After the registration, the three of us seperated into different blocks, each block houses one race. Where I am headed is block 7, the block where humans gather. Upon entrance, several dungeon masters with a human race were seen getting ready for the race.

Most of them looked at my direction and went back to their own business, while others sneered at me. The others who didn’t pay any attention to me were just busy gearing up.

The room housed many human dungeon masters. Some were just kids, the middle school ones, while others were in their late teens, appearance wise that is. Judging from how they carry themselves and study each other, they must be veteran dungeon masters.

It seems like this room is already a battlefield, a battlefield where we probe each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Those who judge by appearances only are likely to get the short end of the stick.

I headed to my designated area, while bearing with the gazes of some onlookers. The area I was designated to was a locker and a changing room. According to the rules stated back in the registration area, each contestant must wear the prescribed clothing and gear.

I opened the locker and inside, I find futuristic gear. Just like those from the movie or game ‘D*ad Sp*ce.’ I took the gear and headed inside the changing room to gear up.

“Not bad…”

The gear was simply superb. Hard yet comfortable, durable yet smooth, I want to create this armor when I get back using [Create Entity]. I looked at the mirror when I equipped all of my gear.

“…………”

… I look just like a protagonist of some sci-fi action movie, there was even a helmet. All I need now is a laser gun and I’ll be complete.

I headed outside and what greeted me were unrecognizable people. Heck, almost all of us looked identical. If they made the gear like this, then they maybe making it harder to team up. I mean, if you don’t have any special skills or good eyesight and memory, you just might knock out your temporary teammate.

“Everyone, please gather around!”

A staff member appeared out of thin air in the center of the room. Actually, it was just a hologram so it was understandable.

“There are approximately 32 contestants in the human race division. Only one may be the winner. The race will begin in 5 minutes. I repeat…”

The hologram repeated its statement in a monotonous voice before vanishing. Apparently, there are 32 contestants, and only one will be the winner. If all of us form teams of two, then there will be 16 teams competing with each other just until the last leg of the race, if we are going for that approach. But I am sure that there will be solos, like me, who will do it by their own power to win so cross that situation out.

Next, there may be some who will team up with each other, but one will ditch the other upon seeing that they have the chance to win, a leech so to speak. But the most dangerous are the confident solos, meaning that they have the confidence to win by themselves alone without any help.

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“2 minutes until the race starts, all contestants of the human division will be transported to the race area. I repeat…”

Again, the hologram appeared in the center of the room and announced the announcement in a monotonous voice. Just then, a magic circle appeared beneath our feet and we were transported to an area where the race will be held for the human division.

“… Are you serious…?”

In front of us was a race track that resembled that of a game with a blue hedgehog as the main character, except there are no rings in this race, and no extra lives.

There were also red robots with the logo of the antagonist of the game. Are they freakin’ serious about this? If this was a game, this would be discontinued because of plagiarism.

Anyway, back to the present. All of us were lined up in an orderly fashion, so all of us were equal at the start of the race. But since skill usage is allowed, who knows how long it will last.

“Attention all contestants, the race will begin in 30 seconds. I repeat…”

Again, the same hologram, the same announcement, when the hologram was done, a timer appeared in front of us. It showed 00:28 meaning that 28 seconds are left before the race starts.

I tensed myself up to get the adrenaline pumping. I see that the other dungeon masters are doing it too.

The timer ticked down, as if to say that once it reaches zero, there will be bloodshed.

10…

9…

8…

The timer slowly ticked…

7…

6…

5…

I calmed myself and focused forward…

4…

3…

2…

I readied my legs, my arms, and my head. I readied my whole body…

1…

0…

RACE START!!!

I quickly shift into high gear and began running. The others too did the same. Some others are already using their skills to their advantage. With a boom, the sound of splashing meat resounded behind me. I peeked behind me just to see a disfigured lump of flesh.

“Blu… Rghh… Haa… Haa…”

Before my retch came out of my mouth, I forcibly swallowed it. Remember that I am wearing a helmet, what would happen if I vomited while wearing it?

I should use my skill now. I hesitated earlier because of the anxiousness, but seeing that lump of flesh behind me really did a number on my SAN value. I don’t want that to happen to me.

“[Create Entity]!”

***

“AAHH!!! Where am I!?”

I got up observed my surroundings. I was inside a room with multiple beds placed adjacant to each other. Some of the beds were also occupied by sleeping people.

“… Uhh… What happened…?”

I tried to recall what happened earlier. Luckily, it seems my brain is still intact.

“Ah! I was participating in a race and when I used my [Create Entity] skill…”

… The next memory was blank. Huh…? What happened the next after that…? Did I die? If so, then how…?

While I was contemplating on the reason for my death, I remembered the description of the skill.

Create Entity - can create any non-living thing but consumes enough mana to kill the user.

Ahh… Now I remember…

When I used [Create Entity], I consumed all of my mana and died. I was so used to using [Create Entity] that I forgot that I can only use it inside a dungeon. So the race track wasn’t a dungeon, meaning I can’t use this in the next event.

Damn… What a blunder… That’s one loss. I just hope that the other two didn’t win either.

I got up and headed towards the exit. Just as I was nearing the door, a familiar person, actually, a familiar slime came into my view.

“So you also lost, mister Daichi?”

“Yeah, you too Limus?”

“Yep… During the last leg of the race, I was stepped on by a red golem. A complete blunder on my part…”

No kidding, I mean, I can just step on you right now and kill you, but I won’t.

“How about Ignis?”

“He lost too… But he was the first runner up in the race. If he didn’t bump into a red golem, then he would’ve won the race.”

“Is that so…”

What is with the red golems? Are those the robots? Lucky for them, they were stopped by the robots, while I committed suicide.

“How about you mister Daichi, how did you lose?”

…………

“Mister Daichi?”

“…Umm… Err… I died, by a skill.”

“Oh is that so?”

I just can’t tell Limus that I died by committing suicide!! That would make me look pathetic!!

“Well anyway, next is the survival right?”

“Yes. Oh right, I better get ready. See you later mister Daichi!”

“Yes, see you.”

I saw Limus off and went my own way. Damn… I will win next time!!! This time, I will not commit suicide!!!