"Let's welcome the top scorer who defeated the examiner in Saint Delro Academy's entrance exam, co-first author of the Nature cover paper on bacteria, Holy Light-blessed healer of deranged psychosis, Jia—Xiu—"
The Dwarf commentator gave it his all.
He looked so excited, you'd think he was the one competing.
Just you wait, pointy ears.
Just wait until you experience the greatest torment of your commentary career: watching a contestant perform, unable to find a single word to describe it; every spell seeming almost familiar, yet somehow not, leaving you in despair.
Think about the pain! Feel the pain!
Although the introduction was long and the titles numerous, Jia Xiu wasn't all that popular.
That was because the introductions to the seeded contestants paired Jia Xiu's impressive achievements with all sorts of bizarre rumors.
The examiner had mysteriously lost control of his bowels during the exam, the Brotherhood had come to dread his name after just a few weeks, and the work he submitted for his registration assessment had been mysteriously withheld from public view.
As a result, all sorts of conspiracy theories had sprung up in the Elven Holy Land, claiming that Jia Xiu must have a terrifying background.
Some said he was the illegitimate child of a royal family, or that he carried the blood of a demigod.
The most widespread theory claimed that the world was actually controlled by a mysterious organization. Any royal or noble who wanted to inherit a throne, and any professional who wanted to ascend to legendary status, needed the organization's approval. Its power rivaled that of the mightiest gods, yet it never revealed itself, lurking in the shadows as it laid down the world's rules. Jia Xiu, meanwhile, was a prospective member they were grooming.
The theory was so detailed that nearly every