As for Helio he found the result rather natural Donnyton had created a competitive fighting ladder that had persisted successfully for several years From what he understood Donnyton had taken upon itself the role of clearing out Raid Bosses before the Orders were officially founded Of course that experience would mean its warriors were stronger
They might not have had much of an advantage when it came to images but their foundation was much stronger than any other area
But aside from that small emotional hiccup the mood for the tournament was still high Everyone crowded into the bars and restaurants announcing boldly to anyone who would listen that they had been inspired by watching someone else fight Soon their image would be powerful enough to have made it farther in the tournament finally proving their natural talent Helio glanced sideways at the foursome of Liam Cleary Evater and Ning sitting in his restaurant as he began to cut off large slices of his hash to serve
unfortunately Evater was one of those inspiredÆ people
Listen Evater said with a confident smile as he spread his hands out placatingly toward both Liam and Cleary LetÆs not forget that the audience has been the true winners here right And also didnÆt we all bet on these two making the final when the bracket was released Significant amounts So none of us are wanting for money CanÆt we just accept this as a victory
The outcome was obvious Cleary mumbled Liam nodded in agreement although the look on his face remained sour The two didnÆt look at each other Before anyone could speak again and break the fragile peace Helio was there laying a plate in front of each of them Without comment they began to eat
Helio returned to the grill and began to scrape off grease He had obtained the Cleanse Skill in his early days but had never bothered to use it on cooking implements It simply felt more natural to do it manually
For about five minutes the peace in the shop was maintained But of course it was a short lived peace Evater quickly had cleared his plate and rubbed his large hands together as he considered his companions Have yÆall heard about Zone 1 Apparently it is trying very hard to recruit the unaffiliated duos that got farther in the tournament They already have their eyes set on the next prize
Will there be another tournament Cleary asked in confusion
Liam snorted and folded his arms Still holding a grudge he wouldnÆt miss this chance to mock her Can you imagine how much money the Orchard must be making from hosting this Not just as a city but so many different groups came to trade their wares IÆm sure the economic benefits will keep the Orchard booming for at least a year Plus everyone wants to spot and poach talent So IÆm sure the Zones will push for it
But I think I remember reading something about how the hosts of big tournaments like this usually lose money Cleary frowned
To everyoneÆs surprise Ning spoke up ThatÆs different
Why is it different Cleary asked as her face creased even further in confusion Ning simply lifted her lemonade to her mouth and took a long sip draining the cup dry Evater and Liam exchanged a glance Helio moved out from behind the grill with a pitcher of lemonade for Ning
Seeing that the waspish Cleary was becoming agitated at the lack of answer Helio hesitated and then decided to speak while he was refilling NingÆs drink the difference between our current situation and something like the Olympics which is what you probably read about is twofold One the price of construction both labor and quality materials is probably only a tenth of what it was in pre System days Projects can be finished quickly The shorter duration of construction means delays wonÆt cascade into larger problems that end up being the hidden costs of hosting a large tournament And the second reason is that New Earth has so much space a lot of the old costs were related to updating existing infrastructure while also accommodating the several million high populations that were already present Here you can move a mile or two in most directions and find open land to construct a stadium
Helio returned to the grill and resumed his cleaning Liam blinked Damnit Helio you are truly wasted here Well actually nevermind your food is life changing So yea the Zones will push for tournaments in the future Maybe the defunct World Council can finally do something useful but aside from that did you hear KharonÆs announcement They will be visiting Ifrenne at the end of the month and the ogre city at the base of the Nordawn Mountains in two months They finally arenÆt just wandering around anymore
A good choice Ning announced Then she took another long drink of her lemonade Helio paused briefly with the grease brush waiting to see if she made the slurping sound that indicated she wanted a refill Thankfully she didnÆt finish the drink all in one go He resumed his determined scrubbing
People will go to those cities around those times just because Kharon is there Evater looked down at his hands with an intense expression Then he clenched his hands and spoke with a confidence that made him sound like a fool Heh people are naturally drawn to strength And at the head of Kharon is Randidly Ghosthound the most powerful image user on Earth
How can Kharon visit Ifrenne Cleary asked She pushed a few remnants of her hash around the plate with a fork and then looked around at the group It has legs right But the sea is pretty deep wonÆt it sink
The table considered that Even Helio couldnÆt help but picture Kharon slowly sinking into the sea as the ocean floor dropped away beneath it Somehow he doubted that it would end up being a problem
well anyway I think Cleary raises another good point Liam announced Is Randidly Ghosthound really that much stronger than we have seen All the people in the top 8 were Legends And Alana clearly demonstrated that she might be in another tier of strength above that how much stronger can the Ghosthound really be HeÆs just been sitting around while these people are fighting
And if I can have this much insight just from watching Evater muttered mysteriously as he looked down at his own clenched fist Helio wondered if the man was developing some sort of delusion about himself He hoped someone else would notice and say something I can only imagine the gains that the fighters have made Engaging in such struggles would fuel quite a bit of growth
shouldnÆt the winner just challenge him Cleary asked the group Everyone hummed to themselves considering this
Commissioner Arrietti felt his breath wheezing out through his swollen and bloody lips Helen stood above him in the training arena shaking her head You are quick That first movement you can take is explosive and almost absolute But you need to capitalize on that opportunity DonÆt you have any attacking Skills worth a damn
Licking his lips Arrietti considered the question Due to HelenÆs relaxed posture he considered it acceptable for him to push himself out of the small crater that currently served as his resting place His body creaked as he straightened His muscles were bruised and sore Ah I mean I do but compared to your Skills
Helen patted AriettiÆs shoulder Yes well I suppose you had the unfortunate handicap of being born on this Earth Aside from Randidly well the rest of you donÆt seem to have much of a desire to strike with deadly intent It makes your attacks flimsy
Commissioner Arrietti felt his heart bubbling with helpless despair but then the door to the training arena opened His expression immediately brightened Although it wouldnÆt solve his current emotional desolation it would certainly make him feel better to watch another person struggle underneath HelenÆs brutal standards IÆll reflect on this But it looks like someone else
Oh Helen this is where you were Mrs Hamilton said walking forward with a smile on her face She gestured to the two people following behind her Have you met the Huangs Li has been struggling to recapture the feeling of his image and I was hoping you would help by applying some pressure to him DonÆt bother to pull your punches normal methods havenÆt been working