By Zephyria The identification process was not much different from before. Participants could enter the tent, compare their ID with their face, register one piece of game auxiliary equipment, and then pass.
The difference was that the face verification was carried out more thoroughly. After examining the shape of the auricle in detail, they were given a token with a number written on it. The number was ’20’ and seemed unrelated to the participation number.
Contrary to the expectation that they would move directly to the game venue through the Portal like the previous game, the examiner opened the exit leading to the back of the tent. The space beyond was literally the back of the tent. It was still inside the arena, just one barrier over.
The participants who had gone through the procedure first were also gathering in groups of three or five to share information or chat, as if there were no separate instructions given. Someone was impressed by Ero’s spirit earlier and suggested an alliance focusing on those who looked strong. It was rejected without even looking.
Leonardo, flicking the token with his thumb, walked out and looked around with a frown. Gillian and Beatrice came into view again in the distance. If they were really moving with the goal of winning, it would be better to scatter and increase the probability of even one person going up in the current situation where team battles are not certain. That way, it would attract less attention.
The guys seemed to know that too, and they seemed to be keeping their distance on their own without any special eye contact. Leonardo averted his gaze and turned his head to the sky, where the light was shining particularly brightly.
The ceiling of the arena was wide open, and the light felt excessive even considering that the sun was rising in the due south. On the other hand, the temperature is strangely low. He had looked up at the sky from outside, but was it this strong?
He tilted his head and naturally lowered his eyes to his feet. The golden eyes narrowed.
‘The shadow…’
Just in time, a voice was heard right next to him.
“Brother, did you get this?””
Ero, who had come out of the tent on the side, stood close to him. Leonardo only rolled his eyes and looked at him. Ero also had a token in his hand.
“Oh, what number do you have?”
“It’s ’20’.”
“Really? Same as me.”
“Is that so? As expected, we seem to be a combination in the eyes of others! So wouldn’t they give us the same thing?”
‘They must give everyone the same thing.’
When Leonardo casually ignored the fuss, Ero, noticing his reaction, cleared his throat and asked.
“By the way, brother.” I’ve been wondering since before, but what did you register as auxiliary equipment? Do you have a hidden weapon inside your cloak or jacket?”
Come to think of it, if it was the guy who had been with him since the middle of the first game, he might be curious about his weapon, which fights almost like a martial artist. Leonardo pondered and nodded his head in the affirmative, intending to answer that there was no such thing. The fact that he couldn’t carry other tools because of the Magic Power-sucking choker was a weakness compared to others. There was no need to reveal it from the start.
Fortunately, Ero believed it as it was and sparkled his eyes and brought his face closer.
“Wow, a hidden weapon! When our older brother takes it out, won’t the entire arena floor be turned upside down?”
Around the time when the lengthening chatter was faintly heard, the strangely shining sky rippled.
The huge Amplification Magic Circle he had seen before unfolded. It was the long-awaited announcement.
“Brother, it looks like it’s starting!””
The noisy arena fell silent in an instant. The crowd, raising their heads in unison, exuded a solemn atmosphere.
Since Part 1 was conducted in groups, it was clear from the beginning which group you belonged to. However, this time there was no specific announcement about which group it was. Does that mean all these people are being thrown into one match?
Just as they were wondering, the explanation began.
‘No limit, huh.’
That meant it wasn’t a first-come, first-served basis, at least. From another perspective, it sounded like the difficulty wasn’t low enough for everyone to pass easily.
Ero, who was next to him, seemed to have the same thought and their eyes met.
Leonardo looked down at the Token he was holding in his hand. This number, it wasn’t just a number, it was a ‘chance’ to turn a corner. In other words, the task was to escape before all the chances were used up.
But 20. The area of this stadium is roughly estimated to be at least 25 hectares. And if the dimensions inside the maze were twisted to expand the space, it could be even larger.
If he wandered around without thinking, his chances would run out quickly. Did that mean he had to fight and steal other people’s chances?
The Magic Circle that had spread across the sky disappeared. As soon as the announcement ended, the participants began to murmur among themselves. It was unclear whether it was because the rules were unexpectedly simple, or because they were flustered by the restriction of the number of Tokens. As soon as they understood the situation, they rushed forward as if they had agreed to it. That seemed to be the entrance to the maze.
“Hyungnim, let’s go quickly too!”
“Okay.”
Urged by Ero, Leonardo started walking leisurely towards the crowd ahead.
He glanced back at where his colleagues had been, but the two of them were already gone, having joined the ranks. He spoke coldly to Ero as if it was none of his business, but Leonardo secretly wished them good luck and suddenly turned his head towards the spectator seats.
He felt a strange gaze, but he couldn’t see anything.
‘Am I too on edge these days, like Gillian said…’ He touched the back of his head and followed the other participants.
The maze was built half underground, so they had to go down the stairs to reach the first entrance. But the stairs, which he thought would end soon, continued quite deep. As they followed the zigzag path and the guides endlessly downwards, the bright blue sky had become distant enough.
As a result, the walls that made up the maze were much higher. The height was roughly 11m. If you didn’t raise your head and just looked straight ahead, all you could see was the yellowish-brown stone.
There were low gaps here and there that allowed you to cross to the other side, but even then, it didn’t seem easy for ordinary people to climb over the wall unless they had considerable jumping power.
Also, the entrances were not in one place but were scattered in several places. The guide explained that this was only to prevent traffic, and that no place was more advantageous or closer to the exit. In the end, the choice of which entrance to enter was up to the individual.
“You cannot steal other people’s Tokens or combine the numbers of Tokens before moving 10m from the starting point. Now, 20 people here, let’s start. Please go inside along the path.”
At the guide’s instruction, 20 people, including Leonardo and Ero, stepped into the gap in the magnificent walls. As soon as they started, most of them ran forward quickly, wary of each other. It seemed they were trying to distance themselves before getting caught up in unnecessary fights.
Ero hurriedly tried to chase after them, but stopped and looked back.
“Hyungnim, aren’t you going?”
Leonardo threw his cloak back, put his hands in his pockets, and started leisurely from the back. He looked so relaxed that it was hard to believe the match had started.
“Don’t rush.”
Over his shoulder, a flame rose up and flew into the air like an arrow. It was so fast that Ero couldn’t even follow it with his eyes.
“It’s not always good to move fast in a place like this.”