NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 231 - Bet Lost?
The moment the match concluded, a deafening silence fell over the coliseum.
Thousands of spectators, who had been bracing themselves for a quick and predictable fight, were now frozen in place.
Mouths hung open, eyes were wide in disbelief, and no voice dared to break the eerie stillness.
On the battlefield, Gurrak stood tall, his golden skin gleaming under the sunlight, while his opponent, Eric Reeves, lay sprawled on the ground, utterly defeated.
The once-proud third-year, known for his resilience, had been completely overwhelmed.
And the method of his defeat?
Gold.
An impossible amount of gold.
It had started with a few small golden tendrils sprouting from Gurrak's body, an oddity that the audience had laughed at initially.
But the laughter had quickly died as the tendrils expanded, twisting and coalescing into massive, hulking figures—golden golems, each one crafted with terrifying precision.
Eric had tried to fight back. He had summoned his signature flame lances, conjured walls of wind, and even attempted to close the distance with his sword.
None of it worked.
Every attack was smothered by the sheer weight of gold, his flames extinguished, and his sword swings blocked effortlessly.
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Then the golems had moved.
They weren't slow, lumbering creatures.
No, they were fast, relentless, and horrifyingly efficient.
Each one attacked with a brutality that left Eric no room to breathe. He had been crushed, pummeled, and tossed around like a ragdoll.
And in the end, he was forced to surrender.
Then, the silence broke.
"T-That didn't just happen, right?"
"How?! How the hell did Gurrak do that?!"
"No way! Eric Reeves is in the top 20! There's no way he lost to... to... GURRAK?!"
"WHAT DID WE JUST WITNESS?!"
The coliseum exploded into a frenzy of voices.
People were shouting over each other, desperately trying to make sense of what they had just seen.
Some were in complete denial, others were already theorizing how this was possible, while a few were simply screaming incoherently.
Meanwhile, in the waiting room, an entirely different atmosphere hung in the air.
A heavy silence.
The participants, the very best of the third years, stood motionless, eyes glued to the illusionary screen displaying the match's final moments. The sight of Eric lying defeated, with Gurrak standing victorious, was burned into their minds.
A sound finally cut through the silence—a low chuckle.
"I wonder..." Alex's voice carried across the room as he leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. His gaze flickered toward Varacius, who stood stiff as a statue, his face unreadable. "...just how good a club president is at barking?"
A sharp inhale came from Aelora, who quickly pressed a hand to her lips, stifling a laugh. Aerenion, standing beside her, smirked, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement.
They had no enmity with Varacius or any other member of the Berserker Club, but they weren't on good terms either, so they didn't care.
Why was Alex going to these lengths, though?
It was because he recently got news of Berserker Club working together with Keryu, the person who had already regarded Alex as his enemy.
Alex now had no intention of showing mercy to them. The reason Alex made this bet was to humiliate Varacius, as he always knew that Gurrak, with his upgraded bloodline, would definitely win the match.
Varacius, on the other hand, didn't move.
His crimson eyes remained locked on the screen, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The veins on his forehead bulged, his jaw tightening with every passing second.
"...Tch." The sound was barely audible, but the frustration in it was undeniable.
He had never expected this. Not even in his wildest dream, but it was happening.
Now he didn't know what to do.
The other participants, on the other hand, were still processing what they had just witnessed.
"That... was unreal."
"No, no, no, no, no. This has to be some sort of trick, right? Right?!"
"How the hell did Gurrak hide something like that?!"
"Was he using gold manipulation?! He had THAT ability all this time?! And where did he get all that gold from?"
"I heard that all golden goblins have the ability to store infinite gold in another dimension."
"For real?? That's—That's just—"
"—Broken." Someone finished the sentence with a stunned expression. "That's completely broken."
Back in the coliseum, the audience was still in uproar.
"This has to be the biggest upset of the tournament!"
"Did Gurrak always have that power?! How did no one know about this?!"
"I—I don't even know what to say! This isn't just an underdog victory; this is a complete and total massacre!"
A few spectators, those who had mocked Gurrak earlier, were now shrinking back in their seats as if their words might come back to haunt them.
Others were frantically discussing theories—maybe Gurrak had been hiding his true strength or had undergone a sudden awakening.
Meanwhile, Gurrak was taking deep breaths, trying to stabilize himself as he walked to the corner of the arena.
'Looks like summoning 2 medium-sized golems is my limit for now,' he muttered inward, but as he passed by the bewildered Eric, he gave a small nod.
"You did good," Gurrak said simply, then continued on his way.
Eric, still lying on the ground, could only groan in response.
........................
Back in the waiting room, Alex stretched his arms behind his head, a satisfied smirk on his lips.
"Man," he sighed, tilting his head toward Varacius. "I hope your vocal cords are warmed up. Wouldn't want you losing your voice when it's time to bark."
Aelora finally broke. She let out a snort, barely able to contain her laughter, while Aerenion chuckled openly.
Varacius, however, remained silent, his face twitching as if resisting the urge to punch a hole in the wall.
He just stared at the illusionary screen still displaying the aftermath of the fight—Gurrak leaving the battlefield victorious while Eric lying on the ground in defeat.
The crowd in the coliseum had yet to settle down, even now.
People were still shouting, their voices overlapping in a chaotic storm of disbelief and excitement.
"That was insane!"
"How do you even prepare for something like that?! He just buried the guy in gold!"
"I swear, if I ever have to fight Gurrak, I'm just going to surrender on the spot."
A team of medics could be seen rushing to treat Eric as he was in bad shape. His armor was dented, his uniform was torn, and his expression was a mix of exhaustion and humiliation.
The guy had fought against golems, so it wasn't uncalled for.
The medics gently helped him to his feet before escorting him off the stage for treatment, and Gurrak, though not injured, followed.
......................
Back in the waiting room, Alex leaned back in his seat, his smirk never fading. His blue eyes gleamed with amusement as he turned his gaze toward Varacius, who had yet to say a word.
"So," Alex began, his tone laced with mock curiosity, "are you going to keep your end of the bet? Or are you going to pretend this never happened?"
Varacius remained silent, his jaw tight, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"Come on now," Alex pressed, his voice smooth as silk. "It was your idea to accept the bet, wasn't it? Or are you having second thoughts? If you beg, I might let you off the hook."
A few scattered chuckles filled the room, though most of the participants were still too stunned to fully enjoy Alex's taunts.
Even so, Aelora let out a barely concealed giggle, and Aerenion smirked as he crossed his arms.
Varacius finally turned his gaze toward Alex, his crimson eyes burning with restrained fury. "You think you're funny?"
Alex shrugged. "I think I'm hilarious. But that's beside the point. Are you going to do it or not?"
The Berserker Club president took a slow, deep breath, clearly struggling to keep his emotions in check.
He was a man of pride, but more than that, he was a man of his word. And no matter how humiliating it was, he knew there was no escaping the bet now.
But just as Varacius opened his mouth to respond, a sudden chime echoed through the room.
Everyone's heads snapped toward the illusionary board as the next match-up was revealed.
Alex Drakathor vs. Varacius Graymane.
That's what it showed.
Meaning: The next match was between Alex and Varacius.