Lord of the Mysteries: I Married the Queen Mystic

From the outside, Unit 155 King's Avenue appeared to be a noble estate with several large buildings. In reality, those structures were indoor sports arenas...

Holding a pass, Simon entered under the guidance of a cavalryman and arrived before a three or four-story building.

This was the side entrance of the structure. On the main entrance side, noble carriages were arriving one after another. They exchanged greetings and pleasantries before entering the spectator area together.

Simon got out of the carriage to negotiate and soon returned to escort Odis inside, where a servant led them into the towering building.

Upon entering, they found themselves in a room the size of a parlor. Along the walls were rows of seats, and at the front stood two empty weapon racks.

A man in his forties, dressed like a butler, stepped forward and spoke, "Gentlemen, welcome. May I ask which of you is the participating fighter?"

Simon immediately stepped aside, drawing attention to Odis, who wore a mask.

"I trust you are already aware of the rules," the butler-like man said, "This is a match where melee weapons are permitted. However, for the sake of the spectacle, weapons may only be used after the first bell is rung. Failure to comply will be considered an unjustified forfeit. If you are confident, you may also choose not to use a weapon at all."

Hearing this, Simon blinked in surprise. This was a rule he hadn't known before.

"Understood," Odis replied indifferently.

The butler extended his hand, "Please present your weapon."

Odis drew out his sword and temporarily handed his cane to Simon.

After inspecting the blade and finding no issues, the man returned it, "The match will begin in just over ten minutes. Please prepare yourself."

Odis nodded and took a seat in the corner to wait...

Meanwhile, Simon followed the butler with a smile, probing for more details about the match.

A few minutes later, he returned and explained, "Sir, beyond that door is a simulated street arena. Your opponent will enter from the opposite side. After you meet, you must engage in unarmed combat for five to ten minutes before the bell rings, signaling the allowance of weapons."

Odis chuckled but abruptly changed the subject, "If I owned a house this big, I'd convert it into a massive laboratory."

At this, Simon was momentarily at a loss for words...

Odis didn't elaborate further, quietly awaiting the start of the match.

A few more minutes passed before the butler reappeared, "The match is about to begin. Please follow me."

Odis stood, slung his sword over his back, and approached the entrance gate.

The man checked his pocket watch and, at the designated time, opened the iron door. Odis stepped through and found himself facing a narrow staggered row of houses, each only about two meters tall.

The arena was roughly the size of a football field, simulating a short street scene. However, none of the buildings had roofs... likely to avoid obstructing the nobles' view from above.

The spectator stands were elevated, brightly lit, and positioned so that those below couldn't see the nobles, while those above had an unobstructed view of the ground.

At the far end of the street, Odis spotted his opponent... a young man in his twenties with a sword strapped to his back, charging toward him at full speed.

Odis smirked but acted as if he hadn't noticed, instead leaping onto a wall to survey his surroundings.

It wasn't that he underestimated his opponent... quite the opposite. But since this was his first time in such an arena, he wanted to quickly assess the terrain while his adversary closed the distance.

The roofless houses were roughly divided into two rows by the central street, with interconnected alleys weaving between them. There were no dead ends in sight.

Seeing Odis's reaction, the young man immediately grasped his intent. Without hesitation, he sprinted forward, nimbly scaling the wall and appearing before Odis in mere seconds, his momentum fueling a powerful punch.

Odis's preferred Bajiquan and Tai Chi were both perfectly suited to countering such brute-force attacks. With a deft motion, he deflected the strike, then stepped in close and slammed his shoulder into the young man, sending him crashing into the house below.

"Ooh!"

The move elicited a reaction from the nobles and wealthy spectators, a mix of delight and excitement at this unfamiliar combat style.

The young man tumbled but rolled to his feet unharmed. Experienced in combat, he quickly realized that fighting on the narrow walltop against an opponent skilled in close-quarters combat would put him at a severe disadvantage.

So he grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it at Odis.

The rules stated that weapons could only be used after the bell, but furniture didn't count as a weapon. And these simulated rooms were furnished with tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets. They were clearly designed to enhance the spectacle...

Odis dodged the chair effortlessly, then seized the opportunity to leap onto a bed inside the house.

The young man swung the chair again, but Odis reacted swiftly, grabbing one of its legs and yanking hard.

Caught off guard, the young man stumbled forward, his chest exposed, just as Odis had planned.

With a sharp kick, Odis sent him flying into a wall with a heavy thud. The impact visibly shook the structure.

The stands erupted in applause...

In this second exchange, Odis had showcased brilliant reflexes and tactics.

Gasping for breath, the young man clutched his chest, but forced himself upright before bolting out into the street. To take such a brutal hit and still remain mobile, he was clearly a Beyonder.

But he wasn't fleeing. He was creating distance to recover.

Odis, of course, gave no quarter and gave chase. However, he soon realized that while his agility was superior, his sprinting technique was lacking. The young man zigzagged unpredictably, making it hard for Odis to land a solid hit.

After about ten seconds, the pain must have dulled, because the young man suddenly dropped into a low sweep, aiming for Odis's legs.

Odis repeated his earlier tactic; dodging, then surging forward with a devastating knee strike aimed at the young man's face.

Panicked, the young man raised his arms to block.

*Bam!*

Even with his guard up, the sheer force of Odis' knee sent him flying backward, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. Yet his endurance was remarkable. He rolled with the impact and scrambled up again, though now his steps were unsteady.

Odis closed in and kicked him square in the backside, sending him face-first into the dirt.

*CLANG!*

Finally, the bell rang... because if they waited any longer, there'd be no weapon combat phase left...