Showing off my full strength from the start is not a good option; it wouldn't be an optimal move. Having the odds stacked against me in the later rounds would be the best strategy for potentially greater payouts from betting on myself.

However, there's no reason not to put on a show and get the crowd excited. I get paid the same amount for the first three stages regardless, so I might as well build up some hype.

With this in mind, I raise my left hand above my head and begin forming a ball of fire that grows larger as I approach the tiny rabbit.

Just at the sight of my dark red flames, the crowd begins to cheer and become excited.

Instead of swinging my sword, I throw the flaming ball of magic, about five times the size of the rabbit, down onto it, instantly incinerating the miniature beast. Plumes of fire erupt from the ground, and dirt and stone fly off in all directions.

It was overkill for a small monster like this, but nothing so immaculate as to raise any suspicions that I'd be any better than any of the other newbies competing in the previous rounds.

Fire magic may be a common elemental ability, but it uses up a lot of MP for the average user. Unknown to me, it's unusual for many fighters to use an attack like this in the first round.

*Ding*

A string of notifications pop up on my wristband.

[Congratulations! 1.12x bet won on Fighter: The Flame Emperor]

[Your 1 Gold Base Bet has been returned to your account.]

[0.12 Gold Credits have been added to your account.]

[Stage 1 Fight Victory: Reward: 1 Silver Credit]

[0.01 Gold Credits have been added to your account.]

[Total Account balance: 5.1250 Gold]

[Use Absorption]

MCP: 104

[YES][NO]

I choose yes to absorb the small amount of mana control available.

Before the debris even clears, the crowd is roaring with cheers, and some are even chanting my fighter name over and over as the announcer is already hyping up the next stage.

I went from a nobody to a fighter to put their money behind in a matter of seconds with that flashy attack.

I just need to continue building up this hype for the stages to come. The bets that really matter are on stage 4 and further when the total amount won will be a percentage of the bets and not just a set win amount. I won't be able to do much damage with a 5 Gold balance.

The stage 2 bets are placed, and I throw 3 gold on myself because I'm much more confident in the system and outcome now.

A cyclops comes into the ring, and I decide to run at it this time to slice it in two with a single flaming strike but make sure that the flames on my sword don't leave the blade until contact is made. While slicing through, I plunder every drop of its MP in milliseconds, bringing my own bar back up to full. The two halves melt with dark flames on them that don't go out until its completely turned to ash.

[Congratulations! 1.08x bet won on Fighter: The Flame Emperor]

[Your 3 Gold Base Bet has been returned to your account.]

[0.24 Gold Credits have been added to your account.]

[Stage 2 Fight Victory: Reward: 10 Silver Credits]

[0.1 Gold Credits have been added to your account.]

[Total Account balance: 5.4650 Gold]

[Use Absorption]

MCP: 915

[YES][NO]

"Another Win, just like that."

I take notes from watching the previous legacy fighters and do a lap around the ring, raising my sword in the air and covering it in a bright flickering veil of flames until my stage 3 beast is announced.

"Stage 3 will begin shortly, The Flame Emperor will be facing off against a level 247 bloodhound! Place your bets!"

At the sound of this name, my mind starts to race, thinking back to the time I faced a similar beast in a dungeon a few months back.

A sly grin starts to come across my face as I think about it more and more while placing a 5 Gold bet on myself with 1.11x odds.

It's not the money that excites me, it's the potential for another powerful upgrade that makes the gears spin in my head.

Once the ferocious-looking dog is finally brought into the ring via teleportation, it runs toward me, glowing bright red.

I run forward too, activating appraisal and seeing [Bloodlust] in its active skills.

The grin across my face only grows, and instead of killing it right away on the spot, I let the hound run by me and attempt to grab an arm. I dodge with ease and position myself for an attack, but then think about the possibilities of leading on the crowd right now. Making them underestimate me as much as possible will be beneficial in the upcoming fights.

As the hound circles back again, I light up my sword with flames but let the hound in close and allow it to latch onto my arm, flailing in the air as if it was unexpected.

In the same moment, I ignite my left arm with fire magic and blow the beast that's latched on to pieces.

[Congratulations! 1.11x bet won on Fighter: The Flame Emperor]

[Your 5 Gold Base Bet has been returned to your account.]

[0.55 Gold Credits have been added to your account.]

[Stage 3 Fight Victory: Reward: 30 Silver Credits]

[0.3 Gold Credits have been added to your account.]

[Total Account balance: 6.3150 Gold]

[Use Absorption]

MCP: 3601

[YES][NO]

[Use Absorption]

Skill: Bloodlust

Upgrade: Legendary Grade

[YES][NO]

The crowd explodes into cheers as the remains of the beast hit the mana-shielded barrier of the arena along with my eruption of flames.

I stay on the ground for a moment, excitedly choosing yes to the bloodlust upgrade and checking my status while using self-regeneration on my arm beneath my cloak. The extra MCP is asbsorbed as well. In the meantime, the announcer hypes up the crowd for the next round, allowing me to take my 5 minutes of rest.

Standing to my feet, I grip my sword and give the go-ahead.

"Next up, we have a special monster for you all in the 4th stage. As you all know, this is the round that separates the regular fighters from the fighters that face off in the main nightly events. To face the Flame Emperor, we've found a formidable opponent known for taking out fighters well above its level 365 rating. It's time to place your bets on the Mutant High Orc Matchup. A sword wielding monster with a fire aspect."

The reaction from the crowd is mixed.

Some describe the power of my fire, while others point out the fact I was taken off guard by a mere level 247 bloodhound.

I smirk inwardly while placing a 6 gold bet for myself to win at a 1.37x payout multiplier.

Once the High Orc comes into the ring, I can feel the heat coming off of it immediately. The beast runs at me, wearing silver armor head to toe, wielding a long shimmering sword with golden accents, and bursting with flames out of the armor's holes.

It has a regular fire combat magic skill along with swordsmanship skill.

The same twinkle in my eyes from the previous round comes back to me, and I decide to put on a show for the crowd yet again.

Even though my movements are clearly much more crisp and practiced, to the naked eye of a fighter below level 300, it all looks the same. This is most of the audience.

As long as I get hit with fire and take longer than a few seconds to defeat the monster that's attacking me, to the crowd, it means I'm having trouble.

"Come at me, it looks like you're going to need to give me a hard time," I whisper under my breath while blocking a hit from its long silver sword and taking a fireblast from it head-on without even attempting to move away.

My gear and natural fire resistance are so strong, it just feels like a warm breeze passing by to me. However, to the crowd, it looks like I'm being burned alive. The erupting cheers are ear-shattering.

Through all the noise, there's one thing on my mind that is crystal clear. I'll be taking this audience for every bronze, silver, and gold coin they have to spare.