Chapter 175: Every Coin Matters
A magic mine was buried in the dirt. These mines weren’t dropped on their own. They were actually the eggs of Mine Turtles. If left on their own, they would eventually hatch, but if stepped on, they would erupt with explosive power.
Mine Turtles intentionally sacrificed some eggs as traps to keep intruders away from their region, and more importantly, to protect the Tribute Coin.
Cassandra’s Summon, a Verdant Wolf Spirit, sensed the danger within the eggs the very moment they stepped into the field. The mine field. It warned Cassandra, who in turned warned the others.
"Stoppp!!"
But one of Min Tu’s Skeletons didn’t get the memo. Because it relied on Min Tu’s orders, not Cassandra’s, it took another step which led to the mine trap hidden beneath the earth to detonate.
Everyone heard the click and their eyes widened.
"I got it!" Luke was the one to rush into action, knowing that if that explosion went off, everyone one of them would be automatically removed from the competition.
The sword he had summoned in his hand vanished. It was quickly replaced by a large golden shield the shape of a royal crest—thr Gilded Aegis. It appeared on his left arm, humming with a powerful, defensive energy.
He pushed the Skeleton away as time slowed into desperate seconds, then he planted the shield right into the earth. Just in time.
The explosion sent dirt and stone flying in every direction.
Luke didn’t flinch.
The shield absorbed the blast, its surface rippling like water but holding firm. To hold back an explosion like that, the Gilded Aegis was proving its high rank.
When the dust cleared, Luke got up to his feet with no problem at all. The rest of the team stared at him. He dusted off his armor and looked around the field.
"There are many more of them scattered around here," he said. "We’re unlucky to be given this route but we can’t whine about it. We should try to detonate all of them before we move through."
"My Skeleton Soldier can create an ice shield around us," Min Tu said. "Do you have a way we can use to detonate all of them?"
Luke looked at her, then the field, and sighed. "I wanted to save this for later because I can only use this once but..." He sent away the shield and summoned the bow and arrow. "Create the ice barricade to cover us. I’ll detonate the magic mines."
Lancet watched what was happening with keenness. ’What is he going to do?’
Luke raised the bow, nocked the arrow and pointed it upwards to the heavens. As he did that, one of Min Tu’s Soldiers formed a circular wall made of thick ice around them.
Luke pulled and yelled into the air. "Phantom Arrow Rain!" He released and the arrow shot into the sky with supernatural speed. It struck the clouds and a wave of blue energy spread, then hundreds of blue arrows started to fall on the field around them, hitting everywhere except their position.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
All around the field, the hidden mines exploded as soon as the arrows struck them. For the places where there weren’t any mines, the arrows just sank their tips into the earth.
Silence reigned when it was over, and the minefield looked like a war had happened on its grounds. Min Tu’s Skeleton took down the ice shield, Cassandra grabbed the Tribute Coin and Summoner-D carried on.
The crowd cheered that wonderful performance.
"DID YOU SEE THAT?!" the announcer screamed. "This Arsenal is absolutely incredible! He’s really carrying that team despite a member with a higher rank being his teammate!"
Lancet found himself leaning forward in his seat. Luke had gotten much more stronger than the last time. Not only did he have more powerful weapons, but his combat skill had really increased.
Seeing it here—on the battlefield, under pressure, with everything on the line—was something else entirely.
Luke used the dagger for close quarters, sliding between a beast’s ribs before it could react. He used the bow for range, arrows curving around obstacles as if they had minds of their own.
For the sword, he used it when things got crowded, its edge cleaving through two enemies with a single stroke. And he used the shield for when the unexpected came, turning explosions and projectiles into nothing.
He transitioned between weapons so fluidly too. One moment Luke was holding a dagger, the next it was gone and a sword was in its place, the movement so smooth that Lancet’s eyes couldn’t track the shift.
It wasn’t like watching someone switch weapons.
It was like watching someone become whatever weapon they needed, whenever they needed it.
’Hmm,’ Lancet thought to himself. ’I should make a note to create a female character with the Arsenal Class. It’s a much more overpowered Class than I anticipated.’
The score line kept changing.
[ Specialist-D : 330 ]
[ Summoner-D : 290 ]
[ Elementalist-D : 250 ]
[ Enchanter-D : 190 ]
But the positions were mostly the same. Summoner-D was pushing strongly but Specialist-D was still ahead.
The floating cameras drifted higher, capturing the full scope of the battlefield.
Elementalists were slowly picking up some steam though, their raw power dragging them closer to the Summoners’ tail. Every Group was racing to the center.
Renan had stopped bothering with minor caches and started bulldozing straight through the central corridor. His power scale with the rest of the team was so distant that they were barely keeping up.
Nevertheless, Sienna and Locke, the Swordsman, saw this as a chance to better themselves and try to match up to the glory of Renan Falconhart. They’d left a trail of slain beasts behind them, but they’d also left coins—smaller caches that they’d deemed "not worth the time."
Renan’s strategy was simple. "You don’t need to get all the coins, just the ones big enough to matter." That way they wouldn’t get too caught up in trying to get one coin, giving others time to catch up.
Luke’s and Summoner-D had a completely different strategy. "Every Coin Matters." Perhaps it was because of this that they were yet to catch up with the Specialists and the gap kept getting wider and wider.
They were being efficient; clearing everything in their path, taking every coin, but not getting greedy, like a well-oiled machine. Min Tu’s Skeletons scouted ahead, and Cassandra’s Verdant Wolf Spirit had healing capabilities to ensure no one slowed down.
Enchanter-D was being cautious. They cleared the periphery, avoiding direct confrontation with larger beast clusters. Amira seemed content to let the others fight for the center while she stockpiled coins from safer areas.
But Elementalists were coming and they were coming fast. Frieda was burning through every monster like a ruthless murderer. And the Earth Mage used his powers to bury threats before they even had the chance to be threats.
"LET’S CHECK THE TRIBUTE COUNTS!" the announcer declared.
The leaderboard flashed across the floating screens:
[ Specialist-D : 450 ]
[ Summoner-D : 340 ]
[ Elementalist-D : 330 ]
[ Enchanter-D : 260 ]
"Oh! Elementalist-D is not only getting closer to the Summoners in the race, but they’re just ten Tribute Points away from them! What can Summoner-D do to get them off their tails?!’
The crowd buzzed, cheering their Class Group on.
"As of now, it seems no one is trying to ambush anyone just yet!" the announcer continued, his voice laced with anticipation. "They all want to make it to the center first, to get that giant Tribute Coin before anyone else can! And we all know what happens after that. Get ready for pandemonium!"
The cameras zoomed in on the center of the island. There, the massive Tribute Coin floated, spinning temptingly. No monsters. No traps. Just wealth, waiting for whoever was brave enough to claim it.
Lancet’s eyes widened as he realized that Specialist-D had arrived at the center.
"Ohhh!" the announcer declared. "The Specialists are the first to set foot in the center! They’re about to claim the giant Tribute Coin!"
Renan crested a final ridge, the Heavenly Knight’s blade gleaming in the artificial sunlight. Behind him, Sienna and Locke fanned out, covering his flanks. The giant coin was less than fifty yards away.
Lancet grimaced. "No..."
Renan raised his hand toward it. "Falconhart is about to claim it!"
The original MCs hand reached closer to the coin, and just as his fingers were about to grab it—
Thrum!
An arrow sliced through the air, right in the tiny space in between Renan’s finger and the coin’s edge.
Renan stopped. His head turned slowly, toward the direction it had come from. The cameras followed his gaze.
Luke Travers stood on a raised outcropping fifty yards to the east, his godtree bow still raised, the string still vibrating. His expression was cold and determined.
Behind him, the rest of Summoner-D emerged from the terrain, Min Tu and her Skeletons, Cassandra and her wolf spirit.
The announcer’s voice exploded across the stadium.
"OHHH! SUMMONER-D HAS MADE IT TO THE CENTER TOO! IT’S ABOUT TO BE A SHOWDOWN FOR THE GIANT TRIBUTE COIN!"
The crowd roared.
Lancet’s heart hammered in his chest. He was grinning despite the tension coiling in his stomach.
’This is almost more fun to watch than to do it,’ he admitted to himself.
The two teams faced each other across the giant glowing coin. Renan’s hand moved to his sword.
Luke drew the bow again. Sienna immediately responded by drawing hers. Then Min Tu’s Skeleton stretched its hand, promising fire. Locke drew his sword. Cassandra’s wolf spirit stepped forward, growling angrily.
The announcer’s voice erupted with excitement..
"Ladies and gentlemen... this is what we’ve been waiting for!!!"
