The place had long since become a sea of joy, the atmosphere relaxed and fervent.
On the giant light screen, Li Wen's staggering lead in points and the "World #13 Points Ranking: 1st Place" identifier filled them with a sense of security.
They leisurely critiqued the other contestants' last-ditch struggles, discussing among themselves with proud smiles:
"Haha, look at that guy in 100th place! He's scared pale!"
"Brandon's still pretending to be a rock. He must be scared to death of our Prince Li Wen!"
"The outcome is a foregone conclusion! Prince Li Wen is sitting pretty, just waiting to see which unlucky soul gets knocked off at the end."
"Let's celebrate Prince Li Wen's advancement early!"
These last few nerve-wracking hours, filled with the prayers, curses, despair, and ecstasy of countless people, had finally come to an end.
[BEEP—!]
[Alka District, Preliminary Round - Phase One has officially ended!]
