The spectators were filled with both excitement and bewilderment as the fight came to a close. When they first arrived, they did so fully expecting Helinor to win, even going so far as to pity and mock Earth for courting death.
However, all those thoughts were wiped away the moment Roaka admitted defeat.
Everyone who had bet on Earth, whether by mistake, out of whim, or because they trusted their instincts, was now smiling like a fool while those who had wagered mountains of Gold coins on Helinor were angrily shouting at them to stop smiling, causing the former to smile even more widely.
Amidst the chaos, three people in particular were experiencing entirely different emotions, each caught in their own thoughts.
Jack, still staring at the large screen even seconds after the match had ended, murmured to himself, “He’s already this strong?”
He stood quietly for a while before snapping out of his daze. Then, raising his voice, he said, “I wasn’t able to see, was that guy using any Force?”
But even after the question had long since been drowned out by the voices of the other spectators around them, no answer came.
Turning his head toward Erevan, he was about to repeat himself when he noticed Erevan’s thoughtful expression.
Curious, Jack tapped him on the shoulder and asked, “Something wrong?”
“What did you say?” Erevan said abruptly, his head snapping toward Jack as if he had just been woken from a dream.
“I asked if that big guy was using any type of Force, but you weren’t listening.”
“Oh.” Erevan exclaimed, then nodded slowly. “It’s not surprising you couldn’t tell, it’s hard to notice when you don’t know what you’re looking for. But yes, he did use Force. Fist Force, to be exact.”
“Fist Force?” Jack echoed. Then he added, “I haven’t heard of anyone on Earth who’s comprehended that.”
Erevan explained softly, “It’s not common for people to fight using their bare fists. Most choose either mana or a weapon from the common types. From there, they start walking down their own path and slowly comprehend whatever they chose.”
“As for why it’s not common… well…” His lips curved upward as he looked at Jack’s focused and interested expression. “Do you want to make tempering your body a daily routine? If so, I’d suggest switching from Saber Force to another Force that’s body related.”
“What do you think?”
Tempering my body daily? Is there a madman who would willingly do that?
Jack’s face paled slightly at the thought of enduring that hellish experience, one he’d already gone through years back, every single day.
Quickly waving his hands, he said, “No, no. I was just curious.”
Afraid that Erevan might press the matter, Jack swiftly changed the topic. “Since the fight is over, we should head back to the town.”
Before he even finished speaking, he had already called up the system and chosen to return.
Erevan watched dumbly as Jack’s body slowly disappeared.
“Why is he in such a rush? We have nothing else to do besides train anyway.” He mumbled to himself before shifting his gaze toward the large screen where the arena was projected.
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A madman who would willingly do that? Judging by what I’ve seen, that’s not enough to describe him. Just what did he have to go through to push his body so far that even a middle first stage Fist Force wasn’t enough to scratch him? I could ask him, but…
Forget it. I shouldn’t stick my nose into his personal matters.
Releasing a deep sigh, Erevan’s body disappeared from the spectator stands as well.
/////
While Jack and Erevan talked and chose to return to their town, in another part of the stands, Celera stood frozen in place.
Her face had gone as white as a sheet of paper, and she was shaking ever so slightly.
How… how can someone from a new civilization be this strong?
If even Helinor lost… how am I supposed to fight him?
Wait.
Does that civilization have others as strong as him?
Her train of thought grew darker and darker as desperation set in, but she quickly shook her head so hard that her long hair whipped around.
No.
Impossible.
No new civilization should have someone like him, forget many.
Just as Celera was about to sigh in relief, thinking that Nova was the only strong person from Earth, a series of thoughts sprang to her mind as reality set in.
Even if he’s the strongest of that Earth civilization… now that Helinor has failed, do I really need to take revenge personally?
If so, how long will it take me to become as strong as him?
It was then, as her thoughts turned to Helinor, that she remembered what had happened not long ago in their town.
The thought made her legs gave out and she slumped into a chair, terror clearly written across her face.
“I doomed myself… no, I doomed us all… for nothing.”
Blinded by hatred and a thirst for revenge, Celera had signed a slave contract with Helinor in exchange for the destruction of Earth. She had believed that today would be the day she finally got her revenge.
But it wasn’t.
Instead, today was the day she realized she had sold out both herself and her civilization, gaining nothing in return.
Her mind went blank, but her problems were far from over.
/////
The moment Roaka admitted defeat, a different notification was sent to everyone hailing from Helinor.
[Earth (Leader) has won against Helinor (Subordinate)]
[The Gold coins placed as a bet will soon be collected from you and transferred to Earth (Leader)]
It took a few moments for Helinor’s warriors to even remember that they had a match today. None of them gave it much thought, it was, after all, against an unranked civilization.
Under normal circumstances, such fights wouldn’t elicit any reaction, let alone be worth keeping track of.
But as the seconds ticked by, the pieces slowly fell into place. When they finally connected the dots, they realized something that made their blood run cold.
Their civilization, Helinor, had wagered one billion Gold coins on this fight.
“PRISCA!!!!”
An enraged shout thundered through the town, reverberating off every structure. It snapped the warriors out of their daze and sent a shiver of fear down the spines of all who heard it.
In her apartment, Prisca was too busy managing the hundreds of arrays surrounding her to bother reading the recent notification. Thus, when the shout rang out, it was so sudden and thunderous that her concentration was violently disrupted.
The arrays, no longer properly controlled, popped like bubbles. One by one, they collapsed and fell apart.
Gritting her teeth, Prisca spat, “Does he really have to shout so loudly? Even the soundproofing arrays I set on the door are useless.”
“I want to see what he wants now. It had better be a matter of life or death if he thinks he can disturb me as he wishes.”
Standing up, she straightened her dress and stormed out the door.
As she walked through the sprawling complex reserved for Helinor’s higher ups, glances filled with rage, disgust, and murderous intent followed her so intensely that she could feel the weight of their hostility pressing against her.
The only thing stopping them from acting, it seemed, was the place they were currently in.
They want to kill me? Have they gone crazy? More importantly, do they even dare?
At first, it was only a few hostile looks, and she met them with a mocking stare, daring anyone to act. But the further she walked, the more eyes turned to her, each glare sharper than the last, until her frown deepened.
What’s wrong with these people today? Have I done something to them?
She racked her memory.
I don’t recall. I’ve been cooped up in my room for the past month at least.
A double door, fit for a royal palace and clearly leading to an important location, soon stood before her.
Strangely, no guards were posted in front of it. But then again, who needed guards in a place where everyone came from the same civilization and all were warriors? At least, that’s what any visitor would assume.
Reality, however, was entirely different.
I’ll have to ask him.
Prisca, her demeanor now respectful and entirely different from her earlier anger, took a deep breath and pushed the doors open.
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