Ascent of Hero on the Dragon Throne

'I didn't expect Rocky to be paired with Evan so soon, ' Marin thought inwardly. Evan had already reached the fourth grade of the Earthly Stage. Marin believed that it was impossible for Rocky who was only between the second and third grades to win against Evan.

The contest started with the first round which was split into halves. The first half involved thirty spirit manipulators in a one-on-one battle. Pairs were selected in random and those in low grades were easy prey if paired against higher graded spirit manipulators. Only the fifteen spirit manipulators who won their battle participated in the second half. The second half included a battle against each other until one by one, the competitors were defeated, with only the seven most powerful left standing. These seven winners were qualified for the second round of the contest.

The thirty spirit manipulators in the contest were from the first grade of the Earthly Stage to the ninth grade of the Earthly Stage. The majority of the competitors were from the first grade to the fifth grade. It would not be difficult for powerful spirit manipulators to win in the first half of the battle and be qualified for the second half.

It was truly poor luck that Rocky had an opponent that belonged to the fourth grade of the Earthly Stage, when the majority of the competitors would come from first to fifth.

Marin expected that Rocky would excel or at least last until the second round. She did not expect this match up with Evan in the first half. Now, she was worried he would not even make it to the second half. She felt uneasy about the outcome, and she knew that she was alone in this. If Rocky lost, he would no doubt be ecstatic. After all, he did not want to be there let alone win. Marin's frown deepened as she thought about Rocky's potential reaction. She knew Rocky would view it as the best consequence since he would not need to proceed to the succeeding parts of the contest.

"Even if he tried his best, he would still lose. I shouldn't have asked him to do this!" Marin wailed in regret. She should have foreseen this outcome. She swiped her hair from her face and let out a loud breath. 'How could I have been so reckless and stupid?' She restrained herself from pulling out her hair in frustration.

Rocky would have made a good bargaining chip in her hand. If she had used him well, he could have brought her what she wanted but she squandered that opportunity.

The martial field where the contest was held was divided into five parts. It was spacious enough that five contests could be held at the same time. This would take an hour to an hour

ers.

However, Isis felt uneasy too. Outwardly, she did not look any different. But her eyes wandered too, hoping to glimpse Rocky's arrival. She was worried that if Rocky did not show up, the competition would not be fun at all.

In the waiting area, Evan seemed to be celebrating already. He sneered and said, "I didn't expect Rocky to be my opponent. This is a good opportunity for me to seek revenge. I'll teach him a lesson or two. It's his fault that I was transferred to the northwest military camp. That awful excuse for a camp!" Evan sneered, disgusted by the mere thought of the camp. "Where is he now? Is he too cowardly to compete with me?" He strutted at the waiting area like a proud chicken, eyes narrowed at his surroundings. His laughter boomed in the waiting area. He was amused at the thought that he would surely win. If Rocky showed up he would beat him and teach him a lesson. On the other hand, if Rocky does not show up, he would still win without any effort on his part.

The rules of the contest dictated that if one party did not show up on the stage within thirty minutes, the opposing party would win by default. It meant Rocky would automatically lose if he did not show up on the stage in thirty minutes.

Anxious and upset, both Marin and Isis watched the area where Evan would compete with Rocky. They hoped to finally see him arrive, that he really just wanted a grand entrance.

"Is that man really planning on standing me up?" Marin pursed her lips, fuming. If Rocky dared not to come, the Commander in Chief would not go easy on him. And she especially, would not let this go easily. She despised it above all, people who did not keep their promises. And if he was like that, he would definitely feel her wrath.