Chapter 2288 by Marina Vittori

Hank felt a chill run down his spine when he glanced at Jeremiah, the man who killed without mercy.

Even the formidable Dusk Titan and Shadow Prince showed signs of caution around Jeremiah, and it was clear why. If they were regarded as beasts, then Jeremiah, known as The Dust of Angel, was the ultimate beast.

With someone of Jeremiah’s caliber involved, the martial artists of Dragonmarsh would likely face an unprecedented calamity.

“Hank, are you satisfied with these three allies?” Bailey asked, grinning.

“Satisfied? I’d say more than that! With their support, victory in the Combat Tournament is practically guaranteed! “Hank replied confidently.

He used to have doubts because he recognized the exceptional talents of Dragonmarsh. But now, his confidence was on the rise.

After all, the Hall of Gods, the Coven of Blood Eclipse, and the Holy Sovereign Church had deployed their strongest elites. They had effectively united forces from several nations to suppress Dragonmarsh. With this kind of support, victory seemed almost guaranteed.

“Great! With your assurance, I feel much more at ease,” Bailey said with a nod.

He added, “I’m putting you in charge of the tournament. As for our secret plans, they need to go off without a hitch. Make sure everyone stays alert and avoids any trouble in the next few days. When the time is right, we’ll launch our full-scale attack.”

“Got it.” Hank nodded emphatically.

“Why don’t you all get back to work? Don’t interrupt my meal,” Bailey said, waving them off. He then dug into his food with gusto.

Soon, the entire spread of meat was gone.

Meanwhile, Schola Hub, the largest tavern within a 100-mile radius, was buzzing with activity. It hosted elites from various major guilds, including many who had advanced to the top 32.

Unlike modern taverns, Schola Hub was an antique three-story building with a spacious interior. The staff referred to themselves as servers.

Right across the entrance, a stage showcased a performance of the Moby Dick musical. The actors were fully immersed in their roles while the audience enjoyed their meals and drinks, applauding enthusiastically.

The scene near Sacred Wrym Summit was truly one-of-a-kind.

“Hey there, esteemed guests! Please come in.”

As Dustin and his entourage from the Celestial Alliance entered, the server at the door greeted them warmly and escorted them upstairs.

Schola Hub had welcomed high-status and wealthy guests for the past few days. Judging by Dustin and his group’s attire and demeanor, the server could tell they were quite exceptional. Hence, a good service would likely earn the server a generous tip.

“Server, bring us your finest drinks and dishes,” Aurora called out as soon as they were seated.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The server turned to leave, but Alicia suddenly stopped him. “Wait! Don’t forget to bring some really good wine!”

With a quick flick of her finger, she tossed a gold bead the size of a fingernail into his hand.

He looked closely, and his face lit up with joy. He nodded eagerly. “Thank you for your generosity! Just a moment, I’ll get everything right away!”

With a bounce in his step, the server hurried downstairs. Before long, he returned with the best wine and dishes, plus some appetizers.

“This ten-year-old wine is pretty good. “Alicia opened the bottle and slowly took a sip. Then, she smiled faintly.

As a wine expert, she couldn’t resist a few drinks daily.

“Alright, enough chatter. Let’s toast!” She poured herself a generous glass and was ready to drink when a hand stopped her. She turned to see it was Dustin’s.

“You just got better, so no drinking for you,” Dustin said gently.

“What? No drinks?” Alicia replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice. ” Dr. Rhys, I feel great now. A couple of drinks should be okay, right?”

“Recovering from a serious illness isn’t easy. It’s best to skip alcohol for now,” he said, shaking his head.

If anything happened to her after drinking, he’d be the one left handling it. He wanted to avoid any trouble, so he felt it was his responsibility to step in and stop her.

“How about just three drinks? Can I?” Alicia asked, holding up three fingers with a hopeful grin.

“Absolutely not,” Dustin replied, shaking his head firmly.

“Just one! I’ll have one to satisfy my craving. That should be fine, right?” She weakly raised one finger, looking pitiful.

“If you want to risk your life, go ahead, ” he said, lowering his hand.

“Oh, come on…” Her face scrunched up in frustration as she raised her eyebrows. She turned to Grace for help. “Faith, can you talk some sense into your guy? He’s so strict and won’t even let me have a drink.”

“What are you saying? We are just friends. You can’t just ruin his reputation like that,” Grace shot back, rolling her eyes.

“Really?” Alicia replied, looking skeptical. “I thought you two were a couple with how you keep exchanging glances.”