Chapter 22: Favored by the God of War

Cohen went to the staff to collect his winnings, only to find Raymond, the director of the Florence Transcendental Arena, already waiting for him.

At this moment, Raymond looked nothing like a legendary-rank master. Dressed in a perfectly tailored suit with a precise, calculated smile on his lips and sharp, shrewd eyes that seemed to weigh every blink, he was the spitting image of a cunning businessman.

Upon seeing Cohen, Raymond spoke in a breezy tone:

"Look, our big star has arrived!"

He clapped his hands lightly, and someone brought over a bag of gold coins and a badge.

"These are the winnings for today, sir. Congratulations! It has been a long time since the Florence branch of our Transcendental Arena has seen a ten-match winning streak, let alone from a newcomer!"

Cohen accepted the gold and the badge—engraved with a red crescent moon to signify ten victories—and remained calm.

"Does Lord Raymond have something to ask of me?"

Raymond wore an enthusiastic smile. "Does the sir know the purpose for which the Lord of War established the Transcendental Arena?"

Cohen paused. He actually did not know much about this. In his past life, he had followed the "academic path" and rarely dealt with the Transcendental Arena; to him, it was merely a place for combat.

Raymond quickly continued:

"The Transcendental Arena is not only a place for transcendents on the continent to engage in fair combat, but also a trial ground for the Lord of War to select his personal guards. Any transcendent who competes here has the chance to become a member of the Lord of War’s personal guard!"

"Every ten years, the Lord of War selects a total of 100 transcendents from arenas across the continent to be trained as reserve guards—the 'Divine Guard Reserve Camp.' Anyone who remains among the final five in the reserve camp becomes a personal guard of the Lord of War: a Divine Guard!"

Cohen remained expressionless, unmoved by Raymond’s words. If he truly wanted to, he could just wait to cling to the silk-clad long legs of the Queen, his sister; wouldn't being the "husband of a god" be far more enticing? What was a Divine Guard, anyway? At the end of the day, wasn't it just being someone else's lackey?

Cohen’s silent indifference let Raymond know that conventional means would not persuade him. He paused and added:

"Of course, beyond the status of a Divine Guard, there is an opportunity to obtain another reward—the Favor of the Lord of War."

Hearing these words, Cohen looked intrigued.

Divine Favor! That was something incredibly rare. Even someone as powerful as Cohen in his past life had never received one.

Divine Favor was a privilege granted by gods within their respective domains; in simpler terms, it was a backdoor opened by a deity for their own people! For example, receiving the Favor of the [God of Agriculture] could help develop agriculture and increase crop yields. Receiving the Favor of the [Goddess of Magic] allowed one to quickly comprehend high-level spells and enhance one's affinity for magical elements.

Receiving the Favor of the [God of Casting] allowed one to easily craft high-level magical weapons and improve forging efficiency.

However, there were also those born with Divine Favor. Adèle, for instance, had an innate high affinity for ice elements; Cohen suspected she was one such blessed individual.

As for the Favor of the Lord of War... Ares Firebrand held two domains: Combat and War. If he could obtain privileges related to the domain of War, that would be a significant temptation. After the first expansion, "The Rise of the Transcendent," the next would be "The Hegemony of Nations," and by then, flames of war would be erupting all over the continent. No king would ever refuse the Divine Favor of the War domain.

The corners of Cohen’s mouth curled beneath his mask.

"I wonder what I could bring Lord Raymond if I were to enter the 'Divine Guard Reserve Camp'?"

Raymond’s mouth twitched. He was dying to know if a thousand-year-old fox’s face lay beneath that silver mask, but he replied reluctantly:

"True, it would benefit me. If my arena produces a Divine Guard, I can be promoted to run an arena in a kingdom-level capital. Furthermore, I would obtain the resources needed to push for the Saint rank."

No wonder a legendary-rank expert was willing to negotiate so reasonably with a first-rank transcendent; the interests involved were truly massive.

Cohen pondered for a moment and said softly:

"Five out of a hundred. Raymond, you have so much confidence in me, and I am only at the first rank right now!"

Raymond spread his hands. "You won’t stay at the first rank forever. There are still two years until the next 'Divine Guard Reserve Camp.' Besides, that reserve camp has restrictions—under the age of 20, and generally, most are of the Bronze rank. 'Lord of Shadows,' you don't need to be humble; I believe in your strength!"

Cohen was noncommittal. "That reserve camp, surely it has entry requirements, right?"

Raymond smiled. "That is precisely why I came to find you: under 20 years old, 30 victories, and a win rate of no less than 80%. Therefore, I hope you will continue to compete in my Florence arena and maintain as high a win rate as possible. In return..."

Raymond snapped his fingers, and someone handed over a gold voucher worth 5,000.

"This is a deposit. Once you achieve 30 victories with a win rate of no less than 80%, there will be even more generous rewards!"

Cohen’s eyes flickered. Five thousand gold coins just as a deposit—how wealthy and bold! He wouldn't refuse; the three thousand orc slaves would be arriving soon, and feeding and housing them would be no small expense.

He took the voucher and produced a bag of gold coins, his tone calm:

"It’s a deal. Also, this is the registration fee for tomorrow—ten matches again."

...

Soon, the news that the "Lord of Shadows" would continue fighting tomorrow—and for another ten matches!—spread.

Undoubtedly, this news caused another stir. Everyone knew the rules of the Transcendental Arena: after a ten-match winning streak, one is matched against opponents one rank higher. Could this mysterious young man truly be confident enough to fight above his rank? It was not impossible; after all, he had faced seven opponents of the same rank simultaneously and appeared to win with ease.

In an instant, tickets for tomorrow's arena matches became nearly impossible to find.

Cohen looked at the tickets being scalped for exorbitant prices with a hint of helplessness. This Raymond was truly a businessman at heart, never missing an opportunity to make money.

He shook his head and stepped into a dimly lit tavern, sitting at an old wooden table and toying with a coarse ceramic wine cup. Soon, a fragrant breeze drifted by. Cohen inhaled the scent lightly and said:

"Right on time, Miss Nephthys."

Cohen raised his gaze as the elegant and mysterious girl in a black dress sat down opposite him.

Nephthys lowered her voice, though the excitement in her tone was still audible:

"Sir, do you truly know the whereabouts of the [Key of the Black Rose]?"

Cohen chuckled. He called for paper and pen, sketching something upon it. Before long, a mysterious and complex pattern sprang to life on the page. He pushed the pattern toward her and said softly:

"Does this look familiar?"

When Nephthys saw the pattern, her voice became much more hurried:

"This... this is the rune engraved on the [Key of the Black Rose]! You... you really have seen it!"

Cohen sipped his wine, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Nephthys, his gaze like a hunter watching his prey... She had taken the bait.