Chapter 17: Piece of Cake (1/2)
Chapter 17: Piece of Cake
Translator: OneshotwonderEditor: Tehrn
After a while, there still wasn’t anyone willing to challenge Stoke. Most ascension matches like this were between two fighters of the same level. The cost of losing this battle would be steep on either side; therefore most of the same level fighters knew that Stoke wouldn’t start this match without being well prepared, which was a factor that made them hesitate to take up the challenge.
”May I try it?” Wang Tong said as he walked towards the ring.
To the audience’s surprise, the challenger wasn't a Kaedeian nor an Ivantian, he was an Earthling boy, despite this, the crowd gave him thunderous cheers and applauded for his courage.
Wang Tong's entrance was much less elegant than other competitors’, who usually would perform a stunning backflip or some sort of stunt to get onto the stage. Instead, Wang Tong climbed the stage so clumsily that it seemed as if he would fell off at any time. He looked back from time to time as if asking for the audience’s help. Nonetheless, he made it to the top of the ring.
”Einherjar Wannabe, are you sure you want to do this?” the referee asked Wang Tong. ”According to your profile, this is your first fight, if you lose in an ascension fight, it might substantially impede your progress later.”
”That's fine. I'll fight as long as I am allowed to.” Wang Tong didn't have much time to waste and wanted to finish it as soon as possible.
”F*ck, Stock didn't hire this noob didn't he?”
”Nah, I don’t think so, I’ve heard Stock is from Capth, a second-year student actually. I’ve never heard of a Capth student that desperate.”
”I guess so. They are too pretentious to cheat anyways. On the same note, the Capth students have been becoming increasingly powerful lately. Who would expect so much power from a second-year student?”
”Where did this hillbilly came from anyways? He is suicidal!”
”No kidding, Stock has hit the jackpot! Usually, the ascension matches are the toughest.”
”This is his first fight? Poor kid...”
”Hey, that Wannabe dude, get off the arena! Stock doesn't need a free victory.” One of Stock's rowdy classmates yelled at Wang Tong. He and the other classmates had believed that Stock would successfully level up tonight and felt that such a cheap victory would only hurt Stock’s reputation.
”Mr. Wannabe, please confirm your challenge.”
Wang Tong nodded his head without any hesitation as he didn't want to be mired in the rules and conventions of the game. Those were things that he couldn't care less about compared to the thrill of a fight as they seemed superficial to the battle-hardened Wang Tong who had shed real blood and tears on Norton.
”The fight is on!” The referee announced.
”Here are the overviews of our competitors:
Stoke: Seventeen, defense-focused METAL fighter.
Equipped with the second class METAL suit of the Golden Shield -Type A, a standard military grade provision.
Score: Thirty-three wins and ten losses.
Einherjar Wannabe: Sixteen.
Equipped with... no... METAL suit.”
The referee became baffled as he read Wang Tong's profile. It went without saying that all of the TPA fighters should have been equipped with at least a tier one suit, unlike Wang Tong who was currently wearing nothing.
”Mr. Wannabe, please initiate your METAL suit, the fight is about to start.”
”What METAL suit? I don't have one, let's just do it, don't doddle,” Wang Tong said impatiently as he did not care to use a METAL suit nor had he ever used one.
The crowd boiled over at Wang Tong's arrogance and bloated self-confidence. Even those who didn't care for the suit's amplifying effect of their offensive ability still needed it for defense, as the METAL suit was an effective, if not the only, way to defend oneself against deadly GN strikes on their mortal flesh.
Stock didn't know what to make out of his opponent, a naive noob who looked more buff than other boys his age, a sign of potential body modification, a fact that Stock was hardly concerned with. He had entertained the idea of dropping his METAL suit for the sake of fairness, but Stock decided to play safe. After all, his ascension was at stake which made this a fight that he could not lose. For the sake of the third tier METAL suit, so be it if he had to get it with a cheap win.