Nathan was thrown off his balance by the force of the attack he had just launched into the air. He quickly regained his footing and saw Fang and Meriel on its back and his other companions running toward him.
Behind them, he could make out a huge crowd of people marching in their direction.
They quickly huddled around Nathan.
"Are those more enemies coming for us?" Linda asked with a hint of worry in her voice, but she remained composed even under the pressure of hundreds of people marching towards them.
"It looks that way," Nathan replied calmly while focusing all his attention on keeping himself from being overpowered by his enemies.
"They are The Kings, Nathan-san." Muramoto informed Nathan, promptly supplying the information he had been waiting for. "They are currently in first place on the leaderboard," he added.
Nathan cast a glance behind him at a group of people from The Void who had started to flee upon spotting the approaching group of The Kings. He tightened his fists and turned back forward.
They were walking at a brisk pace, not running, and approximately two hundred of them were there. At the head of the group was a figure riding an Ice-colored spirit beast in the form of a wolf.
"That's Robert, leader of The Kings," Muramoto said.
Robert's Ice Wolf had a thick white coat of fur, piercing blue eyes, a muscular and lean body, and strong, long legs and paws that were protected by a thick layer of fur. Its tail was long, ending in a white tuft.
Nathan cautiously surveyed his surroundings, maintaining his distance. He was confident that he already had an effective escape plan, but he wanted to assess the situation before making a hasty decision.
He remained in his position as the representatives of The King approached him, their steps deliberate and measured. He could tell they didn't intend to attack him; they seemed to be entirely preparing for something else.
Robert, an eighteen-year-old of diminutive stature, descended from his Ice Wolf. He was wearing a white shirt and a gray sweater and approached Nathan with a warm smile on his face. His purple hair was a striking feature that made him look even younger than his tender age.
"I tried not to come across as a threat, but it seems like our numbers were a bit intimidating to those people before." He held out his hand. "My name is Robert and I'm the leader of The Kings. I'm not here to fight or cause any harm."
Nathan shook Robert's hand firmly. "My name is Nathan and I'm the leader of Vensalor."
Robert shook Nathan's hand back. "I must say, I'm truly impressed by you and your team. Despite having a much smaller number, you faced opponents twenty times your size. It's an honor to have a leader like you welcoming me so humbly."
Robert released his handshake and smiled. "Alright, I have a topic I'd like to discuss with you, Mr. Nathan. However, I see you are exhausted. If it's okay with you, can my men rest here in this clearing while we wait for you to recover and be ready to talk?"
Nathan shook his head. "No, I'm not as tired as you think. I think that in this kind of situation, any topic related to our fate in this pocket dimension would be important, moreover, foe and friend wouldn't be easy to tell apart." He said with a straight face.
"Ah... hahaha..." Robert smiled widely. "Sure, it's not wrong for you to be the leader of this team. Your spirit is admirable."
Robert then walked back, firmly stamping his feet on the ground. In response, the ice floes beneath him began to rise up, shaping into several stands with the other parts raised higher to create a mushroom-like structure. He motioned for Nathan and the others to sit down, "Let's talk then."
Nathan slowly turned to face Muramoto and the others, and with a gesture, he indicated for them to stay put. "Restore your condition, prepare for anything that might come after this," he said. After that, he made his way to Robert and took a seat in front of him.
Robert let out a hearty laugh. "Ah hahaha... wait, I have something for you!" He waved his hand, and from thin air, two transparent glasses appeared in his hand. He placed them on the ice table in front of him, then he waved his hand once more, and a bottle filled with a deep red liquid magically appeared. He opened the lid and poured the liquid into the glasses.
Robert offered a glass to Nathan. "Please, have a drink."
Nathan accepted it without hesitation. But Robert drank the contents of his glass in one swift motion and smiled at Nathan. "Don't worry, the drink isn't poisoned, hehe..."
Nathan nodded slowly and took a sip of the drink. A warm sensation spread through his throat and seemed to warm his entire body. Its taste was sweet and pungent, like a berry. "I like it," he said.
Robert smiled in response to Nathan's words.
"Right, so where do I start? Ahh... okay, I'll tell you what I already know." He paused, gathering his thoughts.
Nathan stayed silent, listening intently.
"We know that 10 parties will be eliminated from this challenge each day. It's unclear how the eliminations will occur, but I believe those who are eliminated will be expelled from this pocket dimension. This means they will survive, even though they won't have the chance to further participate in the challenge. This could be either a blessing or a curse for those who go through it." Robert explained the situation carefully.
Nathan nodded slowly as he realized that he hadn't considered it in depth before this.
Robert paused, frowning. "It's a bit cruel, I know. But for those who are still in this place, they still have a chance to escape. It will be offered to them within the system, when they are in a life-threatening situation. It's a one-time offer, available only once in a day. If they turn it down, they have no choice but to face the danger until the next offer arrives." he added.
Nathan sighed deeply. He really wanted to be a part of CEHA, but he never expected that it would require someone to risk their life for it. He didn't want anyone else to die; it was unfair for their lives to be cut short due to some event that had not been thoroughly explained beforehand. He knew there was nothing he could do about it now - he could only hope that people would make wise decisions so they wouldn't put themselves in danger.
Robert chuckled as he observed Nathan's expression. "Ah hahaha... From your expression, it seems that even this information isn't new to you," and then he looked back at him with more seriousness. "But I'm sure what I'm about to tell you next, will be."
Nathan shook his head. "No, the details of what you shared with me are new to me, thanks for that." he replied. "But I'm certainly interested in hearing more from you."
Robert gave a warm smile and nodded to Nathan's response.
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