

　However, one of the two was a true "saint," while the other was merely a "manufactured saint," which led to drastically different outcomes.

　Dak warmly welcomed Meredith.

　He had no desire to discuss such trivial matters with the old Pope, while this "Bloody Saintess" was undoubtedly a much better match.

　Her Majesty the Holy Maiden doesn't seem to mind talking to him.

　Moreover, he showed little interest in the "tasks" assigned by the Pope and was not in any hurry at all.

　So the two talked about the World Cup, then about Mount Olympus, then about the heavens, then about war, and finally about the famous battles that decided the outcome.

　This time, they touched on the "Bloody Saintess's" old profession, and their conversation became even more pleasant.

　Meredith spoke eloquently, reminiscing about the past, his eyes constantly shifting in expression, as if he had suddenly become decades younger.

　Having aged rapidly shortly after the war ended, Meredith was clearly in little mood for such long conversations.

　Dark is also a good listener and enjoys these kinds of stories, making him an excellent listener.

　So a quarter of an hour passed quickly.

　Before we knew it, the celebration was about to begin.

　Dark glanced at the time and immediately invited Ms. Meredith to join the St. Marian College party that evening.

　The lady was getting into the conversation and agreed without thinking.

　Dak then got up and helped her out, like a grandmother and granddaughter, to the restaurant. There was no way around it; that's just how he respected the elderly and cared for the young.

　The hotel restaurant was already filled with laughter.

　As Ms. Meredith approached the door, she suddenly hesitated. It was unclear whether she had become aware of her true identity.

　I suddenly felt that it might be inappropriate for me, at my age of seventy or eighty and nearing the end of my life, to participate in this kind of gathering.

　Dark sensed that she was still willing, so he forced her slightly and helped her into the restaurant.

　Meredith wanted to thank Ergany in person.

　Even though Dark had told her long ago that it was pre-arranged, Meredith still insisted.

　The students and professors inside the restaurant were laughing and chatting, and when they saw someone coming in, they all turned their heads and glanced at them casually.

　The first thing they saw was Dark, and the second thing they saw was (the Bloody Saintess).

　True heroes are never disliked.

　Before the students could even react, the professors had already stood up. Professor Pavajohns immediately went over to greet them.

　But she was tall and difficult to help, so Dak helped Meredith onto the table.

　Several professors were gathered at a table, and Ergany was among them, with an empty seat next to her.

　Dark helped Meredith there, and then sat down beside her himself.

　There was no need to hide the fact that the Pope had invited them.

　Dak casually explained why he had met Ms. Meredith and said he would leave the celebration early that evening.

　But he didn't say that the Pope had invited him to meet immediately. First come, first served; let the old man wait a bit longer.

　After Meredith sat down at the table and exchanged a few polite words with the professors, he began to hesitate.

　Her mindset seems to be aging along with her appearance.

　If it weren't for his fiery spirit on the dueling field, he would just be an ordinary old man.

　Dark seized the opportunity to make a couple of remarks before steer the conversation toward the third round of duels that evening.

　Meredith's emotions gradually calmed down, and he took the opportunity to express his gratitude to Ergani.

　Ergane waved her hand, indicating that she had not done it intentionally and that it was Meredith's good fortune to be chosen.

　But the more Ergane declined, the more grateful Meredith became.

　Knowing that Ergane disliked dealing with such matters, Dark said a few more words before changing the subject.

　Everyone chatted and laughed, and the guests were all in high spirits. Meredith seemed to possess an aura of heroism.

　The younger students, such as Witt, Robert, and Diana, looked at her with shining eyes.

　They all grew up listening to stories of war heroes. It's understandable that they admired heroes like Meredith, who played a crucial role in the victory.

　After meal.

　Seeing that Diana and the others had surrounded the Saintess, Dark said a few words to Senior Sister Pandora and quietly left the restaurant.

　A bishop, who had taken up his post in the capital, was already waiting outside. Dak nodded to the bishop and headed towards the elevator. The meeting with the Pope tonight would be held in a private conference room on the hotel's rooftop. It was already past 11 p.m., with less than an hour left before the day ended.

　Pope Sith sat in the conference room, with only Archbishop Calenoris beside him.

　The two set up a small round table in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, with wine glasses on the table, each filled with a little red wine.

　In reality, none of them were addicted to alcohol; they only drank in moderation, emphasizing the atmosphere and the sense of ritual.

　“Caller, how long have we been waiting?” the Pope asked.

　The archbishop smiled slightly, nonchalantly: "It's only been less than an hour."

　"Oh," His Holiness the Pope thought to himself.

　In the past, he would always deliberately make people who needed his help wait outside for an hour or two before getting down to business.