Opening Ceremony and the Emperor's Arrival

The Preliminary Round are still in full swing, with not only the individual and guild matches being fiercely contested, but also the team matches being quite lively.

The four-person team of Steamed Bun, Singo, Born Battle Maniac, and Xia Ye Qiuyu won the game effortlessly, but the process was rather boring and they couldn't even put together a minute of video footage.

When the opponents saw that they were facing four professional players, their hearts sank.

Before the Born Battle Maniac charge forward wielding their giant axes, they immediately surrendered to the referee.

This made Steamed Bun feel quite disappointed.

I haven't even fired a shot yet, how did you fall down? For these professional players, the Preliminary Round are exceptionally easy, with little pressure, and some mischievous players even show off all sorts of fancy moves.

For example, the Lang Li Bai Tiao relies on the inhuman regenerative abilities of Vampire to stand with his arms outstretched and let the opponent hit him.

During this time, he didn't forget to say things like "It doesn't hurt~", "Didn't you eat?" and "Come on! Kill me!" which aroused the anger of the audience, who wished they could go down and beat him to death.

His opponent was driven to the brink of mental collapse by the cheesy playstyle of the Lang Li Bai Tiao." He slashed the opponent more than 300 times, but found that the opponent was still full of energy, so he had no choice but to admit defeat.

Steamed Bun watched the matches for several days in a row, and took the opportunity to compile the players' performances into video highlights.

He edited videos such as "Top Ten Most Exciting Moments" and "Top Ten Hilarious Moments," and capitalized on the popularity of the Imperial Congress to rake in a huge wave of traffic.

Steamed Bun even shamelessly placed his video of Dragon Roar Charge and piercing through the enemy in one blow at the end of the "Top Ten Super Exciting Moments", and even added a blood-boiling background music.

However, the audience's reaction was not as he had hoped, with the screen filled with comments such as "That's it?" "Is this a smuggled-in item?" "It doesn't feel as good as the previous one."

That's not right.

Shouldn't it be "Steamed Bun is so handsome"?

Staring at the barrage of negative comments filling the screen, Steamed Bun slumped in front of the computer, his expression utterly bewildered.

I finally managed to show off, so why is the response so bad?

No, this time it was too obvious. Next time I need to subtly add my own touches to achieve a "silent and subtle" effect.

However, Steamed Bun's videos received a very enthusiastic response on various video platforms, and the popularity of those large-scale and diverse guild wars soared to extremely high levels.

The clash between magic and machinery, the battle between Roman armies and "immortals," and the battle between undead legions and Paladin have inspired many to try their hand at "Erezege."

Is this even possible? Is the level of freedom really that high?

What? There's even a loli version of the Fire Dwarf? This was the thought of Dolu after seeing the video, and as a result, "Erezege" once again topped the trending list, ushering in a new wave of popularity.

Where can I buy Erezege?

It once dominated the trending searches.

Meanwhile, within the empire, the imperial authorities launched an overwhelming propaganda campaign, drawing the nation's attention to this massive competition.

Thanks to extensive official propaganda, everyone from imperial officials, ordinary citizens, workers, soldiers, and scholars knew the name of this "Imperial Duel Tournament."

The two-week Preliminary Round came to a hasty end, and the main event was about to begin—the actual Imperial Gladiator Tournament, also known as the knockout stage, to be held at the Istaria Grand Arena.

The Imperial Ministry of Commerce, responsible for organizing the competition, released 100,000 tickets to the market, priced at 50 Silver Ginar.

These tickets sold out in just half a day, and on the black market, a single ticket was even being sold for a staggering 5 Ginar.

The reason this competition is so popular is due to a combination of factors: the empire's martial spirit, the official publicity, and the influence of the Starfallers within the empire. But the most direct and important reason is that the Embers of the Burned Emperor, the Lord of the Empire, and the supreme ruler of the Anzeta Great Wasteland — His Keosius Klauberwu —Norikesius will personally attend the Istaria Grand Arena.

The Istaria Grand Arena, also known as the Imperial Colosseum, was built between 1783 and 1785 in the New Era. It was constructed by the Empire using tens of thousands of players and hundreds of Frost Giant slaves.

The Grand Arena consists of a series of circular arcades, with its circular outer walls reaching a height of sixty meters. It is divided into five levels, with the lower four levels each having eighty arches and classical column decorations.

The Great Arena can accommodate approximately 150,000 spectators and has four tiers of seating.

The higher one's status, the higher one's seat. The Dragon Blood Noble sit in the highest "Glory Seats," where they can have a complete view of the entire venue.

Wealthy spectators can sit in the front row and experience the cruelty and intensity of the gladiatorial matches up close, while ordinary spectators can only sit in the middle tiers of seats.

At the very top is a specially made, enormous platform upon which sits a solemn and luxurious golden seat—the throne prepared for the emperor.

This configuration was required in every building in the empire, even though it was rarely used, it was meant to demonstrate the designer's loyalty.

The designer of the Istaria Grand Arena was also a Starfallers, said to be from a guild called "Ooh Ooh Ooh!" (Roman Era).

"It's about to begin!"

Inside the Great Arena, the stands were packed with people, a cacophony of cheers, discussions, and even shouts of insults.

Some star players' support groups even gathered together, holding up light boards and chanting slogans in unison.

"Wow, so many people!"

"Wow, is this place really that big?!"

"There must be tens of thousands of spectators here. I'm getting a little nervous. How should I play?"

"S God is definitely going to be the champion!!"

"Xin Gou's brainless fans are causing a ruckus! This time, the champion will definitely be my Kuang Chao Ge!"

Not only players, but also the natives of Anzeta gathered together. Humans, Hobgoblin, Tiefling, Yuan-ti, and even Ogre appeared in the audience.

They were all talking and gathered in their own groups, but the match itself wasn't their main focus.

"This is truly a rare and spectacular event."

"Yes, in the past, a medium-sized city in the Northern Kingdom would only have tens of thousands of people, but now, there are 100,000 people in this arena alone."

"There are more and more Starfallers in the Empire. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"They helped me a lot, but they also caused a lot of trouble. These guys are crazy all the time."

Do you really think His Majesty will come?

Before the words were finished, mottled black shadows appeared in the sky. One after another, Wyvern flapped their wings and landed on the Zhu Zi of the arena, raising their heads and roaring.

"Aww—"

A spatial portal suddenly opened, and the Imperial Prime Minister, the Ogre Archmage Lang Pu, appeared in the sky above the venue with a smile on his face.

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

"It's the Prime Minister!"

"He's here too!"

Lang Pu cleared his throat, laid the scepter flat, and his voice echoed throughout the hall, "Ladies and gentlemen, please be quiet."

"The first Imperial Gladiator Tournament is about to begin."

"No matter what race or status you are, whether you are human, Tiefling, or Ogre, as long as you are Imperial Citizen, you can enjoy the fun this event brings."

The venue was large and the number of people was huge, but Lang Pu's words were able to reach everyone's ears accurately, like a gentle breeze.

Lang Pu raised his scepter high, his tone becoming somewhat agitated.

"This will be an unprecedented and unparalleled event, and more importantly—His Majesty will be there in person."

The Half-goat Human band, standing on the platform, played rousing music, while Bard chanted softly.

If you listen carefully, you can hear that it is the "Keosius Anthem," which is widely circulated in the empire.

Suddenly, a huge shadow fell, enveloping many of the spectators.

Look!

That is—

"It is His Majesty's true form!"

"It really is His Majesty! Praise be to Embers of the Burned Emperor!"

"Kai, Keosius, this is just too huge!"

People looked up, their voices excited and their eyes fervent, as if they were seeing their gods with their own eyes.

Red Dragon, over forty meters long, spread its incredibly wide wings and soared above the Istaria Grand Arena, displaying its majestic form.

The Half-goat Human's music continued, the war drums beat rhythmically, and the Red Dragon slowly descended to the sound of the grand music.

Finally, the enormous dragon body gradually faded into nothingness, transforming into a majestic phantom that looked down upon the crowd in the arena.

The man with black hair, golden eyes, and a godlike appearance gradually solidified with the flames and finally appeared on the throne—that was the incarnation of Keosius.

Due to space limitations, Keosius had to shrink his size and transform into human form, but the crown and dragon horns on his head still proved his identity.

"It is the ruler of the empire!"

"This... this is His Majesty's divine countenance!"

In the audience, someone couldn't help but gasp—the citizens of the empire were quite familiar with Keosius's human form.

The people revered this human-like form far more than they feared it, Keosius rarely used his human form to carry out his killings.

Some even called him "the Lord of Mercy," "the Noble Ruler," and "the Incarnation with Divine Demeanor."

They viewed this form as a special embodiment that was essentially Keosius, yet possessed its own independence.

The players' reactions were even more frenzied—for example, the [Keosius Support Group] in the stands had already started cheering wildly.

"Aaaaaah!"

"It's His Your Majesty Keosius!"

"Keosius, the man among men, the male among males, the ruler among men, the master of men, the terminator of men, the king of men!"

"Master! God-like Emperor!! Demon King! An overwhelmingly powerful man! An immortal pinnacle in the history of human game modeling!!"

Not far away, the infamous president of the Dragon Control Club stood up and glared angrily at the support group, which was mainly composed of female players.

"You heretics!"

"Snort!"

"Keosius's true form is the coolest! The dragon form is the authentic one!"

The dragon enthusiasts behind him immediately stood up to support their president, raising their hands and shouting the slogan of "Dragon Control Club".

"Humans are the worst! Dragon-sexuality is the best!"

"I want to touch His Your Majesty Keosius's tail!"

"You're talking nonsense!"

"Keosius a man among men! A male among males."

Just as the two sides were about to fight, the guards patrolling the venue arrived in time with their guns, nipping the potential conflict in the bud.

Meanwhile, the other players quietly distanced themselves from them—neither of these groups seemed quite normal; it wouldn't be good to get caught in the crossfire if some kind of "heretical trial war" were to actually break out.

"I want to touch His Your Majesty Keosius's tail!"

"Aaaaaah!"

Maintaining one's dignity and image in an empire teeming with players is no small challenge.

Hearing the strange cries from below, Keosius on his throne resisted the urge to unleash a fiery meteor, striving to maintain his dignified demeanor.

But his lips twitched slightly, and his expression was rather unpleasant.

Yes, we must not act impulsively.

You can't ruin the image you've created.

These players should have been dealt with a long time ago.

With that thought in mind, Keosius looked down at the crowded hall and said calmly, "Silence."

As soon as these words were spoken, it was as if an invisible decree had been issued, and the surrounding space suddenly froze.

The medium in the air was cut off, and no sound could be made. The two groups of people who were arguing could no longer utter a sound, even when they were cursing loudly.

The venue, which held over 100,000 people, was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

People all looked up at the high platform, their expressions filled with astonishment.

This is the supreme authority that Keosius possesses within the [Empire Domain], which can almost be described as "his words becoming law".

Keosius looked down at the players who were staring in astonishment, their Big Mouth but unable to utter a sound. A subtle, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips.

Now you're speechless, aren't you?

That's the beauty of the Great Silence Spell! Only this kind of coercive method can work on these players who are a little bit crazy.

Otherwise, if during his speech, a dragon enthusiast suddenly jumps out and shouts something like "touch its tail," the image he's painstakingly built will be shattered.

However, looking at the banner in the distance that read "Keosius, the man of men," he still felt somewhat helpless.

Tsk, this is the necessary price to pay for exploiting players; they have no choice but to pay it.

Keosius slowly stood up, standing on the high platform, looking around and looking down at the various faces in the audience.

"Very good."

He opened his arms and smiled warmly, "Greetings, citizens of the Empire."

"The Embers of the Burned Empire has grown from a state of utter ruin to its current flourishing state thanks to your contributions. I regard every citizen of the empire and every person who has contributed to the empire as my child."

"Now, I hope you can take a break from your busy work and fully enjoy all of this hard-won achievement."

"I, Keosius, in the name of the Embers of the Burned Emperor, hereby solemnly declare— the First Imperial Gladiatorial Tournament has begun!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the invisible restriction was lifted.

The Half-goat Human Military Band continued to play stirring music and rhythmic war drumbeats.

Inside the venue, cannons fired in unison, applause thundered, and the crowd roared with cheers and shouts that filled the entire Istaria City.

The shouts of "Long live His Your Majesty Keosius!" echoed endlessly, like waves crashing one after another, spreading throughout the entire Anzeta Great Wasteland.

The first Imperial Gladiator Tournament has begun!

"The arena laid the foundation for a complex political ritual in which the emperor shaped and manipulated the public's emotional responses through his direct personal attitude."

"When you witness firsthand how much the people of the Embers of the Burned Empire love gladiatorial combat, you will understand why their armies are invincible and undefeated on the continent."

—Nadia Dennis, former court scholar of the Fadlan Empire