Chapter 411: Chapter 406: Demon Hunting Recruitment Chapter 411: Chapter 406: Demon Hunting Recruitment Under the unrestrained expenditure of Muria, over ninety percent of the residents of the Lockman Kingdom witnessed the combat contest of nearly two thousand people. The competitors, divided into five age groups by Muria, eventually dwindled down to only eight in each group. Along with the supplementary professional competitors, the remaining participants were fewer than a hundred.

The final round of the competition is all that remains. The top eight contenders from each of the five age groups have been selected. Among them, the top five martial artists of the Kingdom will be produced.

The rules for the final rounds do not follow a knockout system but a fairer round-robin format instead. Each competitor has to fight the other seven participants once, with the player who achieves seven consecutive victories being crowned the top talent of Lockman Kingdom.

Comparatively, the competition for the support roles is much simpler, being a direct win-or-lose format without as many complex elements, as all participants can compete simultaneously.

For example, Muria might present a secret potion formula, allowing all alchemists to concoct a potion under the same circumstances using the same tools and materials. The champion would then be selected based on criteria such as the time spent brewing the potion, the success rate, and the quality.

In the Martial Arts Competition, there’s not much to say about the youngest age group, below the age of ten. Yingdila won the final victory with an overwhelming advantage. Her fights always ended with a single punch, earning her the fond nickname of “One-Punch Princess” from the spectators.

Compared to Yingdila’s easy victory, Leon’s battles were a lot tougher. Being unable to don the Demon Hunter Armor, he was merely an exceptional human talent with nothing extraordinary about him.

However, he managed to secure one victory after another in the seven final battles. Interestingly, during these matches, he revealed his identity as a Demon Hunter Knight.

The reason for this is rather simple. In Leon’s fifth battle, his opponent, a talented sorcerer with an extraordinary bloodline, had reached a level of bloodline awakening so high that he needed to use a shape-shifting spell to maintain his human form.

Under the Demon Hunter Armor’s judgement, this human sorcerer was no longer considered human. Therefore, Leon was allowed to put on the golden Demon Hunter Armor and defeated his opponent in a dominant fashion. After this battle, Leon’s popularity soared.

Because the Demon Hunter Knights were highly recognizable, from the moment Leon donned the armor, he reminded many of their childhood tales about the Demon Hunter Knights.

Since that fight, countless children started inquiring of their parents the stories about Demon Hunter Knights, countless commoners started cheering for Leon’s every move, and countless young girls fell for him, utterly smitten.

The finals, including the final matches, concluded after a month, leaving many spectators unwilling to leave as they had gotten used to watching such exciting battles every day.

But this couldn’t continue. Based on the state of Lockman Kingdom’s basic magic infrastructure, broadcasting nationwide would be a consumption of massive funds. If this went on for too long, it could bankrupt Muria.

After the Martial Arts Competition ended, Muria began to calculate the points earned by each talented participant based on their results. He allowed them to exchange their points freely, and the rewards would be distributed accordingly.

On this matter, Muria adopted a points system. Each victory was equal to a certain amount of points. The farther the contestants advanced, the higher the points they received. They could then exchange the points for the treasures listed in Muria’s reward catalogue.

After the final award ceremony, Muria sent an invitation to all the martial art talents who qualified for the finals, inviting them to the Council Hall.

“I presume the ones among you who have been summoned here would already know why.” Muria gazed down at the nearly two thousand talents below him. They are the cream of the crop of the new generation in this Nation. An end to them would be as good as sacrificing the Nation’s future.

“Among you, I noticed quite a few who have taken up secondary professions such as alchemy, arms making, formation setting, and more. Some of you have even excelled remarkably in these fields, surpassing even those who are fully dedicated to them.”

The saying “Poor children take responsibilities early” was perfectly encapsulated by these talented commoners. After all, relying on killing and plundering for resources to cultivate is not sustainable in the long run.

On the other hand, excavating one’s talent in secondary professions like alchemy is like unearthing a constant gold mine. In exchange for spending their time, they could attain cultivation resources. This was undoubtedly an honorable path for those of low birth.

“Those of you who have excelled in handling multiple jobs and professions should have already been approached by the recruiters I dispatched. You might have also been exposed to a secret document about events about to be made public.”

Muria noticed the unrest spreading among the talents, and many of their discontent faces. Those who focus on combat and research were entirely oblivious to what was going on.

Being left out while others were in the loop was a great dissatisfaction. Besides those with peculiar psychological issues, no one loves being singled out. It gave them a feeling of being overlooked.

“Calm down,” said Muria, tapping on the armrest of the throne. Light curtains started appearing in the Council Hall from all directions, projecting information related to various demon invasion incidents and related speculation.

These shocking pieces of information led the clamoring Council Hall into a gradual silence, and all that was left were the increasingly heavy breaths. Clear figures and facts spoke louder than words. Even the most unknowledgeable could spot the severity of the problem, unless they were dimwitted.

Some questioned the authenticity of these pieces of information. After all, monstrous invasions were suppressed everywhere Muria dispatched the giants, and Muria intentionally restrained the spread of such news. To these talents, the current state of the Lockman Kingdom appeared peaceful and prosperous.

“Your peaceful days are preserved because my giants are carrying the weight for all of us,” remarked Muria, his face stern. With one tap of his hand, the light curtains surrounding them began displaying bloody scenes of Cloud Giants in combat with various strange-looking demons.

Everyone fell silent in front of this ironclad evidence, as they saw that some Cloud Giants had fallen in battle.

“I am the Golden Dragon, invited by the former king, Belradin, to serve as a chancellor. I’m obligated to protect everyone. My giant army protects the Lockman Kingdom—it’s their duty.

But the Lockman Kingdom is a human kingdom, not a kingdom of dragons or giants. You should also pick up your swords and magic staffs to protect your loved ones and defend your Kingdom. It’s your inescapable duty and responsibility,” Muria stood up and looked down upon the talents.

“In the name of the chancellor of the Lockman Kingdom, I hereby issue the Demon Hunting Recruitment Order!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read