The next three days of rest passed without incident, seemingly in the blink of an eye.
On the fourth morning.
The familiar and immensely grand Super Colosseum once again came into view.
By this time, it was already packed with people.
Whether it was the individual competition from the previous days or the upcoming team battles, the enthusiasm of the audience from around the world was at an all-time high.
Especially with the non-specialist who had cut a swath through the individual competition and ultimately defeated Princess Saint Luni, the audience was eagerly anticipating the upcoming matches, their excitement palpable.
When the Dragon Kingdom team emerged from the tunnel and appeared before the crowd…
Countless eyes instantly locked onto that familiar non-specialist figure.
Even the teammates standing next to him felt as though they were being scanned by countless eyes, their hearts trembling.
“We’re in the spotlight!”
“Thanks to Ling Zhan, we’re getting a taste of celebrity treatment.”
The teammates couldn’t help but laugh and tease.
They noticed that not only were the audience members watching them, but also the other national teams' contestants.
But unlike the audience’s pure admiration, curiosity, and praise…
The gazes from the other national teams were far less friendly.
Especially the teams from the Holy Light Empire, the Free Federation, Fusang, and the Giant Kingdom—those teams looked at the Dragon Kingdom squad as if they wanted to devour them.
It seemed they were determined to reclaim their honor in the team battles.
After all, in the individual competition, the captains of these four national teams had all been defeated by Dragon Kingdom’s representative.
“Hmm? Norton’s aura seems different!”
Some keen observers noticed the subtle changes in Norton Lane.
“Of course, it’s different! Rumor has it that after the individual competition, the Free Federation sent Norton two S-grade body-enhancing elixirs, along with several S-grade skill books…”
“Wow, it’s like they’re not just praying for help—they’re practically devouring the deity!”
“Indeed, his aura and the sense of threat he exudes are much stronger than before!”
“He’s probably out for revenge against that non-specialist—after all, the Free Federation can’t stand being stepped on by the Dragon Kingdom!”
In fact, it wasn’t just Norton who received gifts from his country.
Even the captains of the Holy Light Empire, Fusang, and other national teams received gifts from their countries.
It couldn’t be helped…
The pressure from that non-specialist was immense. If they didn’t urgently strengthen themselves, they might not stand a chance.
The reason these countries decided to give away so many precious resources…
Was primarily because they believed they had a chance to turn the tide in the team battles.
After all, team battles and individual battles were entirely different in nature.
In team battles, having teammates not only increased the margin for error but also allowed one’s strength to multiply under the influence of support buffs, sometimes by dozens or even hundreds of times.
In an individual competition, one mistake could be the end.
But in a team battle, even if you die, as long as the priests revive you quickly, you can stand up and fight again.
Some national teams loved to try out some unconventional tactics.
For example, a “4 protect 1” formation with 40 supports and 10 damage dealers.
A “mage core” formation with 10 tanks, 10 supports, and 30 mages.
A “spirit beast army” formation with 50 summoners.
While unconventional…
These formations sometimes actually worked.
Like last year’s team competition in the Monster Battle Tournament, where Fusang’s “Shikigami Army” formation defeated Korea’s “God-stealing” formation.
It’s precisely because of such unconventional formations that the audience loves watching team battles.
These are just examples, and such formations are relatively rare.
Especially this year, with such generous official rewards, no country would jeopardize the competition just to be unconventional.
After all, the winning nation will gain an additional entry spot into the 120-level Mythical Dungeon.
As well as a share of the newly discovered secret realms each year, awarded proportionally to the champion’s country.
So participating in the competition isn’t just about proving strength—it’s also an effective way to secure benefits for one’s country.
“Huh? Why are there more Dark Priests in each team?”
Suddenly, someone noticed a change in the lineups of the national teams.
Dark Priests are the second-tier class of the Dark Priest profession.
“It’s probably to counter that non-specialist.”
“That non-specialist is already ridiculously strong—if his teammates buff him, it’s over. He could probably take on ten opponents alone!”
It’s well-known that the Dark Priest’s role in a team is “half-support, half-damage.”
This class doesn’t provide buffs to teammates.
But it does have various debuffing skills to apply to enemies.
Especially in the Dark Priest’s advanced class, there are several extremely useful area-of-effect silence, dispel, and curse skills.
Weakening the enemy is equivalent to strengthening yourself.
This logic is flawless.
So every team typically includes two to five Dark Priests as a countermeasure against the enemy.
Damn it, every team except the Dragon Kingdom’s had replaced their substitute players with Dark Priests.
In the teams from the Free Federation, Holy Light Empire, Giant Kingdom, and Fusang, out of 50 people, 10 were Dark Priests.
It’s obvious they’re targeting the Dragon Kingdom’s non-specialist.
This might actually be quite effective.
No matter how strong Ling Zhan is, facing the exponentially stronger Saint Luni, Norton, and others, he would have to bide his time.
This is why high-difficulty dungeons require teams; without support buffs, even fighting small monsters would feel like a slog.
Especially in Mythical Dungeons, even level 100 powerhouses would struggle without a team.
Amidst the audience’s lively discussions…
The official staff had already checked all the equipment.
Meanwhile, they also opened the entrance to the special space in the center of the arena.
The two competing teams would enter this portal and battle in the vast special space.
Meanwhile, the original arena would be surrounded by a high-tech holographic projection screen to accommodate all the spectators.
Plus 50 beasts vs. 50 beasts.
It’s considered a brutal battle between 200 job changers.
If the battlefield wasn’t transferred to the special space, not only would the arena be too small for the contestants, but this Super Colosseum would also be at risk of being destroyed.
“I’m sure everyone is familiar with the rules of the competition.”
“So I won’t waste any more time. Let’s start the draw for the first round!”
With the tournament organizer’s enthusiastic words, everyone in the arena grew serious and turned their eyes to the screen.
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