Kent's long cape is fluttering in the wind, displaying his scholarly presence. Maybe because of the body-strengthening pill, his hair grew long, crossing his ears.
Fatty Ben who sat in the crowd, breathed in relief after seeing Kent. All his hopes lay on Kent to win a fortune in this competition.
(Fatty Ben is not a Sky Family School student. He came to witness the combat mapping to see who would fight in the first-round tournament, which is meant to begin after five days.
Master Chen stared at Kent in a scrutinizing gaze as he did not understand what to reply.
Elder Cha, who stood beside Master Chen, leaned closer and said, "Master Chen, he is the last disciple who has been absent till now."
Master Chen immediately grasped what is going on. He nodded his head and replied, "You came on time. Go and stand along with other fighters."
After receiving the elder permission, Kent walked back to the center of the arena, where the other 32 fighters stood in one single row, along with their pets.
The fire Kirin followed him closely, ignoring the fearful stares of other pets.
Kent went to the far-left side of the row and stood beside a lady in snow white combat clothes. A snow-white peacock stood beside her, matching the lady's dress.
Kent recognized her with one glance. She is Mia Snow. The defending champion of the tournament. She stood with a proud face, without even wasting a glance at Kent.
After checking that everything is in order, Master Chen began speaking with an amplified voice.
The air crackled with anticipation as Master Chen, the esteemed vice patriarch of the Sky Family Wizard School, rose into the sky to address the gathered disciples around the arena. His robes billowed in the wind, a symbol of his authority and wisdom that commanded the respect of all.
"My esteemed disciples, I welcome every one of you to the 333rd secondary Magus competition." Master Chen began, his voice carrying across the arena with authority and gravitas.
"Today marks a momentous occasion as we gather once again to showcase the talents and skills of our young magi. Today we will have a small competition for combat matching, and the real fight starts after five days. This is an opportunity for each of you to demonstrate the dedication and determination that define our esteemed school."
But I have a special announcement before we start the match-drawing process. He paused, allowing his words to sink in as the crowd murmured in excitement.
The entire arena became dead silent, waiting for Master Chen to reveal the special announcement.
"Indeed, in addition to the regular rewards offered by our school, I am pleased to announce a special opportunity for the winner of this tournament," Master Chen continued, his voice ringing out with authority.
"An elder from the Autumn Wind Sect of the Golden Bamboo City will be here to witness the tournament. And not only that, but the elder has pledged to personally recruit the winner of the competition to join the 'Autumn Wind Sect'."
A collective gasp swept through the crowd as Master Chen's words sank in. The Autumn Wind sect, renowned as a Tier 1 school of immense prestige and power, held the promise of boundless opportunities for those fortunate enough to be selected.
"You, the winner of this tournament, will be destined to become a prominent figure within the ranks of the Autumn Wind Sect," Master Chen proclaimed, his voice ringing with conviction.
"Your name will be known far and wide, and your talents will be honed to their fullest potential under the guidance of the elders of the sect. This is once in a life time opportunity, destined to make you someone special.
At his words, the arena erupted into a cacophony of cheers and applause, with disciples shouting in excitement and shooting fireworks into the air with their magic weapons. The atmosphere crackled with energy as anticipation reached its peak.
After allowing the fervor to subside, Master Chen raised his hand in silence, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with a sense of pride and determination.
"And so, my esteemed disciples, let us embark upon this tournament with courage and resolve," he declared. "May the best among you rise to claim victory and seize the opportunity that awaits. Let the combat matching begin!"
As Master Chen descended from the sky, Elder Cha took the stage and began speaking about the combat matching contest.
"As the defending champion, Mia Snow will only fight with the final winner. The remaining 32 of you, get ready with your pets.
Soon, 32 flags with serial numbers will appear in the sky. Based on the number of flag you captured, your opponent will be mapped in the first round of the competition.
The person who catches the golden flag will have the opportunity to choose his opponent in the first round. Consider this act seriously, as the last 13 winners of the secondary Magus tournament were the ones who captured golden flags. Good luck, guys."
As Elder Cha finished her speech, everyone began mounting their pets readily. Kent also did the same.
As Elder Cha pointed her wand into the air, a number displayed in the sky. 10… 9…. 8…
Except for Mia Snow, everyone is eagerly waiting for the moment to fly. Kent leaned forward and whispered something in Kirin's ear.
"Be ready... if we capture the golden flag, I will treat you to tasty food every day." Kent rubbed the Kirin's neck with an anticipated smile.
In the next instance, flames erupted from the Fire Kirin, like a blazing sun (imagine Captain Marvel while flying).
"Hey…"
Arul, the previous runner-up, who stood beside Mia, shouted angrily as his pet, the red python, shredded in fear after seeing the fires from Kent's pet.
"Sorry… Sorry…" Kent replied awkwardly with a smiling face. But he didn't stop his pet from breathing fire.
Arul cursed angrily and patted his red python for imparting courage. "If I lose this contest because of you, I will break your legs." Arul shouted angrily towards Kent with a threatening gesture.
Kent just smiled casually, completely ignoring his threat. Mia, who stood in the middle, turned her head towards Arul. "Stop threatening people. You are destined to be a runner-up again."
///A/N - The bonus chapter will be released soon as we crossed the 100PS target. Thank you everyone for your time.///