A Bug In Fate

Three days passed like that, and the city was now so crowded that one could easily lose sight of their child if they weren’t careful.

A sense of hype seemed to be in the air. Everywhere people went, they could hear others talking about the tournament.

Unlike previous years, this year’s tournament was different. The public didn’t know why there had been such a sudden change, but they welcomed it with open arms.

The five cities participating in the competition were Ravenhold City, where the tournament was being held, and its four neighboring cities: Windmare, Redmont, Greyhaven, and lastly, Blackwood City, which was under the control of the Blackthorn family.

Children ran around while their parents helplessly shook their heads and followed after them. Meanwhile, some people were busy shopping, with women dragging their husbands and boyfriends along as they went on shopping sprees.

Can you guess which shop has the biggest crowd at this moment?

A luxurious restaurant? No.

An expensive clothing shop? No.

A blacksmith? An alchemist? A library?

Nope.

It was a newly opened two-story shop beside the guild, and written on a wooden board above the entrance in clean letters were two simple words:

"Chocolate Shop"

Yes, it was a chocolate shop, and it literally had more customers than all the shops mentioned above.

The line was so long that the guild had to send some of their receptionists to keep it under control, as they were already professionals at managing crowds.

"Mom... It’s so good. I want to take some home for my little sister," a boy said while licking his finger with a delighted expression.

Beside him, his parents smiled and nodded at him. Their son wasn’t the only one with friends. They had some too.

At another place, a young man suddenly kneeled down on the road and stretched his arms forward in a proposal.

A woman in her early twenties stood before him, blinking several times in surprise before accepting the chocolate from his hand.

"I love you too."

She smiled as they hugged each other before sharing a bite, and the atmosphere around them suddenly filled with warmth and affection.

*He really did it... He stood in line even though his waiting number was 17,789...*

She thought inwardly while holding his hand as they walked away, ready to enjoy their first date.

Similar conversations and situations were taking place all around the city. Somehow, no one knew how it happened, but getting their hands on chocolate had become a feat worthy of a marriage proposal, while others treated it as something precious to share with their loved ones.

And it wasn’t like the line was so long because the chocolate was free. People loved anything free, even if it were poison itself.

No, that was far from the actual case.

A single piece of chocolate cost 5,100 gold coins.

Yes, it was an absurd number, but that was simply how the market worked. The guild was the sole seller of chocolate, so it wasn’t like people could get their hands on it through any other means.

Even for lower-ranking noble families, it was expensive. With that kind of money, they could have covered a week’s worth of food. But they had their pride, and they weren’t going to miss out on something new just because of the price.

Some commoners even spent their savings just to taste chocolate at least once.

And it wasn’t as though those who bought it regretted their decision.

No.

After tasting it, they praised themselves for waiting in that ridiculously long line for hours. Even nobles had to send their servants to stand in line for them, as the guild wasn’t an organization they could afford to offend.

While people spent their fortunes just to taste the chocolate, another crowd had gathered at a different building. People entered the building one after another and came out with various expressions on their faces.

The world didn’t lack people who knew how to take advantage of a situation, and another name had recently begun appearing on people’s lips.

It was a betting organization.

The organization was called Cream 11.

A week ago, they had advertised themselves throughout the city, and now people were entering the organization with hopes of getting rich by the end of the tournament as they placed bets on the contestants they believed would win.

It was a renowned organization spread throughout the empire. Whenever an event like this tournament was organized in a city, it always attracted young dreamers.

People were chatting inside the building as they argued with their friends over which participant to bet on.

"Hey, I’m telling you to bet everything you have on Carl!"

A young man pinched his friend after he had placed his bet.

"You bastard, do you want me to end up on the streets? If you have that much faith in Carl, then why did you bet on Lady Elara?" His friend cursed loudly.

Conversations and back-and-forth arguments like this weren’t rare, as almost every second person was doing the same thing.

The people who had participated in the fight at the city entrance were especially hyped up, as they bet their monthly savings on their favorite participants.

Some were confident enough to put everything they had on a single person, while others divided their money between several participants, hoping that at least one of them would win.

Every corner of the building was filled with arguments, laughter, and occasional curses whenever someone disagreed with another person’s choice.

For many of them, it wasn’t just about winning money. It had become a matter of pride, as everyone wanted to prove that their judgment was better than everyone else’s.

At this moment, a boy no older than seventeen walked toward the counter where a young woman was taking bets.

"Hello there. I want to place a bet on someone." He smiled as his black eyes glanced at the table and the papers scattered across it.

"Hello, welcome to our organization. Which participant would you like to place a bet on?" The woman smiled politely.

"I want to place a bet on myself," the young man said.

"Oh. You’re also a participant? Good luck."

He wasn’t the only participant who had come to bet on himself. Confident participants were always one step ahead when it came to betting.

The woman’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer.

The person standing before her had blue hair and black eyes. He was only at the Peak Awakened Realm, but she didn’t question him. It wasn’t her job to judge the participants or their chances of winning.

"How much would you like to bet?" she asked with the same polite smile.

He remained silent for a moment before meeting her eyes.

"Two lakh gold coins."

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