Chapter 427

Chapter 427: Reactions from All Sides

For several seconds, complete silence engulfed the bonfire gathering.

Even the battles in the other three arenas momentarily froze.

A thunderous laugh soon erupted from the second group’s arena.

"How entertaining! Never thought this bonfire gathering would offer such surprises," boomed Risen the Black Dragonkin, the Fire Lizard Tribe’s Great Warrior.

The towering Black Dragonkin thumped his tail against the ground, grinning broadly at Midi. His smile held both respect for a strong foe and cruel, frenzied excitement.

Midi’s savage strike had clearly marked him as a worthy opponent.

By the fourth arena, Ulhan’s eyes burned with murderous rage.

"Brother…" The Water Spider Tribe’s Great Warrior clenched his fists until blood dripped from pierced palms. "You dared kill my brother?"

As Ulhan trembled with grief, Midi suddenly turned toward the fourth group, meeting Ulhan’s furious stare.

The human flashed a predatory grin and slowly formed a hand gesture:

_Meet me, and you die._

The same gesture Ulhan had earlier taunted the Wolf Spider Tribe with.

Now, after obliterating Uday, Midi wielded it with far greater authority.

_Did the Water Spiders think to sacrifice our tribe to please the Death Scorpions?_

_They’ll pay a price beyond imagining._

Midi’s icy gaze seemed to convey this warning.

"Midi Asreks! I’ll slaughter you myself!" Ulhan roared, barely restrained by the looming Dragon Head overseeing the arena.

High in the stands, Simon of the Death Scorpion family watched calmly, even smiling.

"Of course someone who intimidated Sethe would have hidden cards," he murmured, eyes glinting dangerously. "Show me everything you’ve got, little human. Prove you’re worth being my plaything."

While others reacted to Midi’s display, Midi himself studied them all:

Risen’s eager anticipation. Ulhan’s volcanic rage. Simon’s veiled excitement. The Death Scorpion martial master’s faint approval. Alexis’s unchanging indifference.

From their responses, Midi gauged the strike that killed a Level 63 Ice Mage was indeed formidable here. The top contenders’ strong reactions confirmed this.

Yet the Death Scorpion representatives showed only mild surprise. More puzzling was Alexis’s response.

The Wolf Spider Tribe’s Level 62 peak Demon Swordman merely glanced at the commotion before resuming meditation, his stone-faced calm unnaturally absolute.

Even for one with powerful mind-related abilities, such indifference seemed… peculiar.

Such a calm reaction could only be explained in two ways.

Either Alexis was truly dull enough not to sense any threat,

or Alexis had witnessed attacks far stronger than Midi’s strike, maintaining composure as calm as still water while already having countermeasures in mind!

If it were the former, this Alexis wouldn’t have survived the Shaded Realm’s conflicts, let alone become Wolfspider’s Great Warrior.

If the latter, Midi burned to know – what background did this man have?

Clearly, Alexis would become Midi’s primary concern during both the bonfire gathering’s final match and Mososbury City’s Fighter Selection.

After the gathering, Midi resolved to question the leader and Galantis about Alexis’ origins.

He quietly plotted while losing interest in his own preliminary round.

Only seven matches remained after defeating Uday in the eighteenth round, none featuring noteworthy opponents. Having brutally slain Uday, Midi doubted anyone would challenge him now.

His attention shifted to the other three groups, particularly Alexis’ third group over Risen’s second or Ulhan’s fourth.

The remaining seed fighters clearly reacted to Midi’s display of power. Post-eighteenth round, their battles shortened dramatically with intensified ferocity.

Previously conserving strength and hiding abilities like most seeds (except brutal Uday from a major tribe), they now abandoned caution for lethal strikes. Failing to match Midi’s dominance would weaken their standing. Bloody victories became necessary to assert supremacy.

In the final seven rounds:

Black Dragonkin Risen slaughtered foes with single blows, revealing nothing but raw power.

Ulhan vengefully unleashed relentless skill combos, exposing vast magic power but no discernible technique patterns.

Alexis remained methodical as ever, finding flaws within exchanges before delivering killing blows – though his movements accelerated noticeably despite apparent indifference toward Midi.

When the bloodshed ended, sixteen finalists emerged across four arenas.

Group champions held no surprises:

1st: Midi

2nd: Risen

3rd: Alexis

4th: Ulhan

Though defeated by Risen, Zaknavan and Mason secured third and second places respectively through remaining matches. For the first time, four of Wolfspider’s seven warriors reached finals – though none were native tribe members.

Galantis and the old mage felt thrilled yet wary. All four finalists were recruited outsiders lacking loyalty. In the Shaded Realm where contribution points buy freedom and equivalent exchange trumps allegiance, powerful factions could easily poach them.

The old mage realized Zaknavan and Mason – despite their grudges and strength – weren’t worth bankrupting the tribe for. Midi and Alexis demanded immediate investment. Noticing major families’ representatives eyeing both from the stands, he glanced at Galantis and Zaride, resolving to act tonight.

As Wolfspider’s leader schemed, defeated warriors withdrew quietly while group finalists stood triumphant – wounded, bloodstained, weapon-damaged, yet blazing with fighting spirit. The four champions showed no joy:

Risen licked his lips hungrily.

Ulhan radiated murderous gloom.

Alexis stood statue-still.

Midi remained impassive.

Beneath this tense atmosphere, the arena’s Dragon Head statue roared. Obsidian sands glowed as magical formations activated. Four hill-like arenas drifted together, merging into a single 200-meter battlefield for Mososbury City’s bonfire gathering finals.