Gertine had told her about the hotel where the mages could stay until going back home or entering the Mergifari.

From 5 auris per week to… whatever the best rooms cost. Velvet was fine with the cheapest option, since she was used to sharing a room with other children.

Two weeks were ten auris, payment upfront.

She found it strange that there was only one hotel in the whole market, but maybe there was a magical explanation.

And there was. The hotel only had five doors, but, depending on what key was used to open any of them, the mage found themselves in a different room.

Only one key for the tenant, but she had asked and the owner had a master key.

Food was included at 2 extra auris per week, so Velvet paid them. After having lunch while reading the ‘Crafting for Dummies’, she left her suitcase inside the room, going out again.

She wanted to see the Arena.

…

Funnily enough, it actually looked like a glass tower. It wasn’t transparent, more like grayish-bluish.

When she entered, she understood why it was off limits. The concealment spell was weaker here, and another one was on top of it.

Some mages here had strange forms, from normal, human ones, to bizarre, inhuman ones. There was even a mix of a girl and a cat.

An illusion spell? Why?

She went to the counter, where the catgirl was.

“Hello! How can I help you? Do you want to register on the Arena?”

“Not yet, I want to know first why there are illusions.”

“Oh, a newbie! Yey! You will surely have fun here!”

I didn’t say I wanted to register…

“The illusions are for registered members. Imagine, you see a fighter that you love, but, if they look the same as everyone else around you, it’s kiiiind of a turnoff. And that makes people not want to spend money on them.”

“So, genius that we are, we decided to give every fighter here an avatar and an alias! That way, if someone wants to tip their favorite fighter, or buy some merch, they can do it easily!”

Tips? Merch?

“What percentage of the profits do you take?” A bit interested now, Velvet asked.

The girl’s eyes shined with greed, but in a kinda comical way. “We do not take part of the tips, but we do take fifty percent of the merch sales from levels one to ten, twenty five percent from levels eleven to fifty, and ten percent from up there.”

“And how do these levels work?”

“Everyone starts at level one, and from there you move. Your enemy will never be from the next or previous categories. Losing to someone from a higher rank than you won’t harm your position, but having a tie with someone of lower rank will. You can advance by defeating higher ranks or ending a combat in a draw with someone of high rank.”

“On the contrary, if you lose or have a draw with someone of a lower rank, you will lose positions. Losing towards a higher rank, or winning against a lower rank have no changes in your position.”

“So fighting people of lower rank than you is useless?” Velvet understood the logic of the penalties, but she didn’t see any long term profit.

“Winning in lower levels gives you 50 auris. A draw gives you 25. Losing gives you zero.”

“You should have said so at the start…”

“Let me finish first! Fights in the lower levels are under an equality formation, so any spell gets its power reduced to the same level. Also any real intent to permanently harm the opponent gets a very hard punishment.”

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“Huh, so there’s no possibility of someone coming with a broken spell and wiping the floor with everyone?”

“Exactly. We use the lower levels as a way for novice mages to earn experience and expand their growth possibilities. But from level eleven to upwards, we assume the fighter has enough experience to keep themselves alive.”

“Huh… it sounds kind of great, put like that.” One of Velvet’s fears towards the Arena was ending up against a sadistic powerhouse that wanted to be a bully. She had been kicked around by Cornelius and Siberina, and didn’t like the experience.

“It does, right! Do you want to register and try?!”

Damn it, you sold it to me so well! Only true idiots would refuse this! Being charmed like this by the other party, Velvet had no objections!

It sounded like safe money!

“... Yeah, okay.”

“Great! Do you have any alias preference? I think Wallety or Coin Pursuer would fit you the best!”

“Aren’t those a bit too on the nose? How about Coin?”

“... That one is already in use.”

“Damn.”

“Gold Digger is also in use.”

“I did not want that one!”

They kept silent for a few seconds.

“Oh! Why don’t you first start customizing your avatar?! Maybe then the name will come out on its own!” The catgirl put a thick book in front of Velvet.

“Are all the customizations free?”

“Some are paid options.”

“I just want the free options.”

They stared at each other for a moment, then, she took the book and changed it for basically nothing.

“You know, Cheapass is also in use.”

“Stop complaining, you’re getting a new fighter because I need money!”

“Well, for free options, we give the mage the choice to use their own real aspect. That is kinda popular, so a lot of mages pick that option.”

“Should’ve said that sooner, I don’t even need an alias like that!”

Velvet saw the catgirl looking at her cloaked face, and then down, before fixing some kinda necklace and giving it to her.

She put it on, becoming once again herself.

“Finally, that cloaked thing is so depressing..”

“Yeah, some fighters end up joining the Arena only to see something other than cloaked faces everywhere.”

“Only the Arena has that option?”

“Nah, most places at the edges of the market also have something similar. People would just go crazy if not!”

“Huh, really?”

“Yup. Now, you are going to fight right now!”

It wasn’t a question.

“Wait, I need to make some charms, I’m not exactly a frontline mage…”

“Oh, we have some materials ready in the waiting room for you to use, free of charge. Also you can find presents hidden once the party starts! Just make sure to leave the artifacts where you found them. And read their warnings.” She went pushing Velvet towards one strange door.

“W-wait, how does the arena look?! You didn’t finish explaining!”

“I know, but isn’t that way better? Arm yourself, make allies, and finish the labyrinth!”

“What allies? What labyrinth now?! You are changing things!”

“I never said combats were one against one in a safe room. That’s boring to watch.”

“Then?” Velvet got pushed inside the room.

“Do you know the term ‘Battle Royale’?”

“No?”

“You’ll soon find out then!” The catgirl closed the door, leaving Velvet inside.

Velvet groaned, but didn’t exactly complain, preferring to actually use her time getting ready.

There were a few rows of shelves, filled with materials. They weren’t the expensive type, but they were waaay better than the ones Velvet had.

There was a sand clock on top of the door opposite the one she entered, that was slowly filling. She had around ten minutes to prepare.

Hm, It’s so great I actually read that book. She put on some protective goggles, gloves, a mask and a thick boiler suit that covered the rest of her body, grabbing different things. And I can test some of those concepts… free of cost.

…

A drop of sweat ran though Mirrs’ back, but she ignored it, looking at the time that the fighters had to get ready.

The sooner they entered, the more time they had to make things, but the less materials they had, and, the later they entered, the less time they had, but the more materials.

That meant that entering in the middle was usually the best time to join.

Velvet had been the last one to enter, that’s why Mirrs had been so persuasive.

There were several new faces in this battle, so one more would increase the viewer’s interest! Some of those may grow to be in the big leagues, after all!