Chapter 421: Finally Starting! Still Unconvinced

"Alright, alright, can you speed this up?"

"We're just waiting for the next match!"

Watching the two teams still throwing tough words at each other, the audience grew impatient.

"Forget it, I'm going to take a bathroom break."

"I'm grabbing a coffee at the bar!"

"I'm heading outside for some fresh air."

"..."

Many spectators, now uninterested, decided to step out briefly.

Besides, the Dark Night Empire and Dwarf Empire have a good diplomatic relationship.

The vampire race has always been misunderstood by outsiders.

Especially by ordinary people.

Due to movies and novels, people think vampires are blood-drinking, flesh-eating monsters.

But in reality...

Vampires actually look down on human blood, filled with impurities.

Humans constantly eat junk food, raising their cholesterol and blood pressure, leaving their blood full of impurities and lacking in nutrients.

Vampires are repulsed by it, who would even want to drink it?

Plus, the vampire race has long established its own synthetic blood industry.

This industry contributes greatly to the GDP of the Dark Night Empire.

Many human nations, including the Dragon Kingdom, Free Federation, and Fusang Country, purchase synthetic blood from the Dark Night Empire.

It's mainly used in the medical field for ordinary people.

Before the world's calamity, the Dwarf Empire and Dark Night Empire seemed to have been in the same otherworldly plane.

So even after being transported here, they still maintain good diplomatic relations.

As a result...

Though the captains exchanged tough words, the team members were already chatting and greeting each other.

There wasn't a hint of tension in the air.

And during the battle, the teams weren't fighting like it was a semifinal.

It felt more like a friendly match.

After over ten minutes of combat, neither team had lost a single member.

Only the captains were seriously dueling each other.

It was as if the result of the captains' duel would determine who advanced to the finals.

At this point, some might wonder...

Even with good diplomatic relations, wouldn't they take it seriously for the runner-up prize?

In reality, only the champion team in the team competition gets a reward.

After all, it's a fifty-person team.

Meaning...

The event organizers have to award fifty people with generous prizes!

In this world, resources like B-rank, A-rank, and S-rank skill books, items, and materials are already scarce.

Giving out one hundred rewards would be a nightmare for the event organizers!

Even a prosperous country like the Dragon Kingdom switched the reward from an A-rank skill book for each person to school credits.

So being the runner-up is mostly just a title.

Besides...

They knew the team competition was different from the individual competition.

In the individual competition, the runner-up title was highly valuable!!

Because both contenders had to fight their way through a series of one-on-one battles to reach the final!

The team competition was different.

Top teams like the Free Federation, Holy Light Empire, Forest of Elves, and Twilight Empire all had bad luck.

They faced the Dragon Kingdom team early and were eliminated.

In reality, they were the true runner-up, third-place, and fourth-place teams.

So outside of the championship, the other titles in the team competition weren't very valuable.

Which is why these teams didn't bother trying too hard.

They just saw the runner-up title as an opportunity to "earn the right to challenge Ling Zhan once."

There wasn't any tension.

Nor was there any intense fighting.

And they didn't care about putting on a show.

So both teams fought lazily.

To the point that the referee almost penalized them for passive play.

But unfortunately...

Andy couldn't defeat Bonnie.

As a hidden second-tier warrior class, Bonnie, the Destroyer, had incredibly high damage reduction and skills that granted control immunity.

Andy simply couldn't do much against her.

In the end, Andy admitted defeat, conceding by just a small margin.

With that, the Dwarf Empire team advanced to the finals.

"Alright!"

"Next match!"

The referee had enough of this boring, tension-free battle.

He quickly announced the start of the second match.

"Now, will the Dragon Kingdom team and Orc Royal Court team please take the stage!"

Whoosh!!

As the referee's voice echoed throughout the colossal arena.

The spectators outside, smoking, chatting, or enjoying the view, hurried back.

They were bursting with excitement, barely making it back to their seats before their eyes were fixed on the slender figure of the jobless non-specialist in the arena.

"Hmm... This match might not be as exciting as the first quarterfinal match."

"But with that boar orc captain, who's like an indestructible wall, it's sure to be a thrilling battle!"

"Yeah, I remember that guy, Hawk, the boar orc. In the individual competition, his potential was limited by the venue, so he only made it to the top 32."

"Really? That's a shame! He should've requested a venue change from the officials!"

"No choice, Hawk's shy. When he was younger, his classmates bullied him because of his ugly appearance."

"Wow! That's awful! The people who bullied him were disgusting!"

"..."

As the audience discussed, many began to see the boar orc in a new light.

Though he looked ugly, he was actually kind and gentle, even bullied in middle and high school.

Now, on the global Warcraft tournament stage, the boar orc had proven his strength and earned the respect of the audience.

Many started cheering for Hawk.

As both teams entered the secret realm battlefield.

The once relaxed atmosphere in the arena grew tense and sharp.

The resurrected Princess Saint Luni and Princess Saint Lucy returned to the VIP seats.

They watched the slender figure on the screen, each with different expressions.

Sixteen-year-old Princess Saint Lucy's gem-like eyes darted about, her thoughts unknown.

Princess Saint Luni's expression, however, was a mix of fear, hatred, and... a touch of desire for conquest.

"Now you see why I'm so intent on making that jobless non-specialist my final disciple?"

At that moment.

The Corrupt Witch appeared beside the two princesses, smiling.

The countdown on the screen began.

Princess Saint Luni lowered her head and asked with difficulty, "Teacher, is there any way to grow stronger?"

"What? Still unconvinced?" the witch asked with a smile.

Princess Saint Luni bit her lip, saying nothing.

Her charming, flushed face was now resolute.

The witch waved her hand, still smiling.

"Alright, let's set this matter aside for now. It's time to witness the rise of a new king!"