Arknights' Lock of Heaven

But he didn't care at all.

"Hey, I heard you swear at me! Advertising slogans are part of Knights' Games!"

"Don't worry, don't worry, our beautiful young lady is about to face the judgment of the storm!"

Mob the Big Mouth knew what words could stir people's hearts: "Let's welcome this racer with a cheap title yet unparalleled power—'Plastic' Serkiark—"

As soon as she finished speaking, a plastic knight wearing brand-new armor slowly walked out from opposite Maria.

Maria blinked upon seeing this.

She knew about this armor before.

The data looks very good, but...

"This is the plastic Serchiak. The Howling Guard's latest material armor shines under the lights. Will the latest armor technology from Colombia be the decisive factor in this match?"

"That's right, Howling Guard Company will continue to provide all knights with the most personalized equipment services—maintenance, upgrades, and storm-like modifications!"

"Howling Guardian, even the gale will submit to you!"

Mob, the big-mouthed man who never forgets advertising, continues his incessant chatter.

"Before our slow-witted referees make their decision, you can all support the contestant in your own way! Of course! The number of votes will directly affect the outcome!"

"Free support, such as unpleasant shouts and screams, can only provide meaningless psychological comfort. However, if you are willing to spend your own money, you will have the leverage to purchase support supplies!"

"Okay, I heard boos again, but what's shocking is that, to celebrate this year's record number of participants, the Howling Arena's cut has been reduced to an unprecedented 50%!"

"For every ten gold coins you contribute, five will become an asset to the players on the field! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Hearing about this outrageously high commission rate, Xia Yu looked at the increasingly enthusiastic crowd around her and shook her head.

Fifty percent, and that's after the commission has been reduced.

Even so, countless people still poured huge sums of gold coins into it with fervent enthusiasm.

There's a reason why gambling has existed in the world throughout history.

This thing is so incredibly stimulating.

Many people are willing to go bankrupt and still refuse to stop, even selling their children in hopes of turning their fortunes around.

Ah.

Skadi, sitting next to him, frowned as she watched the arena grow increasingly frenzied.

She didn't like this kind of scene.

So fanatical, so irrational... it brought back some unpleasant memories for her.

"Of course! The Howling Arena isn't collecting all these fees for nothing. No matter how your chosen player wins, you'll still have a chance to win the grand prize!"

"Don't ask about the odds, the odds are in your own hands! The principal? The principal is the amount you've invested in the knights! Don't hesitate! Immediately throw your money around for the warriors you love!"

The grand prize.

This is one of the reasons why ordinary people are so enthusiastic about knightly competitions.

In each match, if your favorite player wins, you have a chance to win a percentage of the total winnings from the match.

Although there is only one spot, if Lady Luck smiles on you, you can turn your life around and achieve a leap forward.

The Knights Tournament, held every three years, creates a new tycoon in the final round.

Even though he was penniless before, and the ticket to the competition cost him all his savings and he didn't even have enough money left for tomorrow's meals.

As long as Lady Luck smiles on him enough, nothing will be a problem.

He could buy a house in the most prosperous area of ​​the Great Knight Territory overnight and then live a decent life.

Of course, you can also buy four or five rooms and then rent them out.

Plenty of people will buy it.

This actually happened, and the myth of the Great Knights' Landing of Wealth is still widely circulated in Terra today.

People come to rent that lucky guy's house every year, hoping to catch some of his luck.

Humans are creatures that harbor wishful thinking.

Of course, one spot is far too few; most viewers are there for the gambling industry that has sprung up around equestrian sports.

In every match, countless bookmakers offer odds, and some people lose everything while others make a fortune.

Among the former, the most insane ones might one day end up on the rooftop, eventually transforming into an insignificant blood-red flower, ending their madness and their own lives.

The latter will spend some time basking in the praise of countless people, and then become even more frantic when the next knightly competition arrives.

But... even the best can make mistakes.

No one can guarantee that their luck will last forever.

So the vast majority of people are the former. Even if you are lucky enough to become the latter, can you resist betting on the next Knights Tournament?

Can you guarantee that you will still be the latter?

Who knows, at some point, the latter might turn into the former.

The former actually constitutes the majority of the world's population.

However, most people's attention is not drawn to the many bleak former individuals, but rather to the few lucky latter individuals who are praised by the state and capital.

Then call on more people to join in.

But in any case, neither the bookmakers who collect commissions nor the government that collects taxes will ever lose money.

The Kingdom of Knights?

Ah.

A gambling nation!

"Without further ado, both sides, take your positions!!"

With a shout from Mob the Big Mouth, the match officially began.

"Grandpa, sister, it's my turn to go into battle."

Maria announced her name to her opponent, "Maria Nearl, my family motto is, 'Fear not the darkness!'"

Upon seeing this, Zofia covered her forehead in the stands.

This silly kid...

The plastic knight ignored her polite gesture and fired a crossbow bolt directly at her.

"This guy must have gone crazy from reading too many chivalric novels," he thought to himself with a sneer. "Athletic knights... they don't have that many rules."

It looks like this competition will be quite easy.

"My God, what did she do?" Big Mouth Mob was stunned for a moment when he saw this, but then, with the professionalism of a commentator, he quickly adjusted his state and began to talk non-stop.

"She's bowing to her opponent? And announcing her name?"

"Does she think this is some kind of childish game where she plays the protagonist in a knight-errant novel?"

"Look, her opponent, Plastic Knight, is indeed a seasoned player. He seized the opportunity and fired a crossbow bolt."

"Can this little girl who inherited the name of Nearl withstand this arrow?"

"I don't think so..."

clang!

Maria was initially flustered by the sudden crossbow bolts, but she quickly regained her composure.

Then, without a second thought, it charged towards the plastic knight.

The crossbow bolt, unsurprisingly, struck her breastplate squarely.

Then it was lightly bounced away.

It couldn't even stop her for a moment.

"What???"

Upon seeing this, the plastic rider's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

If he wasn't mistaken, Maria was wearing light armor, right?

Why... does light armor have such defensive capabilities? My crossbow bolts couldn't even stop her steps.

It hit her breastplate, but she didn't react at all.

The crossbows used by gladiators were not developed for armor penetration; their striking principle was more like that of a blunt weapon.

After all, this is a competition, not a gladiatorial arena where life and death are fought.

Generally speaking, knights wearing light armor would avoid such crossbow bolts if possible.

Although the specially designed crossbow bolts could not penetrate armor and cause injury, the force was not easy to withstand.

Perhaps after three or four arrows, his whole body would be numb from the shock.

The scene before him was beyond his comprehension.

The plastic rider suspected that there was something wrong with his weapon.