Countless players watching Sterl's battle hesitated.
They had initially been set on betting on "David" to win.
But David's opponent was formidable as well!
About three or four hundred years ago, Brand Witte had been sanctioned for his mass slaughter of members from the Hall of Valor, and he was already a Supreme back then.
Due to the excessive killing of fellow faction members, he was bound by a contract to serve the Hall of Valor.
He had been carrying out tasks ever since and had never returned.
Now, his appearance at the Valor Combatants Tournament left many members of the Hall of Valor feeling anxious.
At the same time...
No one would question Brand Witte's terrifying combat strength!
A Supreme could easily kill ordinary demigods without facing punishment from the Hall of Valor. It was only because he had killed too many of his own kind, including a hidden Supreme, that the Hall of Valor had to personally intervene to suppress him!
Who could estimate just how strong Brand Witte was at this moment? He could very well be one of the top contenders in the finals.
At that moment...
In a viewing platform that resembled a casino, a small room accommodated nearly a thousand players and NPCs. The entire room was painted a dark brown, dim lights illuminated the space, and young women dressed as bunny girls flitted about, serving drinks.
However, the people here had no time to admire the girls' beauty; their eyes were glued to a single screen.
The screen appeared empty at first glance, but as soon as one's gaze landed on it, they found themselves atop a high-rise building, right next to the two powerful fighters, Brand Witte and David, who were about to engage in battle. They could even feel the temperature shifts and the dazzling neon lights hitting their faces.
"Who's stronger between these two?"
"The odds seem very tight."
"David was so ruthless before; Vajra Supreme couldn't even withstand a single strike. Should we just bet on him??"
The players were somewhat indecisive.
Until...
Suddenly, a man in a purple tailcoat raised his wine glass and let out a scoff.
"Ha, David?"
"He... is not going to win."
The man's face was filled with confidence, and his assurance drew no objections; everyone stared at him in shock.
"That's a quasi-divine level being!"
"No way! Isn't that the one under the God of Death and Shadows?"
"He's still alive."
Immediately...
The atmosphere in the entire casino fell into silence, and everyone faced the man in the tailcoat with utmost respect.
Quasi-divine beings rarely took action.
They were typically on the verge of breaking through to the divine level.
It could even be said that every quasi-divine being had the capability to leap into the divine level in an instant, unless their level was insufficient.
However, the probability of successfully making that leap was uncertain.
Ordinary Valor Combatants Tournaments would not typically attract such individuals, but the rewards this time were incredibly rich. Even beings just a step away from divinity would be tempted.
And when this quasi-divine being appeared, everyone listened intently.
His judgment was certainly not to be doubted.
Because whether it was David or Brand Witte, both were crushed by "quasi-divine" power! Perhaps there were a few quasi-divine beings less inclined to combat who could be killed by a Supreme in retaliation.
But the young man before them was exceptionally strong! His mastery of the Law of Death was already approaching the realm of divine authority! No matter how well David performed...
To put it bluntly, if he faced this young man, he would fall in an instant.
"David specializes in offensive Law powers."
"He has never shown any defensive capabilities."
"There are two possibilities: one is that his sheer power is so overwhelming that no one can force him to use any defensive techniques."
"The other possibility is that he has focused all his efforts on cultivating offensive killing techniques, and in battle, he either kills his opponent in an instant or gets killed himself."
"And Brand Witte, with his racial talent, has a strong ability to preserve his life."
Just moments ago, many had trusted the judgment of that quasi-divine being and bet their entire fortunes, hoping for a big win.
Instead, they had just sent themselves to their doom.
Who could withstand this?
"Impossible! How could he have such a technique?!"
"It's fake! It's fake! I must have seen it wrong; I'm under an illusion."
"Where am I right now? Wasn't I in my own estate? How did I end up here?"
...
Many were going mad.
They shouted and roared in anger; if it weren't for that powerful individual who had given the earlier advice, they might have turned on him, wanting nothing more than to tear him apart.
Meanwhile, the quasi-divine being sat calmly, watching the fading figure on the screen with a slight smile.
"Interesting..."
"Perhaps we might encounter him again."
"David."
The quasi-divine picked up a top hat and placed it on his head, leaving the casino with an elegant demeanor.
It wasn't long after he left that a barrage of curses erupted.
"Damn it! What's he trying to prove? He doesn't understand anything and is just spouting nonsense."
"He's ruined us!"
"Damn it... that scoundrel! After the calamity, I hope he's the first to die."
"Exactly! If I'm targeted during the calamity, I'll be the first to lure the monsters toward him!"
...
Countless players gritted their teeth!
They glared at the position on the screen that "David" had occupied, full of resentment.
They regretted it immensely; if only they had bet everything on David winning from the start, they would have already soared!
Now, the opportunity was gone.
With David's true combat power revealed, even hidden Supremes would be easily slain; who didn't know to bet on him to win?
The odds were probably terrifyingly low!
"From now on, whenever I see David, I will definitely bet on him to win; if I don't, I'm a dog!"
One player swore an oath.
...
Sterl had no idea he had caused such a stir.
Upon returning to the estate, he sat cross-legged, familiarizing himself with the perfect Law-driven Silent Domain, and then made a slight upgrade to the Great Demon Armor, enhancing it and adding a new special effect—
An additional ability generated based on the equipment absorbed.
"Not bad."
Sterl nodded.
The next day, when he returned to the arena, he was stunned to see his upcoming opponent.
This time, the finals were structured as a round-robin scoring system, where each person earned points based on the number of opponents they defeated; the rankings determined who would advance.
Generally, the top contenders among hidden Supremes and a few top-tier pseudo-divine level fighters would compete in the finals.
During this finals period, only one quasi-divine was unable to skip to the finals due to registering late.
Sterl was surprised to find that he had encountered that individual so quickly.
In front of him stood a young man dressed in a tailcoat and topped with a high hat, his right hand pressing down on the hat, obscuring his features, with only a faint smile visible.
Instantly, the players who had previously boasted that anyone who didn't bet on David's victory was a dog changed color.
Oh my!
This is a welfare agency!
Even with their eyes closed, they knew which side to bet on, right?
How could a mere Supreme compare to a quasi-divine level powerhouse?