SS Awakening: My Monster Merging System!

Chapter 160: Drinking Together [1]

Some time later, medical staff and event assistants moved through the white metal hall, checking the candidates’ conditions, guiding the eliminated out of the main competition area, and providing recovery potions to those who had suffered excessive feedback.

Some hung their heads in shame, some were still seething with rage, and some seemed completely unable to accept that they had been eliminated in the thinning stage before even reaching the real phase.

Not far away, Helen’s connection pod opened as well.

When she sat up, her face showed fatigue too, but her overall condition was far more stable than most. She checked her wrists and shoulders first, confirming there were no real injuries on her body, then turned to look at Zich.

"You okay?"

Zich leaned against the edge of his pod, his tone flat. "This thing makes the sensation of getting hit feel way too real."

Helen let out a small laugh. "Yes, Green Corporation made sure it was as realistic as possible."

"Green Corporation?" Zich asked. This was the first time he had heard that name.

"Right, you don’t know." Helen sighed but wasn’t surprised as she began to explain. "Green Corporation is a technology conglomerate that partners with the Player Association. They are known for some of the most popular products, such as simulation pods, flying cars, and even weapons. Although their weapons aren’t useful here in Ascension Mountain, they’re pretty useful in the real world."

"I see."

While the two were talking, on the other side, Jayden climbed out of his pod.

He didn’t say anything, his expression still cold, just rolling his wrists and shoulders. He had clearly been affected by the simulation feedback too, but he obviously didn’t want anyone to see any sign of exhaustion.

His gaze swept over Zich.

It paused for a moment.

He was probably remembering the final chaos in the Blackwater Swamp and the moment Braka nearly collided with Iron.

But in the end, Jayden said nothing.

He just turned and walked aside.

Mira also emerged quietly from her pod.

The first thing she did after waking wasn’t to check herself. It was to pick up her farmer’s hat and put it back on. She looked calmer than most candidates, as if what she had just experienced wasn’t a simulated battle but a moderately tiring day in the fields.

She looked at Zich, her tone as steady as ever.

"That simulated terrain was very realistic."

Zich asked, "In what way?"

"Soil, moisture, root response, even the feedback when stepping on it, all very close to the real thing."

Zich paused for a moment and couldn’t help but point out, "The things you pay attention to are always unusual."

Mira winked. "It’s a habit."

The answer was so reasonable that Zich didn’t want to continue the conversation.

Just then, a booming voice rang out from across the hall.

"Hey! Summoner!"

Quite a few people in the hall turned to look.

Braka emerged from another row of connection pods. Though he had no real wounds, his dissatisfaction was written all over his face. He thumped his chest loudly, his voice carrying as though he were shouting across an arena.

"Time ended too early! I didn’t get to hit your big guy!"

Many of the exhausted candidates nearby couldn’t help but laugh at that.

His tone was too genuine. It didn’t sound like a challenge at all, more like someone who had missed a meal he had been looking forward to.

Braka pointed at Zich. "Next time, don’t run, and don’t let the timer save you!"

Zich leaned against his pod, not answering immediately.

After a couple of seconds, he lazily raised one hand, realizing that if he doesn’t give an answer the huge man wouldn’t get out of his face.

"Got it."

Braka grinned widely. "Good! I’ll remember that!"

Zich lowered his hand. He would actually rather Braka didn’t remember. But there was no point in saying that now.

Soon, the main holographic screen at the center of the hall lit up, drawing the attention of all the candidates.

[Thinning Stage Complete]

[Surviving Candidates: 20]

[Judge Selected Candidates: 12]

[Total Advancing Candidates: 32]

Then the advancement list began to appear.

First came the list of twenty survivors.

Then the list of twelve judge selected supplementary candidates.

Each name that appeared drew different reactions. Some let out sighs of relief, some had sour expressions, and some who had thought they were done froze in place when they saw their names on the judges’ list.

The eliminated were guided away by staff.

The process was cruelly quiet. Many had walked into their connection pods believing they would at least make it to the second stage, but in less than ninety minutes, they were already out of the main event.

Zich scanned the advancement list and quickly spotted several familiar names; to be specific the names of the major candidates.

Along with some Velhari, Sorath, Keth, and those few Nullborn candidates whose names still displayed somewhat indistinctly. However, perhaps the name that shocked him the most was...

[Varok]

"Hmm, interesting," he muttered, seeing the name that belonged to the spear user who had been sucked into the Gold Realm with him. The two had never really fought, and Zich had never seen what he was truly capable of.

’I guess in the next stage we will know.’

A tournament official stepped up onto the platform, their voice projected through the hall’s arrays.

"The first stage is now complete. Eliminated candidates will be escorted out of the main competition area by staff. Advancing candidates will receive one full day of rest."

At the words "one day of rest," quite a few candidates visibly relaxed.

The official continued, "The second stage will begin tomorrow. All advancing candidates are expected to arrive on time."

The final line appeared on the light screen.

[Next Stage Begins Tomorrow]

In the white metal hall, candidates began filing out of the pod area.

The atmosphere among the advancing candidates was completely different from that of the eliminated.

While some were excited, others were silent and had already started observing their future opponents.

Zich stood up from his connection pod, his steps still somewhat heavy, but better than when he had first woken.

Helen walked over to him.

"Let’s go. There shouldn’t be any more fighting today."

Zich looked at her and nodded. "Sure."

"Why don’t all of us share a drink at a bar?" Helen suddenly suggested, her gaze alternating between Zich, Jayden, and Mira. "I know a place."