"Ladies and gentlemen, Anon has taken off, already a quarter of the way through the kingdom and halfway to catching Samantha. Will Anon truly turn the tables on Samantha, or will Samantha defeat him?" Landon announced with anticipation.
"Here comes the first hurdle of the second kingdom, the Desert of Kalahari, but I don't believe it will pose a problem for Anon. He has already conquered the most treacherous deserts and the most dangerous sea across all seven continents." Seraphina declared confidently.
"There are a total of 23 hurdles scattered across the seven continents, but only five of them are truly perilous. The rest are considered mere race tracks. I have already cleared three, leaving only two remaining—the Forest of Nightmares and Darkthorn Grove Forest in the last kingdom. According to Letti, I will receive assistance in the Darkthorn Forest, and the Forest of Nightmares is my own territory. I am already in a winning situation, but you never know when circumstances may change and you die." Anon pondered as he traversed the Kalahari Desert.
"Hmm... I have already crossed it, well that was easy ?" Anon mused, glancing back momentarily before resuming his rapid pace.
"It has only been two minutes, and Anon has effortlessly conquered the first hurdle of the second kingdom as he continues to close in on Samantha but i still think that Samantha can win." Seraphina announced.
"Well, judging by his speed, I believe this guy truly has a chance of winning the race. What do you think, Seraphina?" Landon inquired.
"I'm afraid I don't share your optimism now landon. Upon closer observation that i did right now, it seems that Samantha is employing a stacking spell, gradually boosting her speed every few minutes," Seraphina responded, analyzing the situation.
"I knew it! She's utilizing a stacking spell. Now, hand over my winnings," A noble student spoke.
"Damn it! I thought she was using a standard spell," Another noble student spoke as he tossed two silver coins towards him.
"So, it appears Samantha will emerge victorious." Another one spoke.
"Care to make a bet? I can still wager on Anon,"
Bets began to circulate among the nobles and commoners alike.
"Ms. Letti, care to place a wager?" Seti proposed with a wide smile on her face.
"Hmm... What kind of bet?" Letti inquired, her eyes fixed on Seti as she smiled.
"Considering you support Anon and his astonishing speed, I assume you believe he will emerge triumphant, correct?" Seti questioned.
"Yes, undoubtedly," Letti confirmed.
"How about another blank mana contract as a bet? I propose that Samantha will win. What say you?" Seti proposed, a confident smile on her face.
"And what do you want in return?" Letti asked with a suspicious expression.
"If you lose, you will have to destroy the first blank mana contract that I gave you," Seti replied with a cunning smile.
Suddenly, a tense expression crossed Letti's face.
"What do you say? Care to make the bet? You have nothing to lose, and you stand to gain another contract if you win," Seti enticed, employing the Gambler's trick.
The Gambler's trick was a wordplay tactic used by gamblers to lure others into placing bets. It focused on emphasizing the potential gains to the other party while distracting them from the possible losses from the bet.
"No..." Letti responded.
"What? But you could earn an additional mana contract through this bet. Don't you desire another blank mana cont—," Seti began, only to be interrupted by Letti.
"Let's bet two mana contracts," Letti proposed, her smile taking on a psychopathic quality.
"W-What?" Seti grew alarmed at Letti's unsettling grin and stammered.
"Let's bet two mana contracts. If I win, you will give me two more mana contracts. If you win, I will nullify your first contract and provide you with one of my mana contracts. How does that sound? You stand to gain so much if I lose, and I already possess one of your mana contracts. What harm could two more do to you?" Letti expertly employed the Gambler's trick, turning the tables on Seti.
Unlike Letti, Seti quickly fell into her trap, and...
"I accept. Let's do this," Seti declared, a wide smile adorning her face.
Both teachers had made a bet before thousands of students, and breaking it would result in their reputations being shattered throughout the entire academy.
'You have no idea what you've done, you commoner bitch. You're finished now,' Seti thought with a smile.
'Well, two more mana contracts for me. I can't refuse that,' Letti thought, smiling in return.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Anon has triumphantly cleared the second hurdle of the second kingdom—the Frozen Lake of Eldoria. He is now closing in on Samantha," Seraphina announced.
"Yes! Surpass her, Anon! The moment you overtake her will mark your ultimate ecstasy, the sweet taste of victory. But four minutes later, when my sister surpasses you, you will experience the cruelest moment of your life, a memory that will haunt you forever," Jake proclaimed, a peculiar smile on his face.
'What a fucking weirdo,' Frank thought as he observed Jake's expression.
'Can this dishwasher girl truly defeat Anon? I have a dreadful feeling about this,' Frank contemplated, his gaze fixed on the screen before him.
Anon drew closer to Samantha, and their eyes met as he effortlessly surpassed her.
"As you can see, Seraphina, Anon has overtaken Samantha and is now surging toward his victory," Landon commented.
"Better have those mana contracts ready," Letti quipped, smiling at Seti.
"Yes, we shall see who will be preparing the mana contracts and who will receive them," Seti responded, her smile carrying a hint of mockery.
"We certainly will," Letti replied.
'Everything is proceeding as Samantha informed me,' Seti thought as she observed Anon surpassing Samantha.
Five minutes before the commencement of the second round...
Eldoria's coastline...
Jake, Samantha, and Seti were hatching a plan.
"He's utilizing a cooldown skill along with Phoenix Ignition to maintain his stamina," Jake explained, displaying Anon's previous race clips on the screen.