Chapter 551 - Events of the 2nd Tournament

(Nathaniel, I believe it's not that easy to make an arcane item. By the way, I know you aren't good with names so you can continue calling me Channeler!)

(It’s fine, I can make such an item. It won't be mid arcane but low arcane will be doable with a bit of effort. For example, the sword on my waist is mid arcane and I made it with some help. Well, a lot of help.)

His eyes expectedly slide onto the sword and then back to look at me, (You don't strike me as someone fighting with swords. What does it do?)

(It is annoying and it sometimes destroys stuff while trying to kill me.)

(Is that some sort of hint for me to not ask that many questions and not be annoying?)

(What? No. What are you even talking about? But back to the item. Do you still want to work with me?)

(Of course I do,) he confirms.

(Okay, so you will get the item. I will also give you the names and locations of families or friends of people from group 4 so you can check on them. Carefully, of course. I don't think you will be unkillable on Earth, even with the item. Tess wanted to talk with some Easy difficulty people but since she is not here, Sophie and Maya will share this stuff with you. They have some things planned and you guys can talk about it.)

(I will do so!)

(Good. I will be winning all the events in this tournament and before we finish here I will threaten people not to try any funny shit with you; otherwise, I will fuck them up when I come back to Earth.)

(You… I know you are strong, but can you do it?)

(Yes, don't worry about useless stuff.)

***

POV Rafael Vaughn, aka Channeler

Noname, no, Nathaniel is different from the previous tournament. I noticed it right away as I remember his bearing, reactions, and all. He is colder, more domineering, and behaves more confidently.

Some of that I'm sure is a mask he is putting up for his group. I can see it in their eyes. Something must have happened, something very bad, and they often glance toward Nathaniel as if looking for confirmation that everything will be okay.

I think it has something to do with Tess, but she seems to be alive. Maybe she is in trouble and couldn't join the tournament? But couldn't she have escaped into the tournament? Maybe she can’t?? Did she decide to do some dangerous training instead? Did something stop her? A wound? A side quest? Is she maybe in Beyond?

I know when it's better not to pry so I stay quiet.

As I follow by his side with the rest of group 4 behind, he glances at me with his eyes having that golden circle. He goes to pick a mana stone from his pocket and after a few seconds, he hands it to me.

Examining it, I notice training instructions not dissimilar from the ones he gave me previously. The ones that made me the strongest out of my group. These new instructions seem to be even more impressive as if he grasped my growth so easily just from the movement of my mana.

(Thank you,) I answer simply.

I know he prefers this kind of simple thanks and feels awkward when people show too much thankfulness to him.

Before we reach the center of the Common area where I can already see Gareth, Swordmaster, Samuel, Adam, and others, I reach toward Nathaniel.

I tap on his shoulder to make him stop and feel goosebumps when he turns to me with his usual expression—the one that makes him look so uninterested, arrogant, or cold to some people.

It's truly worse with him than during the 1st tournament.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I notice little Izabella and she smiles at me and nods.

(I think you should let me talk instead of you,) I send to Nathaniel through the link they added me to, (Also, nothing against Sophie but people don't like her much and Maya isn't very good at these things.)

I smile at Maya apologetically and then turn to Nathaniel, (You don't seem to be in a very patient mood now so I will do better.)

He stops to think of it for a moment and then he nods.

I feel a wave of relief as he does so. With the mood he's in, this could have ended very badly.

***

POV Nathaniel

Would you like to rent Oakheart Refuge and the accompanying facilities?

1000 shards/day

I confirm and the house with its facility now becomes a base for our group. Similarly to the previous tournament, it is one of the most expensive ones.

A huge oak tree on the edge of the forest and the house itself is grown into that tree and around it. The facilities are separated, built on the ground. The tree itself is taller than any tree on Earth and thicker. But it's one of these things you get used to here in the tutorial.

Leaving Channeler, Sophie, and Maya behind, the rest of us are now here with all our baggage.

I die again and for a moment I close my eyes, reactivating the seal on the heart I tried to loosen. Then I start over.

“Dennis, Aaron, take all the materials we have into the smithy outside. Then you can go and take Min-Jae and check on Brainiac and Lootenant. I can see you are eager to.”

“Are you sure? We want to help. We care for Tess the same you do, Nat, and…”

I interrupt Dennis, “You will be only distracting me here. If I need anything, I will make sure to ask.”

“Got it,” he then takes Min-Jae, his brother, and they start carrying the materials to the house.

Entering the Oakheart Refuge I find the room on the highest floor. It is entirely made inside of the tree with a huge balcony at its opening and a massive window there as well, letting in a lot of natural light.

I turn to Izzy and Lily, especially to Izzy, “I might be a bit colder for a while so please make sure the others understand.”

“Are you going to be using [Focus] on your emotions again?”

“Yes,” I confirm, “Not all the time, but when I won't want to be distracted.”

As I talk I place a few Ley lines all over the place and tie a few of them to the members of group 4 that are here. Maya and Sophie already have one.

Looking at the shimmering pale blue line that is invisible to nearly everyone, I think, “Of course, I will disable [Focus] at times. I can use these emotions to push me, but currently, I'm way too pissed off not to be using it as I have a lot to do.”

“Lissandra?” Lily asks quietly.

I nod, “Anyway, I will be starting. So I'll see you later.”

Sensing the trio of boys leaving the smithy, I teleport there.

The smithy is a smaller house that is also made of wood but this one is darker, nearly black, looking almost like metal. The house is circular with a cupola-like roof that has an anvil near the middle where there is also a fireplace with a chimney creating a pillar in the middle and an opening through the roof.

Kicking my bags aside to open them, I bend and start picking up the materials: voidsteel, endurium, arcanadium, voidcopper, and many more. In my mind I also start preparing the base of the item for Channeler.

For a moment I stop and redirect more of my brain power to dealing with my heart as a powerful heat wave washes over my body. I use [Redistribution] and release it out towards the fireplace instead of burning the area around me. The golden flame starts burning there, spreading the heat through the place.

Suppressing the heart, I redirect part of my mind to training with it—the second part for training and maintaining arrays in the back of my mind and the third part on the item whose base I will now be creating.

It won't be finished in one day, but if it's as before then we should get the events in 12 hours. Until then I will at least prepare the base of the item.

Taking off Fracture and tossing it into the corner, I grab the materials. Drawing a small amount of thermal energy from the heart, I begin hammering with kinetic energy.

***

At the expected time a notification pops up.

Events for the 2nd tournament of Earth tutorial have been decided. They are as follows:

1st event - Clash of Rounds

2nd event - Beast Hunt

3rd event - Chronicle of the Past

4th event - Avatar’s Gauntlet

5th event - Tyrant’s Arena

The first event will start in 12 hours. More information will be shared soon.

I pause my work and through Ley Line pull Fracture back into my hand and tuck it at my waist. After that, I leave the item just lying there and exit the smithy while reading the notification again and thinking of the events.

So once again it is 5 events with Chronicle of the Past being the only one returning. There also don't seem to be duels this time but the last event sounds like it's replacing it.

The second event sounds like PvE based, maybe hunting beasts for points? It might be solo, team, round, and even entire tutorial based. Who knows.

Avatar’s Gauntlet also could make for an interesting event but so far I'm not sure in what way the avatars will be used.

As for the first event, the name mostly explains it. It will be either round against round or multiple rounds clashing at once.

I allow myself to slide out of the [Focus] and for a moment I pause to examine my feelings.

Worry. Anxiety. Pressure. Then worst of all there is doubt. A doubt if I can really do what I have taken upon myself to do. It's just a whiff of that feeling. An annoying one lingering in the background and constantly trying to take hold of me.

But there is also anger. And prevalent at that. Part of it is directed at Lissandra. For the sheer fact, she is messing with me this way. Using Tess's life to get whatever she wants out of me. The anger comes from the fact that she didn't do anything to stop it from happening.

A bigger piece of that anger is directed at myself. For not noticing. For not thinking something like that could happen. Lulled by a feeling of safety in the valley and focusing solely on my training and the Champion's heart that now lies sealed in my chest.

What a fucking mess.

I teleport through [Ley Line] into the biggest room of Oakheart Refuge where I find most of group 4. Just Izzy, Noodle, and Sophie are missing and, sensing explosions outside, they are training- abusing the fact we cannot die here.

The others also seem like they went through something similar and are just taking a break.

I know I handle deaths here better than most, but from the looks of it, there’s no lack of determination. Directing a bigger part of my mind to training, I sit down and grab some snacks from the table nearby.

“Where is the cockroach?” I ask Myrra.

The white-haired lynthari shows her fangs in a smile, “She is likely examining this place, feral one. She said exiting the tutorial should be nearly impossible for her and me and that she needs more data. Floors, tournament, Beyond. She wants to examine it all and come up with the best way possible.”

“So you are not participating?”

“I will do whatever she tells me to, feral one. Because without her I will die.”

"Did you know?" I say, gauging her reaction.

Myrra stays quiet to that question.

With an annoyed groan, I grab a few more pieces of dried up food.

I turn to the twins, “If you haven't done it yet, add Channeler and maybe Miwa to our link. Make a secondary one for Gareth, his guild, and others willing to cooperate.”

Standing up I turn to Lily, “We might need others to cooperate at least partially as we currently don't know if we can handle the 1st event on our own only. I won't let others risk us losing because of in-fighting for leadership or some other silly ambitions. Group 4 will be taking a lead and if anyone complains, beat them up until they agree. I don't care if it's WhiteWing, TheGuild, IDK, Samuel, or whoever. Can you do it?”

“Yes! I'm strong enough!” As expected Lily understands right away and agrees.

“Thanks, I need to make some money for a new passive so I will continue in the workshop.”

Not waiting for more, I teleport away into the workshop and open up the window.

To be able to sell the items in the tournament shop, register as a seller. Please, pick your alias.

Even this is the same as previously.

Would you like to register as "Tent Creep"?

“Yes,” I confirm.

Congratulations, you have been registered as “Tent Creep”, you can now offer items made by you for sale.

I then open up the tutorial shop and start buying the materials.

***

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