“Is that him? He doesn’t look that strong up close.” A big bald guy speaks to his companion.

  “Don’t say it out loud, he might hear you.” A much smaller boy with funny-looking eyes answers him.

  “He’s really cute… now I understand why Princess Brendu chose him.” A girl with mushroom-shaped green hair whispers to the girl beside her.

  “Yeah, his eyes really stand out. Maybe he’s just a trophy husband? Though he did perform well yesterday.” The other girl with long brown hair replies. I’m pretty sure she’s not from the same school. Their badges are different.

  Several comments float through the air, most of them focused on my strength or my appearance. The whole group stands about fifteen meters away from the huge stone. As long as the attacks are only verbal and directed at me, I have no intention of saying anything.

  “Endurance mini-game! Survive the attack of a single monster for 30 minutes. You must survive at least 5 minutes to obtain any reward. Each minute inside the arena increases the reward level. You’ll feel a slight movement inside your cube when it ends, don’t be alarmed, we will analyze the best type of reward for you.”

  “The pain and death will feel ‘real,’ but don’t worry. If you die, you won’t be eliminated from this stage. It only means you lost the mini-game. Touch this stone with your hand to register.”

  Without thinking too much, I do it. I place my hand on the enormous rock and more information about the mini-game flows into my mind.

  There’s a huge timer on the stone showing how much time is left. I have to wait almost twelve minutes. I was lucky to arrive on time. I could’ve missed something this interesting if I had walked in another direction. There doesn’t seem to be a participant limit either. Apparently, it can include everyone who wants to join.

  I’m relieved to know that “death” inside the mini-game doesn’t mean elimination from this stage. I would’ve thought twice if that were the case.

  My stalkers didn’t waste any time. They came walking out of the forest, pretending to be surprised by the large crowd. They approached the stone while avoiding looking at me at all costs. After reading the description, they touched the stone and joined.

  Both seem to be men. Their clothes are different from the rest. Their entire bodies, except for their eyes, are wrapped in something that looks like bandages. They move away and wait to the side without interacting with the group or with me.

  I feel a bit lonely. Everyone is talking to someone at least. No one has tried to approach me.

  “If a woman comes near you and the other girls notice, they’ll beat each other up,” Glia jokes after reading my emotions. I deliberately let her feel how I’m doing just to make her talk. She’s still in a resting state after going back to consuming cores in industrial quantities.

  “Not every woman approaches me with that intention…” Even though I try to argue back, it’s hard. Most of the time, when someone from the opposite sex approaches me, it’s for something more than friendship. “I guess I’ll just wait alone.” I hear Glia’s little laugh inside my head.

  The minutes pass quickly. Before I realize it, only ten seconds remain. The ground around us turns golden, marking the area where we must stand. Anyone outside, even if registered, will be eliminated from the mini-game.

  For a moment, I thought there might be some kind of fight or chaos. My thoughts were pointless. People were much more civilized than expected. No one started anything unnecessary. Everyone looked focused and serious during the last second. That’s when I realized something—no one here is normal. Every person in this tournament is elite.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Our bodies are wrapped in a faint light. When the timer hits zero, we’re all teleported. Once my eyes adjust, I quickly scan the new terrain. From what I understood when touching the stone, we’re all inside that fog.

  This place is nothing but rocks. I can’t see a single tree or plant. Just stone everywhere, with several rocky formations scattered around. They’re the only cover against the beast flying above us.

  I wouldn’t have detected it without my sensory skill. It looks small because it’s so high up, but it isn’t. At least three meters tall, with enormous wings and a body very similar to a woman’s, though with some differences. Legs ending in huge claws, and a surprisingly beautiful, delicate face.

  No one else has noticed her yet. When I look up to get a better view, I feel two people following my gaze. My two stalkers freeze, make a small sound, and draw everyone’s attention. The rest turn to look at them, then all of them look up.

  I understand their concern. This monster is at the peak of grade 4, only one step away from grade 5. I’m not even sure I can beat it. I’ll have to go all out if I want even a chance.

  This damn mini-game is insane. Now I understand why rewards only start after minute five. These people wouldn’t last that long alone. The only way to endure is by forming a team.

  The harpy-like monster slowly descends. Her eyes lock onto each of us, and her beautiful face twists into an abomination when she smiles.

  I’m not sure if everyone will decide to group up to survive as long as possible. I move away from them with a quick step and stand in a corner. To be honest, I want to fight that monster one-on-one. I could do it right now if I wanted. But I’m not giving anyone free rewards. I’ll do it once everyone else is eliminated.

  The harpy begins creating huge wind spikes around her, each with the power of a grade 4 monster. She makes her first move and launches them mercilessly at all of us. I block the attack with a Joyeuse at maximum power, the collision producing a deafening sound.

  The others can’t say the same. Some come out injured from the first exchange. At least none died in the first hit. The harpy looks at me, seemingly understanding my position. She noticed my strength in that first clash of constructs. At least this bird has a slightly more developed brain.

  Jairo’s point of view:

  “This has to be a joke…” The words slip out of my mouth without meaning to. My partner is too shocked to say anything.

  That first attack was extremely powerful. Luckily, we had enough time to prepare defenses when we saw all those wind constructs forming around us. The monster could have fired immediately. She showed us some mercy by giving us time.

  Even those with tank roles had a hard time getting out without injuries. Only one person remains completely unharmed. Maki Vichag… one of the strongest and most mysterious participants. He’s someone we must pay close attention to and gather as much information as possible.

  I can confidently say I know a lot about almost every participant in this tournament. Everyone from my school was forced to memorize information about each and every one of them. It’s the least we can do as the top fighters of our grade. After all, our school is funded by the largest information guild on the continent.

  “We need to form a group! We can’t survive like this!” one guy shouts. Just over a minute has passed and there are already deaths. I understand his concern. My partner nods and we move, dodging attacks while heading toward the forming group.

  Somehow, we manage to gather without losing too many people. The attacks keep intensifying. The monster has even descended to only nine meters above us, barely caring about our offense.

  The winged woman grows bolder, adding close combat to her repertoire. Little by little, our numbers decrease. We’ve lasted longer than expected thanks to grouping up. Coordination has been a constant issue, but at least everyone understands their role.

  Seven minutes later, only a few of us remain. Not even 30% of the original number. We’re taking a completely one-sided beating. The only person who hasn’t moved is Maki. He’s taken a couple of attacks and blocked them flawlessly.

  “Why doesn’t that bastard help us?” The guy who suggested the group has been complaining about Maki the whole time.

  “That idiot won’t be able to do anything once he’s alone. With his help we could’ve lasted longer and gotten better rewards.” A woman from the same school curses.

  Nine minutes have passed. Only three of us are left. The group leader, a huge woman nearly two meters tall who’s been our main tank, and me. The monster sends the tank flying and several wind constructs pierce her, ending her participation.

  The leader and I are cornered. There’s no escaping anymore. We won’t make it to ten minutes. At least I hope the effort is worth it. Her claws dig into my stomach. At that moment, Maki finally moves for the first time.

  I never complained about Maki. More or less, I can guess what he’s thinking. If his strength is real, we’re just a burden. He doesn’t want to give us anything for free.

  At least… I’ll get to watch the show from the front row.