"Are you ready to begin the Coliseum?"

The floating head appeared in the center of the preparation room.

"Today will be a little different; each of you will receive a number from one to ten. This will be your entry order into the Coliseum," the judge explained.

Oliver nodded, waiting for the rest of the explanation.

"Before entering the arena, you will find a selection of weapons. Choose one and enter the arena. It's quite simple." The head flashed a broad smile upon finishing the explanation.

Ping Ping Ping

Each of the gauntlets in the room began to beep. On the hologram, Oliver saw that he had received the number 7. It wasn't good, but at least it wasn't terrible.

One by one, each combatant was allowed to enter. Those who remained in the preparation room began to move around to lessen their anxiety. By the time Oliver was allowed to enter, only a few remained.

Again, the boy found himself in the long corridor leading to the arena, but this time, he noticed some lights halfway down. As he approached, there was a small room with some weapons displayed. There was space for ten weapons, but only four were available.

He approached to assess what was available: a pair of daggers, a metallic shield, a short sword, and a bow and arrow.

‘I don't know how to use any of these,’ Oliver thought.

He had only trained in hand-to-hand combat since he wouldn't use his Ranger Weapon.

‘I could use [Insight]. But do I really want to spend energy like that?’ He continued to question his options. ‘Not really, I’ll still need to user [Observation] during the fight. I need to keep my energy levels high.’

Oliver had already ruled out the bow and arrow; he'd never used one and didn't want to risk it now. The daggers and the sword were good options, but his eyes were drawn to the shield.

He lifted it from its stand and saw two straps to fasten it to his arm.

‘This gives me an extra level of safety in case I fuck up something. Just hope I can use my techniques with this,’ Oliver considered.

After choosing his weapon, Oliver resumed walking to the arena. Upon seeing the lights of the Coliseum, his jaw dropped. To him, it was illogical; the arena seemed gigantic—something that shouldn't be able to fit on the tenth floor.

The ground was covered with sand that spread across the entire arena, and on the sides were seats filled with spectators. But his main surprise was the new hologram that hovered near the arena's ceiling: two men side by side, evaluating each new combatant.

"We have another combatant entering the area: Oliver Nameless. A student at the Academy is already on the tenth floor. Impressive, isn't it, Mike?" one of the holograms commented.

"No doubt. Unfortunately, there isn't any information about his Boon; we couldn't see it being used in previous matches, John," the other hologram replied.

“We may assume that his boon isn’t related to battling or that at least it doesn’t have a physical appearance. What do you think, Mike?” The first hologram asked.

Oliver didn't know what to think of the two holograms commenting on his performance. However, now, with his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he could see who was speaking. He just didn't recognize either of them.

Mike looked like a former basketball player. His cheerful face and broad smile matched his shiny jacket. John, on the other hand, looked like a Hollywood actor. However, Oliver was unsure if there were still actors. His unshaven beard and purple blazer seemed meticulously planned.

Ding

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Oliver gave a slight nod. By now, he knew that responding was pointless. Continuing his steps, he went to the seventh position in the arena. Everyone was positioned in a semi-circle, with the judge hovering at the center.

While the last opponents were entering the arena, Oliver began to analyze his progress over the past few days.

| Status Page

| User: Oliver [Nameless]

| Level: 3 [Pawn]

| Experience: [61/300]

|

| Stats

| Strength: 7 [Pawn]

| Agility: 14 [Knight]

| Constitution: 6 [Pawn]

| Energy: 14 [Knight]

‘The training had a good effect after all,’ Oliver thought.

Although it had only been five days, he had learned a lot and gained plenty of experience—something he would never have achieved within the Academy.

| Left Eye of Learning

| New Earth Army Style

| [10.50%]

Especially his new technique, which has proven valuable in recent combats.

‘Hope this works with a shield,’ Oliver thought as he looked at the object.

While he was still reflecting on the past few days, the last competitor entered the arena—someone Oliver already knew. The girl with the ivory mask walked to the last spot in the semi-circle.

"This is our last combatant, Mike. We don't have any information on her yet, but rumors are that she is one of the newest recruits of IWT," John commented, moving his hologram between looking at the girl and his fellow commentator.

"John, you know that IWT doesn't take finding new talent lightly. No wonder they've become one of the largest CORPs focused on military defense. So we can expect that this girl is capable of packing a punch," Mike responded.

While the two commentators continued their work, the judge began to speak.

"I will be the judge of this fight. Basic rules: no protection, and only the armors and weapons selected are allowed. If you faint, are immobilized, or are severely injured, it's an automatic defeat. Fights to the death are not allowed. Understood?" the floating head asked.

All the combatants nodded.

"Sponsorships may begin at my signal!" The floating head addressed the audience. "3! ... 2! ... 1! Start!"

Oliver had already observed the people closest to him. His plan was to move away and try to engage in combat with the girl to his left. However, as soon as the starting alarm sounded, an explosion hit the center of the arena.

Boom

"Hey! Hey! How about changing the game a bit."

At the moment of the explosion, Oliver was thrown far from his position, hitting the side of the arena. With the cloud of sand that had risen, he couldn't see who was speaking or around him.

Oliver raised the shield close to his face and strained his eyes to see through the sand. He could make out a silhouette approaching; before he could react, he saw an object hitting his shield.

Turning his head, he saw the spear that had just passed him returning.

‘What?!’ the boy thought, not understanding what just happened.

"Impressive, Mike! With a single move, the entire match was altered," Oliver heard the commentators discussing.

"Without a doubt, John. Helen has always known how to use her Boon in some new way. She fired a high-pressure air blast at the arena itself, forcing her opponents to separate and creating a cloud of sand."

Although the situation gradually became clearer, Oliver was still overwhelmed by the cloud and the spear being thrown. He couldn't see his opponent and their weapon. The boy only saw blurs of the spear hitting his shield and, as if by magic, quickly returned to the one who threw it.

Ting

Once again, Oliver managed to dodge the spear by luck. The sand still blocked most of his vision, but finally, he could make out the silhouette of the person attacking him.

‘Now it's my turn,’ Oliver thought.

With the shield in hand, he advanced toward the silhouette ahead. Expecting the spear to be thrown, but the impact never came. In front of him stood a man, almost his height but more muscular. In one hand was the spear that had been thrown.

"I was waiting for you. It wouldn't be fair to win just by throwing this spear," the man said.

"Really? I would have accepted a victory anyway," Oliver said, somewhat embarrassed.

He advanced without giving the opponent space, looking for an opening to attack. But the man was prepared; he extended the spear using both hands, ensuring Oliver couldn't get close.

"John, it seems that now the cloud has settled, everyone has found their opponents," Mike said.

"Yes, Mike. Two who are already facing off are Adrian and Oliver. Isn't Adrian also from some CORP?" John asked.

"Maybe, but he's not on the official payroll of any of them," Mike replied.

"Hmm, money under the table. Do you know what that looks like to me? Mercenary. They're not easy to face," John commented.

"They could have said something that helped me!" Oliver spoke angrily.

"John! John! What's happening on the other side of the arena? What are they doing?" Mike exclaimed.

"I have no idea, Mike, but it seems to be another trick up the twins' sleeves," John replied.

As Oliver dodged a thrust, he noticed what the commentators were talking about. Looking up, he saw a giant green cloud moving in his direction.

"Fuck! Another cloud?!" Oliver said as he tried to run away.