"I can tell that he's hiding his true strength. What he's showing is just a part of it," Zhao Mengxi remarked, her voice tinged with concern.
Kent nodded in agreement, scanning the data with the system. Li Zicheng's beast was a 34-level Golden-grade Xuanmo Lion-Tiger Beast.
Just the rank and level of Li Zicheng's beast exceeded all the other competitors. As soon as his beast was summoned, the match was practically over. No opponent had lasted more than a minute against it.
However, Kent, although feeling the pressure, wasn't afraid. Over the past few days, Wukong had consumed several Longyuan fruits, and Garfield had drunk the last few bottles of the nutrient evolution liquid, leading to breakthroughs in their levels.
Wukong had reached level 23, while Garfield had reached level 32.
Moreover, Kent had been training tirelessly at the Yitian Club, improving his combat skills. He had also watched several tactical videos of beast battles, feeling confident in his improvement.
An hour passed quickly.
The two walked onto the arena. The spectators were on edge, ready for what was perhaps the most anticipated match of the entire tournament.
Live-streaming platforms were broadcasting the event, with the commentators fully prepared for the detailed analysis.
Since both contestants had appeared on the stage multiple times, the commentators were already familiar with their beast's moves, and were not at all anxious.
Up in the VIP section, General Zhao and others also focused their attention on the arena, waiting with anticipation.
"Kent, do your best! Defeat Li Zicheng and bring Saint Stone High the highest honor!" cheered the students of Saint Stone High.
There were 56 high schools in Microstar City, and Saint Stone High was ranked quite low. No one had ever ranked in the top ten during the finals, let alone fight for the first place.
Now that Kent had made it this far, everyone was excited to cheer him on.
On the other side, students from Zixing High School were cheering for Li Zicheng.
"Li Zicheng, finish the match quickly and don't tarnish the reputation of Zixing!"
"Li Zicheng, if you win the championship, the honor of being the top school will belong to Zixing!"
"Go, crush your opponent! The school will reward you with 100,000 credit points," shouted the headmaster of Zixing High School.
Hearing this, the headmaster of Saint Stone High School wasn't about to back down. He shouted loudly, "Kent, if you win first place, you will become a legend at Saint Stone High. As the head of the senior class, I will personally present you with a reward of 100,000 credit points."
"Ha," the headmaster of Zixing sneered. "In Zixing, we offer more than just 100,000 credit points. The winner also gets a Dragon Ride sedan."
The headmaster of Saint Stone High School's face twitched slightly. This was really going too far—Saint Stone High wasn't wealthy or influential, and offering 100,000 credit points was already pushing the limits.
But the more the competition escalated, the more attention they would draw, especially since millions in the city were watching the livestream. Saint Stone High couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.
If Kent really won first place, it would raise the school's profile significantly.
"Wait, there's more," the headmaster of Saint Stone High grinned, adding, "If Saint Stone's student wins first place, besides the 100,000 credit points, we will also offer a unique tactical guidance course valued at 108,000 credit points."
At these words, the crowd's attention was immediately piqued. A tactical course worth 108,000 credit points? What was that? Was it real?
The headmaster of Saint Stone High explained, "This course is taught by Professor Hao Zhenchun from Earthstar University. He's an alumnus of Saint Stone High, and his courses are so sought after that many beast tamers can't even get in. It's truly worth every cent."
The crowd looked at each other in understanding. So it was just a favor for their own students, a little self-promotion—but was it necessary to make it sound so grand?
Kent's face twitched. He hadn't expected such shamelessness. He suspected that the actual cost of this course was indeed 108,000 credit points.
At this point, the match was about to start, and the cheers and competitive remarks from the sidelines had quieted down.
"Saint Stone, Kent."
"Zixing, Li Zicheng."
The two briefly introduced themselves before summoning their respective beasts, each staring intently at the other.
Kent didn't hesitate and summoned both Garfield and Wukong, who stood beside him.
He quickly scanned the attributes of Li Zicheng's beast.
Beast Name: Xuanmo Lion-Tiger
Beast Rank: Golden-grade
Beast Level: 35
"Whoa, how did it level up? Wasn't it 34 just an hour ago?" Kent thought, his lips twitching.
Looking at its abilities:
Instant Kill: Shortens distance rapidly, strikes the target in one move.Lion Transformation: Transforms into a lion, increasing speed.Tiger Transformation: Transforms into a tiger, enhancing strength.Sound Wave Roar: Emits a lion's roar that causes intense sound waves, disrupting the target's blood flow and inducing fear.Xuanmo Body: Burns its own blood to enhance defense and healing abilities.
"Such powerful abilities," Kent thought, silently impressed. This Xuanmo Lion-Tiger was a well-rounded beast, excelling in offense, speed, defense, and even healing, making it almost invincible.
But it wasn't perfect.
Weaknesses:
Only one of the transformations (Lion or Tiger) can exist at a time and cannot be switched instantly.Its large size makes its back a vulnerable spot, even though it has tough armor.
Kent's eyes lit up. These weaknesses were subtle, but they could be exploited.
If a beast was over two meters tall, its sheer size would limit its mobility. Garfield, in comparison, was much smaller. With his enhanced camouflage ability, Garfield could become highly agile and elusive.
His mind raced as he quickly formulated a plan. Just then, the referee blew the whistle to start the match.
"Garfield, transform!" Kent shouted as he quickly donned his B-grade armor and shield to protect himself.
Though weapons like sharp metal blades were not allowed in the arena, using whips and shields was permitted for defense.
Garfield growled and immediately transformed. His body shrank in size, becoming half as long as before, with muscles tightening, making him faster and more agile.
This was Garfield's newly enhanced camouflage ability.