Time flowed quietly, like water.
Five days passed in a blink.
Greenwood City, Commercial District.
Ten alloy arenas, each five meters high and ten meters wide, had already been erected in the largest Central Plaza.
They crouched in the middle of the plaza like great beasts, their surfaces etched with fine antislip patterns and energy networks, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen.
Giant screens had already been mounted on the outer walls of the surrounding skyscrapers, playing the tournament rules on a loop.
Crowds surged around the plaza's perimeter.
The area was already packed, everyone craning their necks to look into the plaza.
There was no other reason: this Martial Combat Tournament was a grand affair. Even Greenwood City had not seen an event of this scale in decades, so naturally, it drew countless eyes.
Even Fighters who were not competing-and ordinary people who were not Fighters at all-wanted to join the excitement, watch the matches, and broaden their horizons.
Spectator seats had been arranged around the ten central arenas in advance.
There were over a thousand, allowing people to watch the matches up close.
Naturally, only those with powerful backgrounds and substantial influence in the city qualified to sit there.
These included the city's Four Great Martial Halls, its two major underground gangs, and members of influential organizations from the settlements outside the city.
The seating was divided into ten sections. The Four Great Martial Halls and the two gangs each occupied one, while three more went to the outlying settlements.
The final section, a prime location right beside the arenas, was reserved for official powers such as the Guard Army and the Fighting Association, underscoring their elevated status.
By now, many people had already taken their seats.
"Heavens, I never imagined this tournament would draw so many people.