Ark Undead

They planned to watch every match the Undead played and cheer them on.

Of course, this was also little Malia's personal wish.

She wants to collect tickets from every game her teacher played in the Special Championship so she can look back on them later.

On that very morning, footsteps were heard outside the Undead's door.

Before the immortal could even open the door, there was the sound of the fingerprint lock being opened.

Kos and Fran came in carrying two bundles of firewood. As soon as they threw the firewood on the ground, Kos clapped his hands and said to the Undead.

"Old man, the first match of the Special Championship qualifiers is this afternoon. The format is a ten-player free-for-all, and points are accumulated based on the number of times you hit your opponent."

He looked at the silent knight before the campfire and Kos couldn't help but laugh.

"You won't lose, right?"

The immortal glanced at him, too lazy to reply.

This is the first piece of nonsense from Koss today.

34. Roaring Arena! Melee

(Music recommended for this chapter: BGM from the main interface of Operation Contract Crisis Spectrum)

Under the blazing sun, in the Kazimierz Grand Knights' Territory, in the central arena of Kavaleria, howling.

The enthusiastic people of Kasimir were already seated comfortably in the stands.

Although it was just a qualifying tournament for the Major, countless fans of Cleveland esports still spent a fortune on the first day to support their favorite riders!

The circular arena has only the logos of various sponsors projected onto the ground in the huge open space in the center.

Above the open space is a square projection screen that can simultaneously display the live competition to spectators from all directions.

Drones were prepared at the entrance to capture all the knights entering, and their heroic figures would be displayed on the projection screen each time they entered.

The Knights' appearance will elicit huge cheers and a frenzy of money pouring in from every seat.

They'll spend money on their favorite riders. Whether it's drones dropping drinks for them or unexpected environmental changes on the field, any factor that can change a game is in the hands of the spectators.

On the east side of the arena, on a large commentary platform, sat a guy wearing a knight-like mask with a scoreboard hanging around his neck.

He cleared his throat and reached for the microphone in front of him.

"Good afternoon, Kazimierz! Yesterday's Knights Lotto ended up with a total of two billion! Thanks to all the new Knights who have emerged, the East District alone contributed eight hundred million! But I think you're all going to lose money, because today's game might be the most outrageous game in history!"

The commentator spoke passionately, the microphone in his hand swaying along with his strange pose.

"But who the hell cares about any of that?! Right now, what's on everyone's mind is the exciting knightly competition!"

"I'm your best buddy Mob! Big Mouth Mob! It's an honor to be the commentator for this Howling Arena match! Kavaleria Central Division, Howling Arena, today I'll be bringing you the brilliance of all the knights!"

After igniting the audience's enthusiasm with a speech, Mob didn't forget to recite the lines the organizers had asked him to deliver.

"Today's competition is once again fully sponsored by Howling Guardian. The top ten players in the daily rankings will each receive a limited-edition 'Liberator' knife from Howling Guardian!"

Zofia, sitting in the audience, rolled her eyes. It was the same commentator, the same lines, and even the gifts were just the same old thing in a different guise.

How could those fancy things possibly sell?

Mobko was unaware of what the audience was thinking, and he continued speaking enthusiastically.

"Competition knights from Kazimierz—no, from all over Terra! Representatives from all the major companies of the Kazimierz Commercial Alliance will be watching today's Independent Knight Competition!"

"Whether you take the lead in the speed race or win the archery competition, you'll have the opportunity to gain favor with the board representatives, regardless of the event you participate in!"

"Of course!! There's also the highly anticipated one-on-one comprehensive competition! The highest scores, the highest exposure! Any match could get you selected by the Knights and launch you to the top!"

"Want to participate in the Kazimierz Knights Special Tournament? Want to stand at the pinnacle of knighthood? Now, the tickets are in the hands of all participating knights!"

"Defeat your opponents, win glory, and cheer!!"

Mob was speaking fluently on stage, and the audience below could hardly contain their excitement.

Some people even threw trash at the commentary booth from the audience.

"Enough with the nonsense! Get the guy out here already!"

Mob skillfully dodged the attacks of those junkies. If the Knights' Tournament had a dodgeball format, he would definitely be among the top scorers!

He cleared his throat and finally got to the point that everyone was focused on.

"Then let's not delay! Let's begin today's first match! Let's introduce the participants in the first Cavaliers Melee!"

Mob held the terminal in his hand, looking down from the top.

"First up is the contestant from the West District! 'Solid Rock' Harlock! What kind of killing spree will this veteran greatsword knight bring us today?! Let's welcome Harlock into the arena!"

As the exciting music played, drones at the Knights' entrance took over the big screen.

The steel gate slowly opened, and a heavily armored warrior carrying a greatsword walked into the arena.

"Harlock! Harlock!"

"I've bet all my money on you! Harlock! Charge!!"

The audience supporting Harlock cheered wildly, waving support flags throughout the stands.

"Want to support your chosen athlete? Then pick up the terminal next to your seat! If you accumulate enough money, you might be able to win your idol a performance-boosting drink during the competition!"

Mob didn't miss any opportunity for publicity.

"By the way! This time, the drink is still a physical recovery potion developed by Howling Guard Company! Whether it's daily life or physical labor, just one bottle of this drink can give you a new lease on life in knightly competitions, and even help you regain your prowess on lonely nights!"

A heavily armored knight stepped out of the gate, removing his helmet to reveal a face bearing several scars.

His modern armor and specially modified greatsword gave him a very high-tech look.

Harlock confidently waved his arms and roared at the audience around him.

The backstage preparation room before the competition officially begins.

The first knight's figure has appeared on the screen.

According to the procedure, there will be nearly ten knights making solo appearances, and Mob will also write separate scripts for those knights who are popular enough.

In other words, the immortals won't appear for a while.

Today's order of appearance is based on the value of each knight. The Undead are valued highly, so they are ranked later.

"Old man, I need to remind you before you enter."

Fran fanned the undead with a fan, while Kos held a list in his hand and explained to the undead the things he thought needed to pay attention to.

"First and foremost, the most important thing in this match is that you can't kill anyone, you know?"

The immortal nodded.

"Ah."

He had never killed anyone before.

So this is the second piece of nonsense that Coase said today.

"Don't let your guard down! This is connected to what I'm about to say, and it's very important!"

Koss continued to explain to the Undead with a sense of helplessness.

"Among today's contestants, at least five are from companies that are not on good terms with Chengjin. Given your reputation, they will likely unite to put pressure on you in order to suppress the company's momentum."

There's no other way. Since it's difficult to deal with business matters directly, they put pressure on the participants in the knightly arena, even causing the knights to perform poorly or lose the match. These are all possible methods they might use.

"They might keep preventing you from attacking other knights. Because today's game is a points system, a single hit to the body is worth one point, and a vital area is worth two points."

Koss showed the undead the documents he was holding.

"In other words, even if they don't attack other knights, as long as they block your path to gain points, you won't be able to rank high in this competition. This will affect your market value and your position in the company."

The Undead looked up at Kos, his tone somewhat puzzled.

"The competition organizers allowed this kind of thing to happen?"

His doubts were not because he was worried that these possible events would affect his victory.

But would the knights he had seen in Kazimierz really do something that violated the code of chivalry?

He doesn't mind if people usually indulge in a life of pleasure; everyone has their own way of enjoying life, and he won't say anything.

But in a showdown, would these tricks really be allowed by the authorities?

"Why not? Because it would bring more attention and encourage viewers to spend money; it's practically an unspoken rule!"

Koss held his forehead with one hand and shook his head.

"No, I'm not worried about you being surrounded. What I'm most worried about is that you'll get annoyed by these people and directly attack someone's vitals. If you intentionally cause death, you'll be charged. It's very likely that the Knights Association will issue a suspension order against you."

"ha..."

The Undead gave a rare cold laugh, but he did not show any emotion related to fear.

It seems that he doesn't take the blockade imposed on him by those people seriously at all.

"Alright! Let's cheer for Tal once again! Welcome this heavily armored knight who is like a bulwark!"

Another cheer erupted from the stands. But it was clear that they were still not on par with the more renowned knights from before.

Mob moved his gaze to the bottom and clicked on the knight's name.

"Alright, now for the last one... Wait! Hold on!"

Mob suddenly exclaimed, and the change in his tone attracted the attention of many viewers.

"Ha! Here he comes! The most anticipated Cavaliers of the day have finally arrived! I dare say, if he plays to his usual standard, his name will be constantly on the front page of the news for the next few days! This game might even top the list of trending news!"

As Mob provided commentary, the drone at the east entrance took over the view from the projection screen above the stadium.

Even before the knight could be seen, the sound of steel treading on the ground could be heard from the deliberately created thick fog.

"He is the knight who has swept through the lower and middle levels of the Kazimierz tournament over the past month! His winning streak even surpasses that of the Radiant Knight!"

At that moment, the figure of a knight gradually appeared on the projection screen through the thick fog.

He wasn't particularly tall, but that was enough to make the audience erupt in screams.

"That retro knight is like he stepped out of a story! With his old-fashioned armor, he has never lost a match since his debut! His crazy record of twenty-three consecutive victories has earned him the title of the immortal knight!"