Chapter 381: Balkrow City’s Rookie Adventurer Competition: Semi-Finals
"Didn\'t you guys forget how Shye Crowley took everything Brooke threw at him and still stood like nothing happened? I don\'t know…something\'s a bit off with that guy.
"Same here, I can\'t help but think he\'s still holding back…"
"Hmmph! You\'re all too high on Shye Crowley, his next opponent is John, remember? There\'s just no way for him to win against such a highly skilled scout!"
"I think you\'re all sleeping on Almira, if she could perform just like she did against Lin Zi, there\'s no way Arthur can even get close to her!"
"I don\'t know…somehow I feel that it would be John versus Almira in the grand finals…I\'ve never been wrong in my predictions either…Almira might actually win it all…She\'s so beautiful…"
Hearing the crowd\'s hubbub, Seira looked around and smiled.
She was just as excited as everyone else. However, she couldn\'t help but feel that something was missing.
\'Hmm…But what\'s missing?\'
"Ha! You midget, it\'s finally time for our battle once more, right? Brother Banar?"
"Kekekeke! Correct, brother Alan. It\'s time for the demise of your reputation, notorious midget! John will end your boss\' streak, I assure you!"
Turning around after hearing irksome voices, the midget finally realized what was missing.
\'Ahh…This!...is what\'s missing!\'
"Hah! I thought you two had already left in embarrassment. Why did you switch seats? Were you perhaps threatened by my boss\' prowess? Hahahahaha! No need to feel shy, just admit it."
"Hmmph, There\'s nothing to admit. Our claim still stands, John will wipe the floor with your clown of a boss!"
"You call my boss clown but…are you willing to bet on your claims?!"
Finally, after a short back-and-forth, Seira was able to say what was on her mind: a bet!
Although she bet most of her coins at the betting stations, she had a few left in her pockets.
A win here would translate to a free luxurious meal for her mom and little brother!
"Hmmph! Fine. Do you think me and brother Banar are scared of you and your boss? How much are you willing to bet?"
"How about ten gold coins?"
"T-Ten gold coins? Stop bluffing. Also, we only have five…"
"Ha! You talk big but your pockets are so shallow! Fine then, five gold coins!"
***
The crowd went wild with talking their hearts out about their predictions during the break, hence, the excitement and anticipation in their hearts gradually reached its peak, forming new…verbal rivalries just like the one Seira had with the Banar brothers.
They all chose sides.
Forty percent were confident in Arthur\'s victory, while thirty-five percent favored John to win.
On the other hand, only fifteen percent placed their belief in Shye\'s triumph, and a measly ten percent supported Almira.
It was clear who were the favorites.
The Balkrow Arena management saw this as a chance, dispatching staff members to guide everyone to their new seats, sorted by who they were supporting.
At the helm of the fifteen percent of Shye Crowley supporters stood none other than the steadfast Seira Ramah.
Meanwhile, the Banar brothers positioned themselves amidst the John Oni supporters, adjacent to the Shye Crowd.
The audience embraced this arrangement with joy, as they could wholeheartedly cheer, assured of having allies nearby. This elevated Balkrow Arena\'s standing in their hearts, honoring its commitment to prioritizing entertainment over profit.
As for Shye, he was happier than all of them combined. He truly appreciated Balkrow Arena\'s arrangement as the more excited the crowd was, the easier it would be for him to farm points.
…Pressing a certain button on a mana-powered device, the match schedule was displayed on the transparent holographic screen suspended on top of the stage.
Shye Crowley Versus John Oni
Almira White Versus Arthur Vermillion.
This time, there were no boring matches, prompting the crowd to cheer wildly as they tried their best to suppress the raging excitement in their hearts.
They wanted to see who would represent Balkrow six months from now.
While the identity of their city\'s representative held significance, another fact loomed larger: regardless of who would represent them, this year\'s chosen contender would arguably be among the strongest, if not the very strongest, Balkrow City had ever seen.
This year, their city\'s name would surely resound across the lands of Valenzia.
It would for sure prompt talented people from all over the region to come and start their careers at Balkrow, bringing both prosperity and honor to the city and its inhabitants.
"EVERYONE, THANK YOU FOR WAITING. ARE YOU ALL READY?! THE NEXT MATCHES WILL BE UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS ONES AS THIS TIME, ONLY THE STRONGEST, MOST COMPETENT ROOKIES REMAIN!" Corey\'s vibrant voice once again echoed in the entire arena, hyping up the already hyped-up crowd even more.
Momentarily pausing to appreciate the crowd\'s cheers, the commentator continued.
"WELL THEN, SINCE YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS ARE READY, THE ARENA SHALL NOT DEPRIVE YOU OF WHAT YOU ALL WANT ANY LONGER! FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ARENA, NICKNAMED THE SINISTER SHADOW, THE TOP SCOUT AMONG BALKROW\'S YOUNG BLOODS, LET US ALL WELCOME, JOHN ONI!!"
As the familiar young man with long black hair tied up in a ponytail, above-average facial features, and a relatively slim yet defined body ascended the arena, the crowd went wild.
Finally, the man destined to end the chantless mage\'s astonishing streak of dominant victories was here.
With his overwhelming class advantage, people just cannot see him losing to Shye.
Except for Seira, of course, the ever-loyal underling who can clearly see how her boss would wipe the floor with this scout-class rookie.
Upon reaching the center of the stage, John Oni struck a "cool" pose, lifting his arms in a gesture of triumph.
He then glanced at Seira and gave her a thumbs-down, seemingly telling her that her boss would lose.
Naturally, Seira was utterly stupefied. How did this John Oni even know her?
Still, she would not take an insult lying down.
However, she also doesn\'t dare antagonize John Oni too much or she might find herself killed without knowing why.
Hence, she kept it mild, simply sticking her tongue out at him like a kid.
\'Hmmph! Once my boss wins, you\'ll become nothing but a clown so I shall not argue with you. Instead, I\'ll argue with your supporters!\'