The leader Orus, said, "Well, this was unexpected, but the last team has arrived, and with that, the first round of the Golden Knights Championship is over."

"Sir V, did you see what happened? Was it the target who did that?"

"Isn't it obvious? That scoundrel, Michael. He placed a curse on the three when they passed through him, and then detonated them from a distance."

"Is he really that fast? I mean, no one noticed, not even the Golden Knights."

"The leader of the knights, Orios, noticed, but didn’t give it much thought. It’s part of the competition, after all. In the end, there was no cheating or anything like that."

"So, what should we do next about Michael?"

"I’ll tell you one thing: don’t act on your own. You’re just assistants here. I’ll handle Michael myself," Knight V said, his tone growing stern. "One mistake in a fight with him, and you’ll be destroyed."

"Understood, sir. We’ll prepare for the second challenge now. I’ll take my leave."

Knight V walked through the kingdom for a while, gathering his thoughts. As he strolled, he spotted Wolf with his team and made his way over to them.

"Hello, I’m Knight V, one of the participants in the competition."

"Ah, yes. I know you. Everyone’s been talking about how you're the strongest here, but I assure you, I’ll be the one who wins the title of Golden Knight," Wolf replied, confidently.

"Very well. But that’s not my concern right now," Knight V responded, his tone serious.

He then continued, "I have a few questions for you."

Wolf raised an eyebrow, but responded, "Alright, what do you want?"

"You’re the one who fought Michael near the edge of the Blue Forest, right?"

"And what about it?" Wolf asked, slightly defensive.

"I need you to tell me what happened during that fight," Knight V pressed

Inside the royal palace, during a gathering of the knights, a palace advisor hurried in with urgent news.

"Sir Orios, the Kingdom of Winds and Wings has changed its current prince."

Orios looked up sharply. "What do you mean? Ando isn’t the ruler there anymore? Who is the new prince?"

"It’s rumored that someone from the underworld has taken the throne after a challenge occurred there," the advisor explained.

"I see..." Orios muttered, thinking carefully. "And what else?"

"Also, sir, there are leaks from within the Kingdom of Winds suggesting they plan to break away from the Golden Kingdom’s rule."

Orus’s face hardened. "Send someone to negotiate with them and gather official details. I want to know everything."

"Understood, sir."

Lala looked over at Alfred, noticing his improvement. "Seems like you’ve fully recovered, Alfred."

"Yes, fortunately. I’m ready for the second challenge," Alfred replied, his eyes steely with determination.

As they spoke, a palace messenger approached them, handing over three letters.

"These are the summons for your team for the second challenge. You must attend at sunset. The details are in the letters."

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

"Thank you," Lala said, accepting the letters with a nod.

Alfred glanced at the letters, then asked, "But where’s Michael?"

"He’s probably in his room at the competitors' inn," Lala suggested.

"Alright, I’ll check on him and deliver his letter," Alfred said, starting to walk away.

"I’ll come with you. We can discuss the next challenge with him," Lala said.

"I don’t think he’ll be in the mood for that," Alfred replied, half-smiling.

As they made their way to the inn, they spotted Michael walking down the street ahead of them.

"There he is, it’s Michael," Lala said, pointing.

They caught up to him quickly, and Lala spoke first. "Hello, Michael. Where have you been? How’s your injury?"

Michael glanced at them briefly before asking, "Did the challenge letter arrive?"

"Yes, here it is. Take it," Alfred replied, handing him the letter.

Michael took the letter and opened it carefully. The paper rustled as he read:

"Second Challenge: The Blood Jug. Gather your teams at sunset in front of the main palace courtyard. Spill blood, don’t lose blood, and pass to the next challenge with your mind intact."

Lala raised an eyebrow. "What do they mean by ‘pass with your mind intact’?"

Alfred shrugged, clearly unsure. "I’m not sure. Maybe they’ll explain the details later."

Michael folded the letter. "Let’s move. We need to be there on time."

As the sun began to set, the participants gathered in the palace courtyard as instructed. A tense quiet hung in the air as they waited for the next challenge to begin.

The fire knight, Iliana, stepped forward, her voice carrying over the crowd.

"Congratulations to those of you who won the first challenge and will continue with us into the second: The Blood Jug."

She paused, scanning the faces of the participants. "I remind you that withdrawal is not an option. You agreed to this when you entered the competition."

Her eyes glinted with excitement as she continued, "For the second challenge, you will remain in your teams. However, you will be transported to the Hallucination Cave, a strange and dangerous place outside the kingdom, in an abandoned area. Each team will have a counter—a jug. This time, you will not be sent to the same location as a team. Each of you will be sent to a random spot."

She gestured toward the jug held in her hands. "Every time you kill a monster, a person, or cause them to bleed, the blood will be collected in your jug. When it is full, the blood will spill out and open a portal leading to the end of the challenge."

"The jug is tied to your team's lives. Any injury you sustain will decrease the amount of blood in your jug. You’ll know if your teammates are in trouble by the amount of blood left."

Iliana’s voice softened slightly. "Good luck. The transport will happen shortly."

Alfred turned to the others. "Listen up. We’ll use Lala’s sensing ability to locate each other quickly and regroup."

Lala nodded. "Trust me, I’ll find you all."

Michael adjusted his stance. "Make sure you get to me quickly. I don’t want the same kind of obstacles we had in the last challenge."

"We’ll work as a team, don’t worry," Alfred reassured him.

With a sudden flash of light, they were all transported to the Hallucination Cave, a place so twisted and dangerous that those who enter often do not emerge with their sanity intact