Merlin's words caused surprise among the school directors. They could not understand why a competition that encouraged students to improve each other turned into a fight to the death.
The original intention of holding the competition was to inspire students to be competitive and work hard to improve their personal abilities. After all, they are academic institutions, not the barbaric Roman Colosseum.
The weight of the word "fight to the death" was like a heavy rock pressing on the hearts of everyone present, but looking at Merlin's expression, his seriousness showed that Merlin was not joking.
The proposal of a fight to the death must have been the result of careful consideration.
The school directors looked at each other, and finally the most experienced old man asked,
"I wonder why you are doing this, Mr. Principal?"
Merlin nodded slightly. This question was expected, but the actual reason was a little difficult to say.
He thought for a moment, softened his sharp words, and then opened his mouth and said,
"I want an occasion where the world can see a person clearly."
The school directors were all silent. They certainly understood Merlin's hidden meaning.
Merlin wanted to kill someone, but because of his identity, he couldn't do it himself.
"Children are innocent after all."
The oldest man stroked his beard and shook his head gently.
“I know, so this time the competition will not be mandatory as in the past.
The competition system will be changed to voluntary participation, but every participating child will need to sign a life and death statement.
Although they are young, they are all adults.
I believe they will weigh the risks themselves."
Merlin nodded, and then expressed his thoughts.
"In addition, due to the temporary change in the competition format, I will take out some fine items from my collection as rewards for the winners."
"Will there always be fish under the bait, and will there always be brave men under the big reward?"
The old man said to himself,
“It may not be impossible, but can the casualty rate be controlled
If the casualty rate is too high, it will be difficult for us as the school and the organizer to explain to the parents.
Merlin, you know, especially those old-fashioned people with aristocratic ideas.
They value the life of their heir above all else.”
Merlin nodded and promised,
“Don’t worry, I will have the best medical team guarding the stadium.
If he hadn't died on the spot, he could have been saved with just one breath left.
In addition, I will naturally be present to supervise.”
The old man nodded in agreement, but he asked a question that the directors had in their hearts but did not have the courage to ask.
"That would be best, but Merlin, who do you want to die?"
Merlin did not answer, but looked at the old man meaningfully.
The old man's hair suddenly stood up, and he felt that he had asked a question that he shouldn't have asked.
He waved his hands quickly and said very quickly,
“Forget it, I don’t want to know.
Don't tell me, to save yourself the trouble."
"That's very good, old Potter.
Some things are better not to know.”
Merlin said with a smile, looking around.
The school directors were horrified. Although Merlin was smiling, the threat in his words was obvious.
When these old foxes heard this, they all expressed their approval of Merlin's idea and said they would come out to watch the game. Then everyone left on their own under Merlin's instructions.
Merlin was the only one left in the huge conference room, and the projections of the school directors had disappeared.
Merlin looked at the empty conference room and said to himself,
"If you hadn't acted so aggressively and done something so outrageous, how could I have wanted to kill you like this?"
After he finished speaking, he shook his head slightly, wiping out the last trace of kindness and hope in his mind, and wrote furiously on the blank paper, completing the stage he had designed specifically for Arthur.
This will be the stage where Arthur's true colors will be revealed, allowing everyone to see Arthur's ugly face.
——
"Ha, make me a cup of hot tea."
Arthur was in his study, writing down his plans for the next three months.
The long hours of paperwork made him feel dry in the mouth, and he shouted unconsciously as per his usual habit.
When he came to his senses, Arthur laughed at himself.
"I still feel a little uncomfortable for a while."
After saying that, he stood up and walked to the window.
He looked out the window at the students playing and laughing on the lawn. He stretched out his hand and shook it.
“You are all under my control, but you don’t know it.
Foolish, pathetic, pathetic people."
Just as he was indulging in his own fantasies, there was a knock on his door.
"Bang, bang, bang."
Arthur did not turn around, but just let his hands fall naturally on both sides of his body and called out softly,
"Come in."
The man was a junior cadre who was temporarily promoted to replace Hull's position as Vice President, but ironically, Arthur never remembered his name.
The young cadre bowed respectfully to Arthur, but there was a hint of panic on his face.
Arthur noticed this keenly and took the initiative to ask,
"Anything unexpected?"
The young cadre was about to speak, but was a little surprised when Arthur asked the question first.
After a moment, the young cadre said,
"President Arthur, this is the latest ranking competition schedule announced by the school. Please take a look."
After saying that, the young cadre took out a rolled-up notice from his coat pocket.
"Oh? Isn't the schedule always like this? Is there any change this year?"
Arthur calmly reached out his hand to take the notice handed over by the young cadre, but the young cadre's expression at this time could only be described as extremely wonderful.
Arthur slowly spread out the notice, and the word "Notice" was painted bright red and in bold font to attract people's attention.
In the past, announcements were mainly in black and white, and only in rare emergency situations or extremely dangerous tasks would they be printed with bright red paint.
Arthur naturally understood the meaning of this.
The more he looked, the more his pupils contracted.
He held his breath and read the notice signed by Merlin himself, then took a deep breath and exhaled.
A smile appeared on his delicate face.
“It’s very interesting.”
Arthur said with emotion.
“Yes, this notice has become the latest topic in the whole school.
Many people said that Principal Merlin was crazy, and many people were gearing up to compete for the rewards that were temporarily added to this competition.
It is known that those who have publicly stated that they will participate in the competition are the best in their respective departments. It is expected that the scale of this competition will far exceed previous precedents.
The school administration office also gave new instructions to our on-site construction staff."
The young cadre reported honestly.
He told Arthur all the information he knew so far, and then made an equally excited expression.
"So who is this? What do you think is the highlight of this competition?"
Arthur asked nonchalantly, bringing his right hand to his mouth and biting the nail of his thumb gently.
This small action symbolizes his excitement.
"Well, I think it should be the scene where the contestants are fighting with all their might on the field."
The young cadre didn't care that Arthur didn't remember his name. Being a smart man, he naturally wouldn't embarrass himself over such a small detail.
"No, it is the blossoming of death and the baptism of blood."
After Arthur said this, he turned his back to the young cadre and bit through the skin at the front of his thumb.
A trickle of inconspicuous blood flowed from the fingertips. Arthur's tongue, with wet saliva, passed over the fingertips. The blood on the tip of his tongue, with a little rust and fishy smell, made Arthur feel extremely excited involuntarily.
He was looking forward to the arrival of this feast of public killing more than anyone else. He longed for killing, he longed for blood, and he longed to show his strength to the world.
When the time comes, he will use the most cruel means to torture his opponents.
His opponents will suffer a double blow both physically and mentally, and their howls and screams will become nutrients for fear.
Arthur wants to show the world his invincibility on this stage.
Everyone will fear himself, and therefore respect himself because of the fear in his heart.
They will no longer respect him because of his status as the heir to the king. Instead, their respect will be completely due to the fact that they have been conquered by him.
Arthur had even imagined himself becoming the uncrowned king of Miskatonic University.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
He drove away the confused junior cadres and walked alone towards the secret passage hidden in the president's office.
There is hidden his family sword, his special armor, and his secrets unknown to the public.
——
After recovering, Columbia and Jobtran finally breathed the fresh, free air again.
They no longer need to stay in the health room filled with a mixture of cigarette smoke and medicine smells, staring at the same ceiling every day.
Before leaving, they said goodbye to Jack, the school doctor who had taken good care of them, and expressed their sincere gratitude to him.
Jack just waved his hand, but he said something serious.
"Don't let me see you guys again. This isn't a good place for any pretty girls."
When Jobtran heard this, he naturally didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but Columbia blushed strangely.
"No, no, no, this is where I met Serena's mentor, and this is where I truly witnessed her charm."
When Jobtran heard this, he looked as if he had seen a ghost and patted Columbia on the shoulder.
"Brother, do you want to check it again?"
Jack, on the other hand, had a look of "as expected" on his face, holding his cigarette impatiently.
“This is his true nature, and the mirror ghost just magnified his inner desires.
In fact, he's healthier than you are right now.
God knows what other things are in your body."
Columbia heard this, lowered his head and chuckled.
Presumably, Columbia has realized the fact that he likes Serena and is facing the matter honestly.
Joe Butran spread his hands indifferently.
"It's always good to have many skills. Let's go, let's go."
As the two were about to walk away, Jack suddenly said,
"Do you remember the contents of the report?"
Columbia was a little stunned, obviously not knowing what the report Jack was talking about, but Joe Butran didn't even turn his head, holding up his right hand clenched into a fist.
As they walked away, Jack said with emotion,
“It’s great to be young.”
——
On their way back to the dormitory, the two of them naturally heard the big event that their classmates were talking about - the announcement of a new competition.
Columbia, who loves to join in the fun, did not miss such a topical event. He took one and handed it to Joet Brown, who would definitely participate in the competition.
The two men sat casually in the rest area, Joet Brown drinking tea, while Columbia read the rules of the competition one by one.
“First, this year’s qualifying competition will be voluntary, and all contestants can register using their ID cards.
Note: When registering, you need to submit a death certificate, which can be obtained from the school office.
Second, in order to encourage students to participate actively, Principal Merlin will provide the top 500 contestants with an opportunity to visit his personal treasure house, and the top ten contestants can choose a favorite collection as a reward according to the ranking order.
Note: The original credit reward mechanism still exists, and the rewards for the contestants will even be doubled.
Third, signing a life and death agreement does not mean that victory or defeat must be decided by a life or death fight.
If a player is exhausted or seriously injured, he can take the initiative to shout words such as surrender or admit defeat. The other party shall not continue to attack when the other party surrenders, otherwise he will be judged as the loser.
Note: School doctors, the bishop of the Holy Light Church and other guests will be stationed outside the venue to treat the injured players.
Fourth, the first round will adopt a free-for-all mode, and only the players who are still standing after the hourglass counts down will be eligible to enter the next round.
Note: Although the school does not encourage teamwork, being able to form a team is also a form of personal strength.
Fifth, after the melee elimination round, there will be an individual defense competition.
Before the defense competition begins, contestants will be given random ring identity codes via their student cards. There are a total of eight rings.
The contestants will be assigned the responsibilities of attacking and defending the ring respectively. The detailed rules will be announced during the competition.
Sixth, the school board members will watch the entire game, and players with outstanding performance will have the opportunity to be promoted by the school board to become team members, and their future development can be expected.
Advice: Do what you can. "
As Jobtran listened, he tapped the wooden table with his fingers, making it clatter.
After Columbia finished explaining these basic competition rules, he looked at Jobtran, only to find that Jobtran had poked a hole of moderate size in the table.
Columbia raised his eyebrows.
"What do you think?"
"It's the old man's work, and he spent a lot of money on it."
Joe Butran said this first, but then he said something that surprised Columbia.
"Notify everyone around us that they can't go to this competition."
"Hmm? Putting aside Howard's timid character, you let that impulsive fool Fok give up the opportunity to show himself?"
Columbia asked, confused.
"Well, I have to give it up."
Jobtran replied seriously,
"This is not a race, this is a meat grinder."
Columbia scratched his head and laid the bulletin flat on the table.
"Isn't there a medical team here? And the school board is watching. There can't be too many deaths, right?"
Upon hearing this, Joet Brown looked directly into Columbia's eyes without saying a word, and said word by word,
“A lot of people will die.
Those who overestimate their abilities, those who rely on luck, and those who are speculators.
This is not something that ordinary people can mess up. With Fok's mediocre skills, he will come out sideways in the first round."
"and you...?"
Columbia asked, somewhat worriedly.
"I will definitely go."