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Chapter 385 Chapter 89.1 - Duels

While considering the wellness of the students who would be dueling, the academy also needed to consider the existence of the audience and how to grasp their interest.

At the end of the day, one week was a huge time period for the people who would be coming to the academy to watch the duels, and they could not possibly watch every fight.

The schedule needed to be arranged in such a way that even those on tight times would force themselves to create the time to watch the deals.

The excitement needed to be preserved. Therefore, in a way, the academy would check for the importance of the duels, and the ones that were deemed as the most anticipated ones would be pushed to the end of the duel week.

That was so that the anticipation would be top-notch at the start. However, that didn\'t mean the academy was empty at the start of the week since the relatives of the lower-rank, middle-rank students would still be there.

Of course, there were also countless different stalls that were opened in this time period by the students and the clubs who finished their finals. Sophomore(second) and Junior(third) year students would already have finished their semester finals as well as their projects, and they would be free to roam on the campus.

Many used this chance to make their own money or experience how it felt to work, though the money wasn\'t needed for most of them. After all, a student with poor economic status is rarely admitted to the academy, though they certainly did exist.

As Garrett and Reina entered the bustling grounds of the Arcadia Hunter Academy, they were immediately engulfed by the electric atmosphere. The sprawling campus was alive with activity, students and visitors alike moving about with palpable excitement.

Stalls lined the walkways, offering everything from enchanted trinkets to exotic snacks, manned by enterprising upperclassmen eager to showcase their wares.

Garrett, with his imposing build and stern expression, cut a formidable figure amidst the crowd. Reina, walking beside him with an air of confident grace, drew her own share of curious glances.

"This place is really something," Reina remarked, her eyes scanning the lively scene. "Hard to believe all this is for a bunch of student duels."

Garrett nodded, his gaze sweeping over the various booths and the throngs of people. "The Academy surely knows how to put on a show. Keeps the relatives entertained and the students motivated."

They walked further, passing by a group of sophomores enthusiastically demonstrating a new combat spell to a small crowd. The air was filled with laughter, chatter, and the occasional burst of magic.

"So, where do you think he is?" Reina asked, glancing at Garrett.

"Probably getting ready backstage," Garrett replied, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the crowd. "I\'d like to see how he\'s holding up before his match."

They approached the arena where he would fight, the grand structure looming impressively with its high walls and tiered seating. The excitement here was even more intense, the noise of the crowd a constant hum in the background.

Reina nudged Garrett with her elbow. "You seem nervous. Worried about your protégé?"

"…No…"

"You are not worried?"

"From the announcement, he seems to have chosen a student of his caliber. Though, I didn\'t expect him to be ranked 1729."

That was certainly a surprising element of Garrett. Being the person who trained that kid, he knew about his prowess. In the industry, the kid certainly held the potential to become someone valuable.

But, in this place filled with monsters and kids backed by behemoths, the potential to become someone valuable turned into someone who could be easily cast away.

That was the cold reality of the world; thus, he didn\'t have many expectations even before coming here.

Yet, he got a valuable surprise.

"Indeed, that is surprising," Reina stated, her eyes narrowing. "The organization didn\'t send any help to him, yet he managed to do this on his own. Interesting."

Garrett kept his expression neutral, though his mind was racing. "He\'s resourceful. Always has been. But this place… it\'s a different kind of battlefield."

"Indeed. But, even if it is still a child\'s play." Reina mumbled.

"I doubt that. A lot of these kids do have the strength of an average hunter just at this age."

"No. Considering the real Hunter world, this place is nothing. Though they certainly have strength, they won\'t survive if they are left there now." Reina said, looking at the arenas across the place.

Many students were dueling with each other, displaying their prowess. Each one of them had their own strength. Some were fast, some were strong. Their capabilities were superhuman, but that didn\'t change anything at all.

"But well, that kid needs to do it at least."

Garrett\'s eyes remained sharp. "You think he\'s ready for that?"

"He has to be," Reina said firmly. "There\'s no other option. And you know it."

The crowd erupted in applause as the first match concluded, drawing their attention back to the arena. The next participants were already making their way to the stage, their faces set with determination.

There, Garrett\'s superhuman eyes, he easily saw the person he was looking for. But, the moment his eyes met with his figure, Garrett\'s eyes were narrowed.

\'That kid….He looks a bit different.\'

Something about him told Garrett that the kid had changed. The way he carried himself….

\'Not bad.\'

And that somehow made Garrett proud. Knowing the kid that he trained and looked over was doing this well.

It was not like he had too much share in his prowess, but he felt proud nevertheless.

"We\'ll cross that bridge when we come to it," Garrett replied, his tone leaving no room for argument. "For now, we focus on what\'s in front of us."

Reina sighed, her gaze drifting to the arena. "You always were good at taking things one step at a time."

"It\'s kept me alive this long," Garrett said with a smile. For now, he really didn\'t want to overly complicate things.

"Right." Reina smiled and then turned her focus to the stage.

One of the stage lights focused on a young student making his way to the center.

His slightly long black hair with bangs framed his face, and he wore the academy uniform with an ease that belied the tension of the moment.

His build was lean, not particularly muscular, but there was a certain fluidity to his movements, a hint of precision and control. Something that Reina could see with her trained eyes.

His presence was faint, almost blending into the background if not for the light washing over him.

Reina observed him intently. "So, that is him."

Garrett\'s eyes never left the student as he nodded. "Yes."

"He\'s a dagger user, correct?" Reina asked though the question was more rhetorical, given her knowledge over the kids past. After all, she came from that organization.

Garrett nodded again. "Yes, he is."

"Not bad," Reina commented, her tone appraising. "He passes."

Garrett narrowed his eyes, his gaze shifting to Reina. "You mean his prowess, right? Not other things?"

Reina\'s lips curled into a slight smirk. "Of course. His affinity as a scout. What else would I be evaluating?"

"….." Garrett didn\'t say anything, but his gaze said everything.

At that moment, on the screen, two names appeared, and a monotone robotic voice read the names.

"Challenger, Astron Natusalune, Ranked 1729."

"Challenged, Wilfred Gibbs. Ranked 1589."

The two students stood on the opposite side of the arena.

"His opponent is a swordsman," Reina remarked, looking at the student named Wilfred, who was looking at Astron with a focused gaze.

There was a certain aura in his gaze that even Reina could sense from that distance.

\'He is being underestimated.\'

It was a common occurrence. The students of this academy tend to be prideful, after all.

"Then, let the duel commerce."

SWOOSH! The moment the voice echoed across the arena, the swordsman rushed towards Astron with his body coated with mana.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Yet his advances were cut short. After all, instantly, a bunch of arrows came right before him, limiting his movements.

"Tsk."

Seeing the mana coated on these arrows, the swordsman named Wilbers clicked his tongue. Even though he knew it was not completely logical, the fact that he was appointed by someone lower than him as a target scratched his pride, and he was planning to end this as quickly as possible.

Yet, it seemed like his opponent wasn\'t someone simple after all.

CLANK! SWOOSH!

Some of the arrows passed through him, while some of the arrows were deflected by his sword.

"Didn\'t you say he was a dagger user?" Reina asked, watching the spectacle unfold. This kid suddenly brought out a bow from his spatial storage, surprising both his opponent and the overlookers.

"…." Garrett didn\'t answer, but his face told everything. Even he was surprised to see the kid using arrows against his opponent.

\'Pretty crafty, aren\'t you? Did you do this considering the possibility of your opponent underestimating you because your rank is lower and you are not checking your weapons? Interesting.\' Reina analyzed, assuming his thought process.

"Well, he is quite good. But that won\'t be enough to beat that kid."

His prowess with the bow certainly looked good, considering he must have switched it after being admitted to the academy. The amount of time he could train with it was four months at most, and that was even assuming he changed weapons right at the start of the semester.

But still, his prowess wasn\'t as strong as a natural swordsman.

At the end of the day, Wilbers had the skills required for a swordsman underneath.

"Come on, brother! You can do it!" A young voice echoed from the side. It was a little boy with his fists clenched. "Show him!"

He was cheering on his brother with a smile.

"Huf…."

Letting out a long breath, Wilbers emptied his lungs with a smile on his face.

After all, he had a brother to impress.