Ed returned to the platform, now that the first round was over and the players who had won the first round were standing on it.
He also paid attention to the youngest player in the competition, and he thought, "Very good, it seems he has some ability."
"Let's congratulate these fifteen contestants on their victories. But it's okay if you lost; there will definitely be more competitions in the territory in the future, and you can win them back later. Now, the winners on stage will draw numbers to start the next round."
A moment later, everyone had drawn their numbers and held them up high.
"Ah! Oak Barrel drew number 8!" Oak excitedly told Mint beside him, forgetting that he had just said Oak Barrel's good luck had run out.
"Hehe, what a lucky kid." Ed on stage chuckled as well.
Oak Barrel went off to rest, and the 14 people on stage began to compete for the 7 spots to advance to the next round.
Talking is not allowed during the competition, and the contestants cannot move around freely, so Oak Barrel stayed in the same place as the contestants.
Ed, who had already come down to the stage, also noticed that the Gomoku competition lacked a certain competitive atmosphere. You couldn't shout loudly, because it would affect the players' performance. Perhaps the atmosphere of a sports competition is better.
However, this experience is also valuable. The Fir Tree Police Squad's methods of maintaining order, the organization and rules of the competition, and the selection of the venue will provide valuable experience for future events.
" Lord Ed, I want to participate in the next competition too. You see, there's only one woman in the finals this time." Carly looked at Alice on the stage, very worried that their only representative wouldn't make it to the next round.
"Okay, no problem." Ed didn't let Carly and Adelaide participate in the competition this time mainly because it was their first time. He knew a thing or two about Adelaide and Carly's chess skills; most people in the territory couldn't beat them, after all, they had been exposed to Gomoku for longer.
He wanted to give the prize to other people in the territory so that people would be more enthusiastic about participating in future events.
"Also, why didn't you let me be the referee this time? I know the Gomoku rules very well." Carly was quite dissatisfied with this. Why could her sister Adelaide watch others play on stage, while she could only watch from below?
Yes, Adelaide is watching Alice, the only female player on the field.
The more I looked at her, the more surprised I became. This girl, whom I had met once at Windmill Village, was truly amazing. Her moves were swift and decisive, and her opponent was constantly on the defensive. Throughout the first game, her opponent had no chance to counterattack and, overwhelmed by the situation, quickly made mistakes and lost.
In the second game, she continued her aggressive attack. Because she had lost the first game so badly, her opponent tried to fight back at the start and started attacking her. But all her struggles were in vain, and her opponent quickly lost in the attack.
Alice finished her match first, easily winning the game.
Adelaide thought that even if she were playing, she probably wouldn't have won so easily. This girl named Alice is really good at chess. I'd like to have more opportunities to exchange chess skills with her in the future.
Soon all the competitions were over, and the top eight were Alice, Oak Barrel, Villager Ding, Meishuge, Smith, Cheng Long Smith, and two Salty Fish whose names I won't mention.
Next up was the crucial battle for the top four. And Ed returned to the stage once again.