Chapter 210

Chapter 210: Metal Bull

As the weather began to warm, the rainy season gradually arrived in Emanas.

The sky was just beginning to brighten at dawn, and the ground still bore traces of the rainwater left over from the night before. Some white petals and green leaves were scattered along the tree-lined path, trampled by some early-rising students.

The central school buildings were situated on flat land, with the main structures roughly divided into a triangular layout. The northern part of this area was mainly occupied by teaching halls and offices, while the southwestern section housed various facilities such as archery ranges, riding grounds for freshmen, training courtyards, student club rooms, and even gardens for rearing demonic beasts. The southeastern section was where the dormitories for freshmen and upperclassmen in the central school buildings were located.

Rows of white brick apartment-style buildings stood neatly but not densely packed, with open spaces between them. Around these buildings, many emerald apricot trees were planted. It was also the season when apricot blossoms bloomed, their five white petals spread evenly, with slender white stamens tipped with a light yellow hue. Up close, one could see tiny grains of pollen scattered about.

As the sun slowly rose, more and more students appeared on the tree-lined path. Four girls from the same dormitory walked together, chatting softly.

“Really? Lolan actually lost?”

Since Lolan Hill returned quite late last night and everyone else had already gone to sleep, Alena only found out about the results now.

“Why are you so surprised? The New Star Competition is indeed full of hidden talents,” Letis said, looking somewhat puzzled at Alena.

“You, you didn’t bet on her, did you?”

“Haha, how could I? Why would I gamble?” Alena denied it outright, but her downcast appearance suggested she might have been involved indirectly.

“So, who won against Lolan then?”

“Nia asked curiously, wearing a light brown hat on her head.

“This is confidential.”

Seeing Lolan Hill’s reluctance to reveal anything, Alena felt annoyed and wanted to go up and pinch her face, but considering she probably couldn’t win in a fight, she reluctantly gave up.

During previous combat classes, they had briefly sparred using wooden swords. Or rather, Alena had sparred with several others in the dormitory using wooden swords. Unfortunately, she lost all three matches. Lolan Hill didn’t need to say, but Nia, who grew up on the grasslands, was accustomed to fighting with sticks, which was almost a pastime for the people there. Letis had also learned court swordsmanship as a child, though her practical skills were average, she was still much better than Alena’s messy sword techniques.

Thus, the semifinalists of the Nova Star Competition were finally decided, consisting of Bumansa, Aisaya, Rock, and the orc新生 Tim.

Several teachers who knew the truth shook their heads at this peculiar outcome. Some said it was due to luck, while others thought it was a matter of misfortune. The numbers had been randomly assigned, but coincidentally, several geniuses of the Golden Rank were grouped together and eliminated each other. Among the top contenders, Eulalie, Xuanfrost, and the short-sleeved youth were all defeated by Lolan Hill and failed to reach the top sixteen.

As a result, two of the semifinalists only received a Silver Rating in combat, with the sole consolation being that one of the most exceptional geniuses, Bumansa, also made it to the semifinals.

“Miss 309 Lolan somehow withdrew; it’s quite a pity,” observed one teacher, glancing at his list.

“Perhaps she didn’t care about the ranking. Those people from the Eastern Region do have such a mindset,” another teacher, who was checking and repairing the venue, replied. As he placed his hand on the ground, the uneven earth smoothed out, and the walls regained their former luster. Pits were filled with fresh soil.

Then, a gray radiance spread, petrifying the soil and debris, forming diamond-shaped tiles. To highlight the grandeur of the final venue, the teacher put extra effort into engraving star patterns on the stone slabs, matching the finale of the Nova Star Competition.

“How useful your petrification ability is! It must be great for construction,” the teacher holding the list remarked enviously.

“Haha, nobles did ask me to do similar things before, but they later found my price too high and stopped hiring me.”

“Isn’t that just a minor task? What was your price?”

“300 Exquisite Gold Coins.”

“That’s really expensive.”

“You don’t understand. Building houses and laying floors are entirely different. If you make them all as one piece, it’s easy to collapse. And if you’re going to stack them like ordinary stonemasons, why would they need me? So they eventually stopped hiring me.”

After chatting for a while, as evening fell, the new students began to finish their classes, and the finals drew near.

First up was Bumansa against Tim.

Standing at two meters tall, Tim had two thick black horns pointing skyward, and upon closer inspection, rough spiral patterns could be seen on them.

Facing Bumansa was the orc新生 Tim, wielding a thick spear, standing resolutely on the battlefield. Today’s lights were especially bright, with several glowing magic orbs floating around.

Floating in the air, several judges and teachers were observing the battle.

Compared to Tim, who was tall and robust, Bumansa appeared much smaller. This time, she did not use a wooden rod but instead wielded a slightly more formal wooden sword.

Looking at the young lady across from her, holding a slender wooden sword that resembled a fire poker, Tim looked down on her with disdain. An ordinary person could hold a spear as thick as a fist in their hand, thrust it into the ground, and create a pit. The five-meter-long spear would tremble violently. Spears are stronger than swords; this was a ‘time-honored truth.’

Although he was also a Sequence 4, he had strength comparable to a Gold Rank, nearly reaching the level of a Sequence 5. He was called the ‘Heavenly Giant Bull’ by the shamans in his clan, meaning a wild bull born under divine will, capable of wrestling with giants.

Along the way, he had easily defeated other Silver Rank newcomers, greatly boosting his confidence.

“Battle begins!”

With the judge’s order, Tim held the spear and lunged forward,

The spear quivered, and the tip sliced through the air with a thunderous sound. In one thrust, seven afterimages of the spear blossoms emerged, making it hard to defend against.

As the afterimages of the spear blossoms were about to envelop Bumansa, she pulled her sword light upward, striking the exact center of the spear tip amidst the rapidly moving afterimages. She then twisted her wrist, splitting the spear directly in half with the sword light. Cracks spread, turning one spear into two.

“How is this possible?”

In just one move, his weapon was already destroyed. Tim discarded the broken weapon, took a deep breath, and let out a loud roar. The tremendous sound wave caused by the roar lifted pebbles and dust, flying straight towards Bumansa, causing pain upon impact.

Immediately after, a golden metallic luster covered Tim’s body as he charged towards his opponent. His heavy steps shook the earth, like rolling thunder.

Just as he was about to collide with Bumansa, he lost sight of her in his vision. Soon after, the metallic-covered body began to show cracks, crimson blood flowing down.

Tim cried out in frustration. Then, he made several more charges and pursuits, raising clouds of dust and creating several large craters, but he could never get close to Bumansa.

*Crack*

Finally, his heavy body collided with the stone pavement with a loud thud. After losing too much blood, Tim collapsed unconscious. The judge’s voice echoed accordingly.

“Number 385 wins. Battle ends.”

*Special thanks to 懶到底, 噬灭日蚀, 书友20200810230422121, and 某崩坏的终焉律者 for their support.*

*(End of Chapter)*