[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-483":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Ember Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1162452,1504,"Chapter 483: Tournament and the Brass Fortress","ember-dragon-chapter-483",483,"\u003Cp>Chapter 483: Tournament and the Brass Fortress\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boom!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pillar of fire shot into the sky, flames raging as the player on the battlefield was reduced to ashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman with golden vertical pupils and long dragon horns waved her hand, and the fire instantly vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned and slightly bowed, acknowledging the audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commentator’s voice rang with excitement. \"Another exhilarating match! A crushing victory!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s congratulate Summer Night Autumn Rain on winning this match!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience erupted in cheers, and fervent fans waved light signs energetically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Autumn Rain, my wife!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I love her so much!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Autumn Rain is amazing! Beautiful and fierce! Totally in love!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course she’s amazing—she’s my wife.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Summer Night Autumn Rain is your wife? I call dibs first! Someone wake this guy up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it! She’s obviously my wife!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dear viewers and contestants, welcome everyone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today marks the third day of the preliminaries, and as we can see, excitement remains high. This round’s contestants are...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commentators’ voices echoed through the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The preliminaries were in full swing. Most top-tier star players remained undefeated, while dark horses emerged from the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many iconic moments had already been born:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rainy Night City summoning the \"Undead Trinity\" to gang up on an opponent, Born Battle Maniac cleaving a max-level Holy Paladin in half—shield and all—Charlotte’s textbook-perfect spell counter...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, with nearly 100,000 participants and 154 arenas running twelve days of matches,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>each arena had to host an average of fifty matches per day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had already secured their spot in the main tournament were busy preparing. Information on professional players was being sold on the black market for exorbitant prices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the most anticipated \"professional players,\" Mantou, was troubled about his weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a three-match undefeated contestant, he had already qualified, with no need to worry about elimination rounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in his second match yesterday, he had been hit by a \"suicidal\" assault from a Machinist player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That opponent had rushed him with a pack full of electromagnetic bombs, nearly blowing him out of the sky. Fortunately, Noodles reacted quickly, flipping midair and escaping the explosion’s range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he was unharmed, his trusty rare-quality \"Crimson Scale Standard Lance\" had been destroyed in the fight, making his heart ache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, he sought out a player from the Mechanist Cult to buy new equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want to buy a melee weapon?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battlefield Wheelchair Man sounded baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wouldn’t a semi-automatic rifle be better? I’ve got an M1 Garand replica, an elemental lightning launcher...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, you don’t understand the romance of a lance charge!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battlefield Wheelchair Man sighed in disappointment but continued, \"If it’s melee weapons you want, the Mechanist Cult doesn’t produce the highest quality.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Actually, if you’re after top-tier melee weapons, I’d recommend the Brass Fortress.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The fire dwarves there forge the best melee weapons—even legendary-quality artifacts have come from them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the word \"legendary,\" Mantou’s eyes gleamed—he’d never pulled a decent item from a loot box in his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where’s this Brass Fortress you’re talking about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Elemental Plane of Fire.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—One day later—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elemental Plane of Fire, Brass Fortress, outside the Empire Affairs Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So many people.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding his freshly issued Fire Plane transit permit, Mantou looked at the bustling crowds and busy fire dwarves, grinning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the city’s center, a massive statue of the Dwarven God stood tall and imposing. The brass houses were intricately crafted, and the air was filled with the clang of smithing hammers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, steam-billowing factories, seemingly newly built in an imperial style, loomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was where artifacts were made?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It fit his imagination perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But all these fire dwarves look exactly the same, like they came from the same mold.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou spotted a nearby smithy with a sign reading \"Gino’s Weapon Workshop.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the weapon rack, exquisite gear was displayed—all \"rare\" quality weapons, including his beloved lances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s check this place out first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pushing the door open, Mantou stepped inside and was immediately dumbstruck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the...?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anime character?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shock was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire dwarf before him completely defied the stereotype of burly figures with thick beards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Round-faced, large-eyed, with delicate features and a small, slender frame. He wore a frilly brass dress, a brass butterfly ribbon, and even had twin brass ponytails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of dwarf is this?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A legendary brass fire spirit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was clearly a brass loli!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, the so-called loli fire dwarf spoke, and his rough, gravelly voice sounded like a roaring flame:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re... a Starborn?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gino’s expression instantly turned furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the anger on such a delicate face made for an oddly embarrassed expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you going to ask why I look like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou stifled his laughter and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gino roared, \"It’s all because of you damned Starborn!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Some bastard, in his filthy desire, swapped out the fire dwarf smithing mold—so now I look like this! I don’t have the strong body or glorious beard of my kin! I’ve been laughed at since birth!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He even said I had the cutest appearance! That bastard—I want to smash his skull in with a brass hammer!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By Moradin, because of you Starborn, I’ve become the weakest, ugliest fire dwarf in a century!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pfft—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou couldn’t hold back his laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you laughing at?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A burly-voiced loli dwarf—it was impossible not to laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After venting, Gino crossed his slender arms and pouted. \"Starborn, what do you want?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou said, \"My weapon is broken. I need a new lance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gino snorted and turned away. \"Go somewhere else. Starborn aren’t welcome here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou wasn’t offended—in fact, he was still struggling not to laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tsundere loli fire dwarf?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great video material.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new weapon and a viral video—two birds with one stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of which, the Mechanist Cult’s anime-obsessed guy really was something—he changed the smithing mold just to make fire dwarves into collectible figurines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Mantou put on a serious face. \"I may be a Starborn, but I’m not him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Blaming me for his actions isn’t fair. Do you want people to call you ’Gino, the petty fire dwarf’?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gino hesitated, fingers fidgeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, he muttered, \"You... may have a point.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was barely a whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fire dwarves were honest folk, quick to recognize their mistakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s the spirit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mistakes are fine, as long as you own up and improve!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the loli fire dwarf, his voice turned earnest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gino, your looks won’t change, but you can better yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Life isn’t about appearances.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou patted Gino’s shoulder with a determined gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks don’t matter. It’s what’s inside that counts! Since you were born this way, all the more reason to work hard and improve yourself!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his hand, pointing into the distance with conviction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe that as long as you work hard and treat others kindly, even without a strong body, you can become a great fire dwarf!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You... you’re right!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gino clenched his small fists. Having never been fed motivational speeches before, the pure-hearted fire dwarf was clearly moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he weren’t a fire elemental, unable to produce tears, his eyes would likely be misty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mantou, you’re different from them. You’re a good Starborn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll forge you the best weapon right now! I’ll show everyone that I, Gino, can be a great fire dwarf too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou nodded with a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new weapon and video material—how could things get any better?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, he felt the loli fire dwarf tugging at his sleeve, looking a bit shy. \"I think what you said makes a lot of sense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Would you... like to meet my friends? They’d probably be happy to craft gear for you too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou turned and was immediately dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking toward him were several bizarre-looking fire dwarves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One looked like a mechanical cat, another had a face straight out of a K-pop surgery clinic, one resembled Ultraman, and another was straight-up a Transformer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer variety made Mantou wonder if he had entered the wrong game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who the hell was responsible for this?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absolutely unhinged!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And their taste was surprisingly diverse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They’re all victims of that bastard Starborn too. Because of their appearances, they can’t integrate into fire dwarf society.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Holy crap, this is wild...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou muttered, reaching out a hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The loli fire dwarf turned back, curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you guys ever considered expanding your business? Like offering Starborn guided tours... or paid photo sessions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Several days later—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fully equipped with brand-new gear, Mantou arrived at the First Arena, beaming with confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo eyed his gleaming armor and the menacing lance, looking puzzled. \"Did you rob a bank?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean rob a bank? My friends made this for me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of friends can craft rare-quality gear? Even though it doesn’t have many magical properties, the base stats are insane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou thought for a moment before replying seriously, \"A loli, a mechanical cat, a K-pop surgery face, a Transformer, and Hatsune Miku.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou grinned. \"Don’t sweat the details. We’re here for the tournament, aren’t we?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard Battle Maniac has a match today?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo replied calmly, \"Not just Battle Maniac. A few professional players are also having their final preliminary matches. It’s a good chance to observe their strength.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about Autumn Rain?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She has too many fans in the audience. If she shows up, it turns into an autograph session. I’ll just send her the recordings later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn, that’s next-level.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo continued, \"Unfortunately, the professionals haven’t revealed their full strength yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are too many participants in the preliminaries, so professionals rarely get matched against each other. Most of their battles are complete stomps—there’s not much to analyze.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Especially the professional spellcasters, like Charlotte. He’s only been using Fireball, so no one can tell what his actual spell rotation is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou crossed his arms and said lazily, \"Singo, you’re too cautious. I never bother studying my opponents.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just roll with the punches!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo glanced at him and said coolly, \"If you get your ass kicked later, don’t go crying to the referees, regretting your choices.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee’s voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Contestant #12533, Born Battle Maniac.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Glory to Born Battle Maniac!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Battle Maniac, wreck ’em all!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience erupted in cheers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Born Battle Maniac was a seasoned professional, well-known across multiple games, with his own fanbase in \"Erezaghe\".\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Battle Maniac is here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou also grew excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He much preferred spectating to getting blown up in the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Contestant #23335, Midnight Sonata.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience roared again—but this time with rage, not excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Players who had been robbed by Midnight Sonata fumed, wishing they could personally jump into the arena and take him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That bastard thief!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finally!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m now officially a Battle Maniac fan!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Battle Maniac, chop that scumbag’s head off!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the referee ushered them forward, a shirtless Battle Maniac and a hooded Midnight Sonata entered the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo commented blandly, \"Now this is going to be interesting. I’ve researched Midnight Sonata—he’s a scumbag, but he’s skilled.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou was intrigued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, Battle Maniac might lose?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not a chance. Just watch. You’ll see soon enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee’s call echoed through the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Begin!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night Poem was an 8th-level Rogue player who had chosen the [Thief] subclass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his previous two matches, he had used Mist Spell and his natural agility alongside his Quick Hands proficiency to toy with his opponents, even stealing all of their equipment mid-fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Night Poem gazed at Born Battle Maniac in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This guy looks troublesome.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But a big shot like him must have plenty of good gear.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No matter—I’ll muddy the waters first, then fish in the chaos!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tossed a smoke bomb forward, instantly shrouding the battlefield in thick mist, obscuring all vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn Black Rat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shit, I can’t see a thing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Goddamn it, of course the Black Rat would pull a stunt like this and interfere with the match!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, an enraged roar erupted from within the smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"AHHHHHH—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive shockwave exploded outward from Born Battle Maniac’s position, instantly dispersing the smoke and forcefully shoving Night Poem away as soon as he reached for his opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night Poem looked down at his now empty hands, his expression filled with shock. \"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"H-He doesn’t have any equipment?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He only has that axe!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem, I still have other tricks!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From within his robes, Night Poem pulled out an array of gadgets—smoke bombs, sonic grenades, disruption arrows, poison vials, charm scrolls—and hurled them toward Born Battle Maniac.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer number of devious, ruthless effects packed into his attacks was enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what he hadn’t expected was that, as a high-level Berserker, Born Battle Maniac possessed the path trait [Selfless Fury]—during his berserk state, he was nearly immune to all forms of crowd control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his heightened, beast-like combat intuition, no enemy could escape his sight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"DIE!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With blood-red eyes, Born Battle Maniac raised his massive battle-axe high and let out a furious war cry before swinging it down with all his might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"BOOM!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood splattered everywhere, soaking the black robes. The sheer force of the strike even split the ground apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fighting is exhilarating!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the audience came an unprecedented wave of cheers—not only for Born Battle Maniac’s overwhelming strength but also in celebration of a certain someone’s brutal demise.\u003C\u002Fp>",2226,"2026-06-03T12:47:02.951Z","2026-06-03T12:47:07.061Z",1,"novelbin.me","9e402af497f5a9aad8587039c694de0427d796660911f48209492bb6198679ee","ember-dragon-chapter-484","ember-dragon-chapter-482",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]