CHAPTER 66: CHAMPION’S TRICK

"Gladiatorial combat begins!!!"

On the golden arena, accompanied by a grand, crisp bell toll, Little Statue Galahel’s fighting spirit shot through the roof, her gaze razor-sharp as she roared:

"Statue Transformation!"

Rumbling, a towering and fierce 16-foot giant stone statue rose from the ground.

"Charge!"

Radiating serious presence, she barreled toward Carlos.

This was like a replay of her previous battle tactics, packed with bone-crushing force.

Carlos stayed cool as a cucumber. His wings beat slightly, wind bending to his will, as his whole body shot skyward, calmly dodging this attack.

"Boom!"

Little Statue Galahel slammed into the wall, stopped and shook her head, finding her opponent had vanished into thin air.

"Where’d he go?"

Wind howled. Looking up, her eyes lit up with understanding:

"Of course, he flew up!"

She’d prepared for this beforehand and immediately hugged her legs with both arms, pulling her head in to transform into her signature stone ball form.

Rumble rumble! Rumble rumble! On the ground, she began building up rolling steam...

Watching Little Statue Galahel’s moves, Carlos immediately caught on to her game plan.

She definitely wanted to pull the same stunt as the previous match—build up enough powerful momentum, then launch skyward to nail him.

Even if she missed, she could close the gap big time and unleash a second wave of attacks.

Sure, he could just keep flying higher to a height she couldn’t possibly reach.

But this was a competition—Carlos had to beat her fair and square.

"Go give her a helping hand!"

Carlos waved grandly, and four Purple Thornblade Skeleton Guards immediately appeared on the golden arena floor.

Unlike before, they each carried large iron plates on their backs, plus 6-foot-tall triangular iron spikes.

The four bone shadows positioned themselves right in Little Statue Galahel’s rolling path.

Little Statue Galahel was tickled pink rather than worried, thinking that once she steamrolled these four purple skeleton soldiers, let’s see how some scrawny Death Herald could take her on.

"Watch my ’Super Rolling Impact’!"

She immediately locked on target, picked up speed! Picked up more speed! And charged straight ahead.

Just as she was about to make contact, Carlos ordered through soul link:

"Now! Get those iron plates up!"

The four Purple Thornblade Skeleton Guards fell into formation, angling the iron plates and jamming them into the ground, instantly forming a ramp!

"What kind of shield wall is this?"

Little Statue Galahel didn’t have a clue as she thundered forward.

Then... officially began liftoff!

The ’massive stone ball’ followed the ramp formed by the iron plates and rocketed skyward!

"???"

The sudden weightless feeling gave Little Statue Galahel a sinking feeling.

Without building up enough momentum, even flying into mid-air, she couldn’t fire off her ultimate move ’Meteor Fall.’

What’s more, everything happened so fast—she couldn’t control where she’d land.

"Keep going. Put iron spikes where she’s coming down!"

Right away, the four Purple Thornblade Skeleton Guards dropped their iron plates, positioned the triangular iron spikes from their backs at the predicted landing spot, and quickly put them together into one big spike.

The spike tip gleamed wickedly in the sunlight, making anyone who saw it break out in a cold sweat.

In mid-air, free-falling Little Statue Galahel spotted the big iron spike on the ground and her face went white as a sheet.

"You... your heart is black as pitch!!!"

For a moment, she seemed to see her grisly end of getting skewered by the big iron spike.

"Oh no! Oh no! What do I do!"

Little Statue Galahel broke out of ball form, arms and legs flailing in pure panic.

Lightning struck, her hair strand spun like crazy as her body twisted, actually managing to shift position a little.

She gratefully looked down at the ground, then her expression turned absolutely horrified!

After the shift, the big iron spike that had originally been aimed at her chest was now aimed at her rear end—this was way worse.

If she got stabbed there, she’d rather be pushing up daisies!!!

"Nooo! I give up! Quick! Move that thing!"

"Surrender?"

Carlos was stumped. Would a top-shelf genius of Ember City have no way to handle this little pickle?

"Doesn’t sound like she’s faking..."

"Move it."

The four Purple Thornblade Skeleton Guards suddenly shoved the big iron spike aside.

A few seconds later...

"Bang!"

Little Statue Galahel crashed hard to the ground face-first, kicking up a dust storm.

"Ptui! Ptui! Ptui!"

Spitting out dirt she’d accidentally swallowed, Little Statue Galahel went back to her normal form, her hair strand drooping, saying nothing as she dejectedly shuffled off the stage...

The entire venue went dead quiet for a few seconds, completely caught off guard by how fast it ended.

The announcer snapped out of it first, immediately cheering with gusto:

"Oh! Let us congratulate Carlos Valois for taking home the individual championship of the First Ember Tournament!"

With the champion decided, the crowd got into heated discussions:

"This strategy... how to put it, kind of out there..."

"Facing that terrifying ’rolling ball attack,’ little Carlos actually thought to build a ramp and work with it!

What a stroke of genius!"

"But I’d say those purple skeleton soldiers who could stay in formation are pretty darn impressive!"

"..."

"Oh! Aren’t you all missing the point? He’s only 15!"

"At 15, beating a bunch of near-adult hotshots—what an incredible feat!"

"Controller... no! Weaver potential!"

"..."

...

While the entire venue cheered like crazy, the mood was different in one corner.

From a distance, Little Statue Galahel stood next to Iris.

Sometimes steamed, sometimes down in the dumps, pointing at the arena and constantly griping about something.

"..."

"Commander Iris! Little Carlos is so young but so sneaky!"

"Um... this is strategy... should be called brains."

Iris kept a fair and square attitude in her correction.

"Did you see?

He had four big skeletons put together a big iron spike and planted it where I’d land!

If I’d been one... two... three seconds slower! I would’ve been stabbed to death!"

Little Statue Galahel immediately brought up a new complaint.

"Mm... but you weren’t...

Little Carlos knew what he was doing. Even if you hadn’t thrown in the towel, he would’ve moved it."

Seeing Galahel’s wounded look, Iris couldn’t resist flicking her drooping hair strand and said with amusement:

"You’re practically grown up, yet you’re having a spat with a kid?"

"I’m not being petty. At the end, he aimed at here!"

Little Statue Galahel fought tooth and nail for herself, turning sideways and bending over, pointing to try getting Iris’s sympathy.

"This does seem a bit much..."

Following Galahel’s accusation, Iris couldn’t help nodding to herself. Very good, clearly built for bearing children.

Then her tone got softer.

"Later, I’ll give him a good talking-to. It’s just a competition—how could he pull something like this?"

"...Don’t be too hard on him... he’s still a kid... at most just give him a few good swats."

Hearing Iris side with her, Galahel perked up and said excitedly:

"If you don’t mind, could I watch?"

"This..."

Iris felt backed into a corner. This was just smooth talk—how could she ’discipline’ her dear brother... especially when he’d done so well?

Just then, a Psionics user walked over:

"Commander, it’s time to give out the awards!"

"Right! I’ll be right there!"

Iris’s figure vanished in a flash, leaving Little Statue Galahel standing there all by herself...

...

The award ceremony was long and drawn-out. The first round qualifiers, fourth, third, second place, and champion received generous rewards one after another.

With this, the individual competition finally wrapped up. In three days, the team competition would kick off, reportedly designed by the ’Mental Research Institute’—quite something!

Of course, Carlos had no time to worry about team competition stuff right now.

After getting his champion’s prize, he immediately traded for a set of 12 dormant clan swords from the garrison warehouse.

"Which set will it be?"

Redrose family, or Tulip family?

In his memory, the two sets of dormant clan swords in the garrison warehouse were immediately suspected by leadership of being just as special after the Purple Thornblade clan swords came to light, and were put under heavy guard.

Later, dedicated players completed tedious contribution quests to trade for them and wake up their true identities.

Carlos rushed back to his room and began the awakening ceremony for the new clan swords...