Chapter 379: Dark Demon Does Not Want to Depend on Others (8/233)
Taking the left turn from the fork, after walking for two or three minutes, one can see a very spacious waiting room for competitors.
First to third-year participants entered one after another.
After obtaining their number plates, Dark and Diana followed suit and entered as well.
They found two empty seats inside and sat down, whispering to each other quietly.
The walls of the waiting room were displaying the current number of registered participants in real-time.
Up until now, over eighty first to third-year participants had completed their registration, and it was estimated that they would soon break through the hundred mark.
Compared to the total number of less than five hundred students across the three grades, this was already quite substantial.
With so many participants, the competition format was bound to undergo temporary adjustments.
Dark observed his surroundings and noticed more acquaintances appearing in the waiting room.
All seven duelists from the first year had arrived, and there were also many students who had managed to gather forty mana cards to experience the free-for-all mode.
Many people had squeezed into Tudor’s small circle, and they were currently gathered in a corner, laughing and chatting.
In the Knight Academy, Wit Gold was sitting with another duelist from the same academy, Justin Wayne, but the atmosphere seemed stiff as they appeared to have little to talk about.
There was no sign of Robert Broheim, indicating he had failed to gather the required forty mana cards.
Dark had initially been optimistic about him, given that the mana cards left behind by the vampire Vlad were still in his possession.
If Robert could successfully summon the “Vampire Count” during the preliminaries, he might easily advance.
Unfortunately, he missed this chance to showcase himself.
Dark’s gaze shifted, noticing Emma Maltis among a group of third-year seniors.
One of the seniors had her hair tied in a ponytail, exuding a spirited aura—Helona Tracy, a member of the Literature Club who had a good relationship with Emma.
Additionally, fellow Literature Club members Angelia Hudson and Vini Scarlet were nearby.
Dark vaguely remembered that Vini Scarlet had accepted an invitation from the Big Princess during Halloween and had danced with her.
She was apparently a descendant of a sage and was among the top performers in the third year of the Mana Academy.
Speaking of descendants of sages, Dark’s gaze turned to Sarah Swati, whose dark skin continued to attract attention.
As he looked around, Dark suddenly felt a sharp gaze.
He instinctively turned his head and saw Mike Owen, a senior whom he had dueled on Valentine’s Day, chatting with a group of men and women in a corner not far behind him.
“Is he a member of some noble history club?”
At that moment, Dark’s gaze collided with one of the boys.
But once the boy became aware, he immediately turned away, pretending to laugh and diverting his gaze.
Such a guilty action instantly made Dark feel wary.
“On Valentine’s Day, Senior Owen challenged me with flimsy reasons. Now someone else seems to be up to no good again.
Could my refusal to join their club have provoked their retaliation?
But that was over a month ago. Besides, if that were the case, wouldn’t it be petty?”
Dark shook his head, indicating he couldn’t understand and didn’t want to think too much about it.
…
After a few more minutes, the number displayed on the wall finally stabilized.
First to third-year: 132 people;
Fourth to sixth-year: 171 people;
…
In the end, it actually exceeded three hundred people!
Among the first to third-year participants, mainly the first-year students were lagging behind, causing them to fall short compared to the fourth to sixth-year participants.
The enthusiasm of the students for the preliminaries was beyond imagination.
Once the number was confirmed, the final competition format was adjusted accordingly.
Yne Knight, the deputy minister of the Dueling Club responsible for first to third-year participants, clearly explained the final competition format.
“This year’s Easter Duel Festival is divided into junior and senior groups. The first to third-year participants form the junior group, totaling 132 people so far.”
“The competition consists of two rounds. The first round is the preliminary round, and the second round is the main event.”
“As you all know, the preliminary round uses the grand melee format never seen before.”
“We will pre-set positions around the circular field based on your number plates. Please stand in the corresponding competitor positions according to your number plates when it’s time to start the match.”
“The rules for the grand melee are simple.”
“Within the boundary of the circular field, you can summon any mana golem and use mana cards, but you cannot exceed the boundary or attack competitors outside it. Accidental attacks on competitors outside will result in immediate disqualification.”
“The score is determined by the number of mana golems killed. Each kill adds 1 point, and each death subtracts 1 point. Divisible mana golems count as 1 point overall.”
“All competitors’ scores will be displayed in real-time on the large screen.”
“The normal match duration is half an hour.”
“The scoring limit has been changed to a time limit.”
“The final ranking will be based on the accumulated points.”
“The top eight competitors with the highest points will directly advance to the main event!”
“The main event will follow a single-elimination format. Losers will be eliminated, and winners will advance.”
“The matches of the two groups will alternate.”
“There will be only one winner per group. The academy has prepared Easter golden eggs for the victors!”
“Do you understand?”
…
The rules of the competition were indeed very straightforward.
Dark even guessed the entire format after hearing only half of it.
He was only surprised by the change from a scoring limit to a time limit.
A scoring limit means that once a certain score is reached, one can advance.
This effectively allows high-scoring participants to exit during breaks, giving others more opportunities to hunt for points.
A time limit, however, gradually turns into a hunting ground for high-scoring participants!
This would lead high-scoring participants to continuously hunt for higher scores.
It would also make the entire competition more intense.
To win, one must start competing from the very beginning.
As for which format is better?
It’s hard to say which is better.
As one of the 303 participants, Dark could only follow the rules and play within their limits.
However, the appearance of the number plates disrupted the students’ formation, reducing the impact of off-field teaming to some extent.
The real-time scoring method also catered well to both participants and spectators, which was excellent.
Another thing to note is the reduction in the number of qualifying spots.
Originally, thirty-two participants were supposed to qualify from two groups combined, but now each group only has eight participants.
This would intensify the competition thoroughly.
It would also make it much harder to qualify!
But the reason for reducing the number of participants was easy to understand.
Since this was a festival event, the venue should not be too crowded.
Having one match every half hour was more appropriate.
Two matches per hour with intervals allowed for interviews and introductions, helping the audience get to know the participants better, making it easier… well, to gain fans.
In this way, there would be twelve matches in the main event, lasting six hours.
Including the opening ceremony and closing ceremony, as well as two grand melee preliminaries.
There would still be time for lunch.
By dusk, the competition would conclude.
Perfect!
…
After a brief consideration, Dark understood the general schedule.
When he raised his head after finishing his thoughts, Yne Knight, a fourth-year senior, was already calling the participants onto the field.
Due to the hasty arrangement, the opening ceremony of the Easter Duel Festival was very simple, consisting of only a few minutes of speeches and a dance performance by school students, totaling less than fifteen minutes.
When the students’ dance ended amidst the drumbeats, the first to third-year participants were led into the field.
Only then did the 132 participants first see the stage for the grand melee—this was a standard circular field with a diameter exceeding 200 meters, but without a competitor platform.
The absence of a competitor platform posed obvious problems.
The geographical height where the participants stood would restrict their view, preventing them from having an overview of the entire field.
The limitation in vision would also force them to control their mana golems only in their immediate vicinity.
This would affect the entire strategic layout.
However, many participants were here just for entertainment, so the strategic plans might be abandoned on the spot.
…
Being a first-year student,
Dark and Diana walked behind the second and third-year students when entering the field.
“There seem to be a lot of people.”
Diana was taken aback by the densely packed spectator area as soon as she stepped out.
She had only experienced one novice tournament, and while there were many spectators that morning, there were still plenty of empty seats in the spectator area.
But this time, the crowd was bustling and noisy, especially with the two large areas…
[Translation cut off due to text length constraints]
In the venue, hardly a single seat was left unoccupied.
Tens of thousands of spectators were scattered across various branches, yet their projections converged onto one arena, making the scene unprecedentedly grand.
Diana wanted to find her parents as she did last time, trying hard to spot them.
But indeed, there wasn’t much to see on the flat ground.
She sighed slightly but quickly cheered up upon spotting Rose cheering for her.
At the same time.
Dark found Senior Pandora in the ring.
Unlike Diana, he immediately discovered his mother and Claire, along with two young princesses, in the front row!
Alvaraite was fiddling with a white model, which was too far away to make out clearly.
Claire still held the fat cat.
The two young princesses were pulling each other, with a pile of models beside them, none knowing if they had gotten their desired golems.
“Please find your respective positions after entering.”
The repeated announcement by the on-site host drew Dark’s attention back.
He looked at Diana and encouraged her, “It’s time to give it your all next.”
Diana replied, “Yes! You do the same!”
They high-fived each other before walking off in different directions.
No matter the outcome, give it everything!
…
Two minutes later, Dark found his position.
His number was 77, a very lucky number for him.
When he stood in place, the 76th and 80th participants arrived soon after.
Numbers were drawn randomly, so they weren’t perfectly sequential.
However, the positions were generally arranged from smallest to largest.
The 76th participant was on his left, and the 80th was on his right.
Unfortunately, both were unfamiliar seniors.
Yet, the 76th wore second-year uniform while the 80th wore third-year uniform.
The big fish eats the small fish.
To efficiently advance, one must target the second-year seniors.
Dark narrowed his eyes and thought quickly.
…
On the other side,
Participant 6 Diana became neighbors with Participant 4 Wit.
Wit felt a bit relieved with a peer by his side.
Diana pondered over the big fish eating the small fish.
…
The dozen or so first-year participants were scattered among the second and third years, mostly looking like trembling lambs surrounded by wolves.
Zach Wilson, fortunate enough to be this round’s commentator, stood on the platform surveying the field.
Though Wilson was low-ranking in the noble history club due to his father being a powerless viscount, he was well-liked in the Dueling Club.
Having experience as a commentator in formal events, he was not assigned here this time.
In fact, because he remained unbiased during the previous novice tournament, he was now at the bottom of the noble history club, disfavored by its president, Jeffrey.
Wilson, who had once flattered Jeffrey due to his father’s affiliation with the prince’s faction, now lived more comfortably without that pressure.
He earned his role as commentator through his own abilities, joyfully observing the entire venue.
If only everyone could be themselves.
Who wants to be a dog?
“I wonder if Dark Demon can win again this time?”
…
In the spectator area.
Once all 132 names were projected on the screen, the audience eagerly searched for their favorites.
Second and third years could participate in formal matches, gaining many fans.
But besides fans, many parents came to catch a glimpse of their children.
Despite Saint Maryann Academy being an ideal educational haven, parents missed their children studying away for a whole year, making communication difficult.
Viscount Gretebail, with his wife, counted names on the big screen, hoping his daughter might participate.
“Diana Gretebail! Dear, I found her!”
“Where? Where?” Viscount Gretebail exclaimed.
Last time, his daughter won against a second-year student as a first-year, which made him proud.
Now, wherever he went, people praised him, unlike the Tolords whose children always lost honorably.
Last time, he accidentally shouted too loud, possibly offending Prince Charles.
To avoid trouble, Viscount Gretebail decided to stay silent this time.
After all, the Valkyrie in front was quite noticeable.
Viscount Gretebail wanted to discuss praising children with the Valkyrie, but his wife said she would handle it at tea parties.
Could such exchanges really be handled by others?
The giant bear sighed.
…
Meanwhile, Alvaraite found her son’s name on the screen, her face lighting up with joy.
The two young princesses complained about not getting the “Sky White Dragon,” while searching for Dark Demon.
But it was hard to find him amidst the crowd.
Claire read the competition rules displayed on the screen, saying, “This rule is interesting.”
Alvaraite stopped smiling, agreeing, “Seemingly chaotic but orderly. If formalized, it would become a competition of connections. Only those who understand strategic alliances will win consistently. But this tournament has a mixed group of participants, mainly for entertainment and luck.”
Claire laughed, “I wonder if Dark’s luck is good enough?”
Alvaraite frowned, worried, “This child hasn’t been lucky since childhood.”
Princess Angie sitting between Claire and Alvaraite chimed in, “That’s true, I remember he always loses at rock-paper-scissors!”
Princess Anna immediately countered, “So do you? I’m the only winner.”
Angie pouted, “Ugh, we’re even!”
…
In the Free City.
At the duel branch venue.
Montiel Farley, in a box, found Dark Demon’s name on the screen.
“He did participate?” She tapped the armrest with her finger and said to Principal Altair, “Cynthia, I want to watch him closely.”
“Sure.” Principal Altair flicked her fingers, sending a beam of light to the one-way mirror.
Saint Maryann Academy’s outdoor dueling arena theoretically didn’t have boxes.
Only the principal could set up one, connecting it to the projection in the arena.
Her elemental bug searched the projection and returned, exploding into a firework and transforming into an oval mirror.
Dark Demon appeared in the mirror.
Montiel Farley frowned, scrutinizing him closely.
Beside her, Aurora widened her eyes.
The son of the Valkyrie perfectly inherited her hair color and delicate features.
If not for the numerous rumors about him, he would be a heartthrob.
“He’s too frail.”
Montiel Farley clearly showed dissatisfaction.
“Alvaraite is a warrior goddess, how could she raise such a weak child? Such a frail child doesn’t deserve my little moon.”
Aurora whispered softly, “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle…”
Montiel Farley glared at her.
Dark Demon’s fair face was indeed deceptive, usually irresistible to young girls.
But her daughter wouldn’t fall for such superficiality.
Aurora’s special interest in him was her fault.
After a busy day, she drunkenly let slip their betrothal, originally just a casual agreement between mothers.
At the time, Montiel Farley intended to build a city but lacked resources, turning to her most trusted ally—Valkyrie Alvaraite.
Alvaraite, known for her kindness, agreed to support Montiel Farley’s effort to shelter discriminated half-breeds without hesitation.
Back then, the duchy was healing from war wounds, with tight supplies.
Alvaraite’s immediate support deeply moved Montiel Farley.
Seeing the two children snuggling, she impulsively proposed their betrothal.
Alvaraite knew better than to rush such decisions.
It would slightly ease the worries of her comrades, so she agreed at that moment.
But actually, neither side took it too seriously.
After Montiel Farley successfully built the city, she provided significant returns to the Duke’s Mansion.
If neither party mentioned it, as their children grew up, that “child marriage” would likely become null and void.
Unfortunately, when her daughter was five years old, Montiel Farley inadvertently exposed this matter.
From then on, Aurora, who had already understood right from wrong at the age of five, knew about her “fiancé.”
Although they hadn’t met since growing up, news in the Free City circulated relatively quickly.
Aurora occasionally managed to learn some things related to him from the maids around her.
Gradually, she learned his name, his mischievous nature, and the rumors surrounding him.
But what did it matter?
As long as he was handsome? [?]
A bad personality could be cultivated. [?]
Aurora actually understood the situation with this “child marriage.”
But from her perspective, if she could marry smoothly, the burden on her mother would lighten considerably.
The establishment of the Free City was just the beginning; its subsequent development was crucial.
As a new city established within demon territory, its growth would inevitably be fraught with difficulties.
For her mother, for the city, and for all the half-breeds, the support of the Valkyrie was necessary.
Of course, Aurora wasn’t that great.
She was doing it solely for her mother.
In short, that’s how it started.
That was her thought at the age of five.
…
At that time, Aurora’s goal was to become the wife behind a successful man.
But as she grew older and gained clearer understanding of the relationship between men and women, she became ashamed to speak of this goal.
The initial sense of utilitarianism gradually faded with age.
Montiel Farley often told her: The path is your own, walk it with your own feet.
Always thinking of taking shortcuts and relying on others is immature.
After Aurora deeply understood this, she cut off the first part of her goal—“the wife behind a successful man”—leaving only the latter part—“wife.”
As long as she herself was versatile enough as a wife, what difference would it make if her husband were incompetent?
Yes, becoming such a “wife” was enough.
Aurora had gotten used to playing the role of a wife.
Even though there was no formal engagement between them, and they hadn’t seen each other since growing up.
Now, she was confident in supporting any “husband.”
…
“No problem, Aurora.”
Aurora looked at the “husband” in the mirror, mustered a little strength in her heart, and cheered herself on!
…
Saint Maryann Academy.
Outdoor Duel Arena.
Dark Demon did not realize he was being watched.
After all, the Valkyrie rarely mentioned such matters except for occasional jokes.
He was also someone who didn’t pay attention to casual remarks before.
So he had no recollection of the “child marriage.”
Even if he knew, it wouldn’t change his mind.
The so-called “fiancée,” although a popular character in the original game, had nothing to do with him now.
Even if they recognized each other in the future, it would be after they met.
He put in his greatest effort to deal with the “Demon God bloodline.” As for the rest, he hoped to follow his heart.
“It’s starting!”
With all 132 participants standing in their designated positions, the atmosphere in the arena shifted from initially cheerful to serious.
No matter what mindset brought them here,
once they stepped onto the battlefield, they realized that entertaining attitudes would mean more than just losing face!
The enthusiasm of the audience astonished the freshmen who were participating in their first duel.
The roar of the crowd replaced the start of the match.
The experience on the spectator seats and the arena was completely different.
Some of the freshmen were already trembling.
Dark Demon also felt his blood boiling.
Zach Wilson on the commentary stand waved his arms vigorously, trying to calm the audience.
But his presence was clearly insufficient.
The upcoming preliminary battle commentary was a big test for him.
There was no choice but to shout loudly amidst the cheers: “Under everyone’s watch, our contestants have taken their positions. Whether you’re a freshman stepping into battle for the first time or a seasoned third-year student, you stand on the same field, praising the new duel mode. Here, I greet all the spectators on behalf of the contestants, Happy Easter!”
“Happy Easter!”
Though few, some people responded sporadically to Wilson’s call, and the mixed blessings made him secretly wipe his sweat.
“Happy Easter my ass!”
But there were also those who took the opportunity to curse.
Angus Jeffery, the head of the Noble History Research Club, clenched his teeth in the ring and roared angrily among the crowd: “Kill him!”
A few members of the Noble History Research Club in the arena seemed to glance in his direction, some carelessly, others with sharp eyes.
Since the Valentine’s Day fiasco, Mike Owen, a third-year student, had gradually fallen from Jeffrey’s trusted circle to a peripheral figure, leaving a vacancy around Jeffrey.
Regardless of which motive, replacing Mike Owen and becoming Jeffrey’s confidant in the short term would be advantageous.
As for the long-term…
These days, who still invested in the long-term?
In short, the preliminary battle, no matter how chaotic, would not seem out of place.
So why not take advantage of the chaos?
Those who took Jeffrey’s suggestion seriously included three second-year students and two third-year students.
And the one closest to Dark Demon…
Number 74, a second-year student.
Just two people away from Dark Demon.
Second-Year Noble Academy, Oligo Ruze!
The Ruze family was merely an obscure minor noble family in the kingdom.
Their patriarch was only a baron.
But they possessed a vast barony—though mostly wasteland.
Recently, however, minerals seemed to have been discovered.
Oligo Ruze had thus barely squeezed into the Noble History Research Club, an opportunity for him to climb the social ladder, which he was striving to seize.
For an edge noble, climbing the social ladder was an important way to improve their status.
The information and opportunities available to those in upper and lower tiers were entirely different.
This was true even within the noble circles.
Moreover, the Ruze family’s sole asset—the land—was becoming less valuable.
With the acceleration of city construction, humans were passing through the initial phase of reconstruction.
Soon, humans would begin developing and reusing demon territories.
And the Free City, as a forward base, would become a contested area.
“The Sun Warrior.” Sona Montiel Farley indeed built a promising home for the half-breeds.
…
In short, to benefit himself and his family, Oligo Ruze was planning ways to trip up Dark Demon.
As for why he didn’t simply pledge allegiance to the duke’s son?
On one hand, he had no path to pledging allegiance, and on the other, he had already joined the Noble History Research Club.
One’s vision is usually constrained by their environment.
If someone in the Noble History Research Club had an eye outside, his future path would be difficult.
But how could he trip up Dark Demon?
If he targeted him too deliberately, wouldn’t it be misunderstood that he had issues with the Duke’s Mansion?
If he attacked him too forcefully, wouldn’t he risk angering the duke’s son and facing private retaliation?
The Ruze family couldn’t afford the duke’s wrath, even a spark of it.
Being a minor noble, Ruze truly struggled.
He was under immense pressure.
…
As the match was about to start.
Dark Demon took out two mana cards from his deck and held them in his hand.
There were no rules for the preliminary battle, except that summoning could not begin before the match started. Anything else went.
Thus, he directly took out “Curse Cage: Imp” and “Pride III.”
In the early stages of the preliminary battle, whoever summoned powerful mana golems faster would gain the advantage sooner.
High-star and low-star mana golems were all one point, so naturally, he chose to hunt with a low-star mana golem!
To counter low-star mana golems, nothing was faster than a demon beast.
His gaze swept to both sides, ready to pounce.
…
“Ding dong!”
As the bell rang.
A huge countdown appeared above.
[30s]
…
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