Chapter 873 – Beauty as a Bane and Favorable for Action
Silas Andy, a fifth-year student from the Mana Academy with the title “People of the Ocean,” frequently uses card sets such as the Furious Shark Series, Sea Creature Series, and Fish Species Series. He specializes in the Water Attribute and Fish-Type, and his research on Field Cards and Water Attribute Magic Spell Cards is profound.
—Dark’s mind rapidly conjured up information about this senior.
Then, he stepped out from the crowd under everyone’s watchful eyes, standing beside Silas Andy and the second group.
Senior Judy came over, holding a microphone, and asked, “Andy-kun, may I ask why you chose Di Mont?”
Silas Andy replied in a calm tone, “Sixteenth and fifteenth have already been chosen, so only the fourteenth remains.”
Judy smiled and said, “That’s a very reasonable reason indeed. So, Andy-kun must be aiming for victory today?”
Silas Andy stated, “My opponent is a second-year student; I shouldn’t lose.”
Judy immediately looked at Dark and asked, “So, Dark-kun, what do you think about what Andy-kun said?”
Dark smiled slightly and said, “To be honest, when I was called by Senior Andy just now, I really felt relieved.”
Judy asked with a smile, “Why is that?”
Dark responded, “Don’t you see, behind us isn’t there Senior Luke Beck from the sixth year? Being selected early by Senior Andy is truly lucky.”
Judy deliberately glanced towards Luke Beck.
The projection for the audience also shifted its focus to Luke Beck.
Just in time, it captured the face of Luke Beck, who seemed ready to pounce.
Luke Beck sneered, unimpressed.
Silas Andy frowned.
What Dark had just said was subtle yet clear—it implied that he was far inferior to Luke Beck.
He wasn’t bothered by being told he was no match for Luke Beck, but the condescending tone made him feel quite bad.
After all, he had chosen Dark Di Mont so decisively because he harbored hostility toward him!
Ultimately, he wanted to use this opportunity to teach this presumptuous second-year student a lesson, just like Luke Beck did.
Silas Andy and Pandora were classmates, closer than Luke Beck.
Probably since the beginning of third year, he noticed himself paying special attention to Pandora, who had already been the class leader. This had lasted for nearly two years.
Unlike Luke Beck, he didn’t boldly confess his feelings but silently pursued her, hoping one day to surpass her and then declare his admiration on equal terms.
But all of that ended.
He couldn’t understand why things had turned out this way.
Why would someone as perfect as Pandora be interested in a greenhorn second-year student?
Shouldn’t she be like a pure white flower on an icy plateau, standing alone?
No one imperfect was worthy of her!
A rare shadow crossed Silas Andy’s eyes as he couldn’t help saying, “I hope you still feel lucky when we take the stage!”
Dark smiled inwardly, “Let’s hope so.”
…
Although he didn’t know the cause, after some simple probing, Dark was still convinced that both Senior Silas Andy and Senior Luke Beck held some hostility toward him.
However, Senior Silas Andy was tight-lipped, not revealing any details, which prevented Dark from further investigating the reasons, leaving him somewhat disappointed.
Yet, the more so, the more he wanted to uncover the reasons!
“It seems I can only explore a little during the duel.”
Dark stood upright, shifting his attention to the others.
He was also very curious about who the next contestant would choose as their opponent.
…
After Silas Andy, it naturally went to “Dragon Slayer” Luke Beck.
Luke Beck originally wanted to pick Dark as his opponent, but since Dark had already been chosen, he could only select from the remaining contestants.
His gaze moved, and soon he made his decision.
[Fourth Match: Luke Beck vs. Matthew Billbrom]
[Power Attacker] Matthew Billbrom, one of the sixteenth-strongest participants in the Golden Cup besides Luke Beck, was a sixth-year student.
At the same time, he was also the weakest among the remaining choices!
At least, from Luke Beck’s perspective, that was true.
Therefore, his choice was sound.
However, the chosen Matthew Billbrom looked extremely displeased.
Originally, Matthew had come to try for a ranking because there weren’t many sixth-year students in this Golden Cup. But he hadn’t expected to encounter another sixth-year student, the “Dragon Slayer” Luke Beck, in the first round of single-elimination matches.
In past matches, he had faced Luke Beck multiple times, but so far, he had never won!
This was a duel with virtually no suspense!
…
With Luke Beck’s selection complete, only half of the contestants remained on stage.
The range of choices became narrower.
But the biggest favorite of the Golden Cup was still present.
This inevitably made the four remaining contestants feel a bit tense.
In this atmosphere, the deputy president of the Astrology Club and a fourth-year student from the Fool’s Academy, Philomena Bach, walked confidently to the front.
She didn’t hesitate long, bypassing the thirteenth-ranked Eluria Clarissa and the eleventh-ranked contestant, choosing the tenth-ranked Marshall Wayant.
[Fifth Match: Philomena Bach vs. Marshall Wayant]
Marshall Wayant was a fourth-year student from the Knight Academy and also the [Hidden Snake] 90008.
Philomena Bach, also a fourth-year student, had great confidence in defeating him, knowing him well.
…
And after Philomena Bach, it was finally the turn of the sixth-ranked [Silver Dragon Lady] Pandora Dragon!
“I wonder which unlucky soul will be chosen this round.”
At this moment, the thoughts of the audience and the contestants were surprisingly aligned.
Dark was also very attentive.
Pandora Senior turned her head slightly, pointed, and the cube floating above her shot out like lightning, smashing the cube above Eluria Clarissa!
[Sixth Match: Pandora Dragon vs. Eluria Clarissa]
This sudden choice left Eluria Clarissa stunned.
Eluria Clarissa, though ranked thirteenth, was undoubtedly
Not weak.
This was also the reason why Fourth-Ranked Luke Beck and Fifth-Ranked Philomena Bach did not choose her.
Moreover, she specializes in [Fairy Type], which naturally counters Pandora’s [Dragon Type]. In other words, she is the worst opponent for Pandora.
Even if Pandora is a strong favorite to win, choosing Eluria Clarissa in this single-elimination tournament would be a thankless task.
However, Pandora chose this mismatched duel!
This naturally leads one to wonder if there is some unknown insider information involved.
…
“emmm…”
Dark glanced at Senior Eluria Clarissa and was immediately glared at fiercely.
Dark immediately withdrew his gaze, focusing on his breathing, indicating that he had nothing to do with it. Even if Eluria Clarissa were to be eliminated in the first round, it would be her own fault; may she find peace!
…
After Pandora, it was finally the turn of Seventh-Ranked [Winter Maiden] Vini Scarlet.
Although only a Fourth-Year student, Vini Scarlet’s current strength has been recognized by the audience. Though not as strong as Pandora, she is still one of the favorites to win.
She did not hesitate and directly chose the eleventh-ranked contestant from the remaining two.
[Seventh Match: Vini Scarlet vs. Rita Synsebury]
Rita Synsebury is a Fifth-Year student from the Noble Academy.
…
After Rita Synsebury was chosen, the last remaining contestant was Ninth-Ranked Hayden Gunther.
[Eighth Match: Taylor Spencer vs. Hayden Gunther]
Taylor Spencer is a Fifth-Year student from the Knight Academy and a member of the [Sports Club].
Hayden Gunther is also a Fifth-Year student from the Knight Academy but not part of the [Sports Club].
The two had a fierce competition for a spot in the top eight on the final day of the points race.
In the end, Taylor Spencer narrowly won, but their skill levels were nearly equal.
Little did they know that they would face each other again on the first day of the main event!
One could say this was a destined duel.
Who knows who will emerge victorious in this evenly matched duel?
…
“Alright! That’s all for today. All the matches for the first day of the Golden Cup main event have been decided. Let’s take another look at the projection!”
After interviewing the eighth set of contestants, Senior Judy raised her voice in excitement.
The large projection then listed the names and scheduled times for all eight matches.
The rules for this year’s Golden Cup were no different from previous years.
The schedule was set for one duel every thirty minutes.
This divided the duels into afternoon and evening sessions, each with four duels.
After each duel, host Judy would interview the participants.
The interviews on the first day were particularly brutal, focusing exclusively on the losers!
This almost felt like adding salt to the wounds of the defeated. It’s unclear who initiated this tradition, but it has continued to this day.
However, after the first day, normal interviews with winners resumed.
Participants could use the breaks between matches to adjust their decks.
Before the first match began, there was a fifteen-minute preparation period.
“To ensure fair play, both contestants will have fifteen minutes of preparation time before the first match begins. Now, let the Performance Department team take the stage and perform the rousing ‘Duel March’!”
After announcing this, Senior Judy led the contestants off the stage, handing over the spotlight to the elite performers of the Performance Department.
Sixteen contestants returned backstage.
Staff members prepared sofas, snacks, and tea in the backstage area. Contestants could choose to stay and watch the matches, return to the rest area, or temporarily leave the arena.
As for the first two contestants, we’ll skip their details. For the next eight contestants appearing in the evening, six chose to leave the backstage area.
Only Pandora and Eluria’s group did not leave.
Soon after, Luke Beck and Matthew Billbrom, ranked fourth, also left.
Eight contestants remained in the backstage area.
These eight contestants sat apart. The four contestants from the first and second matches each summoned small barriers to shield themselves while building their decks.
On the other side, Silas Andy sat alone.
Pandora and Eluria moved their single-seater sofas next to Dark’s.
Then, Pandora waved her hand and summoned a barrier, blocking Silas Andy’s view.
Inside this barrier, the three of them talked loudly.
“Beauty is a curse!” Eluria Clarissa glared at Dark without hesitation.
Dark looked innocent: “The phrase ‘beauty is a curse’ refers to women. Don’t misuse it.”
Eluria raised her hand and pointed at Dark’s forehead with her index finger.
Predictably, Pandora caught her finger with two fingers.
In a martial arts novel, this would be a classic scene of disarming a blade.
Eluria gritted her teeth and retracted her finger.
Pandora smiled: “Do you want to duel now?”
Eluria took a deep breath and said: “Narrow-minded!”
Pandora shrugged indifferently: “If a person’s heart can hold one more person, it is already spacious enough.”
Eluria turned around and muttered: “Enjoy yourself now. Wait until you lose to me tonight and see how you feel then!”
Pandora glanced at her and said calmly: “If your only strategy is attribute advantage, you might as well think ahead about how to answer Judy’s questions when you’re eliminated.”
Eluria snorted and focused on her cup.
Sitting between these two, Dark felt their gazes like daggers piercing him.
But he and Eluria were clearly unrelated.
Eluria Clarissa wasn’t even his fish… ah, no! Dark Demon certainly wouldn’t keep fish!
In short, how innocent, how innocent!
“I need to find a topic to break this atmosphere.”
Dark shifted his gaze and saw Silas Andy, who had not opened a barrier and was sitting alone.
He couldn’t help but ask: “Senior, how much do you know about Silas Andy?”
“Not at all!” Eluria Clarissa answered quickly.
Pandora almost laughed in frustration.
Afternoon calmly said, “Silas Andy is a fifth-year student at the Mana Academy, and his academic ranking within our academy generally fluctuates between third to fifth place.”
“Only third to fifth?” Dark was somewhat surprised, “Judging by his appearance, I thought he would be at least in the top two.”
Pandora shook her head, “The competition within the Mana Academy is fierce, let alone this is just based on written test scores. Silas Andy occasionally making it into the top three is already a result of considerable effort.”
Dark nodded, “So, his dueling strength should also be around this level?”
But Pandora shook her head again, “Compared to that, he is more skilled in written exams.”
Dark understood slightly, “I see, looks like I still have a chance.”
Pandora reminded him, “Don’t underestimate him because of this. His overall strength may have some flaws, but his deck construction is bizarrely versatile, and his tactical systems are constantly evolving, making him a very difficult opponent to deal with. Moreover, I heard that he has mastered a particularly special summoning technique.”
Another special summoning technique?
Upon hearing this, Dark couldn’t help but ask, “What kind of summoning technique?”
Pandora solemnly said, “Reverse Flow Summoning.”
…
To know your enemy as well as yourself ensures victory in a hundred battles.
Gathering intelligence has always been a crucial factor in determining the outcome of duels.
However, Dark has never been good at this aspect.
Just like now, he could only squeeze as much information about Silas Andy from Pandora as possible.
But Pandora’s understanding of Silas Andy was not comprehensive either; she could only provide some strategic ideas.
Among the information she revealed, the most useful was undoubtedly the 【Reverse Flow Summoning Technique】!
Although the 【Reverse Flow Summoning Technique】 is also a special summoning technique, it is not like the 【Starlight Summoning Technique】 which opened up an entirely new system.
It is an advanced form of regular summoning, on par with the 【Sacrificial Summoning Technique】, but due to its extremely high difficulty to master and strict requirements for the summoning environment, it is rarely seen.
When a Magus uses the 【Reverse Flow Summoning Technique】, they can deconstruct summoned Mana Spirits back into nothingness, turning them into a torrent of mana, thus allowing elemental creatures of the corresponding attribute to be summoned uniquely.
In this process, the star rating requirement for the Mana Spirit needed for the 【Reverse Flow Summoning Technique】 is exactly the same as for the 【Sacrificial Summoning Technique】.
Unless the elemental creature has either the 【Elemental Eye】 or the 【Elemental Heart】, it can only be summoned at a small cost.
Therefore, compared to the 【Sacrificial Summoning Technique】, the 【Reverse Flow Summoning Technique】 has almost no advantage. It is a special summoning technique that can only be used under specific conditions.
It is often used to forcibly insert elemental Mana Spirit cards into non-elemental decks.
Additionally, some ritual summoning requirements can be achieved by using the 【Reverse Flow Summoning Technique】 in conjunction.
At this point, combining with the 【Ritual Summoning Technique】, one can even ignore their hand and directly summon the Mana Spirit card that meets the ritual conditions from the deck.
Silas Andy is currently researching how to use the 【Reverse Flow Summoning Technique】 combined with the 【Ocean Field】 to create a unique method to ritual summon a deep-sea Mana Spirit.
Among these, the 【Ocean Field】 series of field cards used by Silas Andy are also very troublesome.
He can transform the entire battlefield into an underwater world with flooding water, severely restricting the movement of Mana Spirits, even if they don’t suffocate.
Especially for fire-attribute Mana Spirits, they are greatly suppressed in a watery field.
Considering all these factors, Dark needs to make significant adjustments to his deck.
Fortunately, his match is the third one, giving him plenty of time to think.
…
While the contestants were desperately adjusting their decks, the audience was also discussing fiercely.
Like Evan Pearson, who asked Edwin Clarissa about information regarding Silas Andy.
Of course, he wasn’t interested in Silas Andy himself, but wanted to infer Dark’s chances of winning.
To express his stance, Edwin Clarissa revealed some secret information unknown to the general public.
It was naturally not just about the 【Reverse Flow Summoning Technique】.
Upon hearing this, Evan Pearson’s pupils constricted, and he quickly exchanged information with Tommy Smith.
Silas Andy’s reputation was not loud; at least compared to the 【Silver Dragon Lady】 and the 【Night Baron】, he was virtually unknown.
But the information revealed by Edwin Clarissa overturned Evan Pearson’s preconceived notions about such a contestant, deeply realizing that it wouldn’t be easy to win against Silas Andy.
His heart even settled down as a result.
…
Fifteen minutes is neither long nor short.
The audience, still in heated discussions, had yet to reach a conclusion, while those immersed in the beautiful music felt unsatisfied.
But the first match of the main event of the Golden Cup was finally about to begin!
Host Judy returned to the podium.
The judges and commentators took their positions.
The two contestants for the first duel walked out from the backstage area and approached the sides of the central arena.
Fifth-Year Noble Academy, [Thunderblade] Torre Vosworth!
vs
Fifth-Year Fool’s Academy, [Skyclaw] Elijah Sheridan!
…
Elijah Sheridan, known as [Skyclaw], is naturally most skilled in aerial flight-type magic.
However, his opponent is the reigning champion of the electric type, [Thunderblade]!
To avoid being countered by attributes, Elijah Sheridan carefully considered and switched to a ground-type deck.
This unexpected choice indeed caused some trouble for Torre Vosworth at the beginning of the duel.
Electric-type Mana Spirits’ ultimate skills are almost ineffective against ground-type Mana Spirits.
However, Torre Vosworth quickly changed tactics and ultimately destroyed Elijah Sheridan’s confidence with enhanced physical attacks powered by electricity!
The disparity in skill between the two contestants was fully displayed at that moment.
[Skyclaw] Elijah Sheridan became the first to be eliminated in this year’s Golden Cup.
And under Judy’s interview, he made his elimination statement…
The cruelty of the first day’s elimination matches was fully displayed.
…
Immediately after half an hour, the second duel proceeded smoothly.
Fifth-Year Fool’s Academy, [Vegetarianism] Regana Milton!
vs
Fourth-Year Knight Academy, [Battle Soul] Mars Kerry!
…
Mars Kerry won!
…
…
[Extra Chapter for Votes ○|￣|_]
