NOVEL NEXT Chapter 49: Tournament(1)
With the stands cheering after Loki's announcement, the participants began to enter the arena. The first ones to start were level 1, and due to their number, which would have made it impossible to contain them all, they were divided into two groups, where only five from each group would remain after the free-for-all.
When the first group was called, the referee quickly explained the main rules: no lethal attacks and anyone knocked out or thrown out of the arena would be eliminated. With the starting signal, the participants of the first group charged at each other.
At first, the arena turned into a chaotic field, with some attacking fiercely and others trying to avoid direct conflicts. A young human with a spear caught attention with surprising strength for a level 1, knocking down an opponent with a single blow.
"Not bad." - Commented Gareth from the Loki Familia stands. - "Maybe he has some potential."
Meanwhile, a young amazoness used her speed and agility to take down opponents one by one, striking with precision and then disappearing into the chaos before anyone could react.
"She knows how to move." - Said Tione, watching her with interest. - "She reminds me of myself when I was younger."
"Didn't you used to throw punches in a rage? Well, not like that has changed much." - Laughed her sister, Tiona, getting a glare from Tione.
On the other side, some participants tried to form temporary alliances, but these quickly crumbled as the number of competitors decreased. After about ten minutes of battle, the pace began to slow: only seven remained standing.
It was then that an elf, who had allied with a couple of participants, went to work. Finally having the time to complete his chant, he summoned several fireballs that bombarded the field, taking out most of the participants and reducing the qualified to five.
The stands, more excited than ever, cheered for the show they had just witnessed, applauding the winning participants.
"That elf has potential, what do you think, Miss Riveria?" - Asked Lefiya, a level 3 elf girl who had shown huge potential and was the reason she was so highly regarded.
"Hmm, there's a lot to work with, but he has a good foundation." - Nodded Riveria, who also taught Lefiya.
Once the arena was cleared of the defeated participants, the second group was called to enter. This time, the atmosphere seemed tenser, with some participants visibly nervous, while others showed an icy calm. Even the audience seemed more engaged after the action-packed first group.
With the second group ready, the referee gave the starting signal again.
Compared to the first, this group showed greater aggression from the start. Some participants immediately focused on the weaker ones, trying to reduce the number of opponents quickly.
A dwarf armed with a hammer struck with overwhelming force, taking down an overly confident human with a single blow. - "That dwarf has great technique." - Observed Finn, with a satisfied expression.
Meanwhile, a half-elf boy with two daggers used his speed to strike and retreat, aiming for the weak spots of his opponents. His strategy made him difficult to face and confused some less experienced adventurers.
"What a pain in the ass." - Commented Bete, a grumpy member of the Loki Familia, who had just reached level 6 and belonged to the wolfman race.
He sat awkwardly with his feet on the railing while watching the fights with an annoyed look.
"Can anyone tell me why I have to watch these weaklings fight?" - He asked bored.
The others ignored his words, having grown used to him, and focused on the ongoing battles.
As time passed, the chaos in the arena reduced to six fighters. In one last spectacular maneuver, the half-elf with the daggers knocked out the sturdy boy with an acrobatic move, earning a spot among the five finalists.
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers of encouragement as the referee declared the end of the second round. The ten finalists, five from each group, were summoned to the center of the arena for recognition.
"Not bad, really not bad." - Said Loki, watching the scene with a mischievous smile. - "Finn, find anyone interesting?"
"A couple. They have a good chance of reaching the final, of course, unless there are any surprises. I must say though, I'm not sure they'll be able to face one of ours." - Replied the captain of the Loki Familia professionally.
Hestia, on the other hand, clapped her hands enthusiastically. - "Some of them could really go far! Obviously, not like my Bell!"
The others shook their heads helplessly, while Bell tried to hide his embarrassed face from his goddess's shout, which caught the strange gaze of some spectators.
Zoe simply watched the ten with a careful eye. - "I wonder how it will be for the level 2s?"
After a brief pause to reset the arena, Loki rose again from her elevated position with her usual irreverent smile, but before she could speak, Ganesha preceded her.
"What a fantastic display of strength! I, GANESHA, could not be more excited! But let's move on to the next round, let the level 2s enter!"
An enthusiastic roar rose from the stands. The tension became palpable: the crowd knew that this phase of the tournament would be the real show, while Loki looked at Ganesha with the intent to kill him for stealing her role.
"I'm curious." - Commented Finn, watching the participants beginning to enter. - "The level 2s always promise more interesting performances."
"There are a lot of them this year." - Added Gareth, stroking his beard. - "Let's see who among them really has that something extra."
From the stands, the spectators studied every participant entering the arena. Mark made his entrance among the many, walking calmly with his claymore resting on his shoulder, looking around relaxed and curiously.
"Look at that one." - Commented Tiona, pointing at Mark.
At her words, many turned their gaze to the point she indicated, and especially for the girls, their eyes sparkled.
"He's handsome." - Was the unanimous opinion of all of them.
"Tch, I hope he gets disqualified first." - Was the reaction from the men.
"We'll see if he can back up that attitude." - Responded Riveria, in a neutral tone.
On the other side of the arena, Zoe watched Mark from her spot next to the Hestia Familia. Even though she tried to stay calm, excitement was evident in her eyes.
"Go, Mark." - She whispered to herself, clenching her hands.
Mark stopped at the center of the arena, looking around. Some opponents seemed to analyze him, others ignored him, but he showed no signs of nervousness. The crowd cheered enthusiastically, while Loki, from above, enjoyed the show.
"Welcome to all the level 2!" - Announced the referee in a decisive tone. - "The rules are the same: a free-for-all. Only the ten best will remain standing. Are you ready?!"
The applause grew louder, and Mark took a deep breath, gripping the hilt of his claymore tighter.
"Let's begin!" - Yelled the referee, giving the signal.
In an instant, the arena turned into a battlefield. The adventurers charged at each other, some forming temporary alliances, others attacking anyone within reach.
Mark, however, did not rush into the fray. With precise movements, he moved through the chaos, heading towards the edge of the arena, letting the initial chaos consume the more impatient ones, carefully observing the weak spots of each opponent. However, when a group of three approached, he decided to act.
With a swift movement of the claymore, he simultaneously blocked the attacks from all three, taking just one step back, and receiving shocked looks from the three.
"You made a stupid choice." - Sighed Mark.
Putting more force into it, he swept upward, destabilizing the three and using the flat side of the blade to throw them away, making the stands cheer.
"He's stronger than I expected." - Commented Gareth.
Hestia, watching from a distance, was visibly surprised. - "I didn't think he was this good!" - She said, and Zoe couldn't help but smile, but then her expression turned strange, as did many others.
To everyone's surprise, they saw Mark sheathe his weapon.
"What's he doing?" - Asked Loki, who had started to notice the boy.
Of course, Mark wasn't giving up but had put the weapon back in the sheath to take it out again still sheathed. During the various battles, he had to concentrate more than expected to avoid slashing others, decreasing his performance. In this way, he could fight better, but his act offended several competitors.
One of the participants closest to Mark, a beastman with feline features and sharp reflexes, lunged forward with a scornful look.
"How arrogant!" - Said the cat-man with a sharp smile, revealing his sharp teeth. -"You think you can fight without even using the blade? Let's see how long your confidence lasts!"
"I was doing it for all of you..." - Retorted Mark, but this seemed to infuriate the man even more.
With lightning-fast movements, the cat-man rushed at Mark, using his agility to strike from unpredictable angles. However, Mark dodged with surprising calmness, anticipating every move and using the sheath to deflect the attacks.
After a quick exchange, he took advantage of an opening: he struck the beastman with the pommel of his weapon directly in the solar plexus, making him collapse to the ground.
"I'm starting to feel guilty." - Mumbled Mark, watching the man, before continuing to move.
The stands erupted in ovations.
"He's not taking this seriously at all." - Commented Riveria with a frown.
"More like he doesn't seem to need to, the difference is staggering." - Responded Finn seriously, while watching Mark.
"Wow." - Said Hestia, admiring. - "If he keeps going like this, he might even win."
"He should easily make it into the top ten." - Said Welf.
"Considering what Mr. Mark showed in the Dungeon, it's very likely." - Confirmed Lili and Bell agreed, and Zoe thought the same.
In fact, after a few more minutes, only ten people remained standing, including Mark, who showed no signs of fatigue.
"This concludes the level 2 fights! Let's give a round of applause to these competitors!" - At Ganesha's words, the stands erupted in excitement.
"What do you think?" - Asked Loki with a special smile.
Finn also smiled, then pointed at Mark. - "He'll join the Familia."