The event went on as usual.
Artifacts were presented.
Bidders registered their interest.
Fighters entered the arena.
Some battles ended within moments. Others dragged on as competitors exhausted themselves trying to outlast their opponents.
Jayden watched carefully.
He paid attention to how the bidders behaved, which type of fighters attracted challengers, and how often an apparent victory turned into another exhausting match.
The strategy was becoming clearer.
Winning the first fight wasn't necessarily the difficult part. The real challenge was surviving everything that came afterward.
A powerful fighter might defeat an opponent in a few seconds, only to face someone who had spent the entire match studying their movements.
Others deliberately waited until a victor had fought several consecutive rounds before entering the competition.
It was a game of patience as much as strength.
Time passed and fifteen more artifacts were presented and won by their respective victors.
