Chapter Seventy-Four: The Selection Contest (2) — Swimsuit Water Gun Battle!

“Damn!” Zhao Tianhe immediately grasped the gravity of the situation as soon as he saw the competition unfold.

“What’s wrong?” A staff member nearby looked puzzled, but with Artoria’s dazzling entrance, he soon realized things were spiraling out of control.

Originally, Artoria hadn’t cared much about this contest, intending just to make a token appearance. The main reason was that Zhao Tianhe had told her about previous years’ events: simple talent shows, some singing and dancing, a few interviews—nothing of real interest.

“Why is this year so wild?” Zhao Tianhe asked, his face full of confusion.

“Times are changing,” the staff member replied with a wry smile. “Honestly, apart from the swimsuit runway, I don’t know the rest either!”

In aquatic environments, Artoria’s agility soared by twenty points, reaching an astonishing forty. Her movement speed surged as well, making her as nimble as a second-class veteran archer. Though she couldn’t use her own weapons, her sheer agility and speed alone allowed her to instantly eliminate two contestants as soon as she entered the arena.

‘This water blaster isn’t great—the ten-meter range can only manage four accurate shots, and at twenty meters, it’s only good for one,’ Artoria quickly assessed the performance of her water canister. Crouching to refill it from the pool, she deftly dodged several attacks.

“If it’s a brawl, count me in!” A tall, voluptuous woman leaped onto a log and, with her impressive strength, sent three contestants at the other end plunging into the water.

“Come on!” The towering woman dashed atop the wobbling log, charging and weaving like a surfer.

“This power-type contestant, Katata, is quite clever,” an elderly commentator explained solemnly beside the host. “Her tactics look reckless, but she’s actually using the splashes to shield herself. If you’re hit by the water blaster, you’re out, but mere splashes don’t count. The water blaster can’t penetrate the spray!”

“And you are…?” The burly host looked at the old man, surprised, as though about to say something, but was waved into silence.

“Another dark horse storms in!” The old man shouted, excitement in his voice. “She’s a mage, but her strength is impressive! Well, carrying such a burden, how could she not be strong?”

The audience gasped in awe as the much-anticipated champion, Li Mei, entered the arena! Despite being a mage, she immediately hurled two contestants into the water with an over-the-shoulder throw.

“Don’t underestimate a child of the coast…” Li Mei stood steadily atop a rolling log, adjusting her stance to dodge several attacks with ease.

“Oh dear, innate abilities don’t count as magic, right?” A girl with pale blue hair and gills beneath her jaw strode across the water, kicking over a log and sending four contestants tumbling.

“A spirit with water-walking talent? This is her personal show!” The old man chuckled, stroking his chin and squinting. “But I suppose diving and water manipulation aren’t allowed?”

“In that case, I’ll stop,” the girl replied, dispersing the water shield before her.

Several streams of water shot past her, though it was unclear whether she used her powers or if her opponents simply missed their mark.

Zhao Tianhe recognized this girl—she was from his own generation of spirits, known simply as Ling. Born with an extraordinary affinity for water, manipulating it was as natural as breathing. Casting fifth or sixth-level spells cost her as little mana as low-level ones, and she could cast them in rapid succession. She was among the strongest of her peers.

Against a water blaster, no one—not even a master mage—could tell whether she was actually using her powers to deflect the streams. In this contest, she was essentially a walking glitch.

She would never fall into the water, nor would she ever get hit…

Yet, even this queen of water could not escape defeat.

“Thank you.” Artoria appeared out of nowhere, shoved the nozzle of her water blaster into Ling’s mouth, and blasted her full force.

‘So her talent was never the problem. If I had known, I wouldn’t have fought so hard.’

Clear water sprayed from Ling’s gills and nostrils—a hit so obvious that she was immediately eliminated.

“Another with aquatic talent…” The old man watched as Artoria’s movements sent waves rolling, and smiled. “I seem to have seen this young lady in a magazine. That swimsuit is both striking and bold.”

“Aquatic talent? Another water-manipulating spirit?” the burly commentator asked, astonished.

“No, not a water manipulator—just blessed to never fall into water. Reminds me of those permanent elven blessings from long ago,” the old man explained. “And her speed and agility are formidable, probably a product of her class.”

“Hahaha! You lot have no stamina!” Katata, standing atop a log and holding another under one arm, laughed heartily. “Can’t believe it’s down to just the three of us already!”

Li Mei, perched on a log and clutching her water blaster, looked alert. Artoria, standing still atop the water, grew increasingly serious.

“Oh! It’s the final showdown! Hard to believe that less than five minutes in, only three are left!” the host shouted in astonishment. “What a fierce battle! And more than half were eliminated by Katata! She truly lives up to her reputation as an A-rank powerhouse—a single force can defeat ten skilled!”

“She’s not just about brute strength,” the old man said, shaking his head. “Her attributes and talents are well balanced. She’s probably about to break into A-rank.”

“I’m not one to just stand around!” On the field, Katata sprang into the air, hurling the massive log at Li Mei’s feet.

At the same time, she lunged straight for Artoria, left hand open, right hand clenched in a fist.

Artoria fired her water blaster in a direct stream at Katata, but Katata knocked the spray aside with a palm-strike-generated gust.

Even without skills or spells, Katata’s raw strength produced effects nearly equivalent to special techniques.

“Goodbye!” Katata punched, sending a blast of air that churned up a massive wave and engulfed Artoria.

If you refuse to sink, I’ll drown you in water instead.

Katata’s tactics were crude but highly effective. All she needed to do now was leap back onto a log and the match would be over.

But—splat!—a stream of water struck her thigh.

“Huh?” Katata froze, failing to leap, and fell straight into the water.

Because Li Mei hadn’t fallen in! She had stretched into a full split, straddling two logs. The log Katata threw hadn’t struck the one beneath her, but instead plunged harmlessly into the water.

At the same time, Li Mei’s score skyrocketed. With her voluptuous figure in that pose, who could possibly resist?

Several burly men in the audience even had nosebleeds!

Li Mei, beaming with pride, slowly drew her strong legs together.

But—splat!—a jet of water struck her squarely in the face.

“Sorry, but when it comes to water gun battles, I never lose.” Artoria stood out on the water in the distance, water canister slung over her shoulder, her gaze sharp as a blade. Not a drop of water clung to her; clearly, she had never fallen in.