Chapter 554 - Winner of the 4th Round’s tournament

1st (7,530 pts) - Noname

2nd (1,031 pts) - Grumpy

3rd (922 pts) - Tacita

4th (799 pts) - Savant

5th (650 pts) - Soph

6th (600 pts) - StrongestOne

7th (498 pts) - Gareth

8th (497 pts) - Izzy

9th (450 pts) - Knight

…

Congratulations, you have placed 1st in the 1st event – Clash of the Rounds – and you have also reached 1st place in points collected – 7,530 pts.

You can exchange your points for shards. 1 point = 5 shards = 37,650 shards

The reward for placing 1st overall is an additional 10,000 shards. There are an additional 5,000 shards for the fastest win in the first part of the event across all rounds. An additional 5,000 shards are given to you for your performance.

You may either receive the shards and choose one of three rewards or forfeit them to choose from a selection of higher quality rewards after the tournament has concluded.

“I reject the reward, and I want to push it all toward the final reward for the tournament,” I say, and with that, the window disappears.

Congratulations on getting into the 2nd part of the 1st event.

For the second part– the remaining 5 winning rounds – will be placed onto a single map with the same rules with slight modifications!

The second part of the event will start in 24 hours.

In one hour, the barrier around your area will be removed, and you will be able to visit the areas belonging to the other rounds still participating in the 1st event.

How interesting. So, a first round to reduce the number and get us used to the place, see all the entrapments there could be, and then throw us all in for the highest possible chaos?

The fact we can now visit other rounds likely also means the second event is open to politics, alliances, and betrayals. But that also means meeting Victoria. There is no way the round she is in didn't make it.

The silence becomes more noticeable, and I look up from the notification window. Immediately, some people start avoiding my eyes, and there is also a clear path through the common area for me.

Poor unguided souls—did they forget what this place is about?

Not wanting to cause more commotion, I make sure my mana is well under control and join the rest of group 4. Meanwhile, I also go through the rest of my notifications.

[Empyrean Lance – lvl 14 > Empyrean Lance – lvl 15]

[Empyrean Lance – lvl 15 > Empyrean Lance – lvl 16]

[Empyrean Lance – lvl 16 > Empyrean Lance – lvl 17]

[Perception – lvl 58 > Perception – lvl 59]

[Eclipse – lvl 23 > Eclipse – lvl 24]

[Eclipse – lvl 24 > Eclipse – lvl 25]

[Eclipse – lvl 25 > Eclipse – lvl 26]

Decent, if I had to say.

In the cobbled area with a fountain in the middle, the others also come up. Samuel is there as well, with his signature greatsword on his back. His Hard difficulty group has the most members surviving out of all Hard difficulty groups, and all of them wear similar clothes. It's almost as if they are wearing uniforms, and the line of command is obvious.

For a moment, I think he might come to me—I even see him taking a step while I tilt my head slightly and watch him, curious what he might want.

His eyes meet mine, and he hesitates mid-step. His pulse changes, and I notice a nervous twitch. All these little things Whitey taught me to observe through kinetic energy.

In the end, Samuel averts his eyes and heads toward Sophie and Maya, who are already talking with Gareth.

Lily stops by my side, “If the start of each round removes all the healing marks I put on you, we will have to keep reapplying them as the event starts.”

“It also removed mana from my [Mana Crown]. Surprisingly, it's all back now, so it clearly is just for the events.”

Lily sulks. “Taking away your arms is probably because it considered them similar to my healing marks, but it still sucks.”

I shrug, “That's the system for you. But it's fine; if the rules apply the same way to everyone, I don't mind it that much. And good job out there—were their Beyonders strong?”

“Somewhat,” Lily confirms, “but they underestimated me a lot, and I killed some. The one with [Mana Crown] and another one with black armor and that iron crown were quite good.”

“Look at you, beating the shit out of Beyond attendees already. I still remember the time you used to be such a crybaby.”

“Maybe I'm still a crybaby, just hiding it better,” Lily smiles brightly. “Was their tournament winner strong?”

“No idea. I didn't let him show that much—probably yes, against someone other than me. But I think Tess or you would be able to beat him. Others from our group? Probably not.”

Lily sighs in pretend disappointment, “If not you, I might have been the tournament winner of the 5th round. We continue with us being the bad cops and Sophie and Maya the reasonable ones?”

I nod. “For now. Tess would probably come up with something better, but the rest of us aren’t smart enough for any of that.”

“Do you think we will be able to ally with some of the rounds? Winning against 4 of them at once could be difficult.”

“That's up to others. I just know I can make Victoria and her round join us.”

Lily looks at her feet for a moment before looking back up at me, “Less than an hour, and you will see her. How… how do you feel about it? You also seem to have a lot of trust in her.”

“I'm not certain yet; I will have to meet her to be sure.”

I then glance up at the branches of the tree over our heads. Tacita lies there, clearly listening.

ヽ( ಠ_ಠ)ノ

Sure.

I just shoot a few orbs toward her, and she flings them away with her hand coated in a skin-tight mana barrier.

Then Lily notices her as well and shouts, “Taci!”

I could swear the messy brown hair of the silent assassin rises up in a way similar to goosebumps, and she rushes away with Lily following her.

Noticing Min-Jae looking at me, I wave at him and he waves back awkwardly before I teleport away to my workshop.

While talking with Lily, I have died two times.

***

Thirty minutes after I start working on the item for Channeler, Miwa comes to visit. The same as when I met her the first time and waited for her to finish her work before talking, she also waits for me to finish mine.

I just sense her entering the area around our place and then the workshop I'm in. She does so quietly and sits on the manabloc chair I made, which is still in the design of plastic monobloc chairs.

Ten minutes later, I'm done with another piece, pull back all the heat that filled the room, and let the item cool.

Miwa is sitting there and smiling brightly. Her skin is red from the heat, and she is covered in sweat.

Oh, maybe I should have reduced the output somewhat.

“It’s crazy you can work with such high temperatures, Noname,” she smiles, then stands up and gives me a short bow, “It's nice to meet you again.”

I return the gesture and nod toward the Fracture in the corner, “You can look at it.”

There is no way I wouldn't notice her staring in the direction of the mid-arcane item and the one I'm working on. She smiles even more and nods quickly three times before rushing—barely hearing my warning not to pull Fracture out of its scabbard.

She hasn't changed much. Even though she is probably in her forties, she now looks closer to her thirties with that typical youthful Asian face and slim figure. And it seems like no one stole her right arm. Yet. The arm is made entirely out of metal with a pinkish shine and entirely covered in inscriptions. It even moves more naturally than before.

It also might just be me, but it feels stronger as if Miwa learned to harness more of its power. Maybe it's a sign that I should stea… borrow it for examination. I bet she wouldn't mind. I could let her hold Fracture for a few minutes in exchange.

In the next ten minutes, Miwa moves from Fracture to the unfinished arcane item and even to some materials and items I started working on to sell.

“Why did you go with Tent Creep? I was shocked when I saw you on the ranking with that name!” she says, with great difficulty, as she puts the Fracture back in its place and turns to me.

With a shrug, I explain, “I just felt like it.”

“You felt like it?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” she can't seem to understand.

“It is silly and somewhat lame, but it should help my group feel better. Don't ask why.”

“I…Alright. So what did you need me for?”

“Is Adam still trying to get you to work with him, and do you still dislike that?” I ask.

I remember from the previous tournament that Adam, the man in his sixties who likes to wear a suit and is one of the members of WhiteWing, used to annoy her. The man, apparently one of the richest German men, isn't used to being refused.

Miwa confirms, “Yes, he still does that, but I continue to refuse.”

“Good. I want to give you the same offer, yet slightly different. I want to learn more from you and, in exchange, show you all I know and help you as much as I can. I will notify you each time I work here so you can come and observe and help—if you want to. I also want to extend an invitation for you to work with group 4. We would protect you against anyone too annoying, and in exchange… well, I don't know yet. You can talk to Channeler; we gave him the same offer. Soph and Knight will know better.”

The heat is still high—and would likely cause trouble even for many non-specialized Hell difficulty attendees—yet she handles it much better and carefully thinks over my words.

Her answer is simple, “I will think about it.”

I nod, and as she is leaving, I notice her glancing at Fracture in the corner.

***

POV Lily Chen

The barrier has been removed. It is now possible for the following rounds to visit each other:

1st round

4th round

5th round

8th round

10th round

The second part of the 1st event will start in 23 hours.

Even though they won't be able to participate, the non-participating rounds will be able to observe the event from their common area.

The barrier that even my [Disintegration] wasn't able to destroy disappears.

(Teleporting) I receive from Nat.

He does that when teleporting near me—only because I attacked him a few times when he appeared next to me out of nowhere.

Not like he can complain! Everyone would do that, and I even think some part of him is proud of me for that. I think so.

(Sure,) I send back, and he appears next to me.

There is still heat lingering around his body, and his mana is leaking slightly, and even that little is enough for some Easy difficulty people nearby to be affected.

They have such weak bodies. It constantly reminds me to be careful. Just a playful punch from me would probably be enough to kill a weaker one. But at least we from Hell difficulty seem to be much better at controlling our powers.

Nat notices it as well, and his heat, as well as his mana, disappears as we watch people jumping or flying from their hills and heading to the unlocked areas that will participate in the 2nd part of the event. These hills are even marked by a huge green orb that floats above us, while those that lost have a red orb floating over the hill. There are even some people heading our way.

Strengthening my sight, I see a figure jump high into the air over their hill, and from her, a few flashes appear—one heading even in our direction.

I prepare to defend in case something happens, but after seeing that Nathaniel doesn't react, I do nothing.

Then a finger plops onto the ground near the center of our common area; some Easy difficulty people there scream in shock and move away from it.

In a blink, a figure grows from that finger. It materializes with clothes on it as well.

It's a beautiful woman with a calm expression on her face, wearing simple clothes and not seeming to have any item at all. Even her clothes aren´t enchanted at all—just simple gray pants and a black shirt with sleeves rolled up comfortably.

From there, I see how she turns to the people around her and calmly addresses them, “I would like to talk with your tournament winner if possible.”

After a moment of surprise, some people around her start looking around, and some find Nat and stare his way.

She follows their stares, and the moment her eyes lock onto his, she freezes. Recognition flashes across her face, and I notice her fingers twitch at her sides as if resisting the urge to move.

Then she does.

A blur of motion, far faster than expected. In an instant, she stands before him, searching his face with wide, unreadable eyes.

Her hand lifts, hesitant at first, then steady as her fingers brush his skin—light, fleeting, as if confirming he is real.

Her speed is far quicker than I remember from the first tournament. Much quicker. That image of her is still burned into my mind, along with the pain of being torn apart by her. Now, standing in front of Nathaniel, she watches him closely, just as he does her.

A stunning woman, slightly older than Nat, sharing his slim build and height. Her black hair is identical in color, and one of her brown eyes is a shade lighter than the other. Even their faces carry a little bit of similarity. Nat, on the other side, has his gray and brown eyes and wears equally simple clothes—black pants and a white shirt rolled up in the same manner.

As she touches his face and an incredibly gentle expression appears on her own. She whispers something I cannot hear, ending with a question.

Nat nods in answer. Then he smiles at her and whispers something as well.

Victoria Gwyn lets out a brief laugh, a beautiful, genuine sound of happiness.

Another laugh follows, softer, hesitant, and almost shy, as if unfamiliar with the act yet filled with joy.

Nathaniel opens his arms and pulls his sister into a hug, an act of closeness he rarely initiates on his own.

***

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