**Chapter 159: The Grand Brawl Begins**
After getting a general understanding of the situation online, I stepped outside to take a breath of fresh air.
Of course, it was primarily Sister Bai who helped me by bringing my clothes and other things. If it weren’t for a phone call, I wouldn’t have even realized how long I had been watching videos.
“Ah hey~ I’m sorry to trouble you, Sister Bai.”
I said a little shyly after taking the clothes.
“It’s nothing, just make sure to bring a few more sets of clothes tomorrow. It’s inevitable that they will get torn during the competition, so it’s necessary to keep a few spare sets handy,” Sister Bai educated me.
“I know, I know~ I will! Um… I’ll go change now.”
After bidding farewell to Sister Bai again, I held the new clothes, which looked like they were newly bought. She seemed to know my size very well; I was initially thinking about asking her to go to my dorm to get them.
However… as I was carrying the new clothes she prepared for me, a leg ring fell out. Well, Sister Bai still likes leg rings so much.
There’s really no helping it~
Sister Bai has these hobbies now, how could I not satisfy her?
Soon enough, I put on this new outfit, which fit my body perfectly. At first, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t get used to the new clothes, but it seemed I underestimated Sister Bai’s taste in clothing.
I envy such a capability to determine sizes out of thin air.
Finally, I secured the new leg ring and packed everything from the old one into the new one.
Everything was prepared like this.
It was time to go out for some fresh air and see what the other new class leaders’ battles were like.
I walked to the contestant viewing area and found my seat number 14. The seats here were very comfortable, a stark contrast to the hard seats on the spectator side.
If only I had popcorn now, it would be perfect, but buying that would require a detour to a special place selling them, so I decided not to bother.
I intentionally glanced at the contestants currently on the field; unsurprisingly, this should be the last batch. Once this round of contests finished, the rankings for the winners’ group and the summary for the losers’ group would take place.
The resurrection match in the afternoon would be a battle among the losers’ group. 182 people were fighting for 18 spots; it couldn’t be called anything but craziness. Even if I were attacked by everyone, I probably wouldn’t fare well.
Such a scenario wasn’t impossible. Due to the events in the morning, everyone knew I was not to be trifled with; it was inevitable someone would think of concentrating their forces to eliminate the strongest, and this could be accomplished with some simple guidance.
So, I needed a strong deterrent to compel them to fight for the remaining 17 spots.
Thus… the illusionary clone was a great ability at this moment to distract attention, making it impossible for them to focus their attacks on me alone.
After all, they were competitors to each other. Every one of them was clever and wouldn’t like to be used as a pawn by others.
As long as a consensus couldn’t be reached, this was a scattered mass without fear.
Just as I was pondering this, everything around me suddenly quieted, with only the distant audience still making a considerable racket.
The contestants here had been chatting quite a bit, and this sudden silence was surprising.
I then saw a figure walking towards me, apparently the focus of everyone’s gaze, making it impossible for me to ignore her.
Tan Han… why is she coming over again? She’s in Class 1, and her position isn’t even in my direction.
As the quiet atmosphere passed, soon gossip started to bubble up. After all, in their eyes, Tan Han and I were opponents!
Especially considering I lost the duel to her, they naturally assumed our relationship wasn’t great and even speculated whether we might confront each other right here in the viewing area.
However, it was evident they were overthinking it.
“Xiao Han…”
I leaned back against the seat, looked up, took a deep breath, and then met Tan Han’s gaze.
“As for this competition…”
“Of course, it’s over. Only the weak dwell on the past; don’t tell me you’re still thinking about it,” I interrupted her. Once she opened her mouth, I could guess what she was going to say.
“…”
Tan Han didn’t expect my response would be like this, causing the words she had prepared to evaporate, leaving her with no chance to say them.
“Alright, but I still want to apologize for what happened earlier.”
“I received your apology; there shouldn’t be anything else, right?”
“But I haven’t mentioned what it was about.” Even though I kept interrupting her, Tan Han still managed to defend herself.
“We don’t have much intersection; it all amounts to just a few things. I’ll take your one-time apology, and I accept it.”
I held Tan Han’s gaze. When something becomes clear, there’s no need for elaborate words, just like now.
But evidently, Tan Han didn’t see through it as clearly as I did.
“But… I still have many things to explain to you.” Tan Han moved beside me and sat in the seat next to mine. Although there was a coffee table-like barrier between us, I still felt she was too close for my comfort.
“Over-explaining just puts a verbal embellishment on past events. Instead of saying you’re explaining things to me, it’d be more accurate to say you’re trying to convince yourself. Don’t overcomplicate your thoughts about me; I’ve already accepted your apology, so leave the explanations for yourself.”
I said steadily.
However, just as Tan Han was about to speak again, I interrupted her.
“If you still haven’t gotten that I’m keeping my distance from you by now, please allow me to put on earplugs before you explain.”
“Moreover, you’re sitting in someone else’s spot; yours is over there.”
Tan Han sighed at my interruption. She felt utterly helpless, and this kind of warm face being met with a cold backside made her quite embarrassed.
In the past, or even now, she had never been treated like this by someone else. With so many people watching, it made her feel even more awkward.
But she understood; at this moment, I was not in the mood to hear her say anything, so it was useless for her to speak any further.
Tan Han couldn’t figure out why everything had turned out this way.
Was it her self-righteous attitude during the competition, or the way she had acted during the lucky draw space, acting like she was possessed? Or was it that she had won the first round of the contest purely by luck?
It seemed that each of these reasons contributed to the current situation.
But in Tan Han’s view, it all began from that time in the library, as that incident led to an inability to communicate normally now.
In her perception, communication was the only way to dispel misunderstandings between people, and now there wasn’t even a pathway to clear up any misunderstandings.
“Xiao Han, does the bet we made before the match still count?” Tan Han instinctively asked, but after speaking, she felt it was inappropriate and added, “Forget it, let’s not count it.”
“Naturally, it counts.”
I turned to face Tan Han. This maneuver of hers, proposing the matter first and then saying it doesn’t count, was quite skillful. However, if she encountered someone stubborn, this tactic would not be effective at all.
“Um… I’ve somewhat forgotten what we wagered; could you remind me?”
“Why do you want to keep your distance from me?”
“Uh… alright.” I responded with a light laugh; it seemed Tan Han was quite understanding.
Of course, I remembered the terms of the bet; it was to tell her the whole story behind it, but there was just too much to explain.
Now, Tan Han had rephrased her question to ask why I kept my distance from her, indicating she understood I wouldn’t fully disclose everything.
Moreover, the tone she used was quite careful; she didn’t approach me with the stance of a winner but rather as a discussion, seeking my consent, which made it a different situation entirely.
This put the young lady in a difficult position.
“Because we are not from the same world; that’s the most direct reason.”
I stated this bluntly. This sentence bore multiple meanings; it depended on how Tan Han interpreted it.
She was a rich lady, and I was a poor boy; she was the protagonist, and I was a supporting character; she was a genius student, while I was just an ordinary student.
The last point was slightly inaccurate; I could no longer be considered an ordinary student. After all, I was among the outstanding newcomers.
The gap between Tan Han and me was vast, but I was confident I would catch up, just not right now. It was similar to the initial gap between a genius student and a newcomer; that had been narrowed, after all—it took time to catch up.
Even if Tan Han was the so-called protagonist, she was still a living person, just as I was. How could a person be confined by a so-called script?
I was just currently unable to jump out of it.
If this so-called script were a grand chess game of the whole world, then those teachers and even high-level officials from other academies were the chess players.
Would everything change if one became an extraordinary witch?
Then could I possibly become an extraordinary witch?
Of course, it was possible. I couldn’t be limited to this world forever; I still wanted to see the world outside.
Even if I jumped out not as a chess player to engage with others but merely as an observer, I wouldn’t be affected by this muddy water.
What I feared was becoming someone else’s pawn unknowingly.
However, thankfully, the extraordinary world had resurrection means, which was one reason I could feel at ease.
After all, if a person wasn’t threatened by d*ath, there wasn’t much left to fear, unless it was worse than d*ath.
“Is it really just because we aren’t from the same world?” Tan Han asked again.
“Yes, being with you will bring me trouble, endless trouble. Even if you’re just trying to be kind, I can’t handle it.”
“Is that your answer to me?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
After all, just thinking about it made sense. Just because I fought Tan Han once, I found myself caught up in such tremendous trouble—it involved signing confidentiality contracts and learning truths that someone my age shouldn’t bear.
But what did that bring me in return?
So-called compensation from the academy?
Or so-called fortune?
I still felt it was far from enough.
Speaking of fortune, I noticed the faint thread of fortune around my body, woven like hair among my locks.
This was fortune, not the fate Tan Han claimed it to be. However… if she needed to understand it this way, it seemed I wouldn’t help her correct her view.
After all, I had no obligation to fix her misconceptions.
By the way… should I ask Teacher Ji about how to use this fortune sometime?
I was a bit afraid this thing might become like puppet strings controlling me.
Compared to this ambiguous fortune, I preferred something more tangible. Even if it’s just an improvement in my control over spirit vision, after all, encountering Tan Han’s spirit vision twice made me understand and control it at a deeper level, which compelled me to think in this direction.
“Anyway… thank you for your answer.” Tan Han seemed to be ready to leave after receiving this answer.
Although she internally scoffed at my response, she didn’t follow up with further questions.
“May I awkwardly ask one last question?”
“That depends on what you’re asking.”
“I want to know if… the only spellbook you used throughout was really just the fireball spellbook?”
When I heard Tan Han’s words, I was momentarily taken aback; I hadn’t expected her to ask that!
This showed she had good insight.
“Yes.” I nodded firmly.
“How did you manage that?” Tan Han quickly followed up with her inquiry. From this, it was clear Tan Han believed me; she didn’t respond with disbelief like before but instead asked how I did it.
But unfortunately, she wouldn’t be able to accomplish it now. It was like asking someone without a diamond to handle porcelain.
“This is the second question; didn’t you say you would only ask one last one?”
“Sorry, I was too impatient. In any case… I won’t disturb you anymore.” Tan Han realized her indiscretion and didn’t press further, slightly masking her awkwardness as she looked towards the arena.
“Good luck in the afternoon match; I believe you won’t be hindered by this difficulty.”
“Hehe, I appreciate your good wishes.”
…
As the first round of eliminations came to a complete end, all 364 contestants had finally finished their first match.
Winners advanced, losers were eliminated.
The afternoon grand brawl would be the last struggle for the losers’ group.
As the gigantic screen above the arena displayed the upcoming schedule and procedures.
The countdown for the next match also began.
The contestant roster for the grand brawl was unveiled at that moment.
The interval between these two rounds was both a break and a time to reorganize the arena.
After all, this was a grand brawl, and the segmented areas of the arena were not suitable for this massive fight among 182 participants, requiring them to be consolidated.
Moreover, this hour also served as a time for the final batch of contestants to recover, heal their injuries, regain energy, and restore magic. All the necessary healing and recovery potions were provided by the academy.
This interval was only an hour, and the actual game time would begin at least in the afternoon.
During this period, the arena above wouldn’t remain quiet; exciting clips from the first round were continuously cycling. After all, the arena was still live streaming, and it couldn’t just focus on an empty arena.
It was better to sneak someone in the contestant preparation area for a private interview.
At that moment, I also stood up and headed toward the preparation area; continuing to watch from the viewing area felt somewhat inappropriate.
My movement naturally attracted a lot of attention, especially from contestants who would soon participate in the upcoming resurrection match, just like me.
Once I reached the front, the referees began explaining some important points about this grand brawl.
This included details from the competition rules; collective targeting and using certain restricted alchemical items were allowed in the grand brawl.
The principle of elimination was done by loudly declaring surrender or losing the ability to resist and move.
At that time, the referees at the side would clear the eliminated contestants from the field without interfering with the match.
Of course, voluntarily exiting the designated area or being forced out also counted as surrender.
This would continue until only 18 contestants remained in the arena.
Naturally, acts like “protecting the weak” were prohibited during the grand brawl. If such behavior was overt and involved someone admitting to it, the referees would eliminate both the protector and the protected.
It can be expected that this grand brawl wouldn’t last long but would certainly be thrilling.
However, many contestants might adopt a conservative approach since being too aggressive could lead to being targeted.
“Everyone, if there are no questions, you can freely enter the arena. There’s still a while before the game starts. If you have questions, feel free to ask me here.”
With the referees’ announcement, the contestants were guided into the arena, which was a massive open-air arena not divided into multiple areas.
The contestants’ positions were not explicitly defined; they could choose freely.
As long as you believed standing at the corner at the moment the match started would give you an advantage, standing there was fine.
Upon entering the arena, a remarkable scene appeared; a large vacuum space formed around me at the edge of the arena.
It seemed they genuinely feared me…
However, that was alright; at least this indicated that I had the ability to deter them just by standing there.
Rather than enjoying this feeling, I preferred to focus on my spellbook.
After all, I had acquired numerous spellbooks, and there were many types I hadn’t used before. Compared to these flashy spellbooks that seemed unnecessary to me right now, I still preferred my fireball spell and energy shield.
After all, they were old companions I knew well; using them was very convenient. However, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t use other spellbooks.
I should note that I currently possessed and could utilize powerful spells with a one-hundred magic power cost. Just think of Tan Han’s “Flame Lord Summoning,” which unleashed raging flames across a thousand miles, with molten lava surging on the ground.
I could imagine my… “Blessing of Elemental Sprites” should also be formidable.
This spellbook’s description wasn’t very clear; it only provided a description and usage steps.
According to it, releasing this spell would grant protection from a random elemental sprite, accompanied by a guardian sprite that would follow me.
It seemed to be a combination of a buff spell and a summoning spell; the elemental sprite would enhance the damage of corresponding elemental spells, increase the caster’s affinity for that element, and also likely provide extra damage in calculations.
As for the protective effects, the description suggested that the guardian sprite would actively assist the caster in casting spells, including both attack and protective spells.
It appeared to be a spell with a wide range of applicability, especially helpful for elemental spell users.
However, the “random” aspect could be a bit of a hassle, which might restrict the caster’s combat style and require the caster to have numerous elemental spells to adapt.
After all, if the wrong element was chosen, that would be equivalent to wasting a hundred magic!
I really wondered if this spellbook could specify an element under magical modification.
Unfortunately, there was no time left for me to research.
“The contestants have all entered the arena. Everyone, be alert, and there’s only one minute left for preparation before the battle begins!”
With the referee’s loud announcement, the huge screen over the arena transitioned into a one-minute countdown.
At this moment, the audience was already packed, and many spontaneously started counting down, their voices echoing throughout the arena.
When there were only thirty seconds left, the atmosphere in the venue reached its peak; nearly everyone was counting down in unison along with the sound waves.
Everyone in the arena was eagerly rubbing their fists, and some even had their alchemical items primed and ready.
A few even disregarded my deterrent, stepping into my danger zone.
“10!…9!…8!…7!…”
“3!…2!…1!”
“Match start!”
With the referee’s loud announcement and the mighty sound of a starting signal.
In an instant, the brilliance of spells flashed across the entire arena!
And the referee was ready; after all, at the onset of the match was a peak time for elimination.
Sudden assaults and surprises would be the most lethal attacks.
Even I couldn’t afford to go half-heartedly at that moment; I cast my protective spell first to ensure my safety, quickly enhancing my body with wrist armor and a cat transformation, which were alchemical items, thus allowing for rapid casting.
These two spells ensured I had room to maneuver against any attacks and also served as a self-defense method once I was engaged in close combat.
It’s worth noting that everyone on the scene was a top-tier contestant from various classes, all wielding a rainbow of spells. The most balanced in overall capability were naturally the transformation spells.
Merely having a transformation spell could resolve many issues such as weak physicality, low attack power, and inadequate defensive capabilities.
Therefore, looking out across the arena, there were numerous contestants with transformation spells.
As I gazed towards the arena, I was met first by those closest to me.
“Everyone, focus fire on contestant 14! If we don’t take her out, she’ll wipe us all out with a single spell!”
A simple phrase caused those nearby to set aside their biases and look at me. Just as I had predicted, not everyone would heed her words.
After all, everyone vividly remembered the massive explosion from the last match.
But only I knew that such a terrifying explosion hadn’t occurred purely from my ice and fire spell clashing, right?
Even if I sacrificed one fireball spellbook, it would be impossible for me alone to generate such a horrifying explosion.
Unfortunately, they didn’t understand the reasoning behind it; they simply didn’t want to be eliminated collectively. Otherwise, their struggle for survival would indeed be a farce.
But I wouldn’t fear such a siege, or rather, I had already surpassed the level of fearing such coordinated attacks.
Thanks to my strong physical conditioning and the agility from my cat transformation, I could unleash my energy shield more liberally, even maneuvering in mid-air with multiple leaps.
They didn’t have such methods, unless among them were those with flying spells or alchemical items.
Otherwise, they could only attack me from afar, but I was confident that these freshman casters, who required a fair amount of “charging,” would understand one principle: if you don’t have precision, don’t sh**t recklessly.
As I quickly approached the first person who had called out to everyone, my mind was also active with thoughts. Rather than taking off from the air using my energy shield, wouldn’t it be faster to ride my flying broomstick?
After all, a flying broomstick was also an alchemical item! Moreover, it didn’t have any offensive capabilities, so it naturally fell within the allowed range.
It seemed like it wouldn’t be impossible.
But first, I needed to take care of that loudmouth!
This contestant had already completed a transformation into a tiger person, making her a high threat level.
Her terrifying muscles, sharp claws, and the agility granted by her cat-like transformation were all weapons.
Who exactly eliminated her?
The difference between her form and my cat transformation was striking.
But clearly, my agility exceeded hers by a significant margin.
Her transformation wouldn’t be able to withstand a direct hit from my fireball, striking the core of her transformation ritual.
Moreover, her attack was blocked by my energy shield, to the point where I’d say it didn’t even require a defense; the energy shield absorbed the force of impact generated when I engaged her, rendering her strike virtually powerless.
As the spell was dispelled, her tiger transformation reverted back to her original form, and before she could even comprehend the situation, I kicked her out of the arena.
As her figure fell into the arms of a referee, her match was concluded here.
“Now it’s your turn!” Without pausing, I turned around, approaching those incited individuals like they were prey.
Dare to target me? You’re so brave!
