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Chapter 173: Goblin Evolution
Chapter 173: Goblin Evolution
After the quarterfinals, the high school league progressed rapidly.
The quarterfinals began on the 27th.
And just like that, the semifinals were set for the 28th.
The first match of the semifinals featured Team 003 against Team 044!
As the new hope of Jiangnan and the only team in recent years to defeat an outsider squad, Team 003 received an overwhelming show of support from the entire arena as soon as the match began.
"Go Team 003! Beat Team 044!"
"Team 003, fight for the championship!"
...
The cheers of encouragement filled the air like a raging tide, accompanied by a sea of banners and props waving in the stands.
Even a blind person could sense the audience's high expectations for Team 003.
They were hoping for another glorious victory.
A victory that would end the history of Jiangnan's high school league being dominated by outsider teams!
As for Team 042? Well, they were once the hope, but now? Please, take a seat over there and cool off. It's not your turn yet.
Lu Wu didn't have much of a reaction to this.
On one hand, he had a broad mind, and on the other, he had already become accustomed to such situations from watching certain competitive tournaments in his past life.
These things were common in competitions.
Instead, he was more concerned about Lin Jianying's condition.
It was evident that yesterday's defeat had hit him hard.
Even after a day's rest, his mindset hadn't recovered, and he was even more nervous than before.
Because today's match was even more crucial than yesterday's.
Lin Jianying was genuinely worried about his performance, fearing he'd hold Lu Wu back again, so at that moment, his emotions were particularly fragile, and he might collapse at any time.
This worried Lu Wu, but regular comfort wouldn't suffice anymore.
To stabilize his emotions quickly, Lu Wu had to use extraordinary methods.
"Old Lin, I need you to help me take down at least one of Team 002's Summoned Beasts this afternoon!
Can you do it?"
Lu Wu's sudden request left Lin Jianying at a loss for words.
"I..."
Lu Wu didn't let him finish, changing his tone, "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked if you could do it.
I'm repeating what I just said, and this time, it's not a request, it's an order!"
Lin Jianying tried to speak, but Lu Wu cut him off.
"You can do it!
This isn't about trusting you; it's about trusting myself.
I've prepared for this battle, and my Goblin is in a special state. I'm confident in telling you, it can do it!
And you must do it, too!"
With that, Lu Wu left Lin Jianying and the Goblin in the lounge, heading off to watch the match with Dudu.
He had done what he could, and now it was up to Lin Jianying.
...
At the arena.
As Lu Wu and Dudu entered with two large buckets of popcorn and two large cups of milk tea, the match between Team 003 and Team 044 was just starting.
Amidst the cheering crowd, both teams sent out their initial Summoned Beasts.
Team 003's choice was an Elite Tier 2 Great Boulder, while Team 044, once again, went with Li Kui's Ironclad Ox.
The appearance of the Summoned Beasts instantly heightened the arena's atmosphere to its peak.
"Go Team 003!"
"This Ox has been dominant for too long; it's time for a real challenge!"
...
It was clear the audience favored Team 003.
They eagerly anticipated a fierce battle.
And as the spectators hoped, the fight erupted instantly, but also ended just as quickly.
In the moment the battle commenced, the two Summoned Beasts clashed head-on.
It was a test of pure brute strength, and in this regard, the Great Boulder was far inferior. As they collided, the Ironclad Ox's horns lifted the Great Boulder off the ground, and with another push, the Ox sent the Boulder flying out of the arena.
The entire match, from start to finish, lasted less than 60 seconds, including the time it took for the Summoned Beasts to appear.
This left the initially cheering crowd stunned into silence, unable to believe what they'd witnessed.
It completely defied their expectations.
They thought that with Team 003's strong Iron Blade Mantis, the Great Boulder wouldn't be far behind.
If not dominating the Ironclad Ox, it should have at least put up a good fight.
But to be defeated in an instant, the gap was too vast, and the entire arena fell silent, save for the sounds of Lu Wu and Dudu munching on popcorn.
Thankfully, the arena was spacious, or Lu Wu and his team might've felt quite embarrassed.
However, no matter how embarrassed Lu Wu's team felt, it couldn't compare to Team 003's situation.
While they never had high hopes for this match, they never imagined they'd lose so swiftly.
To salvage some face, they sent out their Iron Blade Mantis for the next round.
The audience's eyes widened as they recognized the Iron Blade Mantis, the very same beast that had dominated the previous day's competition with its awe-inspiring performance, piercing through three opponents. Their hearts, which had sunk to the depths of despair, soared back to their original position.
Yes, why should they be disappointed? After all, 003's strongest asset was the Iron Blade Mantis, not some other summoned beast.
042 even had a pathetic Goblin, so it was normal for 003 to have some weaknesses.
With the Iron Blade Mantis on the field, the audience felt a surge of hope, expecting it to recreate its glorious performance...
But before their psychological preparation was complete, the battle on the arena concluded once more.
The Iron Blade Mantis stepped into the arena, and the Ironclad Black Ox immediately seized control with its "Bull Roar," leaving the weakened Iron Blade Mantis helpless.
It was a one-sided battle, a 6-9-1-9-1-0 defeat!
The Black Ox charged with "Bull Rush," swiftly ending the fight.
At that moment, the audience couldn't believe what they were witnessing in the arena.
They couldn't fathom that the Iron Blade Mantis, which had triumphed so effortlessly the day before, was now being defeated with such ease.
It felt like a dream, an unreal scenario unfolding before them.
How could such a fantastical and fake event be happening in reality?
The audience fell silent once more.
Lu Wu grabbed a handful of popcorn and fed it to Dudu, muttering to himself.
"It's quite normal. Without its burst of talent, the mantis is naturally weaker than the ox, especially in a weakened state. It seems this match is almost over."
As expected, 003's third summoned beast entered the arena.
It couldn't withstand the pressure and was knocked down by the ox within three rounds.
Thus, the highly anticipated battle, which had captured the audience's attention, concluded in less than half an hour after the competition began.
This brief contest, akin to someone's fleeting existence, gave the audience a taste of life's dramatic ups and downs.
Such a rollercoaster of emotions could be crushing.
Initially, the spectators were confident, believing they could endure whatever twists the match might bring.
After all, they had professional faith, and their little hearts had endured years of setbacks; they could withstand any blow.
However, 003's performance made many of them realize their limitations. They acknowledged that they couldn't endure this competition.
At the moment 003 lost, at least twenty percent of the audience in the stands got up and left.
They couldn't take it anymore.
They couldn't bear to watch a contest devoid of hope.
With 003 out, what was there to look forward to? 042?
That team was even less reliable.
Although the Little Skeleton and the Pig were decent, the Goblin was genuinely useless.
Even if the Little Skeleton and the Pig managed to defeat their opponents, they would eventually be dragged down by the Goblin. This inevitable disappointment was not worth their anticipation.
It was better to be kind to themselves, to their hearts.
One by one, people 'saw the light' and left.
The live audience dwindled, and the online viewers, who had peaked at nearly a million during the climax, dropped to five million. The interest was even lower than that of the playoffs.
This disappointed Lu Wu greatly.
Damn it, with such a small audience, the effectiveness of his upcoming ad would significantly decrease.
But this was beyond his control.
All he could do was focus on the match.
Soon, it was two o'clock in the afternoon.
002 and 042's match officially began.
The audience in the stands had dwindled to less than a third of the morning crowd, which made Fang Bai smug. He taunted Lu Wu during the handshake.
"It seems they've anticipated the outcome of today's match.
Do you want to put up a fight or just concede defeat?"
"Sorry, but I'm going to smash your dog head!"
Lu Wu brushed off Fang Bai's hand and raised his own, signaling the end of the conversation.
The match commenced, and both sides summoned their initial beasts.
002 deployed the Elite 3-star Little Devil, while Lu Wu sent out Lin Jianying's Goblin.
The moment the Goblin appeared, several spectators in the stands immediately headed for the bathroom.
Of the remaining three to five million online viewers, many switched to other content.
They were tired of watching one-sided battles. They didn't stick around for more of the same, preferring to skip this unpleasant part.
However, they were unaware that they were missing one of the most exciting matches in the high school league.
When those who had left for the bathroom, switched to dramas, scrolled through short videos, or chatted returned, they were stunned.
They stood in disbelief, watching the Goblin chase and slash at the Little Devil.
Their small brains were filled with big question marks.
"Did we miss something?"
Indeed, they had missed the Goblin's unprecedented evolution!
(End of Chapter)
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