Just when everyone was at their wits' end over the financial issue, unable to co up with a perfect solution, Hamrfire suddenly spoke up.
"I do have a thod," he said.
At these words, all eyes fell on him, and Hamrfire looked at Rocky: "It's just that this thod might be sowhat dangerous for you."
"Master Hamrfire, please feel free to speak your mind," Rocky said.
"Co on, Hamrfire, stop beating around the bush and tell us what it is!" Orton imdiately asked, showing the urgency the group felt.
And thereafter, Hamrfire continued:
"The Arena."
With the utterance of these three simple words, everyone present was montarily stunned, then various expressions quickly spread across their faces.
"Hamrfire, make yourself clear, what do you an? Are you suggesting that Rocky participates in the Arena?" Orton furrowed his brows tightly, his complexion turning sour upon hearing the word "Arena."
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm suggesting, for Rocky to participate in the Arena," Hamrfire nodded in confirmation and elaborated: "Eternal City's Arena holds a league every quarter. Any contestant who wins can earn an imnsely generous prize money..."
"No! Absolutely not!" Orton didn't let Hamrfire finish his sentence and abruptly cut him off, his eyes widening as he shouted: "Rocky is the honorable City Lord! How can he compete in the Arena? Besides, the Arena battles are to the death. What if sothing happens to him, what if he loses an arm or a leg; would you take responsibility?"
Orton was visibly upset with Hamrfire's suggestion, the objection clear in his wide-eyed glare.
The Arena was essentially a place of entertainnt that capitalized on the spectacle of Void Magic Warriors battling each other to the death for the audience's pleasure; a concept not to be underestimated. In God City, the Arena was one of the biggest entertainnt events, with continual matches throughout the year, and without exception, all the contestants were Void Magic Warriors!
However, although the Arena served as an entertainnt venue for spectators, it was utterly brutal for the participants, because the Arena's matches were real combats to the death, with the slightest mistake potentially costing a fighter their life.
But correspondingly, the high risk of competition was matched by high rewards. Every Void Magic Armor warrior that won in the Arena could earn substantial rewards. The most basic rewards were Gold Coins, but if the level of the match was higher, the rewards would be more valuable than Gold Coins. Indeed, if one could beco the champion at the triennial Sky Combat Skills Convention, they would be granted a whole Sky City as the ultimate prize!
Because the rewards were so lavish, despite the inherent dangers, there were still many who chose to compete in the Arena.
Nevertheless, even so, the number of Void Magic Armor warriors remained limited; after all, their status was far higher than regular soldiers, and not everyone was willing to risk their lives. Therefore, to attract more participants, the Arena provided Void Magic Armors free of cost to so contestants who lacked the ans, drawing in more regular soldiers to compete.
And it was because of the Arena's provision of Armor for free that the number of contestants participating was always high, ensuring that matches took place throughout the year.
Moreover, since the quality of the participants varied greatly, both genuine and fake Void Magic Warriors were present, which further intensified the bloodiness of the competition. Once a real Void Magic Warrior faced an imposter, it was almost certain that lives would be lost. Yet, the bloodier the matches, the more they drew spectators, increasing the earnings of the Arena.
This was the Arena, an event that entertained people through bloodshed.
Hamrstone had co up with the idea in hopes that Rocky would compete in the Arena to earn money. By doing so, not only would they secure the needed funding for their research, but they would also prevent the research outcos from falling into the hands of others—a solution that solved two problems at once.
"Hamrfire, although there's prize money for winning Arena matches, surely that's not enough to support our research, right?" At this point, Pelaya spoke up. She didn't outright reject the idea, like Orton did, but she did voice her doubts.
In Pelaya's view, while the prize money from the Arena might seem significant for the average person, what would tens or even hundreds of thousands of Gold Coins an for the research of Rune Armor?
But no sooner had she finished speaking than Hamrfire imdiately replied: "Pelaya, you're not aware, the Arena's competitions are tiered. The prize money is naturally low for the lower tiers, but it's different for the higher tiers. It's quite normal to win over a hundred thousand Gold Coins in one competition. Moreover, my suggestion for Rocky to enter the competition isn't for the prize money, but for the gambling outside the Arena!"
"You think the Arena just earns money from ticket sales? That's not the case. Each ti there's a match in the Arena, the officials set up betting pools outside, offering odds for both sides, then let everyone place their bets. That's the real source of the Arena's inco."
"So, as long as Rocky competes, we bet on him from the outside. And as long as he keeps winning, we continue to win money on the outside, multiplying our winnings manyfold. This way, wouldn't the research funds be taken care of?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)