Leave a comment

The dragon’s attempt to chop down the tree proved futile. The Immaculate Tree Domain, a genuine Demigod Artifact, remained impervious to the axe the burly man wielded. Although incomplete, the aura of the divine realm shielded it, rendering it immune to any damage from creatures below the demigod level.

After spending half a day tirelessly hacking at the tree, the burly man failed to leave even a scratch in the bark of the towering white tree. Eventually, he could only be led away with a forlorn expression by a responding security personnel.

In that moment, Lilith sensed numerous sympathetic gazes from the audience.

With that small interlude, the official match began.

As the branches of the Immaculate Tree Domain trembled slightly, white lights transported the two teams of participants into each transparent fruit. The screen before Lilith’s eyes transformed into a display of the competing participants, allowing her to switch between different arenas with a simple wave of her hand.

“Uh… Can’t we watch all of them at the same time?” Lilith asked.

Every time she waved her hand, the screen continuously shifted scenes. With hundreds of teams competing at the same time, it was difficult to distinguish which matches were worth watching and which were a complete waste of time.

“This is a measure to protect the participants. The match order is deliberately randomized to prevent other participants from strategizing against their opponents after watching their matches,” Luna explained.

“I see, but that’s unfriendly to indecisive people like me.” Lilith pouted in annoyance while staring at the screen in front of her.

While the simultaneous hundreds of matches benefited participants, it posed a considerable challenge for the audience. Choosing a match to watch proved difficult, and often, after deciding, it took more than ten minutes for the actual fight to begin. Then, when the battle commenced, Lilith realized that both sides were employing flashy but ineffective techniques. They were hardly worth watching.

“If Master Lilith has trouble choosing, you can watch the officially hosted match,” Luna suggested.

She lightly pressed the screen and swiped upwards. The towering white tree reappeared in Lilith’s view, but the primary focus was on a large display screen above the Immaculate Tree Domain. The intense battle between two teams of ten participants filled the screen, but it was hardly exciting to watch it this way.

Luna then pressed something and enlarged the match screen to occupy the entire screen. The voices of the hosts filled their room too.

“The participants from the Holy Dragon Imperial Magic Academy’s team are in a standard two-three formation. Their leader, Donald Geed, is leading two other members to intercept four enemy members!”

“That’s three against four, Donald is at a disadvantage. His teammate is chanting a magic spell with an area of effect in the rear. Judging from the amount of magic power gathered, the spell will inevitably turn the tide of the battle once released.”

“Donald just needs to focus on stalling for time.”

“Their opponents seemed to have noticed this. The four of them are going all out but the other team is able to withstand their onslaught! Their fifth member turned out to be an assassin. He’s attempting to interrupt the mage! Ah, too bad, there’s nothing on the stage to provide cover. The set up is simply too unfavorable for the assassin.”

“The assassin has been spotted! Guarding the rear is Terrier, a third-year instructor from the Holy Dragon Imperial Magic Academy, whose nickname is Rock Turtle. Terrier has managed to stop the assassin’s fatal blow.”

“Aaaaaand the magic spell is successfully released! The Holy Dragon Imperial Magic Academy’s team wins!”

The image on the screen froze at the triumphant moment when the victorious team raised their hands high in celebration. The scene then shifted back to the host room. Mr. Dowd, who was previously furious and grim, now appeared exhilarated and full of energy. It was almost as if he was still riding the adrenaline rush from the match. If it were not for the fact that he was the host and commentator, he might have jumped up and down in excitement by now.

“As expected of the team from the Holy Dragon Imperial Magic Academy! They managed to defeat their opponents so effortlessly. What do you think about this match, Grez?”

Grez stroked his beard and nodded with a smile. “I think the key reason why Holy Dragon Imperial Magic Academy’s team was able to defeat their opponent so quickly lies in the team leader, Donald. The notable difference in strength allowed him to effectively stall the four opponents with the support of his two teammates and leave another member to protect the mage who was chanting the spell in the rear.

“However, this strategy is only effective in a one-sided battle. If both teams were equal in strength, I’m afraid it wouldn’t have worked that well.”

“That’s a great analysis, Elder Grez. You really hit the nail on the head.”

After Dowd finished speaking, his eyes flicked back to Fenice on the side. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, “So what does Miss Fenice have to say about this match?”

Fenice let out a yawn and commented with teary, drowsy eyes, “What can I say? It’s just two groups of chickens pecking each other.”

“….Ha…ha…ha, it seems like Miss Fenice holds a very high standard for the participants,” Dowd said, his cheeks twitching slightly before continuing, “Well, the next match is said to be a highly anticipated battle, so I hope that it will be able to capture Miss Fenice’s interest. But before that… Let us take a commercial break while the arena is being prepared.”

“Glotte Milk—a product from Mountain Top Farm on the highest mountain in the Holy Dragon Empire at an altitude of 10,000 meters. It is produced by purebred Black Forest Subdragon Cows, fed with fresh meat. The extreme altitude fosters the wildest cows, the wildest cows produce the wildest milk. Processed using -50°C freezing technology, safety and purity guaranteed. Glotte Milk is the only choice for you~ Glotte Milk is co-produced by The Cutest Li*** and Mountain Top Farm.”

Lilith stared dumbly at the benevolent-looking grandpa giving a thumbs up amidst the flying snow on the screen. It took her a long time to recover from the extreme shock.

“You guys accept advertisements?”

“Is that weird?” Luna blinked at her in confusion and said, “It’s only natural to promote sponsors who have contributed money to the event.”

“I-I guess you’re right. I’m really out of the loop these days.” Lilith smacked her own head in embarrassment.

But seriously, what’s with that subdragon cow? Can there really be a creature that would go to such lengths with a cow?

Once again, Lilith had to witness the lack of moral boundaries among those from her clan—those guys seemed to know no limits.

“By the way, why hire a commentator if there’s a protection for the participants in place?”

“The matches that get official commentary featured well-known participants with high expectations to win the tournament. They are considered prodigies from an early age and have been extensively analyzed in advance. For them, fame matters more. The so-called participant protection is mainly for ordinary and less known participants,” Luna patiently explained.

“Of course, if someone unexpectedly becomes a dark horse and secures a spot in the top twenty-four, even without prior fame, they’ll become overnight sensations,” she added.

“I see…”

In other words, the truly formidable participants cared little about being analyzed. Their goal was to attain more fame through live broadcasts and commentary, as the greater their visibility in the arena and the more viewers they attracted, the more substantial the rewards they would receive after the match.

“It’s resuming,” Luna said.

After the advertisement on the screen concluded, the focus shifted back to the match. This time, it wasn’t an ordinary arena but a lush forest.

The scene glided slowly over the entire forest, showcasing the landscape to the audience, before finally halting at the edge and zooming in.

The five contestants came into view.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the main event of the day is about to begin!” Dowd exclaimed with enthusiasm, and the crowd outside the arena responded energetically to the participants on the screen.

“The team from Forest Sea of the Southern Federation is up against the team that is expected to have the highest chance in winning the tournament——”