Chapter 250: Purging the Islands

The Prince took everyone’s attention, whether those present here or those behind the screens.

His smile pulsed with confidence and a strange kindness at the same time, for a moment our eyes met but he quickly turned his attention back to the audience, delivering his speech with the loudspeakers amplifying his words.

[It all started when we stepped into this world for the first time four centuries ago...]

He talked about how humans came to this continent and purged a part of it, establishing the safe lands and the four Empires that exist now.

Not a single minute passed before I realized this speech wouldn’t be short, or at least he wouldn’t be talking about the part I want to hear anytime soon.

So, my eyes were searching around the place without meaning to until I looked at Ellen who seemed stiff for some reason.

Don’t get me wrong, Ellen is always formal... but now she was like a tree trunk growing out of the ground, and unlike everyone she was looking at the stone ground instead of the Prince... her older brother.

Maybe they had a fight or something... they’re siblings after all.

At some point I was about to start yawning when he got to the part talking about the creation of this game a century and a half ago, to unite the Empires and identify talents and so on...

So yeah, I yawned audibly which made Elliot bump into my shoulder, and I gave him a look that said, "What’s your problem."

Then finally, the important part came... the format of the game and the basic rules.

[After thinking and meeting with the other Empires, we decided on the format of the game for this season, it will be purging the lands.]

Purging the lands?... was it the same thing in the game... honestly, I don’t know.

I mean in most games you run, hit this enemy, then the next... and well, we’re done.

With the Prince’s words, the projection above changed as it showed a group of flying islands... there were hundreds of islands floating in the air like they formed a great staircase toward the sky.

That was an orange zone called the Hanging Islands, which means it’s dangerous with Rank 5 monsters living on it.

It’s located outside the safe line of course, specifically toward the northeast above the waters of the endless ocean.

Why do they fly?... everyone thinks the reason goes back to the Great monster that used to occupy it, but it died a long time ago... so who really knows.

The students let out some collective chatter which made the Prince clap his hands, bringing their attention back to him. [I know what you’re thinking, don’t be scared, we made sure to inspect them... of course there are Rank 5 monsters in some places, but we estimated that you can handle them.]

The crowd’s murmur died down while he went on delivering the rules.

It was simple, and it depends on teamwork.

Which is purging the largest number of islands possible during the first stage which lasts a whole month.

This way the four parties collect points which will be used later in the second stage.

The danger and the size of each island differ, where the higher we go up the more the danger increases, so the number of points granted differs from one to another.

First, we have to purge the islands of monsters and take control of them, but also hold them until the end for the points to count for us... and this means the other parties can steal them from us and turn them into theirs.

In this stage all hundred from the same Empire are allies with each other, and success depends on teamwork.

Every person has the right to withdraw, and also to use Relics and Artifacts that pass the conditions later.

And of course we’re given equipment to achieve a minimum of safety, and save our miserable lives from death.... this isn’t guaranteed of course.

In the end those points will be used in the second stage, which is individual fights to determine the final winner.

How do the points work here?

With the points that get collected each party can buy seats in the individual matches, and this means the Empire that has the most points will have the largest number of fighters in the end... of course there’s the quality factor.

And the points can be used on other things... for example if the draw falls on two from the same Empire against each other, the points can be used to change the opponent.

Or simply skip that match and qualify for the next one... this works on one person and only before the semifinals.

And in very short, this is the Game of Kings for this year... the hundred work to collect enough and push the elite to win in the end.

It’s more complicated, but maybe I should thank this Prince for not explaining everything here or else it would’ve been very long.

In the end Zen finished the long speech and came down from the platform, and with him the projection above disappeared and we finally got our freedom.

"Huh... thinking about it, they want us to clean those islands." Emeris sighed like someone who’d been scammed but has no proof.

"Yeah." Ellen didn’t deny that as she answered with a nod, while Elliot put his hand under his chin in thought.

"There are still two days before the game starts... we need to put together an initial plan before that and look into what we can take and what we can’t."

Kyle came closer, abandoning the discipline. "Is there a map of the islands?"

As for me I stood staring at them... they were already making plans, and looking toward the other Empires I saw them forming circles around each other too.

But before they started spreading maps on the ground like they were about to go to war, we were cut off by the Prince’s voice but this time not from the loudspeakers. "I see everyone’s excited, but I don’t think it’s the right time to think about your strategies... even though the basis of today is the speech, the palace still wants to welcome you."

He stood there under the platform he’d given the speech from with his hand pointing at the palace entrance open a few dozen meters away.

He wore a kind smile as he added, "You don’t want to embarrass me here, right?"

Some of the nobles and professors laughed, like they’d heard a nice joke as they walked to the entrance, that’s when the four groups started breaking up and moving, and so did we.

Emeris walked beside me as she said her thoughts out loud. "I wonder what food they’ll serve."

Leona smiled as she put her hand over her mouth. "I hope there’s a chocolate fountain... and cake too." Yeah, she was putting her hand there to hide her drool.

Without hesitating Izel elbowed her in the ribs. "You’re not planning to drown the cake in chocolate, are you?"

"Oh Izel... did you gain the ability to read minds?"

Hundreds of people among them us walked and we entered the Imperial palace, the corridor was short and led straight to the door of a large banquet hall.

The long tables were lined up near the tall windows full of food of every kind, and the good smells hit my nose, this made my stomach beg me to speed up my steps... and I did.

For some reason I found myself eating with our old group... well, there’s Emeris and Ivan now.

And unlike most of the students whether from our Empire or the others, this group didn’t show any tension... maybe it goes back to the nice trip on Earth.

I mean Leona was muttering that she’d pack enough sweets for several months, while Elliot and Kyle started talking about something... Izel was hitting Leona and trying to cure her of her sugar addiction.

Emeris tried to feed me with her fork which made everyone stare at me with wide eyes... even Izel’s face turned red as she cursed.

And Ivan?... well, if you see Ivan tense then pray the end of the world isn’t above our heads.

But the only person who looked uncomfortable was Ellen... maybe being a princess at this event weighs on her shoulders.

And at some point, when everyone split up, Kyle said he’d go back to the resort, while Elliot got surrounded by some girls in our party and taken away.

Leona took Emeris with her as the two of them headed to the big table talking about dipping chocolate cake in the chocolate fountain?... and of course, Izel behind them, trying to stop them... maybe she just wants to try that in secret.

Ellen left to an unknown place, and that reminds me that this place is her home.

And while I was sitting, my eyes met someone’s, Riven, by coincidence as she winked at me.

Without caring I moved my eyes to see Theo and that girl following him with the camera, surrounded by a small crowd... especially mostly girls.

The ones from Auerlion were quieter but more voracious.

And while I was staring at all this, a familiar figure came closer to me.

With red eyes shining under the lights, Zen Asterval was walking toward me with dozens of eyes following his steps in this hall.

A polite smile formed on his lips, but those eyes reflected nothing but that strange amusement.

"I’ve always wanted to meet you, Caius Astroweild."