Chapter 562: Players Cannot Strike the Referee
What was that?
At that moment, Shanks, seated in the audience, paid no heed to the chaos caused by the landslide in the arena.
Instead, his focus was on the gray light shield rising from the edge of the playing field.
More precisely, he was observing the groups of magic pattern users stationed inside the protective wall's perimeter.
Those magic pattern users didn't appear extraordinary.
However, each guarded a gray crystal on a stone platform.
Each crystal served as a node, with six nodes in total.
The gray light shield emanated from these spherical crystals.
This seemingly innocuous setup caused Shanks' expression to shift slightly.
"Those magic pattern users' outfits resemble those of the Light Chaser guild. It seems the Kingdom of Miracles has devised something new." Shanks said, eyeing the areas emitting the gray light.
Rayleigh, sitting beside him, also showed a look of surprise.
"The Land of Miracles! There's a mysterious Holy Knight among the Twelve Holy Knights." Rayleigh remarked.
"It's rumored that many key advancements in magic pattern research were achieved by that Holy Knight."
"So, is this their latest research breakthrough?" Shanks asked with some emotion.
"It can actually enable a magic weapon to activate its abilities autonomously." he noted.
"Could it be inspired by the God Killer Equipment from the Mythical Beast Conference?" he wondered.
Previously, magic weapons served as amplifiers for magic pattern users, enhancing their power output.
A magic weapon that could activate its abilities independently was something Shanks had never seen before.
"Who knows?" Rayleigh replied.
"Nothing surprises me in this era." he added, unfazed.
The rapid pace of progress made "rampant" an understatement.
The constant emergence of prodigies had left Rayleigh with a calm, almost detached perspective.
He saw himself as a relic of a bygone era, content to watch the spectacle unfold.
"That guy Posadong looks quite dramatic now." Rayleigh said.
"A few puppets caused such a commotion. That young man… he's not scheming, is he?" he asked.
Hearing Rayleigh's words, Shanks paused for a moment.
"Probably not. Maybe he's just being upright." Shanks replied.
"That's intriguing. Upright people can be unpredictable." Rayleigh said.
As they spoke, the dust in the arena began to settle.
Morgans laughed heartily and said, "Kwahahaha!"
"What an exhilarating showdown!" he exclaimed.
"As you can see that the earth and stone doll's attack is really formidable, like delivering a meteorite-like strike."
"It shook the entire arena."
"Fortunately, the organizer, Light Chaser, prepared thoroughly to ensure the safety of all spectators."
"This is truly a responsible guild!"
Hearing Morgans' words, the Five Elders in Marijoa, watching the live broadcast, were so furious their beards nearly stood on end.
After just a few words, he credited the organizer as Light Chaser?
The Magic Pattern Association comprised six official organizations.
The event was clearly led by their affiliate, Magic Pattern, yet Morgans shifted the credit.
However, the Five Elders faced an unspoken dilemma.
The Land of Miracles had produced cutting-edge technology to shield the audience from threats.
Their grand World Government, in contrast, lagged behind a newly established nation.
The issue traced back to Vegapunk, whose technology was supposedly five hundred years ahead.
His refusal to conduct human experiments slowed magic research significantly.
How could they surpass others like this?
The Five Elders no longer relied on him.
They planned to have the illicit Pure Magic Guild, secretly backed by the World Government, research magic weapons.
The prospect of the God Killer Equipment offered another promising avenue.
A pure God Killer Equipment would be a fine achievement.
In the arena, as the dust cleared, a crescent-shaped sand pit, dozens of meters wide and one to two meters high, appeared.
"Ugh!" Bashan groaned.
From the pit, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
He struggled to his feet.
Bashan was fortunate.
Had another magic pattern user taken the falling rocks head-on, they'd likely be incapacitated.
Most magic pattern users' physical strength paled compared to their magic.
If not for the physical demands of wielding magic, they might neglect it entirely.
However, Bashan was different.
He relished physical combat and the sensation of direct impact.
He often used thunder to stimulate his body.
His unique sensitivity to physicality, combined with knowledge gained at University of Commerce and a bit of luck, led him to develop a technique.
He named it Thunder Body Forging.
Guild members who reached a certain rank could learn it based on their contributions.
The technique proved effective.
In this instance, it showcased his robust physicality.
"Damn it! My potions!" Bashan exclaimed.
After coughing up blood, his face flushed with anger.
All the magic potions at his waist were shattered.
These were high-end items, each worth hundreds of thousands of Berries, gone before use.
As president of a renowned guild, he could overlook the financial loss.
What truly pained him were the five Holy Light Potions.
The Kingdom of Miracles sold a fixed number monthly, often unattainable even with wealth.
"Damn guy, I'll make you pay!" Bashan vowed.
Looking at the broken Holy Light Potions, he felt his heart bleed.
The potions were life to magic pattern users.
"Um… you seem very angry." Posadong remarked.
He approached Bashan.
Seeing Bashan's furious, almost cannibalistic glare, Posadong was puzzled.
Noticing the golden potion dripping from Bashan's waist, he understood.
It was well-known that Holy Light Potions were vital to magic pattern users.
As a Holy Knight from their place of origin, Posadong knew this well.
However, in a competition, he couldn't prioritize the opponent's potions.
"Well, you passed." Posadong said.
"Five minutes have elapsed."
Facing Bashan's fierce gaze, Posadong felt inexplicably guilty.
He added weakly, "Players cannot strike the referee, or they'll be disqualified."
At those words, Bashan nearly exploded with rage.
Under the dual pressure of rules and strength, he remained undaunted.
Without hesitation, he shot back, "You're ruthless! Just wait for me!"
Then, he limped away without looking back.
(End of this chapter)