"I'm sorry! I didn't know who I was dealing with. Please forgive me," the man begged.
Though his mind was swirling with a thousand questions, the burly man apologized immediately. What choice did he have? If it came down to a match on the arena stage, was he really willing to risk getting beaten to death?
"Thank you, all three of you," Felix said, nodding in gratitude.
Of course, he recognized them. They were the people he had saved during the banquet incident. "Dr. Zeller, you're being too polite."
"This is the least we could do."noveldrama
"Without you, I wouldn't even be standing here today. Please, don't thank us."
The three of them knew they had no hope of winning the competition. They were simply here for the experience. Even if they walked away empty-handed, building a good relationship with someone like Felix was well worth the trip.
The contestants in the Stage One rest area were visibly stunned. Most of them were strangers to one another, and there had been virtually no interaction up to this point.
Suddenly, seeing Felix, a seemingly ordinary competitor, being openly defended by three powerful experts naturally drew more than a few curious glances.
As time passed, the martial arts competition officially began. There were no speeches or grand opening ceremonies. The battles started immediately, with a level of simplicity that was almost jarring. They got straight to the action.
A staff member entered the rest area and glanced down at the iPad in their hand.
"Contestants 13 and 21, please proceed to the stage for your match."
The matchups were determined randomly by a computer and generated instantly. There was no need for contestants to waste time drawing lots or picking numbers. Everything was designed with speed and efficiency in mind, a format that probably hadn't been seen before.
"Excuse me. How do I get to the arena?"
Contestant 13 looked utterly confused. The staff member didn't even glance back and made no effort to guide anyone. With only one exit visible in the rest area, everyone was left wondering what the process actually was.
"See that giant boulder over there? Use your own strength to move it. That will reveal the path to the arena. If you can't even manage that, consider yourself eliminated."
Oh? Now that sounded interesting. Everyone's attention immediately shifted to the massive stone. "Let me make this clear. The boulder has been tested, and it cannot be moved by anyone below Innate Realm. Of course, if you don't believe me, you're welcome to try for yourself."
Contestant 21, the burly man who had insulted Felix earlier, was a Martial Saint and had not yet reached innate Realm. Hearing this, he was unwilling to accept it and walked over with a defiant look.
Unfortunately, after several attempts, the boulder didn't budge an inch. Frustrated, he had no choice but to give up.
His opponent, Contestant 13, had just recently reached Innate Realm and easily moved the boulder aside.
"That's enough! Contestant 13 advances, and Contestant 21 is eliminated. Please leave."
"Next! Contestants five and 19, prepare for battle."
Meanwhile, in the largest chamber within the mountain, the audience members who had earned the privilege to watch were already seated in their respective spots.
In the center, four massive dueling platforms stood prominently, allowing spectators to focus on whichever match they preferred.
The platforms were made of an unknown green stone. Considering they could endure battles involving Boneforging Realm masters, it was obvious the material was far from ordinary.
"When is it Felix's turn? Ugh, this is so boring," Melissa muttered, her face full of boredom. She had never been particularly interested in these kinds of things. If Felix weren't participating, she wouldn't have come at all.
"Yeah, the earlier matches aren't that exciting. Unless by chance two powerful masters face each other, it's either an immediate forfeit or a one-move victory."
As Nala spoke, Billy's eyes kept scanning the spectator seats.
"Wow, a lot of big names have shown up! Several warlords are here, even Lord Lionel. Wait. Is that Meredith from the Greenes? How old is she? She's not even a martial artist. What's she doing here?"
Just as Billy had pointed out, many
remarkable figures had arrived. Even renowned healers like Lemuel and Silas were present. Representatives from major sects, like Skyward Guild, were also in attendance.
swnw
Of course, the crowd was filled with unfamiliar faces, likely reclusive monsters who had long stayed hidden from the world.
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