Return Of The Strongest Player

Seven days passed in an instant, and the day of the competition arrived. Gargo Village welcomed a new round of tourists, who displayed their immense interest towards the competition for the crown.

Five competitors from each village stood against each other, locking eyes while conveying their thoughts wordlessly. Their gazes contained more emotion than words could ever hope to do so. They were the descendants of their respective villages.

Arthur stood a few dozen meters away, hoping to spectate an amusing battle. After failing to achieve his goal, the crimson-eyed man had attempted a few more times, but to no avail. His bones were on the cusp of shattering for good.

The pressure on his mana circuits continued to increase, and since the circuits heavily depended on his skeletal structure to be held together, the pressure on them suffered an increment recently, too.

His power was deteriorating as a consequence of forcefully activating the Blessing of the Sun to defeat the Corrupted Beast. He suddenly regretted achieving first place, since if he couldn't alleviate the severity of the situation, his future would be doomed.

For the past few days, Arthur suffered continuous losses that utterly crushed his self-confidence. He genuinely considered switching over to mana, but still hadn't dispelled the thought from his mind.

Wasn't magic easier? He was talented in the field, too.

Why push himself in a field he couldn't become stronger in. Blessings of Swordsmanship… why did they matter?

'I shouldn't overthink it… at least, for today,' thought the crimson-eyed man. Ever since he entered the Residential Area of the First Floor, his path was obstructed by a flurry of losses, from the inheritance to the fusion.

The delay was great, and Arthur was forced to hold off on climbing floors due to this. The Inheritance was too important, while the pressure on his mana circuits could and would potentially cripple him.

He couldn't allow that to happen.

And receiving the inheritance–at least, one part of the inheritance–was required to fulfill his goal in the Residential Area. However, for one day and one day only, Arthur decided to bury those thoughts at the back of his mind.

The competition was a joyous occasion for the spectators, and a matter that would determine life or death for the Elders and participants.

The results of the competition would not affect the villages' rivalry, and would only contribute towards determining the future leader of each village. However, it was obvious that there were ulterior motives behind such a grand event.

The arena in which the event would be conducted was massive, spanning across two square kilometers. The area included that of the actual battlefield and the bleachers, which was only obvious.

Arthur sat in the front row as a courtesy from one of the Elders; Elder Gabriel.

The man was involved with Isabella, and since the latter cared so much about Arthur for an unknown reason, Gabriel felt obligated to provide the crimson-eyed man with much care. Arthur chuckled at the notion.

However, the front-row seats were quite luxurious.

Arthur's vision was obstructed by no one when spectating the battles, allowing him to get a sense of combat in the tower. Even in his former life, observing battles was Arthur's favorite task.

Watching battles as they play out, the fluctuations of emotions within the minds of the competitors, their tactics, and simply the thrill of watching immense power be flung around as if it were nothing.

It was vastly different than actually engaging in battle.

"Welcome, residents of Gargo Village and Lijkao Village," said the announcer. Arthur narrowed his eyes, carefully observing the announcer. The announcer for this battle was strikingly similar in both appearance and voice to the one who announced the battles for the Arcadia Academy Entrance Exam.

'It can't be the same person…'

The announcer told a few jokes to lighten the mood before announcing the names of the participants.

"From Gargo Village, we have Xiao Fan, Gregory Hall, Kim Seo-Jun, Alexander Hoffman, and Asteria Osmont."

"From Lijkao Village, we have Ha Sung-Jin, Cassius, Finn, Sebastian Gray, and Luc Skyrunner."

The ten competitors stepped out, waving towards the crowd while enjoying the attention their mere name garnered. Their mere presence caused a wave of spectators to cheer in appreciation.

Hundreds of people were rooting for their victory.

The battle wasn't against the opposing village, but their own comrades. The battle would determine the future head of the village, and the participants of the battle were their own friends. It was sickening.

But for the position others could only yearn for, friends were only dead weight.

Arthur leaned back, watching calmly as the announcer announced the first battle. 

"Gregory Hall from Gargo Village will be up against Luc Skyrunner from Lijkao Village," said the announcer, fading into the shadows immediately afterward. Silence descended upon the arena, and with bated breaths, the spectators awaited the entrance of the competitors.

Suddenly, a man emerged from the left.

With coffee-brown hair and dark, abyss-like pupils, he could be described as "handsome." That, paired with his chiseled jaw and light freckles along with peach skin and upturned eyes, he was the epitome of a ladies' man.

He wore emerald-colored robes that fluttered with the soft breeze. In his hand was a straight sword, a staple of ancient Chinese weapons. Suddenly, the passing wind halted, and the fluttering of his robes diminished in intensity.

The wind, instead of passing by his entire body, danced at his fingertips. 

'Wind magic' thought Arthur, cracking a smile. This man… Gregory Hall was also pursuing both weaponmanship and magic.

From the opposite side of the battlefield, a woman emerged.

Her blazing orange hair was neatly trimmed, and fell down to her shoulders. With thick eyebrows, a pale face, cheerful eyes, and a rather voluptuous body, she–too–was incredibly good-looking.

Flames danced at her fingertips, which were curled into fists. 

Her expression conveyed her excitement, while her stance was a dead giveaway of her proficiency in close-combat. Arthur raised an eyebrow, watching with interest as nearby plants were caught ablaze by her flames.

The announcer stepped forth, glancing at both competitors.

"Begin."