Chapter 309

Unlike the first preliminary round, the 200 contestants on site were all strong fighters who had fought their way through the 100-person battle.

Although his strength is not comparable to that of a professional Competitive Knight, he is considered quite good among ordinary people.

The referees and commentators on site were complete strangers. They didn't call out names and just let the contestants enter. At five o'clock sharp, they blew the whistle to start the competition.

Meanwhile, a massive brawl involving two hundred people was taking place inside four adjacent venues.

Ultimately, five reserve Knight will be selected from among the thousand contestants to enter the preliminary rounds of the special tournament.

"Pee!"

Upon hearing the whistle, Shi Lei put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall, watching the show like a spectator.

Any athlete who gets close to him will inexplicably slip or experience severe stomach pain.

When encountering opponents wearing sealed armor, Shi Lei can simply fill the armor with Rock Constructs. This way, he can immobilize them without them noticing.

The referees and commentators quickly noticed the mysterious masked figure in the corner. Through their microphones, they encouraged the contestants to challenge opponents who were not involved in the fight at all.

Some players, heeding the commentator's advice, deliberately tried to cause trouble for Shi Lei. One of them, after accelerating forward, was tripped by a small Rock Constructs that suddenly appeared beneath his feet. He landed face-first and immediately lost consciousness.

Before long, the melee intensified.

Adhering to the principle of 'surrender rather than fight,' more and more players are unwillingly withdrawing from the arena.

By the end, almost all of the remaining dozen or so players were injured. Shi Lei, who had been watching from the sidelines, quickly became the target of everyone's criticism.

"Damn, I can barely breathe. This guy actually tried to take advantage of the situation, it's unbearable!"

"Exactly, how about we all stop fighting first? Let's eliminate this masked man together, and then we can continue?"

"I agree, this guy seems a bit strange."

Me too.

Faced with the onslaught of numerous competitors, Shi Lei didn't even bother to move. Before they could get within ten meters of him, they either fainted or collapsed and rolled on the ground for various reasons.

"Ouch, that hurts so much..."

When the last contestant couldn't hold on any longer and uttered the word "surrender," the commentator immediately announced that the mysterious masked contestant had won.

Seeing Shi Lei walk towards the stands, the referee and commentator were startled and quickly put some distance between them.

"Stop, stop, stop. Just stay where you are."

"That's right, don't come any closer, do you hear me!"

It's not that they don't believe in science, it's just that this contestant is too damn weird. It's like he's cursed; anyone who gets close to him will be afflicted with bad luck.

What was your registered code?

"Lucky Knight".

The referee, standing more than twenty meters away, flipped through the list, circled a name with a pen, and said:

"Congratulations on passing the finals of the amateur competition. Please come to Venue A2 at 3 PM the day after tomorrow to participate in the preliminary rounds of the special tournament. Is there any problem?"

Shi Lei thought about it and, since Maria Saria's match was the day after tomorrow, he nodded in agreement.

"No problem."

"Okay, then we'll go first and you can go later."

After he left the venue, the video of the competition was immediately sent to the Commercial Union.

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377 Don't come any closer! 4K

June 25, 7:02 pm

Cavaleria, Martin's Bar.

"Haha, Maria, congratulations! Today's battle was truly spectacular, much better than Old Fu's."

"Koval, you can't stand not making fun of me, can you? But to be fair, Maria exceeded my expectations today, she really played well."

Bar owner Martin, wiping glasses, walked over to the bar with a grin and celebrated:

"Maria, you did a great job. Your drinks are on me today, drink as much as you want."

Upon hearing this, Old Fu immediately rubbed his hands together and grinned mischievously.

"Boss, I remember you have a bottle of 1982 Gaul red wine. Why don't you bring it out and let everyone have a taste?"

Martin rolled his eyes at him and said irritably:

"I'm talking about Maria's drinks being free; if you want to drink, you pay for it yourself. If you win the main tournament of the special tournament, it will also be free."

"Tch, you're being discriminatory!"

Maria thanked him repeatedly. Since they were all old acquaintances, her insistence on declining would only seem distant.

"Uncle Martin, thank you. However, I'm not as amazing as you think."

"Oh, Maria is quite modest. Not bad, not bad at all, as expected of the youngest daughter of the Nearl Family. To be able to find Sergiac's weakness and defeat him in one blow in the ever-changing Knight Competition is already very good."

I didn't have time to go to the stadium to cheer you on this afternoon, so I watched the replay on TV. Seeing you get dominated by the Plastic Knight " for twenty minutes was really nerve-wracking. Thankfully, you turned the tide with one move; that was truly amazing.

"No, Uncle Martin. Actually, I won by sheer luck today. Sergiac let me win."

"Haha, Maria, still being modest? Excessive modesty is annoying, you know. You should know that Knight Competition are all about results. If you win, you win; there's no such thing as luck or letting you win."

Seeing that there were no other guests around, Maria deliberately lowered her voice and covered her mouth with her hand as she spoke:

"Uncle Martin, I'm telling the truth! When Sergiac fought me, he didn't even use his full strength. Don't be fooled by his exceptionally fast moves; they're actually quite light and airy."

The daggers and crossbow bolts struck my shield without even a tremor. Then smoke started coming from my shoulder armor; it felt like it was intentionally designed that way, meant to make me lose.

Seeing Maria's serious expression, Boss Ding looked suspicious and found it hard to believe:

Is this really true?

"Uncle Martin, it's true! How could I dare to talk nonsense about something like this that concerns reputation? Sergiac really acted well; outsiders couldn't tell at all."

Sophia, who had been silently drinking, twitched the corners of her mouth upon hearing this, her expression somewhat complicated.

Hearing the person involved admit it herself, she completely believed Dobermann's exaggerated description.

That Doctor Zhong really can provide remote protection without anyone noticing, and the effect is excellent!

But... should we tell Maria the truth?

Will she blame herself after she finds out? Or will she consider withdrawing from the competition?

"Aunt?"

Sophia was still lost in thought when a shout suddenly pulled her back to reality. She saw Maria waving her hand in front of her and immediately said with a stern face:

"I'm only five years older than you, so don't keep calling me 'aunt.' It makes me sound old. Just call me by my name."

"But you are my aunt, thank you~"

Maria took the cocktail Martin offered and thanked him. Turning to Sophia, she continued:

"You once said that the world of Competitive Knight is very complex and I can't control it. I didn't know how complex it was before, but now I do."

However, I will not withdraw from the competition for the time being. At least... I won't consider it until I obtain the title of Competitive Knight.

Sophia, sensing her niece's intention to withdraw from the competition, beamed with delight and pressed for further information:

"What, you've changed your mind?"

"I don't know how to describe it, Aunt. Now it's either withdraw from the competition immediately or continue fighting."

I know the Commercial Union is pulling the strings behind the scenes. I also know they'll continue to protect me, but I don't know how long. It's like inflating a balloon with an air gun—it'll burst eventually.

Ultimately, the Commercial Union wants to exploit the fame of my Nearl Family daughter to attract more attention. I, in turn, will use this opportunity to obtain the title of Competitive Knight as soon as possible, at which point I will consider withdrawing from the competition.

"With my current skill level, participating in the Special Championship is a stretch. I'll have to train for a few more years before making a final push for the Special Championship title!"

Seeing that Maria, who had been trying to persuade her to no avail, finally understood, Sophia showed a relieved smile, like an aunt.

This child doesn't like to listen to the advice of the older generation; he only accepts advice that he has figured out for himself.

"Maria, it's wonderful that you think that way. I'm so proud of you on behalf of your grandfather and sister!"

Koval the bear took a big gulp of beer, letting out a hearty chuckle and a burp:

"Maria, did you know that Sophia used to participate in a special tournament for Knight Competition?"

"I've heard of it, but I haven't seen the video. I remember that year, my aunt was eliminated in the round of 16."

"That's right, the formidable opponent we faced back then was Rift Knight. I heard he's also participating this year."

Upon hearing this, Old Fu immediately complained:

"Tsk, what are you trying to do? This is a perfectly good victory celebration, why are you starting to reminisce about the past?"

Koval looked at Maria, sighed, and explained earnestly:

"Maria, you don't know how big the difference is between Competitive Knight and an ordinary Knight. Sometimes, the gap in weapons and equipment is irreparable."

The reason Sergiac lost to you might be because he was paid to throw the match, or it might be because of that new armor with design flaws.

Without these negative conditions, if Sergiac were to wear perfectly flawless, even superior, armor, would you win if the fight were to be repeated?

"I... I probably can't win."

"Maria, what I want to tell you is this: Competitive Knight are not just Knight. They are Knight orders behind the scenes, and a contest of financial power and influence among conglomerates."

As the group was chatting, a man dressed in a suit and tie, who looked like a salesman, walked into the bar.

He looked around and finally walked this way:

"Excuse me, may I interrupt? Are you Maria Saria?"

"Ah, that's right."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency Maria."

I am a representative of Swoma Company. This is my business card; please take a look. We have sent you invitations to your residence recently, but we have received no response. Therefore, I have no choice but to make this unannounced visit.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I haven't been back for months and haven't checked my email. I wonder if there's something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Your Excellency Maria, it's like this. Our company greatly admired your performance in the battle this afternoon and hopes to discuss joining the group with you. The CEO of Swoma Corporation is also very much looking forward to your joining us."

"Etc!"

Maria was a little confused and looked to her aunt Sophia for help:

"Join the Youth League? Join what Youth League?"

"Of course it's the Knight Order. What other order could you join? You can become a trainee for two and a half years and then debut as the center. Nobody cares about your athletic performance. Customers will just spend a lot of money because of you."

"Oh, this works too?"

Sophia shrugged. There are indeed many Competitive Knight orders on the market that prioritize commercial success.

"Yes, these companies usually have a complete star-making industry chain. As long as you agree, publicity and packaging will be arranged. And you can get the title of Competitive Knight without even having to compete."

Seeing someone speak up for him, the agent was secretly pleased. He was about to thank them when he recognized the person:

"Oh, isn't this Lady Sophia, the 'Whipblade Knight'? So you're her coach."

"Your Excellency Maria, she is correct. Swoma Company, on behalf of the Commercial Union, solemnly promises you that even if you do not participate in the next match, you will still be awarded the Knight's rank and title."

Sophia rested one hand on the edge of the bar, smiling as she looked at her somewhat bewildered niece:

"So, Maria. Perhaps you could consider joining a commercially-oriented Competitive Knight order. You can maintain the noble Knight status of the Nearl Family without having to fight. Isn't that exactly what you want? The only downside is that you'll have a lot of business engagements to attend to in the future."

The agent sent by Swoma Company was secretly relieved one second that he was speaking up for Whipblade Knight. The next second, his smile froze on the spot.

Sophia deliberately emphasized the words "business entertainment," as if intentionally hinting at Maria.

For a moment, he couldn't tell whether the smiling Whipblade Knight was friend or foe.

Maria frowned, deep in thought.

After a moment, he shook his head, politely declining the offer from Swoma Company: