What Did I Overlook?

The smoke slowly dispersed, soon revealing the scene within. All the spectators craned their necks in anticipation, desperate to know who had won—His Highness Josh, godlike and demonic alike, or Her Highness Avila, nimble and swift.

Deep down, they were still more inclined to believe that Josh had defeated Avila.

Josh was simply terrifying. He kept overturning people’s understanding of him. Whether it was that dreadful large-scale Frost Magic, the effortless Element Swap that turned an icy plain into a sea of flames in an instant, or that horrifying giant, all of it made everyone believe that Josh was nearly invincible!

One had to remember that this was only Josh’s first time participating in the Four Nations Invitation. His future was simply impossible to predict!

By comparison, Your Highness Princess of the Elf Empire had not drawn nearly as much attention as Josh. Perhaps because she was a ranger, she dealt with every opponent lightly and swiftly, never wasting even a single second.

What was more, she had displayed unparalleled talent. Whether it was Battle Qi or magic, she had actually reached the Sixth Tier in both!

If she had focused on just one discipline, her level would likely have been far beyond this! Regardless of the outcome, the two of them were among the foremost young generation of the Muya Continent.

"Whoever wins, they are both worthy of respect. Still, I think His Highness Josh has better odds. That state of his was at the Seventh Tier!"

"Exactly. I also think His Highness Josh is more likely to win. I never expected His Highness Josh to be so powerful."

"That’s right. If that matter is true, then perhaps no one can truly compare to His Highness Josh!"

"What matter, friend? Does His Highness Josh have some story behind him?"

"I’m not sure either. I work at Biyarnir—Kars’s largest tavern—and once accidentally overheard Prince Kverilia drunkenly saying that His Highness Josh was some kind of useless trash…"

"Damn it, that guy lost the match and still wants to insult His Highness Josh! Is he trying to start a war?"

While the spectators waited eagerly, no one noticed Bonnot on the highest viewing platform watching Black and Ilka, whose faces were as dark as ink, with an amused expression. In the end, Bonnot could no longer hold it in and burst out laughing, making Black and Ilka’s expressions turn even uglier.

As two Ninth Tier powerhouses, it was very easy for them to know what had happened below. No matter how thick or distant the smoke was, it could not obstruct their sight or hearing.

What was more, the two people fighting below were their children. Both of them had remained extremely vigilant, ready to save someone at any moment.

Ilka in particular was utterly stunned by Josh’s strength. That giant formed from the fusion of four elements was simply too terrifying!

Others might not have been able to tell, but how could he, the ruler of the Elf Empire and the mage hailed as the strongest on the entire continent—at least openly and outside the Land of the Gods—not sense it?

No matter how well Josh concealed it, Ilka had still sensed it immediately!

To be honest, he had initially thought his perception was wrong. But when he had deliberately questioned Black in apparent rage, Black’s awkwardness and hesitation had immediately convinced him that his senses were absolutely correct!

He had long felt that something was off. He had sensed it when Josh first used the Elemental Light Wings, but he had not dared to be certain. Now, he could completely confirm it: Josh was not some opposing-element mage at all. He was a damn four-element mage!

Good heavens! A mage capable of wielding four elements at once—no wonder he had been useless for more than ten years. So that was the reason!

Since four elements had never appeared in the history of the Muya Continent, Ilka naturally concluded that this was the cause.

Josh’s four-element giant had directly increased his strength by an entire stage!

This was not a matter of multiplying his power several times. It had directly raised Josh from the early Sixth Tier to the early Seventh Tier! That one-stage increase had essentially brought his daughter Avila’s Four Nations Invitation journey to an end.

Ilka did not feel much about it. As long as she had done her best, the outcome was not that important. She could work harder next time.

As he remained ready to intervene at any moment, in case Josh failed to control his power and killed his daughter outright, Ilka suddenly remembered that his daughter seemed to have some damned promise or other?

Fortunately, Josh had shown considerable restraint. His terrifying final strike had veered aside and did not injure his daughter, making Ilka breathe a sigh of relief. Black did the same.

Black had also been guarding against Josh suddenly doing something foolish. Of course, he was also wary of Ilka.

If that bastard Josh really accidentally killed the elf princess, and Ilka suddenly attacked, then naturally he would have to protect his child. Of course, he knew the possibility was small. Black was more concerned with whether he could stop Josh if the situation arose.

"It seems Josh has quite good control over that giant."

"Yes."

Having both breathed a sigh of relief, the two suddenly exchanged glances. Ilka said with a laugh, and Black smiled as well.

Josh and Avila’s battle had truly been full of unexpected twists, but fortunately, everything was over. This time, Josh had won Augustus another first place in the individual competition, and it was beyond dispute.

Unfortunately, the good mood did not last. While the two were still chatting about this and that, they suddenly saw Josh dismissing his giant form and beginning to casually talk with Avila. Avila had even admitted defeat herself. Ilka was somewhat astonished. This strong-willed girl had actually conceded, so what about her promise?

What made Ilka feel even more incredulous was that, after Josh completely dismissed the giant form, he actually walked over intending to help Avila up? And Avila actually agreed?

Heaven knew what Ilka was thinking at that moment. Since when had his daughter been willing to touch a man outside of battle?

A strange feeling rose in his heart. Could his daughter really be planning to fulfill that ridiculous promise?

Just as Ilka was uncertain, Avila directly began telling Josh about her situation. Yet before she could finish, Josh interrupted her!

Ilka’s expression darkened somewhat, because Josh actually started cursing. He had actually called his daughter a lunatic!

If Ilka agreed with Josh’s earlier words about "building your future on martial strength" and the like, then calling Avila a lunatic was another matter entirely. Did he really think before speaking?

Ilka’s face was dark, but at least Josh’s decision matched his own thoughts. There was no need to pay attention to some damned promise. At that point, he felt that Josh was actually quite a good young man, even if he was somewhat greedy for money.

But what Josh did afterward immediately made both Ilka and Black’s faces turn as dark as ink, while Bonnot burst into laughter beside them!

Josh, you bastard, what did that mean? Was honor worth so little in your eyes? And did you think money was worth more than my daughter?

Black nearly rushed down to give Josh a beating. Had this bastard gone mad over money?

There was absolutely nothing wrong with Black’s intelligence. He had already understood what that so-called promise meant. Yet Josh had simply given it up? Did he not know what benefits he would gain if he married an elf princess?

Amid Bonnot’s hearty laughter, the two emperors fell silent, while the audience watched in eager anticipation.

As the smoke dissipated, Avila ultimately accepted the dagger Josh offered as if possessed, then cooperated with him in this performance.

When all the spectators saw this scene after the smoke cleared, their faces were filled with disbelief!

Josh’s advantage had been far too great. Even that tremendous commotion had been caused by Josh, yet they had no idea what could have happened for things to end up like this.

However, after the referee entered the arena to negotiate and confirm the situation, he immediately announced that Avila was the champion of this year’s Four Nations Invitation individual competition!

To quell the doubts, the referee also revealed why Josh had lost. Naturally, all of it had been provided by Josh himself.

"What a pity! His Highness Josh was defeated because he was not skilled with a sword and missed his strike, then had no magic power left to continue fighting. What a terrible shame!"

"Yes, it truly is a pity. Her Highness Avila was really lucky, but sometimes luck is indeed part of one’s strength."

"His Highness Josh’s magic was too terrifying. If he had used it earlier, the match would have ended long ago, and it would not have turned out like this."

"Perhaps His Highness Josh did not want to hit Her Highness Avila too hard. After all, their two nations have always had an excellent relationship."

The referee’s announcement stirred countless discussions among the spectators. All of them felt sorry for Josh, because his loss had simply been too unlucky.

But thinking about it, Josh was a mage. Naturally, his swordsmanship could not possibly be that good. And if that terrifying giant had not consumed much power, they would not have believed it anyway.

Though they found it regrettable, they still gave Avila a thunderous round of applause from the bottom of their hearts. This girl had actually endured until Josh exhausted all his magic power. Even if Josh had somewhat overplayed his hand, as proper noble gentlemen, they had no doubts about his actions.

If he had been exceptionally ruthless toward a lady, especially when this was not a true battlefield, then Josh might have faced some criticism.

Unfortunately, they were all wrong. Josh had nothing to do with what they imagined. He simply did not want to get involved with this troublesome woman.

The type whose mind was full of things like, "The man I marry must be the strongest in whatever," or "Whoever defeats me, I will marry him"—Josh truly wanted to stay as far away from such people as possible. As for why she had made such a promise, Josh did not dare believe it at all. Even if she was an imperial princess, it made no difference.

Looking at the cheering audience, Josh let out a slight breath. That should be everything, right?

Overall, Josh’s gains from this Four Nations Invitation had been quite good. Not only had he promoted both his own reputation and that of his territory, he had even recruited a whole group of professional actors for his Magic Cinema business.

Of course, these people still needed to go through some negotiations, but Josh held the initiative. He was not worried in the slightest that they would cause trouble during the talks afterward.

More importantly, Josh had fulfilled his agreement with Natasha, and had unexpectedly helped Akathosh obtain that Magic Stone as well as ten thousand gold coins. What more could he possibly be dissatisfied with?

Stretching slightly, Josh raised his head and looked toward the highest viewing platform, where the rulers of the Four Great Empires sat.

But to Josh’s surprise, both Ilka and Black wore deeply somber expressions. He could even see traces of anger on their faces, while Bonnot was laughing heartily beside them. As for the beastman emperor?

Well, Josh did not care in the slightest about how that emperor was doing. In any case, his relationship with the other great empires was fairly poor.

The reason they were able to continue existing in this world was partly for peace and stability, and partly because they had once contributed to the Muya Continent.

Josh scratched his head. Ilka and Black’s reactions had truly exceeded his expectations, making him suddenly feel somewhat uneasy.

"Did I overlook something?"