NOVPUB
Chapter 95: First Round
"In the first round, everyone must protect their badges while destroying others’ badges. When there are only 100 badges remaining, the round will end."
After he finished speaking, a palm-sized badge appeared on everyone’s right or left arm’s upper part, below the shoulder.
The dark golden badge had a black Ouroboros symbol.
"No Monster Pet is allowed to be summoned, and the use of Soul Synergy is banned. But you can use your Soul Techniques."
"The round will start in one minute. Get ready."
A big countdown appeared in the air, made by some sort of golden sparks.
John could see it was the doing of that spikey-haired executive.
"Everyone, start walking randomly without crashing into each other. Randomize your positions."
The Tamers began walking.
John also walked leisurely and holding his badass pistol in his right hand.
It matched perfectly with his get-up. Black suit, Black pants, black shoes, black tie, red laces, red shirt, red eyes.
And the pistol also had aesthetic patterns of black and red.
’What’s with that get-up, brat?’ Azelis’s voice entered his ears.
John glanced up at her and grinned. ’What? You don’t like it?’
’It looks dashing. So, how confident are you really?’
’Hahaha, that’s a funny question. I plan to win every match with SSS-rank style points.’
’Is that so? Well, no, that you’ve raised my expectation, you better not disappoint.’
’I am only afraid I am undermining myself.’
Azelis rolled her eyes. ’Alright, cheeky boy. The countdown is about to hit zero. Focus.’
5
4
3
2
1
0
Everyone first looked at each other with their weapons in a front stance.
Their eyes and heads looked around.
For a second, there was an eerie silence.
And then, Tamers moved.
John jumped up and aimed at one of the pillars.
It hooked on the pillar as John swung away, dodging attacks because he could feel tons of assault intents focused on him.
He had to dodge first and foremost.
Azelis saw and frowned as well. It was clear that John was getting targeted.
However, seeing that John had developed a hook-bullet that left a flexible metallic string for movement was a surprise.
’Nice work.’
John swung with full power as he moved his legs up and pushed his legs forward, going up as he flew in the sky.
There were three Tamers who were flying with their soul techniques and had long-range weapons like a bow or projectile-based second soul techniques to attack others.
While in the air with no support, John aimed at him and shot three bullets.
Three loud blasts occurred as the bullets broke the sound barriers and struck their badges.
"So fast?!"
"What the fuck was that?"
"Holy shit."
"He’s falling."
John began to fall, and he was about to receive a barrage of focused attacks. 𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝒎
’Fuckers!’ John ruthlessly grinned as he aimed below.
A gun popped out of the barrel halfway before it suddenly expanded, glowing crimson blood with metallic patterns.
"What is he doing?"
"Attack."
Suddenly, John pulled the trigger as this puffer-fish bullet blew a gust of wind at him, pushing him away while the bloated bullet struck the ground and exploded with a powerful shockwave releasing from it.
Two people who were shooting at him were blasted away, though their badges were intact.
However, they became prey to others as their badges got destroyed.
John went up in the air again a bit and this time aimed at another pillar across him as he swung away.
"What the fuck?"
Frankly, everyone was dumbfounded by his fighting style.
"His Blood Mastery..." Executive Jason narrowed his eyes. "It seems to be at level 2."
"Yep," Azelis said with a prideful smile.
"His combat style is like a monkey," Executive Tavros said with a chuckle. "He should have joined circus shows."
Before Azelis could rebuke him, another Executive, a tall hunk with a bald head and square face, wearing a simple black robe, spoke in a dignified tone, "Executive Tavros, that’s not how an executive should address a junior of the same sect."
"Well, others are displaying proper martial prowess and using their senses, but he is taking the easy route," Executive Jasmine, a pink-haired woman in her early thirties, said as her eyes followed John, who finally landed.
"Well, it looks like h-" Executive Jasmine’s voice struck in her throat as John skillfully dodged an arrow projectile by moving his figure slightly with a grin on his face as if he was having a blast before kicking a man who was about to slash his chest.
From his left, a punch came that he blocked with his left hand before whirling speedily in a blink and kicking the man as he flew up. His gun aimed up and bang.
The badge broke.
John jumped as he dodged a Bull-Charge avatar that enveloped a giant fatty.
"Hold up, man. That could break my bones," John said with a laugh as he whipped his leg mid-air and changed his direction before shooting at a guy who was about to release another arrow at him. "Nope. Not anymore."
Bang!
Badge broken.
"You’re dead," the fatty charged at him again.
John landed and was about to get smacked, but in the next moment, his eyes glinted as he shot to the ground beside his feet before a metal pillar rose below his feet, taking him up.
The boy broke the metal pillar with his charge, but also fell down.
John saw two attacks coming at him as he was falling. One spear and one claw projectile.
He dodged the spear that was faster by whipping his leg as it went past him with a hair’s breadth of distance. And as it passed by him, a blood-metallic string was attached to the spear from his body, which pulled him away from the claw projectile as he successfully dodged it as well.
John aimed at both of them as his arms blurred. Both bullets went super fast and destroyed their badges.
"What a terrific mastery of Strider’s Gaunt," an old executive with a white beard, looking in his fifties with a fit and muscled figure, said as he caressed his beard, his eyes shining as he watched John.
"This young man is a talented fighter with praiseworthy combat ability. Whoever thinks otherwise has marbles instead of eyes, hahahaha."
"I knew senior Rudh would understand," Azelis said with a grin. "I’m telling you, he has much more in store."
Executive Rudh nodded. "I am in anticipation of watching his matches."
And that ended the first round as only one hundred survived.
The star of the round was none other than the one and only John Wicked.
Targeted by more people and eliminating most Tamers out of all, he got the highest screen coverage due to this and was not hit even once!
