"You're supposed to wake him up, not stare at him like a creep," Tina chided Candace.
"Shut up! He looks so cute! I can't help it," Candace defended herself, unabashedly admiring me.
"Abigail! He's not cute at all, right?" Tina appealed to Abigail for support.
"I think Ken is pretty cute too. I might prefer a beastman, but for a human, he's not bad looking at all," Abigail admitted with a shrug.
"Traitor!" Tina teased, though her playful tone belied any real offense.
"Doesn't matter if I'm cute or not, I'm unavailable, so there's no point in discussing it," I interjected, trying to steer the conversation away from my appearance.
"I can't believe you're still holding out. It's been over three months! How have you been able to resist my beauty?" Candace teased, her words laced with playful flirtation.
"I'm a changed man who's no longer susceptible to beautiful women," I lied, struggling to control my desires in the face of Candace's undeniable attractiveness.
After some more banter with the girls, we made our way to the stadium after breakfast to check out the tournament bracket set to be released that day.
"WHAT! How come you're only second in best odds to win?" Candace complained loudly before I even had a chance to examine the bracket myself.
"NO WAY! Why do I have one of the lowest odds to win?" Tina protested, her voice echoing with indignation.
"Well, you're pretty strong for a kid, but with so many corrupted and blessed people out here now, the overall strength of the world has increased," I reasoned, attempting to console Tina.
"I AM NOT A KID!" Tina retorted, her irritation evident.
"Wow, this list is pretty detailed," Abigail remarked as I perused the information for myself, intrigued by the thoroughness of the analysis.
Name: Tina Wulric. Age: 18. Height: 5'8. Race: Beastman(Wolf). Strength: Master level in all physical enhancement. Weakness: Intermediate level in all elemental enchantment. Overall Odds: 100/1.
"I don't even know what this 100/1 or 2/1 means! Explain!" Tina exclaimed as she examined her and mine information.
"Basically, if someone bet an ounce of silver on you and you ended up winning, they would get 101 ounces of silver back. If they bet an ounce of gold on me winning, they would get 3 ounces of gold back if I win," I explained, simplifying the concept for Tina's benefit.
Turning my attention to Candace, I perused my own profile to gauge the perception of me.
Name: Ken. Age: 25. Height: 6'0. Race: Human. Strength: Low-tier holy level in every area, ability to double boost. Weakness: None. Comment: New contestant, first tournament, highest recorded power in every area except water magic in Aenwyn. No noticeable weaknesses. Overall Odds: 2/1
"Looks like I'll get a few early round byes for being the second seed. Let's see who's ranked higher," I mused, curious to see the top contender.
Name: Carla. Age: 22. Height: 5'10. Race: Elf(Corrupted). Strength: High-tier holy level water magic, low-tier holy level in earth, fire, and air magic. High-tier divine level in all physical enhancement, ability to double boost. Weakness: None. Comment: Strongest local contestant. Highest recorded power in water magic in Aenwyn. 75% win rate in tournaments entered. Overall Odds: 1/2
"Wow, a young girl with high-tier holy level water magic and she is not even blessed," I remarked, genuinely impressed by this Carla's abilities.
As the day progressed, the stadium filled with more and more people, the atmosphere buzzing with excitement. Attendees checked their brackets, fans purchased tickets for the fights, and engaged in lively debates about where to place their bets. Some sought out interactions with top contestants like us.
YOU ARE READING
Zero to Hero
AdventureIn a fantasy world filled with diverse races and creatures, Ken, once brimming with confidence, wrestles to reclaim his lost self after a traumatic event five years ago. When a girl from his past resurfaces, could her presence reignite the spark of...
