Chapter 300 - George And His Bubble
The crowd boomed in cheers after the name of the round was announced. The Bubble Mania was the most interesting one for them since the tank type Adventurers were the ones who shined in a very humorous form of battle.
"For this match, you have to control your bubble and eliminate the other Champions," Irv announced. "A green HP bar will appear on top of your bubbles once it has taken its first damage."
"And once this HP bar will run out, you are eliminated," Zia continued. "The guild with the last Champion or Champions standing will win the round. Good luck, and the round will start in three, two, one!"
While Hope and everyone else hesitated, George blasted his bubble into the other Champions. He was laughing hysterically as he clashed his metal-like water balloon against the opponents.
George found a target and he leaped above the man and slammed his bubble on them. Only the other Champion's bubble HP bar showed while George's has yet to show up. He repeatedly slammed their bubbles, making Hope call him out.
"George, what are you doing?" Hope called. "Don't be too reckless–"
With a loud pop, George had eliminated a Champion. His bubble still hasn't displayed the green bar, meaning it hasn't received any damage after all that impact. "I can't hear you, kids. Run!"
All the sixteen other Champions, including Hope, contorted their faces in fear and confusion. George was getting aggressive and the face he showed was sending shivers down their spine.
Just when George was about to roll again, another bubble darted straight pass his own. It barely avoided his bubble, making him gasp in sudden shock. He looked behind him and saw that it was a woman from the Circus Carnival Guild. Another man rolled his bubble and stopped right in front of him, grinning at George.
"I was surprised that anyone else would be capable of doing clown things," the man said. "I'm Loki, I have the title Prince of Trickery–"
He was cut off when George smashed their bubbles. The green bar appeared on both of them with Loki taking the greater damage.
"I guess the impact does affect my own bubble," George whispered. "But, anyway…"
As he stood on the side, Hope watched the two exchange glares. It wasn't long before the girl that was with Loki came, rolling behind George to surround him, "I am Marie, and I like blood."
"Same!" George cheered. "Let's just stop talking and start killing each other. I would especially love it when you kill me first, but I'll have to kill you after."
"That's fine!" the clowns chorused, joining George with his hysterical laugh.
"This is crazy," Hope said to himself. He was still having a hard time controlling the bubble, it would be impossible for him to join them. Besides, based on how George obliterated the Champion earlier, Hope thought it would be fine to leave him alone.
Turning to one side, Hope pushed the bubble. There was a thick and viscous air inside, something like a slime but it was made of air. He was able to breathe, but it was hard for him to move. Hope kept wondering why the three could move with ease while he could barely push.
With a grunt, Hope kept on pushing to the side. He must keep distance from the fray since the winner would be determined by which Champion shall remain inside their bubble, not who eliminated the most players.
"George is crazy," Hope muttered to himself, slowly getting the hang of the bubble. He was slowly but surely rolling away from the center of the field, hiding from the enemies. "I'm going to survive. I'm going to survive. I'm going to survive."
As he kept repeating the words like a mantra, a bubble was thrown in his direction. He turned to see George grinning at him, "Take care of that guy for me."
The man spun to face his opponents after he said that to Hope. The dragon boy scoffed after seeing that the HP bar of George's bubble only had the decreased from his impact with Loki earlier.
"It seems like I've been rejected…" the woman inside the bubble George threw at Hope said. "All I wanted to do was give the man a hug! But now, I'll give it to you!"
She was wearing large sets of armor with a fur cape. Her face had four claw tattoos that covered the right half. But all of these were in a bright pink color. The woman also had pink hair that she wears like a ponytail.
"I am Gina Anirock! I will slaughter in the name of love!" the woman yelled. She was carrying a large axe and used it to push the bubble, placing the tip of the axe on the edge of the bubble while she blasted herself forward.
Hope didn't know if the woman knew that her bubble's HP bar was decreasing the more she use her axe to push the bubble. He just prayed to the gods that she didn't notice so he could just run around until she eliminates herself.
"Another one!" George yelled. Hope gasped, seeing another bubble fall down to him. He pushed the bubble with all his might to avoid the impact. He was using all his strength to keep the bubble rolling, accidentally slipping mana outside his body but made the bubble roll faster than it ever did since the game started.
"O-Ohh!" Hope cheered. "Now I get it!"
"Finally, Hope," Aquarius muttered from the balcony. He was still in a weak state, sitting on the front chair while he watched the match. "The air inside those types of bubbles are viscous and are mana-loving. Once mana would be introduced inside those types of bubble, the air would submit to the intent of the mana. In this case, the intent is to get the bubble roll."
"I could still remember when we did this at the beach and ended up in the middle of the ocean," Minos laughed loudly. Aquarius reached his weak and trembling hands up to his face and pushed it away. "We were so young back then."
"I'm always young," Aquarius whispered that ended the conversation.
Meanwhile, Hope had just realized how to use the bubble. He slightly released mana in his hand to point to the right, the bubble also rolled to the right.
With a grin, Hope thrusted his hand forward, blasting him straight through the wall where he unintentionally slammed another Champion between his bubble and the cement wall. Hope gasped after seeing the HP bar of the other champion decrease to a quarter. It seemed like he had been attacked before, making it easier for Hope to eliminate him.
He placed his hand to the back to back away while the man inside the other bubble recover from the impact. With another thrust of his hand forward, he slammed his bubble to the wall, finally eliminating the Champion.
"We're not done yet, my love!" Gina yelled from afar.
Hope grimaced after seeing the woman's bubble's HP bar was almost empty. With a sigh of relief, Hope turned and crashed his bubble with hers, eliminating her too.
Gina moaned when the bubble popped and she fell to the ground. She intentionally threw her axe to the side to hug Hope's bubble. "I have been defeated by my love."
"So weird," Hope breathe out. He rolled to the side of the field, trying to see where the others were. If he could keep his distance from them, he can ambush the one who's left. That way, he would still be able to win even when George just went on a rampage and called an open season for him.
While watching intently, Hope had his sight on a particular man. He was crossing his arms while his bubble rolled forward. His hand didn't point at anything considering he was keeping them.
"What the hell?" Hope contorted his face in confusion until he realized what the man was using. "Oh my lord."
The crowd erupted in laughter. The man was wiggling his eyebrows, proudly rolling around the field while avoiding the other bubbles that tried to eliminate him. "I am the king of the world! Worship me, and you shall be saved. I have the sweetest the White Elixir of Life from my Great Rod of Pure Meat–"
He was cut off when Hope couldn't help but slam his bubble down to crush the man. He could still remember how George did it earlier, so it didn't have to take him a while to know what to do.
"Thrust up," Hope whispered. "And slam it back down."
He repeatedly slammed up and down until the man's bubble was obliterated. Hope rolled to the side, panting after eliminating three people one after the other.
"Where is George–"
"And the winner for the sixth round is, Azure Scorch Guild!" Zia cheered, clapping her hands.
Hope felt his jaw fall to the ground as he watch George out of his bubble, standing on top of the piles of unconscious Champions he defeated, "Pain.. I haven't even taken much pain."