Congratulations! Your rank has updated! Congratulations! Your physical stats have updated! Your Mental state has updated!
Champion Interface – Updated Basic Stats Rank: 40.
Physical Stats Strength: 28 (+2) Agility: 30 (+2) Endurance: 19 (+5) Dexterity: 28 (+2) Toughness: 30 (+4) Mental State Chaotic Maniacal
Scott's morbid laughter reverberated through the arena, its intensity seeming to swell with each passing moment. While the same system panel flashed before the other abstainers, Scott's reaction stood out starkly; his laughter echoed like that of a deranged madman. Three of the group, however, displayed expressions shifting between fear and resignation. Without warning, a portal materialized beneath their feet, swallowing the trio whole.
As the rogue portal vanished along with the system message, curiosity ignited among the champions who had participated in the vote earlier. Though they couldn't quite pinpoint the reason, during the brief period of exiting the arena, they sensed a tangible increase in strength among the remaining abstainers, excluding those consumed by the portal.
“Would you shut up, you damned lunatic!” A champion erupted; his patience worn thin by Scott's frenzied mirth.
Yet, the eldritch knight paid the outburst no heed, lifting his head as laughter spilled from him with reckless abandon. The yellow sign flickered incessantly within his eyes and within the mask, while the tendrils enveloping his arms quivered with subdued excitement.
Meanwhile, the champion who had spoken moments before surged forward, his countenance contorted with rage. Halting a mere foot from Scott, he clenched his fists, unwavering in his belief in his own strength despite the evident growth among the abstainers.
As he raised his fist, Scott lowered his gaze, locking eyes with the stupefied champion. The yellow sign pulsed with increased fervor. Suddenly, a cyan orb materialized between Scott and the champion, and the announcer's voice boomed overhead. “Combat in any form requires prior approval. Violators will face punishment. Keep this in mind.”
The mask of the eldritch spawn has successfully devoured your madness!
The yellow sign slowly dissipated following the system's notification, and clarity gradually returned to Scott's eyes. The masked knight spared the champion a brief glance before shifting his focus to the orb, which hovered swiftly. Once again, the announcer's voice reverberated through the arena, announcing, “You may choose to return to your respective areas or opt for one-on-one battles. All requests must be consensual from both parties and made within three hours. Unilateral requests will be dismissed. Approach the arena's walls, and a pathway to your area will be revealed.”
Several champions pondered the message while exchanging cautious glances. Meanwhile, Scott pivoted and strode purposefully toward the nearest wall. However, on his third step, the voice of the man who had approached him earlier resounded. “Where do you think you're going?” he called out. “Fight me if you have the balls.”
Scott continued walking without acknowledging the man. Nevertheless, the champion was unwilling to let him leave unchallenged, persisting with his verbal assault. “You were laughing like a maniac just moments ago, and now you're fleeing like a coward,” he jeered, smirking as he crossed his arms. His emerald eyes scanned the other abstainers, and he added, “No wonder you lot chose to abstain from the voting. I'm ready to take on any of you cowards.”
The asura's expression twisted with rage as it turned toward the champion. Despite its outward demeanor, it abruptly shifted direction, hastening to pursue Scott. Neither the fishman nor Sahure spared the champion a glance as they too approached the nearest wall.
With his right hand on his hip and his left hand outstretched toward the departing champions, the man erupted into laughter. “Fucking cowards, the lot of them,” he declared proudly.
Among the abstainers stood two remaining champions: a canine and an elf, approached the man with deliberate steps.
“I’ll take up that challenge,” the canine roared.
“Me too,” muttered the blind elf, his fingers inching toward his dagger.
The man turned toward the duo, unable to conceal the derision in his eyes. “Sure. I’ll take you on. You’ll soon regret your decision anyway,” he said confidently.
Meanwhile, near the northwestern wall, an asura intercepted and obstructed Scott’s path. The masked man raised his head, meeting the asura’s gaze.
“What is it?” Scott asked, a frown evident in his tone. “Do you also wish to fight?”
The asura shook its three heads, its voice resonating in Scott’s mind once more. “No,” it declared. “I want to propose an alliance with you.”
Scott’s frown deepened. He had anticipated the asura mentioning something related to the mysterious voice calling him, not requesting an alliance of all things. Despite his pondering, he couldn't shake the feeling that the creature possessed insider knowledge about the ranking game.
“Why do we need to form an alliance?” Scott inquired softly.
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The asura's brows furrowed slightly, its three heads fixating intently on Scott. “You don’t know?” all three heads asked in unison.
Scott nodded tentatively, surprising the asura even further.
“Didn’t you start from the first floor?” the asura asked, fixing a keen gaze on Scott.
"No, I didn’t," Scott replied promptly. “What does that have to do with anything?” he added.
“No wonder you’re ignorant,” the leftmost head declared. “So, the rumors are true. There’s another entrance that guarantees a higher starting stage,” the rightmost head muttered, its voice surprisingly pleasant.
Meanwhile, the centermost head opened its mouth, and its voice resonated in Scott’s mind, “I’m certain the examiner will inform you of all you need to know as soon as you return to your area. What I can tell you, though, is that the ranking stage differs considerably from any of the previous trials by all measures, and it is also the most populated stage in the tower, encompassing several floors.”
“Wait, are you sure about what you’re saying?” Scott interjected. “Are you telling me this place is likely bigger than that desert, or Togan, or even the judgment road?”
“It’s bigger than all of them combined,” the leftmost head declared without hesitation. “Those trivial places are nothing compared to the ranking stage, especially when you consider all the factions running this place,” the rightmost head added.
“Factions?” Scott asked, a burst of unfamiliar memories flooding his brain.
“Of course,” the leftmost head affirmed. “All the major players in the tower have a branch in the ranking stage,” it explained. “And that’s not all,” it continued. However, the rightmost head leaned to the side, opening its mouth to interject, “There are factions that have their headquarters in the ranking stage, and they don’t venture beyond it,” it clarified.
“Hey, stop interrupting me,” the leftmost head glared at the rightmost one before turning towards Scott. “Judgment Day, Sons of Jörmungandr, The Brotherhood of the Cross, Valkyrie, and The Celestial Blades are among the powerful factions with a branch in the ranking stage.”
Scott felt a surge of emotion as he heard the asura mention the guild created by his friends and classmates. He managed to rein in his feelings as the rightmost head continued, “Shadow Syndicate, Viper, Nameless, The Blood Cult, and Frăția Morții.”
“All those factions, and more, hold sway over the ranking stage,” the centermost head communicated telepathically. “For most champions, survival in this place without a faction or alliance would be nearly impossible. So, will you join me?” The asura's many eyes focused on Scott, awaiting his response.
Meanwhile, Scott's mind raced as he weighed his options. Among the factions mentioned by the asura, he was only familiar with the Blood Cult in detail. Though they confined their activities to the ranking games, they possessed the manpower and resources to rival the other powerhouses in the tower. However, the deep-seated enmity between the cult and the celestial blades, along with their allies, forced them to limit themselves to the ranking games.
Details about the other factions, including the celestial blades, remained somewhat murky, an indication he had yet to fully assimilate all the memories of his variant. After a prolonged silence, Scott lifted his head, meeting the expectant gaze of the asura.
“Do you have a name?” he asked.
“I cannot be named,” the asura responded. “You may refer to me as you please,” it conveyed telepathically.
Scott nodded slowly, reluctant to delve into the creature’s past. “First things first, I don’t trust you—”
“I don’t care,” interjected the leftmost head, all three heads fixating blankly on the eldritch knight.
Scott chuckled softly, shaking his head. He'd be lying if he said he had expected such a reaction from the asura.
Taking a step closer to the champion, Scott extended his right hand. The three heads regarded the outstretched arm for a moment, then one hand mirrored Scott’s gesture. It was clear to Scott that the asura didn’t grasp the concept of a handshake, which piqued his curiosity even more.
“I won’t waste time with useless chatter anymore. Call me Scott. Let’s work together,” he said with a hidden smile.
The puzzled asura wore a pensive expression before expressing its uncertainty. “What does your name mean?”
“I have no fucking idea, and that’s not what’s important,” Scott replied, chuckling. “So, what do you seek from this alliance?”
“To fight and destroy,” the leftmost head declared. “To survive and thrive,” the rightmost head declared. “To conquer and dominate,” the centermost head telepathically declared.
“Well, I can’t promise you anything as lofty as that,” Scott said, turning away. “But if you stick by me long enough, you'll certainly have enough opportunities to pursue those ambitions.”
As Scott began to move forward, he paused, then turned back to the asura. “I nearly forgot to ask; I entered here with my companions. How likely am I to meet them again?”
“As long as they continue advancing through the ranking games, your paths will cross once more,” the leftmost head replied. “As you're aware, death is nonexistent in the ranking games, so they won’t perish.” The head paused, gesturing to the rightmost head to continue.
The rightmost head picked up where the left had left off. “However, their personalities may differ significantly from what you previously knew.”
“Though death's finality remains elusive to all, the visceral sensation it invokes lingers unabated. This emotion alone possesses the power to shatter the resolve of even the strongest champions and permanently reshape their principle,” the centermost head conveyed telepathically.
“And that's merely the surface. There still much more to unravel,” the leftmost head chimed in, its nod accentuating the statement.
Scott pivoted silently, his footsteps echoing as he strode towards the towering walls of the arena, the asura trailing behind with deliberate steps. A colossal aperture, dwarfing its predecessor, materialized before them, accompanied by the emergence of a system message.
Rank 8 and 40 are recognized to be on the same path! Please return to your area!
Scott averted his gaze from the system message, directing his attention to the fishman over two hundred meters away. As their eyes met, they exchanged a silent nod before both looking away. Sahure, the enigmatic champion, caught Scott's eye next. He scribbled on the ground with his trident while contorting his body at awkward angles. After observing Sahure for a few moments, Scott shifted his focus to his new partner.
“We should get going,” he said, turning towards them. “There's still so much I want to ask you.”
Without another word, Scott stepped through the exit, disappearing from view. The asura, his new companion, swiftly followed suit, vanishing from the arena as well. Moments later, the fishman disappeared, and thirty minutes after that, Sahure followed suit.
Meanwhile, as Scott departed the arena, among the other champions, a man who had been closely observing the masked knight retrieved a blackened ring from his inventory. With deliberate steps, he moved away from the crowd, his presence unnoticed by any.
“This is Ichiro,” he spoke into the ring.
A faint buzz emanated from the ring, followed by a hoarse whisper, “State your report.”
“I have identified a target designated by one of the lower vice-leaders,” Ichiro whispered back.
“What color, and on what floor are you?” the voice inquired after a brief pause.
“Black, sir. I am on the ranking stage of the lower floors. The target has been tagged, sir,” Ichiro replied, as an ominous crimson glow enveloped the ring's surface.
“The bounty has been confirmed. Proceed with elimination. You will have only two weeks of exclusivity before the bounty becomes open,” the voice instructed before the transmission abruptly ended. The man then shifted his gaze towards the spot where Scott had disappeared moments earlier.
Who would have thought I’d meet a big fish here. I need to get the boys ready for the hunt, he thought while approaching the closest wall.