Lord of the Sky City

Rocky and Xia Nai's conflict had just ended when the preliminary competition began. Following the staff's announcement, half of the players in the rest area headed to their respective arenas, including Xia Nai.

"Let's go too, to watch the other players' matches," Rocky said as he stood up from the bench and spoke to Liliya and Monte, after all the competitors had left.

His reason for coming to the Arena so early was to watch the other players' matches, to get a concrete idea of the competition. So, as the players for the morning's three preliminary matches took their positions, Rocky left the rest area, seemingly unaffected by the earlier altercation.

Since he was a competitor, he enjoyed certain conveniences when watching the matches. The Arena had a special viewing area for competitors, where they could watch the action up close. However, if multiple matches were happening at once, they would need to choose which to watch.

In this regard, Rocky didn't hesitate. He randomly picked the third platform's match to watch because he simply wanted to see what the preliminary matches were like, without having any particular player he wanted to follow.

It wasn't long after he entered the viewing area that the preliminary matches officially began!

"Ladies and gentlemen! The first quarter preliminary competition of the Sky Era Year 118 is about to officially commence!"

As mentioned before, the Arena is essentially for entertainment. So, when the preliminary matches were about to start, the announcer's passionate voice resonated throughout, and cheers erupted from the stands. Clearly, the audience was growing impatient.

"There's quite a crowd..." Rocky couldn't help but remark as he looked back at the audience from the viewing area. The stands around the third platform were practically full, with several thousand spectators at least, indicating the immense popularity of the Arena. Otherwise, so many wouldn't attend just a preliminary match.

"This isn't even a big crowd yet," said Liliya as Rocky marveled. "These are only the preliminary matches, with a few thousand people. Once the rank matches start, that's when you see larger crowds. I've heard that some high-rank matches can attract tens of thousands per match."

"Really, that many people?" Rocky replied, turning to look at Liliya in surprise, but after a thought, it seemed reasonable since this was the Eternal City after all.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The match at platform three will now begin! Please welcome the combatants to the stage!"

While Rocky and Liliya were talking, the announcer's exhilarated voice rang out again: "The first player to enter the stage is contestant number 997, who has chosen to remain anonymous!"

As the announcement was made, one of the ten gates around the platform slowly opened, and a warrior wearing the fourth-generation Mass Production Type Armor appeared before the crowd. His image was simultaneously broadcast on the large screen within the Arena.

However, the entrance of this first contestant didn't incite much enthusiasm from the audience, for a simple reason. It was clear at a glance that the contestant was using the tournament-provided Armor, indicating average ability. And for an average competitor, the audience wasn't generous with applause.
Read new chapters at empire

"And now, please welcome the second contestant!"

As soon as the first contestant entered, the second gate opened, and another warrior in Void Magic Armor walked out, also sporting a fourth-generation Mass Production Type Armor. However, upon entering, he raised his longsword high, striking a rather cool pose.

This display earned cheers from the crowd, evidently giving this second warrior a more enthusiastic reception than the previous one based on vigor.

Afterwards, as the announcer kept introducing the participants, the ten players for this preliminary match entered the stage one after another. Interestingly, or perhaps coincidentally, none of the ten players in this preliminary round were true Void Magic Warriors, as all ten were wearing the fourth-generation Mass Production Type Armor provided by the Arena.

This setup, whether intentional or not, left the audience quite dissatisfied. If all ten lacked their own Armor, it implied that none were genuine Void Magic Warriors, and therefore the quality of the preliminary match would likely be low. Since viewers paid to watch the match, they naturally felt discontent and responded with a resounding chorus of boos.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please be patient..."

"Do not underestimate these competitors or the Void Magic Armor provided by the tournament. Every contestant participating is one in a hundred, an outstanding warrior, and the Armor provided by the tournament is among the best of the fourth-generation, the Firepower 4-Type Armor. It is one of the most renowned in the fourth-generation Assault Armor series. With such skilled warriors and exceptional Armor, they are sure to deliver an exceptionally exciting match!"

Facing the jeers of the audience, the announcer had no choice but to confidently explain away their concerns, swiftly followed by announcing: "Competitors, please step onto the platform and begin the preliminary match!"

As soon as the announcer finished speaking, the ten contestants, who were already gathered around the platform, all jumped onto the stage together.