> Hide (Shoutcaster): “Game by game, year by year, the standards for the Trial of Champions keep rising higher and higher, just the Control related Quadrant eliminated about 45% of the rookies and returnees this year.”
> Maze (Shoutcaster): “Well that’s just how it is Hide. Majority of the initial points for new League players are provided by the Trial of Champions. It is safe to say that newcomers wouldn’t last a year, no. Not even a season, without placing within the top 500 of the Trial of Champions. Not even being grabbed by a guild will exempt them from the lack of achievements and League Points.”
> Hide (Shoutcaster): “Design my friend. It is by design. If they can’t contend with the other newcomers, and if course, can’t contend with other pros then they’ll be gone before we even know their names.”
> Maze (Shoutcaster): “Harsh. Harsh… but fair.”
> Hide (Shoutcaster): I agree. It really speaks of the quality of the players and matches that the League has to offer.”
> Hide and Maze (Shoutcaster): “That aside, looks like it’s showtime.
>
> And finally! There we have if folks the first 500 participants that will be joining us in the second half of this year’s Trial of Champions: THE ROYALE!!!”
…
… …
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Everyone including the players on stage held their breath as they inspected all 500 contestants, a countdown from 10 started as the beeping sound built up. Echoes of heartbeats pounded, suspense building as the countdown fell from…
5…
4…
3…
2…
1.
> Shoutcaster Maze and Hide : “Start!”
Instantly, each of the 500 players scrambled, as the countdown ended. Some blending in the background, some blinking away, others content in simply hiking higher terrain but what caught the caster’s attention was the very tall Skeletal Standing at the center of the floating stone platform in the middle of the battle arena.
> Shoutcaster Maze and Hide: “This… Thi--- This…. COOOOOOOOL!!!”
The camera instantly zoomed in on the skeletal. The Design and bone structure of the skeletal was more like an artwork rather than an anatomically correct skeletal structure. It’s appearance both intimidating and aesthetic, looking almost like a statue, as it didn’t breathe nor move.
Only the dragon hide scarf as well as the plain pitch black Gigantic Dark Bone axe being the indicator that this skeletal was an actual player.
The axe, in contrast to the detailed body of the skeletal, was plain and smooth. It didn’t feature any of the intricate inscribes and creases, the axe simply radiated heaviness and unadulterated sharpness.
From this stage of the game, it looked strong. Even too strong.
It was understandable that none of the newcomers even thought about attacking the large bone creature. They were better off conserving their mana and stamina while taking on easy kills for now. This was a 500-man battle royale after all. Sooner or later that player will run out of steam, and he will be ripe for the taking.
…
.
Or at least that’s what they wanted to do. The Skeletal, seemingly disappointed after no one rushed on him, suddenly stomped the ground smoke and ash covering everything as the whole platform itself collapsed cracking then breaking into multiple large chunks.
The crowd cheered as the camera followed the tall skeletal. The Skeletal even unsummoning his weapon and his scarf just so he could perfectly blend in with the white chalk like smoke that erupted from the impact he created.
Inevitably, an archer was caught off guard, the player had perception and speed based threshold upgrades and would’ve survived had the Skeletal attempted to go for a slash, but how could the archer even attempt to escape when a strong bone fingers directly dug towards her throat, her was HP still in the green, though it soon dopped down as the skeletal smashed her body against a tree and the floor creating blood rains and mist, before being torn apart, her body getting separated from it’s head. The Skeletal stepping on her head as it pulled her body apart causing a lethal blow by beheading, taking out all of her remaining HP in an instant.
Her only words as got logged out was, ‘how was that even fair.’. She was on another platform. How could that heavy thing even fly without mana. Or did it? She didn’t even know.
…