Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Class battles (pt3)

Chapter 36: Quiet Bets and Silent Proofs

📂 Combat Analyst Record – Yumei.011 | SynchLevel: 78%

🔒 Federation Access Tier II – Logged via Tactical Record Slate

⸻

The crowd's roar from the ongoing matches still echoed in the upper stands as I slipped away from the A6 section, Maxius perched invisibly on my shoulder and Lufei padding beside me, fluff-tail high like a general inspecting troops. The weight training cuffs around my ankles clinked lightly with each step.

No one stopped me—probably because I looked too serious to mess with.

Good. I had bets to place.

I made my way toward the outer ring of the Federation Combat Grounds – Arena Complex, where the Regulated Wager Terminals were stationed. The holo-screens flickered with ongoing and upcoming matchups: Single Competitor Trials. Most students placed bets for fun, tossing in a few hundred Cred Tokens for excitement. I had strategy.

"All right, kiddos," I muttered, tapping my ring to display current odds. "Jin Minhe's match already gave us a nice prediction curve. Let's see who else fights like a war god in disguise."

Lufei craned her neck to peek at the list, while Maxius tilted his head, bored.

⸻

📊📉 Arena Combat Interface – Class Battle Day

🔒 Federation Monitor v2.12 – WagerLink Enabled

7 Combat Rings Active | Star Rank Grouped by Sector | 💰 Live Bets Open

Battle Format – Single Competitor Trials:

• Round 1: Close-Combat Only

• Round 2: Qi Technique Combat (No weapons)

• Round 3: Weapon Arts – Qi Reinforced (No beasts or spells)

Class Codes: A–F | Levels: 1–7 | 35 Cadets per class

Matches randomized within same ★ Rank

⸻

🥊 Current & Ongoing Matches

Combat Ring ★ Rank Match Code Fighters Status Format Odds

C1 ★1 F1 vs C1 Tan Ruo (F1–005) vs He Jin (C1–020) Round 2: Qi Technique Combat 1.8 : 1

C2 ★2 D2 vs A2 Tian Rou (D2–012) vs Xie Lan (A2–003) Round 1: Starting 1.6 : 1

C3 ★3 A3 vs E3 Qin Yuyan (A3–010) vs Gao Min (E3–015) Round 1: Midway 1.4 : 1

C4 ★4 C4 vs F4 Zhao Rong (C4–006) vs Wu Lei (F4–027) Round 2: Qi Technique Combat 4.0 : 1

C5 ★5 B5 vs D5 Ma Chen (B5–030) vs Liu Feng (D5–021) Round 3: Weapon Arts 5.1 : 1

C6 ★6 A6 vs E6 Ren Shuyan (A6–015) vs Lan Jieyan (E6–032) Round 3: Weapon Arts 7.5 : 1

C7 ★7 A7 vs B7 Jin Yanhan (A7–012) vs Xu Jie (B7–033) Round 1: Starting 3.2 : 1

⸻

🔐 Combatant Profile – Secure Access Tier II

Name Class–ID ★ Rank Core Awakening Signature Combat Branches Bound Entity

Fan Yumei A6–011 ★6 Dual Core Beastmaster / Healer / Rune Master Maxius, Lufei, Mystic

Jin Minhe A6–012 ★6 Dual Healer / Refiner Glutton Panda

Xu Jie B7–033 ★7 Single Beastmaster ✔️ Lightning Wolf

Lan Jieyun E6–032 ★6 Single Rune Warrior ❌ Unregistered

Wu Lei F4–027 ★4 Dual Hunter / Refiner ❌ Concealed

(Full Soul Metrics, Cognitive Index, and Internal Qi Loadouts remain Federation-encrypted.)

⸻

📅 Upcoming Matchups

Combat Ring ★ Rank Fighters Format

C3 ★3 Chen Tao (E3–009) vs Li Mei (D3–022) Round 1: Close-Combat Only

C4 ★4 Yuan Qiao (B4–011) vs Feng Lihua (F4–019) Round 1: Close-Combat Only

C2 ★2 Meng Rui (C2–015) vs Zhang Yin (F2–028) Round 2: Qi Technique Combat

C6 ★6 Jin Minhe (A6–012) vs Bao Lei (B6–020) Round 1: Close-Combat Only

C7 ★7 Lin Jimin (E6–008) vs Zhou Han (F6–026) Format: TBD

⸻

💸 Wager Submission – Federation Terminal

🎲 Digital Wager Certificate

• Initial Wager: 500 Cred Tokens

• Odds: Jin Minhe full sweep (3–0) = 3:1

• Bet Type: Victory Method Mod – All Rounds

• Net Gain Potential: +4,500 tokens

⸻

Mystic entered low-hover recon mode overhead.

A few students stared up in awe. I ignored them.

After betting money on a quiet underdog mage from Class C-3 and a safe 500-token wager on Jin Minhe's upcoming match, I stepped back after receiving my certificates and flicked open my Tactical Record Slate.

A few Class B cadets passed by, muttering about "nerd Beastmasters taking notes like it's finals week." I stared them down until they shut up.

"Let them think what they want," I muttered. "We'll see who's laughing when we cash out."

⸻

🧭 Combat Observation Memo

→ Refine internal tactic rotations for battle royal match.

→ See if Mystic's altitude during skirmishes affects enemy formation instincts. Test during next Beastmaster Sector free period.

⸻

A flicker of commotion from the front row caught my attention.

A new set of matches was being called. The banner overhead read:

Elite Division Showcase – Advancement Class vs. Federation Special Track

Even Lufei stilled beside me. Maxius's camouflaged aura twitched—half-bored, half-calculating.

"Oh?" I murmured.

⸻

⚔️ Combat Ring C8 – Federation Broadcast Link Active

Elite & Special Advancement Class Match Initiated

🔒 Protocol: Tier III Observation Clearance

Round 1 – Close-Combat Only

📢 "C8 Match Start – No qi, no weapons, no beasts! BEGIN!"

Hei Rou in tailored midnight blue with silver-edged sleeves—quiet and unshakable. Yan Luo, stripped of his obsidian armor, wore only base training wear. No tricks. No enhancement.

Hei Rou rushed in.

Elbow feints. Low parry strikes. Her steps were tight, weight always balanced. Yan Luo didn't retreat—he advanced into her rhythm, meeting her head-on with open palm strikes and elbow redirections.

A hip throw from Hei Rou nearly brought him down. Yan caught himself mid-roll and answered with a sharp palm to the sternum. Both grunted—neither stepped back.

Their styles clashed in tempo: Hei Rou, a dancer with ice in her veins; Yan Luo, a boulder that moved like a storm.

Three minutes of blur and bruises.

📢 "Time! Round One ends in a draw!"

No cheers. Only stunned silence.

⸻

⚡ Round 2 – Qi Technique Combat Only

📢 "Round Two! Qi use permitted—no weapons, no beasts! Glyphs, curses, spells, internal channeling allowed. BEGIN!"

Hei Rou lifted her hand. Frost qi bloomed like snow caught mid-flower, spiraling into a tri-ringed glyph array above her shoulder.

Yan Luo snapped his wrists. Thunder qi laced along his spine, arms humming with stored force. He stepped into a stance—broad, grounded—then drove a qi circle into the air. It glowed gold and violet.

Then chaos bloomed.

Hei Rou's frost rings deployed Cryo-Glyph Terrain Alteration—ice plates, not to trap, but to redirect. Every time Yan moved, she shifted momentum beneath his stance.

Yan responded with Thunderstep Resonance Runes, each stomp discharging pulse backlash. One misstep from Hei Rou, and her glyphs staggered.

She retaliated—not directly, but by freezing the ambient qi field.

That's when he grinned—triggering a Qi Feedback Loop Curse that rebounded her frost control for a split second.

Both recoiled.

⸻

📈 Tactical Progress Note

• Hei Rou: Cryo-Rune rings create predictive movement fields.

→ Lufei to mimic redirection arcs as part of spin-disengage protocol.

• Yan Luo: Thunder qi with internal echo curse layering.

→ Study short-range buffering methods for Maxius's phase recovery.

Final glyphs flared. Curses collided mid-air.

📢 "Round Two—draw!"

Still no winner.

Still no hesitation.

⸻

🗡️ Round 3 – Weapon Arts – Qi Reinforced Only

📢 "Round Three! Weapons only—no active spells or beasts. Qi for internal reinforcement only. BEGIN!"

Hei Rou drew twin sabers—slim matte-forged alloy, tuned for speed arcs and compression strikes.

Yan Luo's halberd hit his shoulder with a thud. Curved storm-forged blade. Spiked rear counterweight. Full momentum tool.

They bowed.

And they moved.

No blinding qi. Just internal channeling.

Hei Rou pushed support qi into joints, breath, muscle tension—fast, agile, precise.

Yan Luo sunk his energy into grip, stance, and redirection. Every swing had mass.

First clash—saber on shaft.

Second—lock and redirect.

Third—pommel to foot, ignored.

He disarmed one saber. She used the second to dislodge his weapon's arc.

📢 "One minute remaining!"

Every move: full control.

No waste. No flash.

At the end—her blade hovered at his chest. His halberd circled behind her spine. No strike.

📢 "Final round—draw!"

⸻

🏁 Match Result: Triple Round Draw

📢 "Combat Ring C8 Match concludes—no violations. Status: Draw."

⸻

💾 Elite Tactical Log – Federation Cadet Sync Note

• Hei Rou: Motion control via glyph-pulse terrain. Ice-field induced redirection.

→ Assign Lufei freeze-reactive platform testing.

• Yan Luo: Halberd control via thunder-qi echo reinforcement.

→ Maxius resonance training scheduled. Counter-phase needed.

⸻

I looked down at my notes.

Lufei remained in flank-guard posture. Maxius lowered his head, a thoughtful chirp vibrating through his chest.

We weren't there yet.

But we were close.

And when it was our turn—

We wouldn't be drawing.

We'd be writing the rules.