Chapter 406: Demon Hunting Recruitment
At the expense of Muria, more than ninety percent of the residents of the Rockman Kingdom witnessed the process of the battle competition involving nearly two thousand people. The contestants, divided into five age groups by Muria, were reduced to just eight finalists, along with a few other support role players, totaling less than a hundred.
The final was no longer an elimination round, but a more equitable round-robin system, where each finalist would face the other seven, and the one who won all seven matches would be crowned the first martial genius of the Rockman Kingdom.
In contrast, the competition for support roles was much simpler—just a single decisive match without any complicated rules, since everyone could participate at the same time.
For instance, Muria provided a secret potion formula, and all the alchemists, given the same tools and materials, concocted their potions at the same time. The winner was determined based on several factors such as the time taken to prepare the potion, success rate, and quality.
In the competition for children under ten, Indira dominated and won with overwhelming superiority, ending each fight with a single punch, earning her the affectionate nickname "One-Punch Princess" from the many spectators.
Ryan's battles, however, were much more challenging. Without his demon-hunting armor, he was just an outstanding human genius, nothing more.
Yet, he managed to win one match after another in the finals. Interestingly, during these battles, he inadvertently revealed his identity as a demon-hunting knight.
The reason was simple. In Ryan's fifth match, he faced a talented human sorcerer who had fused with a foreign bloodline and had reached a stage where transformation spells were needed to maintain a human form.
As determined by the demon-hunting armor, this sorcerer was no longer classified as human. Thus, Ryan donned the golden demon-hunting armor and defeated his opponent with overwhelming force. This battle significantly boosted Ryan's popularity.
Since the demon-hunting knights were so recognizable, the moment Ryan put on the armor, many people remembered the stories about demon-hunting knights they had heard as children.
Following that match, countless children started asking their parents about the stories of demon-hunting knights, many citizens cheered for every move Ryan made, and numerous young women fell head over heels for him.
After a month of battles through the finals and grand finals, under the reluctant gaze of many citizens, the event concluded. Everyone wished they could continue watching such thrilling fights every day.
However, that was impossible. With the Rockman Kingdom's basic magic infrastructure, broadcasting nationwide was costly, and prolonged broadcasting could bankrupt Muria.
Once the martial contest ended, Muria began to calculate the points accumulated by the competing geniuses based on their performance, allowing them to redeem rewards from a list offered by Muria.
This approach was based on a points system where each victory earned points. The further one advanced, the more points they earned, which could then be exchanged for treasures from Muria's list of rewards.
After the final award ceremony, Muria summoned all the martial geniuses who had qualified for the finals to the council hall.
"I believe some of you already know the reason I have invited you here," Muria looked down at the nearly two thousand geniuses, the cream of the nation's new generation. Destroying them would be tantamount to dooming the country's future.
"Among you, many have taken up secondary skills such as alchemy, weapon forging, and formation setting, and have excelled in these fields, even outperforming those who are full-time professionals."
"Early hardships make for efficient workers," this saying was fully embodied in these talented commoners who, instead of relying on killing and plundering for resources, discovered their auxiliary talents. Becoming alchemists provided them with a continuous source of income, exchanging their time for resources—a dignified path for those of humble origins.
"Those of you who have managed to multitask and have achieved excellent results have likely already met the recruiters I sent and seen the top-secret information I will soon reveal to the entire country."
Muria noted the restlessness among the young warriors, many of whom were only focused on combat and unaware of what was happening—this ignorance made them visibly uncomfortable.
"Calm yourselves," Muria tapped the armrest of his throne, and screens lit up around the hall, displaying various data on demon attacks and related conjectures.
The startling information gradually quieted the noisy hall, leaving only increasingly heavy breathing. The clear and straightforward data spoke volumes, and even the most uninformed could see the gravity of the situation.
Some doubted the authenticity of the information, as the giants under Muria's command had been suppressing demon attacks and the spread of news, leaving these geniuses unaware of the true state of affairs.
"Your peace is maintained because my giants bear the burden on your behalf," Muria's expression turned stern as he activated the screens to show footage of cloud giants fighting grotesque demons, demonstrating
the brutal reality.
With evidence as solid as this, no one had anything to say, especially after seeing giants fall in battle.
"I am the Gold Dragon, appointed as the Grand Duke by the late King Beladin to govern. It is my duty to protect you, and while my giants guard the Rockman Kingdom, it remains a human nation, not one of dragons or giants. It is your undeniable responsibility to take up arms and defend your loved ones and your country," Muria stood, overlooking all the gathered talents.
"By the authority of the Grand Duke of the Rockman Kingdom, I hereby issue a demon-hunting recruitment decree!"
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