Swords, magic, and martial arts

Amid cheers from countless spectators, the group left the competition venue and returned along a corridor to the hall where they had been waiting for the match to begin.

"Congratulations on advancing. The final will be held on the afternoon of September 20th. Please be prepared." A middle-aged man dressed in fancy clothes walked over to Rhodes and his group and said, "You'd better stay here a little longer. If you go out now, some enthusiastic spectators might hurt you."

"Thank you for reminding me." Seeing that Baron and the others didn't react, Misell replied politely.

The hall was still quite crowded, with over a dozen unconscious contestants lying on the floor, and several staff members trying to rouse them. Those with more serious injuries were receiving treatment nearby, a gesture of good humanity from Duke Orn, who brought in many doctors to treat the injured.

Rhodes found Miles, who was still unconscious on the ground, with only a bruise on his face, which wasn't too serious.

A few contestants were arguing nearby, possibly because they had gotten into a fight on the field and now wanted to teach each other a lesson.

Baron walked over to Miles and hoisted him onto his shoulder.

"Let's take him back to the hotel first and then wake him up," Baron said.

Miles regained consciousness after being carried on Baron's shoulder.

"Who are you? Put me down!" he shouted.

Baron was unaware of what had just happened between Rod and Miles at the end of the game.

"Miles, are you out of your mind?" Baron shouted, drawing the attention of many people.

Miles's expression changed, and he struggled against Baron, finally managing to break free.

"You've mistaken me for someone else! I'm not the incredibly handsome Miles!" Miles shouted, then ran off.

Baron wanted to chase after him, but Rod grabbed Baron's arm.

"I'll explain it to you when we get back," Rod whispered to Baron.

"Say it out loud that you really mistook me for someone else," Rod said to Baron.

Baron looked at Rhodes with a puzzled expression and said loudly, "You really mistook me for someone else!"

Rhodes: "..."

Miles breathed a sigh of relief as he ran out of the hall. He almost gave himself away, but luckily he was quick-witted. If he appeared in the finals without makeup and showed his true face, the audience would probably think he was a strong contender they hadn't noticed in the previous rounds. If he was lucky, he might even win the championship this time. It would be difficult, but it wouldn't be bad to show his face in the finals and loudly introduce himself to the audience as the "heroic" bard Miles.

I absolutely cannot let them associate me with that coward who kept running around the field trying to avoid his opponent today, or my reputation will be ruined. Then everyone in Fish Kingdom will know about the "coward" bard Miles.

Miles touched the spot on his face where he had been hit, and hissed in pain.

That kid was ruthless. I should have just had someone else knock me out. I doubt the instructions on that animal hide he gave me were anything special; after all that training, he knocked me out with the last bit of force after breaking my shield with a single punch. I'll leave that for now; I need to find somewhere to remove my makeup…

On his way back, Rhodes told Baron and the others what had happened in the arena that day.

"He's a bit clever, but he's not using it in the right place," Baron said.

"If I were him, I'd rather just find someone who looks strong and fight them, then pretend to be defeated and fall to the ground. He's been running around like this all day, everyone probably remembers him," Rod said.

"Will some people retaliate against you, like that big guy?" Misell asked.

"I'm not afraid of him. I can defeat him with my bare hands, and he's no match for me if he picks up a weapon," Rod replied.

He was now confident that, with a weapon, he could slice through Bill's thick layer of fat without even getting close. Even empty-handed, using his combined internal energy and magic to unleash his One-Finger Divine Skill, he could probably riddle him with holes. Besides, with both his hands broken, by the time Bill healed, they would have already left.

Rhodes felt he could go back and analyze today's battle. He clearly felt he was much stronger towards the end of the match than at the beginning. Perhaps it was because he hadn't fought for a long time at the beginning, making him a bit rusty, and he was too considerate of others, holding himself back somewhat.

Back at the hotel, Miles had already removed his makeup and was sitting in their usual spot.

"I'm really unlucky. I was knocked out by a tough guy right at the start of the game. It's a pity I only beat seven or eight people," Miles said with some regret after seeing them.

Rhodes and the others were too lazy to expose him.

"You guys are amazing. I never realized it before. I watched the match this morning, and I feel like I was no match for you when I was younger," a mercenary with graying temples complimented.

"This is the first time I've ever seen someone punch through a shield. Although that person doesn't know how to use a shield or control its angle to deflect the force, I'd like to have a match with you in the finals," said a middle-aged mercenary carrying a sword and shield sitting next to him.

After hearing his words, Rod kept a close eye on Miles's expression, but Miles acted as if he hadn't heard anything, his expression completely natural, showing he had the makings of an actor.

"That was just my good luck. Once you make it to the finals, we'll definitely have a good competition. I wish you all the best in making it to the finals." Rod picked up his glass and took a sip.

While Rhodes and his friends were having lunch, people kept coming to congratulate them. Some hadn't even had a match yet, but they came to offer their congratulations and try to get some luck. A few dimwits even challenged them to a fight right now to prove their strength.

After lunch, Rod returned to his room and began to recall the day's battle, trying to summarize what he needed to pay attention to.

Not long after it started, someone knocked on his door.

Rod thought it was Baron and his group, but when he opened the door, he found a strange young man.

"I've heard you're 'Shieldbreaker' Rhodes. Do you dare accept my challenge?" the young man said.

Rod ignored him and closed the door.

"You coward!" the young man shouted from outside, then continued to knock on Rhodes' door.

Rod was annoyed and opened the door again, ready to throw him downstairs.

When the door opened, there was a group of people standing there.

"I'm here to challenge you. If you're a man, come downstairs and have a match with me," one of them said, and then the others also chimed in, challenging him to a match.

Looking at all the challengers at the door, Rod was speechless. He hadn't even become the champion yet; he had only advanced to the finals.

This place is uninhabitable; we should talk to Baron and the others about finding another hotel…