Bang!
Just as Wardson's attack on Rowell was judged successful, one of the red balloons on the wooden frame beside Rowell suddenly burst.
The loud explosion startled everyone.
Looking more closely, they realized that one of Rowell's three red balloons was already gone.
Only then did the host add an explanation, informing everyone that the three balloons represented the number of hits a player could endure in a single round.
"That really scared me…"
"Same here, but it's kind of exciting."
"They've got quite a few tricks just for a card game."
"This setup is pretty interesting—I don't even need to keep track of their remaining 'health.'"
"Rowell's not doing so great—losing health right at the start? Didn't they say he beat Wardson before?"
"It's just the beginning. Why are you rushing? It's best of five, and he's only lost one hit so far."
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
With the host providing detailed commentary, everyone could clearly understand the progress of the match and the reasoning behind each move.
To avoid revealing key information—like the opponent's hand—the host's commentary lagged one turn behind the actual gameplay.
Originally, Ron had considered having the two duel in a sealed room, with staff relaying the match in real time to the audience. That way, there would be zero interference.
But in reality, the audience was here for the two players, not because they were deeply passionate about Magic Duels.
If not for Wardson and Rowell's identities—and the drama of their love triangle—there wouldn't have been nearly this many people.
So there was no way Ron would hide them away.
In the booth area, Betty stared intently at the whiteboard on the ceiling, analyzing both players' hands and calculating possible paths to victory.
As she analyzed, she also explained her thoughts to her friends, predicting the strategies the two players might take next.
And most of her predictions turned out to be correct.
"Betty, how do you do it?" A noble lady beside her covered her mouth in amazement as Wardson played exactly the card Betty had predicted. "You're way better than the host up there."
Betty looked modest. "It's only because I can see both players' hands. The ones on stage are the truly impressive ones—they're playing like this without knowing their opponent's cards."
Even so, Betty's analysis was far more precise than the host's, and people preferred listening to her commentary.
Even nobles from nearby booths began leaning in, ignoring the host and focusing instead on what Betty was saying.
The first round—Rowell lost.
With a loud bang! as his third red balloon burst, the first game came to an end.
The atmosphere among the audience heated up, with people discussing Rowell's mistakes and claiming that they could've won if they had been in his place.
The host announced a five-minute break, followed by the first lottery draw.
After drawing ten numbers in a row, the staff handed out ten metal card storage boxes to the lucky winners.
The selected audience members were clearly surprised and delighted.
None of them had expected to win.
Of course, no one refused free prizes—they happily went up to claim them.
The host took the opportunity to ask a few simple questions.
For example, their thoughts on Element Cards, whether they played regularly, and whether Magic Duels were appealing.
Having just received prizes, the winners enthusiastically praised everything before stepping down to show off their rewards to their companions.
On the duel platform, Rowell's expression turned serious. He hadn't expected Wardson to have become this strong.
Although he had anticipated Wardson's level during the Winter Food Festival banquet, losing this round still unsettled him.
However…
Rowell glanced at Leticia sitting beside him, and a fire ignited in his eyes once more.
She had personally promised him—if he won this duel, something "wonderful" would happen between them.
At that thought, Rowell seemed reborn. The frustration from the previous round vanished as he quickly regained his composure.
The second round began.
The audience's attention was once again drawn to the duel.
This time, Wardson fell just one step short, and Rowell secured the victory.
At the final moment, Rowell revealed the Elemental God Elementia, which he had held onto for the entire round, blocking the composite magic formed by Wardson's two hard-earned Legendary cards.
He then pressed the advantage, taking two of Wardson's "lives" in quick succession.
The score was now tied at 1–1.
In the booth area, Betty's eyes sparkled.
Ordinary spectators might not feel much, but as an experienced Magic Duel player, Betty knew just how difficult it was to hold onto the Elemental God card for so long.
The strategy was somewhat similar to Tian Ji's horse racing, but the psychological battle was far more complex.
For most players, luck played a major role.
But for Wardson and Rowell, as the 54-card deck gradually diminished, each of them had a clear idea of what cards remained in the other's hand.
If the match still wasn't decided at that point, then with both sides aware of each other's possible cards, the true test of adaptability began.
The audience couldn't grasp these deeper layers.
And the host—having only received a few days of training and knowing just the basic rules—couldn't break down the finer details either.
Of course, Ron didn't need that level of analysis from the host.
This wasn't a professional competition—people were here for entertainment.
The key was to build the habit of watching matches and to use the breaks between rounds to give out prizes and increase customer engagement.
It was just like when Ron watched League of Legends matches in his previous world.
He didn't even play the game himself—he just thought the abilities looked cool, and watching one side eliminate the other, seeing health bars drop rapidly, felt satisfying.
In fact, he didn't even know the names of the champions.
The current audience was much the same.
Watching the large Element Cards swap on the whiteboard and hearing the bang! of balloons bursting—that visual and auditory stimulation was what truly captivated them.
Only later, when they truly understood the depth of Magic Duels and explored its strategies, might they gradually evolve into more knowledgeable and discerning viewers.
At that point, if the host still only gave surface-level commentary—simply stating what cards were played and using exaggerated tones without real analysis—
They'd definitely get criticized.
Meanwhile, Betty, with her engaging and professional-level analysis, had gradually attracted a crowd around her.
She looked every bit like a professional female commentator.