Chapter 48

「Broly of Group 7 is the youngest participant in this Martial Arts Tournament, but relying on his indomitable will, he defeated his opponent and advanced to the qualifying round.

The merchant guild backing him behind the scenes is the Jitu Chamber of Commerce from the Southern Region of the Empire, and their silk products are very good.

"Uh, Broly, you're already like this, do you really want to continue competing?"

By the end of the introduction, the tournament host still asked on behalf of the live audience, not for any other reason, but because the boy was the only one with a swollen face and bruised eyes, entering the main venue limping.

Broly held a wooden stick in his hand, picked up from the roadside, with a white cloth tied to the top of the stick, on which a rabbit head was hand-painted—that was the logo of the Jitu Chamber of Commerce that granted them their registration qualification.

However, this thing now in Broly's hand, combined with his swollen face and bruised eyes outfit plus his limping movements, looked very much like a leading zombie in a zombie horde attack.

Compared to other participants who, even if injured, would put on a confident appearance of showing their strongest side without injury, his current entrance style could be called a super mudslide in the history of the Western Martial Arts Tournament.

"I'm fine, these are just injuries that look serious but are actually just superficial wounds that don't hinder me. I must continue fighting for my family. If I don't fight, we'll go hungry. So, I will keep fighting."

Broly spoke these words with difficulty, and in these words, except for the superficial wounds being fake, everything else was true.

The audience fell silent; fighting for one's family—after the martial arts tournament had been held for so long, this kind of reason was heard for the first time.

Other participants all looked at him, with varying expressions, but it could be certain that most were somewhat dismissive.

Martial artists mostly respect strength; Broly's wretched appearance could be said to be the embodiment of the weak.

Sympathizing with him is fine, but losing to him because of that is absolutely impossible.

【So young, yet able to advance to the quarterfinals. Although this is a martial arts tournament with a lot of water in it, recruiting this child into Alberg for training might possibly produce a decent assassin...】

Merad thought so. As the future heir to the Assassin Guild leader, gathering a group of assassins loyal to herself by her side was a very necessary thing.

Although she disliked males, if it was just cultivating subordinates, then that boy fighting for his family over there, she could still accept.

【Survival of the fittest, the strong survive. Hope he can go a bit further...】

Esdeath thought of her mother eaten by Danger Beasts, her father killed when Northern Foreign Tribes invaded the village; their deaths could all be classified as their own weakness. This was the survival concept her father had taught her since childhood.

There was no need to lament the death of the weak. Making oneself stronger and surviving better in this cruel world—that was what the living should consider.

She did not sympathize with the boy, nor did she mock the wretched opponent; she only hoped this person could struggle to become a strong one.

【Capture target discovered: Esdeath, current Happiness Value 0】

The Crystal Palace's prompt made Broly look at Esdeath a few more times. But he was currently playing the role of a participant in dire straits with little chance of winning, so for the moment it was not suitable to go over and strike up a conversation with the girl making her debut appearance.

。。。。

【Who am I?】

【Where am I?】

"Didn't our chamber of commerce have a participant go on stage just now?"

At the merchant group's host seat, Jitu Chamber of Commerce's Manager Nosen fell into chaos. He had never thought this tournament would have anything to do with his own chamber of commerce.

As a result, a participant inexplicably went up, holding up their chamber of commerce's flag in a very shabby manner.

"Yes, sir."

The old servant beside him answered his words.

"Who is that?" "Not one of those martial artist participants we temporarily hired."

"So, is this the big brother of that group of children?"

"Probably..."

The old servant also found it hard to believe, but the facts were right before their eyes.

"What a pity."

Manager Nosen calmed down from his excited emotions.

"Indeed a pity."

The old servant echoed in agreement.

If they had known earlier that someone could make it to the quarterfinals, they would have helped prepare the flags made by their Jitu Chamber of Commerce.

Instead of the other side using a broken tree branch + white cloth with a hand-painted rabbit head pattern + the text of the Jitu Chamber of Commerce written wrong and crossed out, then rewriting a rabbit character beside it, mounting the ring in such a shabby situation.

As for why they felt it was a pity, it was because Broly's entrance performance really did not look like someone who could emerge from today's 16-to-8 qualifying round.

In such an extremely wretched situation, just how weak a participant would have to be to lose to that child? Manager Nosen and the old servant beside him thought no. Not only did they think no, but even the vast majority of the audience in the main venue thought that child no longer had the ability to advance.

。。。。

"The odds for Big Brother at the betting house have already risen to 1 to 11."

"Okay, but don't rush to buy in. What about the odds on the host's side?"

"They've already come to 1 to 16."

"It seems there are more people betting on the host's gambling side, causing them to adjust Big Brother's odds so high. Hmm, let's wait until after the second match ends to buy, and see if Big Brother's odds can go up a bit more."

The matches in the main venue had already begun, and Nahashu and the children's actions had also begun. They were watching Broly's odds at various betting points, preparing to go all-in and bet on their Big Brother's victory at the betting point with the highest odds when the third match starts.

。。。。

The fight on the field was quite exciting, but it was the second match that had already started.

As for the first match, Esdeath of Group 1 fought a Group 1 advancing participant. The Group 1 participant only lasted three minutes before being kicked off the ring by the Northern Fighter girl whose fighting style was extremely fierce.

If the occasion weren't inappropriate, Broly would have wanted to stand up at the participant platform to cheer for this wife he didn't know yet, and brush up the Happiness Value on this newly discovered wife. Hmm, if cheering were useful.

The second match had two weakling martial artists pecking at each other for half an hour before finally ending with one being knocked unconscious by a blow to the back of the head.

The third match began. Merad, the advancing participant from Group 5, entered the ring. Relying on her agile footwork and exquisite acupoint striking techniques, she spent seven minutes easily defeating her somewhat clumsy opponent.

"Hey, little guy, you must fight with all your might. If you perform well, I can consider taking in you and your family."

As she came back and passed by Broly who was preparing to mount the ring, Merad suddenly said this to him.

Broly: "?!"

Looking back at the departing back of the steamed bun hair girl.

Fight with all his might? Did this person want him to destroy this world?

(Chapter End)