The Transmigrated Author
Chapter 74: Quarter-Final Draw

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Presentation Hall]

[Wednesday, 9:30 AM]

[The Scouting Invitationals Final Day]

I entered the presentation hall, Seven seats were lined up in a rigid row facing the podium at the front of the hall. Beside it was a simple wooden box labelled 'Student Names' in neat, blocky letters.

There were no surprises there – This was the method the Academy had been using for many years.

Seeing the room was filled with empty seats I could tell that I was probably the only one to arrive on time.

I sat at the very end of the row and played a few chess games while waiting.

...

[10 Minutes Later...]

...

The hall filled gradually, Six arrived, their voices echoing against the hall. Jae Yoona and Alice slipped in first, their murmurs sounded like they were talking about a show. Jan stumbled in next, still looking a bit dazed even with directions. He shot me a smile before sliding into the seat beside Alice.

Louise's lackey arrived after, giving me the side-eye. Then, with a creak of the heavy door, Valencia entered, looking half-asleep. Louise trailed behind her, pestering her like a persistent mosquito.

"... honestly, Val,"

Louise's voice boomed over the murmur, "The guy didn't stand a chance. One blast and he was cowering." He was addressing Valencia, who was walking with her eyes half closed, looking utterly disinterested in the conversation.

"Hm,"

she replied, her voice barely a whisper. A faint frown played on her lips.

"You should have seen it," Louise continued, oblivious to her disinterest. "He was begging for mercy! But hey, maybe you'll need all that training if you plan on facing me in the finals."

My gaze snapped towards them as Louise let out a slight chuckle. Valencia's expression hardened just slightly, but she didn't bother him with a further response.

Just then, he noticed me staring and his grin warped into a frown. Moments later, he shouldered his way past Valencia and planted himself in the seat between us.

Why the fuck was he here? The quarterfinals were happening later today, his own match was yesterday. Was he just here to flex that he was already in the semi-finals? well buddy I have a thing or two to tell him.

But before that, Kolek entered the building calming his weathered face empty of expression as he strode to the podium.

"Please, take your seats," Kolek boomed, his voice echoing through the hall. "I'll draw your names, and the one called after yours will be your quarterfinal opponent. Clear?" A wave of nods answered him.

He placed the box on the podium. Silence stretched as he reached inside, fumbling slightly. A slip of paper emerged. Unfolding it, his eyes scanned the name.

"The first quarterfinal match will be... Jan Ates versus Alice Elizabeth!"

Jan and Alice this early? Another change, but by now, I should've expected it. Still, I crunched the odds... If Alice took down Jan, then Louise could likely semi-final opponent... leaving Valencia and Jae to fight it out. Alice twitched her ears, a flash of pure excitement crossing her face.

Could she actually pull this off? Anything was possible now...

Maybe not Alice winning against Jan, but the opponent for the final could be anyone but Louise.

Kolek continued, drawing another name. "The second quarter-final match will be Valencia Freya versus Jae Yoona."

Valencia looked half asleep but seemed to care a bit as she straightened from her seat hearing the matchup names.

Valencia versus Jae Yoona... that's a fight I never imagined in the original story. A perfect archer against a sword saint... someone's bound to walk away seriously injured.

With the matchups set, my opponent was obvious. Luck was on my side, but even so, this tournament was no cakewalk. The deeper I went, the tougher it would get.

As Kolek prepared the remaining draw he drew the next slip. "Thirdly, Rel Laurence will face…" he paused, grabbing the final sheet in the box, "...Carlos Muller."

Carlos Muller, One of Louise's goons. Not much of a threat, but still best to be cautious. He's one of the more unique characters in the story itself. He would appear for like a few chapters and then disappear for a whole arc. I wouldn't even be surprised if I didn't hear from him after this.

Still, I'm unsure of this guy's abilities. So it's best to just see his current stats from here, rather than asking the system to charge me PPP for information on this guy's abilities.

[Perceptive Mind Has Been Activated!]

Quickly I turned my head towards Carlos Muller and focused my eyes on him. I could see his status window formed right before my eyes.

FWANG!

[Status Window Of Carlos Muller]

[Strength: 75, Durability: 90, Speed: 40, Mana: C+, Elemental Attribute: Fire]

[Current Thoughts: "Who's Rel again?"]

"Who's Rel again?" Seriously? This fucker...The audacity of this nobody is getting on my nerves. After everything I'd written, everything I'd been through... Forgettable? I'd show him unforgettable.

Ehem...

Kolek cleared his throat. "One further note," he said, his voice gruff.

"The match times will be randomized now that the draws are complete. We will input your names into a system that will determine the order of the fights. Be on the lookout for a notification on your watches. The first match will be scheduled for 12:00 sharp. I expect your best performance, students. Congratulations on making it this far.

You are dismissed."

The room emptied quickly. I lingered, the weight of the upcoming fight settling heavily on my shoulders. This was more than a spectacle now. It was a potential obstacle on my path to freedom, a chaotic variable I needed to navigate carefully.

...

...

...

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1: Outer Hallways]

[10:45 AM]

The outer stadium was surprisingly peaceful, patches of warm sunlight slicing through the open arches. My footsteps echoed in the stillness, a nice sound to the usual bustle. Then, a high-pitched ring shattered the silence, the sound almost painfully sharp in the emptiness.

BZZZZT!, BZZZZT!

My watch vibrated against my wrist. looking down, I saw a notification flash across the screen:

[Your Upcoming Schedule Has Been Updated!]

[Stage: Quarter-Finals]

[Name: Rel Laurence]

[Matches Completed: 23]

[Match Number: 1]

[Opponenet: Carlos Muller - (Arena A) -]

[Time: 12:00 PM]

a smile crossed my lips. "Well, I guess I'm lucky after all," I muttered. The first match meant less time to wait and less exposure to the scrutiny of the later crowds.

As I continued walking, I was still thinking of the notes the scouts left on my profile.

"...so slow and methodical...",

"...uses his fists more than his crossbow...",

"... honestly, his fighting style is boring...".

A bitter chuckle caught in my throat. They weren't wrong. My victories weren't about trying to win I was just trying to get the BP I needed, the fist and crossbow part kind of hurt a bit more than I had thought but I couldn't care since these lower-ranking scouts had nothing to do with me anyway.

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Authors Notes:

- None for this chapter D: