https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-177-The-Little-Skeleton-s-Hot-Pot/13028786/
Chapter 178: The Finals
Chapter 178: The Finals
As Li Wu tended to his Little Skeleton Stew, he casually checked the breeding plan for the Bone Boar that he had submitted via the internal network.
Days passed, yet there was still no response from the Jiangbei Breeder Center.
Li Wu, with his magnanimous heart, didn't complain. Instead, he took out his diary and jotted down a line.
"May 28th.
Regarding the Bone Boar breeding method, the Jiangbei Breeder Center still hasn't replied. I, Li Wu, will remember this!"
After writing, Li Wu looked at his nearly full diary and frowned slightly.
"Writing in a diary is fine, but it's a waste of paper. Hmm, I'll use Little Skeleton's phone to write later!"
The idea of using Little Skeleton's phone to write his diary appealed to Li Wu.
It was secure and saved paper!
The only concern was Little Skeleton peeking, but that was manageable. He'd just have to ensure Little Skeleton didn't learn to read.
If Little Skeleton learned to read on its own, it wouldn't matter, as Li Wu would use simplified characters, which the skeleton might understand.
"If that happens, I'll have no choice but to cook Little Skeleton and feed it to Piggie!"
Piggie wholeheartedly agreed with Li Wu's words.
Salivating at the thought of Little Skeleton stew, Piggie nodded vigorously in approval.
Little Skeleton's stew was indeed fragrant, and Piggie loved it.
However, the cooking process was time-consuming.
It took hours for Li Wu and Piggie to watch over the stewing process before Little Skeleton finally finished cooking the broth.
"Go ahead, you can eat now!"
As Little Skeleton emerged, Li Wu shooed away Piggie and focused his gaze on Little Skeleton.
The results were somewhat disappointing.
Little Skeleton's soaking had yielded some progress, but it wasn't significant.
The only noticeable change was in its quality attribute.
...
Quality: Bronze (Improved) (Little Skeleton Stew) (30%)
Explanation: There's a noticeable improvement in quality, but it's still far from Silver quality. With the current plan, it will need to be stewed at least twice more to reach Silver quality.
...
Evidently, the stew hadn't significantly boosted Little Skeleton's strength, but it wasn't a complete waste either.
Little Skeleton's phone had undergone some enhancement, and although its quality hadn't improved, the 'Large Phone Sweep' skill had been strengthened.
Originally, Little Skeleton could only capture three summoned beasts, but now it could capture one more, allowing it to add another to its collection.
However, it could still only capture Bone Boars or other Little Skeletons.
Without hesitation, Li Wu instructed Little Skeleton to capture the recently evolved Skeleton Musketeer from a few days ago.
Little Skeleton seemed particularly reluctant to this idea, as if it didn't want Li Wu to have other Little Skeletons around.
After capturing the new minion, it secretly bullied it, forbidding it from getting close to Li Wu.
Little Skeleton was possessive of Li Wu, and it even forbade its new minion from calling itself Little Skeleton. It gave the new minion a name, calling it 'Peppa 1'.
Meanwhile, Li Wu...
Watching Little Skeleton bully its new minion, Li Wu muttered, "Hmm, Little Skeleton now has four summoned beasts, and Little Goldfish's core minion has over ten. Even my own summoned beasts, as their master, number only two. It feels like I'm being outdone by my own minions."
This thought made Li Wu feel a bit uncomfortable.
However, after a moment's reflection, he realized that the minions of his minions were still his minions.
When he calculated it this way, he seemed to have hundreds or even thousands of minions.
This thought made Li Wu feel much better.
He even contemplated taking his minions and their minions out for a spin.
"That's a great idea! I'll arrange it soon!"
Subsequently, Li Wu returned to the breeding room to check on the pig.
True to its nature, the pig had devoured the entire pot of stew, worth 400 credits, while Li Wu was away with Little Skeleton.
It lay contentedly in the pot, its belly swollen like a watermelon.
"I wonder how your stomach manages to hold so much," Li Wu mused as he checked the pig's attributes, ensuring it was in good condition before sending it back to Doudou for the night.
The next day was a big one, so Li Wu decided to get some rest.
The following day, Team 042 arrived at the competition venue early.
It was the final day of the High School League tournament.
In previous years, this day would be the quietest, with the least number of spectators.
Typically, by the semifinals, teams from Jiangnan Province would have been eliminated.
The finals would feature champions from other regions, with teams from Jiangnan Province occasionally placing third.
Consequently, the finals in previous years had very few spectators.
However, this year was different. With Team 042 in the running, the finals were exceptionally lively. Tickets sold out early, and the venue was packed, with some spectators even standing.
The arena was filled with various props and banners, all arranged to cheer on the teams. Even the bigwigs of Jiangnan, including Jiang Yuesheng and Zhang Wentao, had personally come to show their support.
However, to avoid adding unnecessary pressure to Li Wu's team, these influential figures kept a low profile and didn't interact with Li Wu's group. They were cautious not to burden the team and affect their performance.
Despite all these arrangements, the higher-ups weren't optimistic about Li Wu's chances of winning the championship. Even Zhao Ka Ming was feeling particularly anxious.
"Old Zhang, do you think Li Wu and his team can defeat Team 044?" Zhao Ka Ming asked.
Zhang Wentao, who was reading a book, responded, "Team 044 is incredibly strong. They're among the top ten even in the Capital City. It'll be a challenging battle for Li Wu's team to beat them. But even if they can't win, Li Wu and his team have already done a great job."
Zhang Wentao clearly didn't favor Team 042's chances against Team 044. He was well aware of the strength of both teams and believed that Team 044 stood in a league of their own in this competition.
Each member of Team 044 was exceptionally powerful. In contrast, Li Wu's team, while good, still fell short. Moreover, the summoned beasts of Little Skeleton and Piggie were only Elite 2-Star, creating a significant gap between the teams.
Defeating Team 002 was already a remarkable achievement.
Zhao Ka Ming understood this as well, but his current concern was different. "What I'm worried about now is what happens after Li Wu loses. Look at the audience; they're all cheering for Li Wu, putting him on a pedestal. He's still young and might be influenced by this. If he loses, falling from such a height, I'm afraid it might be too much for him to handle."
However, Zhang Wentao shook his head, expressing a different opinion. "This is exactly what I'm hoping for. Li Wu's path has been too smooth; he hasn't faced many setbacks. If he loses this time, it might be a good thing for his growth. It's better to experience some failures early on. How can a young man mature without going through some significant ups and downs in life?"
Zhang Wentao's words carried depth, and Zhao Ka Ming agreed. "Yes, some failures should come earlier. It would've been better if they had lost in the preliminary rounds. Losing a few tens of thousands would've been a more painful lesson. At least he won't forget the pain of defeat so easily!"
Zhao Ka Ming's indirect criticism made Zhang Wentao's face turn red. He awkwardly changed the subject, "Oh, have they sent the 50,000 from Jiangbei?"
"Not yet. What's it to you? Are you so broke that you're eyeing Li Wu's money?" Zhao Ka Ming's anger didn't subside.
"I'm just concerned they might not pay up. As for Li Wu's money, rest assured, I'm not after it. We in Jiangnan may be poor, but we're not desperate enough to ask students for help!"
Zhang Wentao almost raised his hand to swear that he wouldn't borrow money from Li Wu even if he was starving.
Zhao Ka Ming didn't bother arguing further. Instead, he continued pondering how to comfort and support Li Wu if he lost, helping him through the potential setback.
...
Soon, the day's competition began. Although it was the finals, the first match wasn't between Teams 042 and 044; instead, Teams 003 and 002 faced off for third place.
Li Wu paid attention to this match, but his focus wasn't on Team 002; it was on Team 003. In their previous match against Team 066, Team 003 had used performance-enhancing drugs, and the day before, they had bullied Old Lin. These incidents heightened Li Wu's interest in Team 003, especially the one who had bullied Old Lin.
As he observed, Li Wu couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about Team 003. The more he scrutinized them, the more he found their actions to be logically sound, yet their flawless 'normalcy' made him suspect they might have some underlying issues.
Meanwhile, the match between Teams 003 and 002 quickly concluded. Team 003's Iron Blade Mantis had its ultimate move ready, and they used it to defeat Team 002 effortlessly. Team 003 also had Li Wu to thank, as their victory was partly due to Li Wu's previous injury to the Little Lionhawk, making Team 002's defeat less challenging.
With Team 003 securing third place, Li Wu's team's match began. It was time for the toughest battle Li Wu had faced in the high school league so far.
(End of Chapter)
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