Chapter 18: Dueling and Class

As a young island owner, Isabella had quite a few privileges on this Haiyue Floating Island. Everyone would give her some face. So, her two follower witches, Aila and Beixi, returned very quickly. Following them was the person in charge of the arena, a capable witch with the temperament of a big sister.

"Young Lady, I didn't expect you to have the elegant interest to come play here today. This is truly the honor of our arena. I have already had the venue prepared for you. Do you want an Open Match or a Private Match?"

The big sister in charge wore the bright smile of someone receiving a big client and spoke very enthusiastically.

"Private Match."

Isabella was already accustomed to this feeling of being fawned over. She ordered indifferently.

Generally, the arena would have two modes for clients to choose from, just like how restaurants always have the difference between a main hall and a private room.

An Open Match is the kind that allows spectators to watch, which is equivalent to eating in the main hall. Because one can profit from the spectators' tickets, the venue fee is relatively cheaper. Of course, the duelists must also endure the spectators' comments and such. Additionally, there is the risk that the data on the spells they are proficient in might be leaked.

A Private Match is equivalent to a private room. Only the two duelists and the agreed-upon spectators can enter this private arena. However, the venue fee is relatively expensive, more than ten times that of an Open Match.

It was just that Isabella clearly wasn't short on money. The young lady didn't want to be commented on like a monkey in a show.

Moreover, her duels with Alice over these many years had always been a fifty-fifty split. She didn't have a hundred percent certainty to fight an Open Match; it would be so embarrassing if she flipped the car this time.

"Okay, then this is your room card, Young Lady. I wish you and your friend a pleasant time."

The capable big sister nodded, without any unnecessary chatter. She took out a card, handed it to Isabella with both hands, and then politely took her leave.

"Then let's go, Alice. You still have a chance to regret it now. Don't say I, your sister, bullied my younger sister when you're crying after being beaten by me later."

Holding the room card, Isabella looked at Alice provocatively.

"Heh, you're the one who should regret it. I hope your mouth can still be this hard when you're greeted by my magic bullets later."

Alice, who had been accumulating anger points the whole way, naturally couldn't be a coward at this time. She cracked her knuckles, and amidst the popping sounds, she spoke with full momentum.

Thus, just like that, the group arrived at the entrance of the arena. Isabella swiped her room card on this portal, which was also in the style of a bronze gate, and then walked in first. Alice, not to be outdone, followed closely behind.

Regarding this, the master of stirring trouble, Dorothy, made a "helpless" expression. She exchanged glances with Isabella's two follower witches, who also had bitter melon faces, and the three of them finally walked in.

The familiar dizzying sensation of teleportation came again. As soon as she exited the portal, Dorothy slightly supported her forehead, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Fortunately, perhaps the interest in eating melon and watching the show allowed her to ignore a portion of the teleportation side effects caused by this overly sensitive constitution, so this time she didn't vomit rainbows and adapted quickly.

After the discomfort subsided, Dorothy found that her group had appeared in a private room that was decorated very gorgeously and elegantly, looking very high-end.

In the private room, there were about a dozen high-end sub-dragon leather chairs. Beside each chair was a small snack table, and along the wall of the private room were snack racks and liquor racks filled to the brim.

The front of the private room was a huge floor-to-ceiling glass window, through which one could see the massive circular arena below.

And beside the glass window, there was a console. In the center of the console was a huge crystal ball, which was the setting hub for the arena. Through this crystal ball, one could make some detailed settings for the arena's style and rules.

"Venue random, rules unrestricted free-for-all."

Before Isabella could continue her provocation, Alice walked up, performed a series of skilled operations on the control crystal, and then walked out of the private room first.

Regarding this, the blue-haired young lady also wasn't one to back down. She politely smiled at Dorothy.

"Then I'll trouble Sister to help act as the referee."

Then she also walked into the combat preparation area from the other exit of the private room.

And when the two rivals had both gone to prepare, Dorothy didn't rush. She first went to the snack rack beside her to take some melon seeds and potato chips, and then took three bottles of iced happy water before carrying these to the control crystal disk.

"Come, Aila, Beixi, good sisters, come over and eat melon and watch the show together."

She greeted Isabella's two followers.

"Okay, Miss Dorothy."

The follower sisters didn't stand on ceremony with her. After all, the young lady wasn't here now, so they didn't need to be so reserved and could be more casual.

The workplace concept of witches has always been like this.

Although the Witch World looks like a traditional noble lord system at first glance, it is actually not completely feudal. At the very least, witches are theoretically equal to other witches; this is a social consensus.

Therefore, the relationship between a lord witch and the other witches under her is more similar to the workplace relationship in Dorothy's previous life—just boss and employee, not the master-servant relationship where the monarch orders the subject to die and the subject must die under a feudal monarch system.

If I work happily here, I'll work; if you make me unhappy, don't blame me for firing you, boss.

Aila and Beixi were actually the same as Dorothy and Alice; their mothers were also research witches under the Haiyue Witch. Although their mothers' levels weren't as high as Dorothy's stepmother, they were also the backbone of the Haiyue territory.

And Aila and Beixi being Isabella's followers was actually a part-time job, just like how some people in Dorothy's previous life worked part-time as maids; it was just a job.

It's just that the two of them weren't as gifted as Alice. With only ordinary witch qualifications, they didn't have any grand ideals of making contributions and becoming lords themselves. They were willing to assist Isabella in the future, just like their mothers assisted the Haiyue Witch, and contribute to the Haiyue territory.

After all, witches also need to eat; earning money isn't shameful.

Of course, the concept of equality for all is limited to witches and witches. As for those below witches, humans, as the origin of witches, enjoy half the treatment of witches and are considered free. As for other races...

It depends on fate; they can only pray that the witch lord who conquered them is benevolent.

This is just like how not all pets have a good owner; such things really depend on fate.

However, just like how there are animal protection organizations in Dorothy's previous world, there are always some witches with overflowing love in the Witch World who have been working hard to promote the idea of treating other races kindly. Moreover, the mainstream view in the Witch World has always been to treat other races well, and some laws have been formulated to protect rare races.

Most witch lords are also quite good to other races; some can even be called "loving the people like children." After all, good people are always more popular; no one likes to deal with a cruel pervert.

However, there are always exceptions to everything. Dorothy often sees reports in the newspapers about some cruel witches abusing other races, just like how there are always people abusing cats and dogs in her previous life.

But besides criticizing a few words and trying to stay away from and isolate that guy, others have no other way to deal with such things. After all, according to witch tradition, other races in a witch's territory belong to the witch lord's property, and they have the right to dispose of their property at will.

Sigh, it can only be said that the forest is big, and there are all kinds of birds. The world is so big; if there weren't a few stupid perverts, do you think you're living in heaven?

Oh, heaven in this world isn't peaceful at all; the angels are old and cruel. Never mind then.

"Miss Dorothy, the preparations are almost done. It's time to start."

Aila on the side interrupted Dorothy's wild thoughts. She came back to her senses and, through the control crystal, discovered that Alice and Isabella in the preparation areas on both sides were ready. Only then did she input mana into the crystal in front of her, activating the arena.

And as the duel began, a huge virtual projection of a one-minute countdown appeared above the arena, and the originally flat venue began to undergo huge changes.

An invisible great power began to move mountains and fill seas, shaping the environment, changing the world, and causing grass and trees to grow rapidly. Soon, a complex tropical jungle terrain was shaped.

And at this time, the one-minute countdown was also nearing its end. The gates of the preparation rooms on both sides of the arena began to rumble and slowly lift.

The next moment, two figures shot out rapidly, turning into two streams of light, and collided together. ===== CHAPTER 19 =====