My Joker System: From Low Mana Trash to the Mightiest Wizard!-Chapter 108: Rivalry: Fire and Light

"Jefferson Liu, 97th"

Mana-woven words floated in the air as a short yet lean young man passed through the entrance and slipped his ticket into a certain device at the special entrance for competitors.

The numbers after the name often decided how long people would pay attention to the individual who had just entered the arena.

Yet, despite being ranked in the middle of the pack...

"Hal Fennec, 64th"

Everyone gasped as Hal took the limelight, their gazes lingering on him far longer than they did even compared to the tournament’s first seed, Felix Dargon.

This was the first time they saw the appearance of the mysterious 64th seed from the Grand Magic Academy.

No one could deny that Hal looked good: tall, handsome, with a toned physique due to working out.

But would he still look good once pummeled and humiliated by other competitors with their spells?

Perhaps he’s really competent and he would be the one beating up his opponents?

No one could say for sure, so they could only continue observing him, piercing him with their stares to get even a little hint of his competence level.

Meanwhile, on the far end of the arena, a certain red-haired midget’s mouth was stuck agape.

She was pointing at Hal with trembling hands and fingers as though she had seen a ghost.

But then, a message echoed in her mind, snapping her out of her dumb appearance.

Ennya excitedly stood up the next moment and walked as calmly as she could, though her trembling frame betrayed her composed exterior.

Hal, who was currently sitting at the chair labeled with his name and enjoying all the attention, finally noticed someone approaching him.

An excited grin and delighted smile then emerged on his face the next moment as he stood up and unhesitatingly broke his mysterious aura, walking towards Ennya.

"Hahaha! You midget! So you’re in this as well?! Didn’t you say your master was quite the strict hag? Good thing she allowed you to participate, huh?" Hal said in a loud voice before the two of them were even standing next to each other.

He then wrapped his arms around Ennya’s neck and pulled her closer.

"H-Hey! Shhh! You idiot! She’s here with me, hiding amongst the crowd. Shut the hell up if you don’t want to be roasted alive!" Ennya panicked, reprimanding Hal in a hushed shriek.

"What about you? How the hell did a one-star student like you suddenly become the 64th seed?! Did that old man suddenly turn senile, or something?"

"Hmph, that old coot had long turned senile. No need to probe much about me and just wait for the show."

Ennya was naturally taken aback by Hal’s confidence.

Sure, she was used to her childhood friend acting like he was the savior of the world, but it was hard to believe he could keep it up despite the harsh slaps life gave him.

The midget certainly couldn’t wait to see what tricks Hal had up his sleeve.

The two chatted and laughed casually for a while, with Ennya suppressing her boisterous and rather wild laugh due to her master.

This act of closeness, however, made Hal even more shrouded in mystery than he already was.

How was he so close with the youngest and most talented Magna Prospect in the history of the Imperium?!

However, not everyone had the same reactions to Hal and Ennya’s interactions.

Some shot jealous and displeased gazes, while others failed to control their emotions, despite knowing what they were doing was somewhat stupid and incredibly eye-catching.

One such individual was a white-haired young woman, who beat a few jealous, talented young men who were about to give Hal a piece of their mind.

"H-Hal, so you made it here safely and on time...that’s good..." Liora stuttered, awkwardly tugging on Hal’s one-star uniform. freewёbnoνel-com

"Oh? Liora! You’re here too?"

"Well, yeah. I’m a five-star student of the academy, after all."

"Oh, right. I just thought you’d be focusing on learning that spell you need to cure your little brother. Must’ve been why it slipped my mind."

Hal and Liora’s conversation could be considered pretty chummy, too, further adding to and solidifying the curious and envious gazes his way.

Ennya pouted at the sudden interruption.

"Hey, you’re Liora Whitemane, correct?" the midget called out with a slightly aggressive tone. "Can’t you see we’re still talking?"

The white-haired maiden unknowingly clenched her fists and turned to look at Ennya, both fully aware of who the other was.

"Ennya Kasai..." she responded.

Strangely, neither of the two spoke further.

They simply locked eyes, though it was clear there was some sort of hidden rivalry between them.

Hal had no idea what was going on and furrowed his brows for a few moments before finally speaking, unable to stand the confusion any longer:

"You two aren’t going to shake hands or something?"

The two didn’t respond and simply went their own ways, leaving Hal scratching his head and glancing between them before shrugging indifferently and returning to his seat to wait for the event to start.

It was hard to see things clearly when one was right in the middle of it, so while Hal couldn’t understand what had just happened, a good portion of the onlookers did—including Ennya’s master, Freyra Solbrand, who was now clenching her fists in anger and disbelief.

It was quite clear to those watching that the two young women, at the very least, enjoyed Hal’s company and weren’t willing to share his attention with others of the same sex.

This realization caused a number of people in the crowd to gasp and whisper in intrigued yet hushed tones, further displeasing the talented young men participating in the tournament.

They silently vowed to teach Hal a lesson about status and social hierarchy if they ever got the chance.

Fortunately, these jealous and envious participants didn’t have to wait much longer, as an old man with a white goatee suddenly appeared out of thin air at the center of the main arena, a Manatech Microphone in his hand.

"Everyone, I appreciate your efforts and enthusiasm in attending our much-anticipated and prestigious event for young wizards who have not awakened their mana for more than two years: the Arcana Primis Cup.

I am the event’s main organizer, Fredrinn Thorsen, perhaps known to most of you as the Vice Guild Master of the Imperial Wizard Guild.

Without further ado, let us begin the opening ceremony."

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