Chapter 221: Chapter 192: Victory in the First Arena Battle, Becoming the Arena Master, and Raking in 2,000 Points
After two volleys of arrows, the Centaur Chief was already visible at the head of the charge.
"Elf Archer Third Battalion, prepare Magic Arrows!"
"Fire!"
In the blink of an eye, only 400 meters remained. For the Centaur Corps, this seemingly short distance had become the deadly final stretch of their lives.
When the last hundred Elf Archers fired their Magic Arrowsâwhich transformed in mid-air into fire, ice, and wind arrowsâthey landed among the Centaur ranks and immediately caused massive casualties.
After being hit by several waves of delayed-effect magic, the vanguard of the one-thousand-strong Centaur Corps had been completely wiped out. Even Zhao Tianlai, who was originally commanding from the center-rear of the formation, was now forced to become the Centaur leading the charge.
When the Centaurs in the rear saw that their comrades at the front were all dead or wounded, their confidence began to waver. But when they saw their Centaur Chief now leading the charge at the very front, their faltering spirits were filled with renewed courage.
"Brothers! Our brave Centaur Chief is leading the charge! Let us follow in his footsteps and crush this Elf Corps!"
Hearing the shout from a Centaur in the rear, the others looked up. It was true. They looked again and saw they were now merely three hundred meters from the Elf Corps.
"Charge! Keep charging!"
Just as the Centaurs thought victory was within their grasp, the delayed-effect magic cast earlier by the Elf Mage CorpsâGreat Earthquakeâfinally activated.
In an instant, the earth shook violently. The tremor was far more sudden and intense than the one that had created the earlier fissure, throwing the Centaur Corps into complete chaos just as they were on the verge of crashing into the Elf Corpsâ front line.
The violent shaking completely broke the rhythm of their War Charge. The remaining five hundred Centaur warriors were thrown into disarray. The Centaurs at the head of the charge fell and could not get back up. The Centaurs who fell behind them were in a slightly better situation; unlike those at the front who slammed into the hard ground, their falls were cushioned by the bodies of their comrades.
However, even the Centaur warriors in the rear who managed to stay on their feet during the Great Earthquake were unable to continue charging. Some unlucky Centaurs stepped right into fissures that had opened in the ground. With the immense forward momentum of their charge, their leg bones snapped, piercing through their own flesh.
With the rhythm of their War Charge broken, the Centaur Corpsâ final advantage vanished.
The Elf Mages stationed at the rear of the Elf Corps were about to unleash a colorful barrage of prepared magic.
Facing life and death, Zhao Tianlaiâpossessing the body of the Centaur Chiefâstruggled just to stay upright amidst the violent tremors. He had nearly fallen, and as the Elf Mages prepared to unleash their spellfire, he suddenly screamed, "Wait, we surrender! We admit defeat! Once weâve surrendered, you canât intentionally harm us anymore!"
Zhao Tianlai, in the Centaur Chiefâs body, roared these words with all his might.
Before Zhang Yi could see how the Centaur warriors behind their Chief reacted to his surrender, the system intervened. The moment Zhao Tianlaiâs words faded, an invisible barrier enveloped and protected him and his surviving Clan members.
Feeling the protection of the duelâs rules, Zhao Tianlai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Time passed so quickly. My brain hadnât even caught up yet, and Iâd already lost the first arena battle!
Zhao Tianlai couldnât understand how he had lost. He had been the one to spot Zhang Yiâs Elf Corps first and the one to initiate the charge. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had been defeated. But there was one thing he did understand clearly: he still had the chance to surrender.
If the 1,000 elite Centaurs he was leading were all wiped out here, he feared he wouldnât even have the chance to surrender. He would be eliminated directly from the University Alliance Training Camp.
Of the five hundred Centaur warriors who had fallen during the charge, most were only severely injured. With time, and thanks to their powerful Half-beastman Constitution, they still had a chance to recover. But if they had continued to fight to the death, the best they could have hoped for was to destroy the frontline Elf Warriors before their own Centaur Corps was completely annihilated.
Weighing his options, Zhao Tianlai knew that surrendering now was his best choice. Every second he delayed would mean more of his Centaur warriors dying here. Therefore, it was no surprise that he had shouted his surrender without a momentâs hesitation.
Meanwhile, Elf Corps Commander Feiyana, who had received a private Oracle from the great God of Nature and thus knew the rules, saw the enemy surrender. She lowered her weapon and signaled for the Elf Soldiers in the rear to halt their attack. However, the vigilant Elf Archers did not lower their bows.
At the same time, with his consciousness hovering above the battle space, Zhang Yi trusted his Clanâs Elf Corps Commander, Feiyana, and did not personally intervene to micromanage the battle. He then received a notification from the dueling system.
DING!
[First Arena Battle Concluded. Duration: 43 minutes.]
[Final Victor: Zhang Yi!]
[Reward: 500 Points]
[Student Zhang Yi has won the first arena battle and is now the Arena Master. Do you wish to begin the second match? You have a two-hour adjustment period.]
[Yes/No?]
Faced with the dueling systemâs prompt, Zhang Yi, now the Arena Master, chose "Yes" without hesitation.
Thus, with no time to witness Zhao Tianlaiâs sorry state in defeat, Zhang Yi immediately moved on to face his next opponent.
Including the two-hour intermission, the second battle concluded three hours, ten minutes, and forty-three seconds after the first had begun.
Just like that, on his very first day in the University Alliance Training Camp, Zhang Yiâs Points had already reached 2,000.