Capítulo 40: Which is Which 1
It was September, the tournament got held back, apparently it was postponed because of me. The Mayor wanted me to be in the limelight.
He wanted me to shine, but too bad I already took that into account. Going to the Underworld, seizing Riley, putting a foothold on the council, and making the Red pill Inc. All to make me stand out less than I already have.
You know what they say, prevention is better than cure. It's better to prevent myself from going there than going there at all. Countless zeniths are lurking, but even if they had their eyes on me I would just be displayed as a potential talent, nothing more.
And since thanks to my biological father's DNA I'm only destined to rank up to [-B] rank.
"Oh there she is"
And since Senna has climbed up to the academic ranks, she was participating in the tournament, possibly aiming for the 1-10th prizes. I don't know which one though.
"Presenting our first fighter on the fighting grounds! Senna Kagui!"
The announcer dragged each syllable to make it more entertaining, and the crowd cheered as the far silhouette of a girl came out of the tunnel leading to the elevated platform of the arena.
"Huh, nice"
Senna was carrying a spear, a white long rod with a blade in the end. It was not so hard to identify it as an artifact as it also had a Chinese letter engraved at the blade.
"And to the other side! The contender! Qian Xin!"
Wait already? I got a puzzled look when I looked at the two, Qian Xin as usual with Gauntlets, hers are also an artifact. Probably one that boosts someone of their affinity or attributes.
Thanks to the crowd I cannot hear Senna nor Qian Xin even though they're talking. If the crowd was at least quiet I would've eavesdropped.
And in a moment's notice the crowd's cheers got louder as at each end of the arena they got on their stances.
They didn't try to gouge each other's strength as Senna threw her spear at Qian Xin at great speeds. They've been sparring with each other even when I was in that 6 months long coma.
I don't really know the full extent of their abilities as we never went all out with each other except for the VR activity.
—Boom!
Senna was throwing her spear at Qian Xin, with each throw lies an extraordinary amount of deadly force. Qian Xin on the other hand is parrying and even redirecting the throws on her side with her gauntlet.
Senna tried to keep the distance but sooner or later She was in a close quarter with Qian Xin with few scratches and gashes.
Qian Xin started gathering Earth Primus on her gauntlet and started using her martial arts she got from following the martial guide.
"Take this!" she spoke
But to her surprise Senna twisted her body and with her free arm which is not holding the spear she elbowed Qian Xin with the momentum of her spin.
I have a grin on me as I know where she got that move from.
However though, Qian Xin managed to block her attack, Qian Xin is experienced with hand to hand combat, there's no where she couldn't have seen that.
Senna tried to make space between them but when she was sliding away Qian Xin used her foot like a hook and tripped Senna backwards.
I can't help but grin, I know where she got that move from.
Senna falling on her back quickly reacted by twisting her body, using her remaining unhooked foot to jump albeit low. Using the spear like an extended arm she did a series of somersaults after landing on her feet.
"Sheesh"
Both sides are panting by now, the cheer on the crowd is getting louder. I can't help to think to myself but are these two getting tired too quickly?
Then I remembered my martial guide, which literally expanded my stamina and endurance. My standard just got higher, that's a fact I need to understand.
The two started doing small talks, before finally engaging in a combat stance. Qian Xin gathered mana around her. I think it's her last ditch effort?
I was right as she instantly appeared in front of Senna, even Senna was surprised and with the rotation of the spear in her hand tried to horizontally swing it to Qian Xin.
But Qian Xin didn't punch Senna, she ducked down to avoid her spear and hit the ground, causing it to quake and have a few cracks appear on it.
Senna with her balanced loss quickly tried to regain it but was pulled down by Qian Xin who was nearby, by the second she tried to recover her stance Qian Xin was already on top of her ready to punch down her Gauntlet.
Senna raised both her hands in surrender and the announcement started once again.
"Senna Kagui has forfeited! What a great fight between ranks 1-10!"
Oh I casually forgot that Qian Xin was ranked 1 in the academy. I laughed at myself inwardly. It's not that they're weak, I'm just cunning with my fights.
Everytime we had a spar I would at least display my martial arts like a collection, capoeira, muay Thai, karate, etc.
Things I learned in the military you know?
I eventually had a phone call as my pocket started buzzing. Picking it up the one calling was Sophia.
"Yes?"
—I have hired multiple contractors as instructed.
I immediately moved the conversation to OS so I could hear Sophia directly in my head and not let out whatever she said be heard. Even in this cheerful crowd.
I still put on the facade of putting the phone in my ear though.
"Okay, have you thoroughly checked every single one of them?"
—Yes, a lot of them are talented.
"Good, the mask?"
—One of the craftsmen we've employed is halfway on finishing it.
"yeah, since it's not urgent let him take his time, and the design?"
—as instructed it would be an aiming cross.
Aiming across the cross you see looking at a sniper's scope. Yeah it fits me honestly.
"The enchantment?"
—Same with the other white Mask
"Good, is that all?"
—No, Riley has successfully reached a Guild of lower rank, and is now in the process of making a mercenary group.
"Good, good"
—Sir this one is curious
"About?"
—The mercenary group, and the mask
"Ah… it's something that I can't talk here, but… it's about bounty hunting"
Bounty hunting, villains have their bounty on this world, and unless a Hero goes ahead in his way to obtain the bounty he may take some time.
So the Supreme government made an enforcement system called Bounty hunting, you just need an ID and the registration is quick for you to start bounty hunting.
The one who takes bounty hunting quests are Bounty Hunters, they're prohibited going inside Gates for technical reasons but they can go inside Towers and Dungeons.
Now, Bounty hunting may take weeks if not months. And I plan to clean some of Ceath before going High, Ceath in the entirety of Hunberg isn't that much, it only produced talent, and it's pretty much a residential city.
But thanks to some ambitious men and women the place is dirty and murky like an oily water.
I can change this place, slowly. And by my hands at that, the mask I'm asking them to make. It makes people's eyesight blurry to the subject of the topic if they look at it directly.
Meaning if they looked at me they would only see a smudge of colors, like how you would see blurry people in the distance.
It's a good item. With that I could register on bounty hunting without ever exposing my identity.
The mercenary group on the other hand, I could make a group that would assist both the Red pill Inc. and Blue pill Co. But that would make it obvious so I made sure that in the public they're imaged as enemies with the same origin.
So now the Mercenary group would just be linked with Bounty hunting, a bounty hunting group, it's not rare though as some mercenary groups already have the same idea.
Wait. I also need information, I can't keep asking Decker for help, I still have some debt to pay since I sometimes ask for information higher than I could ask for.
Well some of them are getting paid in installments which I hope is fine for him, I wonder what he's doing.
Snapping me out of my thoughts by the crowds massive cheering I looked at the stage to see Fermund fighting an opponent
By the looks of it was mid-fight. I missed it probably because I'm wandering in my own thoughts.
On the edge of the arena there is Fermund and the opponent is near, just a few meters away from him.
Fermund is holding two short swords on each hand while the other is holding a sword.
The sword wielder has a few gashes, and he is putting more pressure on his other leg, probably because the other has a bruise.
I can tell from this far away. Fermund on the other hand has a gash on his shoulder. It wasn't a big gash but it's bleeding alright.
Fermund is wavering a bit he looks like he was weakly holding on, the swordsman saw this and dashed forward whilst raising his sword.
In a moment's notice Fermund's look changed drastically, as his sharp gaze went back as he stepped on the side.
The swordsman was surprised but it was already too late as his swing was already crashing down.
Fermund dodging the attack didn't waste any opportunity and swung his short sword activating the enemy's barrier collar making him paralyzed and making a barrier around the swordsman.
"And Fermund Won! With those mind games he kept playing it was no surprise he won! As expected of the ranked 1 of the second year!"
Ranked fucking what? He was ranked one?! My standards of normal are bad, really bad. I had one shot that ranked one back then, and I'm training with him too weeks prior.
And when I first met him, ah no wonder he was angry back then, a first year ignoring you, the rank one of the second year sheesh that's plain disrespect. Sorry but not sorry Fermund.
Am I just abnormal? No, I'm ranked [-E] and most of the Academic grounds would be higher than me if they kept training, especially the 5th years.
The academy covered both High School and College educations with no borders. It covers 8 years of education and when you're talented you'll use better resources.
And if you're extremely lucky, get enrolled in Imperium. Which the Insidious high does every year. There's at least two or three getting sent to imperium every year.
Now that I think about it.. They do that every 3rd year, picking the talented and then making them go to imperium…
So I have till my 3rd year, so about two years I can expand and make myself a strong stronghold. I already used this year as the first year out of three.
Thinking about it, Dimitri was born in October. I should send him a letter, and try to establish a connection.
'…'
"Hah…"
To be in peace one must be in power, I wanted to not stand out but the course of events didn't allow me, so I made it bend the way I like.
Forcefully making me stand out less to fully taking myself off the limelight. This world I created is annoying as it is. Now I'm living in it. I'm forced to take new traumas.
Without OS's perk I might be so mentally unstable right now.
And according to my notes anyways I did die on the original so my existence is already an anomaly itself.
Well that didn't matter, my life on texts has ended but my life in this world is different. Wait… I remember that the novel had an Adaptation…
Wait.
Wait!
I stood up and ran outside the spectators ground of the arena, my mind was in a haze.
'The adaptation! Which is this world based on?!'
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Roses_Heinz
Roses_Heinz Gonna go hiatus for a while... Be back at may 4
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