Lord of Prayer - Chapter 342 - 228: Old Era Town

A modern town appearing in a Restricted Area with an environment as harsh as the far north left everyone stunned.

At the same time, a notification popped up on their competition System Panels.

[Final Test (Phase One): Solve the mystery of Akita Town’s destruction.]

[Note: Infighting among contestants is forbidden during the first phase.]

’The final test… the mystery of Akita Town’s destruction…’ Zhou Chen’s thoughts churned as he read the notification. He remembered the town from his dream, the one that had been consumed by a sea of fire. From its general silhouette, it was the very same Akita Town that stood before them now.

“So, this is a dungeon-style Restricted Area?” Renie tutted. “The organizers really know how to play their games. They’ve even saved the cost of hiring a team to clear the area.”

Based on the system notification and the vision Zhou Chen had previously seen through his Essence Resonance, Renie had no trouble deducing that Akita Town had been destroyed an unknown number of years ago.

And yet now, Akita Town appeared before them, completely intact.

In the outside world, this bizarre scene might have several explanations, but inside a Restricted Area, one could safely assume the truth: under the influence of the area’s power, Akita Town had become a “dungeon” waiting to be cleared.

Only by clearing this dungeon would the Restricted Area be considered fully unsealed.

This meant the organizers of the Sword Forging Competition were exceptionally cunning. By holding the event inside a Restricted Area, they got the contestants to find resource points, clear the dungeon for free, and use the gimmick to generate a massive amount of hype. It was killing several birds with one stone.

Of course, this all hinged on the contestants’ ability to clear the Akita Town dungeon.

Just then, a lightness washed over everyone. The Mysterious Power that had been restraining them vanished, and they could move again.

Since the first phase forbade infighting, Magnetic Field Lunatic didn’t attack again, causing some of the others to let out a collective sigh of relief.

No one wanted to face a monster like that.

“No infighting in the first phase. Clearly, the organizers want us to work together to find clues.” Renie spoke first, her gaze sweeping over the group. “So, everyone, shall we cooperate?”

“I’m in,” Han Danqing, with the ID “Wants to Sleep” above his head, said lazily. “The organizers must have explored Akita Town themselves, which is why they set a no-infighting rule. In other words, our individual strength won’t be enough to find the clues behind Akita Town’s destruction.”

“I’ll cooperate,” Zhou Chen said with a simple nod.

“Me too,” Chengzi chimed in, moving to Zhou Chen’s side with a cheerful grin. Just making it to the finals was an unexpected delight for her, and she was in an exceptionally good mood.

The rest, including Yao Hu, all nodded their agreement.

「In the Sword Forging Competition’s live broadcast room.」

Colonel Guan’s rousing voice rang out. “Our contestants are about to face the final test of this year’s Sword Forging Competition! However, because Yao Hu eliminated two contestants earlier, the final test, originally planned for ten people, will now proceed with only eight. They are:

“Magnetic Field Lunatic, Yao Hu! A two-time participant in the Sword Forging Competition, he has won first place in the qualifiers for two consecutive years and was the runner-up in last year’s official tournament. Based on analysis of the competition data, his comprehensive strength is the undisputed TOP 1!

“Wants to Sleep, Han Danqing! A Heavenly Craft Disciple of this generation. Due to his rather lax personality, he hasn’t had any overly brilliant performances in this year’s Sword Forging Competition. However, on the third day of the competition, he encountered Yao Hu and fought him to a standstill before making a graceful retreat. After big data analysis, his comprehensive strength is ranked TOP 2.

“Joyful Sawman, Zhou Chen! A Civil Blacksmith and the biggest dark horse of this year’s Sword Forging Competition. He’s the undisputed King of Kills, once fought Li Chengtian head-on and held his own. His comprehensive strength is ranked TOP 3.

“Akina Mountain Car God, Liu Ling! The famous Playboy of the East Continent Liu Family. He has clashed multiple times with contestants like ’A Cold Light First Arrives’ and ’Invincible Tyrannosaurus War God.’ A powerful combatant, he miraculously survived that earth-shattering explosion and fought his way into the finals. His comprehensive strength is ranked TOP 4.

“My Big Hammer is Already Thirsty and Impatient, Renie! A disciple of Fire God Vulcan of this generation. She had an intense battle with Yao Hu in the previous competition, but has not had many brilliant performances in this year’s Sword Forging Competition, and is thus ranked TOP 5… On a side note, because contestant Renie has shown her gamer-girl side during the competition, she has now been hailed as a Goddess by the gaming community.

“Black Crocodile, Yan Wu! A Civil Blacksmith who has contained Forbidden Object C-018, Harrison’s Forging Hammer. He possesses outstanding Forging Skills and has eliminated a total of 27 contestants in this competition. His strength is ranked TOP 6.

“Brother of Killing Coconuts, Yano! A disciple of Master Forger Harper, his Forging Skills are superb. In the competition, he single-handedly defeated a five-person squad. His strength is ranked TOP 7.

“Black Pepper Fried Chicken Forging Workshop, Chengzi! A Civil Blacksmith who runs a personal Forging Workshop and restaurant. Not only are her workshop’s goods high-quality and affordable, but her black pepper fried chicken is also to die for. She is one of this year’s most striking contestants, having gone on a looting spree with Zhou Chen and two other teammates, which prompted their victims to form an alliance and launch a large-scale punitive expedition against them. She has contained Forbidden Object C-017, the Portable Alchemy Workshop, and her Forging Skills are on par with the best, but as she is not adept at combat, she is ranked TOP 8…”

As Colonel Guan continued his introductions, photos and combat records of each contestant appeared on the broadcast screen, displayed before tens of millions of viewers worldwide. It was a priceless moment in the spotlight where the unknown could achieve instant fame, destined to be remembered by countless people.

The resounding battle anthem concluded, and the camera cut back to the contestants.