It wasn’t long before Val was called back to the arena. His opponent this time was a tall, slim man with porcelain white skin and teeth reminiscent of a rabbit. His name was Ashton.
With slanted eyes, Ashton looked at Val and said, “I know you’re strong. But I’m not going to go down without a fight.”
Val chuckled, unfazed by Ashton’s bravado. “Courage without the ability to back it up is futile,” he taunted. “Fighting an inevitable battle isn’t smart. If you had a bit of sense, you would’ve given up. That’s what I would’ve done in your shoes.”
At his words, The crowd was in absolute shock, their eyes glued to Val.
“He’s a menace,” someone whispered. Others nodded.
A system notification rang in Val’s mind.
+50 Mad Points!
Val’s lips curled up into a thin smile. He finally had enough mad points to gain 1 stat point!
Ignoring Val’s mocking words, Ashton growled back, “We’ll see about that!” and charged at Val, his weapon raised high.
Val moved with extreme speed and easily dodged Ashton’s attack before moving behind him swiftly as Ashton staggered past him. Without giving him any chance to recover, Val struck Ashton in the rear with such force that he was lifted off his feet and sent flying out of the arena.
Thud!
With a dull thud, Ashton landed head-first on the ground outside the designated area, his jaw dislocating and his eyes rolling to the back of his head.
A few moments passed, but he didn’t even twitch, signifying he was knocked out cold!
The crowd, made up of spectators and fellow participants alike, was dumbstruck as they watched the scene play out. Their eyes widened to an impossible degree, so much so that it seemed their eyeballs might pop out from their sockets. Jaws of many onlookers dropped, their mouths agape in disbelief and shock and their lower jaws threatening to detach and hit the ground. 𝑜𝑣𝓛xt.𝑐𝑶𝑚
The ease with which Val had dispatched Ashton, who was well-known for his tenacity end endurance, left everyone reeling.
A hushed silence fell over the onlookers, followed by an eruption of chatter.
“What just happened? I just looked away for a second and the match has already ended?” a burly man in the crowd asked, rubbing his eyes as if he couldn’t trust what he had just seen.
“Ashton is the no.98th on the Bronze Ranking Board!” another spectator gasped, disbelief coloring his words. “Yet, he was defeated in one move by Val, a newcomer to the Northern Frontier! This young man is really something.”
“He made it look so easy… It’s incomprehensible,” murmured a young woman, her eyes wide with awe.
“I knew he was an outstanding swordsman since he bested Young Master Oliver. But I didn’t realize he was this good!” an old man chimed in, shaking his head in amazement
“The gap in their power was too wide. Ashton was already at a disadvantage in the face of Val’s swordsmanship. The outcome was inevitable,” Alfred commented.
“What’s the Bronze Ranking Board?” a newcomer asked.
Oliver explained, “It represents the most capable low-rankers of the Northern Frontier. For example, level 1 to 3 bloodline users, or beginner-stage bloodline users, fall into the Bronze Ranking Board. One’s rank on the board is determined by their cumulative contribution points since they started living in the Northern Frontier. Only the top 100 people are on the ranking board, and each of them is given extra resources every month.”
Oliver liked helping people so he didn’t hesitate to clear their confusion.
“Thanks for the explanation. You’ve cleared my confusion,” the newcomer gratefully said to Oliver, his face displaying a clearer understanding.
“No problem,” Oliver replied.
Meanwhile, Val turned to Marshall and asked, “The battle has already ended. When are you going to announce the winner?”
Marshall snapped out of his trance, hearing Val’s words. He had been so dazzled by Val’s performance that he forgot to perform his duties. After all, seeing someone defeat others as effortlessly as a fully-grown man stealing candy from a child wasn’t an everyday sight.
Collecting himself, Marshall declared in a loud, clear voice, “The winner of this round is Val!”
Marshall turned his gaze toward Val, “Val, you’re one victory away from becoming the victor of the mini-tournament. If you’re ready to fight, the next match will be arranged instantly. But if you wish to rest before the final fight, we’ll respect your wish.”
“I choose to rest,” Val responded promptly, wiping the sweat off his brow.
Marshall’s eyes swept across the crowd, and a smirk crept onto his face as his gaze fell on Alfred. Alfred, catching the eye of the tournament organizer, felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
“Alfred, get up here. You’ll be Val’s opponent in the final round,” Marshall declared.
Petty bastard, Alfred cursed Marshall in his mind. Marshall had a grudge against him. As long as he was in the lower city, it seemed he would always be the target of Marshall’s schemes. Alfred knew that Marshall intended to pit him against Val and create a rift in their relationship. He decided not to play into Marshall’s hands.
“I forfeit,” Alfred declared as he remained standing where he was, his feet firmly planted against the ground.
Marshall raised an eyebrow, “And why would you do that, Alfred?”
“Everyone here has seen what Val is capable of,” Alfred said, pointing at Val, “I’m no match for him, so I see no reason to fight a losing battle.”
Marshall chuckled, “I didn’t expect you to be so sensible, Alfred.”
Alfred’s anger simmered beneath the surface, but he remained composed.
“Lads, we’ve got the first winner of today’s tournament!” Marshall announced to the crowd before he turned to Val and said, “Congrats, boy. You’ve won the mini tournament and earned yourself 300 contribution points. They will be transferred to your card before sunset,” as he spoke, Marshall patted Val on the shoulder.
Val felt slightly excited, his lips curving up. 300 contribution points was a massive sum! Converted into gold coins, it would be 3000, equivalent to three gold Starlight notes. He felt like he had just hit the jackpot, though it was one that came at the cost of his hard work and effort. This had opened up a world of possibilities for him, especially when it came to obtaining resources for his further training.
“Thank you, Sir Marshall,” Val replied humbly as he didn’t want to suffer the same fate as Alfred. “I appreciate your good wishes.”