Free Web NovelChapter 173: Golden Flag [1]
The night after the second round became one of the most restless nights Nine Lotus Academy had experienced in decades.
Nobody slept peacefully.
Not the participants.
Not the spectators.
Not even the powerful families watching from afar.
The rules of the final qualification round had completely overturned everyone’s expectations.
There would be no mountain trial.
No arena battle.
No complicated elimination process.
Only a choice.
A choice so simple that it became terrifying.
Throughout the academy, groups gathered late into the night discussing the same question.
Which flag should they choose?
Some argued that the black flags were the smartest option.
One flag.
One slot.
One winner.
No sharing.
No uncertainty.
If a person believed in their own strength, that was the safest path.
Others argued differently.
The golden flag alone contained thirty slots.
Even if the competition around it became brutal, thirty people could ultimately succeed.
The reward justified the risk.
The arguments continued until sunrise.
No clear answer emerged.
Because nobody knew what tomorrow would bring.
Inside the Imperial Family residence, Mark Smith sat alone while studying the final rules.
Several family elders surrounded him.
The atmosphere remained serious.
One elder finally broke the silence.
"The black flags are safest."
Another immediately disagreed.
"They’re also the most crowded."
Mark remained silent.
The old men continued debating.
Eventually, the young genius raised his head.
"I’m choosing the golden flag."
The room instantly became quiet.
Nobody looked surprised.
The Imperial Family elders had expected that answer.
One of them nodded.
"Good."
Another smiled.
"The strongest should stand where the strongest gather."
Mark looked toward the morning sky.
His eyes remained calm.
He wasn’t interested in safety.
If he couldn’t dominate the strongest competitors, then entering the World Tree held little meaning.
Elsewhere, Emma Rock received the news with a simple laugh.
A Healing Tower elder looked at her helplessly.
"At least pretend to think about it."
Emma shrugged.
"Why?"
"The golden flag."
The elder sighed.
Sometimes talented people were exhausting.
Inside the Clark Family compound, the atmosphere was considerably less harmonious.
Several elders had gathered around Patriarch Rion Clark.
Arguments filled the room.
"The black flags."
"Absolutely."
"Our family already has several qualified participants."
"We don’t need unnecessary risks."
The third elder nodded repeatedly.
"Exactly."
Unfortunately...
One person was missing.
Tony.
Which meant nobody knew what Tony planned to do.
The thought alone made several elders nervous.
Meanwhile, Tony slept peacefully.
Very peacefully.
Unlike everyone else, he wasn’t spending the night calculating possibilities.
He wasn’t analyzing probabilities.
He wasn’t creating battle plans.
He simply slept.
The system spirit floating nearby looked increasingly speechless.
"You’re supposed to be preparing."
Tony yawned.
"I already prepared."
"When?"
"Yesterday."
The spirit gave up.
Reasoning with Tony rarely produced results.
Morning finally arrived.
The academy grounds exploded with activity.
Every road leading toward the final competition area became crowded.
Compared to previous rounds, today’s audience was even larger.
Because everyone understood the significance.
This round would determine who entered the World Tree Blessing.
This round would decide the final two hundred and sixty-four slots.
As participants entered the battlefield, they immediately saw the arrangement.
Two hundred and seven positions stretched across the enormous field.
At the center stood three elevated platforms.
Upon those platforms rested three special flags.
Golden.
Red.
White.
The remaining black flags extended outward like a giant fan.
The visual impact alone caused countless spectators to become excited.
The competition hadn’t started.
Yet the battlefield already felt dangerous.
High above the arena, the Nine House Masters observed everything quietly.
Ancestor Long sat at the center.
Even he appeared interested.
Because nobody could predict what would happen.
Vice Principal Merlin eventually stepped forward.
His voice spread throughout the battlefield.
"You have one hour."
The crowd became confused.
Merlin smiled.
"One hour to choose your position."
A wave of discussion immediately erupted.
Participants began moving.
Some headed directly toward black flags.
Others approached the special flags.
Every decision attracted attention.
Mark Smith moved first.
Without hesitation.
Without consultation.
Without even slowing down.
He walked directly toward the golden flag.
The crowd erupted.
"As expected!"
"Mark chose gold!"
"The Imperial Family monster!"
Many participants immediately crossed his name off their plans.
Nobody wanted unnecessary trouble.
Moments later, Emma Rock arrived.
Golden flag.
No hesitation.
The crowd became even louder.
Then the bald monk chose gold.
The giant carrying the iron pillar chose gold.
Several famous hidden talents followed.
Gradually, the strongest competitors gathered around the same location.
The atmosphere became increasingly intense.
Meanwhile, the white flag attracted considerable attention.
Many participants viewed it as the perfect balance.
Risky.
But manageable.
Within minutes, dozens of people gathered there.
The red flag became even more crowded.
The twenty available slots tempted countless participants.
As the hour continued, numbers gradually stabilized.
White flag.
Fifty participants.
Red flag.
Thirty participants.
The spectators exchanged surprised looks.
Those numbers already exceeded the available slots.
Meaning bloodshed was inevitable.
Then people noticed something strange.
The golden flag.
Only thirteen participants stood there.
Thirteen.
Thirty available slots.
Yet only thirteen people had chosen it.
The entire arena became quiet.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Most participants instinctively avoided the strongest battlefield.
The result created a bizarre situation.
The flag containing thirty slots actually possessed the smallest group.
Even the commentators looked confused.
Then a new figure entered the golden section.
Several people casually glanced over.
The next moment...
The entire arena erupted.
"What?!"
"No way!" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"Is he insane?!"
Even the commentators stood up.
Because the newcomer was Tony Clark.
The same Tony Clark who had spent previous rounds finding the easiest possible path.
The same Tony Clark who weaponized shamelessness.
The same Tony Clark who avoided unnecessary effort whenever possible.
And yet...
Here he was.
Standing calmly among the thirteen participants surrounding the golden flag.
Julie stared from the white flag area.
Lily stared.
Leo Clark stared.
Kevin Clark nearly stumbled.
Even Mark Smith looked over.
The Imperial genius had expected many people.
Tony was not one of them.
The spectators became even more confused.
"Did he walk to the wrong place?"
"Maybe he misunderstood the rules."
"Someone explain this."
Far away, Luka watched through a projection screen.
The old woman rubbed her forehead.
Yesterday Tony had been stealing seats through reputation.
Today he voluntarily walked into the strongest battlefield.
Nothing made sense anymore.
Meanwhile, Tony looked around at the gathering monsters.
Mark Smith.
Emma Rock.
The bald monk. freewebnøvel.coɱ
The giant.
Several terrifying hidden geniuses.
A collection of individuals most sane people avoided.
Tony smiled.
For the first time since arriving...
He genuinely looked excited.
And somehow...
That expression made the other twelve participants slightly uneasy.
