"The thing is… I was cucked by my wife."
Tuan smiled mirthlessly towards his fan booth which had grown silent like the rest of the stadium. Once he was sure that he had the desired effect, he continued.
"I and my wife Tista had been happily living in a small home that I thought was sufficient for both of us. The budget we had for both of us was always tight. But we had only basic needs. Who cares about money if you have love to support you, right?"
Tuan shook his head as if coming to terms with the answer he had found to his question. He then sighed and continued.
"Then suddenly, my wife complains that we need to relocate. You must find a better place, a higher status, and better ranking resources for both of us. Better of everything. I… I didn't know what to do.
My biggest reason for entering the competition was to win money for this same reason. I wanted money because my Tista had demanded it from me. What was I supposed to do? Say no to her. Never!
Hahaha!
I will even fight the butcher of Osan Woods for her. Taking part in the Titus tournament was the least I could do."
Tuan said and looked above him, trying to mimic the performance of Drin that he had just seen. He then started telling the audience about the betrayal that he faced from Tista.
The butcher had an easier time narrating the events because they were all true. Of course, he added a bit of flair to his style to make them stand out more. A sparkling form of bullshittery!
Tuan's performance as a heartbroken man ruined by his circumstances was impeccable. His speech along with his body language created a distinct impact on the audience's collective psyche.
Of course, he kept the fact that Tista and his lover had been killed. He just said that they ran away from the city of Arangar, which was true.
"So this is my story as a failed husband and failed ranker who couldn't even keep his emotions in check. Once again, I'm sorry for my behaviour and the fact that you guys had to listen to a sad story when you had come here to be entertained."
Tuan bowed in front of his fan booth first. Then he bowed in all four directions as well. He then took out the dual swords from his storage and coated them in his fire element mana before speaking up.
"I admit that my mental health is fragile. I also admit that the personal tragedy that had struck me out of nowhere is going to affect my performance as a competitor in some way or the other.
But rest assured, I'll give it my all in this tournament. If previously, I had decided to bring out my 100 percent in the battles that are about to come, then this time, I'll exceed my limitations.
Unlike some people who are afraid of not meeting your expectations, I will surpass them. I, Tuan Aag, will rise over my tragedy."
Tuan then used one of his swords to slash at his wrist, drawing blood. He then dripped his other hand's four fingers in the blood that was gushing out before using them to create four simple yet bloody stripes on his chest before saying out loud.
"People present here as well as those watching from afar. Hear my pledge. I, Tuan Aag, will either win this tournament or die trying. There's no in-between."
Tuan tucked the swords away in his storage. Then he imbued his mana on his wound and it stopped bleeding. His enhanced healing ability kicked in and the wound got closed faster than it had appeared.
Drin narrowed his eyes on Tuan when he heard him speak about some rankers in the competition having performance anxiety. Drin couldn't help but think over his statement as a result.
'Hahaha! This is some entertaining footage we got here. Good job, Gladius.'
The voice spoke in Gladius's ears.
This time it took a bit longer for people to recover from their state of silence. Most of the male rankers didn't know if they should cheer for the guy for his conviction or offer him a few encouraging words to console him.
Most of the female rankers and mortals alike in the audience felt like their hearts had been squeezed by such a betrayal. Some of them even wished they could come forward then and there and try to mend Tuan's broken heart by being with him.
Then the audiences' reactions kicked in all at once. People started chanting Tuan's name with even greater vigour than any of the competitors had suggested. It was a tall claim for Tuan to declare that he would win the tournament. But the audience always loved the idea of a dark horse. So they started cheering Tuan's name all at once.
There was indeed a small group of rankers who made fun of Tuan and taunted him. But their voices were drowned by the overwhelming support of the rest of the rankers. They were busy showering Tuan up with their praises and well wishes.
'This should be enough to cover my flaws. Now I just have to win.'
Tuan said to himself and joined the rest of the competitors in line in the end. He was quite proud of the showmanship he had just displayed. What he didn't know was the fact that the act he had just pulled off was going to make Tuan extremely popular in the future. Especially among the ladies.
Even Gladius was a bit impressed by Tuan's way of handling his mental burden. He nodded at Eren before continuing with the next opponent.
Tuan was back to his usual self when all of the 32 finalists were accounted for. In response, he gazed at Gladius, who didn't wait long enough to resume the Titus tournament.
"Now that the formalities are out of the way, it's about time we started with the tournament."
Gladius introduced a brand-new array that was not visible before. It looked like this too was a spatial teleportation array.
'Looks like we are heading somewhere.'
Tuan made a quick note of the events.
