Global Mining.

Chapter 941 The challenge begins

Seeing Shirley's obvious reluctance, Metatron quickly tried to reason with her: "Don't underestimate the academics. Your first opponent is very likely to be the strongest student, Popova. She's very well-rounded and also very arrogant. You can't let her intimidate you. Before she looks down on you, you should spit on her, call her a bitch, give her the middle finger, make the whole room laugh at her, and provoke her. Only then will you have a chance..."

Shirley was stunned: "But even if we win like this, how can someone so vulgar be the city's most beautiful girl?"

Metatron said with utmost seriousness: "No, those blond-haired guys who drive motorcycles all over Bronze City just like your vulgarity. Even if the whole world doesn't approve of you, at least this group approves of you. Tifa even went on motorcycle races specifically to gain their approval."

Sherry nodded resolutely: "Alright... Actually, Lord God can have more faith in me."

Metatron reassured her, "I know, I'm very confident."

While the source of his confidence was Sherry's strong control of the game in the two village defense battles, Metatron expects more.

At that moment, the stadium bells rang!

—Arena Announcement: The Bronze City Flower Challenge is about to begin. Both players are entering the preparation area. The first challenger is Emilia from Frostflower Academy versus the alternate City Flower, Sherry. The match will begin in 2 minutes.

What? Not Bobby?
Metatron was stunned: "Raphael, didn't you say you'd send your strongest force for the first battle?"

Raphael said awkwardly, "Well, it's not in line with the academy's style. But this is a big and special occasion. Maybe we should send an ordinary contestant to test the waters, or maybe we should save face for Lady Bronze. Otherwise, if we send our strongest student to defeat Sherry right away, it won't look good. It would also be disrespectful to the solemnity of the announcements from these two cities."

Sila was utterly exasperated: "Should I still ask Eve about Claudia's characteristics?"

Metatron sighed, "It's unnecessary now, we're already on the field."

Sila sighed, "If it's really just for face or commercial hype, it's possible that they'd put the strongest one, Big Bobo, last. Shouldn't we at least inquire about the others?"

Metatron sighed, "Let's see how the first battle goes. If she performs well, there's really no need to make things difficult for City Flower."

Raphael sighed, "Perhaps this is also an opportunity for me. I haven't paid any attention to the outstanding students in Gem City. If they are selected through this battle, I can go back and form a student army."

Gabriel scoffed: "You clearly want to start your own private female bodyguard team."

Raphael chuckled: "I really didn't think that way, but Gabriel reminded me."

As they were talking, the competition officially began.

At this moment, the arena had 436 million viewers worldwide, and the Bronze City had 13 NPCs.

This is the first time since the game's public beta that there has been an arena battle between NPCs.

The contestant sent by the academy nervously clutched her staff as soon as she stepped onto the stage. She was beautiful and delicate, and at first glance, she looked like the cautious type who wouldn't even dare to speak loudly in class.

Gabriel chuckled: "This cautious type is indeed a test."

Sila said, "To be precise, she and Sherry are the same type."

Then, looking at Sherry dragging the tree-sized staff into the arena, she seemed a little confused by her opponent, but quickly came to her senses and tilted her head: "Ha—vomit!"

He spat a mouthful of contempt onto the sidelines, simultaneously raising his middle finger: "Bitch!!"

At that moment, the entire stadium erupted in a roar!
The men burst out laughing: "She's actually quite cute!"

Metatron was speechless: "Doesn't she know how to be flexible? This is the kind of tactic she uses on Bobova!"

The student was utterly stunned: "You're so rude and uncouth!"

Sherry still gave her the middle finger: "Bitch!!"

All the NPCs erupted in fury: "Attack her! Attack her!!"

The academy contestant blushed, waved his staff, and a frost shield enveloped his entire body, surrounded by a mist of frost. He then teleported away from his original spot and reappeared in another part of the mist, unleashing an ice spear spell.

The whole process was seamless, without any of the delicate and restrained demeanor she displayed when she first appeared!

Before the crowd could even cheer, the enormous staff that Sherry was supporting activated and glowed, unleashing a protective ice barrier that enveloped her within a dozen meters. When the ice spears fired by the academy's contestants struck the barrier, they vanished instantly, like melting ice cream, making the enormous staff's light even more dazzling!
Raphael was stunned: "Is this really the effect of the ice barrier?"

Gabriel was shocked: "These are runes!"

The next moment, Sherry also condensed a shimmering, rotating ball of light within the barrier and released it with a wave of her hand.

The moment the ball of light flew away from the barrier, it suddenly expanded into a spinning ice hockey ball the size of a soccer ball, and continuously fired bullet-sized ice spikes along the direction of rotation, sweeping across the entire field.

Raphael was stunned: "Frozen Ball, even the average student can't do that. Is this something that can be achieved through self-study?"

Shocked, the academy contestants erected an ice wall in front of them!
Then, ice spikes rained down on the ice wall like machine gun bullets! At the same time, before the previous ice ball had even dissipated, another ice ball was launched from Sherry's barrier.

The audience was shocked again!

Raphael was speechless: "Her Ice Ball doesn't even have a skill cooldown, she can cast it continuously!"

Metatron was truly overjoyed: "This is the power of the Great Staff!"

The battle was completely one-sided. Under the relentless, all-encompassing onslaught of frozen orbs, the academy's fighters were utterly helpless, whether it was teleporting, using ice walls, or exhausting their mana. This transcended tactical skill; it was a complete magical crushing defeat!

Just then, the stadium bell rang!
—First match won, winner Sherry!
The entire audience booed.

Metatron chuckled. This kind of mid-match suspension is just the academic school's way of gracefully conceding defeat. And the more they care about saving face, the more they'll criticize.

The next moment, Shelly teleported out of the arena and reappeared next to Metatron.

Overwhelmed with excitement, she exclaimed, "Your Majesty, Madam, I have won!"

Lady Bronze smiled kindly: "This is only the first game, keep up the good work."

Shirley was a little nervous: "But Madam, I swore. You won't be angry with me, will you?"

Lady Bronze laughed awkwardly: "It's a tactic! Besides, Tifa used to call her father a 'beng old man' too."

Shirley couldn't help but cover her mouth: "Ah!"

The more I look at it, the cuter it gets!

Metatron also wanted to confirm: "Sherry, can this runic staff only be used with ice spells?"

Sherry said, "Others can be used too, but I'm a frost specialist."

Metatron asked, "The next one to appear is most likely a fire-type student. Are you confident?"

Sherry was quite confident: "Ice and fire are mutually restraining. As long as my magic is stronger than the other party's, the other party will be restrained by me."

Metatron found it hard to imagine that anyone of Sherry's age could have more magic than her—wait!
Metatron then remembered something: "Shirley, how old are you?"

“I’m 15!” Metatron’s heart skipped a beat. The application standard for the City Flower is under 18! The academy might be using the 18-year-old threshold as a barrier and sending an 18-year-old peak fire elemental to participate!
Metatron said in a deep voice, "If you find that your opponent is much older than you in the next match, it's very likely that they're 18. You should curse them out, curse them as an old bitch! Old ass!!"

Sherry nodded nervously: "Your Majesty, you..."

Metatron coughed lightly: "I'm sorry, as a god, I hear negative insults every day. If you want to learn, I can teach you slowly in the future."

Shirley said, "I don't have time to learn this right now..."

After the break was over, the second match began.

—Arena Announcement: The second match of the Bronze City Flower Challenge is about to begin. Both players have entered the preparation area. Claudia from Yanhua Academy vs. the alternate City Flower, Sherry. The match will start in 2 minutes.

……

As expected, Yan Hua Academy sent out someone specializing in fire-based techniques.

Amidst anxious anticipation, the competition officially began. As expected, Yan Hua Academy sent out a strikingly beautiful, tall, red-haired, wavy-haired senior student in a red dress, exuding mature charm.

The whole audience cheered!
Metatron's heart sank: "I would believe she was 28 years old."

Raphael chuckled, "This level of welcome is definitely school beauty level. I had no idea there were such enthusiastic and passionate senior female students among the students."

Gabriel laughed and said, "Speaking of which, Fafnir's idol persona should be the fiery type, but she's even fiery. Is she trying to outshine Fafnir?"

The next moment, Sherry immediately started yelling, giving both middle fingers: "You old bitch, you old ass!!! Ptooey!!"

Before the entire audience could erupt in fury, the senior student took the initiative, brandishing her staff with both hands. Flames erupted from her entire body, and a large fireball descended from the sky!

Sherry continued to block with her ice barrier, but it exploded and she was engulfed in a sea of ​​fire, no longer as relaxed and carefree as when she melted the ice cream.

At this moment, the crowd erupted in cheers once again!
Gabriel exclaimed, "Now we've truly met our match."

Metatron's heart skipped a beat: "This..."

Raphael Khan said, "Don't worry, Mei. This Gem Lady is clearly going to support the strongest, Big Bobo, to take the throne. Even if this senior can win, she won't dare to. Her mission is probably to wear down and test Sherry's magical power limit."

Metatron sighed helplessly, "I can't rest easy at all. If we can't even beat her..."

Xila said urgently, "Let's try for City Flower No. 3! There can't be just one backup dancer, right?"

Gabriel laughed and said, "That's right. Anyway, there are still four city beauties. It's reasonable for one city beauty to be paired with one backup dancer, right?"

Metatron retorted irritably, "That still requires Imperial approval. Even though I, as the guardian deity, vouched for my position as the second city flower, the Empire still didn't approve it..."

The battle that followed was a foregone conclusion. Fire mages fight like that, brutal and boring. All the senior did was bombard, and all of Sherry's frost attacks were melted by her flames. All Sherry did was curse, and her curses were also melted away by the roar of the explosions.

However, although the battle was boring, the atmosphere on the field changed from anger at the start of the match to laughter and joking.

Xila laughed: "That's just for the sake of the show. After all, being called an old bitch for almost half an hour greatly stimulated the vulgar desires of the onlookers, and everyone was having a great time."

Metatron was slightly pleased: "That's right, he has accumulated some idol popularity, and he must be very popular with the blond guy in Bronze City."

Finally, the stadium bell rang—the stadium announcement: the match time limit has expired, and the score is tied.

The entire audience booed.

Sherry teleported out of the arena again: "Lord God, Madam, I..."

Lady Bronze laughed and said, "You didn't actually lose because the opponent was bigger than you."

Metatron said anxiously, "After this match, I believe the other side won't need to send any other students. They will definitely send their strongest. Sherry, do you still have your ultimate move?"

Sherry nodded solemnly: "I have it! I haven't used it until now, just to prepare for the strongest battle."

Metatron was finally relieved: "I'm really looking forward to it..."

The third match begins.

—Arena Announcement: The third match of the Bronze City Flower Challenge is about to begin. Both players have entered the preparation area. Big Bobova from the First Magic Academy's Special Recruitment Class VS. Backup City Flower Sherry. The match will start in 2 minutes.

……

finally come!

At this moment, compared to the previous two matches where the entire audience was in a frenzy, the appearance of Michelle Bovary was met with complete silence.

Because she was just a blurry, shimmering humanoid black shadow, surrounded by a swirling mist, her appearance was completely obscured, and the audience couldn't understand her at all.

But Raphael understood perfectly: "It's a Void Overlay! Appearing simultaneously in the main world and the Void Interface means she can dodge any attack from the main world in the Void Interface! This is a skill that only a handful of professor-level archmages possess; even Eve might not know this move!"

Sila said in a trembling voice, "No wonder Eve said she was flawless, reaching the level of the city flower at the same age. She's a genius!"

Metatron's heart sank: "If it weren't for Sherry saying she had a special move..."

Raphael sighed, "It's no use. No matter how powerful Sherry's ultimate move is, even if her giant staff explodes with the power of a nuclear bomb, she will still be able to dodge it through the void."

Shirley's curse broke the silence: "Bitch—"

Before the curses had even finished, the black mist surrounding Big Bobo Baby suddenly spread throughout the entire arena, and the arena scene changed, turning directly into a void!

Raphael could hardly believe it: "A domain? A divine realm?"

The next moment, the runes on Shelly's staff burst forth with golden-green light. The staff seemed to open a hatch, and Shelly quietly entered and merged with the staff. The scene changed again, and a giant tree appeared and stood in the center of the arena, while Shelly disappeared!
The whole place was in an uproar!

The crowd exclaimed in shock: "This is... divine magic?"

Metatron was astonished: "This Sherry is just a country girl, where did she get such divine magic?"

Before anyone could be surprised, various black spheres rose from Big Bobowa's void domain, crashing into the giant tree and blasting its bark into the air, distorting and blurring their vision.

Raphael was completely stunned: "A void black hole attack, an attack attribute closest to the power of chaos! I can't understand how Sherry could win?"

The black hole attacks bombarded the tree relentlessly, much like the fireballs that bombarded it in the previous round. The ancient tree could only take the hits, with no means of retaliation whatsoever.

However, Gabriel still noticed: "Don't you think the background color of this void scene has suddenly become less black, a bit grayish?"

The elders suddenly realized: "So this ancient tree's attack method is to absorb energy from the environment while simultaneously restoring itself."

Metatron laughed excitedly: "So as long as the energy is drained, no matter how many superposition states Big Popova has, she can't maintain it without energy."

(End of this chapter)