Chapter 156: 156 The tournament Begins.

In a desolate hallway, Jin and his group walked in heavy silence.

A roar of cheers echoed inside the room, filling the festive atmosphere with emotion.

His breath turned shallow—not from nervousness, but from a firm conviction that he could clench victory over another contestant.

The group walked until they reached the corner that would directly lead them onto a straight path to the stage.

Jin’s lips parted in a fearless grin, seeing his other classmate standing in waiting.

No words were needed between them, just a glance before they followed Jin’s leadership, walking toward the light at the end of the tunnel.

“This is it, guys”.

Jin’s solemn voice resonated within everyone’s heart. He twisted his neck, peeking through his shoulders.

“Enjoy the festival to your heart’s content”.

The group nodded firmly; their eyes shone with strength.

Jin chuckled; he stepped outside the room, greeting the blinding light from the golden eyes hovered above.

A tremor ran through his feet as the roar from spectators shook the atmosphere in the coliseum.

All sound faded in his ears. Jin puffed his chest out, smelling the familiar dirt as the pressure hit him like a waterfall.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the martial art festival—where dreams clash, and legends are born”.

An excited voice brought everyone’s attention toward the source. Crowds erupt in thunderous cheers.

On the north side of the spectator’s seat, there was an open seat reserved exclusively for the tournament commentator.

Two people sat on it, all of them were familiar faces.

Selene abruptly stood up from her seat, holding a magic item that amplified her voice, causing it to reverberate across the arena.

“This year’s tournament was unlike any before”.

Selene paused, allowing the crowds to settle into curious silence.

“We allow entries from other countries—recognized heroes, or academy elites for today’s stage was set to show a spectacular legend”.

She slammed the desk before her with a resounding dull ’thud’, raising the stifling tension in the air.

“I presented you, the Elites from our Promethys Academy, led by an incredible first-year, who carved a monstrous mark in the academy’s history”.

Following Selene’s voice, one by one, the Alpha Class appeared from the hole where Jin passed.

A wave of murmurs spread. The common folks stared in awe at their entrance, but the students from other academies knitted their brows.

They muted, barely holding their jaws, slackened in seeing Selene, who did not participate in the tournament, and all the participants were new faces.

They exchange glances in disbelief. What was the Promethys academy thinking, letting the first-year students be involved?

As she was waiting for this response. Selene’s voice struck like thunder, prompting the spectators her way.

“Now, let’s welcome the other contestant. They came from the academy that sought the unknown and master of craftsmanship. We welcome you here, Valor Academy!”.

A round of thunderous claps and drums rang from the west side of the arena.

All eyes gathered around them, witnessing the synchronized choreography and the beautiful unity that escorted their students into the arena.

In front of the group who entered stood a tall girl.

Her wavy red hair cascaded down her back. She was holding a massive battle hammer that was as tall as her.

The girl’s predatory eyes narrowed in anger as she saw Selene waving from the spectator’s seat.

She swept her gaze at Jin’s side, letting out an obvious scoff that lit the flame in their hearts.

Jin glanced at his group and couldn’t help chuckling under his breath. “Calm yourselves, don’t get provoked with such cheap tricks”.

The students behind him exhaled. Thanks to Jin’s calm voice, they returned to their focus.

Noticing the change in her opponent’s side, the girl raised her brows as curiosity filled her orange pupils.

’So, she is the next heroine, huh’.

Jin caught a glimpse of the girl’s appearance and noticed her identity straight.

He turned to Allen on the side, the snow-haired boy still. From his ruby eyes, Jin could see Allen’s sharp conviction in facing any trials that came his way.

Just like Silvia, Iris, and Lucya. Allen also showed monstrous growth in the past months of training under Jin’s side.

The innocent hint in his dull demeanor dimmed, exchanged into a more refined sword. Sharp on both edges, ready to face his fate ahead as the scripted protagonist.

Selene continued her announcement, pulling Jin’s attention to her side. She kept introducing the other contestants.

From six other contestants who weren’t from the academy. Jin spotted two people wearing robes, hiding their identities.

He unconsciously activated his Jade eyes skill, observing the two mysterious figures.

The boy had enough of people hiding their appearance by wearing robes. It pulled him into the sickening encounter with those Thypon cultists.

“…And now, before the battles begin… we must decide who will face who! Step forward, my cute junior! It’s time to draw your fate!”

Selene looked at Jin and ushered him closer.

Jin moved his feet, walking closer to the edge of the arena facing the wall.

Then, above him, as Selene flicked her wrist, a box with question marks appeared, falling right into Jin’s arms.

“The one who drew a matching number inside the box will be assigned as each other’s opponents. Jin, can you please distribute the numbers?”.

The boy shrugged his shoulders and walked toward his classmates first.

“Who’s first?”.

Silvia stepped forward before him; her clear azure eyes stared right into Jin’s gaze as her hand entered the box.

She pulled out a white ball with the number three in it.

Then Iris, Lucya, and Allen began to follow after her.

With luck on their side, almost all the members in his class drew a different number except Kurobe and Kael.

Jin left his group and still did not touch the number inside.

He moved toward Valor Academy, their sharp gazes probing him from top to bottom.

The leader, a girl with the same height as him, stomped the ground hard, leaving a small crack beneath.

“Hmph, it seemed this year’s tournament would be a boring one”.

Her imposing tone and the small giggle behind her back tried to sway Jin’s heart.

However, Jin didn’t respond. His emerald eyes were calm like the skies, freed from any restraint and unbothered by others.

Jin raised the box in his hand, telling them to hurry, and took their numbers.

“Tch”.

The girl clicked her tongue and shoved her hand into the box, taking a ball with the number six.

’Oh, the same as Allen’. Jin swallowed his spit back, almost letting out a small gasp. ’It seemed the world still wanted to meet the hero and its heroine; good for you, Allen’.

After the valor academy, he continued to the other six, who stood a bit far away from the groups.

While taking the numbers, Jin didn’t forget to activate his Jade Eyes skill to its maximum potential but found no anomalies within them.

’Well, I can intervene later if necessary’.

The boy plunged his hand into the box and found a single ball, the only remaining number.

“Hmm, One”.

As the words left his mouth, the ball in his hands shone in white. The same also happened to others.

The light shot upward, drawing a beautiful arc as it gathered into Selene’s seat, who held a small board in her hands.

“Woah, it came. Who’s going first in this tournament?”.

Selene didn’t speak right away; she held the result in her hands with great anticipation and slight worry.

She inhaled and loudly announced the result. Her voice boomed like an explosion.

“Thanks for the wait, and let’s start the tournament first match. We have our first-year prodigy, Jin the leader and a lone mercenary from the east named Sasaki Kojiro”.

A thundering roar erupted from the crowds, who couldn’t hold back the swelling excitement in their chest.

After the announcement, Silvia gave her command to the other students and cleared the arena, waiting behind the tunnel with palpable tension.

Jin walked forward with calm confidence, carrying the hope of the entire academy.

The opponent pulled the robe over his head, revealing wolf ears that twitched with a sense of anticipation.

He was a handsome boy, approximately the same age as Jin, probably a year older.

His striking red hair, tied into a ponytail, swayed gently in the passing breeze.

The boy carried an aura of comfort and calm, yet hidden beneath his carefree smile, Jin could feel his skin tingling with danger.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, students from Promethys, I am Sasaki Kojiro, a wandering mercenary”.

“Jin Midnight, It’s a pleasure to meet you, too”.

Both exchanged firm handshakes and stepped back to gain some distance from each other.

Kojiro pulled his robe, and his crimson kimono gleamed under the sun. He wore a beige hakama with two distinctive eastern swords.

He has a katana and a wakizashi on his left waist.

Jin exhaled as he lowered his stance to Iai’s posture. His emerald eyes observed the opponent meticulously.

Kojiro responded by preparing his middle stance and drawing his katana. Its silver blade shimmered in fierce glint.

“Both contestants seemed ready, then let’s begin the martial art festival. Contestants carved your mark in history”.

Selene’s voice vanished into the ocean of cheers as the contestant Kojiro took the initiative and dashed forward in a sharp movement, clashing head-on with Jin.

“Let’s have a fair match, Jin”.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep