After logging out, Roger once again went on the Galactic Forums only this time to read up on the tournament and Arena battles.
During Roger's month long grind, Arena battle or what some would like to call it player versus player fighters became a hugely popular thing. It has became one of the people's main source of entertainment, after lots of mind numbing grinding. It is also a place where huge amounts of betting is done as well.
Unlike with traditional PvP fights, or even martial arts fights, it is 100% dependent on your skills. No more calling something unfair, it was just that you yourself was underprepared, as one can no longer blame lag or skills forcing you into a specific position rendering you unable to cancel for a defeat.
Martial arts were originally made with the intent to either kill or made to protect people. But these days Marital Arts fights on Earth have devolved into more of something of a sideshow or entertainment, as no longer are fights fought to the death. But in the Arena, not only do they recreate pain, when being hit, cut or even stab. Almost anything goes even fights to the death or until one surrenders, as long as it is within the rules set by the AI. The only rule set by the AI is that one can only pick 2 weapons to use in the arena at any given battle.
As for the tournament, since it is only the first one, it had a very basic set up. The first part of the tournament was set up as a Battle Royale where only the final 64 participants heads to the main tournament. For the Battle Royale, all of the participants are sent to a virtual battle field, that contains many different environments, and contestants are forced to continue moving by the shrinkage of the battle field, eventually forcing people to meet up and engage in battles. But during this part of the tournament nothing prevents people from working together. Only once when the there are only 64 players are left will it end.
After the 64 contestants are decided, the main tournament will be one on one battles, all the way until the end when the champion is crown. Since the tournament is new, they could have only supply the top 4 contestant with prizes. But when the Galactic Alliance caught whiff, of this small tournament they were actually kind enough to supply the organizers of the tournament, with the prizes instead of them having to pay it out from their own pockets.
First Place Winner, would be receiving 3 free upgrades of their choice, 2 basic skill book of their choice once they reach Grade D, and 10 million alliance credit!
Second Place Winner, would be receiving 2 free upgrades of their choice, 1 basic skill book of their choice once they reach Grade D and 5 million alliance credit!
And the Third Place and Fourth place winners, would be receiving 1 free upgrade and 2.5 million alliance credit!
"Sounds straightforward enough." Roger nodded.
"Alright I will enter it."
Roger headed to the registration sites and entered it all his basic information to sign up.
"Hehehehe, while I am at it, I will sign up Issac as well." While doing so Roger had a very evil grin on his face.
"Issac totally won't be expecting this, he knows that I know, that he hates player versus player fights."
While he was signing up on the site, the counter for the number of contestants entering was rapidly going up. He started scrolling down to see if there was anything else, that would of interest him.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The most eye catching thing that he saw was the "top 10 most expected contestant" to reach the the semi-finals and to win the championship finals.
Of the top contestants, only a few caught the eyes of Roger.
The first being, the one the people call "The One without a Form", this person unknown if they are a man or women, was one of the people in this world that actually choose a non-humanoid base. In fact they went so far off the path, that his mechanical body is almost entirely composed of only Nano-machines.
Nano-machines are really tiny robots that are linked together. That can form into almost any shape the player wants it to be. But in return the player, they have a very weak defense and a very expose weak point.
The second one that interested Roger greatly, is the one called "The Invisible Man". This person one day just appeared in the Arena, and issued a challenge to a random player. But when that random player entered the battle field, his opponent was no where to be found.
The people that were on the outside that was also viewing the battle was also perplexed. Just as someone was about to report the battle as a bug, meaning that the system might have glitched out and sent the person to an empty field with no opponent. A dagger sudden pierced the core of the person that was lazing around without a care in the world hoping for a free win.
By the time he already noticed what had happened it was already to late and the winner was already decided.
The favorite that was said to have the highest probability win this whole tournament was called "The Magician". This was a very well known player. Not only that he had the backing of a very large guild.
Money was being spent on him at an astonishing rate. People claimed his upgrade path was basically perfect and that he might already have reached 9 custom upgrades, that he was only 1 step away from reaching Grade D.
Who is "The Magician"? He is known as a very wealthy second generation young man. Not only was he very handsome, he excel at everything he did. But because the young man already had everything that he could have ever wanted, he got bored of life really quickly. So he turned to gaming, it quickly took over his life as it was one of the few things that still excites him.
Eventually, he started his own team to play games professionally. 2 years later not only did he won a world championship, he was crowned as the very best in multiple other games as well. These past few years his life he was no longer bored due to the Earth joining the Galactic alliance. He was absorbed with all the new information. Just as he was at the top of everything that he did, he also wanted to aim for at the top of the universe.
The Magician's body when he first showed it off to the world seemed capable of everything. It can fly, it can fire off almost any type of magic one can think of, in almost anyway. Not only that in close combat, his body seems almost untouchable.
That is why he is the current favorite to win.
Of the list of 10, there was one more person that peaked Roger's interested.
"The Yellow Butterfly. It can't be, can it?" Roger wondered.
Roger thought back to the times, when he partied up with Issac's guild to either just hang out or to do raids.
There was always a little girl, around Roger. Roger didn't mind at all, he treated her like a little sister.
Roger always pampered her whenever he had time, and taught her what is right from wrong.
"Uncle Roger teach me..." The girl said with pleading eyes.
"Nope, not unless you call me Brother Roger." Roger said with eyes looking down on the girl.
"Brother Roger, please can you teach me this."
"Mhm, much better, I like the sound of that... Now for this tactic, you dodge here and when it swoops in you attack here..."
Actually the thing that shocked Roger the most was when he was told that she was actually 19, when Roger was only 25. That day Roger was really embarrassed, for treating the girl like a little kid.
"She always like using, twin swords so maybe it is her. Well it wouldn't be too surprising."
...
It was night time.
In a mountainous region, forest area, there was a girl wearing a yellow hanfu, mediating under a small waterfall.
With her eyes closed, arms and legs cross she just sat there.
The sounds of the waterfall was coming all around her. But she didn't even move an inch even as tens of gallons of water was being poured on her every second.
But suddenly, maybe purely out of instinct she opened her eyes right around the time when Roger started thinking about her.
As soon as she opened her eyes the water around her albeit momentarily dispersed.
She looked around her, left and right but she knew that he couldn't have been here.
The waterfall continued where it left off from.
While she gazed at the moon in the night sky.