Gon's Harem System
Chapter 193: The weird announcer

Chapter 193: The weird announcer

The announcer shuffled awkwardly to the center of the arena, his small, hunched frame barely visible beneath the heap of clothes that swallowed him whole.

His tunic, a dull shade of brown, hung loosely around his shoulders, the fabric billowing in soft waves like a sail caught in a breeze.

The sleeves were far too long, drooping past his elbows, and each time he moved, they flapped against his skinny arms, sending a flutter through the fabric as though it had a life of its own

His pants, too large for him, bunched up around his waist, sagging dangerously low, their hems dragging in the sand.

Each step he took left an imprint in the gritty earth, his legs hidden beneath the folds of cloth that seemed to swallow his every movement.

He didn’t seem excited at all, his droopy eyes barely open, heavy with disinterest, as though the very act of being there was a burden too great for him to bear.

The folds beneath his eyes sagged, deepening the weary expression on his face, and his thin lips barely moved as he spoke.

His voice was a low, droning murmur, sluggish and apathetic, barely managing to rise above the roar of the crowd.

The words seemed to drag themselves out of his mouth, reluctant to leave his tired throat.

"Welcome to the tournament," he began, each syllable lacking any inflection, as if the very idea of being here, standing at the center of the arena, was an inconvenience to him.

It was clear from the lack of enthusiasm in his tone that he’d rather be anywhere else, even if that meant doing something as mundane as cleaning out stables or counting stones.

His shoulders slumped, his posture a perfect reflection of the boredom that seemed to consume him.

"Here’s how it works," he continued, his voice unfazed, as though he were reciting a script he’d memorized a thousand times.

The words hung in the air, empty and hollow, his gaze wandering as though the scene before him lacked any real significance. "We’ve got 24 mages starting in a battle royale, all of you against each other."

His eyes drifted across the arena, and for a moment, it seemed as though he were counting the participants out of habit rather than interest.

He scratched at his nose absently, the motion slow and disjointed, as if the thought of anything beyond the bare minimum was too taxing. "By the end," he added with a careless shrug, "only 8 will still be standing."

The pause was long enough to make the words feel more like an afterthought than an announcement, the weight of them lost in the laziness of his delivery.

Then, as though his mind had already moved on to something else, he continued, his tone unchanged, a faint flicker of indifference still lingering in the air.

"That’s it. Fight hard, figure it out." His words fell flat, as though the announcement itself were a mere formality, an obligatory script he had recited countless times before.

His posture remained hunched, but he straightened just a little, as if realizing he was supposed to appear more engaged, though it didn’t change the tone of his voice, which was as dull and unexcited as ever.

"Watch yourselves in there," he continued, his words slipping out without urgency. "Surprises happen in battle, it keeps it interesting."

His voice remained monotone, almost as if he were describing a passing storm rather than a deadly contest.

He gestured toward the arena.

The ring before them wasn’t just a circle of sand, it was a brutal, unforgiving stage designed for chaos.

The ground beneath was not smooth but pitted and uneven, with jagged rocks and debris scattered across the surface.

The arena itself was surrounded by low stone walls, but they were not meant to keep the fighters in, they were merely a boundary to prevent the spectators from being too close to the action.

What truly set the ring apart were the edges.

The stone walls curved inward at certain points, creating narrow ledges and precarious corners where any wrong step could send a fighter tumbling over the edge.

There was no escape from the battle, no safe corner to hide in.

Each fight was an all-out brawl, and the edge of the arena loomed like a silent threat.

Go on, then. Get in." His words barely carried any weight, a final, lazy command as he turned on his heel and shuffled off, his oversized sleeves billowing behind him like empty sacks caught in the wind.

With each heavy step, the fabric swayed, a reminder of how little effort he was putting into the whole spectacle.

The crowd, however, had no such indifference.

As soon as he disappeared from view, the arena seemed to come alive.

A massive roar erupted from the stands, a deafening cheer that seemed to surge from every corner of the stadium.

The sound was overwhelming, a wave of raw energy and excitement that reverberated through the air, shaking the very ground beneath Gon’s feet.

The noise was so intense it felt like the earth itself was trembling in anticipation, a living thing caught up in the frenzy of the crowd’s excitement.

Gon could feel the vibrations in his chest, the hum of the crowd deep in his bones, a constant reminder of the pressure that was mounting around him.

The stands were a blur of movement, people rising to their feet, waving banners, and shouting in wild excitement.

Every face seemed to blur together in the heat of the moment, their expressions all twisted in eager anticipation, but one thing was clear, this was no ordinary tournament.

This was the Battle Royale, and the fight that awaited them would be unlike anything they had ever experienced.

He cast a glance to his side, taking in the sight of the other mages around him, each one as determined and focused as he was.

But even amidst the intensity of the moment, his eyes were naturally drawn upward.

The stands seemed to stretch endlessly above him, a vast sea of faces, but there was one section that stood out, high above the rest, perched in the royal box.

His gaze zeroed in on his parents, sitting side by side with an almost regal composure.

The Duke and Duchess of Hanan were a striking sight, their presence undeniable even from this distance.