NOVEL WEB Chapter 712
“Is there no candidate? Well, there probably isn’t. It can’t be helped if there isn’t.”
“That’s right.”
“Quickly come up with a plan.”
An emergency had arisen in the US National Exchange Tournament Committee.
The injury of a participant from Luxembourg.
This resulted in a vacancy in Group D.
The countries in Group D ended up playing one less match.
[It’s not too late! Select a new participant now!]
Countries that couldn’t just watch this situation formally raised objections.
[Then should we give a spot to Lithuania, which missed out on the round of 64 by a 3-point difference…?]
[Isn’t it right to select from Europe? Korea won last time, shouldn’t we hand over a ticket to Asia?]
[Originally, Luxembourg holds an EU ticket. Why are you meddling so much?]
[Wait a minute, why are you trying to select from countries that didn’t participate in the National Exchange Tournament? Luxembourg participated properly with a 3-seed qualification, not a 4-seed, so we should choose from among the current 3-seed forces.]
[No, we can’t recognize that either. Why should we select from the strong teams? There’s less than 8 weeks left in the tournament, and if the opponents change, there should be time to devise new strategies. This structure is entirely disadvantageous for Group D.]
[So what do you in Group D want?]
[It’s due to Luxembourg not managing their players; they should either send out an unqualified player, or our three countries need to battle it out.]
[Aha, so you want to play only two games and advance easily through the preliminaries? Is that fair? If that’s the case, then we should redo the group formation from the start!]
[Why redo the group formation again! Does that even make sense?]
[Enough already! Stop yelling and let’s calm down!]
If there were two separate standings, maybe a mediation through infinite debates could happen.
But countless interests were tangled and the very idea of mediation was impossible.
Instead, it only complicated the committee’s situation.
Moreover, Group D had a strong candidate to win—the American participant.
If favor was shown, it’d be called favoritism towards one’s own country; if not shown, it’d be seen as reverse discrimination.
In this dilemma, a committee member proposed a fresh idea.
“What if we select a neutral participant?”
“A neutral participant? Explain in detail.”
“On the surface, it might seem like Group D and countries outside of Group D are in opposing positions. But if you look closely, their arguments are slightly different.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Group D is anxious that changing the participants might overturn the results of the round of 64, whereas the countries outside of Group D were indignant about only them playing three matches and moving forward. Therefore, if we assign participants to allow them to conduct matches that would normally lead to wins and losses, wouldn’t that solve the issue? Except during the final ranking calculation, of course.”
“In the end, isn’t that just suggesting that Group D be declared a team with automatic victories? There will still be a strong backlash.”
“If we assign a strong participant to drain their stamina significantly, I believe the advantages and disadvantages will balance each other out.”
“For example?”
“Well, for instance, a player like NoName, who didn’t make it onto the national team due to changes in the terms and conditions…”
“That’s it!”
As soon as NoName’s name was mentioned, the chairperson of the National Exchange Tournament snapped their fingers.
“Why didn’t I think of that sooner!”
What’s the reason for hosting the National Exchange Tournament?
Ultimately, this is all to generate profit while collaborating with the local community.
[It’s not that she didn’t participate; rather, I think it was unusual for her to have been able to participate last year.]
[No, that’s not true. I was originally inclined not to participate because of business being busy, but you alleviated the need for me to worry.]
In the United States, NoName’s popularity is absolute.
It was expected that people would swarm to Texas just to see her.
But to hear that such a super hit product…
‘Hundreds of millions of dollars…’
When I heard the news that she dropped because of issues within the Republic of Korea’s national team…
‘She’s the world champion from last year, those *ucking Koreans…!’
The chairperson was so furious that they suffered from insomnia for a month.
“I think that’s a brilliant idea! If points can be earned, there’s no way we can just play the game half-heartedly for stamina allocation!”
“Y-Yeah? But I wonder if NoName would actually accept this—”
“If I can’t see NoName in Texas this year, I will resign from my position as chairperson.”
The chairperson had a personal connection with Yulisis Murphy.
After getting the contact information for Na-me through Murphy, they dialed directly.
And—
“Given the circumstances, would you mind participating in the National Exchange Tournament for just three matches?”
“Sure! I’d love to!”
* * *
[Breaking News) NoName has decided to participate in the Texas National Exchange Tournament as a member of the ‘Luxembourg National Exchange Committee’]
└ Huh?
└ What the f*ck?
└ What is this?
└ What does this even mean?
└ ?????
└ This world is so confusing.
A single line of news shook the world.
That was the announcement that NoName would return to the National Exchange Tournament.
An issue unanimously decided by 40 countries.
In the fierce political battle between Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg seemed to emerge victorious.
[International Magic Gallery]
[Summary of Today’s National Exchange Tournament Committee Announcement][491]
Due to Alain Beiga’s serious injury, Luxembourg is out.
However, since they were a country without a pool of candidates, they hadn’t registered any substitutes.
The committee decided to add a ‘neutral’ participant that would affect the points but not advance into the tournament.
While arguing over whether to categorize by ‘seeding’ or ‘nationality,’ Luxembourg’s viewpoint was accepted by majority vote.
Thus, NoName became the first-ever participant from the ‘Luxembourg National Exchange Committee’ to join the 2054 Texas National Exchange Tournament.
[Comments]
-Wahhh!!!!
-This is driving me insane hahaha
-This can’t be real…!
-Luxembourg National Exchange Committee ← even the name is mind-boggling haha
└ What an awe-inspiring ‘National Exchange Committee’
└ I feel like they might normalize the National Exchange Tournament hahahaha
-Forced NTR, what the f*ck
-If Na-me wins unfairly in Group D, will the gallery explode?
└ Park Se-rip, the head of the association, “Death penalty”
└ I find it even more amazing that this guy hasn’t resigned yet
└ I heard he’s still undergoing a prosecutor’s investigation during his term ^^
-No way, the plane tickets to Texas are already sold out f*ck
-You again, Da Na-me
[Situations that D Group athletes should avoid the most][184]
“Isn’t it enough to just play carelessly since Na-me can’t even make it to the finals anyway?”
Just in case someone is having such thoughts, let me clarify.
“∙Time: 34:18
∙NoName (Republic of Korea) [56% | 47%]
∙Suphian Omar Hakim (Saudi Arabia) [⚠11% (Irrecoverable) | ☠3% (Total Destruction)]”
If you play carelessly, then Na-me could go full-time, annihilate all the particle barriers, and land a one-punch ending, turning you into a half-dead shell.
The best case is to keep damage under 20% while dragging it to a draw without taking damage.
If you happen to defeat the weakened Na-me, then the finals are guaranteed.
[Comments]
-(This person is not a human)
-Na-me pass hahaha
-Thank goodness there’s no extra time
└ If there were, it would’ve definitely gone to 90 minutes hahaha
-Na-me in enjoyment mode is impossible to stop, yeah
-NoName ← should be fully aware if her opponent is slacking, just like noticing when she slightly stretches her pinky during the Heavenly Demon Tournament
└ Truly hahaha
[JOAT][192]
(Park Se-rip, President of Korean Wizard Association.jpg)
[Comments]
-Give back Na-me’s seven consecutive National Exchange Tournament victoriesㅠㅠㅠ
-Quitting Politics is limited to domestic issues, so even those from Korea.net have been robbed, JOAT hahaha
[NoName’s stats just went live on the National Exchange Tournament website! But it seems there’s a bit of an emergency…?][274]
“Last year:
∙Height: 123.2cm
∙Weight: 23.8kg
∙Aura Heart Volume: 1458cm^3
This year:
∙Height: 128.5cm
∙Weight: 22.3kg
∙Aura Heart Volume: 1541cm^3”
Recently, she’s been suffering, and her weight has dropped drastically…
[Comments]
-Only 1.5kg lost? But her Aura Heart has grown a lot.
└ Aura Heart volume increased by 5.69%, weight decreased by 6.30%—talk about a loss!
└ Wow, you’re right
└ Wait, she lost 1.5kg, so how could 6% just vanish? hahaha
-Considering her height increase, she actually lost more.
-Can she really compete in this condition…?
-If she goes out like this, it’s child abuse, honestly
-I’m suddenly worried again
-She actually weighed quite a bit last year
└ She had been working out really hard since six months before that time.
└ There was a time when Na-me had visible abs.
└ How do you know NoName had visible abs?
└ (Awkward NoName emoticon)
[Summary of NoName’s current situation in one image]
(20kg empty barbell.jpg)
Now she needs to give these guys a good pounding.
[D Group – USA (90kg), Austria (103kg), Egypt (76kg)]
[Comments]
-I was just thinking about how to get hit by an empty barbell less painfully hahaha
-Each and every one of them is built terrifyingly solid. Are they all 16 years old?
└ Hehe, that Egyptian girl…
└ This year’s weight classes in the National Exchange Tournament are particularly severe.
└ Love Kim looks like an angel
-If we’re talking about it that way, Austria also has 5 empty barbells~
-Although it seems like NoName will win, comparing them like this makes me nervous.
* * *
[“I’m not fighting to impose order, but merely wanting to confirm my existence amidst this chaos. Isn’t it about time I admit that?”]
Every word Erichiton spoke pierced me deeply.
“Then guess what I want right now.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“… That’s a lie…”
While Erichiton may lack the overarching perspective to overlook the Empire,
her insight into humanity was exceptional.
In my past life, I erased the erosion that took Niobe from this world.
Was that revenge against Niobe, or was it a testament to my existence that could only live in chaos?
If I were to tread the same path as in my previous life…
I would surely seek to erase the existence of Valpurgis in this life as well.
Their weapons, their territory, their economy, their culture, their ideology, and even their religion—all of it.
Every action of mine was unconsciously driven by the singular thought of killing the deity they worship.
I felt afraid.
Is this truly my free will?
I always hoped that civilians wouldn’t suffer from the oppression and wars inflicted by leaders.
Because the horrific execution of a demon race elderly couple who resided at the border still lingered in my mind.
If this was merely a means to justify the actions I would take in the future…
Even if the direction is correct, I realized the necessity to slow down a bit.
No matter what, I must not become a monster just like them.
“Erichiton, sit down.”
“Woof!”
“Stand up.”
“Woof!”
“Don’t sit back down, stand up.”
“Whaaaat?”
“Oh, you sat down?”
“Noo! You’re confusing me because you’re speaking in Korean!”
“For punishment, crawl like a caterpillar on the ground.”
“Whaaaat! Nooo! My beautiful chest will get all scraped against the floor!”
Thud—
The tricycle fell over sideways.
I squatted down before her and began mumbling.
“Erichiton, I really don’t know what I want, as you said. But there’s one thing I’m certain of: I want the people of the world to be happier because of me.”
“Woof, are you talking nonsense…?”
“Well, I can’t bully unhappy people. I want to make everyone in the world happy first, and then start bullying them! Maybe that’s my true intention?”
“Seriously, a crazy person like you shouldn’t have been reincarnated! Is the goddess dead or something?”
“Wow, that sounds like something Nietzsche said. Erichiton, you’re smarter than you look?”
There’s a line by Nietzsche that states one must carry chaos within oneself to give birth to dancing stars.
If I fight against the emotions and desires that I have repressed, along with the socially suppressed norms, I might confront my pure self.
Thus, this chaos I possess didn’t feel entirely negative.
In the end, isn’t it merely about the difference in manifestations?
“Wow, what a saint you are, woof!”
“Actually, I’d rather want to be a clown! Erichiton, want to make a circus broadcast together?”
“I’d rather die than that, woof. I might as well team up with that witch! Argh, just hearing that gives me the urge to go insane, woof!”
“Then what do you want?”
“…What do you mean what do I want? Huh?”
“I’ve turned off the language filters. Erichiton, princess, you’ve lived without as much freedom as I have. You tend to look down on others behind their backs. So, what is it that you truly desire?”
Erichiton’s gaze dropped downward.
She too had uncertainties.
In truth, it might be normal for anyone to not know what they truly want.
In that sense, Hibris was quite impressive.
She had established her own greenhouse within the realm of virtual reality and cultivated all sorts of plants.
Right now, she’s probably watering her Neo-regelia or Ulemi Pine.
“I’ve never thought of that sort of thing. Well… if I had to pick, maybe other people’s romance?”
“What sort of profound conversation could you have with a socialite bamboo shoot? That’s it, I’m leaving.”
“Hehe, come to think of it, you’ve never been in love, have you, Fourth Princess?”
“…”
“Oh, how unfortunate! Even blessed with divine beauty, you can’t find a partner! Even dung beetles have couples to touch their backsides! Without a spouse, you wouldn’t even feel the thrill of the night of vows.”
With her arms wide open, the Crown Princess struck a dramatic pose.
But I knew all her secrets.
“Hehe, am I the only one who doesn’t know?”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t even know, Erichiton.”
“W-What am I unaware of?”
“You’ve never done it either. Your husband is a homosexual. And with children, too…”
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! You better shut that mouth of yours!”
I quickly escaped the virtual reality.
Indeed, teasing others is the most fun in the world.