The Magic Martial Arts Top 100 Tournament was not set up outside but indoors. Due to the large number of registrations and about a thousand people passing the tests, each venue held competitions with several participants at a time. Rody and the elite squad members, including Chris, were assigned to the West Zone through a draw, while Tommy, Karry, and others were allocated to other zones.
All those not participating or who hadn't registered came to support Rody and Chris. Of course, they were followed by the impressive 'Beloved Fan Club.' Seeing thousands of beautiful women dressed in neat fan club outfits, cheering along the way, the streets were packed with onlookers.
"Look, that's the magical kid Rody, wow, I'm so thrilled to see him in person!" someone exclaimed excitedly.
"This guy is nothing special, he looks like a sick man!" said someone else with intense jealousy, speaking carelessly. People around him quickly fled; such words could earn him a beating if overheard. Even if no one wanted to beat him up, if the 'Beloved Fan Club' girls heard him, they would utterly despise him. Offending beautiful women could be more painful than death.
So, as soon as he spoke, people hurriedly scattered, not wanting to be mistaken for his friend and suffer collateral damage.
Numerous magic reporters with memory crystals took fervent photos. Magical kid Rody was one of the top ten popular figures; missing his photos could cause a slump in magic newspaper sales the next day. Not to mention, various guilds cooperating with him wouldn't order magic newspapers promoting others. Plus, noble ladies secretly fond of him and lonely wives would be furious if they didn't see his handsome photos and related reports.
There's only one Rody, but more than one magic newspaper. To firmly captivate the eyes of the people of Kamalon, the photos needed to be cool, and the content of the reports unique.
"Fans, you've all worked hard, take a break! I'll play a song for everyone! Oh, and Rody and I are composing 'The Song of Love for Fans.' You'll have your own group song soon!" Chris took out a silver harp, sat on the top of the carriage, waving to everyone, causing continuous screams from the Beloved Fan Club girls. He was the most popular after Rody.
Chris's handsome appearance, multi-talented nature, graceful demeanor, and gentle words were all mesmerizing.
Even the most handsome and proud men would feel inferior in front of him. In terms of looks, it's believed that no one except the gods in heaven could surpass this human man. As for his achievements, he is a human hero who has slain countless orcs and demons. Even generals may not have the opportunity to stand before Field Marshal Von Desman and receive his personal honors and awards.
As for personal charisma, there's simply no comparison. The Saintess of the Holy Temple would invite him to share her carriage, and he could even refuse. If it were any other man in the world, if the Saintess asked him to kiss the mud beneath her feet, countless proud knights would immediately bend their proud backs. Who else would have thousands of girls abandon everything and follow him fervently like devout followers? Who else would have thousands of girls travel from all over the continent just for a glimpse of him? Who else would have thousands of girls working day and night to make uniform fan outfits to cheer him on?
Apart from the magical kid Rody, lazily sitting in the carriage reading a book, not even the handsomest prince could possess such charm. The only exception is that magical kid Rody, who has never entered a kitchen or shod a horse but could invent 'High-Temperature Baking Ovens,' 'Frost Boxes,' and 'Featherfall Horseshoes.'
Only he could make an outstanding man like Chris willingly become his assistant. Only he could make the proud elites from various countries willingly follow him, obey his commands without question. Amidst the cheers, Rody and Chris entered the venue of the Top 100 Tournament. They had to pass through the elimination rounds according to the rules until about a hundred remained, then officially compete in front of the public in the giant arena.
Rody and his team were highly popular contestants, but they did not request automatic advancement from the organizers of the Magic Martial Arts Competition; they followed the rules. Inside the venue, Rody's opponent had arrived early, goaded by his companions, prepared to be the first to step out and take down Rody. He believed that by defeating Rody, he would win the hearts of thousands of girls and perhaps even receive a title from Emperor William II, with countless princesses of various countries crazily insisting on marrying this young hero. While daydreaming ecstatically, he suddenly saw nearly a thousand uniformed beauties cheering for Rody and Chris, turning his face ashen.
"I must kill him, I must!" Rody's opponent was so filled with hatred he nearly crushed his teeth.
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"Yes, dismember him! And snatch those beauties behind him! Damn it, we don't have a single beauty, yet he has a line of them. He really deserves to die, he must not leave this venue alive! Those beauties should be ours!" his companion agreed deeply.
"Wipe your drool first!" Of course, there were those who had a good impression of Rody, as he was not only an object of adoration for girls but also an idol for military men.
"You two little tricksters, stop right there, I'm very angry!" The one daring to speak to Rody like this was the beautiful magician, Oliga Lan.
"Ah, Teacher Jialan." Chris winked at her and smiled, "Rody and I were planning to have steak made by you in your magic laboratory tonight, and we're so glad to meet you here."
"Really?" Oliga Lan was thrilled to hear this. She wasn't really angry, just a bit annoyed that these world-famous youngsters didn't tell her earlier, making her worry about them for half a day. Later, when she went to find them, the two guys had taken advantage of the pause in the competition due to internal chaos to go on a trip without even telling her. So she was just throwing a little tantrum, but now she was dizzied by Chris's charming wink.
"We'll compete first, Teacher Jialan, come and cheer for us!" Chris suggested, and Oliga Lan immediately handed over her work to her assistant, happily following behind Rody and Chris, looking almost as fanatical as the Beloved Fan Club girls left outside.
When it wasn't his turn to compete, Rody was always slumped in the competitor's seat, dozing off. Magic reporters captured his image and realized there was no help for it; even in sleep, this guy was exceptionally charming. It seemed that those lovestruck noble ladies and misses would be screaming again tomorrow. Some wondered whether the magical son was completely disregarding the competition, thus appearing so relaxed, or was he up all night thinking about some major invention?
Regardless, Rody was set to appear in new photos again.
When Rody entered the ring, he was still yawning, looking somewhat bored, in stark contrast to his opponent who appeared furious and ready to devour someone. As usual, three referees entered the ring, standing to the left and right, with the center referee announcing the rules: any contestant falling off the platform would be considered defeated, as would anyone knocked down for more than ten seconds. Additionally, contestants who severely injure their opponents, continue attacking after being told to stop, or kill their opponent would be disqualified and held accountable.
"My pretty boy, on this platform, a pretty face won't help you. This isn’t a place where looks can get you through. Your opponent is me, a true five-star great swordsman, your terminator in this Magic Martial Arts Competition," Rody's opponent mocked and verbally assaulted him.
He was actually a bit cautious because, despite not bothering to watch Rody's zero-casualty victory over the orcs and demons, he had heard of it. The magical kid Rody, after all, was someone who had survived the evil lands.
If it weren't well-known that he was just a one-star novice magic apprentice, he wouldn't dare to face him. But a magic apprentice who couldn't even cast a small fireball was nothing to worry about. Strategy, military command skills, and inventive talent were of no use on the platform. The only concern now was whether this magical kid had a powerful war pet. Without one, his defeat was certain.
Indeed, Rody did have war pets, and more than one. Previous magic newspapers had reported that the magical kid owned a cute little rabbit, two strange mantises, and a green vine as summoned war pets, supposedly using them for almost all his battles.
Now, Rody summoned that slender green vine. It didn't burrow into the ground like a typical man-eating vine, nor did it fly towards his opponent to bind him.
Rody, under the incredulous gaze of the audience, slowly formed a Thorn Tiger out of the intertwining vines. Although it was a plant-based magic creature, it took on the form of an animal war pet, very similar to an emerald-carved tiger. Rody's opponent was stunned, stepping back until he nearly fell off the platform.
"You think illusions can scare me? Dream on! I'm not afraid of your sinister tricks..." Rody's opponent was clearly unnerved.
"Done talking? Chief referee, can we start now?" Rody yawned, asking the referee to signal the start.
"Begin!" The referee waved his hand.
The opponent burst out with a huge surge of fighting spirit but didn't dare to charge. Instead, he carefully circled Rody, looking for an opportunity to strike. Unexpectedly, with a flash of green, the vine-formed tiger moved swiftly, biting his hand, knocking away his great sword with its tail, and dragging him towards the edge of the platform, completely ignoring his punches.
Rody stepped forward, and before he walked off the platform, his opponent was already dragged off by the vine-formed tiger, furiously yelling. The vine-formed tiger, with its paws spread, ran back to Rody, shaking its head. When Rody reached out to touch the leaves on its forehead, it wagged its tail contentedly, acting just like a real animal, astonishing everyone with its intelligence. The referee was stunned but quickly declared Rody the winner, as the Magic Martial Arts Competition had no rule against using war pets.
Compared to Rody's opponent, Chris's was far more miserable. Chris kicked him so hard that he flew over ten meters and smashed heavily against the wall, knocking him unconscious. This completely terrified everyone who had been shouting about teaching Rody and Chris a lesson. Even the referees were stunned, but upon finding that the unfortunate fellow was just knocked out and not in mortal danger, they quickly declared Chris the victor.
If Rody won with skill, then Chris definitely advanced in the competition through sheer power. A five-star great swordsman is not weak among the competitors, but being knocked out by a single kick from Chris meant that anyone looking to teach Rody and him a lesson would first receive a profound one themselves.
"Wow, Chris is so amazing!" Oliga Lan now understood why there had been tremors and loud noises during the test day; it was the impact created by this seemingly frail Chris when fighting. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, realizing that not only was Chris handsome, but his strength was also formidable, making him seem more perfect and lovable.
"Is it over? That quick?" The elite squad, who had just come in after chatting with the Beloved Fan Club girls outside, found Rody and Chris already relaxing and drinking water after finishing their fight.
"They're too strong, they knocked down their opponents in less than ten seconds!" Oliga Lan completely forgot she was one of the organizers of the Magic Martial Arts Competition. She poured water for Rody and Chris, handed them warm towels, and even massaged their shoulders, making the referees hesitant to look their way. As for the other contestants preparing to face Rody and Chris, they gathered together, either discussing tactics or considering withdrawing.
"I'm going to take a nap, wake me up when it's my turn," Rody said and promptly fell asleep.
"Sleep well," Oliga Lan nodded, "I'll get you a blanket so you don't catch cold... Hey, you there, help me get a blanket, a white one. Never mind, you're all thumbs, I'll do it myself!"
"Mr. Stanley, Mr. Stanley..." the magic reporters wanted to interview Chris but were afraid of Stanley's stern demeanor.
"Why are we so unlucky!" lamented the contestants in the same zone as Rody and Chris. All day long, nobody cared about them, neither the magic reporters nor the girls. They were completely forgotten by the world.