Chapter 372 -: 371 Alfred.

Chapter 372: Chapter: 371 Alfred.

Meanwhile, in the Continent of Heart Reach, the Zlycons had gathered in celebration of their Grand Tournament, the event that would determine who would be granted the opportunity to enter the 101 Treasure Tower.

The capital city ruled by the Solarian Family was bursting with activity, with countless Zlycons filling the streets from every direction.

Spell casters and ordinary citizens alike had gathered to witness the tournament, turning the usually busy capital into something far more crowded and chaotic.

Merchants had set up stalls along the streets, restaurants were filled beyond capacity, and groups of Zlycons could be seen discussing the tournament’s potential winners everywhere one looked.

Yet the Grand Tournament was not the only reason for the unusual excitement surrounding the city.

Today was also the day when the human representatives were expected to arrive for negotiations, something that had attracted the attention of practically every major force within the Zlycon race.

Although the tournament remained the main attraction for the ordinary citizens, those with greater knowledge of the current situation understood that the arrival of the humans could potentially have consequences far greater than the outcome of a competition.

Everywhere one looked, there were only Zlycons. Their distinct appearances, voices, and clothing filled the streets, making it nearly impossible for an outsider to remain unnoticed.

Yet there was one exception to the overwhelming presence of the Zlycon race. At the very center of the capital stood a massive tower that seemed to reach into the clouds.

The structure was perfectly round, its enormous body rising high above the surrounding buildings and making it impossible for anyone within the city to ignore its presence.

This was the 101 Treasure Tower, a legendary structure containing 101 floors, with every floor possessing its own trials and rewards.

Over countless years, countless Zlycons had attempted to climb it, hoping to obtain the treasures left behind by their ancient ancestor.

Yet despite the rewards available throughout the tower, there was only one floor that truly mattered to those participating in the Grand Tournament: the 101st floor.

That was where the ancestor had supposedly left behind his most prized treasure, the inheritance of the Invincible Path.

Every Grand Tournament participant dreamed of reaching that floor.

The opportunity to obtain such an inheritance was enough to make countless talented Zlycons risk their lives, and the tournament itself had essentially become a method of selecting those worthy enough to attempt the tower.

Unfortunately, despite the passage of countless years and the appearance of generation after generation of talented spell casters, nobody had managed to reach the 101st floor.

Some had climbed higher than others, and a few had even managed to obtain extraordinary treasures from the upper floors, but the final floor remained beyond everyone’s reach.

The fact that it had remained unconquered for so long had only increased its allure, turning the 101st floor into something almost mythical among the Zlycons.

Not far from the tower, an elderly-looking Zlycon stood among the crowd and quietly stared at the enormous structure.

Alfred’s back was slightly hunched, and his appearance was completely different from what it had once been.

His skin had changed from pale to a deep brown, several visible wrinkles covered his face, and his naturally sharp features had been altered to resemble those of an ordinary Zlycon.

His entire appearance had been carefully changed, making him almost impossible to recognize as the person he had once been.

It had been close to six years since Alfred had arrived here.

Six years ago, Julius had instructed him to wait in this place until they arrived. Alfred had followed that order without question, believing that his young master would eventually make his way to the Continent of Heart Reach.

Yet the years had passed without Julius appearing, and Alfred had eventually begun to wonder whether something had happened to him.

He had remained patient regardless, continuing to wait while gathering information about the Zlycons and keeping himself hidden.

Recently, however, Alfred had learned something that had changed the situation completely.

Their identities had been exposed.

His first instinct had been to leave immediately and search for Julius, but before he could act on that impulse, he received news that made the situation even more complicated. ℯℯ𝘭.

Julius was apparently inside the Nightmare Forest, and the Zlycons had already surrounded the location where he would eventually have to exit.

Alfred had considered entering the forest himself, but after thinking through the situation, he quickly abandoned the idea. Entering the Nightmare Forest would accomplish nothing if he could not bring Julius out, and the Zlycons could not enter the forest themselves.

If Alfred went inside, he would simply trap himself there as well, especially considering the number of Void Core realm spell casters the Zlycons had stationed around the exit.

There was no guarantee that he would ever be able to leave.

Alfred could only wait.

Fortunately, waiting did not mean he had been doing nothing. During the years he had spent in Heart Reach, he had continued preparing for the possibility that something might go wrong.

He still believed that Julius was alive, and as long as that remained the case, Alfred had no intention of abandoning his young master.

Now that the human representatives were finally coming to the capital for negotiations, he had found another opportunity to accomplish what he could not do himself.

He intended to guide the representatives toward Julius.

There was a good chance that the group coming to negotiate with the Zlycons would include members of the Hayes Clan.

If they arrived as expected, Alfred could inform them of Julius’s location and allow them to deal with the situation themselves.

The Hayes Clan possessed enough strength and influence to potentially rescue Julius, something Alfred could not accomplish alone while surrounded by the Zlycons.

Once they arrived, at the very least, Julius would have a chance of being safe.

That was all Alfred needed.

"The lady is going to be furious with the young master," Alfred muttered beneath his breath.

He could already imagine Elizabeth’s reaction after discovering what Julius had gotten himself involved in.

A faint sigh escaped him as he began walking toward the enormous coliseum situated directly beside the 101 Treasure Tower.

His footsteps were slow and deliberate as he moved through the crowd.

Although his objective was clear, Alfred couldn’t help but think about how different things had been when he first arrived in this city six years ago.

At that time, his task had been relatively simple. He had been ordered to investigate the Zlycons participating in the Grand Tournament and identify those who were likely to become Julius and Rosalina’s opponents.

Since both Julius and Rosalina had been comparatively weak at the time, Alfred had been tasked with secretly assassinating the most dangerous competitors before they could become a problem.

He had spent a considerable amount of time gathering information on them. Their backgrounds, abilities, relationships, fighting styles, weaknesses, and even their potential trump cards had all been investigated.

Alfred had been waiting for Julius and Rosalina to arrive so that he could quietly eliminate their strongest competitors one by one.

Then the incident in Sun Clan City had happened.

One blunder had been enough to ruin everything.

The situation had spiraled beyond what Alfred could have anticipated, forcing him to abandon the plans he had spent so long preparing.

Yet Alfred had never truly minded losing that opportunity. Plans could be rebuilt, information could be gathered again, and opportunities would always appear eventually.

As long as his young master and Lady Rosalina were safe, none of those things mattered.

He had waited for six years, and he could wait a little longer.

Alfred eventually reached the coliseum and entered after presenting his identification.

The security surrounding the structure had become considerably stricter since Julius and Rosalina had been discovered to be humans disguising themselves as Zlycons.

For years, the Zlycons had believed that their appearance-changing spell was impossible to detect and couldn’t be replicated.

Julius and Rosalina had changed that.

Their discovery had forced the Zlycons to reconsider everything they previously believed about their security measures.

As a result, inspections had become more thorough, identification checks had been strengthened, and guards were now stationed throughout the city.

Even an ordinary-looking Zlycon like Alfred could no longer enter important locations without being properly examined.

Fortunately, his identity remained intact.

After checking his identification, the guards returned it and allowed him to enter.

Alfred stepped inside and immediately made his way toward one of the front seats.

From there, he would have an unobstructed view of the VIP section where the leaders and important figures of the Zlycon race would eventually appear.

The cabin overlooking the coliseum was empty for now, but that would soon change.

The leaders of the Zlycons would arrive before the tournament began, and with the human representatives expected to arrive sometime around the same period, Alfred needed to remain in a position where he could observe everything.

He sat down quietly and looked across the enormous coliseum.

The noise of the crowd gradually grew louder as more Zlycons entered their seats.

Excitement, anticipation, and nervousness mixed together throughout the massive structure, while the participants preparing for the tournament were undoubtedly making their final preparations elsewhere.

For most of them, this was an opportunity that could change their entire lives.

Reaching the upper floors of the 101 Treasure Tower could grant them treasures that would take countless years to obtain through ordinary means, while the possibility of inheriting the Invincible Path was something that could tempt even the most cautious spell caster.

Alfred paid little attention to them.

His objective had nothing to do with the tournament. He had come here for the humans.

Giving the surrounding crowd another careful look, Alfred eventually raised his head toward the sky.

At first, there appeared to be nothing unusual above the capital. The sky was clear, and the sunlight illuminated the enormous city beneath it.

But Alfred saw something that ordinary Zlycons could not.

Large barriers had been established around the four stationary continents.

They were practically invisible to normal eyes, concealed through powerful spells that made them blend into the surrounding sky. Yet with Alfred’s perception, their presence was unmistakable.

Alfred narrowed his eyes slightly.

He had spent six years among the Zlycons, and he knew better than most how dangerous they could be.

Their current preparations were not something that could simply be dismissed as ordinary security.

Something about the atmosphere surrounding the capital felt different from previous years, and the presence of the human representatives only made that feeling stronger.

He slowly lowered his gaze.

"Why do I feel like something big is about to happen?"