Chapter 128: Arena Competition
On the fifteenth of each month, the academy opens the arena for two days. During this period, the second-year students engage in competitive duels with each other for exciting rewards, earned according to their ranking by the end of the second day.
Third years were not allowed in the competition, being busy with their assignments and high-ranked quests, while first years were not allowed because of their low skills and inexperience. However, they could enter the competition if they reached a suitable level by the beginning of the second semester.
As for Vlad, thanks to his title as Crownbearer, he could enter the arena competition in the first semester itself.
After buying the Dark Heart from the Mystic Vault, he rushed through the market, reaching the towering structure about a kilometre away in the distance.
The coliseum building stretched several hundred metres across the academy campus. There were four entrances on four opposite sides of the building. Two were for spectators, one was for the students who would fight in the central area, the top fifty rankers, while the remaining one was for competitors outside the top fifty ranking.
The arena hosted fiercely competitive duels, where only the top fifty rankers earned the right to compete in the open, to maintain high standards. Most student spectators attended the arena not for entertainment, but to study the sophisticated techniques of mana manipulation employed by their peers and the continent’s greatest young prodigies.
Vlad entered through the gate where students ranked above fifty went in for their duels. After passing through the entrance, he stepped into a colossal hall where more than twenty dueling stages were arranged in neat rows and columns. Vlad showed his identity card to the registrar, who, after verifying it, gave him a token numbered 68.
"Go to the stage at the second row, fourth column," the registrar informed him without looking up.
"Yes, thank you," Vlad replied before moving to his allocated stage. There were around five to six students standing before each stage, waiting for their turn.
The hall was filled with the noise of clashing weapons, cast spells, and the screams of those fighting on the stages, along with the excited murmurs of those surrounding them.
"There are around one hundred and fifty students here," Vlad mumbled to himself, his eyes scanning the hall. "So the rankings here must be starting from two hundred."
He released a tired sigh. "That’s a long way to go to reach the top fifty. I need to reach fifty-first rank by the end of the day so I can challenge the top fifty tomorrow."
"Jerry, did you just hear what he said?" a tall young man of Vlad’s age scoffed, standing beside him. He had short bluish-grey hair, naturally narrow eyes, and a thin frame for his height. "Reach top fifty by tomorrow?"
"Hahaha, don’t laugh at him, Tom," the other student, who was short, barely reaching Tom’s chest, added. He had short auburn hair styled in a buzzcut. "Everyone’s entitled to a dream."
Vlad ignored their mocking remarks and moved to the other side of the stage.
Bonk!
A slap landed on the back of Vlad’s head.
"Oy, junior, how dare you move away without greeting us?" Tom muttered, holding Vlad by the neck from behind, glaring down at him. "Moreover, who told you that you could come here? This is the competition for second-year students. Know your place and get out."
"Tom, stop bullying the poor kid," Jerry added, though his words did not sound convincing at all. "He is the Crownbearer, after all."
"Tch, I hate people who are too arrogant for their own good," Tom muttered, his brows furrowed in annoyance. "So what if he’s a Crownbearer? He’s still a junior. Isn’t him being here an insult to our whole batch? And his words... reach top fifty within a day. He’s straight up spitting in our faces."
"Well, that’s true, but st—"
"Excuse me, sir," Vlad called to the referee on the stage, cutting Jerry off mid-sentence.
"Yes, what is it?" The referee briefly turned his gaze away from the duel before him, his eyes landing on Vlad.
"Is it allowed to assault someone outside the stage?" Vlad asked, pointing at Tom’s hand, which was still gripping his neck.
The referee’s eyes narrowed at Tom, making him instantly retreat his hand with a flinch. "You’re Tom Bruise, correct?"
"Y-yes, sir," Tom replied in a respectful tone, his earlier arrogance completely gone.
"A hundred credits deducted for hazing and bullying," the referee declared in a cold tone. "Do it again and you’ll be disqualified from the competition."
"B-but, sir—"
"We understand, sir," Jerry said before Tom could make the situation any worse.
The referee glared once more at Tom before turning his gaze back to the duel before him.
"Watch your neck today, you snitching bastard," Tom muttered at Vlad before stomping away alongside Jerry to the opposite side of the stage.
Crash!
One of the competitors fell off the stage with a heavy thud.
"The winner is William," the referee declared.
William stepped down from the stage, breathing heavily, his spear dragging on the floor beside him, having spent most of his energy during the duel.
He settled onto the marble floor outside the stage, catching his breath, while the referee called, "Number sixty-eight and fifty-seven!"
"Here, I am number fifty-seven," Tom said in an excited tone as he climbed the stairs to the stage.
’Oh, I’m quite lucky today,’ Vlad chuckled inwardly. ’Just when I was wishing to take revenge for him grabbing my neck, fate served this cocky bastard to me on a silver platter.’
"Number sixty-eight?" the referee called again, seeing no one step forward.
"Yes, it’s me," Vlad said, pulled from his thoughts as he quickly moved to the stage.
"Hahaha, were you too scared to respond after learning that I’m your opponent?" Tom laughed with a wide grin. He pulled a battle axe from his storage ring and declared, "Let me show you what happens when you mess with people beyond your level."