Chapter 145 - VOL 2 Chapter 90: An imminent battle.
"By the way, Erik, why did you give the guards the healing pills and mana crystals?"
Upon hearing Erik's words, the director smiled casually and asked curiously, while watching the guards, who began to sweat profusely, rooted to the spot, not daring to even breathe. At that moment, Erik answered calmly and formally, without the slightest hint of nervousness.
"Ah, that's because, in order to capture the kidnapper, I had to hit the young men the idiot was blackmailing to follow his orders. So this is to help them heal their injuries and as a small compensation for the psychological harm caused by that idiot. After all, I felt it was my duty, as an honest member of the order, to deliver justice and compensate them for their misfortune."
(Of course, of course, it's only because of that and not because you want to avoid a collective lawsuit...)
The same thought crossed the guards' minds and the Master-level individuals present, although only the latter dared to show it on their faces.
"Hehe, you really are an example of an honest member of the order. You certainly deserve a reward."
The director remarked with laughter, while in his mind he almost superimposed Erik's image with those of Sigrún and Eleonora, offering him one of their so-called "business opportunities", basically blatant attempts at swindling him. That inevitably made him laugh, somewhat amused. After all, for someone like him, cheerful and fearless children were the best, capable of alleviating the boredom of his long life.
"Of course, I wouldn't dare contradict you, Director, and I will humbly accept."
Erik replied seriously, making a small, respectful bow, which caused the Master-level individuals present to roll their eyes at such a hopeless case, secretly cursing the luck of that pair of troublemakers. Everything good really did seem to fall into their laps.
"Hehe, I like your 'humility'." The director commented with an amused smile, placing emphasis on the last word, to which Erik replied without changing his expression.
"It comes naturally."
"Hahaha, well, we'll talk later, Erik." The director laughed genuinely, clearly entertained, and said, then turned to the guards, adding in a more serious tone.
"Alright, get the surveillance footage and send it to the court. In the meantime, take the injured to the infirmary."
"Yes, sir!!!"
The guards responded in unison with powerful voices as they gave a standard military salute. Then, the director looked back at Erik and commented.
"But we'll still need a direct witness, aside from the claimant."
Upon hearing the director, Olivia raised her hand shakily, terrified, yet mustering her courage with the thought that she couldn't chicken out when her cookie prince needed her, or she'd never live down the shame. This caught the director's attention, and he asked in a calm tone.
"Oh, will you serve as a witness?"
"Y-yes, Director. I've been here since the beginning of the incident, and I can attest that what Direct Disciple Erik says is true." Visibly nervous, Olivia bit her lip and answered in a trembling voice, which prompted the director to nod calmly before saying.
"That's good, then I hope you can appear when the court summons you."
"Y-yes, sir."
Olivia quickly nodded her head fervently while responding nervously, which earned her a small smile from the director. He then turned to the Master-level individuals and commented.
"Alright, it seems this matter is settled. Let's go back to the meeting room."
The Master-level individuals present promptly nodded at the director and vanished from the place in a flash, which the director soon followed, speaking in a friendly tone as he disappeared.
"Then I'll see you later, Erik."
"It will be a pleasure, Director." Erik responded formally, making a slight bow in the direction the director was disappearing in, who flashed him a small smile before disappearing entirely.
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...
The past few months had not been easy for Liliana. For a spoiled young lady brought up in luxury, living on an uninhabited planet was far from simple, despite having everything needed to survive in such an environment stored in her rings. From a portable shelter to automatic cooking artifacts, it was still torture for her to confront nature for the first time.
But her already grim situation of living on a deserted planet in the middle of nowhere was brutally worsened thanks to her "younger brother", Erik. The first time she saw him again after being teleported on the first day of the tournament—having already escaped a bunch of dangers that almost got her eliminated at any moment—he was creating a scene around a column of light that had appeared out of nowhere. Which attracted the attention of most participants and monsters on the planet.
Acting like he was some kind of big shot, he was calmly reading while drinking tea and eating cookies, flanked by two imposing mystical wolves and surrounded by his dragon spirit, which intimidated everyone who approached him, earning him a certain amount of resentment from the participants. Yet, as if that wasn't enough, the idiot decided to make a scene and practically incriminated her as his accomplice, effectively turning her into a public enemy.
Right before the column of light dimmed, her idiot younger brother used some kind of artifact to shoot forward, stealing the staff at the center of the column of light right before all the other participants. They were outraged by his brazen actions and wanted revenge. The problem was that, after that day, nobody could find him, so they ended up taking out their frustration on whoever was around him—in other words, on her, Elara, and Zoe.
Although no one dared go too far—since they were still proud direct disciples protected by respected Master-level mentors—the participants still made sure to pursue them across sky, sea, and land in search of information about Erik, and to possibly eliminate them from the tournament as payback.
Especially because a certain blue-haired bitch seized the moment and organized a full-on witch hunt to chase them around the planet, creating such enormous pressure on them that the three had no choice but to team up and hide for almost a month. That was how long it took for another column of light to appear, which largely relieved the pressure they faced. Even so, it didn't disappear entirely, and they had to remain extremely cautious.
Owing to the persecution they suffered because of Erik, the three decided not to show up during the second appearance of the column of light. As "public enemies", they knew they would be attacked from all sides and thus quickly eliminated, so they chose to keep a low profile. They only began actively taking part in the tournament starting with the fourth appearance, when the situation had calmed down a bit more.
By that time, about nine months had passed since the tournament began, with a new column of light appearing roughly each month. During this period, they discovered the ins and outs of how the staffs and palace trials worked, whether by exchanging information or deducing it from the actions of other teams.
After Erik, the next person to obtain a staff was a rather famous disciple in the order—close to turning three hundred years old and at the Revealed-Competent level—who, shortly thereafter, unlike Erik, whom no one had seen since that day, reappeared fifteen days later with the staff in hand.
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After his reappearance, the young man began recruiting talented individuals, quickly forming a group of ten people including himself, and then vanished once again. This led participants to theorize that later trials would require teamwork, triggering the formation of various teams, although based on that young man's actions, these teams were never more than ten people.
From that point onward, the tournament became a massive team-based free-for-all, gradually yielding more information about the staff, which turned out to be a key; and inside the palaces, there were nine other special treasures that secured a spot in the expedition to the ruin. This swiftly led everyone to conclude that the arrogant, star-haired guy had miserably failed after "stealing" the first staff.
Additionally, something quite important that became known shortly thereafter was that each person holding a staff had the option to leave with their earned spot or remain to seek out the palace brimming with treasures that would crown the tournament champion. This further intensified the already chaotic team-based free-for-all in the tournament.
Driven by the urge to secure a place, the participants, besides battling for the staffs that appeared once a month, spent all their time hunting down any teams that opted to remain in pursuit of the champion's palace, sparking massive group battles for the staffs everywhere on the planet. This finally ended the "manhunt" they had been subjected to because not even that blue-haired bitch could afford to focus on them alone and risk missing out on a staff.
However, about three months ago, the chaotic warfare began to die down, at the same time a rumor surfaced that the champion's palace had already appeared. Coupled with the disappearance of several formidable competitors, it effectively became a fact in the eyes of all remaining participants on the planet.
...
"It looks like there aren't many strong competitors left. The champion's palace really did appear."
In the middle of a vast, rocky prairie, Zoe commented with a somewhat complicated expression as she surveyed the surroundings. Various camps could be seen, each formed by groups of participants no larger than ten, all encircling a gigantic pillar of light at the center.
"Well, that's something people have been whispering about for months, so it's very likely. Although one good thing is that we don't have to see any bitch slinking around." Elara nodded and said this in a calm tone, likewise scanning the area while standing next to Zoe.
"In that, you're right. It's definitely a relief not having to see that bitch; she really gets on my nerves..." Liliana agreed while, just like her companions, analyzing the zone that was on the verge of becoming a battlefield.
"Although I feel the same, I still have a slight sense of regret for not even being able to participate in the main battle..." Zoe added with a sigh, to which Elara nodded and spoke in a slightly disappointed tone.
"I get what you mean. It really is a shame not making a stellar debut and taking the championship."
"Don't say silly things. The champion's palace wasn't something we could aim for. We're still too young; that kind of battlefield isn't for us. Our chance will come later. For now, we need to focus on securing our passes for the expedition." Liliana stated this seriously, arms crossed, as she stood next to the other two girls.
"Hmph, don't crush our ambition, Liliana." Elara quickly turned to look at Liliana and replied with a childish pout, slightly puffing out her cheeks.
"I'm not killing your ambition; I'm telling you the reality before us." Liliana spoke dismissively, continuing to scrutinize the other camps' participants in detail, mentally noting the most troublesome ones. Elara responded irritably.
"That doesn't change the fact that you're a killjoy."
"Whatever you say." Liliana rolled her eyes in response, just as Zoe spoke up in a serious tone while watching the pillar of light dim slightly.
"Alright, cut it out, you two. We have an imminent battle on our hands."
"Hmph, I'll let you off today because of the coming battle."
Elara quickly remarked in a casual tone while turning back to watch the field intently, and Liliana replied just as casually, shrugging her shoulders, though her gaze was equally focused on what lay ahead.
"I could say the same. If it weren't for the battle, I'd teach you a thing or two."
""Hmph.""
Even though they bickered, neither one took it seriously, knowing it was simply a way to release tension before the battle. Their minds were already on high alert, simulating possible fights, while their mana circulated constantly, ready to jump into combat at a moment's notice.
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