Chapter 206: Insult
As soon as I stepped into the arena, I could feel my heart pounding rapidly. I looked around and saw countless people staring at the participants. I had never experienced something on this scale before, and I had to admit, I had stage fright. I could still remember my legs shaking when I presented at my office annual meeting.
But that meeting only had nearly a hundred people. Right now, it was hundreds of thousands. After a few minutes, my abdomen began to rumble from anxiety.
"Calm down, Alan. I know what you're feeling. I felt the same during my first time. But once the battle starts, it will go away," William said to me. He must have noticed my pale face.
"Thank you, William."
After a few minutes, all the participants were gathered in the arena. It seemed the arena had been repaired by magic, as the destruction caused by Salim and Reymond was nowhere to be seen. I looked around me and saw all kinds of people. Some were large, some were small, some looked intimidating, while others appeared calm.
(Now, all 50 participants are here! Before we begin, let us introduce each of them briefly so all of you can know who to support during the hectic battle!)
Soon, the commentator began introducing them one by one.
---
At the west side of the crowd section, Bob was sitting beside Yui, with Michael seated between them. They were enjoying snacks and food from the stalls.
"Where is Uncle Alan? I can't see him," Michael said as he placed his hand on his forehead, trying to look farther.
"Don't worry. The commentator will call his name, and we will be able to see him," Yui replied.
Meanwhile, Bob's expression was far from excited. The reason was simple. He had hoped to spend time alone with Yui while watching Alan struggle. That was his dream. But there was a nuisance called Michael disrupting his plan. It wasn't that he hated him, but over the past few weeks, he had barely gotten any one-on-one time with Yui.
As he was looking depressed, his eyes suddenly caught a group of people walking past him, searching for seats. They eventually found some a few rows away from him. There were about six or seven of them, each wearing a full hood over their heads. Not the same kind worn by Communion members.
"Who are they?" Bob muttered.
"Uncle Bob! I want some of your cotton candy!" Michael suddenly grabbed a piece from Bob's hand.
"Hey! Don't take mine. Where is yours?"
"I already finished it… Sis Yui, can I have another cotton candy?" Michael made a sad face.
' Tch! This kid… he really knows what he's doing. Is he actually an agent sent to stop me from getting close to Yui? Was he sent by Alan? ' Bob began to speculate.
"Alright. Just take mine. But do not ask for more after this, okay? It will cause cavities," Bob said.
If Alan were here, he would surely roll his eyes at Bob, whose favorite food was cake.
---
After a few minutes, the commentator was nearly done introducing all the participants. Based on the names he called, I could deduce something. There were 50 participants in total. Four guilds had sent two groups, each consisting of five members. The other two guilds that sent only one group were Dawnbloom and Primal Beast.
And finally, the commentator, Haris, began introducing my group.
"(And lastly, from Dawnbloom Guild: William, C-Rank. Blackburn, B-Rank. Evelyn, D-Rank. Maya, D-Rank…)"
"What a trash team sent by Dawnbloom Guild. Do they even want to win?"
"D-Rank? That's the same as me. If I were a member of Dawnbloom, I will be the one standing there."
"I guess we all know which guild will be defeated first."
The crowd belittled our group. Their words were no different from calling us trash. But the commentator was not finished yet.
(…and, oh? What is this? My, my… are my eyes seeing this correctly? The last member of Dawnbloom Guild is Alan. And his rank is… G-Rank! This is the first time ever a G-Rank has participated in the tournament!)
"What?!"
The entire colosseum gasped at the revelation. Some laughed, while others shook their heads, pitying Dawnbloom Guild.
---
"Hahahaha!" Gabriel laughed maniacally as he heard the announcement. Tears filled his eyes as he clutched his abdomen.
The other guildmasters were also trying their best to hold back their laughter.
"What is the meaning of this, Guildmaster Mirinda?" Salim, on the other hand, was clearly irritated. He shot a sharp gaze at her.
However, Mirinda and Beltimore, who were standing behind her, remained calm. Mirinda then gave a faint smile.
"There is no hidden meaning, Master Salim. It is what it is. In fact, I forced him to join all the fighting categories." Mirinda answered.
"Are you actually that narcissistic, Mirinda? Do you enjoy watching people suffer?" Morn, the Guildmaster of Moonlight Guild, said.
"No. Do not group me with you, Morn. All of you… just wait and see. That guy, he is not your normal G-rank," Mirinda said with a smile as she looked at the figure standing at the center of the arena, whose face was now flushed red.
---
Damn that Haris bastard! He didn't need to announce it like that.
My face felt hot as the crowd and the other participants made fun of me. But strangely, all those insults were fueling a fire inside me.
Yes. Laugh at me more. This G-rank will be the one kicking all your asses. Let us see who will be laughing at the end of the day.
I clenched both of my fists.
Suddenly, the ground shook, and the arena began to rise. Then, I heard the sound of rushing water. I looked toward the edge of the arena and saw that the entire circular boundary was now surrounded by a flowing river that rushed in from nowhere.
(Behold! This will be the battlefield of the first event today!)