Mage Manual-Chapter 650 - 516: Sword Maiden’s Stage (Part 2)

"Surrender?"

Sonia had just thought to turn her head when Lois twisted it back, "Don’t move around, you’re wearing a War Dress!"

Village Girl could only straighten her back and face forward, asking, "Do they want me to surrender willingly?"

"Not surrender, but ’exhaust all tricks and then withdraw from the field.’" Adelle explained, "Thousand Stars Entertainment believes that if you were severely injured and on the brink of death during a national broadcast, it would seriously affect your viewer appeal and lower your commercial value; on the other hand, if you recognize the disparity and withdraw voluntarily, it will leave everyone with a favorable and deep impression, which is only beneficial to you."

"Indeed." Lois, while fastening ornaments on Sonia, added, "It seems like there’s never been a case of a contender surrendering in the finals of the Meteor Disaster before."

"That’s because those contestants are usually juniors and seniors, and they might only participate in the Meteor Disaster finals once in their lifetime. How could they give up until the last moment? Moreover, the Starshoot Guard, Griffin Corps, and Barrier Corps all pay close attention to the university leagues. Quitting out of fear would severely impact a Combat Mage’s future," Adelle said. "But Sonia is different."

"Sonia is just a freshman; to have reached the finals of Meteor Disaster is already a Miracle. Even if she voluntarily drops out, no one would look down on her at all, and she still has her sophomore, junior, and senior years. Next year, when Demi graduates, it won’t be too late to compete for Meteor Disaster again."

Village Girl appeared contemplative; at that moment, Lois tightened the waistband, causing her to shiver and subconsciously straighten her chest.

Lois, looking at the bulging front, showed confusion, "Did my house make the War Dress too small, or have you developed further?"

Sonia’s War Dress from the semi-finals of Meteor Disaster was severely damaged, and there was no time to repair it, so she had to wear a spare War Dress.

"I’ve been constantly using the Sword Body Technique Spirit to train my body recently," Sonia said. "Maybe I’ve gained some muscle?"

Lois poked her, "It doesn’t feel firm though, kind of squishy."

Adelle leaned in, "Let me feel—"

"Stop playing around," Sonia said. "So, do you agree with the proposal from Thousand Stars Entertainment?"

"We, the leaders of Claw Club, discussed it a bit and think it’s indeed feasible," Adelle stated. "Thousand Stars Entertainment is one of the top three film and culture chambers in Dazzling Star. If you want to pursue a career as a Shadow Actress and Songstress, Thousand Stars is an excellent choice. They’re offering a very lenient contract and are even willing to custom design a series of shows and films to boost your popularity—just like your favorite, Dedarose!"

"But they also made it clear that if you suffer a disastrous defeat and severe injuries in Meteor Disaster, the offer won’t be the same. Thousand Stars doesn’t need someone scarred by defeat at Meteor Disaster, but a stunningly beautiful young woman Sword Master, honorable even in defeat."

Ingrid voiced her opposition, "People will forgive a loser."

Adelle shook her head, "People will forgive a good-looking loser more."

"And," Adelle paused, "if it’s a battle doomed to lose, isn’t surrender the rational choice? You are going to lose in the end anyway."

"It’s not the same," Ingrid stated. "A battle fought with surrender in mind and one fought bravely to the end, for a Sword Master, the difference is substantial. The former only causes the sword to rust, while the latter sharpens the blade’s edge."

"See, I don’t understand that; I’m not a Sword Master," Adelle shrugged. "So Sonia, it’s your choice—either you compromise the honor of a Sword Master to embark on the glamorous path you’ve always aspired to, or you reject Thousand Stars’ proposal and face Demi in a fight to the death?"

"Hmm—" Sonia spread her fingers to let Lois slip on the middle finger sleeve, "Can I have both?"

Adelle blinked, "You mean, you want Demi to beat you badly and then you surrender?"

The president of Claw Club smiled slightly, "Decline Thousand Stars Entertainment for me. After all, the situation on the field changes constantly; besides me and Demi, there are also four other powerful contestants who have been revived as losers. I may not even last till I face Demi alone, Thousand Stars’ expectation is too idealized."

Adelle could tell this wasn’t the real reason, but since Sonia had said so, she could only comply.

But she still couldn’t help asking, "Sonia, aren’t you afraid of losing?"

"Yes, of course I’m afraid. Who isn’t afraid of losing? Not to mention, when invoking the Forbidden Death Miracle, contestants often lose terribly," Village Girl said. "For me, the embarrassment is far worse than losing."

"So, are you planning to surrender?"

"Afraid of losing," Sonia stated. "But surrender isn’t the only solution."

...

All the stars have fallen, and the Star Cluster has returned to its place!

At this moment, Jiale City’s National Sports Center was completely full, bustling with noise. The students of Truth University were almost all in a celebratory mood, even going so far as to hang up banners preemptively congratulating Senior Demi on his victory; other universities were much quieter, contrasting sharply with Truth University.

This was also a rare occurrence: in previous Meteor Disaster events, although the winner from Truth University generally advanced to the finals, there were always elite students from other universities in the losers’ revival group. If they agreed to target the player from Truth University first, they might make that player leave the stage with regret—this situation usually happened about four or five times every ten years, so the odds were still quite high.

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