Chapter 171: Finally Taking the Stage
As the young Nullborn slowly walked off the arena, the discussions throughout the Central Arena showed no signs of dying down.
However, the tournament would not stop because of anyone’s astonishment.
High above, the enormous light screen slowly lit up once again. The white crystals floating above the remaining contestants began emitting a faint glow once more, and the entire Central Arena gradually fell silent as tens of thousands of eyes focused once again on the two white crystals that were about to illuminate.
Buzz.
Accompanied by a soft humming sound, the two white crystals erupted with dazzling white light simultaneously. Two beams of light shot into the sky, and two names slowly appeared before everyone’s eyes.
[Zich — Human Race]
[Rek — Velhari Race]
The moment those two names fully appeared, the entire Central Arena erupted into cheers and cries of excitement far louder than in the previous matches. Even many of the influential figures inside the VIP boxes shifted their attention back toward the arena.
Compared to the relatively unknown contestants from before, the name Zich had undoubtedly become one of the most closely watched rising stars of this Tournament of the Chosen.
"Finally, it’s his turn!"
"The white haired human!"
"The mysterious guy who performed so well during the first stage is finally making his move!"
"Hahaha! I’ve been waiting for this match!"
It wasn’t just the arena. Viewing centers all across the world instantly exploded with excitement as well.
Countless people immediately stopped discussing the Nullborn’s previous battle and turned all of their attention toward the giant screen.
"Here it comes!"
"It’s finally Zich’s turn!"
"I heard he performed incredibly well during the first stage."
"I wonder how strong he really is."
On the floating commentator’s platform,
Mithrash looked toward Zich as a smile reappeared on his face.
"At last, it’s the turn of one of the most talked about young contestants in recent days. I’m sure many spectators have been waiting for this match for quite some time. According to the Association’s records, Zich not only displayed judgment and composure far beyond that of ordinary players during the first stage, but he was also one of the very few contestants who completed the assessment with the highest number of eliminations!"
Dragon Count gave a slight nod.
"Compared to contestants who rely solely on overwhelming strength, I’m actually more interested in those who constantly conceal their true abilities. After all, no one knows just how many trump cards they’re still hiding."
Meanwhile, inside the contestant area,
Countless gazes also landed on Zich.
Jayden slowly opened his eyes.
Lucien maintained his gentle smile as always.
Braka grinned broadly and said, "Finally, it’s that guy’s turn. I’m gonna see just how strong he really is."
Even the four Nullborn members shifted their gazes slightly toward Zich.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Zich’s expression remained neutral.
He walked toward the center of the arena at an unhurried pace. There was neither nervousness nor excitement on his face, as though the hundreds of thousands of spectators surrounding him simply did not exist.
Meanwhile, in his heart,
’Dammit! All this attention.’
On the opposite side, the Velhari youth, Rek, also strode into the arena. His fists continuously slammed against each other, producing deep booming sounds as his beast like eyes remained locked onto Zich, filled with fighting spirit.
Soon, the energy barrier rose once more.
The countdown began.
[3...]
[2...]
[1...]
"Begin."
Almost the instant Arthur’s voice fell,
The ground beneath Rek’s feet exploded.
His entire body shot toward Zich like an arrow released from a bow. Although he wasn’t as fast as Grom, his speed was still astonishing.
However, faced with his rapidly approaching opponent, Zich didn’t even move his feet. He merely raised his right hand.
The next moment, a pale blue summoning circle slowly appeared beside him.
Pop.
A round little blue slime bounced out.
"Gooji!"
It was none other than Slimy.
Seeing this scene, many spectators froze for a moment.
Before anyone had time to react, Slimy had already opened its mouth.
Pshh!
A ball of dark green poison shot forward.
Rek’s expression changed slightly as he hurriedly altered his direction.
However,
The ball of poison seemed to possess a life of its own. It traced a strange arc through the air before landing directly beside his feet.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
The ground was instantly corroded, leaving behind a large patch of charred black marks.
Rek’s pupils contracted.
Before he could continue advancing, Slimy spat out a second ball of poison.
One glob of poison after another gradually covered the arena, forcing Rek to dodge continuously while completely interrupting his originally fierce assault.
From beginning to end, Zich simply stood there quietly.
He never even raised his hands again.
It was as though everything before him had been completely entrusted to his summoned beast.
After dozens of breaths, Rek finally stepped into one of the poisoned areas because of a single mistake, instantly losing his balance.
Slimy seized the opportunity. A perfectly aimed glob of poison struck him directly.
Rek’s entire body rapidly turned black. After swaying several times, he finally collapsed heavily onto the ground.
"Rek has lost the ability to fight. Winner... Zich."
At those words, the entire arena fell silent for a moment.
Then a wave of disappointed voices immediately erupted from the audience.
"That’s it?"
"It’s over already?"
"He didn’t even move!"
"The slime did all the fighting!"
"I waited all this time for that?"
Inside the contestant area, many of those who had been carefully observing Zich frowned.
Braka scratched his head.
"What the heck? I thought he’d actually make a move."
"It seems... we learned nothing at all," Lucien said with a small frown on his face.
Many of the other contestants also revealed disappointed expressions.
They had hoped to use this match to observe Zich’s true strength.
In the end, aside from that poison type slime, they had learned absolutely nothing.
Meanwhile, inside the various viewing centers, countless people had already begun criticizing him online.
"So this guy just hides behind his summoned beast?"
"I thought he’d be much stronger."
"He literally stood there doing nothing while a slime fought for him?"
"And someone like that actually made it into the Top Thirty Two?"
"I bet he just got lucky."
The discussions online became increasingly heated as more and more people began questioning whether Zich truly deserved all the fame he had received.
However, just as everyone continued discussing the match,
Two white pillars shot into the air, and the giant light screen high above lit up once again.
[Helen Magnus — Human Race]
[Kael — Sorath Race]
The instant those two names appeared, the atmosphere throughout the Central Arena was ignited once again.
Mithrash even stood up directly, his voice rising noticeably with excitement.
"It’s finally here!"
"Without question, this will be one of the most highly anticipated matches so far, because stepping onto the stage is none other than the daughter of the Players Association President, Arthur Magnus, Helen!"
Dragon Count looked toward the center of the arena, anticipation appearing in his eyes as well.
"And her opponent is the Sorath prodigy who was born with the power to command ice."
"Flames."
"Ice."
"Two completely opposing powers."
"Which one will emerge victorious?"
"There is only one way to find out!"
...
Author’s Note:
Thank you so much for supporting this novel! If you’re enjoying the story, your Golden Tickets and Super Gifts help the novel immensely. I truly appreciate every bit of support!
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