Worldwide Class Change: Minimal Effort, Maximum Reward!-Chapter 43, After the Elimination Round

The arena remained unusually quiet for several seconds after Tang Yue’s victory was announced.

Most students were still staring at the battlefield where Wang Hao had fallen.

The brutality of the fight lingered heavily in the air.

Some of the earlier matches had been intense, but what everyone had just witnessed felt different. It wasn’t simply a victory.

It was a message.

The medics quickly surrounded Wang Hao and carefully lifted him onto a stretcher. Blood stained the edge of his uniform, though the healing spells already glowing around him were beginning to stabilize his injuries.

Several students whispered quietly.

"That was too ruthless..."

"She didn’t need that last strike."

"But it’s Tang Yue..."

"An A-rank combat class doesn’t hold back."

Meanwhile Tang Yue had already turned away from the battlefield.

She walked toward the exit tunnel calmly, as if nothing unusual had happened.

Yet just before disappearing beneath the arena corridor, she paused for a brief moment.

Her eyes lifted toward the spectator stands again.

Toward Lin Yi.

Their gazes met once more.

This time Tang Yue did not smile.

But the meaning behind her stare remained clear.

Your turn will come.

Then she left.

Lin Yi remained standing silently in the spectator seats as the noise of the arena gradually returned around him, students resuming their conversations, arguing over outcomes and dissecting what they had just watched. But his attention had already shifted. His eyes followed the medics carrying Wang Hao away, and a faint crease appeared between his brows. He stepped down from the spectator area and moved toward the arena corridor.

By the time he reached the medical exit, the stretcher was already being guided through the passage. Wang Hao lifted his head slightly, pain written clearly across his face, and still managed to force a crooked grin.

"Brother Lin! You saw that, right?"

Lin Yi walked beside the stretcher. "Yes."

Wang Hao let out a weak chuckle that immediately dissolved into coughing. "Damn... that woman really doesn’t hold back."

Lin Yi didn’t reply. The medics moved quickly, steering the stretcher toward the academy infirmary without slowing. Wang Hao looked up at him again after a moment.

"Brother Lin."

"What?"

"If you meet her later..." His grin widened slightly despite everything. "...avenge me properly."

"You talk too much."

Wang Hao laughed weakly. Then the medics pushed the stretcher through the infirmary doors, and Lin Yi stopped walking. The doors closed, and he stood there silently for several seconds before turning back toward the arena.

By the time he returned to the spectator stands, the giant display board above the arena flickered again.

Final Elimination Results

The names of the sixteen remaining students appeared clearly.

Among them were several familiar names.

Chen Feng.

Tang Yue.

Su Qinghan.

Lin Yi.

And a few others who had shown impressive performances throughout the tournament.

The elimination round was finally over.

Then the instructor walked back onto the center of the battlefield. The arena quieted gradually as students turned their attention toward him, the lingering conversations dying down one by one.

"Students. The elimination round has officially concluded."

A wave of applause swept through the audience. The instructor waited for the noise to settle before continuing. "From hundreds of participants, only sixteen remain." The giant display board shifted behind him, the Round of Sixteen bracket populating with names as he spoke.

"These sixteen students will advance to the next stage of the tournament." He paused slightly. "The knockout stage."

A murmur passed through the crowd.

Everyone knew what that meant.

From this point onward, every match would be decisive.

Lose once.

And you were out.

The instructor continued speaking.

"The knockout stage will begin one week from today."

The announcement immediately caused the audience to buzz with excitement.

One week.

That meant the remaining contestants had time to prepare.

But it also meant something else.

The instructor raised his hand slightly.

"And during that time..."

"...many guests will arrive at the academy."

Several students immediately straightened in their seats.

The instructor’s voice grew louder.

"Representatives from various hunter guilds will attend the knockout stage."

The arena erupted with excitement.

"Guild scouts!"

"Seriously?!"

"Which guilds?!"

"For real?!"

The instructor nodded calmly.

"Yes."

"The knockout stage is not only a competition."

"It is also an opportunity."

He pointed toward the display board again.

"Those who perform well in the upcoming matches may receive invitations from professional hunter guilds."

The words ignited a fire among the students.

Joining a guild was one of the fastest ways to rise as a hunter.

Resources.

Training.

Dungeon access.

All of it depended heavily on guild backing.

The instructor allowed the excitement to settle before continuing.

"But that is not the only reward."

The arena gradually quieted again, as the instructor’s voice became slightly more serious.

"For students who wish to pursue higher education within the hunter system..."

He paused deliberately.

"...there is another opportunity."

The giant display board changed once more, as a massive golden emblem appeared across the screen.

The emblem of a phoenix surrounded by blazing wings. And with that, the entire arena gasped, as the instructor continued.

"The champion of this tournament will receive a direct recommendation..."

"...to Heavenly Phoenix Hunter Academy."

For a moment, absolute silence filled the stadium.

Then the entire arena exploded.

"Heavenly Phoenix Academy?!"

"That’s one of the top regional academies!"

"No way..."

"Direct recommendation?!"

"I remember that being one of the rewards for the tournament champion."

Even the remaining contestants looked stunned.

Heavenly Phoenix Hunter Academy.

One of the most prestigious academies in the entire region.

Its students were famous for producing elite hunters and high-ranking guild members.

Normally admission required brutal entrance examinations and powerful connections.

Yet now...

Winning the academy tournament would grant a direct recommendation.

Which meant the winner would skip most of the barriers entirely.

The instructor’s voice rang out again.

"Students."

"Use this week wisely."

"Train."

"Improve."

"And prepare yourselves."

His gaze swept across the remaining contestants.

"Because the knockout stage..."

"...will determine who among you truly deserves to stand at the top."

The arena erupted with cheers once more.

For many students, the tournament had already ended.

But for the remaining sixteen...

The real battle had only just begun.

....

The crowd slowly began to disperse after the announcement, students filling the academy corridors in a steady flow of excited chatter. Some were already speculating about the upcoming matchups. Others argued about who would ultimately win the tournament.

"Chen Feng will definitely take first place."

"Don’t forget Tang Yue."

"What about Su Qinghan?"

"And that Laborer... Lin Yi."

"Yeah... he broke the speed record."

"Still, the knockout stage will be different."

Many eyes quietly drifted toward Lin Yi as he moved through the corridor. His performance had left a deep impression, but the stakes from here would be much higher. Lin Yi ignored the whispers. His mind was elsewhere. The image of Wang Hao lying on the arena floor drifted briefly through his thoughts. He exhaled slowly and kept walking.

The sky outside had already begun to darken by the time he left the academy grounds, the evening air cool and quiet against the noise the stadium had held only an hour before. Students scattered across the courtyard pathways were still dissecting the tournament, and a few recognized him as he passed.

"Hey... that’s Lin Yi."

"The Laborer guy."

"The one who broke the record."

He didn’t stop. His footsteps remained steady as he reached the dormitory building and climbed the stairs, the corridors quieter now as most students had retreated to rest or quietly celebrate surviving the elimination round.

Then, as he turned the corner onto his floor, he stopped.

Someone was standing near the corridor window. Soft evening light filtered through the glass and fell across a familiar silhouette. Long hair. A slender figure. Calm, observant eyes. Liu Ling. The shy recovery priest he had defeated earlier that day. She straightened slightly when she saw him, and for a brief moment neither of them spoke. Then she gave a small, slightly nervous smile.

"Lin Yi..."

Her voice was soft.

"...I was waiting for you."