The number of loafers in the school had decreased, the number of people listening in class had increased, and the training grounds were packed with people!
A mid-term examination had miraculously turned around the atmosphere in the academy. The first-year students’ transformation, in particular, was especially dramatic. It was a complete change from their previous indolence, as though they had suddenly woken up to reality!
After morning classes ended, Meng Lei left the academy and headed to the capital city’s biggest battle arena—Flame Arena.
Flame Arena was located in the east of the city and situated in a prosperous area where the rich and the noble congregated. It was a considerable distance from Fire Dragon Magic Academy. Meng Lei flagged down a magic cab and headed there in the carriage.
The magic cab driver observed Meng Lei’s countenance and asked carefully, “Lord Magician, are you heading to Flame Arena to watch tonight’s battle for the title of King of Fighters?”
Meng Lei was wearing a magician robe and was evidently a noble magician. He wasn’t someone whom a driver like him could casually strike up a conversation with, but if he could get acquainted with Meng Lei, it would definitely be a positive thing!
“Battle for the title of King of Fighters?”
Meng Lei was mildly stunned.
“You don’t know about it?”
The driver found this rather strange. He said, “The annual King of Fighters battle is a grand and spectacular competition famous throughout the capital city. Everyone, from peddlers and servants all the way to high-ranking officials and the nobility, knows about it!”
“I’ve been staying in the academy all this time, so I haven’t heard about it!” Meng Lei said with a smile, “Why don’t you tell me about the King of Fighters battle?”
“Alright!”
As the driver explained, Meng Lei finally understood what it was all about.
The King of Fighters!
That was the strongest Gold-Medal Fighter in the battle arena!
After an intense year-long tussle, a king among all the fighters would emerge from the Flame Arena, and he was known as... The King of Fighters!
In the King of Fighters battle, this year’s King of Fighters would challenge the King of Fighters that had won the previous year’s King of Fighters battle. This was a battle between kings and was also Flame Arena’s most exciting battle of the year. Somewhat similar to the NBA finals and the World Cup finals, its influence reached far and wide, and was highly popular and received great support from the nobles!
In the magic cab driver’s words, all the noblemen or tycoons that loved battle tournaments would watch the King of Fighters battle taking place tonight. Tickets had even gone as high as several tens of thousands of gold coins per ticket!
I didn’t think that I would actually run into a competition like this!
Meng Lei secretly shook his head.
It’s just that the tickets are too expensive. At tens of thousands of gold coins per ticket, I can’t afford that!
Meng Lei had initially wanted to join the fun, but all he could do now was only to think about it. He wasn’t that big of a millionaire yet!
He arrived at Flame Arena an hour later.
The massive Flame Arena was somewhat similar to the stadiums and theaters on Earth. It was a grand and magnificent building that occupied an extremely big plot of land and formed the shape of a lick of flame. It shone a dazzling fiery red everywhere and gave off a blood-boiling and fiery, passionate feeling!
At that moment, it was already packed with people outside Flame Arena. There were Dragon People nobility decked out in gold and jewels, big-bellied wealthy tycoons and overlords, fashionable and sexy noblewomen and ladies...
Human traffic flowed ceaselessly, and people moved constantly!
People’s voices were loud and went on without pause!
“How lively!”
Meng Lei had been just an ordinary employee in his past life. As he had needed to support his family, he had rarely taken part in large-scale activities. However, he did know what the train stations during the spring festival looked like!
The scenery outside the arena at this moment could totally give the spring festival a run for its money!
Meng Lei went along with the human traffic flow and reached the grand entrance, where the strict guards on duty stopped him. One of them said, “Lord Magician, please go to the ticket booth on the right to purchase a ticket first!”
Meng Lei shook his head and replied, “I’m not here to watch the King of Fighters battle. I’d like to join Flame Arena and become a fighter!”
“Huh?”
The guard looked Meng Lei up and down, mildly startled. Join the battle arena? Now, that was rare! Very few Magicians were willing to become fighters!
“Sir, you’re not joking?”
“No, I’m not!” replied Meng Lei with a shake of his head.
“Please wait for a moment, sir!”
The guard immediately gave a few instructions to his companion behind him, and then said to Meng Lei, “Lord Magician, please follow me!”
Meng Lei followed the guard into Flame Arena. They turned a few corners to the left and the right as they walked before they finally came to an office. The guard knocked on the door and entered. After a while, he came back out again.
“Lord Magician, Master Uno invites you in!”
“Alright!”
The moment Meng Lei entered the office, he saw a calm and collected elderly man dressed in rich brocades seated on the chair. The elderly man looked at Meng Lei with a scrutinizing gaze!
“Little fellow, so you’re the one that wants to become a fighter?”
Uno looked Meng Lei up and down, his brows slightly drawing together. Meng Lei was seriously too young. He was the very picture of a little brat that hadn’t grown up at all. He was already a Fourth-Grade Magician at such a young age?
He must be joking, right?
“Yes!”
Meng Lei nodded slightly.
“Flame Arena welcomes any expert to join!” Uno’s voice was calm and detached as he said, “However, you should be aware of our rules. Only Fifth-Grade Warriors or Fourth-Grade Magicians and above are qualified to join. You’re so young, so you probably...”
He didn’t continue, but it was evident what he meant—he was clearly dubious about Meng Lei’s battle capabilities. In fact, Uno was even wondering if the little fellow in front of him had come up with this idea in a moment of folly because he didn’t have the money to watch tonight’s King of Fighters battle.
After all, the arena’s fighters could watch the King of Fighters battle from the inside!
Meng Lei let out a laugh. He didn’t bother saying any superfluous rubbish but began to lightly chant a magic incantation instead. The Thunder Elements in the surroundings began to swiftly gather, and then they formed two long spinning spears!
Each spear was three meters long and an inch thick. They spun at high speed, as though two high-speed electric drills with electric currents twining around them, and gave off a terrifying might that made one’s heart palpitate!
“Fourth-Grade Spell, Spinning Lightning Drill!”
Uno got up from the chair and stared at the two lightning drills in front of him. Astonishment filled his eyes, and he said, “You’re really a Fourth-Grade Magician? So it’s I whose eyes had failed him!”
He was someone who had seen a lot of the world. He calmed down very quickly, and with a joyous expression, said, “Since you can use Fourth-Grade Spells, then you’re undoubtedly a Fourth-Grade Magician. You are absolutely qualified to become one of our Flame Arena’s fighters!”
“It’s fine as long as I can!” Meng Lei breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “Do I need to go through any procedures?”
“Yes, there are necessary procedures, of course!” Uno added with a smile, “I’ll go through the procedures’ specific requirements with you first. You can consider and make your decision agai
n thereafter. If there are no issues, then we can sign the contract after that!”
“Sure!”
Meng Lei nodded.
“How do I address you?”
“Meng Lei!”
“My young friend Meng Lei, as this is the first time you’re joining our Flame Arena, you can only start out from the lowest grade, a One-Star Bronze Fighter. This is a compulsory rule that nobody can change!”
“No problem!”
“A Bronze Fighter needs to fight at least 10 battles a month!
“And a One-Star Bronze Fighter’s appearance fee is 1,000 gold coins per session!
“If you win three battles in a row, you can level up to a Two-Star Bronze Fighter!
“A Two-Star Bronze Fighter’s appearance fee is 2,000 gold coins per session!
“If you win six battles in a row, you can level up to a Three-Star Bronze Fighter!
“A Three-Star Bronze Fighter’s appearance fee is 3,000 gold coins per session!”
“...”
“These are the requirements and appearance fees!
“There are also other benefits other than that!
“For example, after you become our Flame Arena’s fighter, you’ll be under the Flame Arena’s protection. Under circumstances where the empire’s constitution or the kingdom’s laws aren’t violated, the arena has the authority to ensure a fighter’s life and wealth security!
“Another example is, after you become a Four-Star Bronze Fighter...”
Chapter 37: Royal Technique, Fire Dragon Manual
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After exchanging some words, Meng Lei felt that the Flame Arena’s benefits were really good. The appearance fee was relatively high, and the protection mechanism was very sound!
Its only weakness was that it was extremely dangerous!
Once he stepped into the ring, it would be a real battle of life and death!
Weapons hurt people easily in a battle, and nobody could guarantee that there would be no accidents. This had resulted in a very high mortality rate for fighters!
Hence, it was not easy earning money from this!
“Little friend Meng Lei, if you think these requirements are okay, sign this contract!”
Uno prepared a contract and handed it to Meng Lei. After Meng Lei had read it carefully and confirmed that there were no problems, he decisively put down his signature!
Since he had made his decision, he would not hesitate!
“The contract is in effect!”
After watching Meng Lei sign the contract, Uno stretched out his right hand and said, “Brother Meng Lei, welcome to Flame Arena. From now on, you will be a member of our arena!”
Uno was very happy. The Flame Arena had more than 10,000 fighters of various types, but the number of magician fighters did not exceed the fingers on his hands!
Magician fighters were too rare!
In order to recruit magician fighters, the Flame Arena not only lowered its standards but also promised huge profits. Unfortunately, the Magician profession was an honorable one and made money easily. Who would want to surrender their status to be a precarious fighter?
Magician fighters had always been a scarce resource!
Therefore, Uno was overjoyed after he recruited the Magician Meng Lei!
“Brother Meng Lei, this is your identity badge. With this badge, you can enter and exit Flame Arena freely. Also, you can watch any match in Flame Arena for free!
“Of course, including tonight’s King of Fighters battle!”
“This is a part of the benefits!?”
“Hehe, the fighters are part of the arena’s staff, so they have the right to watch the fights!”
“That’s great!” Meng Lei nodded slightly. “Master Uno, I wonder if I can familiarize myself with the arena?”
“Of course!”
Uno smiled slightly and called a service staff. He then said with a smile, “Brother Meng Lei, this is our arena service staff, Mary. Let her show you around!”
“Well then, thank you, Master Uno!”
Meng Lei smiled and thanked him before he left the office!
When the two walked away, Uno beckoned someone to his side!
“Investigate his background. I want to know everything about him!”
“Yes, sir!”
...
Mary had a pair of fluffy cat ears, which looked very cute as they moved around. She also had a beautiful fluffy tail, a unique symbol of cat people!
With her leading the way, Meng Lei wandered around Flame Arena. The huge fighting arena contained distinct levels. The largest and most luxurious facilities were the fighting arenas themselves!
“Flame Arena has 31 arenas of various types, including 20 bronze arenas, 10 silver arenas, and 1 golden arena!
“The area of each arena is amazing, and it can accommodate 100,000 spectators at any time. An arena is divided into the ring and the viewing platform!
“The viewing platform is divided into VIP boxes and the fighter viewing platform...”
Mary was very talkative, enthusiastic, and patient in her explanation. After walking and looking around, Meng Lei had a general understanding of Flame Arena!
Finally, Meng Lei came to the golden arena where the King of Fighters battle would be held tonight—the Flaming Ring of Life and Death!
As the only golden arena in Flame Arena, the Flaming Ring of Life and Death was much larger than any gymnasium on Earth. It was in the shape of a pillar, very much like Rome’s Colosseum on Earth!
The ring was at the bottom, surrounded by the spectator stands!
Presently, the spectator stands at the Flaming Ring of Life and Death were already filled with people. The nobles, wealthy merchants, and ladies from the capital city were talking enthusiastically about tonight’s King of Fighters battle!
The waiters in the arena walked through the stands, serving wine and water, and delivering desserts and dried fruits. The huge golden arena was full of voices and looked very lively!
Although the King of Fighters battle had not yet started, the atmosphere in the arena had already reached a frenzy!
Meng Lei appeared on the fighter viewing platform!
This was the area where fighters watched the battle. It was higher than the ordinary spectator stands but lower than the VIP boxes. It was located in the middle of the viewing platform and was meant for the arena’s staff to view the battles!
“Eh? There is someone new here?”
The fighter viewing area was already full of fighters. They were slightly surprised when they saw the unexpected arrival of Meng Lei. His young age made it even more surprising!
Meng Lei nodded casually and found a place to sit down. He did not know any of the fighters here, and there was no need to!
No one was certain who they would meet in the arena. By then, they would be fierce rivals!
It was completely unnecessary to befriend enemies. Their statuses meant that there could be no real friendship between fighters!
Meng Lei was right!
There was indeed no friendship between fighters!
Although the fighters were very familiar with each other and understood each other’s strength, level, tricks, fighting habits, etc., they were not friends with each other!
To understand each other was just to know your enemy better so that they can improve their chances of winning!
Some of the fighters’ gazes flickered as they stared at Meng Lei carefully, trying to see through all his secrets. Most of them were One-Star or Two-Star Bronze Fighters!
Meng Lei was a newcomer, and they were likely to meet him in future battles. Hence, they had to study him carefully!
Meng Lei didn’t know what these fighters were thinking. He looked into the distance as though he was paying attention to the ring. In fact, he was counting today’s gains!
Ever since he had left the academy until rushing to Flame Arena and sitting here to watch the battles, he had not had a mome
nt of rest!
After leaving the academy, the system’s cue sound had not stopped ringing. This meant that Meng Lei had been picking non-stop, especially in Flame Arena, where the pick-up rate was higher!
Among the light balls he picked up, most of them were physical body constitution light balls, followed by gold coin light balls. Magical power light balls and spell light balls were relatively rare!
What surprised Meng Lei were the spirit light balls and the battle skill light balls. Perhaps because the King of Fighters battle was about to take place today, people were very excited, and hence these two types of light balls were surprisingly common!
In just one afternoon, Meng Lei’s spiritual power had increased by more than 100 points, and he had picked up six battle skills and a... Battle Aura Technique!
Battle Aura Technique, this is a rare item!
Meng Lei immediately went through the Battle Aura Technique named Fire Dragon Manual and was stunned!
What a stroke of luck!
After browsing the information in his mind, Meng Lei was left with a dumbfounded expression.
This item turns out to be a Battle Aura Technique of the Fire Dragon Kingdom’s royal family. Only Dragon People with fire dragon bloodlines are qualified to practice!
The royal family—the race that controlled the Fire Dragon Kingdom!
After tens of thousands of years of reproduction, the royal family of Fire Dragon Kingdom had plenty and diverse members, including pureblood Fire Dragons, mixed-blood Dragon People, and mixed-blood Dragon Beasts!
There were only a few pureblood Fire Dragons, and the most numerous were the mixed-blood dragons. The Dragon People consisted nearly 99.99% of the royal family’s population!
Although most of them had diluted bloodlines and were the sort that lazed around, they were, after all, members of the royal family!
They were all qualified to cultivate the Fire Dragon Manual.
As for other people, no matter how high their status was, how much their wealth they had, and how noble their bloodlines were, they were not qualified to cultivate the Fire Dragon Manual!
Here’s the problem!
I am not of the Fire Dragon bloodline!
Chapter 38: Oden The King Of Fighters, Battling The Giant Spiritual God
Picking Up Attributes From Today c1-406 Page 20