Chapter 207

Chapter 207 Unexpected Opponent

The New Star Competition had reached the round where sixteen contestants were whittled down to eight.

A scorching wave of fire spread out like a circle, illuminating the originally dim basement as brightly as day. The dazzling flames licked the air, creating a scorching aura that made it hard for anyone to approach.

Standing at the center of the fiery circle was the youth who had previously sparred with Elyon. His pale gold hair flickered slightly in the fire, appearing even more radiant.

Since his last defeat by Elyon, he had been much more cautious. Coupled with his innate talent and natural aptitude, he quickly rose back into the top sixteen. His consecutive victories had restored his confidence and aura.

Looking at the black-haired girl in the distance, he smiled faintly, golden particles gathering in the air. A blazing golden fireball began to form in his hand, its intense heat distorting the surrounding air.

Facing the incoming fire wave, Lolan Hill opened her hexagonal red shield, resembling a honeycomb, to block it off.

The power of the Demon Sequence was not suitable for defense. This shield made up of multiple hexagons could not hold for long, and her opponent was a genius adept at manipulating magic and flames.

She had to attack, Lolan thought.

A crimson spear materialized in the air, its intricate body adorned with spiral grooves for grip, with a sharp triangular blade that shimmered with cold, icy brilliance. Her own crimson magic flowed through the spear, causing red flames to burn around it.

With a flash of red light, she darted directly in front of the short-sleeved youth. The parted fire wave left behind, and the sharp tip of the spear sliced through his hair, startling him. The energy-filled fireball in his hand exploded.

Accompanied by the expansion and oscillation of the atmosphere, the golden flames scattered in all directions, some striking the ground and melting into small craters, revealing translucent materials similar to glass.

Combat matches couldn’t end in death. At the last moment, Lolan deflected the spear’s blade to avoid decapitating him. But the short-sleeved youth remained oblivious, thinking his quick reaction and impromptu explosion had deflected her attack.

After rolling to the ground, he quickly stood up again and rapidly moved his body. Several fireballs began circling him. This time, he didn’t fly into the air, despite it looking cool; lacking aerial combat skills, he would be an easy target if he did so.

When the golden fireballs were fully charged, they floated out one after another, seven or eight of them, baking the air and swiftly approaching Lolan, their flight path blocking any attempt to dodge.

Then came the chain explosions of the golden fireballs, with bright flashes of fire and deafening sounds echoing throughout the basement, creating deep craters.

After the explosions, dust filled the air. As the short-sleeved youth prepared to throw another fireball to clear the dust, pain shot through the back of his head, and he collapsed, unconscious on the ground.

Standing on the empty ground, slightly shorter than the youth, Lolan remained still. Then, the judge’s voice came from the ceiling.

“Number 309 wins, the match is over.”

Thus, Lolan entered the top eight. Though forming a club only required a bit of honor credits, looking ahead wasn’t bad either.

During the break the next day in the classroom, students began discussing.

“The New Star Competition is almost over, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I wonder who will win. So many participants are keeping it under wraps.”

“I shouldn’t laugh, but I actually participated too. Unfortunately, I was eliminated on the first day.”

“Haha, tell us, who was your opponent?”

“It wasn’t a big shot, just a very cute girl. Unfortunately, I was knocked out before I could even remember her appearance. The only thing I remember is the pair of knee-high socks with cat ears she wore. They were really beautiful.”

“I get it, I get it, haha.”

“Alright, let’s stop joking. Who do you think will win? Any news?”

“It’s still unclear, but I know Aisaya from our class is among the top few because I saw him enter the channel yesterday. Also, Rock from the neighboring class should have joined too. When I was in class today, a student from the neighboring class said he had more bandages and injuries on him.”

“He’s really going all out. Yeah, if I were him, I’d give it my all too. After all, opportunities for commoners to rise are rare. If he makes it to the top few, he can join elite clubs later, which comes with many benefits.”

“That’s true. Not only the honor credits, but also the resources within the club and the connections formed after graduation are enviable. Unfortunately, elite clubs usually only recruit peripheral members, making it hard to become core members.”

“I heard some girls are solely focused on joining elite clubs to meet noble children. If they succeed, they won’t have to worry about their future.”

“That’s true. Outside of school, commoners rarely get to interact with young nobles, but it’s different here. Besides, campus relationships generally aren’t strongly opposed by noble parents because everyone admitted to Emanas is exceptional, and even if not, they’ll become high-ranking Extraordinary Beings, which isn’t too disgraceful.”

“Therefore, making it to the top four is impressive. If it were me, I’d definitely reveal myself when I win to let others envy me.”

“I agree, haha. But some people don’t care much about such competitions, like the young lady from the Landsworth family didn’t participate.”

“The Landsworth family values image and etiquette, so it’s normal they didn’t join.”

Ding-ding-ding—

“Alright, stop talking, the teacher is coming. Hopefully, she won’t call on me to answer questions.”

—

Though the competition was nearing its end, this year’s freshmen seemed relatively low-key, with only two or three of the top eight revealed, while others still kept their identities hidden.

In the teaching hall, the underground combat room.

The ground, refurbished several times, still retained a lot of dust, with traces of bombings visible. On the ground paved with gravel, stood two young women facing each other.

“Is that Bumansa?”

Looking at the girl in casual clothes across from her, with chestnut gold curls draped over a white dress, the seemingly harmless appearance truly surprised Lolan.

The neighborly older sister I usually think of is now my opponent, what should I do?

Her mind raced, imagining a novel of ten thousand words.

Bumansa, standing opposite her, was equally shocked. This 16-year-old girl, younger than her, looked nothing like someone who could defeat those orc classmates. Her slender legs and delicate face only evoked pity. How did she make it to the top eight?

Just as both were full of questions, the judge’s voice echoed from the ceiling.

“Battle begins!”

Thank you to Fengfengfengfeng, BeifengoEro, Zhisudong, Menghuilingdu, Moyexueya, Shangshanyoushui, and the eight generous patrons!

I’ll keep working hard to add more tomorrow (I type slowly and need to plan the plot (＞＜)/~)

End of Chapter