Chapter 474
Chapter 474:
For the average contender, this was a rare shot at rewriting their future. If the top spot was out of reach, second or third place suddenly became just as desirable.
“All eyes on the screen now — new matchups are being generated!” the host announced.
Names flickered rapidly across the digital display, spinning like a slot machine before settling.
When the results appeared, a collective gasp escaped from the students of the elite preparatory program.
Marisa and Melanie had once again avoided clashing.
However, Ethan drew the short straw — his next challenger was none other than Mario Valdez, Varninski’s top seed, infamous for his masterful control and intricate tactics.
Marisa’s camp groaned, clearly disappointed. “That’s it for him. Mario’s going to crush him p>
Melanie’s supporters, on the other hand, snickered with smug satisfaction. “He should’ve been knocked out long ago. He skated by on luck and easy opponents. A nerd dreaming of pro gaming? Ridiculous. Now reality’s about to hit him hard p>
In the crowd, Chris leaned closer to Maia and asked quietly, “Do you think Ethan stands a chance p>
Maia’s fingers curled slightly, betraying her nerves.
If this had been just a normal practice, Ethan would have shone for sure, but she feared that his head wasn’t in the game, and that might cause him to stumble. After all, his last few bouts hadn’t truly showcased his skill.
Maia drew in a steady breath and spoke with quiet confidence. “Win or lose, if he puts his heart into it, that counts as a win to me p>
“Exactly!” Chris moved closer, his voice near her ear. “I really admire how you see things. I trust Ethan; he won’t disappoint you p>
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His closeness and the warmth of his breath sent a small thrill through Maia’s chest. Yet, inexplicably, she felt a sense of calm.
Just then, Chris’ phone buzzed. He pulled it out and saw a Twitter message from “Winters.” It read, “I’ve made it into the top ten!” Chris glanced around the arena; it was a short break, and plenty of competitors were glued to their phones.
He typed back, “Congrats! Do you think you’ve got what it takes to win it all p>
“Winters” fired back quickly, “For sure! I checked out the others, and they aren’t nearly as tough as I expected p>
Chris grinned slyly and wrote, “Well then, I’ll go ahead and congratulate you ahead of time. Looks like I’ll be handing over that gift after all p>
Just then, the host called out that the contest was back on, and “Winters” stopped texting Chris.
Chris turned his eyes to the arena, locking onto Ethan as he prepared for his fight. He wondered who this mysterious “Winters” really was.
The fight for a spot in the top ten kicked off in earnest!
The giant screen showed five matches running side by side.
From the opposite side, Mario, Varninski’s defending champ, sneered at Ethan, his expression full of scorn. “Hey, kid, quit wasting your time. Just throw in the towel early, or you’ll end up crying and making a fool of yourself p>
Ethan said nothing and calmly slipped on his headphones.
Before long, every player was deep into their matches. Marisa and Melanie continued to dominate the field with their top-notch skills.
However, this round brought together the best players from all regions, unlike the earlier knockouts. A clear win was almost out of reach. As expected, the screens showed that nearly every match was a tough, close fight.