Chapter 309
Chapter 309
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 309
Chapter Title: Star Pavilion (8)
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Changes had appeared in the rankings.
[Ranking 1st, ???]
[Ranking 2nd, Demon King Jack Smith]
[Ranking 3rd, Heavenly Demon Hasera]
[Ranking 4th, Skeleton Emperor Joo Dong-hoon]
[Ranking 5th, Oxford's Sage Sophia Silverstone]
[Ranking 6th, Dungeon Maker Delaila]
[Ranking 7th, Paladin Aria Yuel]
[Ranking 8th, Roider Roni Williams]
[Ranking 9th, Bomb Maniac Belkises]
[Ranking 10th, White Dragon Soul Murad]
Skeleton Emperor Joo Dong-hoon had climbed from 7th to 4th.
The Magic Tower Master had dropped to 5th.
Delaila and Aria had been pushed back one spot as a result.
└ Whoa, did you see the boards just updated? Joo Dong-hoon finally snagged 4th lololol
└ Insane……. What the hell is going on?
└ Right? It's beyond unprecedented. If he fights Hasera, does he take 3rd? Beat Jack Smith and grab 2nd?
└ Joo Dong-hoon's top dog theory might actually be real;;
└ Might be? Isn't it straight-up fact? And considering it wasn't even Joo Dong-hoon who beat the Magic Tower Master, but his 'skeleton'…….
└ Insane;;
The entire world plunged into chaos.
They had no choice but to.
The world-famous Magic Tower Master defeated by a single skeleton?
And not just defeated?
'She didn't even get a chance to do anything before getting wrecked?'
'Is the ranking system no longer all-knowing and all-powerful?'
'Whoa, what…….'
The audience was still on their feet.
Staring in disbelief, mouths agape, at Arin casually brushing the dust off her clothes.
'That cute little kid beat the Magic Tower Master?'
'I can't wrap my head around it. No matter how hard I try, it doesn't make sense. How is that even possible?'
'What now for Oxford…….'
'At the very least, Star Heaven's solidly Big 3 or higher now.'
With the elders, including the Grand Elder, utterly humiliated, and now even the Magic Tower Master defeated.
Did the Magic Tower Master let her guard down?
No, the technique she used was far too famous for that.
Fire of Despair (SS Grade).
The advanced spell she'd unleashed during the Jisu Dragon incident—experts had dissected it countless times.
Sophia gazed at Arin with a look of resignation.
As expected.
She'd known she was impressive, but it seemed she'd achieved even greater feats lately.
'I lost clean. I'll admit it.'
Thud.
She set down her staff and bowed her head to Arin.
She had to acknowledge what deserved acknowledgment.
Her goal was to approach ancient magic, not to climb the world rankings.
'Losing to the strong isn't shameful.'
If anything, it was a relief.
She'd been given this opportunity.
It had made her realize her position, one she'd grown arrogant about due to those numerical rankings.
This match had meaning.
'For the Grand Elder and me both.'
Snicker.
Sophia let out a wry chuckle.
'Back to basics, I guess.'
- In that case! With the Magic Tower Master's declaration of surrender……! E-Eloise Arin of Star Heaven is the victor!
With the Spirit's official announcement.
“Wooooooooah!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
The erupting cheers and applause crowned the Star Pavilion's finale.
Star Heaven.
It was the moment this group, no longer a mere newcomer, asserted its presence to the world.
* * *
Big 4!
Star Heaven's status soared in an instant.
Some said to boot the Magic Tower out and slot Star Heaven in its place.
But the rest weren't verified enough for that.
Who knew?
The Heavenly Demon Cult or Demon King Army might suffer the same fate against them.
That would leave the Magic Tower looking unfairly singled out.
Of course, they couldn't just elevate Star Heaven too high either.
No guarantee they'd beat the Demon King Army or Heavenly Demon Cult.
└ Yeah, the situation's kinda ambiguous.
└ Yup, this was a special case, and massive groups like that never actually fight anyway.
└ True. Plus, who knows. Star Heaven's elite few, while the Magic Tower has thousands of mages. In a full-scale guild war, couldn't the Tower crush them instead?
└ Lol but the gap in power seemed way too big??
└ Fr, felt like Arin alone could solo the whole Tower.
The world chimed in as one, opinions swiftly coalescing.
Star Heaven joins the Big 4.
But not just any Big 4.
It solidified their image as a special force of “elite few.”
“Hahaha, that's more than enough!”
Kim Jin-ah was over the moon with joy.
Star Heaven had finally spread its wings toward the world.
And those wings felt so vast and mighty, already slicing through the heavens.
“Big 4, Big 4……! Heheheh.”
The world's top group—that had been her lifelong goal, something to chase forever, and now it was within reach.
'All thanks to the Guild Master.'
And.
'Arin!'
Right after the match ended, Kim Jin-ah bolted to the waiting room and showered Arin with kisses.
She couldn't contain her excitement.
- ……Uh, whaaa?
Arin recoiled in confusion, but she couldn't fully fend off Kim Jin-ah.
'Kim Jin-ah is…… the deputy the Guild Master trusts most.'
In other words, a precious ally.
You don't block allies.
“You were amazing! So amazing! Eeee, my pretty girl! No, Lady Arin!”
So hyped she even slipped into half-respectful speech she never used.
But there was another reason for her joy.
Getting closer to her goal was great, sure.
'But the payout…….'
Her eyes spun.
Practically sweeping the vast majority of global betting funds?
She'd parlayed five picks.
The odds:
[Emily win 6.00]
[Do Ha-rang win 6.00]
[Joo Dong-hoon win 3.20]
[Arin win 12.5]
[Star Heaven win 10.0]
Toto multiplies the odds, totaling 14,400x.
She'd boldly thrown in 500 billion.
Money she could lose without much pain.
But winning it? That'd feel damn good.
That was 500 billion to Kim Jin-ah.
Straight payout: 720 trillion.
Practically a national reserve fund.
The World Association took about half in fees, Jisu Dragon welfare funds, and taxes……
'Who cares.'
Kim Jin-ah's cheeks quivered.
Her face muscles screamed for mercy from all the grinning.
'Half gone is still 360 trillion~'
No wonder she was going wild.
The Magic Tower's famed capital was over 1 trillion dollars—roughly 1,000 trillion or more.
With exchange fluctuations, maybe 1,300 trillion.
Anyway.
With a modest(?) bet on this one match, Kim Jin-ah had pocketed about 36% of the Tower's capital in profit.
How could Arin not be the cutest?
- Br-breaking news!
Having heard someone's explanation, MC Spirit grabbed the mic again.
Thirty minutes post-match, most hadn't left the arena.
The exits were narrow, sure.
'How could I miss this afterglow? When will I get another shot at this?'
'The match ended too fast! I paid 1 mil for this.'
'Photos, photos! Gotta post on SNS!'
They were too busy capturing the fantastical arena amid breathtaking scenery with eyes and cameras.
- Just now! Star Heaven's Deputy Guild Master has a gift for all you spectators who joined us at the Star Pavilion!
“A gift?”
“Huh? A gift?”
“Can't pass up freebies.”
The crowd's eyes gleamed.
- Yes, as expected of the Deputy Guild Master! True to the rumors, so generous! Haha, so the gift is! To celebrate Star Heaven's victory, every attendee gets to ring the Golden Bell! Head outside the arena, and you'll find the path to Peach Blossom Paradise! Delectable food and premium drinks await throughout the city! Take in the stunning cityscape and indulge unlimitedly before you go!
“Wooooooooah!”
“Woooow! For real?!”
“As expected of Kim Jin-ah! So flashy!”
The crowd roared in unison.
Fun match, but many had lost big—Star Heaven soothed the sting.
“Damn, Star Heaven lives up to the hype. Great groups start big from the get-go.”
“Totally different caliber. Deputy Guild Master's always been famous for her bold style!”
“Big 4 what? Star Heaven's my eternal Big 1!”
The mood flipped to festival vibes in seconds.
Humans are fickle like that.
Even among top guilds, you bond more with the one treating you right.
Or was it natural, not fickle?
“Hehe.”
Kim Jin-ah smiled at her adoring crowd.
“Go grab your freebies.”
The money she'd made came from them.
Spending less than 1% while taking full credit? How could she not be thrilled?
'Plus.'
She looked one step ahead.
'City's complete now—time to spread the word.'
These visitors had dropped over 1 mil on tickets alone—affluent folks.
High-rank Hunters, even a few Rankers.
If they saw the beauty of the city Demir built?
'They'll wanna invest.'
Money flows, commerce blooms, city thrives.
Selecting Paradise residents would be strict, of course.
'Anyway.'
Kim Jin-ah headed back to Arin.
Urgent business done—now to fold someone's waist in half nice and slow.
Smirk.
Kim Jin-ah flashed a refreshing smile.
A chilling one.
* * *
“Whoa, is this a city?”
“Nah, not a city.”
“Then?”
“It's art! Ahh, did the folks who first found medieval Venice feel like this?”
“Crazy? Dragging Venice into it? Venice at least looked man-made. This…… Yeah, definitely crafted by a god. Ahh! God!”
As the crowd oohed and aahed in the city.
Some couldn't laugh.
Three Rankers.
Usher, Brandon, Damian.
“Huh.”
Damian trudged along, dazed.
“Elder…… How did this happen overnight?”
“Beats me.”
Brandon bit his lip.
“Damn it……!”
Infuriating, but no recourse.
Messing with Star Heaven was unthinkable, and returning to the Tower? Impossible.
All their achievements, gone in a day.
Mockery awaited everywhere.
As the mages blasted by Energy Bolts, rolling away.
“……This is all that cowardly Star Heaven scum's fault.”
Usher muttered alone, then spoke up.
“You two.”
He eyed the ex-elders.
“Gonna take this lying down?”
“……What choice do we have? No options left.”
“You idiots!”
Grit!
Usher gnashed his teeth.
“They took everything from us. And we're just gonna roll over? Hell, a Buddha's popped up in the Tower. Better shave your heads and join a monastery!”
“Th-then, do you have a plan?”
“Know what?”
“Huh?”
“The ones with nothing left to lose are the scariest.”
They'd already lost it all.
Nothing more to drop.
“Right. We've got nothing left to lose.”
“Those bastards……!”
Brandon and Damian growled too.
Whether Star Heaven did anything wrong? Irrelevant.
They just needed a target for their rage at this bleak fate.
“They messed with the wrong people. I'll spend the rest of my life savagely tearing into Star Heaven. First, let's stir up public opinion right here.”
“Public opinion?”
“The bigger the group, the more chinks in the armor. Star Heaven's gotta have dirt everywhere. Dig, and it'll turn up.”
“Ooh.”
“As expected of Elder Usher!”
“Cut the damn elder crap already!”
Usher scowled and barked.
“Star Heaven, Tower—sick of both.”
He'd set his life's course.
Become vengeance incarnate, tormenting both groups.
Some time passed.
As the three ex-elders neared the portal outside the city.
“Hello there?”
Kim Jin-ah appeared, beaming brightly.