bookbashuk Page 198
Page 198
The idea that one must abandon critical thinking to become powerful is perhaps a true reflection of the cult faction.
"Then it's decided. Good luck." Jiang Kehan smiled and looked at Nuoxi, gazing at her earnestly.
"Don't take it to heart whether you win or lose, everyone is behind you supporting you."
"Yes!" Nuoxi nodded emphatically, then looked at the host.
The host squinted, took out a gentleman's cane and waved it around as if performing a mime act, then tossed his top hat into the air and said with a laugh.
"It seems both sides are ready, so let's begin the official match!"
"Please use fireballs to indicate the participating members of both sides in this battle."
Sparks flew as Nuoxi nervously looked across at the other side, briefly letting out a sigh of relief upon seeing that the other person was indeed a substitute player.
She might not be able to win against a full member of the Mysterious Truth Group, but as a reserve member of the Cricket Group, she has no reason to lose.
On the other side, Hera frowned and took a step forward.
She turned her head and handed the cape over her shoulder to Jolie Quentin, then spoke softly.
"I'm afraid we'll lose this match, but... I won't lose."
"Let's try to drag it into overtime; team fights are still our advantage."
Jolie Quentin took Hera's cloak, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.
Finally, she simply said, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You don't actually need to go on stage and tarnish your name."
"Even if we only get third place, we can accept it."
Hera smiled and turned to look at Jolie Quentin.
"I am Hera, the Golden Tyrant! Why would I care about such a so-called good reputation?"
"Infamy is actually a compliment to me. And since I can do my best to win the championship, why should I give up?"
"The word 'give up' doesn't exist in a tyrant's dictionary; it only means 'willfulness'."
A tyrant doesn't need to be understood by others.
Chapter 281 Dawn
The first match of the official tournament.
Relying on her magical advantage and more experienced combat skills, Nuoxi successfully created a false opening, lured her opponent into making a mistake, and ultimately secured the victory.
This battle also made Jiang Kehan and the others realize that the personnel structure of the Wonderful Truth Group was even more extreme than theirs.
Although the main fighting force on the other side is more evenly distributed than Jiang Kehan and her group, there are no mascots like Qingxue who are just there to cheer and act cute.
However, because they are all specialized in forbidden factions, the actual combat effectiveness of the members of the Mysterious Truth Group is very dependent on their opponents.
If the opponent is unfamiliar with the Forbidden Faction, each of them will be a formidable opponent; however, if they have even a slight understanding of the Forbidden Faction, their lack of combat experience will become apparent.
This causes the combat level to drop by more than one level, making it much easier to resolve.
But none of this matters anymore.
Jiang Kehan took a deep breath and looked at Li Hui, who was staring blankly at the dueling arena with his hands in his pockets.
The next battle will be crucial.
If Li Hui wins, then with the 5 points Jiang Kehan earned through hard work in the opening match and the 2 points Nuo Xi gained by chasing the victory, they can directly end the match.
But if Li Hui loses, their team doesn't have any witches besides Nuo Xi who are proficient in forbidden factions, and they might be dragged into overtime.
In a sense, this is the final battle.
The hosts and audience also sensed the tense atmosphere between the two teams. The originally lively scene gradually quieted down, as if gathering strength for the final cheers.
"Ahem, congratulations to the Witch Academy team for gaining another 2 points. The match has reached its most crucial moment."
The host stopped trying to be funny and instead scanned both teams with a serious expression.
"I don't need to say anything more. This tense moment is the perfect seasoning for the game."
"Both sides, please identify the participants in this battle!"
Sparks flew everywhere, and the audience was even more tense than the two combatants. Many witches stood up and leaned forward, holding onto the railings, not wanting to miss even a single moment.
"The two sides in the duel: Li Hui vs. Hera!"
"Environment Extraction: Meteor Islands!"
Li Hui took two steps forward, then suddenly turned back to look at Jiang Kehan, who had a somewhat worried expression. He tilted his head and smiled as he spoke.
"Are you worried about me?"
"But don't worry about me, just smile, because I will win."
I will win at all costs, because this is exactly what you expect... Li Hui looked at Jiang Kehan's forced smile with amusement, then shook his head and turned his gaze to Hera who was walking towards the dueling arena.
She narrowed her eyes, sighed softly, took her hands out of her pockets, and tossed the life badge into the air.
Li Hui and Hera, who had also tossed up their life symbols, looked at each other with cold expressions before stepping into the dueling arena.
Inside the dueling arena, thousands of meteorites, each about three meters in diameter, floated freely. The gaps between them were not enough to obstruct the view, allowing the two to find each other's positions as soon as they entered the arena.
Moreover, the meteorites would occasionally collide with each other, triggering a localized impact like dominoes, with enough force to crush a level 2 dragon into dust.
This unique environment presents both danger and opportunity.
Because as long as the path is calculated correctly, it can be like playing billiards, putting the opponent in a desperate situation.
However, neither of the two who entered cared about these factors that could determine the outcome for the other little witches.
They stared at each other, their movements swift as lightning.
Li Hui drew his strangely shaped short staff, and his left hand was not idle either. For the first time, the aura of annihilation was accompanied by magic power and transformed into purple lightning, which blasted towards Hera.
Hera spread her wings, roared at Li Hui, and suddenly tore open her pseudo-armor, transforming into a golden dragon tens of meters long, shining brightly.
The metallic exoskeletons were particularly grotesque, jostling each other and suddenly rising into the sky with sharp peaks, like infantrymen wielding spears and fighting.
What's most striking is Hera's robust limbs after transforming into a dragon. Unlike colored dragons, her limbs are not merely decorations, but weapons capable of replacing magic.
Hera's golden eyes are like jewels, and they are double pupils like a kaleidoscope, capable of scanning every detail in every corner of the surroundings at the same time.
At this moment, her double pupils contracted and rotated inward and outward, like saw teeth devouring people, staring intently at Li Hui's magic.
The form of the Wild Dragon is not fixed. Instead, it is shaped by countless battles in which the weak overcome the strong, resulting in a body that is most suitable for it. Therefore, it does not conform to common sense and is like a real monster.
Without exception, they are all extremely sensitive to danger.
Hera bared her fangs and swiftly dodged the purple lightning bolts hurtling towards her. Her intuition told her that these bolts were enough to harm her, and she might not even be able to heal herself.
The aura of annihilation surged forth, demonstrating the formidable strength of Li Hui, their opponent.
This is an enemy that must be treated with caution, like a tiger encountering a porcupine. Even Hera, as a witch, felt it was a tough situation.
But Li Hui's abilities are not simply limited to harming her.
Li Hui's movements were exceptionally fast, even incredibly fast. He could precisely anticipate Hera's subconscious actions each time, using "slow" to counter speed and prevent Hera from unleashing large-scale spells.
It's like an annoying fly—you can't swat it away, and you can't get rid of it.
But Hera didn't panic; in fact, she even smiled.
The two kept coming into contact and then quickly separated to avoid causing each other greater harm, like two rampaging rhinos smashing the meteorites that the other little witches had to deliberately avoid, like fireworks scattering in all directions.
The other audience members and the host were increasingly confused and speechless.
What kind of freaks are these two?! What the hell?!
But soon, Li Hui's movements slowed down.
She raised her staff, which had transformed into a whirlwind blade, expressionless. The aura of annihilation precisely sliced through the area around her, tearing apart the invisible constraints.
Hera spoke with some surprise.
"I didn't expect you could even tear apart concepts. Is this a forbidden sect's magic?"
Li Hui clicked his tongue lightly, then suddenly tilted his head, dodging Hera's sneak attack.
"I never expected you to play such a despicable style of fighting, you'd use anything and everything."
Hera's fighting style is not as rough as her appearance suggests; in fact, it is surprisingly refined, with every detail handled very well.
“After all, there’s no morality in a fight. The fact that I survived means I’m the one who’s willing to do anything.” Hera didn’t mind Li Hui’s belittling at all; on the contrary, her expression was perfectly natural.
"Otherwise, how could I be called the Golden Tyrant?"
"Also, your magic power is already insufficient!"
Although Hera's offensive intensified, her gaze remained cautious. She was more careful than anyone else, even cunningly employing psychological tactics and provocation.
But she was right, if her enemy wasn't Li Hui.
Chapter 282 Dragon's Words - Imperial Edict
Unlike other races, witches do not recover their magic or life force at a fixed rate.
Instead, it anchors itself to a specific period, usually the peak state at a certain point in the past, and then recovers based on that state as a percentage.
This originated from the witch's unique immortality.
But in addition to immortality, witches also possess the incredible ability to evolve.
During battle, their magic becomes more active, and their condition gets closer and closer to their ideal peak, resulting in constantly changing anchoring periods and faster recovery speeds.
For witches, getting stronger with each battle is just a basic skill, and they might even occasionally unleash a burst of power.
It sounds wonderful, but the condition of restoring by a percentage means that the hierarchy among witches will only become more pronounced.
Don't be fooled by Li Hui's current ability to fight Hera on equal terms; all of this is predicated on her ability to dodge Hera's attacks in time, which is equivalent to having to kill a Souls-like game boss without taking any damage.
Her magical properties meant she could harm Hera, but offered no defensive assistance.
The current stalemate is also based on the premise that Li Hui can read Hera's actions.
She must use a constant barrage of attacks to force Hera to defend and dodge, in order to prevent Hera from taking her down in one fell swoop with a large-scale spell, thus replicating the victory Jiang Kehan won in the school team selection.
That's how it should be.
All the viewers except Li Hui, including Jiang Kehan and the others, thought the same way.
Only Li Hui stared at the arrogant Hera with displeasure and stopped what he was doing.