Chapter 286: Dekan’s Opponents Can’t Even See His Back |
After arriving in the territory of the southern countries, the group transferred to a mana-powered rail vehicle.
In the spacious carriage, the Beautiful Mind Squad and the idol group could sit far apart from each other.
Everyone seemed to be much more at ease.
The main reason Dekan felt particularly awkward was because the three people who knew Little Gray's true identity had witnessed his socially-cringeworthy scene.
But he was the producer, after all.
With time, it would naturally pass.
Only Cloix, even though they were separated, felt a little restless.
He wanted to go and say something to Judith.
But he felt this was not the right setting.
Dekan looked at his best friend and said seriously.
In fact, Cloix and Judith had not had a conflict.
They just lacked an opportunity to be alone and talk things through clearly.
Cloix nodded with a helpless smile.
To him, the most reliable person in the world was Dekan.
But the person with the greatest uncertainty was also Dekan.
He hoped everything would go smoothly.
The three days of travel passed in a flash.
Soon, they would arrive at their destination, the royal capital of the Filowen Kingdom.
During his journey, Dekan was mostly seen holding a certain book.
This time, everyone noticed that Dekan seemed to have been flipping through a thick book in his hands for a long time.
“What are you reading, meow?”
The Cat Teacher jumped onto Dekan’s lap and tapped the book to see what it was.
On it were the words “Filowen Kingdom Code of Law.”
“You little rascal, meow!”
Although reading the code of law was a form of proactive learning.
But if the one holding the code of law was Dekan, the nature of the matter changed.
“What are you thinking? This country’s characteristic is its exceptionally strict laws. Even as tourists, we should pay more attention before going.”
Dekan held up the book and gently tapped the Cat Teacher’s head.
“But do you have to read it line by line like this, meow…”
The Cat Teacher was now very certain that Dekan was definitely not reading this code of law with the intention of learning.
And no tourist would read through a foreign country's code of law like a research project before visiting!
He looked exactly like he was about to commit a major crime!
Sensing that everyone was looking at him strangely, Dekan coughed twice and put away the code of law.
Then, he helplessly took out the intelligence on the contestants from other countries that he had previously entrusted Iris to help investigate.
Seeing Dekan return to normal, everyone went about their own business with more peace of mind.
Dekan’s brow gradually furrowed as he looked at the information.
Most of the strong opponents were at least 7th-rank, and there were indeed 8th-rank ones.
And when they faced a specialized professional like Dekan, they would surely bring a full set of counter-strategy cards.
For example, besides 【Pain Shielding】, they might even bring 【Berserk】 as a backup to reduce pain.
At the same time, they would not give Dekan a chance to use his second system, the “mana evaporation stream.”
Dekan had just reached the 5th-rank after clearing the 7th-rank Shadow World, and he had not had enough time to create many new cards, let alone develop a third system.
To catch an opponent off guard, he could only bet on the 4th-rank younger sister card that had been hidden since it was made, and his new 5th-rank spell card.
One-on-one competitive duels.
This was actually the most disadvantageous combat mode for Dekan.
To be honest, even if Dekan wanted to win, he could basically only win the first match by going all out.
Almost no one could withstand his first-encounter kill.
However.
Those dirty tricks could not be used again.
Even a second duel would be a hell mode for Dekan.
To fight his way through to the championship, he needed to use his brilliant mind.
But the good news was that as a seeded player, Dekan could skip the qualifying rounds and start directly from the top 16 knockout stage.
This meant Dekan had to win four consecutive matches to aim for the championship, and then, at the awards ceremony, ask the Astrologer a question.
“Dekan, I’m planning to bet everything on you winning this time!”
Iris said happily.
Having known Dekan for so long, she believed that a serious Dekan was invincible!
Just imagine the Bishop of Agony from the Resurrection Church participating in the Hero Festival with a legitimate identity. It was so reassuringly stable!
“Huh? Iris, I must remind you that according to the laws of the Filowen Kingdom, betting on this kind of competition is illegal. Although it’s unlikely to be discovered, it’s best not to do such things. The risk is too great. Also, this country has very severe penalties for tax evasion. You must not buy smuggled goods.”
Dekan raised his head and looked at Iris with a serious expression.
Iris: “Ah?”
“So please be wary of scams and stay away from gambling addicts.”
Mi’e, for a rare change, added a comment from the side.
Dekan frowned. He had a feeling that Mi’e was secretly mocking him and someone else.
So Dekan added: “And also be careful of dangerous potions.”
“Alright, alright…”
Iris pouted and muttered.
Everyone seemed to be full of confidence in Dekan, only Cloix was slightly worried.
“Dekan, how do you need me to help you this time?”
Cloix asked.
In the past, when facing strong enemies head-on, Cloix and Dekan had almost always teamed up.
This time, only Dekan was left. He did not know if Dekan would struggle against an 8th-rank enemy.
On the other hand, this competition would use the Artificial Shadow World Activator 2.0, which had many problems fixed from the original version.
And 【Demon Curse Seal】 would also be ineffective. One could not use this method to turn a living person into a summon and bring them into a duel, nor could one enter the Shadow World in a summoned state to participate in a duel.
“Don’t worry. There are a few troublesome opponents in this competition. I just need to study them thoroughly.”
Dekan said with a solemn expression as he flipped through the materials.
“That’s good…”
However, Cloix’s eyes suddenly widened.
Because he noticed that the main information in Dekan’s hands was not about the strong opponents’ combat characteristics.
But about their life experiences and hobbies!
Cloix could not help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
He understood in an instant.
Dekan’s battle.
Might have already begun…
……
A week later.
Because the group arrived in the Filowen Kingdom neither too early nor too late, they were just in time for the opening ceremony of the Hero Festival the next day.
The qualifying rounds for the main event began a few days later.
The rest of the time was filled with various performances and entertainment programs.
And the three members of the idol group indeed took this opportunity to become incredibly popular.
At the request of the organizers, they began to add more performances and attend a series of events.
So only Iris and the members of the Beautiful Mind Squad were relatively free to enjoy the trip, while the idol group’s vacation turned into overtime.
The top 16 knockout stage would begin tomorrow.
PART 2
Dekan would also face his first battle.
He would be up against the 7th-rank summoner, Putila, from the northern Tayatri Kingdom.
Almost every contestant was the strongest among the eligible players from their respective kingdoms.
So although Putila was 7th-rank, he was far from being an ordinary 7th-rank opponent.
He might even be able to fight a weaker 8th-rank opponent if there was a counter relationship.
……
In a classical and dignified mansion.
Although the sky outside was already dark and there was no light from the windows of the second-floor rooms, the lights in the first-floor reception hall were still on.
This was a large mansion arranged by the Kingdom Federation for the Norton Kingdom’s delegation.
There were enough rooms for the Beautiful Mind Squad and the idol group to stay, with many rooms to spare.
The idol group was very tired and had gone to rest early.
Only the Cat Teacher, Mi’e, and Iris were left in the living room, chatting.
However, the big three of the Beautiful Mind Squad were missing.
“Did the three of them go to cause trouble, meow?”
The Cat Teacher, thinking of the trio of bullies who used to stake out Resurrection Church members in the Norton royal capital, felt that the Filowen Kingdom was about to see a demonic shadow reappear.
“Be confident. Change the question to a statement.”
Mi’e said calmly.
“Dekan really dares, meow?!”
The Cat Teacher knew that Dekan definitely wanted to cause trouble.
After all, Dekan’s opponent tomorrow was very strong. Dekan could fight him, but it would definitely expose his trump cards.
So it was naturally more advantageous for Dekan to fight one less match.
But the Cat Teacher thought that this time Dekan would not dare to openly play off-the-board tricks.
The competition rules clearly stated that anyone who intentionally harmed an opponent or obstructed them from participating normally would be disqualified if investigated.
With the security level in the royal capital, any move would be quickly detected and locked onto by the city’s defensive barrier.
So it was almost impossible to forcibly take teammates to single-handedly kill a 7th-rank powerhouse before the match.
Mi’e shook her head.
“Dekan is not stupid enough to do something like that. A direct attack on an opponent, even a bishop of the Resurrection Church, could not be done without a trace under this city’s barrier.”
However, Iris seemed very confident in Dekan.
She thought Dekan was invincible and there was nothing to worry about!
Recently, in the lead-up to the Hero Festival, Dekan alone had accounted for most of the momentum and controversial topics.
Even though the knockout stage matchups had been announced.
No one dared to predict the outcome of the matches in Dekan’s half of the bracket.
This guy’s head-on, one-on-one, hard strength was really not good.
But what he would do was also truly unpredictable.
A saying even began to circulate: “There is absolutely no way to defeat Dekan by ordinary means.”
“By the way, have you heard the legend that’s been circulating in the royal capital recently? After the Hero Festival begins, you might encounter a mysterious merchant on the streets late at night! He has all sorts of amazing epic cards! As long as you’re lucky enough, you can buy dream-like cards from him!”
Seeing that Mi’e and the Cat Teacher were no longer discussing Dekan, Iris began to recount what she had heard.
“So Dekan and the others should be going to catch the mysterious merchant, meow…”
The Cat Teacher thought it was quite reasonable.
After all, every epic card was very special.
Priceless.
To be able to buy a powerful epic card that suited oneself was everyone’s dream. Perhaps it could greatly strengthen oneself before the competition began.
……
The next day.
Top 16 to top 8 knockout stage.
And so, as the sun set, the main event of the Hero Festival was finally about to begin.
Luxurious lights illuminated the venue, and magical characters appeared on the stage of Filowen’s largest central arena.
The barrier spell unfolded into a cube, and the special effects, as if at no cost to energy, seemed to cover the entire royal capital, making the royal capital, with the arena at its center, present a dreamlike momentum, and the cheers rose with it.
“Today we will have four matches to determine the first four contestants to lock in their spots in the top eight…”
“And today’s opening match will be between 5th-rank priest Dekan and 7th-rank summoner Putila! I’m sure they will bring everyone a wonderful duel!”
Along with the audience’s electrifying opening, the host and commentators also began desperately hyping up the atmosphere.
Today’s first match would start with the popular contestant, Dekan.
Dekan was already standing next to the entrance of the Shadow World activator in the center of the arena.
Whether they were haters, fans, trolls, or lurkers, under this atmosphere, they all cheered for him desperately.
However.
After several minutes of waiting.
Dekan’s opponent, Putila, had still not appeared.
Murmurs of discussion gradually began to fill the venue.
The host could only try to make awkward small talk.
After waiting for a while longer, the host’s somewhat awkward voice finally came from the venue.
“Ahem, we have just received news that Mr. Dekan’s opponent, Mr. Putila from the Tayatri Kingdom, was suspected of high-value illegal smuggling last night and is now under investigation, so he is temporarily unable to attend this competition. Therefore, we can congratulate Mr. Dekan in advance on advancing to the top eight!”
“…”
The entire venue fell silent.
They had not expected the opening match.
To end in one second.
In the audience seats.
The Cat Teacher abruptly turned his head to look at Cornelia and Cloix.
Both of them averted their gazes, looking a little guilty.
He instantly figured out what the three of them had been up to last night.
Based on his understanding of Dekan.
Catching a mysterious merchant?
What mysterious merchant!
That mysterious merchant was definitely Dekan in disguise!
And those epic cards must have been the 【Fake Cards】 that Dekan had used to deceive Frata in a duel before, which could be disguised as 3rd-rank epic quality or lower cards.
Dekan must have secretly fanned the flames and added fuel to the fire for the legend of the mysterious merchant to become a hot topic throughout the royal capital in just a week.
And given that rascal Dekan’s level of caution, he would definitely have Cloix use invisibility magic to disguise himself first, then use a 【Substitute Doll】 to pose as the mysterious merchant, carrying a pile of 【Fake Cards】 to “coincidentally encounter” his opponent and induce them to buy the cards at a high price.
Then, he just had to find some way to interrupt the transaction, leaving no concrete evidence of fraud.
Then Cornelia, who had been secretly hiding, would record the transaction process with a recording crystal and then retreat as quickly as possible.
The next day, they would report it anonymously.
Regardless of whether the opponent was guilty or not, they would be locked up for investigation for a period of time due to suspicion of large-scale smuggling.
On the competition field, Dekan sighed helplessly.
He walked away with his hands behind his back.
As if lamenting how lonely it was to be invincible.
Exuding the air of a master.
The audience could not help but twitch the corners of their mouths.
“Damn it, refund my money!!!”
“But to say that Putila is innocent is impossible. He wouldn’t have been taken away for investigation. There must have been solid evidence for the trial process to begin so decisively.”
“This contestant is good at everything, but his personality is not very confident. He was probably scared by Dekan’s momentum from the beginning. When he finally saw a glimmer of hope to strengthen himself, he fell right into the trap!”
The matter of Putila going to prison.
Anyone could guess that it was 90% related to Dekan!!
This was the first time they had seen someone use the law to send their opponent to prison before a Hero Festival match!