Chapter 90 - It Begins
The tournament was largely divided into preliminaries and the main event.
Once participants survived the preliminaries—where they fell like late autumn leaves—the highlight of the festival, the Round of 16, would begin.
In other words, including the preliminaries, a minimum of five victories was required to claim the championship.
Five battles for a total of 30,000 experience points.
Applying some literary-style division (though Jin was an engineering major), that would mean each match was worth roughly 6,000 experience points.
No, in that case, they could at least distribute the experience more flexibly.
Honestly, there's just no room for negotiation here.
And if one were to lose in the finals?
They'd go through all that hardship and walk away empty-handed?
Jin chuckled as the image of a certain pro gamer yelling, "Second place is still an achievement!" flashed through his mind.
Then, turning back to his status window, he pondered.
There had only been two instances in history where someone outside a noble family had won the tournament.
Considering that, the seemingly ridiculous experience reward wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Jin decided to stop overthinking it.
It's all good.
Experience points are just a bonus.
They shouldn't be the goal.
And so, to clear his head, he set off aimlessly, wandering through the city.
With five days remaining until the festival, the city was brimming with excitement.
Cafés and restaurants were packed from early morning, while people sitting at outdoor tables engaged in heated debates over this year's champion.
Vendors lined the streets, selling merchandise emblazoned with the crests of various noble houses.
It had been a while since he'd experienced such an everyday scene.
Everything felt refreshing to Jin, but what truly put him at ease was that most of these people were traditionalists.
Over the past year and a half, he had encountered all sorts of bizarre individuals.
Tech fanatics who despised their organic bodies to an extreme degree, genetically modified superhumans with beast-like traits, sex toys claiming to have 99.9% realistic genital models and demanding verification, and even robots fervently waving signs that read "Android Lives Matter."
It had been a parade of absolute absurdity.
From the perspective of a traveler from the 21st century, it was a cultural shock—one grand slam after another.
How was he supposed to accept and understand all of that?
He hadn't.
He'd simply grown accustomed to it.
And now, surrounded by people who felt more familiar?
To Jin, this place was Hawaii, Bali, and the Maldives all in one.
With a lightened heart, he strolled down the stone-paved streets—
"Eek!"
A soft thud against his leg was followed by a small shriek.
"…Hm?"
Lowering his gaze, Jin saw a young girl sitting on the ground, looking up at him with wide eyes.
At the same moment, a helium balloon slipped from her grasp, floating up into the sky.
Jin smoothly snatched the string mid-air and extended it toward her.
"Here."
The girl, startled, accepted the balloon with a small nod.
Jin then offered his hand, helping her to her feet as he spoke in a deliberately solemn tone.
"Are you hurt?"
"No," she replied.
"Be more careful from now on," he gently chided before preparing to leave.
"…?"
But as he turned away, his eyes landed on the balloon in the girl's hand.
A light purple background with a lightning bolt emblem?
"Are you a Zahad supporter?"
The girl nodded again.
At that, Jin gave a faint smile and snapped his fingers at her eye level.
Crackle—!
A small arc of lightning flickered in the air, forming glowing letters.
[Cheer for Jin Evernight too.]
The unexpected sight made the girl gasp in awe.
At that moment, her parents rushed over and hugged her tightly from behind—
"I told you not to run!"
"Mom! This big brother is Zahad!"
Regardless of their scolding, the girl simply bounced excitedly in place.
"What…?"
The parents finally turned their attention to where she was pointing.
But by then, the sparks had already disappeared.
Jin, watching from a distance, chuckled and turned away.
***
Time passed quickly.
During that period, Jin enjoyed a surprisingly relaxed schedule.
He met up with Raph, had meals with anna…
Some days, he wandered around the city like a tourist.
Other days, he holed up in his hotel room to rest.
It was a perfectly balanced mix of activity and leisure.
The only problem (?) was that his accommodations were ridiculously luxurious.
Seriously, why did a hotel room need a grand chandelier?
And that was just the beginning.
It had a living room, a kitchen, a private gym rivaling a fitness center, both wet and dry saunas, an expansive library, and priceless decorative objects everywhere.
There was so much that listing it all felt exhausting.
Every morning, as he awoke on the plush mattress, it became a habit for Jin to throw his arms up and shout, "Three cheers for Elina!"
And so, on the day of the opening ceremony—
"Hurrah—!!"
As usual, Jin started his day with a cheer before leisurely leaving the hotel.
He hopped into a waiting taxi and rode comfortably to his destination.
Before long, he found himself staring up at a colossal stadium.
"…Damn."
He instinctively shook his head.
Anyone would react the same way upon seeing the endless crowd pouring into the arena.
The only silver lining was that there was a separate entrance for participants.
True to his poor sense of direction, Jin had to ask around repeatedly before finally making his way inside.
"…This place is massive."
The vast field was bustling with preparations for the preliminaries.
It was large enough to easily accommodate a thousand people, yet it had been split into two sections.
Each section had flags of different colors planted across it, and the scene was displayed on the stadium's giant screens, divided into four quadrants.
Judging by the situation, it seemed like multiple matches would be held simultaneously.
Well, considering the number of participants...
As Jin murmured to himself while scanning the competitors around him—
"Hey—"
Before he knew it, Raph appeared and casually threw an arm around his shoulder.
"Did you get any sleep?"
"Of course."
Jin answered nonchalantly, prompting Raph to start walking toward the registration desk as he spoke.
"Lucky you. I was too nervous to get a wink of sleep."
"Not even a little?"
Jin turned to check Raph's face.
His eyes immediately caught the dark circles under them.
"You haven't just lost one night's sleep, have you?"
"It's been two days."
"Wow."
Jin let out a short laugh, and Raph bristled.
"Come on, man. This is a once-in-seven-years opportunity. It'd be weird if I weren't nervous."
Then, as if lamenting, he added,
"Besides, today is all about luck. If I mess up and land in the 'group of death,' I'll be nothing more than a highlight reel for others."
"Luck? Group of death?"
"Well..."
Raff was about to answer Jin's question, but at that moment, they had already reached the registration desk.
"Your name?"
"Jin Evernight."
"Confirmed. Please draw a marble from the box."
Following the receptionist's instructions, Jin reached into the pure white box, and his eyes widened slightly—tiny marbles were swirling around on their own inside.
Oh, magic?
Suppressing his surprise, he grasped one of the marbles that brushed against his palm and handed it over.
"You're in Group 2. Please wait in your designated area."
With Jin's turn over, Raph stepped forward and picked his marble.
Group 11.
His face immediately brightened.
"Hell yeah! Dodged it!"
"...What's with the excitement?"
Jin tilted his head in confusion, and Raph, now visibly relieved, explained,
"What else? I managed to avoid being grouped with any of the Seven Families' representatives. For fairness, they're kept out of the same group during the preliminaries."
In other words—
The preliminary round was a battle royale.
Only one person from each group would survive.
The last competitor standing, after defeating all the others in their group, would raise the flag and earn the honor of advancing to the main tournament.
Given the stakes, it was natural for everyone to dread facing a representative from the Seven Families.
Ending up in the same group as them meant an immediate and undeniable elimination.
So, what about Jin?
He dodged them.
The Seven Families' representatives were in Groups 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, and 16.
Unlike the delighted Raph, however, Jin felt indifferent.
Whether now or later, he'd have to face them anyway, so it made no difference to him.
With the groups decided, Jin and Raph took their seats in the participant section, reserved in a corner of the spectator stands.
Soon, the opening ceremony began.
As expected from a grand event returning after seven years, it was an extravagant spectacle, filled with mesmerizing performances.
Jin clapped along, enjoying the show—until he noticed a wave of murmurs rippling through the stadium.
He instinctively turned his head toward the central podium.
There stood a middle-aged man with silver-streaked hair.
"..."
"..."
The crowd fell into complete silence.
Jin nudged Raph with his finger.
"Who is that?"
Raph gulped before answering in a hushed voice.
"The Sword Saint..."
At those words, Jin sifted through his memory, recalling the information he had recently crammed into his head.
Gale Anarion, the 31st head of House Anarion.
The Sword Saint (剣聖).
In his youth, he was known as the Mad Sword (狂劍), infamous for ruthlessly cutting down countless dark mages and high-risk criminals.
He had faced and overcome numerous life-threatening situations, proving that he was anything but a sheltered noble.
Despite being a top contender, he never once participated in the Rotation Tournament.
While his family despaired, he simply declared:"Training without risking my life is meaningless."
A true battle fanatic.
Of course, that was over twenty years ago.
Perhaps age had mellowed him, or perhaps he had found enlightenment.
Now, his face radiated the serenity of a tranquil lake.
Then, the strikingly dignified man calmly swept his gaze across the audience and brought the microphone to his lips.
"Enjoy."
One word.
That was all.
A short speech, whether an opening remark, congratulatory address, or acceptance speech, was always the most stylish.
The silence up until now had been a mere prelude to this moment—
A deafening roar erupted across the stadium.
"Sword Saint! Sword Saint! Sword Saint! Sword Saint!"
The chants were loud enough to make ears ring.
After all, when discussing the strongest figures in Lost City, five Omega-grade Psychers, the Seven Family Heads, and the Nine Legends were always mentioned.
A man who stood at the pinnacle of the city.
And now, one of those legends was right before their eyes.
It was only natural for people to be excited, desperate to capture every moment of his presence.
The cheers refused to die down, even causing delays in the proceedings.
And amidst the chaos—
The matches for Groups 1 and 2 began!
As competitors flooded onto the battlefield, the spectators finally snapped out of their trance and turned their attention to the matches.
Unsurprisingly, their gazes were all fixed on Group 1.
Jin, who had been warming up, was no exception.
He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted with all his might.
"Young Thunder—King!!!! Let's go!!!! See you in the Round of 16!!!"
At the booming cheer, the eyebrows of Kendrick—who had been standing with his arms crossed at the center of the arena—twitched.
But surprisingly, he didn't show any sign of displeasure.
After all, his face was currently being broadcast alone on the giant screen.
So, with a lofty expression, he pretended to be indifferent.
Not only that—he stood right beside the flag at the center of the battlefield.
Naturally, the other participants began cautiously circling him.
Bwooo—!
The starting horn had barely finished sounding.
"Attack!"
"He's alone anyway!"
At someone's shout, the competitors charged as one, as if they had coordinated beforehand.
At that moment, lightning flashed in Kendrick's eyes—!
"Whoaaaa!!!!"
While most eyes were locked on Group 1's battle…
A few turned toward Group 2.
Even though they shared the same arena, the absence of a Family Representative meant significantly less attention.
There was no real reason to watch.
And yet—some did.
Among them, surprisingly, was the Sword Saint.
At some point, a pleased smile had formed on his lips.
"A dark horse, huh?"
The moment his murmured words ended—
Crackkk!
A deafening roar split the air as violet lightning exploded with overwhelming force.
On par with the so-called Young Thunder King—
No, perhaps even greater.