EFB Chapter 316 Unlucky Fortune
Chapter 316 Unlucky Fortune
Chapter 316 Unlucky Fortune
A day's rest time passes in the blink of an eye.
On the day of the Round of 16, when Li Ang and his team stepped onto the light bridge leading to the top of the suspended platform again, they immediately felt an atmosphere completely different from that of the knockout stage.
The passageway leading to the arena was several times denser with people, including high-ranking wizards from various towers, noble spectators in fine clothes, and representatives from major merchant guilds.
The audience seats were almost full, and the deafening noise was so intense it was almost tangible. The VIP viewing platforms suspended in the air were also lit up, with shadowy figures behind the light screens, indicating that almost all the top executives of each tower were present today.
The arena itself has also been further decorated, with several layers of thicker magic barrier generators added to the edge of the arena, and transparent protective walls raised in front of the audience seats.
The concentration of magic in the air was astonishingly high, a sign that numerous protective magic arrays were operating at full capacity. Clearly, the organizing committee had fully anticipated the destructive power of today's competition.
The contestants' assembly area was set up on an open platform on one side of the arena, where all sixteen finalists had arrived.
Although all sixteen contestants are the pride of their respective towers, the two standing in the center of the platform are the most eye-catching.
Icarus, the "Icebound" of the Heavenly Abyss Tower, is a handsome man with a magnificent purple robe, long silver hair, and an aura of coldness that keeps strangers at bay.
And standing not far from Icarus was the old man, dressed in a simple purple robe, short and thin, with gray hair, smiling and talking to a chalk tower wizard beside him—the [Giant God] Makarov.
His image was in stark contrast to the imposing title of "Giant God." If it weren't for his purple robe and the awe-inspiring attitude of those around him, anyone would probably mistake him for an ordinary old man next door.
Seemingly noticing Li Ang's gaze, Makarov turned his head and glanced at Li Ang. His gaze was gentle, even somewhat curious. He lingered on Li Ang for a moment before turning back to continue talking to the others.
Professor Diana whispered to Leon, "That's Makarov. Don't be fooled by his appearance. He's very serious once he gets going." She didn't finish her sentence, but the seriousness in her eyes said it all.
Soon, a middle-aged witch dressed in a black robe from the White Tower, exuding a powerful aura, walked to the front of the platform. She was the chief referee of this competition. Her self-glow swept over the sixteen contestants, and her voice, carried by wind magic, resounded throughout the arena: "The 173rd Alliance Friendly Tournament, Round of 16, the draw to determine the matchups will now begin!"
As she finished speaking, a crystal ball, more than half the height of a person, was raised. Inside the ball, clouds and mist swirled, and sixteen spheres engraved with the contestants' names floated within. The chief referee placed his hand on the crystal ball, and the clouds and mist inside spun violently.
"In the first group, the two teams facing off are..."
Two small balls leaped out, their light projecting into the air and revealing their names.
"Eternal Night Tower, Astrid, versus Obsidian Tower, Gregor!"
The two wizards whose names were called stepped forward, greeted each other, and then stood aside.
The lottery continues.
"Second group, Iris Tower, Zeno vs. Deep Rock Tower, Baroque!" As the pairings were announced, some looked relaxed, while others frowned.
Finally, the referee's voice rang out again: "Group four, Lelita and Dinah versus Group one."
"Heavenly Abyss Tower, Icarus!"
A considerable commotion arose from the audience.
"Red Dragon Diana versus [Icebound], this is going to be interesting!"
"The battle between ice and fire will determine who has the greater strength!"
"Dina lost to Icarus before and was eliminated in the semifinals, right? She's run into him again this year. She's really having bad luck with the draw."
Diana's expression remained calm; she had long been mentally prepared for this. She nodded to Li Ang and stepped out of the line.
Across from him, Icarus also walked out expressionlessly. Their eyes met in the air, as if there was an invisible clash between ice and fire.
"Group Five," the referee's hand brushed across the crystal ball again, "Leilita, Leon Carlson, against Group One."
A small ball leaps out, shining brightly.
When that name was projected into the air, the entire arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a commotion far more intense than ever before!
"The Chalk Tower, Makarov!"
"My God, Lelita's luck with the draw this year—it's incredible!"
"Dina was unlucky enough to face Icarus, but Leon drew Master Makarov?!"
"It seems his dark horse journey has come to an end."
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"Tsk tsk, it seems like Lelita will both be eliminated in the round of 16 this year."
"What a pity, I was really looking forward to seeing how far Li Ang could go—"
A flood of comments, exclamations, and regrets arose. In the VIP seats, some high-ranking members from other towers also revealed meaningful expressions. Some shook their heads, while others looked in the direction where the Leli Tower group was.
The Carlos faction leader frowned deeply. He already felt that Diana's luck was bad after drawing Icarus, but he didn't expect Leon's draw to be even worse.
Maya stomped her feet in anger: "What a terrible draw! Are we being targeted?"
Olivia pursed her lips, her tail twitching nervously on the ground. Helena and Rudick exchanged a glance, both seeing the worry in each other's eyes.
The draw is over, and the competition begins immediately.
Although the previous matches were also intense, the audience's attention was clearly drawn to the two upcoming key matches, and the atmosphere reached a climax when Dinah and Icarus took the stage.
In the center of the arena, a red-haired dragon wizard and a silver-haired human wizard stood facing each other.
After a brief introduction of both sides, the referee waved and announced, "The match begins!"
As soon as the match began, without any probing, Diana's body erupted in flames, her dragon might mixed with towering fire waves, instantly turning half of the arena into a furnace!
She directly entered a semi-dragon form, her feet transforming into dragon claws that shattered the ground, her arms covered in crimson dragon scales, and a pair of enormous dragon wings suddenly unfurled behind her, fanning up a scorching hurricane.
She opened her mouth, and a dragon fire breath, condensed to its extreme, shot straight towards Icarus like a pillar of fire that split the heavens and earth.
Icarus remained expressionless, simply raising his right hand, fingers spread, and gently clenching it against the devastating dragon flames.
[Level 4 Spell - Eternal Ice Prison]
Click-clack!
A sickening freezing sound rang out, and the tip of the dragon's breath was instantly enveloped and solidified by dark blue ice. Moreover, this freezing power was spreading in reverse at an astonishing speed, following the dragon's breath and rushing straight towards Diana's body!
Diana's pupils contracted, her dragon wings flapped violently, and she soared into the sky, narrowly avoiding the frozen trajectory. She hovered in the air, her claws lashing out repeatedly, and huge, fiery claw phantoms slashed down from the sky!