"Tier-1 Team, you are up first, so when I receive word from the staff, you will enter in an orderly fashion. Remember, just because you are closed off from spectators in person doesn't mean there won't be eyes on you at all times."
"Between the numerous camera angles and referees standing by in the rooms, live feeds are transmitting from your capsules. Good luck out there, everyone, and remember, win or lose, all that matters is that you gave it your all." Geralt finished up his pep talk and left to speak with one of the Event Organizers.
In his absence, the locker room-styled Area became noisy as the Tier-1 and Tier-2 teams conversed like regular students. Some people even came over to try to start a conversation with MyrkLys.
Unfortunately, Mother Goose Cynrik would snort and shoot glares whenever someone got close, freezing the weaker students in place before scaring them off.
[[Really, Cyn, do you plan on making it so none of us have friends outside the group?]] Brance sighed as he watched the third group of three people running away like scared kittens.
[[Fuck them; how they do in the Competition has no bearing on anything. They're the amateur league, while the Tier-3 Teams are considered the pros.]] Cynrik snorted while looking through the walls of the locker room to see what changes the Arena had undergone.
[[Hehe, yep, they're JV, and we are Varsity. It's funny because when I was in high school, I always wanted to be one of the cheerleaders, but my goth ass ended up lurking in corners smoking pot, so there was never a chance.]] Chewing her bottom lip and remembering her life on Earth, Selene remarked while watching her Boyfriend.
[[Besides, it doesn't matter if we get along with them, Brancie. At the rate we grow, odds are we will graduate in a year or two, considering how Year Six Students generally reach Mid-Tier Four before graduation. So we will leave them behind; what use is there in getting to know people we won't interact with post-VSFA?]] Cynrik added while uncrossing his arms and shoving them into the pockets of his gold blazer.
[[What makes you think Geralt won't find a way to keep us in the Academy longer? We can't keep abusing the whole school year's resource budget and suddenly walk out one day. We have to find at least a way to pay him back. After all, he has been keeping a roof over our heads plus protecting us from High Tier threats.]] Shuffling his feet and watching Geralt across the room, Brance brought up a topic that had been bothering him since they reached Tier-3.
[[You're overthinking, a Lannister always pays his debts, Brancie. When the day for us to leave VSFA arrives, I will have paid back Geralt in one way or another.]] Cynrik snorted as his attention was drawn to Geralt waving over the Tier-1 Team.
[[Anyway, the results from the Tier-1 and Tier-2 teams have no bearing on our ranking, they are the warm-up for the audience, it's the Tier-3 teams that have an actual championship they are fighting for.]] Tearing his eyes away from the nervous batch of young adults following the Headmaster, Cynrik pulled up the live stream for VSFA on his Watcet.
Although he could see everything on the other side of the wall thanks to [Mana Sight], Cynrik wanted to be sure about the room layout to plan a proper exit strategy in case things went sideways.
[[There are two exits/entrances into the VR rooms, one on each side for the teams to leave and enter separately. The doors are sealed shut during the events, and only the Referees can step in and shut down the VR capsules.]] While he spoke, Cynrik's eyes fell on the two middle-aged men wearing typical black and white striped uniforms representing their roles.
[[Tsk, man, I miss Earth Internet. It was much easier to look people up and do background checks there. With the crazy restrictions, it's borderline impossible to gather info on individuals without having some external means.]] Clicking his tongue, Cynrik kept the Hologram function of his Watcet turned off and viewed the Livestream in 2d mode.
Pinching the screen and zooming in on the faces of each referee as they were introduced to the audience, he then took several screenshots while grumbling to himself.
[[It shouldn't be necessary to do background checks on the refs, Cyn. If memory serves, the CSH conducts an arduous exam process, and your character and history are called into question to get certified. All for the sake of keeping a fair competition environment.]] Understanding Cynrik's reasoning behind the statement, Brance remarked, even if he didn't feel entirely sure about unsavory people infiltrating the Referee staff.
[[Tell that to the guy who tried to set us up yesterday. Oh wait, you can't. I tortured him and then slaughtered him like a pig.]] Cynrik stated with a sneer as he watched the two VSFA Tier-1 students get overwhelmed and slaughtered in the Swarm event.
[[That was faster than I expected.]] Watching the stream beside Cynrik, Selene chimed in right as the Tier-1 students from Romeoville won the first event.
[[They couldn't even handle a bunch of weak Tier-1 mobs. If I were in Geralt's shoes, I would expel them all. What the hell have they been doing the last few weeks?]]
[[What do you expect? Not everyone could kill hundreds of people stronger than themselves as children.]] Rolling his eyes and pulling up the live stream on his Watcet, Brance countered.
[[Meh, SRD is up next, although the map won't be exactly the same for us, the Organizers have been known to scale up similar maps each round, so we should be able to get some info to prepare ourselves.]] Narrowing his eyes, Cynrik watched the entire Tier-1 team load in on a vast arctic tundra, and he frowned.
[[Greeeeat~ Snow, I fucking hate snow.]] Cynrik complained, making Brance and Selene snicker.
[[You fuckers never lived up north, fucking Floridians through and through. I spent seven winters dealing with that white shit, and let me tell you, every year, I swore I'd move away and didn't.]] Rubbing his tongue on one of his canines, Cynrik had flashbacks to it being negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit and being forced to clear the driveway to go to work.
[[Hehe, that sounds like a you problem, Big Brother. I specifically remember you never going outside when you lived in Florida because, and I quote, "It's fucking hot; I hate the fucking Hot!!!"]] Smiling at the memory, Brance laughed in the mind link, causing Selene to join in on the teasing.
[[Oh my god, no way, haha; I can picture him being a total shut-in back then.]] Looking up at her Boyfriend and shooting him a teasing smile, Selene poked the bear further.
[[Oh, he totally was. I remember him not leaving the house for years at one point.]]
[[Fuck off, both of you, if you want something to do, observe and memorize the fucking map layout.]] Rolling up his top lip and exposing his teeth in a snarl, Cynrik fought back the urge to strangle both Brance and Selene, making them laugh even harder in the mind link.
Ignoring the cackling fools laughing in his head, Cynrik focused in on the harsh environment and noticed a few things that could be important, such as a sizeable frozen ocean to the east of the spawn location and several massive mountains. But when he saw what the enemy race was, his mood shot through the roof as he reached over to pat Brance on the shoulder.
[[Well, Brancie, you always did say he existed; it looks like now's your chance to fight one.]]
[[Cynrik, you uncultured, uneducated moron, Yetis and Big Foot are not the same thing.]] Going from laughter to annoyance in no time flat, Brance corrected his brother while glaring at him with hostile intentions.
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