Chapter 210: [Bonus Chapter] Vine Master
Nox felt the world warp and distort around him as he stepped through the portal. The feeling was very similar to the time he had passed through the Level 1 portal back in the Barony. He felt the world spin for a couple of seconds, and when he regained clarity, he found himself in a wasteland. In the distance, there was a forest with towering trees and mountains.
According to the commentator, this realm was artificial, unlike the dimensions. It was created by runesmiths. Nox still didn't know how something like this was possible. Once again, he realized that this world, though it seemed to be in the medieval era, was several times more advanced than the modern world.
Nox briefly imagined a situation where the two worlds went to war and couldn't help but shiver; it would be a massacre.
"Hey, let's meet up with the others." Wendy's voice brought Nox back to reality, and he looked into the distance just in time to see Rab and Cole, the pyromancer, running toward him with excitement in their eyes while screaming:
"Nox!!!!!!!!!"
"Wendy!!!!!!!"
Nox almost felt his ears bleed from the intense screaming. The two of them covered the distance in seconds and immediately pounced on both Wendy and Nox.
"Alright, calm down, I'm here. Don't get too emotional now," Nox said as he pushed Rab away, who was on the verge of tears.
"For a moment, I thought you wouldn't make it. Good to see you, Commander," Cole smiled, causing Nox's ears to redden in embarrassment.
"With you here, those Armstrong Dutch bastards better watch their backs!" Rab shouted, his eyes sparkling with belief.
"Yes, they better watch their backs," Nox repeated coldly. His lightless eyes were filled with raw malevolence, and even those present felt the thick killing intent emanating from him, catching them off guard.
"This killing intent—did he kill someone while he was away?" Nyx narrowed her eyes, suspicion gleaming within them. In Eos, one could only acquire murderous intent by killing either beasts or humans.
But there was a way to differentiate between them.
The intent acquired from beasts was light and less oppressive, but the intent acquired from humans was vastly different—thicker and more overwhelming.
Nyx didn't dwell too much on it, though.
Meanwhile, outside the realm, Nox's words echoed clearly, and his tone carried the promise of murder.
"Big words..." Duke Felix sneered as a look of disdain crossed his features. Though he was concealed by the curtain, almost everyone could feel the anger radiating from him. Why wouldn't he be angry? Just seconds after the tournament started, the kids from the Cromwell Barony were already insulting them.
---
"Shall we go hunt some prey?" Nox suggested with a smile, and the group of five headed deeper into the wilds.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it has finally begun!" Klein's voice boomed through the surroundings. The massive magical screen now displayed the location and live footage of all ten teams that had started searching for their opponents.
"I wonder if the Cromwell Barony has the guts to back up their words," Klein commented. Suddenly, he exclaimed in an excited voice, "Oh, it seems we'll soon witness our first contact!"
The audience instinctively focused on the box displaying a green haired youth leading his team north. At the same time, another team was heading in their direction.
"Oh, it's the Landon Barony against Ashfield Town. I didn't think these two would meet so early!"
"Hahaha, Landon, it seems you'll be the first to head home," the lord of Ashfield chuckled as he shot a mocking gaze at Landon, whose expression remained unreadable.
"How delusional," Landon eventually muttered as the Ashfield and Landon teams came face to face.
Before the lord of Ashfield could speak, Jared burst forward like a whirlwind, causing Lord Ashfield's eyes to widen. He hadn't expected the lanky, carrot-chewing kid to possess such muscle strength.
The speed alone shocked Ashfield, but what happened next was even more astonishing.
Jared appeared in front of the Ashfield leader and grabbed his head, following up with a brutal knee strike to the boy's face. The loud crack resonated through the crowd, making them subconsciously flinch as they imagined themselves in the victim's shoes.
The other four members of Ashfield's team immediately activated their skills and launched attacks on Jared. However, the Landon team reacted quickly, engaging the opponents in fierce combat. Swords, spears, and magic clashed repeatedly, and trees snapped in half—some blazing with fire.
The fight was intense, and within 20 minutes, the rest of the Ashfield team was eliminated along with their captain. After being overpowered by Jared's brute strength, the bodies of the five flickered and reappeared on the fighting platform.
The crowd erupted in boos, hurling vulgar insults at the Ashfield team. Humiliated, the teenagers covered their faces and rushed out of the arena in shame.
---
"T-this..." Lord Ashfield's face turned ashen, and his lips became dry. The fight had ended too fast. His team hadn't even landed a single attack; they had been utterly overwhelmed. This was frightening—such flawless teamwork!
"You were about to say something?" Lord Landon mocked, enjoying Ashfield's speechless expression. The sight was priceless, and Landon made a mental note to commission an artist to capture this moment in a portrait and send it to Ashfield as a gift.
"My son didn't even use his class, *Vine Master,*" Landon smirked, his gaze fixed on the screen displaying his team. "And still, he took out your son like the worthless trash he is."
"Y-you..." A lump formed in Lord Ashfield's throat. He wanted to retort, but the words wouldn't come out. In the end, he could only storm out of the VIP area. There was no point in watching the tournament any further, knowing that 50% of his revenue would now go to the winner.
As Ashfield stormed off, a smirk spread across Landon's face.
'Many thought the winner of this tournament would be the Armstrong Duchy or the Cromwells.' His grin widened as he thought, 'What a naive thought process.'
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Bonuse Chapter for Hitting Golden Tickets first goal.
50 Golden Tickets(Hit)