Adam Griffin peered down at the platform where Mike’s unconscious body was now being lifted and taken away.
Adam just solemnly looked at the platform, where now two other contestants had started to fight.
He had an uninterested look over his face—that these fights weren’t even worth watching.
Many people looked in his direction—those gazes were mostly from women seated around Adam!
Adam was handsome, no, handsome was an understatement for his beauty. His shoulder length brunette hair, obsidian black eyes and his chiselled jawline.
His skin devoid of an imperfection, and his well-built stature.
Everything about him was attractive.
The air of solemnness around him made him look elegant.
Suddenly Adam remembered the way Jiwoo had fought.
‘His way of fighting was unrefined but...his mana control was leaps above his opponent...,’ he blinked once and gazed at the two students who were currently occupied in a duel.
‘In the last second, where he loosened his grip over his sword and channelled the mana inside his body and allowed the mana to flow without any restriction and reinforced his body waist down.’
Adam was surprised to see his mana control but it was just simple curiosity, nothing more nothing less.
Because Adam was a master of using and understanding mana.
Since the day Adam was born, he was sensitive to mana and felt it hundred times stronger than the other human beings.
So he could tell the way someone used mana and the way they channelled and circulated it.
HUAAA—!
Again the booming noise of the crowd echoed inside the vicinity of the arena.
Adam turned his gaze and saw that the match was over and another match was just about to begin.
“Oh my, if it isn’t Instructor Griffin.”
A feminine voice entered Adam’s ears, as he slightly turned his head to his left and saw a woman taking the seat next to him.
She wore casual clothes, and with a cheerful expression she spoke, “how come instructor Griffin is here?”
Her auburn hair were tied into a bun, with her bangs falling forward. Her amber eyes shined as she looked at Adam with anticipation.
But he didn’t give the woman a single glance and simply looked at the match which was underway.
“Oy, come on, don’t be so cold...! Have you forgotten about me, your beloved Amanda?” She teased as she put her hand around Adam’s shoulder and leaned towards him.
“Haaa...,” Adam signed as he shook his shoulder and Amanda pulled her arm back.
“...I am simply here to observe the students,” Adam’s voice sounded stiff as he replied to Amanda.
Crossing her arms, Amanda spoke with a chuckle, “heh, still the same since he left the Lock, the great prodigy Adam Griffin."
Adam turned his head and gave Amanda a single nonchalant look before turning his head back towards the platform where the two students who were still engaged in their duel.
“...Say's the cry baby!” Adam teasingly rebutted.
“Oy, I told you to not call me that.”
Amanda’s cheeks flushed after hearing Adam’s reply.
But Adam simply enjoyed the way she had reacted to his remark. His lips were slightly curled upwards.
[The winner is...Jake Harvey!]
The commentator announced the result of the match and soon the two students left the platform.
Adam leaned an inch back into his seat and asked, “so what brings you here, Amanda?”
With a frown Amanda responded.
“The Union sent me here! Seriously I would have joined the Lock together with you, if I knew just how much of a slave I would have become at the Union.” Amanda grumbled.
“But you were the one who chose money over peace of mind, Huh?” Adam added.
“Yeah, but—!”
Ahaaa—!
The loud cheers of the crowd interrupted whatever Amanda was about to say.
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Snapping her head to look at the platform, she saw a girl walking up the flight of stairs.
Her jet black hair swayed by the light breeze and her hazel eyes shined brightly as she reached the top and solemnly stood there with a sword which hung above her hip.
There on the other side of the platform stood a boy with dirt-blonde hair and blue eyes, and a rapier hung above his hip.
“Who are they?” Amanda asked Adam.
“She’s the second ranked among the first years, Park Jiyoung.”
Adam said.
“And the other guy?” Amanda pointed her finger towards the youth.
“He is...” Adam paused for a second before reopening his mouth and continuing, “Flex Blúte, he’s ranked among the top thirties.”
“They both seem to be decent.” Amanda said.
“She is an
“Now this might be worth watching.” Amanda straightened her posture and fixed her gaze towards the two who were about to fight.
[Are both contestants ready?]
The commentator’s voice echoed.
Then without wasting another second, the commentator announced the start of the match.
[Begin!]
Just as he announced the start of the match, Jiyoung and Felix both rushed at each other, with their weapons tightly held in their hands.
***
After my match had ended, I walked out of the arena.
I didn’t have a match, and if I had one I would just be notified over the watch which rested over my wrist.
I simply strolled outside to waste time.
Buzz—! Buzz—!
Suddenly my phone started buzzing.
I looked who was calling me, and it was an unknown number.
But I already knew who it was.
I picked up the phone and brought it close to my ear and spoke.
“Who is this?”
But I was met with no reply.
But just as I was about to speak again, a voice came from the dialer's end.
[...How did you know?]
The voice echoed inside my ear.
It was none other than my favourite and beloved, Salvador.
“I have my reasons, so I can’t tell you exactly.” I solemnly replied.
“So how did it go?” I curiously asked.
I already knew! The moment Salvador had called me, he was done with the transactions and the money had just rolled in.
[It all went accordingly, just like you said it would!] Salvador’s voice sounded extremely joyous.
Why wouldn’t it be?
He just made millions thanks to the information I provided.
[When are you going to come back to Korea?]
Salvador asked.
“I’ll let you know when I come back.” I said.
[Then good luck with the tournament!]
Just as Salvador completed his sentence, he hung up the call.
“So he has already investigated.” I said with an ironic smile.
Well I already knew that he was going to investigate me, the moment I had met him.
Salvador was a cautious guy. He didn’t get the world’s greatest broker title just for nothing.
Putting my phone back into my pocket, I sat down on the bench outside the arena.
Huaaa—!
I heard loud noises emerging from the vicinity of the arena.
“Who’s fighting now?” I thought as I tapped over the watch and a hologram appeared in front of me.
The hologram displayed the match between Jiyoung and a guy with dirt-blonde hair and blue eyes. “Felix Blúte!”
***
[Begin!]
The referee’s thunderous voice boomed inside the arena as he indicated the start of the match.
Jiyoung pulled her sword out of it’s scabbard, which was curved at the edge. Like a katana.
She flourished her sword, and the sharp edge of the sword reflected the sunlight.
Her opponent did the same and firmly increased his grip over his rapier.
Without wasting another second, both of them lunged at each other.
SHIIING—!
A loud metallic ring spread in the air as both of their weapons clashed.
The clash lasted only for a brief moment. Then soon Jiyoung stepped forward and slashed her sword diagonally.
Her opponent Felix with a twist of his heel, stepped back a few steps, then with a sharp step forward he propelled his rapier towards Jiyoung.
Dodging by a hair’s length, Jiyoung made some distance.
Then taking a deep breath, Jiyoung exhaled and then focused her gaze entirely towards Felix.
Soon, her sword started exuding a majestic red hue, followed which a subtle sound.
Her face turned solemn and her posture straight.
Putting pressure over her heel, Jiyoung dashed forward.
Her sword glowed with the red hue which made her figure look even more charming.
With a quick foot, she reached Felix in the blink of an eye, and propelled her sword towards him.
With a hair’s length, Felix somehow dodged her attack with a twist of his torso.
His hair fluttered as a result of him moving too quickly.
He then tried to make some distance between him and Jiyoung.
But it was proven futile by Jiyoung, who quickly twirled and slashed her sword horizontally near his throat.
Her eyes and face both solemnly looked at Felix, like a panther ready to kill it’s prey.
Felix saw her incoming attack, and tried to dodge by ducking down.
But Jiyoung changed her sword's trajectory at the last moment and slashed vertically downwards.
Her sword connected and it perfectly slashed through his protection suit.
Felix’s face took a sharp turn and changed into a frown which deepened with each passing second, when he saw Jiyoung’s sword slashing through his body.
Just as the blade cut through the protection suit and grazed his flesh, the mana crystals inside the protection suit shined and a barrier erected around Felix.
Jiyoung’s sword was bounced back as a result of the barrier coming to life.
She took a full step back and placed her sword back into its sheath.
Felix dropped down on the floor and simply looked at Jiyoung with a blank look.
The barrier around Felix disappeared and the crowd’s booming noise filled the entire arena.
[Contestant Felix’s protection suit has been deployed]
[This means the winner of this match is contestant...Park Jiyoung]
Soon came the referee’s announcement and once again the arena was filled with loud shouts and cheers from the crowd.
Turning over her heel, Jiyoung walked down the platform and left.
There on the platform still stood Felix who had an anguished look over his face.
He turned around and walked off.
He gritted his teeth with each step he took.
***
Inside his office, Park Yujin sat in his chair with a solemn look.
[The winner of this match is contestant...Park Jiyoung]
In front of him was a hologram which displayed the match between Jiyoung and Felix.
Which Jiyoung had just won.
“The Young Miss certainly has improved a lot!”
The butler Baek-Hyun said.
“She certainly has.” Yujin solemnly replied to the old butler.
His face was expressionless but in his eyes was displayed a warm softness.
“How far has ‘that’ matter progressed?” Yujin turned his gaze and solemnly asked the old butler.
With a respectful bow Baek-Hyun spoke, “everything is progressing smoothly but...”
There was a sudden pause in the butler’s sentence.
“...there seems to be some trouble arousing from the other guilds side.”
With a sigh Yujin looked at the butler Baek-Hyun before speaking.
“Their movements have been a little weird these past few days.” He leaned back in his chair and continued. “But nonetheless, if they try to stop us or get in our way, all of them will only meet their inevitable ends.”
“Most certainly, Sir!”
Then with another respectfully bow, Baek-Hyun stepped out of the office.
Yujin tiredly leaned in his chair and looked up at the ceiling of his office.
“Haaa...Eunhee, what am I supposed to do now?” Yujin’s voice sounded uncertain, and filled with sorrow.