Victor's "Molten Champion" rampaged through the ruins. Every strike from its massive, crimson scorpion claws melted a row of holes into the Alchemy Puppets' armor. The crystal at the tip of its tail fired lasers, specifically targeting the Alchemy Puppets' weak points.
On the light screen, Victor Iron Flame's name climbed steadily, quickly breaking into the top ten on the leaderboard.
"Way to go, Victor! Take out those old timers!"
"As expected of the genius from the Tieyan family! The firepower of this 'Molten Champion' is insane!"
In the spectator stands, the junior apprentices, who had never seen such a spectacle, erupted into cheers. The atmosphere was electric.
For the first hour of the competition, the rules prohibited participants from attacking one another. Various Alchemy Puppets were scattered across the arena; destroying one—regardless of its strength—only yielded a single point. This turned the first hour into a pure point-farming phase.
