Ch. 34 Elimination Round

After completing the registration process, nothing significant happened. Heidi, who saw herself as the de facto captain rather than Clay, led the group to an inn. Unlike the primary team, which enjoyed the luxury of academy-provided accommodations, the secondary and reserve teams had to find their own lodging. Fortunately, they had arrived early enough to secure rooms.

They booked three spacious rooms: one for the girls and two for the boys, including Teacher Harvey. Zak and Cain, unwilling to share a room with Clayton, opted to stay with Kai, leaving Clayton to room with Teacher Harvey. Clayton, unbothered by the arrangement, welcomed the quiet it afforded. He needed to restore his eyes' power undisturbed as soon as possible, after all.

"I sensed a demonic aura earlier, but I couldn't pinpoint its source. I need to repair my eyes tonight," Clayton thought.

Without delay, he entered his room, sat on the bed, and began meditating. His sudden dedication to cultivation surprised Teacher Harvey, who had never seen the usually lethargic Clayton so focused.

"Doesn't he feel exhausted after such a long journey?" the teacher wondered. However, as disturbing a cultivating Hunter was dangerous, Harvey opted to lie down and rest.

Moments after closing his eyes, Harvey's heightened sixth sense detected two powerful fluctuations nearby. Startled, he bolted upright, cold sweat dripping down his face. Convinced a formidable foe was lurking, he scanned the room but saw nothing amiss. Clayton remained seated, deeply immersed in his cultivation. Strangely, the feeling of danger disappeared when he was on high alert.

Unknown to Harvey, two small creatures—one black, the other white—were jumping on Clayton's bed, their excitement palpable. They were the source of the intense aura Harvey had sensed earlier. Recognizing no immediate threat, the teacher dismissed his unease as paranoia and forced himself to sleep.

The next morning, the teams assembled at the grand tournament arena for the opening ceremony. The arena buzzed with energy as spectators filled the stands.

"Look over there!" Heidi exclaimed, pointing toward a group of Hunters. "That's Team Bernard from the empire. They've got three level 5 Hunters and four level 4. Their overall strength far surpasses ours. I'm afraid only the primary team has the possibility of winning against them."

Kai nodded, his face serious. "With our current lineup, we're at a disadvantage. Let's hope we don't face them in the elimination round."

Heidi sighed. Despite the secondary team's strengths—including two level 5 warriors, three level 4 Hunters, and a talented level 3 priest—their weakest link was their captain, a level 3 Knight. Not to mention, they plan to hide Gwen's true mighty until the semifinal.

"However, the opponents from other academies don't seem weaker than us." Kai, as a guardian knight, could immediately judge that their opponents in this tournament were not weaklings.

Although he never looked down on Clayton, as a knight, he couldn't help but admit that the strength of the secondary team of Wisdom Academy was utterly hopeless.

Teacher Harvey, noticing the team's apprehension, stepped in with reassurance. "Don't lose heart. I've devised a strategy that could help you defeat even a team as strong as Bernard's, using just two members. But it hinges on Gwen."

Gwyneth blinked, caught off guard by the sudden spotlight. "Me? What do I have to do?"

Harvey chuckled. "Patience. I'll reveal the plan if and when you face them."

If their opponent in the elimination round wasn't the imperial side, why would they waste this strategy on an opponent weaker than Bernard?

As Harvey expected, young Hunters who reached level 5 before the age of twenty were very few. Their opponents were mostly level 4 Hunters with several level 5 Knights as captains.

The ceremony continued with fanfare. When the Wisdom Academy's primary team took center stage, the crowd erupted in cheers. This team, known for its consistent victories, was the tournament favorite. Though the secondary and reserve teams received applause, it was far less enthusiastic.

The number of participating teams taking part in this tournament reached more than three hundred teams. The elimination round was the round where the losing team went straight home and would not take part in the next round.

The draw for the participants was carried out immediately after the opening ceremony was over. This draw was carried out fairly and academies that had more than one team would certainly not meet each other in this round.

For example, if the academy had two teams, the first team did not need to take part in the elimination round and immediately take part in the round-about round. But if it had three teams, then the second and third teams would take part in the elimination round on different days.

In other words, Wisdom's primary team could go straight back to the hotel because they didn't need to take part in this elimination round. Meanwhile, the second team would take part in the match that day, while the reserve team would take part the following day.

"Who will be our opponent?" Kai looked at the giant four-sided monitor to find his team's name. "I found it! We're in the fifth match!" Kai announced excitedly. His enthusiasm waned as he read their opponents' name: Team Bernard.

The revelation sent a ripple of tension through the group. "If Bernard is competing in the elimination round, their primary team must be even stronger," Cain observed grimly.

The tournament's format involved multiple arenas, each designed with unique challenges. Arena A, where Wisdom's secondary team would compete, was the simplest. Teacher Harvey explained, "You're fortunate to have Arena A. The others are domain arenas, designed by level 8 Hunters. They include treacherous environments like deserts, tombs, and dark dimensions—unsuitable for teams without a level 5 mage."

Raylee exhaled in relief. "So, what are our chances of winning?"

"With your current lineup, about twenty to thirty percent," Harvey admitted. "But with my plan, I'd say ninety-nine percent."

"That high?" Heidi and the others exchanged surprised glances mixed with visible excitement. Even Clayton raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the strategy Harvey seemed so confident in.