Chapter 3: Examination

At 9 PM, the comprehensive cold weapon combat tournament continued at Storm Stadium.

In the control room, a middle-aged white man in a referee uniform sat before a monitor, repeatedly watching a recording.

If Tao Ran were there, he would recognize this man as the head referee of his match with Ichabod Wood.

"Sampson, are you still watching that footage?"

A middle-aged man of similar age, holding a coffee cup, looked over with a puzzled expression. "Didn't they already conclude it was an armor malfunction?"

"That was just a preliminary conclusion. The examiner wasn't very certain."

Sampson frowned, deep lines etching his forehead. "According to his initial assessment, the armor shouldn't have exploded for no reason. The neck component of Ichabod's armor should have been subjected to an impact of at least ten tons, exceeding the armor's capacity, which led to Ichabod being blown away and the armor being destroyed."

The middle-aged man couldn't help but laugh. "Are you joking? Ten tons of impact? That means Ichabod's opponent would need to be at least Level 6 or higher. Did you notice anything during the match?"

"First, I must admit, I was a bit distracted, so I can't rule out the possibility."

Sampson looked helpless. "The examiner did suggest this to me. Because there was no supporting evidence, the conclusion was an armor malfunction. However, the examiner insisted on sending the armor to Exxon Magus Laboratory for a detailed third-party analysis, and the Nathan Sports Group supported his suggestion."

"Nathan Group is the NHSAA's armor sponsor. Of course, they don't want their product to have issues. It could be a major scandal."

The middle-aged man spoke with a hint of sarcasm and then asked, "So, what about you? After watching the footage so many times, did you find anything?"

"No! Based on the footage, there's no evidence of anyone or anything making contact with Ichabod."

Sampson crossed his arms. "This is after reviewing it frame by frame. Unless?"

"Unless what?" The middle-aged man took a sip of his coffee, unconcerned.

"Unless Ichabod's opponent, André Lee Wildenstein, struck at a speed of at least 320 kilometers per hour, beyond our specialized camera's capture capability."

Sampson shook his head. "But that's even more unbelievable, right? Not even a Level 7 Shadow Mage can do that."

"Exactly, so why are you stressing over it?"

The middle-aged man chuckled. "The match is almost over. I think we should find a bar, relax a bit. Right, Sampson?"

※※※※

Tao Ran and William Jack's school bus had arrived at their residence in the Vagabond district.

Unlike an hour earlier, William Jack got off the bus with a listless demeanor, his face resembling a withered bitter melon. He muttered to himself, "Why? Why? It shouldn't be like this. That guy shouldn't have been my match. Why did I lose? Eliminated in the first round, heavens! What will Louise think of me? Unreliable William?"

"You were overconfident and attacked too aggressively."

Tao Ran commented dispassionately, "You ran out of stamina. Losing wasn't surprising. In short, you were careless."

As he spoke, his gaze discreetly shifted to a young girl who had also gotten off the bus.

Tao Ran guessed she was around twenty, with delicate features and fair skin. She wore a tight white T-shirt and hot pants, accentuating her curves.

—Such an outfit would be considered scandalous to the extreme in the realm of Yuanchong, even among the most liberated disciples of the Hehuan Sect, none would dress like this.

Even in this world, it was bold. This was the Vagabond district, one of the top three neighborhoods in Atlanta for violent crime. A girl dressed like that was asking for trouble.

Tao Ran had no intention of meddling. He knew this young girl was likely an escort. On the bus, he had overheard her soliciting a government employee from a nearby district, even offering 500 gold shields for a night.

Her attire, clearly related to her profession, was none of his concern.

However, Tao Ran couldn't ignore it because a fire of desire burned within him. He found himself fixating on the young girl, a red gleam appearing in his eyes.

This situation felt absurd to Tao Ran. He struggled to suppress the urge to pounce on her.

Could this be another inner demon?

Tao Ran knew he wasn't a lecherous person, much less one to harbor desires for an escort. This was beastly behavior.

Inner demons arose from one's thoughts and desires. This situation defied logic.

"Hey! You were the one frozen on stage, so you have no right to criticize me!"

William Jack remained oblivious to his friend's turmoil, complaining as he walked ahead. "That guy was despicable, utterly shameless!"

"Well, if you consider reasonable tactics despicable."

As the young girl walked away, Tao Ran managed to calm his restless energy. However, his mind was still chaotic, lacking the strength to argue with his foolish companion.

"As I recall, this tournament has a losers' bracket, right? You can still fight your way out."

"The losers' bracket? Ha!"

William's mouth twisted in disdain. "You make it sound easy. There are over 2,000 contestants from more than 100 schools in Atlanta, competing for four spots in the top sixty-four. Don't you think that's brutal, André?"

"I can spare some time to coach you—"

Tao Ran hesitated for a moment. "I can teach you for half an hour after dinner each day."

He offered this because William Jack was the original owner's best friend and had helped him overcome his inner demon.

Tao Ran anticipated a busy period ahead, needing time to understand this world and establish himself. He also needed to address the recent issue quickly.

Dedicating half an hour daily to William was already a significant gesture.

"You coach me? Give me a break! You'd better sort out your own issues. You won't be lucky next time."

William waved weakly. "I need to go home and cool off. See you tomorrow, Lucky André."

Tao Ran watched William's figure disappear around the corner, then shook his head and walked in the opposite direction.

Although he and William lived in the same neighborhood, their homes were about 300 meters apart, situated on opposite sides of the school bus stop.

Following the original owner's memories, it took Tao Ran ten minutes to find his residence.

It was an old apartment building, and Tao Ran's place was a semi-basement room of about thirty square meters.

Tao Ran initially planned to continue sorting through André's memories once alone. But upon returning to the basement, he abandoned the idea and collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep.