Chapter 153
Sunday, 10 AM.
Just like at the basketball match, a large crowd had already gathered at the stadium, their energy buzzing in anticipation.
The Shadow Brawl Tournament was a single-elimination competition. The Academy invested heavily in hiring mages who cast obstructive spells to hinder the contestants’ movements. But the main reason was to provide something for the audience to watch making the tournament far more exciting viewing than merely watching contestants defeat each other.
The hired mages would then prepare obstructive spells inside the stadium. The spells they casually conjure were thunderstorms, trigger earthquakes, alter temperatures, summon low ranked monsters, and lay hidden traps throughout the arena.
Upon entering the stadium, the contestants are not allowed to carry their weapon with them and the mages would cast a blindfold that blinds the contestants every two minutes. Once the competition starts, the contestants would rely on their instincts to open chests scattered around the stadium, which holds random weapons or traps. The competition would only end if one contestant was unable to fight any longer.
I stifled a yawn as I wait for my turn to fight. I woke up late but I managed to enter the competition and won two rounds, securing my place as one of the finalists. While I waited, I turned my attention to the audience, who were eagerly chattering and cheering.
The Academy Class Festival was a point of pride for all first year students, particularly for those in the Agastia class, who were favored to win due to their impressive track record and outstanding students.
As I scanned the crowd, I noticed an unusual number of mages in attendance. ’What’s happening?’ My curiosity piqued, I focused to who they were looking and I saw someone in the VIP observatory overlooking the stadium.
Before I could identify who the person was, a voice boomed through the speaker system, cutting through my attention:
[This is the final round of Shadow Brawl! The two remaining contestants, please step out!]
I stretched my body to shake off any lingering fatigue and stepped outside.